BY
MAURICE MAETERLINCK

TRANSLATED BY
JANE T. STODDART

London
HODDER AND STOUGHTON
27 PATERNOSTER ROW

MDCCCXCIV

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

The following is an authorised translation of the essay prefixed by M. Maeterlinck to L’Ornement des Noces Spirituelles, de Ruysbroeck L’Admirable, Traduit du Flamand par Maurice Maeterlinck, which was published in 1891 by Paul Lacomblez of Brussels. I have added selected passages from Ruysbroeck’s own work.

CONTENTS

PAGE
M. Maeterlinck’s Introduction to hisTranslation of
“The Adornment ofthe Spiritual Marriage”—
I[1]
II[29]
Selected Passages from
“The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage”
On the Kingdom of the Soul[ 122]
Christ the Sun of the Soul[ 126]
The Lesson from the Bee[ 129]
The Dew of Mid-day[ 130]
The Lesson from the Ant[ 132]
What shall the Forsaken do?[ 134]
The Setting of the Eternal Sun[ 137]
The Nature of God[ 138]
The Divine Generosity[ 139]
Christ the Lover of all Men[ 141]
How Christ gave Himself to us in the Sacrament[ 142]
The Soul’s Hunger for God[ 147]
The Labour and Rest of Love[ 150]
The Christian Life[ 151]
The Coming of the Bridegroom[ 152]

M. MAETERLINCK’S INTRODUCTION
TO HIS TRANSLATION
OF “THE ADORNMENT OF THE
SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE.”