Hou in resoun and in wille vertues bigynnen, and in love and in likynge it is eendid and
The Goal of Contemplation
The author defines contemplation as the soul's reformation and conformity to God through the love of virtue.
made perfect.1 Now I've told you a little about contemplation—what it should be—for this purpose: that you might know it and set it as a mark before the sight of your soul, and desire all your lifetime to come to any part of it by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the conforming of a soul to God, which cannot be had unless he is first reformed by the fullness of virtues turned into affection.2 That happens when a person loves virtue because it is good in itself.
From Duty to Delight
Virtue matures from a difficult exercise of the will into a source of spiritual delight, preparing the soul for contemplation.
Many people possess virtues—like humility, patience, charity toward their fellow Christians, and others—only in their reason and will, without finding any spiritual delight or love in them. For he often feels grumbling, heaviness, and bitterness about doing them, and yet he still does them by the strength and prompting of reason, out of fear of God. This person has virtues in their reason and will, but not the love of them in their affection.3 But when, by the grace of good Jesus and by spiritual and bodily exercise, reason is turned into light and will into love, then he has virtues in affection—for he has gnawed so thoroughly on the bitter bark of the nut that he has broken it and feeds himself with the sweet kernel. That is to say, the virtues that were first hard to practice are now turned into delight and savor—as when a person takes pleasure in meekness, patience, purity, sobriety, and charity, as in any delights. Truly, when virtues are turned in this way into affection, he may have the second part of contemplation, but he will not truly come to the third. Now since virtues dispose a person so toward contemplation, you need to use certain means to come to virtues.
Read the original Latin
maad perfight.
Now have y toolde thee a litil of countemplacion, what it schulde be, for this entent, that thu myght knowe it and sette it as it were a mark bifore the sight of thi soule, and for to desire al thy lyvetyme for to come to ony partie of it bi the grace of oure Lord Jhesu Crist. This is the confoormynge of a soule to God, which may not be had but he be first reformyd bi fulheed of vertues turnyd into affeccion. And that is whanne a man loveth vertu, for it is good in the silf.
There is many man that hath vertues, as lowenesse, pacience, charité to his even Cristene, and siche othere, onli in his resoun and wille and hath no goostli delite ne love in hem. For ofte tyme he felith grucchinge, hevynesse, and bittirnesse for to doo hem, and neverthelees yit he doth hem bi strengthe and stirynge of resoun for drede of God. This man hath vertues in resoun and in wille, but not the love of hem in affeccion. But whanne bi the grace of gode Jhesu, and bi goostli and bodili exercise, reson is turnyd into light and wil into love, thanne hath he vertues in affeccion, for he hath so wel gnawen upon the bittir bark of the note that he hath broken it and fedeth him with the swete kirnel. That is for to seie, the vertues whiche weren first hevy for to do aren now turnyd into delite and savour, as whanne a man liketh in mekenesse, in pacience, in clennesse, in sobirté and in charité, as in ony delices. Sothli whanne vertues be turned thus into affeccioun, he may have the secunde partie of contemplacioun, but to the thridde soothfastli he schal not come. Now sithen vertues aren so disposynge to contemplacion, than bihoveth thee for to use certayn meenes for to come to vertues.
Notes
- 1 ↩Fragment only: ME maad perfight completes the chapter heading sense ('…it is ended and made perfect'). No full independent clause is supplied in this section.
- 2 ↩Hilton's 'affeccion' is technical: not mere feeling, but the settled loving delight in virtue (as the next section contrasts with virtue held only in reason and will).
- 3 ↩Hilton's affeccion means the heart's loving relish of virtue, not mere emotion or sentimentality.
Scala Perfectionis (The Scale of Perfection) companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent