And at dinner time the abbot called all his monks to meat, and let him sit in contemplation. After noon, when he began to wear very hungry, he came out again to the abbot Silvan, and asked whether his monks had

not yet dined? And he answered, Yes. And why called ye not me, quoth the monk, to dine with them? -Verily, said the abbot, I thought you had been all spiritual, and had needed no meat.-Nay, quoth the monk, I am not so spiritual, nor fervent in contemplation, but that I must needs eat.-Verily, said the abbot, then must you also needs work, for Mary hath need of Martha. When the monk heard that, he repented, and fell to work as the other did. And I would to God that this answer would cause our religious even so to do, and to fall to work, that they might succour their needy neighbours.

And as touching their study in Scripture, St. Austin saith, How shalt thou better learn to understand the Scripture, than by going about to fulfil that thou there readest? And if thou go about to fulfil it, saith he, then must thou work with thy hands, for that doth St. Paul teach thee. Of this I have compiled a whole book, which if God have appointed me to finish it and set it forth, shall be a rule of more perfection unto our religious, than any that they have used this hundred year.

THE THIRD CHAPTER.

THE CONCLUSION

OF THIS TREATISE, THAT NO FLESH SHOULD REJOICE, BUT FEAR AND TREMBLE IN ALL THE GIFTS THAT HE RECEIVETH.

HERE mayest thou perceive that no man liveth but he may fear and tremble; and most he may fear, to whom most is committed, for of him shall much be re

quired. And much are we bound to thank God in all things; for ourselves have we nought but sin and vanity, but through his gracious favour have we all goodness, and be that we be. And since all our goodness cometh of him, we must again be thankful unto him, and keep his commandments; for else we may fear lest he take his gifts from us, and then shall we receive the greater damnation.

If thou have received the knowledge of his word, give him thanks, and be a faithful minister thereof; for else he shall deliver thee unto thine own fantastical imaginations, and cast thee headlong into an heap of heresies, which shall bring thee into utter destruction.

If he give thee faith in his word, give him thanks, and bring forth the fruits thereof in due season; for else he will take it away from thee, and send thee into final desperation.

If he give thee riches, then give him thanks, and distribute them according to God's commandment; or else he shall take them from thee, (if he love thee,) either by thieves, by water, by death of thy cattle, by blasting thy fruits, or such other scourges, to cause thee to love him, Isaiah v. because he would alienate thine heart from them: this I Jer. vii. he will do, if he love thee, to make thee put thine whole trust in him, and not in these transitory things. But if he hate thee, then will he send thee great prospe- Jer. xii. rity, and increase them plenteously, and give thee thy heaven in this world, unto thine everlasting damnation in the life to come; and therefore fear, and take good heed whilst thou hast leisure.

say

If thou ask me what his honour, praise, and thanks are? I answer, that his honour, praise, and thanks, is nothing else but the fulfilling of his commandments. If thou ask me what his commandments are, as touching the bestowing of thy goods? I answer, His commandments are, that thou bestow them in the works of mercy, and that shall he lay to thy charge at the day of

judgement. He shall ask you, whether you have fed the hungry, and given drink to the thirsty, and not whether you have builded abbeys and chantries. He shall ask you whether you have harboured the harbourless, and clothed the naked, and not whether you have gilded images, or given copes to churches. He shall ask you whether you have visited the sick, and gone to the prisoners, and not whether you have gone a pilgrimage to Walsingham or Canterbury. And this I affirm unto thee, that if thou build a thousand cloisters, and give as many copes and chalices to churches, and visitest all the pilgrimages in the world, and espiest and seest a poor man whom thou mightest help, perishing for lack of one groat, all these things whereon thou hast bestowed so much money, shall not be able to help thee. Therefore, take good heed, and say not but that ye be warned.

If God have given thee thy perfect limbs and members, then give him thanks, and use them to the taming of thy body, and profit of thy neighbour. For else, if God love thee, he will send thee some maim or mischief, and take them from thee, that thy negligence and none using of them be not so extremely imputed unto thee. But if he hate thee, he shall keep them whole and sound for thee, that the none using of them may be thy greater damnation. Therefore, beware, and fear, giving him thanks according to his commandments. For we are his creatures, and are much bound to him that he hath given to us our perfect members; for it is better for us to have our limbs, and to work with them distributing to others, than that others should distribute unto us; for it is a more holy thing to give than to take; yea, we are much bound unto him, although he have made us Jer. xviii. imperfect and mutilate; for we were in his hands, (as we are yet,) to have done with us whatsoever had pleased him, even to have made us the vilest creature upon the earth.

Acts ii.

I have read of a shepherd, which, keeping his sheep

in the field, espied a foul toad, and when he had well marked her, and conferred her shape, and nature, unto himself and his nature, he fell a weeping and cried out piteously. At the last, came a bishop by, riding right royally; and when he saw the shepherd so sore lamenting, he reined his horse, and asked him the cause of his great wailing. Then answered the shepherd, Verily, Sir, I weep for mine unkindness towards almighty God; for I have given thanks to God of many things, but yet I was never so kind since I was born, as to thank him of this thing.-What is that? said the bishop.—Sir, (quoth he,) see you not this foul toad?—Yes! (quoth the bishop,) what is that to the purpose?-Verily, (said the shepherd,) it is the creature of God as well as I am, and God might have made me even such a foul and unreasonable beast as this is, if it had pleased him, and yet he hath not done so, but of his mercy and goodness he hath made me a reasonable creature, after his own shape and likeness; and yet was I never so kind as to thank him that he had not made me so vile a creature, which thing I greatly bewail, and mine unkindness causeth me now thus to weep.-With that the bishop departed, and, I trust, learned to do thereafter. And I beseech God that we may so do, and be the faithful followers of our Saviour Christ Jesus, to whom be praise, honour, and glory for ever. Amen.