Blanquerna

OF THE MANNER WHEREIN NATANA ENTERED A HOUSE OF RELIGION

When Natana reached the convent, the abbess and all the sifters received her with great honour. She went into the chapter-house with the abbess and the sifters of the house. Then Natana spake to the abbess and to the sifters these

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words ■ “ The Divine Virtue has conquered in me the false temptation of the devil which caused me to tempt Blanquerna to be disobedient to the Divine inspiration which called him by means of the life of a hermit to contemplate and love Him. Blanquerna has commended to me seven ladies whom I would serve in this convent among you. These seven ladies are the seven virtues, whereby man serves God and Jesus Chrift, journeys towards bliss, and flees from the seven devils who are the seven deadly sins which Evaft and Aloma mortify day by day in this city. I would fain eat bread and drink water in this convent all the days of my life. I would flee from the world ere it enslave me, and hinder me from the service of these seven ladies whom I cannot serve as well in the world as in

religion.

2. Weeping and with great devotion of heart did Natana thus speak, and so devout and noble-minded were her words that the abbess and all the sifters were moved by her good example to devotion and tears. The abbess answered Natana and said: “ Blessed be the Name of Jesus Chrift, and praised be His Virtue, Who has sent us so good an example and mirror of life to inspire us to love our order and despise the vanity of this world.” Then said she to Natana: “ Welcome art thou, my daughter 1 The Divine Brightness has illumined thy mind, and by this same light doft thou illumine us that we may persevere in good works. Greatly do I joy at being in thy company, but I muft en¬ quire of all the sifters, as is our wont, whether or no it be their will that I receive thee among us.”

3- So Natana went to the church to pray the Queen of eaven to beg grace of her Son that the abbess and the sifters might be pleased to receive her into their order. While Natana prayed thus with tears, the abbess enquired to r ' S1 XTS whether or no they desired and counselled her sho? atana' And aU the siaers were glad that Natana I02 d bccome <»* of them. One of the sifters said that

HOW NAT AN A ENTERED A RELIGIOUS HOUSE Natana was wealthy, and that by her wealth much good would come to the convent; but the abbess and the reft reproved her, and said that when a person is received into an order, no thought muft be taken as to temporal riches, for wrong is done to the person received if she be received because of the riches that she forsakes and despises, and not rather for the virtues wherewith she joins the order.

4. The sacriftine1 said to the abbess that Natana should be proven for a time with respeft to her devotion before she was clothed; but the abbess answered that many a one for shame remained in an order until she had conceived devo¬ tion which made her love to be in religion. While the abbess was saying these words, she sent for Natana to come, saying that she and all the sifters would receive her into their company.

5. The abbess enquired of Natana if she desired to take the habit immediately, or to remain for some time in the convent, that she might make trial of the auftere life which the sifters lived in afflictions of the body, and see if she found the enclosure or the routine of the convent to be over-irksome. Natana answered and said that she had no need to make trial of her devotion, for He that had im¬ planted in her the devotion that she had to religion could keep it there for so long as He willed, according to His grace and mercy. Natana desired to take the habit so soon as she might, to the end that if her mother or her kinsfolk wished to reclaim her, the convent, according to its privi¬ lege, could forbid them.

6. While Natana received the habit of religion, and promised to observe the rules of the order, and the abbess gave her her benediftion according to cuftom, Naftasia had

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taken to her daughter. So the abbess took her to Natana, who was clothed in the religious habit. Naftasia wept bitterly and uttered many threats when she saw her daughter thus attired, and she returned to her house and sent mes¬ sages to all her kinsfolk and to the kinsfolk of Natana’s father.

7. These all assembled in the house of Naftasia. Greatly were they moved with wrath againft the convent ; and took counsel together, and made agreement, that if the abbess delivered not Natana to them they would drag her thence by force, and would rase to the ground and demolish and burn the whole convent and put all the sifters to death. So Naftasia and all the others came to the convent to demand Natana : the abbess answered that they could not have her. Then all of them together cried out and said that if she delivered not Natana they would burn the convent and all the sifters. Greatly was the abbess dismayed, and even so were the sifters, and the abbess answered that they would take counsel together whether they would give up Natana

8. So the abbess and all the sifters went into the chapterhouse. Natana wept and prayed, and begged the abbess and the sifters that they would in no wise caft her out from the order and deliver her to her mother, who desired to enslave her to the vanity of this world. In great fear and peril were the abbess and all the sifters, and great was their terror, and many cried out that they should deliver un

Natana. While the abbess and the sifters were in this fate °f doubt, a sifter said that it would be more prudent tor them to give up Natana than to die every one of them, and have the convent deftroyed. Then Natana answered, and spake these words to the abbess and to the other sifters :

HOW NAT AN A ENTERED A RELIGIOUS HOUSE thereby they may do honour to His honour and show love for His love. God gave devotion to Saint Catherine, Saint Eulalia, Saint Margaret and the other martyrs so that they desired for love of Him to suffer death, and to give example to all men of how they loved to die to honour God. If ye for my sake do die, ye will die to honour God, ye will be martyrs, and will give good example to men ; but, if ye suffer me to be dragged by force from the order, ye will give example and precedent to the people, so that they will for ever menace you if ye receive any women againSt their will.” Thus earnestly did Natana beg her siSters not to forsake her, nor to show that they lacked devotion ; she re¬ called to their minds the Passion of Jesus ChriSt, and gave them remembrance of the martyrdom of Saint Catherine, Saint Eulalia and Saint Margaret, and of the other virgins who died to honour Jesus ChriSt.

10. So many devout words did Natana speak to the abbess and the siSters, and so great was the power thereof, that they determined to suffer death rather than to deliver up Natana, and they trusted in the words of Natana, having hope in God, Who ever defends His servants when such is His will and pleasure. Yet neither the abbess nor any of the siSters dared answer NaStasia and the reSt concerning the resolution which they had taken through the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 1 . The abbess and the siSters fled, and hid themselves, and had great fear of death. But Natana made before her eyes the holy sign of the Cross, and having Strength and nobility of mind, spake these words: “Hope, Strength, Charity, JuStice ! Since ye have made me to be your ser¬ vant, it is time that ye aided me againSt your enemies, who because of me would deStroy this convent and the siSters who have no part in my sins.” As Natana said these words, she went up with the keys to a window above the doorway, and from the window she showed herself to her mother and to all the reSt, and spake these words:

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I2 “ Welcome be ye, my lady mother Naftasia, and all ye that are here. I greet you all ; I make over you the holy sign of the Cross, whereby ye remember the Passion of the Son of God Who for us men was pleased to become Man, and was delivered up by men to death for our salvation. On behalf of my lady abbess, and all this community, I greet you, and make you to know that they desire to suffer death rather than have you rescue me. They would fain show you that Jesus Chrift has daughters who will die for His love. In God they truff, and the juftice and power of God they remember. They are women : ye need not to bring arms againft them: they have no mind to resist you. See, here are the keys of the door: do what ye will.” Natana threw the keys to Naftasia, and prayed that the fir ft woman to be killed should be she herself, since she would be the occasion of the death of them all, and of the de¬ finition of the convent.

13. But Hope, Charity, Juftice and Strength had not been virtues if they had failed Natana. God, Who forgets not them that praise and love Him, put such power into the words of Natana that Naftasia and all the reft wept for the devout words that Natana spake, and for the holy lives of the abbess and the other sifters in the convent, who had chosen death for the love of Jesus Chrift. So the hearts of Naftasia and the reft were turned, and their ill-will de¬ parted; and devotion came to them, with conscience of their fault, and with abftinence, charity and juftice. All of them repented, and they praised and blessed God, Who had given such virtue to Natana and to all the sifters in the convent. They greeted and saluted Natana every one, bid¬ ding her have no fear of them, and begging her to pray for the pardon of God upon them for the foolishness and the wrong which their wills had conceived.

1 -*■ In the pre parted, and Natai and the sifters mi

isence of Natana they all turned and dena went to ring the bell, that the abbess ight come to the chapter; but for the fear

HOW NATANA ENTERED A RELIGIOUS HOUSE that they had they would not come. So Natana went through the convent seeking them, and she told them of the mercy and the pity of God, Who forgets not those that put their truft in Him. Great was the joy of the abbess and all the sifters. The abbess looked from the window and saw that they had all departed. Only Naftasia remained at the door alone, weeping and lamenting loudly, and saying these words :

15. “Alas, thou wretched one! Where are the thanks and the gratitude that thou haft towards God, Who has given thee so noble a daughter ? And what crime had the abbess or the sifters of this convent committed againft thee that thou wouldft have had thy kinsfolk deftroy them ? Is there any crime equal or like to thine ? Can the pity and mercy of God be greater than thy sins ? Would the abbess and the sifters of this convent pardon thee or humble them¬ selves to receive among them so sinful a woman as thou ? ” Very pleasant and agreeable were the words of Naftasia to the abbess and to all the sifters, and above all to Sifter Natana. So Naftasia gave the keys to the abbess through the window, that the door might be opened, and she might enter the convent to ask pardon of the abbess and all the

16. The abbess and the sifters received Naftasia very graciously, and together they went to the church1 to praise and bless the name of God. Hearty thanks gave they to God, Who had delivered them from death. Then Naftasia went to the chapter-house with the abbess and all the com¬ munity. Firft, upon her knees, and kissing the ground, she asked pardon of the abbess ; then, in like manner, she asked pardon of all the sifters. They forgave her every one, and all the sifters kissed her. When Naftasia came to her daughter to beg for her forgiveness, she kneeled and wept bitterly, and spake these words to her daughter who kneeled before her mother and kissed her hands and her feet, and

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with weeping and tears kissed the ground, praising the virtue and the mercy of God.

17. “Beloved daughter!” said Naftasia, “It is a cuftom among us that the daughter should kneel before the mother and ask her pardon. But I by my sin have offended so grievously againft thee that I am not worthy to ask thy pardon, nor even to be in thy presence, since I have desired to make thee the occasion of death to all the sifters of this house. Daughter 1 If in thy heart thou haft aught of pity or of mercy, wilt thou pardon me ? Canft thou gladden and console me with thy friendship and com¬ pany ? And will God, by thy prayers and merits, be pleased to have remembrance of me and call me to His glory? ” These words, and many more which it would take long to recount, spake Naftasia to her daughter Natana, and kissed her many times. Natana was so full of joy, of devotion and of charity, that she could not speak ; only her eyes and her hands did she raise to Heaven and to the crucifix which was

in the chapter-house, and kissed the hands and the feet of her mother many times. Not alone did Naftasia and Natana weep, but the abbess and all the sifters wept like¬ wise for the words of Naftasia and Natana.

18. “ Daughter! ” said Naftasia, “ Whereon is set thy mind ? Hear thou my cries, make answer to my words and remember not transgressions that are paft.” “ My lady 1 ” said Natana, “ Thine is my soul, and thine am I myself. There can be no sin in a heart to the which God has given such great devotion as to thine. Pardoned thee already are

7 , Ul> lransgressions. And if thou haft no sin,

why shouldft thou implore pardon? If thou wilt have aught that is of me or in me, do thou have it all.” h tbat da7 the N"ne of God was greatly blessed

would hC SfCrS !“ thC C°nVent- NaSasia begged that they ST, w haWt °f reli^n- B« because she wal ?e’if SUCh rble health’ the abbess and Natana and 08 " C0UnSelled hw to build » house without the con-

HOW NAT AN A BECAME SACR1 STINE vent and before the door of the church, that there she might abide and eat and have a pittance for her body, which she could not have in the convent. This counsel did Naftasia observe, and she lived in the manner aforesaid and gave example of good to all the sifters that saw her. And her dress was humble and in some wise like to the dress of the sifters in the convent.