CHAPTER X.

How he began the New Year.

IT is the custom in certain parts of Swabia, his native country, for the young men to go out in their folly on New-Year’s Night, and beg for May wreaths: that is to say, they sing ditties and recite pretty verses, and do all they can, with such like courtesies, to make their sweet hearts give them garlands. Now, when he heard of this, the thought came at once to his young and loving heart, that he too would go on that same night to his Eternal Love, and beg a May wreath. Accordingly, before break of day he went to the image of the most pure Mother, which represents her holding in her arms, and pressing to her heart, her gentle Child, the beautiful Eternal Wisdom; and, kneeling down before it, he began with the sweet voiceless melody of his soul to sing a sequence to the Mother, praying her leave to beg a garland from 37her Child, and, should he fail to obtain this, that she would help him in his suit. And so earnest was his prayer, and so little could he restrain himself from weeping, that the hot tears kept rolling down his cheeks. When his song was ended, he turned him to his heart’s love, the Eternal Wisdom, and bowing down at His feet, greeted Him from the very bottom of his heart, and praised and celebrated Him as one who far surpasses all this world’s fairest maidens in comeliness, nobility, virtue, gentleness, and freedom, united with everlasting majesty. And this he did with songs and words, with thoughts and longings, as best he could; and much he wished that he could be, in a spiritual sense, the fore runner of all lovers and loving hearts, and the inventor of all tender thoughts, words, and sentiments, that the most worthy One might be lauded with due love by His unworthy Servitor. Then at length he broke forth into words like these:—Ah, my beloved! Thou art indeed an Easter Day of joy to me. Thou art the bliss of summer to my heart, and the hour of my delight. Thou art the loved One, whom alone my young heart loves and thinks upon, and for whom it has scorned all earthly love. Let this avail me now, my heart’s beloved, and let me 38obtain a garland from Thee to-day. Ah, gentle heart! do this for Thy divine virtue’s sake, and for Thy innate goodness, and let me not depart from Thee with empty hands this New Year’s Day. Ah! how well this will beseem Thee, O sweet sweetness! Remember that one of Thy dear servants has told us of Thee, that in Thee there is not nay and yea, but only yea and yea (2 Cor. i. 19). Therefore, my heart’s beloved, say to me to-day a loving yea in regard to Thy heavenly gift, and as foolish lovers obtain a gar land from their loves, so let my soul receive to-day, as a New Year’s gift, some special grace, or some new light from Thy fair hand, my own sweet love, O Divine Wisdom. These and the like prayers he used to offer up there, and he never went away thence with his prayer ungranted.