>>4601291 (lb)

"Cloud of Unknowing"

Chapter 55

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/cou/cou60.htm

The devil is a spirit, and of his own nature he has no body, more than has an angel. But yet nevertheless what time that he or an angel shall take any body by leave of God, to make any ministration to any man in this life; according as the work is that he shall minister, thereafter in likeness is the quality of his body in some part. Example of this we have in Holy Writ. As often as any angel was sent in body in the Old Testament and in the New also, evermore it was shown, either by his name or by some instrument or quality of his body, what his matter or his message was in spirit. On the same manner it fares of the fiend. For when he appears in body, he figures in some quality of his body what his servants be in spirit. Example of this may be seen in one instead of all these other. For as I have learned by some disciples of necromancy, which … make advocation of wicked spirits, and by some unto whom the fiend has appeared in bodily likeness; that in what bodily likeness the fiend appears, evermore he has but one nostril, and that is great and wide, and he will gladly cast it up that a man may see in there to his brain up in his head. The which brain is nought else but the fire of hell, for the fiend may have no other brain; and if he might make a man look in there, he wants for nothing better. For at that looking, the man should lose his wits for ever. But a perfect prentice of necromancy knows this well enough, and can well ordain therefore, so that he provokes him not.

>>4601585

From the Prologue (text unedited by me for clarity in modern English).

Not exactly as you say, but close.

However, it now is considered a classic of the contemplative life and reading is encouraged much like with the texts of St. John of the Cross, e.g.

IN the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost! I charge thee and I beseech thee, with as much power and virtue as the bond of charity is sufficient to suffer, whatsoever thou be that this book shalt have in possession, either by property, either by keeping, by bearing as messenger, or else by borrowing, that in as much as in thee is by will and advisement, neither thou read it, nor write it, nor speak it, nor yet suffer it be read, written, or spoken, of any or to any but if it be of such one, or to such one, that hath by thy supposing in a true will and by an whole intent purposed him to be a perfect follower of Christ not only in active living, but in the p. 46 sovereignest point of contemplative living the which is possible by grace for to be come to in this present life of a perfect soul yet abiding in this deadly body; and thereto that doth that in him is, and by thy supposing hath done long time before, for to able him to contemplative living by the virtuous means of active living. For else it accordeth nothing to him. And over this I charge thee and I beseech thee by the authority of charity, that if any such shall read it, write it, or speak it, or else hear it be read or spoken, that thou charge him as I do thee, for to take him time to read it, speak it, write it, or hear it, all over. For peradventure there is some matter therein in the beginning or in the middle, the which is hanging, and not fully declared where it standeth: and if it be not there, it is soon after, or else in the end. Wherefore if a man saw one matter and not another, peradventure he might lightly be led into error; and therefore in eschewing of this error, both in thyself and in all other, I pray thee for charity do as I say thee.