TTRE NKW LIFK
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e dressed all in pure white, between twogentle ladies elder than she. And passingthrough a street, she turned her eyes thitherwhere I stood sorely abashed: and by herunspeakable courtesy, which is now guer-doned in the Great Cycle, she saluted mewith so virtuous a bearing that I seemedthen and there to behold the very limits ofblessedness. The hour of her most sweetsalutation was exactly the ninth of that day ;and because it was the first time that anywords from her reached mine ears, I cameinto such sweetness that I parted thence asone intoxicated. And betaking me to theloneliness of mine own room, I fell to think-ing of this most courteous lady, thinkingof whom I was overtaken by a pleasantslumber, wherein a marvellous vision waspresented to me : for there s^peared to be inmy room a mist of the colour of fire, withinthe which I discerned the figure of a lord ofterrible aspect to such as should gaze uponhim, but who seemed therewithal to rejoiceinwardly that it was a marvel to see. Speak-ing he said many things, among the which Icould understand but few; and of these,this: Ego dominus tuus,i In his arms itseemed to me that a person was sleeping,covered only with a blood-coloured cloth;upon whom looking very attentively, I knew
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