HERE BEGINNETH THE FIRST CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SECOND CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRD CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOURTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWELFTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINETEENTH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND TWENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND THIRTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND FORTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND FIFTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SIX AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVEN AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE EIGHT AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE ONE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE TWO AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
HERE BEGINNETH THE THREE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER
How the work of this book shall be wrought, and of the worthiness of it before all other works.
LIFT up thine heart unto God with a meek stirring of love; and mean Himself, and none of His goods. And thereto, look the loath to think on aught but Himself. So that nought work in thy wit, nor in thy will, but only Himself. And do that in thee is to forget all the creatures that ever God made and the works of them; so that thy thought nor thy desire be not directed nor stretched to any of them, neither in general nor in special, but let them be, and take no heed to them. This is the work of the soul that most pleaseth God. All saints and angels have joy of this work, and hasten them to help it in all their might. All fiends be furious when thou thus dost, and try for to defeat it in all that they can. All men living in earth be wonderfully holpen of this work, thou wottest not how. Yea, the souls in purgatory be eased of their pain by virtue of this work. Thyself art cleansed and made virtuous by no work so much. And yet it is the lightest work of all, when a soul is helped with grace in sensible list, and soonest done. But else it is hard, and wonderful to thee for to do.
Let not, therefore, but travail therein till thou feel list. For at the first time when thou dost it, thou findest but a darkness; and as it were a cloud of unknowing, thou knowest not what, saving that thou feelest in thy will a naked intent unto God. This darkness and this cloud is, howsoever thou dost, betwixt thee and thy God, and letteth thee that thou mayest neither see Him clearly by light of understanding in thy reason, nor feel Him in sweetness of love in thine affection.
And therefore shape thee to bide in this darkness as long as thou mayest, evermore crying after Him that thou lovest. For if ever thou shalt feel Him or see Him, as it may be here, it behoveth always to be in this cloud in this darkness. And if thou wilt busily travail as I bid thee, I trust in His mercy that thou shalt come thereto.