[1] The soon-forgotten petition of Julian's youth for a "bodily sickness" does not seem to have had any connection in her mind with special Revelation: it was desired neither as in any way a sign of invisible things nor as a direct means of beholding them. And probably, as a matter of fact, the sickness that was granted helped her in the way that she had desired, helped her to the sight of the Revelation, not directly, but by drawing her spirit to that utter dependence on and trust in God that is death's first lesson for all, that uttermost self-devotion to God that is life's last exercise. This spiritual state, with all that through years had gone before of feeling and thought and life's experience, made her ready to be shewn with special largeness and clearness God's love: how it filled the empty place of sin and pain and sorrow with its divine fulness. As to the "bodily sight" introducing the Revelation, a sight of "parts of the Passion," which may be compared with "The XV. Oos"—'Orationes'—Passion-prayers each beginning with 'O' (v. Hora of Sarum), it was recognised by Julian herself, even at the time of her seeing it, as being a sight of things "not in substance or nature." In this recognition it was proved to be neither mental delusion nor mere "raving" delirium. But it would, it seems, be natural that in her weakness of body and her exaltation of spirit (so tense that the strength of her self-surrender to death seemed to cast her back upon bodily life in the painless world between the two) some sort of physical illusion should be brought about by her prolonged gaze upon the Face of the Crucifix, and that in her desire to enter into the sufferings of the Passion as fully as those friends of her Lord's that beheld it, Julian thus gazing in the midst of night's shadows and the dim light of dawn should seem to herself to behold the sacred drops, depicted beneath the painted or sculptured Crown of Thorns, flow down "right plenteously." Julian gave thanks for this and all the "bodily sight" as a gift from God. By Him sickness and illusion, as well as things evil, are "suffered" to come, and by Him Revelation is given according to sundry times in diverse manners. Gain of the spirit through failure of the body—and no less by illusions of fever than by trance-state visions their seers speak of, when Death passes the Spirit half through the gates—would indeed be accordant with the truth of the Shewing that came to Julian, how man is raised through shame and death into glory and life, since in the weakness of failing men the strength of Christ is made perfect.
[2] See the Bampton Lectures on Christian Mysticism. W. R. Inge. (p. 111.)
[3] See the Introduction to Le Livre des Visions et Instructions de la Bienheureuse Angèle de Foligno, traduit par Ernest Hello. Paris, 1895.
"When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home."
[5] v. pp. [27], [57], [126], [156], [168]; cf. Dionysius: "On Divine Names." Cap. iv. (tr. by Parker). S. Aug. Conf.: b. i. ch. 2; iii. 7; iv. 10-16; vii. 12-18.
[6] See the extract from Hilton given as a [note] to chapter lvii.
[7] Little Flowers of a Childhood (in Mem. J. D. W., Oct. 1894—March 1899). Some of the thoughts of children,—some of the rising thoughts of a very little child who, like Julian, faced the darkness of time (steadfast as Dürer's pilgrim Knight, gentle as Chaucer's,) and beheld on his journey the shining of the Eternal City,—might be set beside words of the Mystics as shewing, perhaps, through their very simplicity, the oneness of truth that there is to see, and the oneness of souls that see it. Here are convictions that the Cause of love, felt within, "must be Jesus' Good Spirit"; comfort in discovering of death's unreality (for if only the body, not the spirit, dies, "Oh, then it is only pretending-dying!"); a flash of discernment, perhaps, as to the passing away of lifeless evil since although, to the child, indeed "it is a pity that some one did not come and kill the devil; and then he would be dead," yet he has his own eschatology: "Well, when we are all dead, the devil will be dead too." More significant is a sudden overawed realisation of the great universe (setting pause to his own run round in play), one door to a quick perception in the child's devout spirit of analogy binding truths unseen by sense: "Is this world always going round, now?" ('Yes.') "It stays still! still!—Jesus is looking down now: we don't see Him."—Here, too, are habitual references to the things that are meant to be,—musings over the goodness and knowledge, the braveness and courtesy "meant to be" in a man; and here is a grateful, trusting sense of the real 'kindness' of 'wild' creatures and of hurting remedies. Many of those simple utterances, careless yet arresting like a blackbird's song, and personal with the ardent love and clear reason of a child faithfully living and bravely dying, seem to attest a kinship with seers of truth to whom longer trial has offered a sterner strength of complex thinking, for wider service here, but who, although they may have learnt thus 'more' in the knowledge of love, "shall never know nor learn other thing without end."—"I understood none higher stature in this life than childhood."
"It is not growing like a tree
In bulk, doth make man better be.
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