A recapitulation of that is seid; and how it was shewid to hir generally for all. Eighth chapter.
The Sixfold Understanding
Julian recounts the six things she understood from the vision of Christ's bleeding head: the tokens of the Passion, the Virgin Mother, the Godhead, the littleness of creation, God's love as keeper, and God as all goodness.
And as long as I saw this sight of the plentiful bleeding of the head, I could never stop saying these words, "Benedicite, Domine," and in that showing I understood six things.1 The first is the tokens of the blessed Passion and the plentiful shedding of His precious blood. The second is the Maiden who is our dear and worthy Mother.2 The third is the blissful Godhead that ever was, is, and ever shall be: all-mighty, all-wisdom, all-love. The fourth is everything He has made; for I know well that heaven and earth and all that is made is great and vast, fair and good, but the reason it was shown so little to my sight was that I saw it in the presence of Him who is the maker of all things; for to a soul that sees the maker of all, all that is made seems very little. The fifth is He who made all things for love; by that same love it is kept and shall be without end. The sixth is that God is everything that is good, as I see it, and the goodness that everything has — it is He.✦ And all these our Lord showed me in the first sight, with time and space to behold it.
Reverent Dread and Loving Desire
After the bodily sight fades, Julian remains in reverent dread, desires more, is stirred with love for others, and reflects on her impending death as a judgment day.
The bodily sight stopped, and the spiritual sight stayed in my understanding. And I remained in reverent dread, rejoicing in what I saw.3 And I desired, as much as I dared, to see more, if it were His will, or else to see the same for a longer time. In all this I was greatly stirred with love for my fellow Christians, so that they might see and know the same thing I saw, for I wanted it to be a comfort to them.4 For all this sight was shown generally.5 Then I said to those around me, "Today is Judgment Day for me"; I said this because I thought I was dying, for on the day a person dies, they are judged as they will be forever, as I understand it.✦6 I said this because I wanted them to love God better, so as to make them remember that this life is short, as they might see by my example. For all this time I thought I was dying.7
Shown for All
Julian marvels that the vision was shown for those who would live, and urges all to behold God with joy, as it is given for the comfort of everyone.
That was a wonder to me, and partly sweet, because it seemed to me this vision was shown for those who would live.8 And what I say about myself, I say in the person of all my fellow Christians, for I am taught in the spiritual showing of our Lord God that He means it so. Therefore I beg you all for God's sake, and advise you for your own good, that you stop looking at a wretch to whom it was shown, and mightily, wisely, and meekly behold God, who out of His courteous love and endless goodness would show it generally for the comfort of us all.9 For it is God's will that you receive it with great joy and delight, just as Jesus showed it to all of you.
Read the original Middle English
And as longe as I saw this sight of the plentious bleding of the hede I might never stinte of these words, "Benedicite, Domine," in which sheweyng I under stode six things. The first is the toknys of the blissid passion and the plentious sheddyng of His pretious blode. The second is the Maiden that is derworthy moder. The third is the blissfull Godhede that ever was, is, and ever shal bene, al mighty, al wisdam, al love. The fourth is al thing that He hath made; for wele I wete that Hevyn and erth and all that is made is mekil and large, faire and gode, but the cause why it is shewid so litil to my sight was for I saw it in the presence of Him that is the maker of all thing; for a soule that seith the maker of all, all that is made semith full litil. The fifth is He that made all things for love; be the same love it is kept and shall be withoute end. The sixth is that God is al thing that is gode, as to my sight, and the godenes that al thing hath, it is He. And al these our Lord shewid me in the first sight with time and space to beholden it.
And the bodily sight stinted and the gostly sight dwellid in myne understondyng. And I abode with reverent drede, joyand in that I saw. And I desired as I durst to se more, if it were His will, or ell lenger time the same. In al this I was mekil sterid in charite to mine even Cristen, that thei might seen and knowyn the same that I saw, for I would it were comfort to they. For al this sight was shewid general. Than said I to them that were aboute me, "It is today domys day with me"; and this I said for I went a deid, for that day that a man deith, he is demyd as he shal be without end, as to my understond yng. This I seid for I would thei lovid God the better for to make hem to have mende that this life is shorte as thei might se in example. For in al this time I went have deid.
And that was mervil to me, and sweeme in partie, for methowte this vision was shewid for hem that should leven. And that I say of me, I sey in the person of al myn even Cristen, for I am lernyd in the gostly shewing of our Lord God that He menyth so; and therefore I pray you al for Gods sake, and counsel you for your owne profitt, that ye levyn the beholding of a wretch that it was shewid to, and mightily, wisely, and mekely behold God that of His curtes love and endles godenes wolde shewyn it generally in comfort of us al. For it is God's will that ye take it with gret joy and likyng as Jesus had shewid it on to you all.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩Benedicite, Domine is left in the Latin liturgical form Julian reports; sense: "Bless, O Lord."
- 2 ↩derworthy is Julian's compound (dear + worthy); rendered as "dear and worthy" rather than kept as an archaic coinage.
- 3 ↩enm 'drede' here is reverent fear before God, not terror; kept as 'dread' to preserve Julian's tonal gravity.
- 4 ↩enm 'charite' rendered as 'love' per default lexeme policy; the sense is theological charity toward neighbor ('even Cristen').
- 5 ↩'general' means given for all, not as a private favor to the visionary alone; kept as 'generally' to match Julian's technical usage in this chapter.
- 6 ↩enm 'went a deid' from 'wenen' (suppose/expect): 'thought I was dying,' not literal locomotion.
- 7 ↩enm 'went have deid' again from 'wenen': expected/supposed death, parallel to s6.
- 8 ↩enm 'leven' can mean 'live' or 'believe'; context of expected death in 1.8.2 favors 'live' (those remaining in this life).
- 9 ↩enm 'curtes love' kept as 'courteous love,' Julian's distinctive term for God's gracious, noble loving-kindness.
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