WATCHFULNESS AND DILIGENCE

Eight things especially admonish and invite us to be watchful and diligent in some good work-the shortness of this life-the difficulty of our way-the small amount of our meritsthe great number of our sins-the certainty of death, and the uncertainty of the time-the severe doom of the day of judgment, which is also so strict. Our Lord saith in the gospel: 10 "De omni verbo otioso," etc. Item "Capillus de capite vestro non peribit;" that is, no thought shall be unpunished. These are God's words: that every idle word shall be there

any one were to offer to buy one of these from you at the day of Judgment; that is, if one were to offer to buy from you the reward that ariseth from it, ye would not sell it for all 5 the gold in the world. For this shall be your song before the Lord: "Laetati sumus pro diebus quibus nos humiliasti-annis quibus vidimus mala;" that is, We are glad now, O Lord, for the days in which thou didst humble us with the wrongs we suffered from other men; and, we are glad now, O Lord, for the years in which we were sick and saw pain and sorrow. Every worldly affliction is God's ambassador. Men will receive honourably the

brought forth, and idle thoughts that were not 15 messenger of a man of rank, and make him

previously amended. Consider now what cometh of depraved affections and sinful works. Again, the seventh thing which warns us to be vigilant is the pains of hell, in which

gladly welcome; and so much the more if he is intimately acquainted with the King of Heaven. (And who was more intimate with the heavenly King) while He dwelt here, than

ing, which never left him until his life's end. This messenger that I am speaking of to you— what doth he say to you? He comforteth you in this manner. As God loved me, saith he, he

consider three things-the innumerable tor- 20 was this ambassador?—that is, worldly sufferments which no tongue may tell—the eternity of each, which lasteth without end-and their vast bitterness. The eighth thing is the greatness of the reward in the blessedness of heaven, world without end. Whoso watcheth well here 25 sent me to his dear friend. My coming, and

my abiding, though it may seem bitter, is yet salutary. Must not that thing be dreadful, the shadow of which you could not look upon for dread? And if the very shadow were so sharp

a little while-whoso hath these eight things in her heart, will shake off her sleep of vicious sloth in the still night, when nothing is to be seen to hinder prayer. The heart is often at such a season so sincere; for there is then no wit- 30 and so hot, that ye might not feel it without ness of any good that we do but God only, and his angel, who is busily employed in inciting us to good. For then, nothing is lost, as there often is in the day.

pain, what would you say of the very awful thing itself, from which it comes? Know ye this for certain, that all the misery of this world is only as a shadow in comparison with the

Hear now, my dear sisters, how evil it is to 35 misery of hell. I am the shadow, saith this be vain and boast of good deeds, and how good it is to conceal our good works, and to fly by night, like the night fowl, and to gather in the darkness, that is, privately and secretly, food for the soul.

JOY IN SUFFERING

messenger, that is, this world's suffering: ye must needs receive me, or that dreadful misery of which I am the shadow. Whoso receiveth me gladly, and maketh me cheerfully welcome, 40 my Lord sends her word that she is freed from the thing of which I am the shadow. Lo! thus speaketh God's messenger; and therefore saith St. James, "Omne gaudium existimate fratres, cum in temptationes varias incideritis." Count it all joy to fall into divers of these temptations that are called outward; and St. Paul saith, "Omnis disciplina in præsenti videtur esse non gaudii, sed moeroris; postmodum vero," etc. All those temptations where

Go ye now, then, along the hard and toilsome way toward the great feast of heaven, where your glad friend expecteth your coming, more 45 joyfully than foolish worldly men go by the green way toward the gallows-tree, and to the death of hell. It is better to go toward heaven sick, than in health toward hell, and to mirth with want, than to woe with abundance. Not 50 with we are now beaten, seem sorrow and not

however, but that wretched worldly men buy
hell dearer than ye do heaven. Solomon saith,
"The way of sinners is planted over with
stones:" that is, with severe afflictions. Of
one thing be ye well assured-that a harsh 55
word that ye bear with patience, or a single
day's weariness, or a sickness of an hour-if

St. Matt. xii. 36.

joy; but they turn afterwards to prosperity and eternal blessedness.

TEMPTATIONS

Holy meditations are comprehended in a verse that was long since taught you, my dear sisters:

Acts xxvii. 34.

• Psl. xc. 15.

7 St. James i. 2.

Eccles. xxi. 10.

Heb. xxii. 11.

And think how false this world is, and what are its rewards.

AN IRRUPTION OF THE TARTARS (From Historia Anglorum, translated by J. A. GILES)

In this year, that human joys might not

Think also what thou owest God for his good-long continue, and that the delights of this

ness.

15 world might not last long unmixed with lamentation, an immense horde of that detestable race of Satan, the Tartars, burst forth from their mountain-bound regions, and making their way through rocks apparently impenetrable, rushed forth, like demons loosed from Tartarus (so that they are well called Tartars, as it were inhabitants of Tartarus); and overrunning the country, covering the face of the earth like locusts, they ravaged the eastern countries with lamentable destruction, spreading fire and slaughter wherever they went. Roving through the Saracen territories they razed cities to the ground, burnt woods, pulled down castles, tore up the vine-trees,

It would require a long while to explain fully every one of these words. But, if I hasten quickly onward, tarry ye the longer. I say one word in regard to your sins: that when 20 ye think of the pains of hell and the joys of heaven, ye must understand that God designed to exhibit them, in some manner, to men in this world, by worldly pains and worldly joys; and he showed them as it were a shadow-25 for the likeness to them is no greater. Ye are above the sea of this world, upon the bridge of heaven. See that ye be not like the horse that is shy, and blencheth at a shadow upon the high bridge, and falleth down into the 30 destroyed gardens, and massacred the citizens

water from the high bridge. They are, indeed, too shy who flee through fear of a picture that seemeth to them ghastly and terrible to behold. All pain and pleasure in this world is only like a shadow-it is all only as a picture.

THE LADDER OF PAIN

and husbandmen; if by chance they did spare any who begged their lives, they compelled them, as slaves of the lowest condition, to fight in front of them against their own kindred. 35 And if they only pretended to fight, or perhaps warned their countrymen to fly, the Tartars following in their rear, slew them; and if they fought bravely and conquered, they gained no thanks by way of recompense, and thus these savages ill-treated their captives as though they were horses. The men are inhuman and of the nature of beasts, rather to be called monsters than men, thirsting after and drinking blood, and tearing and devouring the flesh of dogs and human beings; they clothe themselves in the skins of bulls, and are armed with iron lances; they are short in stature and thickset, compact in their bodies, and of great strength; invincible in battle, indefatigable in labour; they wear no armour on the back part of their bodies, but are protected by it in front; they drink the blood which flows from their flocks, and consider it a delicacy; they have large and powerful horses, which eat leaves and even the trees themselves, and which, owing to the shortness of their legs, they mount by three steps instead of stirrups. They have no human laws, know no mercy, and are more cruel than lions or 1 i. e., 1243.

"Vilitas et asperitas," contempt and ill usage; these two things, ignominy and pain, as St. Bernard saith, are the two arms of the 40 ladder which reach up to heaven, and between those arms are fixed the staves (or steps) of all the virtues by which men climb up to the blessedness of heaven. And because David had the two arms of this ladder, though he 45 was king, he climbed upward, and said boldly to our Lord, "Vide humilitatem meam et laborem meum, et dimitte universa delicta mea.” "Behold," said he, "and see my humility and my labour, and forgive me all my sins." Mark 50 well these two words which David joineth together-labour and humility: labour, in pain and grief, in anxiety and sorrow; humility, against the unjust ignominy which a man endures who is despised. "Behold in me both 55 of these," saith David the beloved of God, "I have these two arms of the ladder." "Dimitte universa delicta mea:" Leave behind Pal. xxv. 18.

5

in its first quarter, there appeared a new moon
swollen and red in appearance, as a sign of
coming tempests; according to the experimental
writings of the philosopher and poet:

Promittit de more rubens nova Cynthia ventos,
Caumate vel Borea valido nisi præpediatur:
Turgida dat nimbos, seu pallida clara serenum.
(When Cynthia yet is new, and ruddy tints
O'erspread her face, it threatens gusts of wind,
Unless excess of heat or cold prevent.
Her face, if swollen, portendeth storms; but,
pale

bears; they have boats made of the hides of oxen, ten or twelve having one amongst them; they are skilful in sailing or swimming, hence they cross the largest and most rapid rivers without any delay or trouble; and when they have no blood, they greedily drink disturbed and even muddy water. They have swords and daggers with one edge, they are excellent archers, and they spare neither sex, age, or rank; they know no other country's language 10 except that of their own, and of this all other nations are ignorant. For never till this time has there been any mode of access to them, nor have they themselves come forth, so as to allow any knowledge of their customs or persons to 15 be gained through common intercourse with other men; they take their herds with them, as also their wives, who are brought up to war, the same as the men; and they came with the force of lightning into the territories of the 20 trees, and carried them to a great distance Christians, laying waste the country, committing great slaughter, and striking inexpressible terror and alarm into every one.

And bright, she clears the face of heaven.)

The sky then, in the first week of the increase of the moon, was covered with a thick mist, and began to be much disturbed by the violence of the winds, which tore away the branches and the leaves which were then dying away on the

through the air. What was more destructive, the disturbed sea transgressed its usual bounds, the tide flowing twice without any ebb, and emitted such a frightful roaring sound, that,

ment in those who heard it; even old men, and indeed none of modern times, remembered ever to have seen the like before. In the darkness of the night too the sea appeared to burn like a

The founders of their tribes are called gods, 25 even in parts remote from it, it created amazeand they celebrate their solemnities at certain seasons; they have many especial celebrations, but only four regular ones. They think that everything was made for them alone, and they think that there is no cruelty in practising every 30 fire, and the billows seemed to crowd together, kind of severity on those who rebel against them. They have hard and robust breasts, lean and pale faces, stiff, high shoulders, and short distorted noses; their chins are sharp and prominent, the upper jaw low and deep, the 35 other cases, at the port of Hertbourne alone

as though fighting with one another, in such fury, that the skill of sailors could not save their sinking ships, and large and firmly-built vessels were sunk and lost. Not to mention

three noble ships were swallowed up by the raging billows, besides small ones and others of moderate size. At Winchelsea, a port on the eastern coast, besides the salt-houses, and the abodes of fishermen, the bridges, and mills which were destroyed, more than three hundred houses in that village, with some churches, were thrown down by the impetuous rise of the sea. Holland in England,1 and Holland on the

teeth long and few, their eyebrows stretch from the hair to the nose, their eyes are black and restless, their countenances long and grim, their extremities bony and nervous, their legs thick but short below the knee. In stature 40 they are equal to us, for what they lose below the knee is made up for in the greater length of their upper parts. Their native country is that great waste, formerly a desert, lying beyond the Chaldees, from which they expelled 45 continent also, as well as Flanders and other the lions, bears, and other beasts, with their bows and other warlike weapons. Out of the tanned hides of these animals, they made for themselves armour of a light description, but impenetrable.

OF AN UNUSUAL SWELLING AND COM-
MOTION OF THE SEA

A. D. 1250

(From the same)

About the same time, namely on the first day of the month of October, the moon being

level countries adjoining the sea, sustained irreparable damage. The rivers falling into the sea were forced back and swelled to such a degree that they overflowed meadows, de50 stroyed mills, bridges, and the houses adjacent to them, and, invading the fields, carried away the corn which had not been stored away in the barns; that the anger of God plainly appeared to mortals in the sea as well as on land, and the 55 punishment of sinners appeared imminent, according to the prophecy of Habakkuk: "Art thou angered in the rivers, oh Lord, or is thy indignation in the sea?"

1i. e. the fen-land in south-eastern Lincolnshire.