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Here beginneth a book of contemplation, the  which is called the CLOUD OF UNKNOWING, in the which a soul is oned with  GOD.

Here Beginneth the Prayer on the Prologue

GOD, unto whom all hearts be open, and unto whom all will speaketh, and unto whom no privy thing is hid. I beseech Thee so for to cleanse the intent of mine heart  with the unspeakable gift of Thy grace, that I may perfectly love Thee, and worthily praise Thee. Amen.

Here Beginneth the Prologue

IN the name of the Father and of the Son and of  the Holy Ghost! I charge thee and I beseech thee, with as much power and virtue  as the bond of charity is sufficient to suffer, whatsoever thou be that this book shalt have in possession, either by property, either by keeping, by bearing  as messenger, or else by borrowing, that in as much as in thee is by will and advisement, neither thou read it, nor write it, nor speak it, nor yet suffer it  be read, written, or spoken, of any or to any but if it be of such one, or to such one, that hath by thy supposing in a true will and by an whole intent  purposed him to be a perfect follower of Christ not only in active living, but  in the sovereignest point of contemplative living the which is  possible by grace for to be come to in this present life of a perfect soul yet  abiding in this deadly body; and thereto that doth that in him is, and by thy supposing hath done long time before, for to able him to contemplative living by the virtuous means of active living. For else it accordeth nothing to him. And over this I charge thee and I beseech thee by the authority of charity, that if  any such shall read it, write it, or speak it, or else hear it be read or  spoken, that thou charge him as I do thee, for to take him time to read it, speak it, write it, or hear it, all over. For peradventure there is some matter therein in the beginning or in the middle, the which is hanging, and not fully  declared where it standeth: and if it be not there, it is soon after, or else in  the end. Wherefore if a man saw one matter and not another, peradventure he  might lightly be led into error; and therefore in eschewing of this  error, both in thyself and in all other, I pray thee for charity do as I say thee.

     Fleshly janglers, open praisers and blamers of themselves or of any other, tellers of trifles, ronners and tattlers of tales, and all manner of  pinchers, cared I never that they saw this book. For mine intent was never to  write such thing unto them, and therefore I would that they meddle not therewith; neither they, nor any of these curious, lettered, or unlearned men. Yea, although that they be full good men of active living, yet this matter accordeth nothing to them. But if it be to those men, the which although they  stand in activity by outward form of living, nevertheless yet by inward stirring  after the privy spirit of God, whose dooms be hid, they be full graciously  disposed, not continually as it is proper to very contemplatives, but now and then to be perceivers in the highest point of this contemplative act; if such  men might see it, they should by the grace of God be greatly  comforted thereby.

     This book is distinguished in seventy chapters and  five. Of the which chapters, the last chapter of all teacheth some certain  tokens by the which a soul may verily prove whether he be called of God to be a  worker in this work or none.

HERE BEGINNETH THE FIRST CHAPTER

Of four degrees of Christian men's living; and of the course of his  calling that this book was made unto.

GHOSTLY friend in  God, thou shalt well understand that I find, in my boisterous beholding, four  degrees and forms of Christian men's living: and they be these, Common, Special, Singular, and Perfect. Three of these may be begun and ended in this life; and the fourth may by grace be begun here, but it shall ever last without end in the  bliss of Heaven. And right as thou seest how they be set here in order each one after other; first Common, then Special, after Singular, and last Perfect, right so me thinketh that in the same order and in the same course our Lord hath of  His great mercy called thee and led thee unto Him by the desire of thine heart. For first thou wottest well that when thou wert living in the common degree of Christian men's living in company of thy worldly friends, it seemeth to me that the everlasting love of His Godhead, through the which He  made thee and wrought thee when thou wert nought, and sithen bought thee with  the price of His precious blood when thou wert lost in Adam, might not suffer thee to be so far from Him in form and degree of living. And therefore He kindled thy desire full graciously, and fastened by it a leash of longing, and led thee by it into a more special state and form of living, to be a servant among the special servants of His; where thou mightest learn to live more  specially and more ghostly in His service than thou didst, or mightest do, in the common degree of living before. And what more?

     Yet it seemeth that He would not leave thee thus lightly, for love of His heart, the which He hath evermore had unto thee since thou wert aught: but what did He? Seest thou nought how Mistily and how graciously He hath privily pulled thee to  the third degree and manner of living, the which is called Singular? In the  which solitary form and manner of living, thou mayest learn to lift up the foot  of thy love; and step towards that state and degree of living that is perfect,  and the last state of all.

(The Cloud of Unknowing, scanned by Harry Plantinga, January 1998.
This book is in the public domain. www.ccel.org/u/unknowing/cloud.htm)