AUTHOR'S PREFACE

I že Feaderes ant i že Sunes ant i že Hali Gastes nome her biginneš Ancrene Wisse.

Recti diligunt te (In Canticis, sponsa ad sponsum). Est rectum grammaticum, rectum geometricum, rectum theologicum. Et sunt differencie totidem regularum. De recto theologico sermo nobis est, cuius regule due sunt: una circa cordis directionem. Altera versatur circa exteriorum rectificationem. Recti diligunt te.

"Laverd," seiš Godes spuse to hire deorewurše spus, "že rihte luvieš že." Žeo beoš rihte že luvieš efter riwle. Ant 3e, mine leove sustren, habbež moni dei i-cravet on me after riwle. Monie cunne riwlen beoš, ah twa beoš bimong alle žet ich chulle speoken of žurh ower bone, wiš Godes grace. Že an riwleš že heorte ant makeš efne ant smeše, wišute cnost ant dolc of woh inwit ant of wrei3ende, že segge "her žu sunegest!" ožer "žis nis nawt i-bet 3et ase wel as hit ahte!" Žeos riwle is eaver inwiš ant rihteš že heorte. Et hec est caritas, quam describit apostulus, de corde puro et consciencia bona et fide non ficta. Žeos riwle is chearite of schir heorte ant cleane inwit ant treowe bileave. "Pretende," inquit Psalmista, "misericoridam tuam scientibus te per fidem non fictam, et iusticiam tuam - id est, uite rectitudinem - hiis qui recto sunt corde." Qui sunt omnes voluntates suas dirigunt ad regulam divine voluntatis. Isti dicuntur boni antonomasice Psalmista: "Benefac, Domine, bonis et rectis corde." Istis dicitur ut glorientur testimonio videlicet bone conscientie: "Gloriamini omnes recti corde", quos scilicet rectificavit regula illa supprema, rectificans omnia. De qua Augustinus: "Nichil petendum preter regulam magisterii." Et apostolus: "Omnes in eadem regula permaneamus."

Že ožer riwle is al wišuten ant riwleš že licome ant licomliche deden, že teacheš al hu me schal beoren him wišuten, hu eoten, drinken, werien, singen, slepen, wakien. Et hec est exercitio corporis que, iuxta apostolum, modicum valet, et est quasi regula recti mechanici quod geometrico recto continetur. Ant žeos riwle nis nawt bute forte servi že ožer: že ožer is as leafdi, žeos as hire žuften. For al žet me eaver deš of že ožer wišuten, nis bute forte riwle že heorte wišinnen.

Nu easki 3e hwet riwle 3e ancren schulen halden. 3e schulen alles weis, wiš alle mihte ant strengše, wel witen že inre, ant te uttre for hire sake. Že inre is eaver i-lich; že uttre is mislich, for euch schal halden že uttre efter žet ha mei best, wiš hire servi že inre. Nu ženne is hit swa žet alle ancren mahen wel halden an riwle, "quantum ad puritatem cordis, circa quam versatur tota religio. Žet is, alle mahen ant ahen halden a riwle "onont purte of heorte" - žet is, cleane ant schir inwit (conscientia), wišuten weote of sunne žet ne beo žurh schrift i-bet. Žis makeš že leafdi riwle, že riwleš ant rihteš ant smešeš že heorte ant te inwit of sunne, for nawt ne makeš hire woh bute sunne ane. Rihten hire ant smešin hire is of euch religiun ant of euch ordre že god ant al že strengše. Žeos riwle is i-maket nawt of monnes fundles, ah is of Godes heaste, forži ha is eaver ant an wišute changunge, ant alle ahen hire in an eaver to halden. Ah alle ne mahe nawt halden a riwle, ne ne žurve nawt, ne ne ahe nawt halden on a wise že uttre riwle, quantum scilicet ad observantias corporales - žet is, onont licomliche locunges efter že uttre riwle, žet ich žuften cleopede, ant is monnes fundles, for na žing elles i-stald bute to servi že inre, že makeš feasten, wakien, calde ant hearde werien - swucche ožre heardschipes žet moni fles mei žolien, moni ne mei nawt. Forži mot žeos changin hire misliche efter euchanes manere ant efter hire evene. For sum is strong, sum unstrong, ant mei ful wel beo cwite ant paie Godd mid leasse. Sum is clergesse, sum nawt, ant mot te mare wurchen ant on ošer wise seggen hire bonen. Sum is ald ant ešelich ant is že leasse dread of. Sum is 3ung ant luvelich ant is neod betere warde. Forži schal euch ancre habben že uttre riwle efter hire schriftes read, ant hwet se he bit ant hat hire in obedience, že cnaweš hire manere ant wat hire strengše. He mei že uttre riwle changin efter wisdom as he siš, žet te inre mahe beo best i-halden.

 

 

Nan ancre, bi mi read, ne schal makien professiun - žet is, bihaten ase heast - but žreo žinges: žet beoš obedience, chastete, ant stude steašelvestnesse, žet ha ne schal žet stude neaver mare changin bute for nede ane, as strengše ant deašes dred, obedience of hire bischop ošer of his herre. For hwa se nimeš žing on hond ant bihat hit Godd as heast forte don hit, ha bint hire žerto, ant sunegeš deadliche i že bruche, 3ef ha hit brekeš willes. 3ef ha hit ne bihat nawt, ha hit mei do žah ant leaven hwen ha wel wule, as of mete, of drunch, flesch forgan ošer fisch, alle ožer swucche žinges, of werunge, of liggunge, of ures, of ožre beoden, segge swa monie ošer o swucche wise. Žeos ant žulliche ožre beoš alle i freo wil to don ošer to leten hwil me wule ant hwen me wule, bute ha beon bihaten. Ah chearite - žet is, luve - ant eadmodnesse ant žolemodnesse, treoweschipe ant haldunge of že alde ten heastes, schrift ant penitence - žeos ant žulliche ožre, že beoš summe of že alde lahe, summe of že neowe, ne beoš nawt monnes fundles, ne riwle žet mon stalde, ah beoš Godes heastes. Ant forži euch mon mot ham nede halden, ant 3e over alle, for žeos riwleš že heorte. Of hire riwlunge is al meast žet ich write, bute i že frumše of žis boc ant i že leaste ende.

 

Že žinges žet ich write her of že uttre riwle, 3e ham haldeš alle, mine leove sustren - ure Laverd beo i-žonket! - ant schulen žurh his grace se lengere se betere. Ant žah nulle ich nawt žet 3e bihaten ham as heaste to halden, for as ofte as 3e žrefter breken eni of ham, hit walde to swiše hurten ower heorte ant makien ow swa offearet, žet 3e mahten sone - žet Godd forbeode! - ow fallen i desesperance - žet is, in an unhope ant an unbileave forte beon i-borhen. Forži žet ich write ow, mine leove sustren, of uttre žinges in že earste dale of ower boc, of ower servise, ant nomeliche i že leaste, 3e ne schule nawt bihaten hit, ah habbeš hit on heorte ant doš hit as žah 3e hit hefden bihaten.

3ef ei unweote easkeš ow of hwet ordre 3e beon, as summe doš, 3e telleš me - že siheš že gneat ant swolheš že flehe - ondswerieš "of Sein Iames," že wes Godes apostel ant for his muchele halinesse i-cleopet Godes brošer. 3ef him žuncheš wunder ant sullich of swuch ondswere, easkiš him hwet beo ordre, ant hwer he funde in hali writ religiun openlukest descrivet ant i-sutelet žen is i Sein Iames canonial epistel. He seiš hwet is religiun, hwuch is riht ordre. Religio munda et immaculata apud deum et patrem hec est: visitare pup[pillos] et viduas in ne[ces]s[itate] sua et immaculatum se custodire ab hoc seculo. Žet is, "cleane religiun ant wišute wem is i-seon ant helpen wydewen ant federlese children, ant from že world witen him cleane ant unwemmet." Žus Sein Iame descrivež religiun ant ordre. Že leatere dale of his sahe limpeš to reclusen, for žer beož twa dalen to twa manere že beoš of religiuse. To eišer limpeš his dale, as 3e mahen i-heren: gode religiuse beoš i že world summe, nomeliche prelaz ant treowe preachurs, že habbeš že earre dale of žet Sein Iame seide, žet beoš, as he seiš, že gaš to helpen wydewen ant feaderlese children. Že sawle is widewe že haveš forloren hire spus - žet is, Iesu Crist - wiš eni heaved sunne. Že is alswa federles že haveš žurh his sunne forloren že feader of heovene. Gan i-seon žulliche ant elnin ham ant helpen wiš fode of hali lare - žis is riht religiun, he seiš, Sein Iame. Že leatere dale of his sahe limpeš to ower religiun, as ich ear seide, že witeš ow from že worlt, over ožre religiuse, cleane ant unwemmet. Žus že apostle Sein Iame, že descriveš religiun, nowšer hwit ne blac ne nempneš he in his ordre.

Ah moni siheš že gneat ant swolheš že flehe - žet is, makeš muche strengše žer as is že leaste. Pawel, že earste ancre, Antonie ant Arsenie, Makarie ant te ožre, neren ha religiuse ant of Sein Iames ordre? Alswa Seinte Sare ant Seinte Sincletice, ant monie ožre swucche, wepmen ba ant wummen, wiš hare greate matten ant hare hearde heren, neren ha of god ordre? "Ant hwešer hwite ošer blake?" as unwise ow easkiš, že weneš žet ordre sitte i že curtel. Godd wat, nošeles ha weren wel baše, nawt tah onont clašes, ah as Godes spuse singeš bi hire seolven, Nigra sum set formosa. "Ich am blac ant tah hwit," ha seiš unseowlich wišuten, schene wišinnen. O žis wise ondswerieš to že easkeres of ower ordre, hwešer hwite ošer blake - seggeš 3e beoš ba twa, žurh že grace of Godd, ant of Sein Iames ordre, žet he wrat leatere: Inmaculatum se custodire ab hoc seculo - žet is žet ich seide ear, "from že worlt witen him cleane ant unwemmet." Herin is religiun - nawt i že wide hod, ne in že blake cape, ne i že hwite rochet, ne i že greie cuwel. Žer as monie beoš i-gederet togederes, žer for anrednesse me schal makie strengše of annesse of clašes, ant of ožerhwet of uttre žinges, žet te annesse wišuten bitacni že annesse of a luve ant of a wil žet ha alle habbeš i-meane wišinnen. Wiš hare habit, žet is an, žet euch haveš swuch as ožer, ant alswa of ošer - hwet, ha 3ei3eš žet ha habbeš alle togederes a luve ant a wil, euch alswuch as ožer. Loke žet ha ne lihen. Žus hit is i cuvent, ah hwer se wummon liveš, ošer mon, bi him ane, hearmite ošer ancre, of žinges wišuten hwer of scandle ne cume nis nawt muche strengše. Hercne Michee: Indicabo tibi, O homo, quid sit bonum et quid deus requirat a te, utique facere iudicium et iusticiam et sollicite ambulare cum Domino Deo tu. "Ich chulle schawi že mon," seiš že hali Michee, Godes prophete - "Ich chulle schawi že sošliche hwet is god, ant hwuch religiun, ant hwuch ordre, hwuch halinesse Godd easkeš of že" - low, žis, understond hit - "do wel ant dem wac eaver že seolven, ant wiš dred ant wiš luve ga mid Godd ti laverd. Žer as žeose žinges beoš, žer is riht religiun, žer is soš ordre. Ant do al žet ošer, ant let žis nis bute trichunge ant a fals gile. Ve vobis, scribe et pharisei, ypocrite, qui mundatis quod deforis est calicis et parapsidis. Intus autem pleni estis omni spurcitia similes sepulcris dealbatis.

Al žet gode religiuse doš ožer werieš efter že uttre riwle, al togedere is hervore, al nis bute ase tole to timbrin her towart. Al nis bute as žuften to servi že leafdi to riwlin že heorte.

Žis an boc is todealet in eahte leasse bokes.

Nu, mine leove sustren, žis boc ich todeale on eahte destinctiuns žet 3e cleopieš "dalen." Ant euch wišute monglunge spekeš al bi him seolf of sunderliche žinges, ant žah euchan right falleš efter ošer, ant is že leatere eaver i-teiet to že earre.

  • Že earste dale spekeš al of ower servise.
  • Že ošer is hu 3e schulen žurh ower fif wittes witen ower heorte, žet ordre ant religiun ant sawle lif is inne. I žis destinctiun aren chapitres five, as fif stuchen efter fif wittes že witeš že heorte as wakemen, hwer se ha beoš treowe, ant spekeš of euch wit sunderlepes o raw.
  • Že žridde dale is of anes cunnes fuheles že Daviš i že Sawter eveneš him seolf to as he were ancre, ant hu že cunde of že ilke fuheles beoš ancren i-liche.
  • Že feorše dale is of fleschliche fondunges ant gasteliche baše, ant confort ageines ham ant of hare salven.
  • Že fifte dale is of schrift.
  • Že seste dale is of penitence.
  • Že seoveše of schir heorte, hwi me ah, ant hwi me schal Iesu Crist luvien, ant hwet binimeš us his luve ant let us him to luvien.
  • Že eahtuše dale is al of že uttre riwle, earst of mete ant of drunch, ant of ožre žinges žet falleš žer abuten, žrefter of že žinges že 3e mahen undervon ant hwet žinges 3e mahen witen ošer habben, žrefter of ower werkes, of doddunge ant of blodletunge, of ower meidnes riwle, aleast hu 3e ham schulen leofliche learen.

 

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, here begins Ancrene Wisse.

 The righteous love you (the bride to the bridegroom in Canticles). There is a grammatical rule, a geometrical rule, a theological rule, and there are as many differences in the rules for each of them. Our discourse concerns the theological rule, for which there are two rules: one deals with the directing of the heart; the other with the rectifying of exterior things. 'The righteous love you.'

'Lord,' says God's bride to her precious husband, 'the righteous love you. 'They are righteous who love according to the rule. And you, my beloved sisters, have for many days desired a rule from me. There are many kinds of rule, but there are two things concerning them all about which I shall speak because of your request, with God's grace. The one rules the heart and makes it even and smooth, without the bumps and pits of a harmful conscience and self-accusation, which says: 'Here you are sinning', or 'This is not remedied as well as it ought to be. 'This rule is always within and guides the heart. It is the charity that the Apostle describes, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and true faith. This rule is the charity of a pure heart and clean conscience and true faith. 'Extend', says the Psalmist, 'your mercy to those that know you' by true faith, 'and thy justice', that is, righteous life, 'to those that are right in heart', that is to say, those who direct all their will to the rule of the divine will. These are called good antonomastically. The Psalmist: 'Do good, Lord, to those who are good and to the right in heart'; it is said to them that they should rejoice in the witness of a good conscience: 'Glory, all you of right heart', that is, those who have been set right by the supreme rule that guides everything right; on which Augustine: 'Nothing must be sought against the rule of authority'; and the Apostle: 'We should all continue in the same rule.'

The other rule is entirely external and rules the body and physical actions. It gives instruction all about how people should bear themselves externally: how to cat, drink, dress, sing, steep, wake. And this is bodily exercise that, according to the Apostle, is moderately beneficial, and is similar to the rule of correct mechanics, which is contained within correct geometry. And this rule is for nothing except to serve the other. The other is like a lady; this one is her handmaiden. For all that is ever done for the second, outer rule is only in order to rule the heart within.

Now you ask what rule you anchoresses should follow. You must in every way, with all your power and strength, keep the inner rule well, and the outer for its sake. The inner rule is always the same, the outer is variable, and each person shall maintain the outer in a way that may best serve the inner. Now then, it is the case that all anchoresses can hold one rule well 'with respect to purity of heart with which all religion is concerned'; that is, all can and ought to maintain a rule in respect of purity of heart; that is, with a clean and spotless conscience - consciencia - without awareness of sin that has not been absolved through confession. This is what the lady rule does, that rules and corrects and smoothes the heart and the conscience of sin, for nothing makes the heart crooked except sin alone. Making it right and smoothing it, is, as far as each religious person and each order is concerned, good and their strength entirely. This rule is not made from man's imagination, but is from God's commands. Therefore it is permanent and the same, without changing, and all ought to keep it the same always. But all are not able to maintain the one rule, and need not, and ought not to hold to the same outer rule in one manner, 'with respect, that is, to observances concerning the body'; that is, with respect to physical observances, according to the outer rule that I have called the handmaiden and which is an invention of man, established only to serve the inner. It discusses fasting, keeping vigil, wearing cold or uncomfortable things, and such other hardships which the flesh of many can endure, but which many cannot. Therefore this rule may be changed variously according to the condition and abilities of each person; for one is strong, one is weak, and may very well be excused and may please God with less. One person is scholarly, one is not and must do more work and say her prayers in other ways. One is old and feeble and is the less to be feared for; one is young and lovely and needs to be better guarded. Therefore each anchoress shall observe the outer rule according to her confessor's advice; and do what he asks or demands of her under obedience, he who knows her situation and her strength. He may change the outer rule as his wisdom sees it, so that the inner rule may best be maintained.

No anchoress, by my advice, will make a profession, that is, make promises of obligation, except to three things: these are obedience, chastity, and stability of place, so that they should never more change their place of living except for necessity alone; such as by force and fear of death, or in obedience to her bishop or to his superior. For whoever takes such a thing in hand and promises to God that she will do it as if it were a command, binds herself by that, and sins mortally in its breaking, if she breaks it of her own free will. If she promises none of that though, she may do it and cease whenever she wishes, such as in her eating, drinking, forgoing meat or fish, or all such other things; with clothing, resting, saying her hours with other prayers, saying as many or in whatever way. These, and other such things, are all left to free will, to do or to leave them while one wants to and when one wants to, unless they have been promised. But charity - that is, love and humility and patience, loyalty and the keeping of the ten old commandments, confession and penitence - these, and other such matters, some belonging to the old law, some to the new, are not the creation of man or a rule established by man; but they are God's commands. And for that *reason each person must by necessity keep them, and you above all, because these rule the heart. Virtually all my writing is about the ruling of the heart, except at the beginning of this book, and at the very end.


The things that I write about here concerning the outer rule, you keep them all, my dear sisters, our Lord be thanked, and may you continue to do so, for the longer the better. And yet I would not want you to hold them as commands, for after that, as often as you broke any of them, it would cause too much hurt to your hearts and make you so very afraid, that you might soon, and may God prevent you from it, fall into despair; that is, into a lack of hope and trust in your salvation. Therefore, what I write for you, my beloved sisters, about external things in the first part of your book about your devotions, and certainly in the last part, you should not promise; but have it in your heart and do it as though you had promised them.
 

If any ignorant person should ask you of which order you are, as some people do, so you tell me, who strain the gnat and swallow the fly, answer 'Of Saint James, who was God's Apostle, and for his great holiness is called God's brother. 'lf such an answer seems a wonder to him, ask him what an 'order' is and where he is able to find in the holy scriptures religion more openly described and plainly put than in Saint James's canonical epistle. He says 'What is religion? Which is the true order?' Religion clean and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world. That is 'Pure and spotless religion is to visit and help widows and fatherless children, and to keep yourself pure and unspotted from the world.' In this way Saint james describes religion and order. The second part of his saying applies to recluses, for there are two parts for the two kinds of religion: to each applies its own part, as you may hear. There are some good religious in the world, namely prelates and faithful preachers who have the first part of what Saint James said; that is, as he says, they are those who go to the help of widows and fatherless children. The soul is the widow who has lost her spouse, that is, Jesus Christ, with any mortal sin. Likewise, the fatherless is he who has lost his heavenly Father through his sin. To go to visit such as these, and to comfort and help them with the nourishment of holy teaching, this is true religion, as says Saint James. The second part of his saying applies to your religion, as I said before, which protects you from the world, beyond those other religious, pure and spotless. In this way, the apostle Saint James, when he describes religion, does not mention anything about white or black in his order.


But there are many that strain the gnat and swallow the fly; that is, they use great strength where there is the least need. Paul, the first anchorite, Antony and Arsenius, Macarius and the others, were they not religious and of the order of Saint James? And Saint Sarah and Saint Syncletica, and many other such people, both men and women, with their coarse mattresses and their uncomfortable hairshirts, were not they of a good order? And what does it matter whether it was white or black, as those foolish people ask who think that an order is dictated by the habit? God knows even so, these saints were both. Not, however, concerning their clothes, but as God's bride sings about herself, 'I am black and yet comely,' 'I am black and yet white', she says: unattractive externally but pure within. In this way answer those who ask of what order you are, whether white or black; say you are both of them, through the grace of God, and of Saint James's order, as he wrote in the latter part: 'To keep oneself unspotted in this world.' In this lies religion: not in a wide hood or a black cape, nor in a white surplice nor in a grey cowl. Where many are gathered together for stability there, one ought to place some importance on the uniformity of clothing, and of other matters concerning exterior things so that the exterior uniformity symbolizes the unity of one love and of one will that they all have in common on the inside. With their one, similar habit, each will have the same as the other, and also in other things, they proclaim that they all have together the one love and the one will, each in the same way as another. Make sure that they do not lie. This is how it is in a community; but where the woman or a man lived by themselves, as a hermit or an anchoress, things on the outside, from which no scandal can come, are not very important. Listen to Micah: 'I will show thee, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: truly, to do judgement and justice, and to walk solicitous with the Lord thy God.' I shall show you, man,' says the holy Micah, God's prophet, 'I shall show you truly what is good and what religion and what order, and what holiness God asks of you.' Perceive this. Understand it. Do well, and judge yourself to be weak always, and, with fear and with love, walk with God your Lord. Where these things are, there is true religion; there is the true order; and to do all the rest and not do this is but trickery and a false deceit. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who make clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but within yourselves are full of all uncleanness, similar to whitened sepulchres.'

All that good religious people do or wear following the outer rule, all of it together is laid out here. All this is nothing except as a tool to build towards this; all of it is only as a handmaiden to assist the lady to rule the heart.

This book is divided into eight smaller books.

 

Now my dear sisters, I am dividing this book into eight distinctions, which you call parts, and each, without overlapping, speaks all on its own about individual things; and even so, each one suitably comes after the other, and the subsequent one is linked to the former.

  • The first part is entirely about your devotions.
  • The second is about how you should, through your five senses, protect your heart in which order and religion and the life of the soul resides. In this part are five chapters, like five pieces concerning the five senses which guard the heart like watchmen wherever they are faithful; and it speaks of each of the senses separately, in turn.
  • The third part is about types of bird to which David in the Psalter compared himself as if he were an anchorite; and how the nature of those birds is like that of anchorites.
  • The fourth part is about both fleshly and spiritual temptations, and how to comfort oneself against them, and about the remedies for them.
  • The fifth part is about confession.
  • The sixth is about penance.
  • The seventh is about purity of heart: why one ought to and must love Jesus Christ, and what deprives us of his love and prohibits us from loving him.
  • The eighth part is all about the outer rule; first about eating and drinking, and other things which fall into this category; thereafter, about the things that you may receive, and what things you can keep or have; after that, about your clothes and such things which fall into this area; after that, about your work, about cutting hair and blood-letting, about your servants' rule. Lastly, how you should treat them lovingly.

 

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