King of Navarre consort of Henry II Queen Marguerite

“ Alas it can not be a mortall man, for hys power and strength is not suche, but it shall be the only good grace of the almyghty God whych is neuer slacke to preuent vs with hys mercye. O what a master is that, without deseruynge any goodnesse of hym? I serued hym slouthfully, and without ceasynge offended hym euery daye, yet is he not slacke in helpynge me. He doth se the euyll that I haue, what and how moche it is, and that of my selfe I can do nothynge that good is, but with hart and body so enclyned am I to the contrarye, that I feale no strength in me onles it be for to do euyll. ”

“ Is there anye thynge can pull me backe if God be wyllynge through hys gyfte of faythe to drawe me to hym? I meane suche faythe as we must nedes haue to obtayne the hygh graces from aboue, & also suche faythe as through charyte doth ioyne the humble seruaunt to hys maker. I beynge ioyned vnto hym, ought to haue no feare of trauayle, payne, nor sorowe. For who so euer doth wyllyngly suffer anye maner of deathe or sorowe for the truthe, as ded Christ, he doth feale in suche torment great consolacyon for hys sowle, knowynge that as for my selfe, I am weake, and with God I am ryght stronge. ”

“ In thys worlde I can not haue perfyghtly thys my dsyre. Whych thynge consydered maketh me feruently & with all my harte, to desyre the departynge from thys bodye of synne, not fearynge the deathe nor yet any of her instrumentes. For what feare ought I to haue of my God, whych through loue offered hymselfe and suffered deathe, not of dett or dewtye, but because he wolde for my only sake vndo the power that mortall deathe had. Now is Iesus dead, in whom we are all dead, and through hys deathe he causeth euery man to lyue agayne. ”

“ And farthermore, O my father here is a great loue, for thu art not wery of wele doynge syth that thy sonne full of dyuynyte hath taken the bodye of a man, & ded myngle hymselfe with our ashes, whych thynge a man can not vnderstāde vnlesse he hath a true faythe. It hath pleased the to put hym so neare vs, that he ded ioyne hymselfe vnto our fleshe. Than we seynge hym to be called man, we are bolde to call hym syster and brother. Now the sowle whych maye saye of her selfe, that she is the syster of God, ought to haue her harte assured. ”

“ Pleasure profyte, honoure of thys worlde, are all but vayne tryfles vnto hym whych hath founde God. Suche loue is so profytable, honourable, & abundaunt, that (I dare saye) she only suffyseth the harte of a godly man, and yeldeth hym so content, that he neuer desyreth or wolde haue other. For who so euer hath God, as we ought to haue hym, accounteth all other thynges superfluouse or vayne. ”

“ Is thys the ende? Shall dyspayre than be the conforte of my greate ignoraūce? Alas my God no. For the inuysyble faythe causeth me to beleue, that all thynges whych are impossyble to men, are possyble vnto the. So that thu do conuerte my worke, whych is nothynge, into some good worke of thyne in me, whych is specyally faythe. Than my lorde, who shall condempne me, & what iudge wyll dāpne me, syth that he whych is geuen me for a iudge, is my spouse, my father, and refuge? Alas what father? Suche as doth neuer condempne hys chyelde, but alwayes doth excuse and defende hym. ”

“ O what grace is thys, that so sodenly thu vouchesauyst to drawe my sowle in to suche hyghnesse, that she felyth her selfe ruler of my bodye. She poore, ignoraunte and lame, doth fynde her selfe wyth the, ryche, wyse, and stronge, because thu hast written in her harte the roote of thy sprete, & holy worde, geuynge her true fayth for to receyue it. Whych thynge made her to conceyue thy sonne, in beleuynge hym to be man, God, sauyour, and also the true remytter of synnes. Therfor dost thu assure her, that she is mother to thy sonne of whom thu art the only faither. ”

“ Cordilla the doughter of kynge Leyer, and least of all her systers, as her father was deposed, & exyled out of hys lande, she receyued, conforted, and restored hym agayne to hys princely honoure, and reigned alone after hys deathe, for the space of .v. yeares. Cambra the doughter of kynge Belyne, and wyfe to Antenor than Kynge of France, ded not only excede in bewtie, but also in wysdome. In so moch that she first instructed the noble men how to buylde cyties, castels, and other stronge holdes, the cōmē people more comely maners, and the womē a most semely [fol. 43] deckynge of their heades. ”

“ He knowith the good that he hath alredy to be vnspeakeable, and yet wolde he haue more of that wherof he can not stylle. Truly he can not fele or thynke the good whych is in hym. Then lyeth it not in my power, to tell what thynge the loue of God is, sith that I haue no knowlege of the feruentnesse therof. He that thynketh to haue all thys loue withyn hys harte, can not truly declare what thynge it is. Happye is he wych hath suche abundaūce of thys loue, that he maye saye, My God, I haue ynough of it. ”

“ By thys do your grace vnto vs sygnyfye, that the baren doctryne & good workes without fayth of the hypocrytes, whych in their vncōmaunded latyne ceremonyes serue their bellyes & not Christ, [fol. 8] in gredyly deuourynge the patrymony of poor wydowes & orphanes, are both execrable in themselues, and abhomynable afore God for though those paynted sepulchres haue the name of the lorde in their mouthes, & greatly boast the good workes of the lawe, yet knowe they not what belongeth to hys true honoure, but hate in their wycked hartes both hys gloryouse name and worde. ”

“ Therfor shal I saye with louynge fayth, thu arte myne and I am thyne. Thu dost call me thy loue & fayre spouse. If it be so, suche hast thu made me. Alas, doth it please the, to gyue me suche names? They are truly able to breake a mannys harte, and cause it to burne through loue vnspeakeable, whan he thynketh vpon the honoure that thu dost vnto hym, whych is moche greatter than he hath deserued. A mother, a mother? Alas but of what chylde is it? Truly of suche a sonne, that my harte doth breake for loue. My God, my sonne? O Iesus what speache thys is, mother, daughter. O happy kynrede. ”

“ If thu do throughly reade thys worke (dere frynde in the lorde) marke rather the matter than the homely speache therof, consyderynge it is the stodye of a woman, whych hath in her neyther cōnynge nor scyence, but a feruent desyre that yche one maye se, what the gifte of God the creatour doth whan it pleaseth hym to iustyfye a hart. For what is the hart of a Man, concernynge hys owne strēgth, before he hath receyued the gift of faythe? Therby only hath he knowledge of the goodnesse, wysedome, and power of God. ”

“ For I can not denye but I am more lyke the deuyll than the Angell of lyght, wherfor I feare and tremble. For the lyfe of the Angell is so pure & myne so vnpure, that I am nothynge lyke vnto hym, thys do I confesse. But to the other [fol. 34] I am so lyke in my doynges, and so accustomed in hys wayes, that of hys payne & tormente I ought to be partaker. For the cruell synne whych hath bounde me in helle, is so great and hys force so stronge, that it leteth nothynge to come from it, neyther feareth it the cōtrary assaulte of any man. ”

“ Than is God in vs, and we are in hym. And all thys cometh through the benefyte of faythe. For he dwellith in all men whych haue true faythe. Thus haue we a greatter treasure thā we cā tell of, or yet anye man expresse vnto vs. Now to cōclude. Syth that so great an Apostle as saynt Paule is, wyll speake no further of God & hys inestymable loue, accordynge to hys ryghtouse exāple and doctryne, I wyll holde my peace & be stylle, folowynge neuerthelesse hys teachynges. ”

“ I feare nomore to be vndone by any man for the lawe is satisfyed by the for all. My swete spouse hath made the payment so habundaunt, that the lawe can aske nothynge of me but is payed of hym. For as I beleue, he hath taken all my synnes vpō hym, and hath geuē me in place of them, hys owne goodes in habundaunce. O my sauer, presentynge thy vertues, thu dost content the lawe. Whan she wyll reproche me of my synnes, thu dost shewe her how willyngly in thyne owne fleshe, thu hast taken the dyscharge of thē, through the coniunctyon of our marryage. ”

“ Receyue hym than, & do not permyt that any creature put hym from the, so that for euer with faythfull stedefastnesse he maye loue the with a daughterly loue. Now my lorde if thu be my father, maye I thynke that I can be thy mother? Indede I can not wele preceyue, how I shulde conceyue the that createdyst me. But thu dedyst in thys matter satisfye my doubte, whan in preachynge and in [fol. 16] streatchynge fourth thy hādes dedyst saye Those that shall do the wyll of my father they are my bretherne, also my syster and mother. ”

“ If godly wyse men wolde do nomore but conferre thys lernynge of yours and of other noble women ī these dayes, with the doctryne of Robert Kylwarby archebyshopp of Canterbury and Cardynall, whych the vnyuersytees of Oxforde & Parys were sworne to, for mayntenaunce of that christyanyte in the [fol. 9] yeare of our lorde. 1276, by the consent of all masters regentes & non regentes, I doubt it not but they shulde fynde iust cause to holde vp both their handes and prayse their lorde God for changynge that helle into thys heauen. ”

“ Thys olde woman causeth me to kepe hym whych is dead, whom she reporteth to be myne, and so she wyll maynteyne. O Salomō, a full true iudge, thu hast hearde thys lamentable processe and ordayned to cōtent the partyes, that the chylde shulde be deuyded in two partes. The false woman agreyth, it shulde be so. But I remembrynge hym to be myne owne sonne, was rather contente to lese hym, than to se hys bodye parted in two peces. For true and perfyght loue is neuer contente with one halfe of that it doth loue. ”

“ Now thanked by the lorde, through faythe haue I gotē the same loue, wherfor I ought to be satysfyed and content. Now haue I the my father, for defence of my longe youth from wanton folyshnesse. Now haue I the my brother, for to socoure my sorowes wherin I fynde non ende. Now haue I the my sonne, for my feble age as an only staye. Now haue I the a true, & faythfull husbande, for the satisfyenge of my whole harte. Now syth that I haue the, I do forsake all them that are in the worlde. Syth I holde the, thu shalte escape me nomore. ”

“ Neuerthelesse if any man haue set in hys mynde to be lyke to the deuyll, than ought he as the deuyll to be payed with a lyke rewarde. But if a man through cōtemplacyon of the sowle, do holde of the, hys Angell of coūsell, vertue, goodnesse & perfectyō, he is sure to obtayne heauen, whych is a place of thy deseruynge for hym. Than shall the vycyouse be ponnyshed with the same, to whom they ioyned themselues. For sith that they folowed Sathan, they must holde suche place as is for hym and hys angels prepared. ”

“ Now syth that deathe is so plesaunt a lyfe, that she pleasith me more than feareth me, than ought I to feare nothynge but the ryght iudgement of God. All my synnes with hys iust [fol. 32] balaūce shall be wayed & shewed opēly. Thys that I haue done, also my thought and worde shall be better knowne, than if they were written in a rolle. And we maye not thynke that charyte wolde offēde iustyce & truthe. For whoso euer doth lyue vnfaythfully, shall be ponnyshed in euerlastynge payne. God is iust and hys iudgemēt is ryghteouse. All that he doth is perfyght in all thynges. ”

“ The true doctryne of faythe, and the feare of God, wyll that wycked sort (whome thys psalme wryngeth) not heare, but styll tormēt the conscyences of myserable wretched ydyotes for aduauntage of Masses and momblynges. Happy are they of thys latter age, that in the Gospell haue receyued the sauynge helth out of Syon (as your grace hath done) beynge clere from the stynge of those vyperouse wormes. Blessed be those faythfull tuters & teachers whych by their most godly instruccyons haue thus fashyoned your tender youth into the ryght ymage of Christ and not Antichrist. ”

“ For if true loue be vnfaynedly within the harte of a man, he can fele non other thynge, because that loue is so stronge of itselfe, that she kepith all the roume, and putteth out all other desyres, not sufferynge any thynge there but God only. For whersoeuer true and perfyght loue is, we do neyther remēbre feare nor yet sorowe.
Deute. 16.
Eccle. 1.
If our owne pryde for to attayne honoure, maketh vs to seke deathe so manye straunge wayes. As if for to haue a folysh pleasure, a man putteth hym selfe in ieopardye of lyfe. ”

“ Than dedyst thu louynglye call me backe, saynge, My dere doughter harken, and se, and bowe thy hearynge towardes me. Forget that straunge nacyon to whom thu dedyst ronne awaye and also the house of thyne olde father, where thu hast dwelled so longe. Than shall the kynge full of all faythfulnesse, desyre thy bewtie. But whan thu sawest that thy swete & gracyouse callynge, ded not profyte me, than begannyst thu to crye lowder. Come vnto me all yow whych are wearyly loaden with laboure, for I am he that shall plenteously refreshe yow and feade yow with my breade of lyfe. ”

“ An infynyte swarme beholde we of olde dottynge bawdes and beastes, that with cōscyences loaden with synne (as S. Paule reporteth them) taketh euery paynted stocke & stone for their God, besydes the small breades that their lecherouse chaplaynes hath blowen vpon. ”

“ Lyfe dyenge, and lyfe without ende, haue made our deathe a lyfe. Deathe hath geuen vnto lyfe a quyckenesse. Through suche deathe I beynge dead, receyued lyfe, and by deathe I am rauyshed with hym whych is alyue. I lyue in the, and as for me, of my selfe I am dead. And as cōcernynge the bodyly deathe, it is nothynge els vnto me, but a cōmynge out of pryson. Deathe is lyfe vnto me. For through deathe, I am alyue. Thys mortall lyfe fylleth me full of care, and sorowe, and deathe yeldeth me content. ”

“ And the deathe whych is fearfull to the wycked, is plesaunt and acceptable to them that are good. Than is deathe through thy deathe destroyed. Therfor my God, if I were ryghtly taught, I shulde call the deathe lyfe, and thys lyfe deathe, ende of laboure, and begynnynge of euerlastynge ioye. For I knowe that the lōge lyfe doth lett me from thy syght. O deathe, come, and breake the same obstacle of lyfe. Or els loue, do a myracle now, syth that I can not yet se my spouse. Transfourme me with hym both bodye & sowle, and than shall I the better tarry for the cummynge of deathe. ”

“ Than the truthe maketh her to feale that there is in the, true paternyte. O what honoure, what swetnesse, and what glory hath the sowle, whych doth alwayes remēber that she is thy daughter, & in callynge the fayther, she doth thy commaundement? What is there more? Is that all? No, It doth please the to gyue her an other name, to call her thy wyfe, & that she agayne do call the husbande, declarynge how thu hast frely manyfested the marryage of her. ”