full speedful unto a working soul; the one for to put down evil
suggestions of sins; and the other for to raise up our wills in
working of good and in kindling of our desires. For as it falleth to
Dan to put down evil suggestions of sin by sight of pains to come,
so it falleth to the other brother Naphtali to raise up our wills in
working of good, and in kindling of holy desires by sight of joys to
come. And therefore holy men, when they are stirred to any unlawful
thing, by inrising of any foul thought, as oft they set before their
mind the pains that are to come; and so they slaken their temptation
in the beginning, ere it rise to any foul delight in their soul. And
as oft as their devotion and their liking in God and ghostly things
cease and wax cold (as oft times it befalleth in this life, for
corruption of the flesh and many other skills),[54] so oft they set
before their mind the joy that is to come. And so they kindle their
will with holy desires, and destroy their temptation in the
beginning, ere it come to any weariness or heaviness of sloth. And
for that[55] with Dan we damn unlawful thoughts, therefore he is
well cleped in the story "Doom."[56] And also his father Jacob said
of him thus: "Dan shall deem his folk."[57] And also it is said in
the story that, when Bilhah brought forth Dan, Rachel said thus:
"Our Lord hath deemed me";[58] that is to say: "Our Lord hath evened
me unto my sister Leah." And thus saith reason, when the imagination
hath gotten the sight of pains to come, that our Lord hath evened
her with her sister affection; and she saith thus, for she hath the
sight of pains to come in her imagination, of the which she had
dread and sorrow in her feeling. And then after came Naphtali, that
is to say, the sight of joys to come. And in his birth spake Rachel
and said: "I am made like to my sister Leah";[59] and therefore is
Naphtali cleped in the story "Likeness."[60] And thus saith reason
that she is made like to her sister affection. For there as she had
gotten hope and love of joy to come in her feeling, she hath now
gotten sight of joy to come in her imagination. Jacob said of
Naphtali that he was "a hart sent out, giving speeches of
fairhead."[61] So it is that, when we imagine of the joys of heaven,
we say that it is fair in heaven. For[62] wonderfully kindleth
Naphtali our souls with holy desires, as oft as we imagine of the
worthiness and the fairhead of the joys of heaven.

CAPITULUM