the substance of the soul. Also, our Lord comforteth a soul by
angel's song. What that song is, it may not be described by no
bodily likeness, for it is ghostly, and above all manner of
imagination and reason. It may be felt and perceived in a soul, but
it may not be shewed. Nevertheless, I shall speak thereof to thee as
me thinketh. When a soul is purified by the love of God, illumined
by wisdom, stabled by the might of God, then is the eye of the soul
opened to behold ghostly things, as virtues and angels and holy
souls, and heavenly things.[163] Then is the soul able because of
cleanness to feel the touching, the speaking of good angels. This
touching and speaking, it is ghostly and not bodily.[164] For when
the soul is lifted and ravished out of the sensuality, and out of
mind of any earthly things, then in great fervour of love and light
(if our Lord vouchsafe) the soul may hear and feel heavenly sound,
made by the presence of angels in loving of God. Not that this song
of angels is the sovereign joy of the soul; but for the difference
that is between a man's soul in flesh and an angel, because of
uncleanness, a soul may not hear it, but by ravishing in love, and
needeth for to be purified well clean, and fulfilled of much
charity, or[165] it were able for to hear heavenly sound. For the
sovereign and the essential joy is in the love of God by Himself and
for Himself, and the secondary is in communing and beholding of
angels and ghostly creatures. For right as a soul, in understanding
of ghostly things, is often times touched and moved through bodily
imagination by working of angels; as Ezekiel the prophet did see in
bodily imagination the soothfastness of God's privities;[166] right
so, in the love of God, a soul by the presence of angels is ravished
out of mind of all earthly and fleshly things in to an heavenly joy,
to hear angel's song and heavenly sound, after that the charity is
more or less.[167] Now, then, me thinketh that there may no soul
feel verily angel's song nor heavenly sound, but he be in perfect
charity; though all that are in perfect charity have not felt it,
but only that soul that is so purified in the fire of love that all
earthly savour is brent out of it, and all mean letting[168] between
the soul and the cleanness of angels is broken and put away from it.
Then soothly may he sing a new song, and soothly he may hear a
blessed heavenly sound, and angel's song without deceit or feigning.
Our