Caput LXXVIII. Epilogus operis.
Seeds of Meditation and Tears
Aelred describes how he has sown seeds of spiritual meditation drawn from Christ's past, present, and future benefits, leading the soul through desire and tears to intimate union with God.
Sister, I have taken care to sow beforehand in you certain seeds of spiritual meditations — drawn from the memory of Christ's past benefits, from the experience of his present ones, and from the hope of what is yet to come — from which a richer fruit of divine love may spring up and grow: so that meditation may train the affections, the affections may bring forth desire, and desire may stir up tears; until your tears become your bread day and night, until you appear in his sight and are welcomed into his embrace, and can say what is written in the Song of Songs: My beloved is mine, and I am his (Cant. I, 12).✦✦ I, 12).
The Rule Given for Enclosed Life
Aelred states that he has provided the outward discipline, inner formation through virtue and vice, and the threefold meditation to stir up love.
Now you have, just as you asked, the bodily constitutions by which, as one enclosed, you may compose the outward manners of your life. You have a prescribed form by which you may either cleanse the inner person from vices or adorn it with virtues. You have in a threefold meditation how you may stir up, nourish, and kindle love within yourself.
Notable Verses and Their Fruit
Aelred introduces notable verses, commends their sweet comfort, and insists they must be lived out in practice.
Notable verses. Sweet are the comforts of the soul, which I entrust to you. They are no help at all, unless you live them out in practice.
A Final Plea for Prayer
Aelred asks that any reader who has benefited from the book repay his labor by interceding for his sins before Christ as Savior, Rewarder, and Judge.
So if anyone has gained anything from reading this little book, let them return it as a gift for my labor or my zeal: that they may intercede for my sins before my Savior whom I love, before my Rewarder whom I await, and before my Judge whom I fear.12
Read the original Latin
Haec tibi, soror, de beneficiorum praeteritorum Christi memoria, de praesentium experientia, de exspectatione futurorum quaedam meditationum spiritualium semina praeseminare curavi, ex quibus divini amoris fructus uberior oriatur et crescat: ut meditatio affectum exerceat, affectus desiderium pariat, lacrymas desiderium excitet: ut sint lacrymae tuae panes die ac nocte, donec appareas in conspectu ejus, et suscipiaris ab amplexibus ejus, dicasque illud, quod in Canticis scriptum est: Dilectus meus mihi, et ego illi (Cant. I, 12). Habes nunc, sicut petisti, corporales constitutiones, quibus inclusa exterioris hominis mores componas. Habes formam praescriptam, qua interiorem hominem, vel purges a vitiis, vel virtutibus ornes. Habes in triplici meditatione quomodo in te dilectionem excites, nutrias, et accendas.
Versus notabiles.
Dulcia sunt animae solatia, quae tibi mando.
Nam prosunt minime, nisi serves haec operando.
Si quis igitur in hujus libelli locutione profecerit, hanc labori meo vel studio vicem impendat, ut apud Salvatorem meum quem diligo, apud remuneratorem meum quem exspecto, apud judicem meum, quem timeo, pro peccatis meis intercedat.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩vel is read as alternative ('or') between labor and studio; it could be taken as additive ('and'), but the context favors presenting two parallel ways of repaying the debt.
- 2 ↩ut introduces a purpose clause with three parallel apud phrases; a result reading is possible but purpose better fits the subjunctive impendat → intercedat logic.
De institutione inclusarum (A Rule of Life for a Recluse) companion
A rule only lives if you keep it daily
Chosen Portion gives your new rule its anchor: one free devotional portion every day.
Aelred built his sister's day around fixed times of prayer and meditation; Chosen Portion supplies the fixed daily portion that makes a modern rule of life keepable.
- Anchor your rule with a fixed 10-minute daily portion
- Practice Aelred's threefold meditation with guided daily prompts
- Review and adjust your one-page rule after 30 days of tracked practice