reason, but only a naked mind
of God,[181] or of Jesu, or of Mary, or of any other good word. Here
may be deceit, not for it is evil for to have Jesu in mind on this
wish but if he this feeling and this mind, that is only his own
working by custom, hold it a special visitation of our Lord,[182]
and think it more than it is. For wete thou well that a naked mind
or a naked imagination of Jesu, or of any ghostly thing, without
sweetness of love in the affection, or without light of knowing in
reason, it is but a blindness, and a way to deceit, if a man hold it
in his own sight more than it is. Therefore I hold it siker[183]
that he be meek in his own feeling, and hold this mind in regard
nought, till he may, by custom and using of this mind, feel the fire
of love in his affection, and the light of knowing in his reason.
Lo, I have told thee in this matter a little, as me thinketh; not
affirming that this sufficeth, nor that this is the soothfastness in
this matter. But if thou think it otherwise, or else any other man
savour by grace the contrary hereto, I leave this saying, and give
stead to him; it sufficeth to me for to live in truth[184]
principally, and not in feeling.

EXPLICIT

V.

HERE AFTER FOLLOWETH A DEVOUT TREATISE CALLED THE EPISTLE OF PRAYER

GHOSTLY friend in God, as touching thine asking of me, how thou
shalt rule thine heart in the time of thy prayer, I answer unto thee
thus feebly as I can. And I say that me thinketh that it should be
full speedful unto thee at the first beginning of thy prayer, what
prayer so ever it be, long or short, for to make it full known unto
thine heart, without any feigning, that thou shalt die at the end of
thy prayer.[185] And wete thou well that this is no feigned thought
that I tell thee, and see why; for truly there is no man living in
this life that dare take upon him to say the contrary: that is to
say, that thou shalt live longer than thy prayer is in doing. And,
therefore, thou mayst think it safely, and I counsel thee to do it.
For, if thou do it, thou shalt see that, what for the general sight
that thou hast of thy wretchedness, and this special sight of the
shortness of time of amendment, it shall bring in to thine heart a
very working of dread.

And this working shalt thou feel[186] verily folden in thine heart,
but if it so be (the which God forbid) that thou flatter and
fage[187] thy false fleshly blind heart with leasings[188] and
feigned behight