The two and fourty chapitre. That by indiscrecion in this men schal kepe discrecion in alle other thinges; and sekerly elles never.
The Principle of Holy Indiscretion
The author responds to the question of discretion in outward matters by stating that unwavering, discreet practice of the contemplative work itself ensures true discretion in all other things.
But perhaps you're asking how you should be discreet in managing your food, sleep, and all these other things. And to this I mean to answer you quite briefly: "Get what you can get."1 Do this work always, without ceasing and without discretion, and you'll know well how to begin and end all your other tasks with great discretion.2 For I can't believe that a soul continuing in this work night and day without discretion could go wrong in any of these outward doings; and otherwise it seems to me that such a soul would always go wrong.
Carelessness and the Stirring of Love
The author explains that carelessness in outward affairs from intense inner attention leads to truer discretion than careful management, and concludes by urging the reader to lift up the heart with a blind stirring of love toward God, acknowledging sin.
And so, if I could maintain a wakeful and busy attention to this spiritual work within my soul, I would then be careless about eating and drinking, sleeping and speaking, and all my outward doings.3 For I truly believe I would come sooner to discretion in these matters through such carelessness than through any busy attention to them, as if by that attention I meant to set a mark and measure on them. Truly, I would never bring it about by anything I could do or say. People may say what they will, and let the proof bear witness. And so lift up your heart with a blind stirring of love; and mean now sin, and now God.4 You would have God, and you would lack sin. God is what you lack; and of sin you are sure.5 Now may good God help you, for now you have need!
Read the original Middle English
But paraventure thou askest me how thou schalt governe thee discreetly in mete, and in slepe, and in alle thees other. And herto I think to answere thee right schortli: "Gete that thou gete mayst." Do this werk evermore withoutyn cesyng and withoutyn discrecion, and thou schalt wel kun beginne and ceese in alle thin other werkes with a grete discrecion. For I may not trowe that a soule contynowyng in this werk night and day withoutyn discrecion schuld mowe erre in any of thees outward doinges; and elles me think that he schuld alweis erre.
And therfore and I might gete a wakyng and a besi beholdyng to this goostly werk withinne in my soule, I wolde than have a rechelesnes in etyng and in drynkyng, in sleping and in spekyng, and in alle myn outward doynges. For sekirly I trowe I schuld rather com to discrecion in hem by soche a rechelesnes than by any besy beholding to the same thinges, as I wolde bi that beholdyng set a merke and a mesure in hem. Trewly I schuld never bryng it so aboute for ought that I couth do or sey. Sey what men seye wil, and lat the preof witnes. And therfore lift up thin hert with a blynde steryng of love; and mene now synne, and now God. God woldest thou have, and synne woldest thou lacke. God wanteth thee; and synne arte thou sekir of. Now good God help thee, for now hast thou need!
Notes
- 1 ↩Middle English proverbial Gete that thou gete mayst: take whatever measure of food, sleep, and the like you can manage, without fussing over exact outward rules.
- 2 ↩Without discretion here is the chapter's paradoxical holy indiscretion: pursue the contemplative work without measured restraint; that very unmeasuredness teaches true discretion in outward practices.
- 3 ↩ME rechelesnes here means a holy unconcern about anxiously regulating bodily acts, not moral recklessness; kept as carelessness to match the chapter's contrast of indiscretion in the work with discretion in outward things.
- 4 ↩blynde steryng of love is the Cloud's technical phrase for the naked, non-conceptual impulse of love toward God; kept as blind stirring of love.
- 5 ↩ME wanteth means lacks / is wanting to you, not desires you; rendered as God is what you lack.
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