Scala perfectionis

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Author:	Hilton, Walter, d. 1396.
Title:	Scala perfectionis
Rights/Permissions:	The University of Michigan Library provides access to these keyboarded and encoded editions of the works for educational and research purposes. These transcriptions are believed to be in the public domain in the United States; however, if you decide to use any of these transcriptions, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact eebotcp-info@umich.edu. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact LibraryIT-info@umich.edu. This statement does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Print source:	Scala perfectionis Hilton, Walter, d. 1396. [Imprynted at London: Without Temple barre in saynte Clementes parysshe by me Iulyan Notary dwellynge at ye sygne of the thre kynges, And this boke fynysshed the yere of our lorde. M.cccc. [et] vii [1507] And ended the. xxvi. daye of ye moneth of Ianyuer]
Alternate titles:	Scale of perfection. English
Subject terms:	Spiritual life -- Middle Ages, 600-1500.
URL:	https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A03936.0001.001
How to cite:	For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

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part 1

¶That the Inner hauynge of mannes soule sholde be lyke the vtter Capitulum primū

¶Of actyflyf. & the werkes therof / Caplm ii

¶Of contēplatyflyf & the werkes therof. Caplm iii.

¶Of the fyrst part of coutemplacyon / Caplm iiii

¶Of the ii. part of contemplacōn / Caplm v

¶ Of y^e lower degree of y^e ii. part of cōtēplacōn / ca. vi:

¶Of the hyer de¦gree of the ii. part of contēplacōn. Ca. vii

¶Of the thyrde part of contemplacyon / Caplm viii.

¶ Of the twyn̄ynge of the iii: part of contēplacōn fro the ii. part of the praysynge therof / Caplm̄. ix

¶ How y^e shewynge to the bodely wyttes and the felynge of hem may be bothe good and euyl. Ca. x.

¶How thou shalt know whā the shewynge to the bode¦ly wyttis & felynge of hem bē good or euyl. Ca xi

¶What knytteth Ihesu to mannes soule: & what lose∣th hym therfro / Caplm xii.

¶How & in what thyn¦ges sholde a contēplatyf man be ocupyed / Calm. xiii.

¶ How in reason & wyll vertue begynneth. & in loue & in lykyng it is made perfyte. Caplm xiiii

¶ Of the meanes that bryngethe a soule to contemplation / Capitulum. xv

¶What a man sholde vse and refuse by the vertue of mekenes / Cplm xvi

¶Who sholde blame mennes defawtes & deme hem. & who not / Caplm xvii

¶ Why men sholde worshyp other and low hemself in her owne herte vnder al other. Caplm xviii:

¶How men sholde do y^t wanten y^e felynge of mekenes in affeccōn not dredyng to moche therfore / Caplm xix

¶How ypocrytes & heretykes for lackyng of mekenes hyen hemself in her hret aboue al other / Caplm xx

¶What thynges mē owe to byleue by a seker fayth / Caplm xxi.

¶How a stable entent is nedeful to thyse y^t sholde plese god / & dyscrecyon in bodely werkes. Ca xxii

¶Of a lytyl eher∣synge of thynges sayd before / & of makynge of offeryn¦ge that sholde be offered to god / Caplm xxiii

¶ Of prayer that is spedeful to gete clennes of herte & vertues / Caplm̄ xxiiii

¶How men sholde pray / and wheron the poynt of her thought shal be set in prayer / Caplm̄ xxv

¶Of the fyre of loue / Caplm: xxvi

¶That the certē prayer in speche ordened of god & of holy chyrche is best to hē y^• bē new tourned to god & to deuocyō / Ca xxvii

¶ What peryl is to men y^t in y^e begyn̄yng of her tornin¦ge to god leueth the comyn prayer of thordynaunce of of oly churche / & yeuē hem to medytacyō. Ca xxviii

¶ Of the ii. maner of prayer y^t is in speche not certayn but folowyth y^e styryng of deuocyō. Caplm xxix

¶That y^e ii. maner of paryer pleseth moche god. & ma¦kyth a man to haue hȳ in body as he were drōke. & ma¦kyth hym in soule to be wounded with the swerde of loue / Caplm xxx

¶How y^e fyre of loue wasteth al flesshli lustes. as other fyre wastyth hodely thynges / Caplm xxxi

¶Of the thyrde maner of prayer that is on̄ly ī y^e herte without speche outwarde / Caplm xxxii

¶How men sholde do that bē trauey¦led with vayne thoughtes ī her prayers. Ca. xxxiii

¶Of medication of synful men afte that they bē hoo¦ly tourned to god / Caplm̄ xxxiiii

¶That y^e meditatiō of y^e māhede of cryst or of his passi¦on is yeuen freely of the holy ghost / And how it shall be knowen whan it is yeuen / Caplm̄ xxxv

¶That the medytacyon of the passyon of cryst is with drawen fro hem that it is yeuen to oft sythes for dyues causes / Caplm xxxvi

¶Of dyuers temptacyons of the fende. Caplm xxxvii

¶Of dyuers remedyes ayenst temptacyons of the fen¦de / Caplm xxxviii.

¶How that god hem that he choseth he suffrth to be ta¦ryed & tempted and after warde comforteth hem & sta∣bleth hem in grace / Caplm xxxix.

¶That a man sholde not yeue hym to ydlenes ne light¦ly leue the grace y^t is yeuen hym of god. Caplm̄ xl

¶That a man sholde knowe the mesure of his gyft that he maye desyre and take a better whan god wyl gy¦ue it / Caplm̄ xli

¶That a man sholde traueyle to knowe his owne sou¦le and the myghtes therof / and breke downe the groun¦de of synne therin / Caplm xlii

¶How a man shall knowe the wretchydnes and the worshyp of his soule that it had fyrste of / And what wretchydnes and myscheyf it is falle in for synne / Capitulum / xliii

¶How euery man may be saued by y^e passyon of cryst be he neuer so wretched. Caplm̄ xliiii

¶ That a man sholde be besye to rekē ayen his worthy¦nes / and reforme ayen in hym the ymage of the trynie Capitulum. xlv

¶ How Ihesu shal be sought desyred / & founde. Caplm xlvi

¶What profyte it is to haue the desyre of Ihesu Caplm xlvii

¶Where & with what thynge Ihū shal be sought & founde Caplm xlviii

¶Where Ihesu is loste and founden ayen thorugh his mercy / Caplm xlix

¶What letteth a man to here & see Ihesu wythin hym∣selfe / Caplm̄ L

¶That mekenes & charyte bē y^e specyallyuerey of Ihū thrugh the whiche mannes soule is refourmed to y^e lyk¦nes of hym / Caplm̄ li

¶HOw a man shal fynde the grounde of synne within hymselfe / Caplm lii

¶To what thynge is the ymage of synne lyke. & what it is in it selfe Caplm liii.

¶Who so wyl fynde Ihesu hym behouyth abydyngly traueyle in ghostly derkenes ayenst the ymage of synne Capitulum liiii

¶What is propyrly the ymage of synne / & what comy¦th out therof / Caplm̄. lv

¶What pryde is. And whan it is syn. Caplm lvi

¶Whan pryde is dedely synne. And how it is in flesshe¦ly lyuynge men dedely synne: Caplm lvii.

¶How pryde in heretykes is dedely syn / Caplm lviii

¶How pryde in ypocrytes is dedely syn / Caplm̄ lix.

¶How styrynges of pryde and vaynglory in good mē ben but venyal synnes / Caplm lx.

¶How dyuers states in holy chyrche shal haue dyurs medes in heuen / And of two specyal medes in heuen. Capitulum / lxi

¶A shorte stirynge to mekenes and charyte Caplm lxii

¶How a man shal knowe how moche pryde is in hym Capitulum. lxiii

¶ Of Enuye and yre and of her braunches / And how in stede of synne mannys persone is ofte hated / Capitulum / lxiiii

¶That it is maystry to loue mennes persones & wyse∣ly hate her synnes / Caplm lxv

¶That for y^e same dedes dyuers men shal haue dyuers medes. Caplm lxvi

¶ That al mennes good dedes shalbe aproued that ha¦the lyknes of good. saaf the opyn heretyke & the cursyd man. Caplm lxvii

¶That no good dede maye make men saaf wythou¦te charyte / And that charyte fele they oonly y^• ben meke Capitulum / lxviii

¶How a man shall wyte how moche wrath & enuye is hyd in the grounde of his herte / Caplm lxix

¶By what tokens thou shalt know if thou louest thin enmye / And what ensample thou shalt take of cryst for to loue hym / Caplm lxx

¶How a man shall knowe how moche couetyse is hyd in his herte / Caplm̄ lxxi.

¶How a man shal knowe whā he synneth not in etyn¦ge & drynkyng / & whan he synneth venyally / & whan de¦dely / Caplm lxxii.

¶ How the groūde of lecherye sholde be destroyed with ghostly traueyle & with bodely / Caplm lxxiii

¶That a mā sholde be besye to put away al styrynges of syn / but more besy of ghogly synnes than of bodely / Capitulum / lxxiiii

¶ That hūger & other bodely paynes letteth moche ghostly werching / ca. lxxv

¶What remedye a man shal vse ayenst defawte made in etynge or drynkyng / Caplm̄ lxxvi

¶That thorough by desyre & traueyle for mekenesse & charyte a man comyth soner to other vertues than by traueyle in hemself / Caplm lxxvii.

¶Of the derknes of the ymage of syn. And what comy¦th in by the wyndowes therof / Caplm lxxviii.

¶That the soule for defawte of knowynge of itself go¦oth out by fyue wyndowes to seche outwarde lykynge. Capitulum / lxxix.

¶ That a soule sholde not begge without forth but wy¦thin of Ihesu that it nedeth. Caplm lxxx

¶ That y^e hole of ymagynacōn nedeth to be stopped as wel as y^e wyndowes of y^e wyttes / Caplm̄ lxxxi

¶Whan the vse of the wyttes ben dedely synne / & whā venyal / Caplm̄ lxxxii

¶How a ghostly man or wnman shal haue hē to hem y^t come to hem / Caplm lxxxiii

¶Of the derke ymage of synne / & of the clothyng ther of / Caplm lxxxiiii

¶Whiche ben the lymmes of the ymage of synne / Caplm / lxxxv

¶Wherof the ymage of Ihesu is made. & wherof the ymage of synne / & how we ben passing for the in y^e yma¦ge of synne. Caplm̄ lxxxvi

¶How we sholde crucyfye this ymage of syn / & quyckē the ymag of Ihesu / Caplm lxxxvii

¶What profyte comyth of kepyng of y^• hert / And how moche the soule is. & what it louyth / Caplm̄ lxxxviii.

¶How the ymage of synne shal be roken downe / Capitulum / lxxxix

¶How a man shall haue hȳ to y^e styryng of pryde & al other vices / Caplm lxxxx

¶What thyng helpeth moost a man̄is knowyng & getith to hym y^t he lackith & moost destroyeth synne in hym / Caplm̄ lxxxxi

¶How a mā shal be sha¦pē to y^e ymage of Ihū / & Ihū spapē ī hym / Ca. lxxxxii

¶How a man shall be shapen to the ymage of Ihesu & Ihesu shapen in hym / Caplm̄ lxxxxii.

¶The cause why this boke was made. And how she sholde haue her in redynge therof that it was made to / Capitulum / lxxxxiii.

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¶ Here after folowyth the seconde boke of mayster / Waltere Hylton /

¶That a man is the ymage of god after the soule & not after the body / Caplm / Primum

¶ How it neded to mankynde y^t oonly thorough y^e pas∣syō of cryste it sholde be restored & refourmed y^e was for shape by the fyrste synne / Caplm ii

That the Iewes & paynyms & also fals crysten men bē not refourmed effectually thorough the vertue of y^e pas¦syon for her owne defawte Caplm iii

Of two maner refourmynges of this ymage / one ī ful¦nes another in fayth / Capl'm iiii

That refourmyng in party is ī two maners. one in fay¦th another in felynge / Caplm̄ v.

That thorough the sacrament of baptym y^t is grounded in the passyon of cryst this ymage is refourmed fro ory¦gynal synne / Caplm̄ vi

That thorough the sacrament of penaunce y^e stondeth in contrycyon confessyon & satysfaccyon this ymage is refourmed fro actual synne / Caplm̄ vii

¶How in the sacramente of baptym and of penaunce thorough a preuy vnperceyuable worchynge of the ho¦ly ghost this ymage is refourmed though it be not seen ne felt / Calpm̄ viii

¶That al the soules that lyuen mekely in the faythe of holy chyrche / & haue her fayth quyckened in loue & cha∣ry ben refourmed by this sacrament / though it be soo y^e they may not fele y^• specyal yefte of deuocōn or of ghost¦ly felynge / Calpm̄ x

¶That we sholde beleue stedfastly refourmynge of this ymage. yf our cōscience wytnes to vs a ful forsakyng of synne. & a true tornyng of our wyl to good lyuyng. Ca. ix

¶That soules refourmed neden euer to fyght & to stry¦ue ayenste the styrynges of synne whyle they lyuen he∣re And how a soule maye knowe whan it assentyth to y^e styrynge. & whan not / Caplm̄ xi.

¶That this ymage is bothe fayre & fowle whyles it is in this lyfe here though it be refourmed / And of dyuer∣syte of felynges pryuely had betwene thyse soules that ben refourmed & other y^t ben not / Caplm̄ xii

¶ Of thre manere of men of y^e whiche some ben not re∣fourmed / & some ben refourmed on̄ly in fayth / & some in fayth & in felynge / Caplm̄ xiii

¶How men that ben in synne forshapen hemselfe in to dyuerse bestes lyckenesse / And they bē called the louers of the worlde / Caplm̄ xiiii

¶How louers of this worlde vnable hem in dyuers maners to the refourmynge of her owne soule / Capitulum / xv.

¶A lytyl coūseyle howe louers of this worlde sholde do yf they wol be refourmed in her soule byfore her partyn¦ge hens / Caplm̄ xvi

¶That refourmyng in fayth & in felyng may not sodē¦ly be goten by grace & moche bodely & ghostly traueyle ī lengthe of tyme: Caplm xvii

¶The cause why so fewe soules in rewarde of y^t multy¦tude of other comen to this refourmg in fayth & in felyn¦ge. Caplm̄ xviii

¶A nother cause also of y^e same. And how wylful bode∣ly customes indyscretly rewarded & vsed somtyme hyn¦dren soules fro felyng of more grace / Caplm̄ xix

¶How that without moche bodely & ghostly besynes & without moche grace & mekenesse soules may not be re¦fourmed in felynge / ne kepe therin after they come ther¦to / Caplm̄ xx

¶An entree howe a soule shal haue her in menyn¦ge and worchynge that woll come to this refour∣mynge by ensample of apylgryme goynge to Ihe∣rusalem. And of two maner of mekenes / Caplm̄ xxi.

¶Of taryenges & tēptacyons y^e soules fele by her ghost¦ly enmyes in her ghostly knowyng & goyng to Ihrlm. & of remedyes ayenst hem / Caplm̄ xxii

¶Of a general remedy ayēst wycked styrynges & payn¦ful taryenges y^t fallē to her hertes of y^e flesshe & of y^e worl¦de & of the fende / Caplm xxiii

¶Of an euyl daye & a gode nyghte what it meaneth / & how y^e loue of the worlde is lykened to an euyl day: & the loue of god to a good nyght / Caplm̄ xxiiii

¶How y^t the desyre of Ihesu fele in this lyghtsom derk¦nes sleeth al styrynges of synne. & ableth the soule to per¦ceyue ghostly lyghtynges fro the heuenly Iherusalem y^t is Ihesu / Caplm̄ xxv

¶How a man shal knowe fals Illumynacyons feyned by the fende fro y^e true lyght of knowynge y^e comyth out of Ihū & by what tokens / Caplm̄ xxvi

¶How grete profyte is it to a soule to be brought thoru¦gh grace into lyghtsom derknes / And how a man shall dyspose hym yf he wol come therto / Caplm̄ / xxvii

¶That in refourmynge of a soule y^t werkynge of our lorde Ihū is departed in to foure tymes. y^t is / callynge ryghtynge. magnyfyenge and gloryfyenge / Capitulum / xxviii.

¶How it falleth somtyme that soules begyn̄yng at pro¦fytynge in grace seme to haue more loue as by outwar¦de tokēs than some haue that ben perfyte / and yet it is not soo in soth wythin / Caplm̄ xxix.

¶On what maner a man shal haue knowynge of hys owne soule / and how a man sholde sette his loue in Ihū god & man one persone. Caplm̄ xxx

¶How this maner of spekynge of refourmyng in felin¦ge of a soule shal be take And on what wyse it is refour∣med and how it is founde in saynt poules wordes. Caplm̄ xxxi.

¶How god openeth the Inner eye of the soule to see hym not al at ones but by dyuerse tymes / And of thre maner of refourmynge of a soule by ensample. Capitulum. xxxii

¶Howe Ihū is heuen to the soule. And why he is cal∣led fyre / Caplm. xxxiii.

¶ Of two maner of loue refourmed & vnfourmed what it meanith / And how we be beholde to loue Ihe¦su moche for our makynge / but more for our ayen by¦eng / but althermooste for our sauyng thrugh y^e yeftes of his loue. Caplm. xxxiiii.

¶ How that some soule loueth Ihū by bodily feruours & by her owne manly affeccions that ben styred by gra∣ce and by reason / And how some louen Ihesu more rest fully by ghostly affeccyons oonly styred Inwarde thru¦gh specyally grace of the holy ghost. Capitulum xxxv.

¶That the yefte of loue amonge al other yeftes of Ihū is worthyest & moost profytable / And how Ihū doth al that is weldone in his louers on̄ly for loue. And how lo¦ue makyth the vsynge of al vertues & all good dedes ly∣ght and easy / Caplm̄ xxxvi

¶How loue thrugh gracyous beholdyng of Ihū sleeth al styrynges of pryde: & maketh y^• soule for to lese sauour & delyte in al erthly worshyp / Caplm̄ xxxvii.

¶ How loue sleeth al styrynges of wrathe & enuye soft∣ly & refourmeth in the soule the vertues of pees & pac∣ce & of perfyte charyte to his euen crysten as he dyde spe¦cyally in the appostles. Caplm̄ xxxviii

¶How loue sleeth couetyse lechyry and glotenye / and sleeth that flesshly sauour and delyte in al the v. bodyly wyttes softly and easely thrugh a gracyous beholdyng of Ihesu / Capitulum xxxix

¶What vertues & graces a soule receyueth thrugh ope¦nyng of y^t In̄er eye in to y^e gracyous beholdyng of Ihū. & how it maye not begete on̄ly thrugh mannes traueyle but thrugh specyal grace & traueyle also / Caplm̄ xl.

¶How specyal grace in beholdynge of our lorde Ihesu withdrawyth sōtyme fro a soule / And how a sowle shal haue her in the absence and presence of Ihū / And how a soule shal desyre that in it is alwaye y^e gracyous presē¦ce of Ihesu / Caplm̄ xli.

¶ A commendacyon of prayer offred to Ihū of a soule contemplatyfe / And how stablynes in prayer is a syker werke to stōde in / And how euery felynge of grace in a chosen soule may be sayd Ihū: but the more clenner the soule is the worthyer is the grace / Caplm̄. xlii.

¶How a soule thrugh the openynge of the ghostly eye receyueth a gracous loue able to vnderstōde holy wryt And how Ihesu that is hydde in holy wryt shewyth him selfe to his louers Caplm̄ xliii

¶Of the pryuevoys of Ihesu sownyng in a soule wherby it shall be knowen / And how al the gracyous Illuminacōns made in a sou¦le ben called the spekynges of Ihū / Caplm̄. xliiii.

¶How thrugh gracyous openynge of the ghostly eye a soule is made wyse mekely & sothfastly to se y^e dyuersyte of degrees in holy chyrche as trauelyng / And for to see angels kynde & fyrst of repreued / Caplm̄ xlv

¶How by the same lyghte of grace y^e blessed angels kynde maye be seē And how Ihū is god & man aboue all creatures after y^• the soule mage see hym here / Caplm̄. xlvi.

This is a deuout boke cōpyled by mayster Walter hylton to a deuout man in temperal estate how he sholde rulē hym /

¶How a man y^t wol be ghostly must fyrst vsen moche body¦ly exercyse in penaunce and destroyenge of synne: Capitulum / Primum.

¶Unto what maner of man longeth actyflyf / Caplm̄ ii.

¶Unto whō longyth contēplatyflyf / Caplm iii

¶Unto whō longeth med¦led lyf / Caplm iiii.

¶How holy bysshops vsed medled lyf / Caplm v.

¶What lyf most accordyd to hym y^t this was wryttē to. Caplm vi

¶ That a man shall sōtyme haue the more deuocyon whan he hath be lettyd by outwarde werkys / Ca / vii.

¶What is desyre to god for hymself & how in clennes of conscyence is very cōfort & swetnes / Ca / viii.

¶How a man shal do whan he felyth no sauour ne comfort in his medytacyons / Caplm xv.

Where of a man ne∣deth o be ware ī medytacon / Caplm xvi.