Chapter 66

And after this the good Lord shewed the Sixteenth [Revelation] on the night following, as I shall tell after: which Sixteenth was conclusion and confirmation to all Fifteen.

After this, the good Lord showed me the Sixteenth [Revelation] on the following night, as I will tell later. The Sixteenth brought all Fifteen to a conclusion and confirmed them.

But first me behoveth to tell you as anent my feebleness, wretchedness and blindness.—I have said in the beginning: And in this [moment] all my pain was suddenly taken from me: of which pain I had no grief nor distress as long as the Fifteen Shewings lasted following. And at the end all was close, and I saw no more. And soon I felt that I should live and languish;¹ and anon my sickness came again: first in my head with a sound and a din, and suddenly all my body was fulfilled with sickness like as it was afore. And I was as barren and as dry as [if] I never had comfort but little. And as a wretched creature I moaned and cried for feeling of my bodily pains and for failing of comfort, spiritual and bodily.

But first I must tell you about my weakness, wretchedness, and blindness. I said at the beginning: And in this [moment] all my pain was suddenly taken from me: I felt no grief or distress from that pain as long as the Fifteen Showings that followed lasted. At the end, everything was closed off, and I saw no more. Soon I felt that I would live and suffer.¹ At once my sickness returned. First I heard a noise and a din in my head. Then suddenly my whole body was filled with sickness, just as before. I was as barren and dry as if I had never had more than a little comfort. Like a wretched creature, I moaned and cried because of my bodily pain and my lack of comfort, both spiritual and bodily.

Then came a Religious person to me and asked me how I fared. I said I had raved to-day. And he laughed loud and heartily.² And I said: The Cross that stood afore my face, methought it bled fast. And with this word the person that I spake to waxed all sober and marvelled. And anon I was sore ashamed and astonished for my recklessness, and I thought: This man taketh in sober earnest³ the least word that I might say. Then said I no more thereof. And when I saw that he took it earnestly and with so great reverence, I wept, full greatly ashamed, and would have been shriven; but at that time I could tell it no priest, for I thought: How should a priest believe me? I believe not our Lord God. This [Shewing] I believed verily for the time that I saw Him, and so was then my will and my meaning ever for to do without end; but as a fool I let it pass from my mind. Ah! lo, wretch that I am! this was a great sin, great unkindness, that I for folly of feeling of a little bodily pain, so unwisely lost for the time the comfort of all this blessed Shewing of our Lord God. Here may you see what I am of myself.

Then a religious person came to me and asked how I was. I said I had been raving that day. He laughed loudly and heartily.² And I said: The Cross that stood before my face seemed to me to be bleeding heavily. At these words, the person I was speaking to became completely serious and amazed. At once I was deeply ashamed and startled by my recklessness. I thought: This man takes even the smallest word I might say in sober earnest³. So I said no more about it. When I saw that he took it seriously and with such great reverence, I wept, deeply ashamed. I wanted to confess, but at that time I could not tell any priest about it. I thought: How could a priest believe me? I do not believe our Lord God. I truly believed this [Showing] while I saw him. At the time, I intended and wanted to go on believing it forever. But like a fool, I let it pass from my mind. Ah, look what a wretch I am! It was a great sin and a great act of ingratitude. Because I foolishly felt a little bodily pain, I unwisely lost, for a time, the comfort of this entire blessed Showing of our Lord God. Here you can see what I am of myself.

But herein would our Courteous Lord not leave me. And I lay still till night, trusting in His mercy, and then I began to sleep. And in the sleep, at the beginning, methought the Fiend set him on my throat, putting forth a visage full near my face, like a young man's and it was long and wondrous lean: I saw never none such. The colour was red like the tilestone when it is new-burnt, with black spots therein like black freckles—fouler than the tilestone. His hair was red as rust, clipped in front,⁴ with full locks hanging on the temples. He grinned on me with a malicious semblance, shewing white teeth: and so much methought it the more horrible. Body nor hands had he none shapely, but with his paws he held me in the throat, and would have strangled me, but he might not.

But our gracious Lord would not abandon me in this. I lay still until night, trusting in his mercy, and then I began to sleep. Just as I fell asleep, I thought the Fiend came down on my throat. He brought his face very close to mine. It was like a young man’s, but long and astonishingly thin. I had never seen a face like it. It was red like a newly fired tile, with black spots like freckles, but uglier than the tile. His hair was rust-red, clipped in front,⁴ with thick locks hanging at his temples. He grinned at me maliciously, showing white teeth, which made him seem all the more horrible. He had no recognizable body or hands, but he gripped my throat with his paws. He tried to strangle me, but he could not.

This horrible Shewing was made [whilst I was] sleeping, and so was none other. But in all this time I trusted to be saved and kept by the mercy of God. And our Courteous Lord gave me grace to waken; and scarcely had I my life. The persons that were with me looked on me, and wet my temples, and my heart began to comfort. And anon a light smoke came in the door, with a great heat and a foul stench. I said: Benedicite Domine! it is all on fire that is here! And I weened it had been a bodily fire that should have burnt us all to death. I asked them that were with me if they felt any stench. They said, Nay: they felt none. I said: Blessed be God! For then wist I well it was the Fiend that was come to tempest me. And anon I took to that [which] our Lord had shewed me on the same day, with all the Faith of Holy Church (for I beheld it is both one), and fled thereto as to my comfort. And anon all vanished away, and I was brought to great rest and peace, without sickness of body or dread of conscience.

This terrible vision came while I was asleep. No other vision came to me in sleep. But throughout this time I trusted that God, in his mercy, would save and keep me. And our gracious Lord gave me the grace to wake, though I was barely alive. The people with me looked at me and wet my temples, and my heart began to feel comforted. Soon a thin smoke came through the door, bringing great heat and a foul stench. I said: Bless us, Lord! Everything here is on fire! I thought it was a physical fire that would burn us all to death. I asked the people with me if they smelled a stench. They said no, they smelled nothing. I said: Blessed be God! For then I knew well that the Fiend had come to torment me. At once I turned to what our Lord had shown me that same day, and to all the faith of Holy Church. For I saw that the two were one. I fled to them for comfort. At once everything vanished, and I was brought to great rest and peace, without sickness of body or fear in my conscience.