The Scale of PerfectionMedieval Institute Publications, 2001 M02 1 - 304 pages Walter Hilton's The Scale of Perfection maintains a secure place among the major religious treatises composed in fourteenth-century England. This guide to the contemplative life, written in two books of more than 40,000 words each, is notable for its careful explorations of its religious themes and also as a monument of Middle English prose. Its popularity is attested by the fact that some forty-two manuscripts containing one or both of the books survive, with a relatively large number of manuscipts with Book I alone, which suggests it may have been the more popular of the two. Hilton (born c. 1343) was a member of the religious order known as the Augustinian Canons. There is reason to believe that be was trained in canon law and studied at the University of Cambridge. He was the author of a number of works in English and Latin, all much shorter than The Scale. He died at the Augustinian Priory of Thurgarton in Nottinghamshire in 1396. On the basis of the content of certain of his works it can be safely inferred that he was actively involved in some of the religious controversies current in England in the 1380s and 1390s, and his principal concern, evident in The Scale , is to defend orthodox belief, especially in the conduct of the contemplative life. |
Contents
Book I | 31 |
Of the highere degree of the secunde partie of contemplacion | 37 |
What knetteth Jhesu to mannys soule and what looseth Hym therfro | 43 |
Hou fier of love wasteth alle fleischli lustes as othir fier wasteth alle | 63 |
Hou a man schal knowe the worthinesse and the worschipe of his soule | 77 |
That it is mykil maistrie sothfastli to love men in charité and hate here | 104 |
That a man schulde be bisi for to putte awai alle stirynges of synne | 117 |
Hou it nedide to mankynde that oonli thorugh the passioun of oure Lord | 135 |
That we schul trowe stide fasteli reformynge of this image yif oure conscience | 148 |
Hou grete profite it is to a soule for to be brought thorugh grace into | 194 |
Hou this maner of spekyng reformynge of a soule in feelynge and in what | 210 |
That the gifte of love amonge alle the giftes of Jhesu is worthiest and most | 223 |
Textual Notes | 263 |
Glossary | 287 |
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Common terms and phrases
adds affeccions aftir agens anothir aren bifore blisse blissid bodi bodili callid Chapter charité Chirche clene cometh contemplacion Cristene deede delite desire doon dooth ellis ertheli feele feelynge feith fleschli fulli gifte goosteli goostli gosteli grace grete hast hath heere hevene himsilf Holi Hooli hope Jhesu Crist knowe knowynge kynde light likynge litil liyf Lord Jhesu maad maketh maner meke mekenesse moche myght mykil mynde nevere neverthelees noon nought omits oonli othir owen peyne praier pride reformed reformynge resoun reste saaf savour schal schulde seen seeth seid seie seith siche sight soule soulis spirit stirynges synne thanne thee thenketh therfore therto thinges thise thisilf thorugh thou schalt thought thyn herte thynge traveile tyme unto vertues werk whanne wise withouten wittes wolde wole wordli worschipe yif thou ymage