• Chaucer, “Second Nonnes Tale”:⁠— “Thou maide and mother, doughter of thy son, Thou well of mercy, sinful soules cure, In whom that God of bountee chees to won; Thou humble and high over every creature, Thou nobledest so fer forth our nature, That no desdaine the maker had of kinde His son in blood and flesh to clothe and winde. “Within the cloystre blisful of thy sides, Toke mannes shape the eternal love and pees, That of the trine compas Lord and gide is, Whom erthe, and see, and heven out of relees Ay herien; and thou, virgine wemmeles, Bare of thy body (and dweltest maiden pure) The creatour of every creature. “Assembled is in thee magnificence With mercy, goodnesse, and with swiche pitee, That thou, that art the sonne of excellence, Not only helpest hem that praien thee, But oftentime of thy benignitee Ful freely, or that men thin helpe beseche, Thou goest beforne, and art hir lives leche.” See also his “Ballade of Our Ladie,” and “ La Priere de Nostre Dame .” ↩
• As St. Macarius said to his soul:⁠— “Having taken up thine abode in heaven, where thou hast God and his holy angels to converse with, see that thou descend not thence; regard not earthly things.” ↩
• Finished the ardor of desire in its accomplishment. ↩