15. Of the wonderful manner of her interior pain before the rapture of her spirit

In that to us indescribable separation of the spirit from the soul, before the holy virgin was rapt out of herself, at first she felt such anguish in the vital parts of the breast and heart that, scarcely able to breathe, she thought she was about to die. But afterwards in these spiritual raptures, accustomed by habit she did not suffer so much pain. When therefore she was rapt in spirit to the aforesaid places, her body remained as dead and soulless upon the bed, so im movable that if anyone had touched it she would not have felt anything. Some- ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM thing similar is read in the life of St. Thomas of Aquin, so that no one should doubt of the truth of the novelty in this virgin, whom God rejoiced by His in effable raptures.

It happened therefore in a certain rapture, that the angel having taken her hand led her to the altar of the chapel of the Blessed Virgin in the church of Schiedam. And when she had prayed there, devoutly greeting the Blessed Virgin, the angel led her towards the west by pleasant places of roses and lilies, and set with every kind of flowers and covered with spices. Approaching therefore these places, she was invited by the angel to enter but for reverence thereof she dared not enter, lest she should tread the flowery meadows with her feet. At length when the angel assured her that they would not be downtrodden by her, entering according to his counsel and invitation, she followed him whithersoever he went before. But at times those flowers were of such a height and density that she said she could not pass through them ; and then the angel carried her over as of old Habacuc the prophet, so that lifting her he speedily carried her across with con- ST. LYDWINE of SCHIEDAM fidence through those flowers to the place whither they wended.