Blanquerna

“ Touch is a feeling which pertains to the whole body. The whole body is a creature of God : the whole body, then, should feel affliftion for the love of God. If we arc in winter, we ought to feel the cold, and if in summer, the heat, for the love of God. If we flee from feeling cold and heat, and flee not from feeling hunger and thirSt, then do we do injury to the mouth. In like manner as the lord wills to be served by his vassal, even so God wills to be served by the body, which is His own. If the body endures not suffering, where then is the service that it renders to God ? For as God has given bodily objefls for our eyes to see, and that the soul through the same may have spiritual sight, even so has God given feeling to the body that by the self¬ same feeling the soul, which is the form of the body, may have patience.”

2. " Rough clothing, hard beds and the religious life agree well together: even so do white1 raiment and soft beds agree with the life of the world. If we feel vermin1, in our beds and cannot sleep, it is signified to our under¬ standing that our prayer has been brief, and we have kept too little vigil in praying to God. Far better is it to pray to God and keep vigil than to desire sleep and be hindered therefrom by vermin. If then we would not feel vermin, let us desire to keep long vigils: much sleep and religion are opposed the one to the other, for were they in accord,

OF FEELING

3. “ If we desire to feel1 carnal delights, then in our con¬ ception of carnal thoughts is our virginity defiled. The virgin body deserves to feel the fires of hell, if the soul desires its corruption. To be conscious rather of the nature of the body than of the virtue of the soul signifies that the body is lord of the soul. If Jesus Chrift felt for our sakes grievous trials and the agony of death, let us for His love endure a life of aufterity. If we have come together in this place to escape from the feelings of the world, let not us that are in this place be in the world by virtue of our desires for its vanities. If thou wouldft feel vanities, for the which thou mayeft be condemned to feel everlasting flames, put thou but thy finger in the fire and see if thou canft suffer the fire for so much as an hour.”

4. “ Sickness, whether of fever or of pain or of other kinds, makes the body to suffer, through the which suffer¬ ing, if thou haft patience, thy soul may exercise its virtue. If God wills that thy body should endure suffering, and thou haft not patience, call to mind in thy soul whether thy will is in conformity with the will of God or in opposition thereto. If thou doft feel in thy mind desire and yearning for thy kinsfolk, seek thou in thy mind if thou feeleft therein God. If thou doft feel temptation or thought of folly in thy soul, then it is that God would make thee feel His virtue, through prayer and remembrance of His Passion; for through such temptation He wills that thy soul may awake in contemplating His blessing.”

5. When the abbess had made a rule and had given inftruftion to the sifters concerning the manner wherein they should use the five senses of the body, then spake she to the sifters these words :

6. “ By the will and ordinance of God it came to pass

1 It will be noticed throughout this chapter that the words “ feel ” (/«//>) and “ feeling ” (iMimenl) arc used where English would prefer such words as “ endure,” “ undergo,” “ desire.” This emphasis on the word used m the title of the chapter is, of course, intentional.

bunquerna

that Blanquerna commended to me seven queens, and bound me to them in service and honour, the which queens are the seven virtues to ourselves mod needful. Where¬ fore since it pleased you that I be abbess, I beg and com¬ mand you all in common that these seven queens be held in great efteem among us, and that we be obedient to them in all our works. And if any of you commits deception or fault againft any one of them, let her in chapter before all the reft sue for pardon and forgiveness, to the end that she may have the greater shame for her fault and return not again to a like sin, and that the reft of you take example thereby and be ever opposed to the enemies of the seven queens." All the sifters approved of that which the abbess said, and they set apart one hour of the day when they should assemble in chapter, for each one to examine her conscience as to whether she had done aught that was dis¬ pleasing to the seven queens, or agreeable to the seven