But this deep trance does
not endure long." She continues to describe her ecstasies and is careful
to point out the complete fusion of supreme delight and bodily pain.
Perhaps no hysterical subject has ever described her states of mind so
well. Her avowal (made in a letter to Father Rodrigue Alvarez) of her
complete unconsciousness of her body is quite in harmony with those
states of rapture. She wrote a number of spiritual love-songs which are
said to be conspicuous for their ardour and beauty; probably they have
never been translated from the original Spanish.
Finally there is the famous Madame Guyon (1648-1717), who--in addition
to many other works--wrote a very detailed autobiography. She lived with
her husband, whom she treated with coldness, finding her sole joy in her
spiritual intercourse with God. "I desire only the divine love which
thrills the soul with inexpressible bliss, the love which seems to melt
my whole being." God burns her with His fire and still trembling with
delight, she says to Him: "Oh, Lord! The greatest libertine, if Thou
didst make him experience Thy love as Thou didst make me experience it,
would forswear carnal pleasure and strive only after Thy divine love.
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