7. Of her rapture to the regions of purgatory, and to the joys of paradise, whence she brought back a veil given her by the blessed Virgin

After this she was rapt by the spirit who bore her to the regions of Purgatory, where, amid others whom she saw in manifold and grievous ways tormented, she saw also the souls of her friends punished, for whose deliverance and relief she afterwards cruelly afflicted herself in the body. When then she had seen with grief these purgatorial regions, and very many places of punish ment wherein the souls were tortured according to the diversity of faults, God pitying her, she was led to contemplate ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM the joys of eternal life. There indeed she saw how God Almighty enjoyed His own glory in Himself, according to that "I am the first and the last" (Is. xli 4), and " I will not give my glory to another " (Is. xlii 8) ; she saw also how the holy martyrs, confessors, prophets, virgins, and other orders of the blessed enjoyed their glory in themselves, and for overflowing delights were mutually transfused into one another. When she had gazed upon these joys, many saints addressing her sweetly comforted her and, exhorting her to patience, spake thus : " What trouble or harm is it to those who are here now, that in the world they suffered many adversities for Christ ? " Then the most blessed Virgin Mary approached her in great glory, and kindly addressing her, questioned her, saying : " Why, most dear daughter, hast thou come with head uncovered and unadorned ? " Then this virgin re plied : " Most dear Lady Virgin Mary this is the will of the Lord and my God, and thus my conductor brought me here." After many familiar colloquies then of the Mother of God with this virgin, the time coming wherein she should return to her bodily senses, Christ's ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM Mother addressed these words to her : "Most dear daughter, do manfully, and let thy heart be strengthened in the bearing of sorrows ; because for these things, which thou sufferest now, thou shalt gain wondrous and great glory." The blessed Virgin also added, saying, "Wouldst thou have a veil upon thy head?" She replied: "I cannot here have a will of my own." When therefore she had looked to her angel guide, and he, seeing that she re signed her own will, had consented that she should accept; "Receive," quoth the Blessed Virgin, "this veil upon thy head, which cannot be upon earth save for seven hours. Give it also into the hands of thy confessor; and tell him that I require of him to believe the gifts of the almighty Son of God, and to place this veil upon the head of my image which is in the church." After this had taken place, the godly virgin returned to her bodily senses, exultantly giving thanks to God for a consolation so joyful. But she was not aware that she had received such a veil materially; until at length, by the impulse of chance or necessity, placing her hand on her head she drew down a flower-bearing ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM veil ; l which from its most sweet odour she recognised as placed on her by the hand of the Blessed Virgin, and almost until the seventh hour of her return she kept it by her. Now this veil was of a yellow or golden colour, and of a texture hitherto unseen by mortal eyes; and it sent forth from itself an odour of wondrous sweetness, and therefore as long as she could she retained so beauti ful and resplendent a veil by her. And so before the seventh hour she bade them rouse her confessor, and bring him to her speedily, having some secret things to relate to him. Who coming, asked her what she desired. To whom the virgin answered, that she had been present at a certain feast, and that the Blessed Virgin Mary had given her this veil, to bring to earth and place in his hands; that thereby he might believe the gifts of God, and by order of the Blessed Virgin receive this veil into his 1 The word used throughout by the author is ser/um, strictly, a garland; but other expressions in the description apply only to a veil : the key to the solution seems given by this clause florigenum sertum, signifying a combination of veil and garland such as is still the festive head-dress of peasant women in the Low Countries.

ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM hands; and in the morning enter the Church which about that time had been burnt, and place it upon the head of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And when the confessor asked how he could enter the church, since it was not yet day, and the church would be closed, she answered him: "Going quickly, ask the sacristan to open the church for thee ; for the time presses wherein this veil must be carried back thence whence I brought it down." Then he : " How shall I place the veil upon the head of the statue, which is set in so high a position?" The virgin answered : "In the great choir and in such a place you will find a ladder ; taking it, go up and place the veil on the head of the statue of the Blessed Virgin." Then he, after receiving this sign, going out, asked the sacristan to rise quickly and open the church. Which when he had willingly done, the virgin's confessor finding the ladder in the place which she had indi cated to him, took it with him to the statue and mounted. To whom the sacristan : " What do you want there ? " The priest replied: "What I do thou canst not know now ; but the Lord will grant that thou wilt know it hereafter." Taking little heed of this answer, the ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM sacristan, because he was not aware of the mystery, at once departed. But the devout confessor fulfilled the virgin's desire; and having placed the veil on the head of the sacred image, he carried back the ladder to its former position. When therefore he had prayed on bended knees before the statue, and reverently adored, and had fulfilled everything that had been commanded him, before he went forth from the church an angel of the Lord carried back the same flowerbearing1 veil to its own place, whence the virgin had first brought it down : as she afterwards related to the afore named widow Catherine.