Thomas Merton Center

Manuscripts in Sub-Section C.2:

Supereminent life, The: Selections from the third part of Benet of Canfield's Rule of perfection of the essential will of God practiced in the life supereminent

Item 1 - [Folder 01-01] The Supereminent Life by Benet of Canfield [-] Selections from the Third Part

First Lines:  1. The Essential will of God is all spirit and life, clear, abstract and pure of itself, divided

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  22

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 2 - [Folder 02-01] Benet of Canfield on the Supereminent Life (Selections from Part III of his Rule of

First Lines:  This Essential will is all spirit and life, clear, abstract and pure of itself, divided

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  42

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 3 - [Folder 03-01] THE RULE OF PERFECTION Containing A BRIEF AND PERSPICUOUS ABRIDGMENT

First Lines:  Having well considered the diversity of ways, and multitudes of exercises found out and practised by

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  133

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 4 - [Folder 04-01] The Rules of Perfection of the Interior (Will of God) Containing The Contemplative

First Lines:  The Second Part [-] What is the Interior Will of God and wherein it differenth from the Exterior.

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  40

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 5 - [Folder 05-01]

First Lines:  To the devout religious English women of the convent of S. Ursul at Lovayn, and of S.Benet

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  2

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 6 - [Folder 05-02] To the Devout Religious English-women of the Convent of St. Ursula at Louvain,

First Lines:  Devout sisters in Christ, and dear cousins. Many years have passed since this book was dedicated

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  2

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 7 - [Folder 05-03] To the Reader.

First Lines:  Gentle Reader, there is a certaine book intitled the Method to serve God in Latin, French and

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript with holograph corrections

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  1

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  Text cuts off / incomplete.

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 8 - [Folder 05-04] Approbations of this Rule of Perfection

First Lines:  As well in Latin by the very words wherein they were written, as also in English that so it may pass

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  5

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 9 - [Folder 06-01] THE THIRD PART OF THE RULE OF PERFECTION OF THE ESSENTIAL WILL OF GOD

First Lines:  Now having finished what we had to say of the first two parts, Exterior and Interior, comprising

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript with holograph corrections

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  164

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 10 - [Folder 07-01] Benoit de Canfield - Rule of Perfection - Texts - 2 versions A and B

First Lines:  A. shorter, without references, before 1593. Parts I and II in A were touched up in 1608

Sub-Type:  Notes

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Holograph

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  8

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 11 - [Folder 08-01] PART II. INTERIOR WILL OF GOD.

First Lines:  The sould has prepared itself for the contemplative life or interior life by the active life with

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon with holograph corrections

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  12

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 12 - [Folder 08-02]

First Lines:  Dear Fr. Louis, with some trepidation I send you my introductory section on the "Active Life."

Sub-Type:  Correspondence

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Xerograph of holograph and printed material

Date:  September 15, 1961

Number of pages:  2

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  Original letter from Etta Gullick to Merton transferred to Gullick correspondence file. Also contains the contents page from Blackfriars, October 1959 (Vol. 60, No. 475).

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 13 - [Folder 08-03] PART I. THE ACTIVE LIFE.

First Lines:  The first part of the Rule of Perfection sets forth a thorough-going ascetic programme

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon with holograph corrections

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  8

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 14 - [Folder 09-01] BENET OF CANFIELD ON THE SUPEREMINENT LIFE (Selections from Part III

First Lines:  This Essential will is all spirit and life, clear, abstract and pure of itself, divided

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon with holograph corrections

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  39

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 15 - [Folder 10-01] The Supereminent Life by Benet of Canfield [-] Selections from the Third Part

First Lines:  1. The Essential will of God is all spirit and life, clear, abstract and pure of itself, divided

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  22

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  Carbon identical to typescript in Folder 1.

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 16 - [Folder 11-01] The Supereminent Life by Benet of Canfield [-] Type - 1 top copy w. 2 carbons

First Lines:  The This Essential will of God is all spirit and life, clear, abstract and pure of itself

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript with holograph corrections and additions

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  39

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  Typescript is like Folder 9 with handwritten corrections making it like folders 1 and 10.

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 17 - [Folder 12-01]

First Lines:  Brousse on whom we depend for the account of Canfield's noviciate belongs to a school of thought

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon with holograph corrections and additions

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  5

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  Biographical information on Benet Canfield.

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 18 - [Folder 12-02]

First Lines:  Dear Fr. Louis, I am afraid that the typescript of Canfield's life has not been very well checked.

Sub-Type:  Correspondence

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Xerograph of holograph

Date:  June 02, 1961

Number of pages:  3

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  Original letter from Etta Gullick to Merton transferred to Gullick correspondence file. Also contains some notes by Merton.

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 19 - [Folder 12-03] Life of Fr. Benet of Canfield

First Lines:  William Fitch, known to most as Fr. Benet of Canfield, was born in 1562 in the small village

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript carbon with holograph corrections and additions

Date:  no-month no-day, 1961

Number of pages:  42

Additional authors/contributors:  

Language:  English

Notes:  Biographical information on Benet Canfield.

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 20 - [Folder 13-01]

First Lines:  Dear Father Louis, I think it will be better if I put my very minor points about the selection from

Sub-Type:  Correspondence

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Holograph

Date:  July 01, 1961

Number of pages:  5

Additional authors/contributors:  Gullitck, Etta

Language:  English

Notes:  Letter from Etta Gullick to Merton regarding her footnotes and notes related to her footnotes.

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 21 - [Folder 14-01]

First Lines:  Division 1. divided. The French (Troyes version which is the oldest) has

Sub-Type:  Notes

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Holograph

Date:  July 01, 1961

Number of pages:  4

Additional authors/contributors:  Gullitck, Etta

Language:  English

Notes:  Notes on footnotes.

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)

Item 22 - [Folder 15-01 - Footnotes]

First Lines:  FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER 1 1. R. has "differs nothing from God, and the difference betwixt it

Sub-Type:  Manuscript

Draft:  

Copy Type:  Typescript

Date:  July 01, 1961

Number of pages:  81

Additional authors/contributors:  Gullitck, Etta

Language:  English

Notes:  

Location:  Archive - Stack 3 (file box)