and sweetly. Stalwartly can no man
love Him save he be stalwart. He is stalwart, who is meek; for all
ghostly strength comes of meekness;--on whom rests the Holy Ghost? in a
meek soul. Meekness governs us and keeps us in all our temptations, so
that they overcome us not. But the devil deceives many that are meek,
through tribulations, and reproofs, and back-bitings*. But if thou beest
wroth for any anguish of this world, or for any word that men say of
thee, or for aught that men say to thee, thou art not meek, nor mayst
thou love GOD stalwartly. For love is stalwart as death, which slays
every living thing on earth, and hard as hell that spares not them that
are dead. And he who loves GOD perfectly grieves Him not, whatever shame
or anguish he may suffer; but he has delight and covets that he might be
worthy for to suffer torment and pain for Christ's love: and he has joy
that men reprove him and speak ill of him. Like a dead man, what so men
do or say, he answers not. Right-so, whoso loves GOD perfectly, they are
not stirred for any word that man may say. For he or she cannot love,
that cannot suffer pain or anger for their friend's love. For whoso
loves, they have no pain. Proud men or women love not stalwartly, for
they are so weak, and they fall at every stirring of the wind that is
temptation. They seek a higher place than Christ; for they will have
their will done, whether it be with right or with wrong: and Christ
wills that nothing but well be done, and without harm to other men. But
who is verily meek, they will not have their will in this world, but
that they may have it in the other fully. In nothing may men sooner
overcome the devil than in Meekness, which he much hates. For he may
wake, and fast and suffer pain more than any other creature may: but
meekness and love may he not have. Also, it behoves thee to love GOD
wisely, and that thou canst not do save thou beest wise. Thou art wise,
when thou art poor without desire of this world, and despisest thyself
for love of Christ: and expendest all thy wit and all thy might in His
service. For some who seem wise are most fools, for all their wisdom
they spill in covetousness and care about the world. If thou sawest a
man have precious stones wherewith he might buy a kingdom, if he gave
them for an apple, as a child will do, rightly mightest thou say that he
was not wise but a great fool. Just so, if we will, we have precious
stones: Poverty and penance and ghostl