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← Scala Perfectionis (The Scale of Perfection)/Sub Rosa translation · Modern Readable

Scala Perfectionis (The Scale of Perfection)

Scala Perfectionis (The Scale of Perfection)

Walter Hilton·c. 1380–1396·from the Enm

A full modern English translation of the work — 1 book, 92 chapters — translated sentence by sentence from the Enm, with scripture echoes traced and brief notes on the harder turns of phrase. Choose a section to begin reading.

92 chapters1,187 sentences178 scripture echoes
Devotional manualContemplatio — The Ascent
1

The Scale of Perfection, Book I

  1. 1.1That the innere havynge schulde be like to the uttere.
  2. 1.2Of actif lif and of the werkes of it.
  3. 1.3Of contemplatif lif and the werkes of hit.
  4. 1.4Of the first partye of contemplacioun.
  5. 1.5Of the secunde partye of contemplacion.
  6. 1.6Of the lower degré of the secunde partie of contemplacioun.
  7. 1.7Of the highere degree of the secunde partie of contemplacion.
  8. 1.8Of the thridde partie of contemplacion.
  9. 1.9Of the twynynge of the thridde partie of contemplacion fro the secunde, and of praysynge
  10. 1.10How the schewynges to the bodili wittis and the feelynge of hem may be bothe good
  11. 1.11Hou thu schal knowe whanne the schewinges to thi bodili wittes and the feelynge of
  12. 1.12What knetteth Jhesu to mannys soule and what looseth Hym therfro.
  13. 1.13How and in what thynges a contemplatif man schuld ben occupied.
  14. 1.14Hou in resoun and in wille vertues bigynnen, and in love and in likynge it is eendid and
  15. 1.15Of the meenes that bryngen a man to contemplacioun.
  16. 1.16What a man schal use and refuse bi vertu of mekenes.
  17. 1.17Who schulde blame mennys defautis and deme hem, and who not.
  18. 1.18Whi meke men schal worschip othere, and lowe hemself in her owen herte undir alle
  19. 1.19Hou men schullen don that wanten the feelynge of mekenes in affeccioun, not dredynge
  20. 1.20Hou heretikes and ypocrites, for wantynge of mekenesse, highen hemself in herte bifore
  21. 1.21What thinges men owen to trowe bi siker trouthe.
  22. 1.22How a stable entent is nedefulle to thise that schal plese God and discrecioun in bodili
  23. 1.23Of a litil rehersynge of thynges biforseid, and of makynge offrynge of that schulde be
  24. 1.24Of praier that is spedful to gete clennes in herte and vertues.
  25. 1.25Hou men schulde praie, and whereon the poynt of the thought schal be sette in prayere.
  26. 1.26Of the fier of love.
  27. 1.27That certayn praier in speche ordeyned of God and of Holi Chirche is best to hem that
  28. 1.28What peril it is to men that in the bigynnynge of here turnynge to God leeven to sone the
  29. 1.29Of the secunde maner of praier, that is in speche not certayn, but folweth the stirenges
  30. 1.30That this maner of praier pleseth moche God, and maketh a man to have him as he were
  31. 1.31Hou fier of love wasteth alle fleischli lustes, as othir fier wasteth alle bodili thynges here.
  32. 1.32Of the thridde maner of praier, oonli in herte withouten speche.
  33. 1.33How men schal do that aren traveylid with veyn thoughtes in her preier.
  34. 1.34Of meditacion of synful men, aftir that thei ben turned hooli to God.
  35. 1.35That the meditacion of the manhede of Crist or of His passion is gyven of God, and how
  36. 1.36That the meditacioun of the passioun of Crist is withdrawen from hem that it is gyven
  37. 1.37Of divers temptaciouns of the feend of helle.
  38. 1.38Of sere remedies agennes temptaciounes of feend.
  39. 1.39Hou God suffreth hem that He cheseth for to be tarid and temptid; and aftirwarde He
  40. 1.40That a man schulde not geve him to idelnesse ne lightli leve the grace that were gyven
  41. 1.41That a man schulde knowe the mesure of his gifte, and evere desire more, and take a
  42. 1.42That a man schulde travaile for to knowe his owen soule and the myghtes of it, and
  43. 1.43Hou a man schal knowe the worthinesse and the worschipe of his soule that it oweth to
  44. 1.44Hou everi man mai be saved bi the passioun of Crist, be he never so wrecchid, yif he
  45. 1.45That a man schulde be besi for to recovere agen his worthynesse, and reforme in him
  46. 1.46Hou Jhesu schal be sought, desired, and founden.
  47. 1.47What profite is to have the desire of Jhesu.
  48. 1.48Where and wherewith Jhesu schal be sought and founden.
  49. 1.49Where Jhesu is loste and founden thorugh His mercy.
  50. 1.50What letteth a man to heere and see Jhesu withinne hymsilf.
  51. 1.51That mekenesse and charité are the special lyveré of Jhesu, thorugh the whiche mannys
  52. 1.52Hou a man schal see the groound of synne in hymsilf.
  53. 1.53Unto what thinge is the ymage of synne like, and what it is in itsilf.
  54. 1.54Whoso wole fynde Jhesu, hym bihoveth abide and traveile in this goostli merkenesse of
  55. 1.55What propirli is the ymage of synne and what cometh thereof.
  56. 1.56What pride is and whanne it is synne.
  57. 1.57Whanne pride is deedli synne, and hou it is in fleischli lyvande men deedli synne.
  58. 1.58Hou pride is in heretikes deedli synne.
  59. 1.59Hou pride is in ypocrites deedli synne.
  60. 1.60Hou stirynges of pride and veynglorie in good men are but venial synne.
  61. 1.61Hou sere states in Holi Chirche schulle have sere medes in the blisse of hevene, and of
  62. 1.62A schort stirynge to mekenesse and to charité.
  63. 1.63Hou a man schal knowe hou mykil pride is in hym.
  64. 1.64Of envie and ire and of here braunchis, and hou sumtyme instide of synne mannys
  65. 1.65That it is mykil maistrie sothfastli to love men in charité and hate here synne.
  66. 1.66That for the same deedis outewarde sere men schal have seere medis.
  67. 1.67That alle menys good deedis schal be appreved that hath likenes of good, save of the
  68. 1.68That no good deede mai make a man sikir withoute charité; and that charité is oonli had
  69. 1.69Hou a man schal wite hou moche ire and envie is hid in the ground of hys herte.
  70. 1.70Bi what tokenes thou schalt wite yif thou love thyn enemye and what ensample thou
  71. 1.71Hou a man schal knowe hou mochel coveytise is hid in hys herte.
  72. 1.72Hou a man schal knowe whanne he synneth not in etynge and drynkynge and whanne
  73. 1.73The ground of leccherie schulde be distroied with goostli travaile and not with bodili.
  74. 1.74That a man schulde be bisi for to putte awai alle stirynges of synne but more bisili
  75. 1.75That hunger and othere peynes of the bodi letteth moche goostly wirkynge.
  76. 1.76What remedie a man schal use agenes defaute maad in etynge and drinkynge.
  77. 1.77That thorwgh besi desire and travaile in mekenesse and charité, a man cometh sunnere
  78. 1.78What cometh of the merkenese of the image of synne and what cometh bi the wyndowes
  79. 1.79That a soule for defaute of knowynge of hitsilf wendith out bi the fyve wittes for to sek
  80. 1.80That a soule schulde not seke withoute, but aske withinne of Jhesu, al that it
  81. 1.81That the hoole of ymaginacion nedeth to be stopped, als wel as the wyndowes of the
  82. 1.82Whanne the use of the wittes and of the imaginacioun is deedli synne, and whanne
  83. 1.83Hou an ankir schal have hir to hem that comen to hir.
  84. 1.84Of the myrke image of synne and of the clothinge therof.
  85. 1.85Whiche aren the lymes of the ymage of synne.
  86. 1.86Whereof the image of Jhesu is maad, and the ymage of synne and hou we aren passynge
  87. 1.87What profite cometh of the kepynge of the herte, and hou moche the soule is.
  88. 1.88Hou the ymage of synne schal be broken doun.
  89. 1.89How a man schal have hym agens stirynges of pride and of alle othere vices.
  90. 1.90What thynge helpith most a mannys knowynge, and geteth him that hym wanteth, and
  91. 1.91Hou a man schal be schapen to the image of Jhesu, and Jhesu schapen in hym.
  92. 1.92Hereinne is told the cause whi this writynge is maad, and hou sche schal have hire in the