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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 July 2010
(Chapter 7 with cuts)
This Middle English ‘tretice made to religious wommen’ is translated from De doctrina cordis (attributed to Gerard of Liège or Hugh of St Cher, and probably written in the first half of the thirteenth century). The last chapter analyses seven tokens of ‘extatik love’, which recall the signs of ‘the loveris maladye Of Hereos’ (Knight's Tale, 1, 1373–4). In his preface the English translator (calling himself ‘oon of thoo whiche oure Lord hath clepid to his seruise in religioun’) says he has ‘compilid this tretice …to edificacioun of symple soules’, also remarking: ‘Hertly redyng is a gracious meene to goostly felyng: in this wise f)erfor shuld this tretice be rad or herd.’
Base manuscript: Trinity College, Cambridge, MS B. 14. 15 (T), fols. 701–75. Also cited: Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, MS McClean 132 (M).
…Take hede, sister, to the wordis of Seynt Austyn. He seith that he was led into a gostli unusid affeccion, into a merveyllous swetnes, he not what, and he was anon throwe doun into his corruptible bodi fro that blessid swetnesse. This unusid gostli affeccion may wel be lykned to extatik love. Extatik love is such a thyng that it alieneth the soule fer fro here meynde unto the love of that thyng the which it lovyth. This extatik love otherwhile is take for good love, as Seynt Dionyse seith, that clepith extatik love such love the which brynggith a lover al hool into the use and profite of that thyng that is lovyd. With such love our Lord lovyd us, yevyng hymself al hool into our use and profite.
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