English prose treatises of Richard Rolle de Hampole (who died A.D. 1349)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866 edition. Excerpt: ...Loo! I haue tolde Je in bis mater a lyttill as me thynke; noghte affermande Jat bis suffisches, ne bat bis es be sothefastnes in Jis mater. Bot if be thynke it oJer-wyse, or elles any ober man sauowr by grace be contrarye here-to, I leue be saying and gyfe stede to hym. It sufficeth to me for to lyffe in trouthe princypally and noghte in felyng. IX. active And Contemplative Life. Brethirne and susteryne bodely and goostely, two maner of Thetwostates in Holy Church, 1 The Lincoln manuscript of this treatise being imperfect, the beginning bodily and is supplied from a British Museum MS. (Bibl. Beg. 17. C. xviii.) This, as ghostlywill be observed, is in a different dialect from the Thornton MS., being more modern, and according to Mr. Morris's test of the verbal plurals, of Midland dialect. There is also a MS. of the treatise in Cambridge University Library, which differs in dialect from both the above, and appears to be of still later date. We give a sentence from each by way of comparison of the spelling:--This is nothing but blindness and folly. Our safety lies in humility. These are my views, though others may be able to say more. Thornton. Mene bat ware in prelacye and oer also Jat ware haly temperalle mene had full charite in affeccione witA-in and also in wirkynge witA-owttene. B. M. Men that were in prelaci and other also that were holy temporelle mene had fulle cherite with affeccton with-in and also in wirkynge with-outene. Cambridge. Men Jat wern in prdacie and oere also Jat wern temporal men hadde ful charite in affectiouYi withinne and also in werkynge with-outen. The Ghostly state the highest. The Ghostly state not easily reached. We must wait and work. What bodily working is. states ther bene in holy chirche be the which...