VI

HOW THE VIRTUES OF ABSTINENCE AND PATIENCE RISE IN THE SENSUALITY

WHEN Leah saw that Rachel her sister made great joy of these two
bastards born of Bilhah her maiden, she called forth her maiden
Zilpah, to put to her husband Jacob; that she might make joy with
her sister, having other two bastards gotten of her maiden Zilpah.
And thus it is seemly in man's soul for to be, that from the time
that reason hath refrained the great jangling of imagination, and
hath put her to be underlout[63] to God, and maketh her to bear some
fruit in helping of her knowing, that right so the affection refrain
the lust and the thirst of the sensuality, and make her to be
underlout to God, and so to bear some fruit in helping of her
feeling. But what fruit may she bear, ought but that she learn to
live temperately in easy things, and patiently in uneasy things?
These are they, the children of Zilpah, Gad and Asher: Gad is
abstinence, and Asher is patience. Gad is the sooner born child, and
Asher the latter; for first it needeth that we be attempered in
ourself with discreet abstinence, and after that we bear outward
disease[64] in strength of patience. These are the children that
Zilpah brought forth in sorrow; for in abstinence and patience the
sensuality is punished in the flesh; but that that is sorrow to the
sensuality turneth to much comfort and bliss to the affection. And
therefore it is that, when Gad was born, Leah cried and said:
"Happily"[65]; and therefore Gad is cleped in the story "Happiness,"
or "Seeliness."[66] And so it is well said that abstinence in the
sensuality is happiness[67] in the affection. For why, ever the less
that the sensuality is delighted in her lust, the more sweetness
feeleth the affection in her love. Also after when Asher was born,
Leah said: "This shall be for my bliss";[68] and therefore was Asher
called in the story "Blessed."[69] And so it is well said that
patience in the sensuality is bliss in the affection. For why, ever
the more disease that the sensuality suffereth, the more blessed is
the soul in the affection. And thus by abstinence and patience we
shall not only understand a temperance in meat and drink, and
suffering of outward tribulation, but also [in] all manner of
fleshly, kindly,[70] and worldly delights, and all manner of
disease, bodily and ghostly, within or without, reasonable or
unreasonable, that by any of our five wits torment or delight the
sensuality. On this wise bea