The ninetene chapitre. A schort excusacion of him that maad this book, teching how alle contemplatives schuld have alle actyves fully excusid of theire pleinyng wordes and dedes.
Honoring Martha
The author clears himself of any intention to reproach Martha or any of God's servants.
Some might think I show little honor to Martha, that special saint, because I compare her complaint about her sister to these worldly men's words, or theirs to hers.1 And honestly, I mean no dishonor to her or to them. And God forbid that I would say anything in this work that could be taken as criticizing any of God's servants in any way, and especially His special saint.
Ignorance Begets Pardon
Martha's few courteous words and her ignorance of Mary's occupation fully excuse her complaint.
For it seems to me that she should be fully excused for her complaint, considering the time and the manner in which she said it.2 For as for what she said, her ignorance was the cause.3 And no wonder she didn't know at that time how Mary was occupied; for I believe that before then she'd heard little of such perfection. And also, what she said was spoken only courteously and in few words.4 And therefore she should always be excused.
The Active Life Excused
People in active life are similarly excused because they do not know the contemplative calling.
And so it seems to me that these worldly-living men and women of the active life should also be very well excused for their complaining words already mentioned, even though they speak roughly in what they say, considering their ignorance. For just as Martha knew very little of what Mary her sister was doing when she complained about her to our Lord, in exactly the same way these people nowadays know very little, or else nothing, of what these young disciples of God mean when they set themselves apart from the business of this world and draw themselves to be God's special servants in holiness and righteousness of spirit.✦ And if they knew, truly I dare say they would neither do nor say as they say. And therefore I always think they should be excused, because they know no better way of living than the one they themselves live in.
The Measure of Mercy
Remembering our own ignorant faults moves us to excuse others charitably, as we hope to be excused.
And also when I think on my innumerable faults, which I myself have committed before this time in words and deeds through lack of knowledge, it then seems to me that if I want to be excused by God for my ignorant faults, I should charitably and compassionately have other people's ignorant words and deeds excused in every case.5 And surely otherwise I do not do to others as I would have others do to me.✦
Read the original Middle English
Som might think that I do litil worschip to Martha, that specyal seinte, for I lickyn hir wordes in pleining of hir sister unto theese wordly mens wordes, or theires unto hirs. And trewly I mene none unworschip to hir ne to theim. And God forbede that I schuld in this werk sey anything that might be taken in reprovyng of any of the servauntes of God in any degre, and namely of His specyal seynte. For me thinketh that sche schuld be ful wel had excusid of hir pleinte, takyng reward to the tyme and the maner that sche seyde it in. For that that sche seyde, hir unknowyng was the cause.
And no wonder thof sche knewe not that tyme how Marye was ocupied; for I trowe that before sche had lityl herde of soche perfeccion. And also, that sche seyde it was bot curtesly and in fewe wordes. And therfore sche schuld alweys be had excusid.
And so me thinketh that thees wordly levyng men and wommen of actyve liif schuld also ful wel be had excusid of theire pleyning wordes touchid before, thof al thei sey boystously that thei sey, havyng beholdyng to theire ignoraunce. For whi right as Martha wist ful lityl what Marye hir sister did when sche pleinid of hir to oure Lorde: right so on the same maner theese folk nowondayes wetyn ful lityl, or elles nought, what theese yong desiples of God menen, whan thei sette hem fro the besines of this woreld, and drawen hem to be Godes special servauntes in holines and rightfulnes of spirit. And yif they wist, treuly I dar sey that thei wolde neither do ne say as thei say. And therfore me thinketh alweis that thei schuld be had excused, for whi thei knowen no betir levyng then is that thei live in theimself. And also whan I think on myne unnoumerable defautes, the whiche I have maad myself before this tyme in wordes and dedes for defaute of knowyng, me thinketh than yif I wolde be had excused of God for myn ignoraunte defautes, that I schuld charitably and peteuously have other mens wordes and dedes ignoraunte algates excusid. And sekirly elles do I not to other as I wolde that other did to me.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.10.38-Luke.10.42 — Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. Luke.10.39 — She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his word. Luke.10.40 — But Martha was distracted by much service. She came up and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." Luke.10.41 — But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.' Luke.10.42 — Few things are needed, or only one. For Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
- ↩Matt.7.12;Luke.6.31 — Therefore, whatever you want people to do to you, do also to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. Luke.6.31 — And just as you want people to do to you, do the same to them.
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'worschip' here means honor/esteem, not liturgical worship; 'lickyn' = liken/compare.
- 2 ↩ME 'takyng reward to' = having regard to / taking into account.
- 3 ↩ME 'unknowyng' here is ordinary not-knowing (she did not yet grasp Mary's contemplative occupation), not the Cloud's technical 'cloud of unknowing'.
- 4 ↩ME 'that sche seyde it was bot curtesly' read as 'what she said was only courteously [spoken]'; 'bot' = only/merely.
- 5 ↩Rendered 'peteuously' as 'compassionately' (pity/mercy toward others); 'charitably' kept to preserve charity as the governing virtue.
The Cloud of Unknowing 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