suffer the first, if that Love doth work
in you; but truly, the more that you have lacked, the greater shall be
your pain; for the more change there doth need be in you.

And so would I have you now to think, and to know that the Beloved shall
come, and so shall you live in glad care of all your being, that you be
able to come unto the Beloved in that day, and to say with beauty and
human joy in your heart, even as I have said; and thus shall you miss
that bitter pain. But yet, truly, you to be like to heed not this, until
that Love doth come upon you; and I therefore to cease from this vain
setting of mine inward reasonings.

But truly, when that day be come, as I have told, you to know how that
there went alway with me in this mine own story which I tell, the
simplicity of Truth; and how that I did be minded only that you to know,
and thereby that you have gentle wisdom that you lay not up pain for
that day. Yet, if you do lack to go with me, you to need that developing
which shall then come upon you.

And so shall you perceive how my thoughts did go to and fro, as I did
eat with Mine Own; and so in the last I to find that I did think very
serious; and I then to cast from me this pondering, and to have that
utter joy which did be upon us, and to seem that it did fill all that
strange Country of Seas.

And lo! after we did be done of eating and drinking, which did be but a
little time, as you shall think, the Maid did ease me to an upward
sitting, and had my back very nice to an olden stump which did be light,
and she to push unto me.

And Mine Own did sit then beside me, so that mine arm did come most
natural about her; and she there to be nestled all gleeful and content,
so that my heart did be doubly tender unto her. And I took the abundance
of her hair, and set it about my neck, and upon my breast, so that it
did near to cover me in the upward part; and we both then to laugh as
that we did be two children, because that Love did make us so utter
young in the heart; and our hands to be hid under the beauty of the
Maid's hair, and I to have her then that she explain just how great she
did love me; and you that go with me, do know how that this doth be a
delight that is never done, neither to be set only into words.

And all that day we did be wondrous happy, save once when we saw that
there were Humpt Men upon the shore, about the Flat-Topt rock where did
be the fight; but what they did there, we not to be able