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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 January 2023
Listen now to another dream, which develops and expands our theme. I’m going to tell you in brief, if my powers are up to it, how in dreaming I found myself in Paradise.
One night I was dreaming in my bed and was seized by the urge to go to Paradise as directly as I could. So in my dream I started on my way; and there was no chance of my going astray, for as I left I prayed to glorious, dear, almighty God to guide me on the straightest path and He told me:
‘Go – make haste – and seek the guidance of Our Lady. Commit yourself to Her, body and soul, and follow Her advice: with Her direction you’ll never lose your way.’
I was filled with joy at hearing this. And I didn’t waste time: I went straight to seek Our Lady in Her land. There I found Her. I asked Her for guidance and She kindly gave advice, and told me that if I had God’s love nothing would prevent or delay beginning the journey that I’d said I had to make.
So I set out from there and never lost the way. And so it was that I encountered Grace, that noble maiden who’s finer and more loyal than man can say, for she led me straight to the house of Love where I met with greater happiness than I’d ever seen before. Unction is the seneschal there, and he wasn’t slow or niggardly in serving us with food: he gave us plenty, and I didn’t hold back! I was thrilled at being welcomed so. We ate and drank our fill, served with everything in abundance.
Then Discipline came to see us, eagerly joined by Obedience her cousin; but they gave me no grief – far from it: they made a great and joyous fuss of me. Then came Groaning, Penitence and Sighs, who likewise greeted me more joyfully than I can say.
After supper I pressed them very earnestly to direct me along the path to Paradise, if they knew it. This prompted delight and laughter: they seemed filled with cheer! Then they asked me, one and all, how the Beguines were getting on, and whether they were treating their neighbours with the kindness that they should – if they weren’t, they were doing very wrong.
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