The fifty chapitre. Whiche is chaste love; and how in som creatures soche sensible counfortes ben bot seelden, and in som right ofte.
Chaste Love and Sensible Comforts
The author defines chaste love as directing all attention to the meek stirring of love in the will, remaining careless toward other spiritual comforts, and being fully content to be without sweet feelings or tears at God's will.
And from this you can see that we should direct all our attention toward this meek stirring of love in our will. And toward every other sweetness and comfort, bodily or spiritual — however pleasing or holy they may be (if it's courteous and fitting to say so) — we should keep a kind of carelessness.1 If they come, welcome them; but don't lean too much on them, for fear of weakness — for it will take a great deal of your strength to stay any long time in such sweet feelings and tears. And perhaps you may be stirred to love God because of them.2 And you'll know that by this: if you complain too much when they're gone. And if that's how it is, your love is not yet either chaste or perfect. For a love that is chaste and perfect, though it allows the body to be fed and comforted in the presence of such sweet feelings and tears, still does not complain, but is fully content to go without them at God's will.
The Diversity of God's Gifts
The author explains that God wisely distributes sensible comforts according to each soul's need: some weak spirits require them frequently, while stronger spirits draw comfort from within, and only God knows who is holier.
And yet some people are not usually without such comforts; and in some other people such sweetness and comforts come only rarely. And all this is according to God's arrangement and decree, completely according to the benefit and need of various people. For some creatures are so weak and so tender in spirit that, unless they were somewhat comforted by feeling such sweetness, they could in no way endure or bear the diversity of temptations and tribulations that they suffer and are afflicted with in this life from their bodily and spiritual enemies. And there are some who are so weak in body that they cannot do any great penance to cleanse themselves. And these people our Lord will cleanse very graciously in spirit through such sweet feelings and weepings. And also, on the other hand, there are some people so strong in spirit that they can draw enough comfort within their own souls, by offering up this reverent and meek stirring of love and accord of will, that they do not greatly need to be nourished by such sweet comforts in physical feelings.3 Which of these are holier or more dear to God, one than another, God knows and I do not.
Read the original Middle English
And herby maist thou see that we schulde directe alle oure beholdyng unto this meek steryng of love in oure wille. And in alle other swetnes and counfortes, bodily or goostly, be thei never so likyng ne so holy (yif it be cortesie and semely to sey) we schuld have a maner of rechelesnes. Yif thei come, welcome hem; bot lene not to moche on hem for ferde of febelnes; for it wol take ful mochel of thi myghtes to bide any longe tyme in soche swete felynges and wepynges. And paraventure thou mayst be steryd for to love God for hem. And that schalt thou fele by this: yif thou grocche overmoche when thei ben awey. And yif it be thus, thi love is not yit neither chaste ne parfite. For a love that is chaste and parfite, thof it suffre that the body be fed and counfortid in the presence of soche swete felynges and wepynges, nevertheles yit it is not gruchyng, bot ful wel apayed for to lacke hem at Goddes wille.
And yit it is not comounly withoutyn soche counfortes in som creatures; and in som other creatures soche swetnes and counfortes ben bot seldom. And alle this is after the disposicion and the ordynaunce of God, al after the profite and the needfulnes of diverse creatures. For some creatures ben so weike and so tendre in spirit, that bot yif thei were sumwhat counfortid by feling of soche swetnes, thei mighte on no wise abide ne bere the diverseté of temptacions and tribulacions that thei suffre and ben travaylid with in this liif of theire bodily and goostly enmyes. And som ther ben that thei ben so weike in body that thei mowe do no grete penance to clense hem with. And thees creatures wil oure Lorde clense ful gracyously in spirit by soche swete felynges and wepynges. And also, on the tother partye, ther ben sum creatures so stronge in spirit, that thei kun pike hem counforte inowgh withinne in theire soules, in offryng up of this reverent and this meek steryng of love and acordaunce of wille, that hem nedeth not mochel to be fedde with soche swete counfortes in bodely felynges. Whiche of thees ben holyer or more dere with God, one then another, God wote and I not.
Notes
- 1 ↩enm *rechelesnes* is the Cloud's technical holy disregard of secondary consolations, not moral negligence; rendered here as 'carelessness' for modern readability.
- 2 ↩enm *for hem* can mean 'because of them' or 'for their sake'; the following test (grumbling when they leave) supports love motivated by the consolations themselves.
- 3 ↩Middle English pike here means pick/gather or take for oneself; rendered as draw enough comfort.
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.
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