The Cloud of Unkowing

 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

 HERE BEGINNETH THE FOUR AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER

 HERE BEGINNETH THE FIVE AND SEVENTIETH CHAPTER

HERE BEGINNETH THE NINE AND SIXTIETH CHAPTER

How that a man's affection is marvelously changed in ghostly feeling of this nought, when it is nowhere wrought.

WONDERFULLY is a man's affection varied in ghostly feeling of this nought when it is nowhere wrought. For at the first time that a soul looketh thereupon, it shall find all the special deeds of sin that ever he did since he was born, bodily or ghostly, privily or darkly painted thereupon. And howsoever that he turneth it about, evermore they will appear before his eyes; until the time be, that with much hard travail, many sore sighings, and many bitter weepings, he have in great part washed them away. Sometime in this travail him think that it is to look thereupon as on hell; for him think that he despaireth to win to perfection of ghostly rest out of that pairs Thus far inwards come many, but for greatness of pain that they feel and for lacking of comfort, they go back in beholding of bodily things: seeking fleshly comforts without, for lacking of ghostly they have not yet deserved, as they should if they had abided.

For he that abideth feeleth sometime some comfort, and hath some hope of perfection; for he feeleth and seeth that many of his fordone special sins be in great part by help of grace rubbed away. Nevertheless yet ever among he feeleth pain, but he thinketh that it shall have an end, for it waxeth ever less and less. And therefore he calleth it nought else but purgatory. Sometime he can find no special sin written thereupon, but yet him think that sin is a lump, he wot never what, none other thing than himself; and then it may be called the base and the pain of the original sin. Sometime him think that it is paradise or heaven, for diverse wonderful sweetness and comforts, joys and blessed virtues that he findeth therein. Sometime him think it God, for peace and rest that he findeth therein.

Yea! think what he think will; for evermore he shall find it a cloud of unknowing, that is betwixt him and his God.