(English translator's commentary; chapters 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 13 selections)

Le mirouer des simples antes was condemned and burned as heretical its author Marguerite Porete was later burned as a heretic at Paris in 1310. The translator's prologue to the anonymous, late fourteenth-century English version describes it as his second attempt, because in his first ‘I am enfourmed that some wordis therof have be mystake’, and he interpolates into his very literal rendering a series of glosses written in a lively English and signalled by his initials: ‘M.’, the first letter of his first name, at the beginning, and ‘N.’, the first letter of his surname, at the end of each gloss. Evidently unaware of the French text's affiliations with the heretical ‘Movement of the Free Spirit’, M. N. is always concerned to set aside misleading and literal understandings, drawing out reservations and exceptions which he sees as implicit in the text, and so pursuing a benign and spiritually fruitful interpretation for his English audience, even when confronted – in the exchanges between Lady Love, Reason and the soul – with some of the original's more startling assertions. These include: the soul may take leave of virtues scripture, knowledge, intellect alike become unnecessary the soul desires neither masses, sermons nor prayers, and gives to nature all that nature asks the soul's name is ‘Oblivion’ the soul has enough faith without works all that men say of God is lying and deceptive a soul in the true freedom of pure love does nothing against that which her inward peace requires the soul on earth can have a constant perception and experience of the divine nature the free soul does not pray.