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diff --git a/old/10380-8.txt b/old/10380-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..182a394 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10380-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,15770 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Bible Stories and Religious Classics, by Philip P. Wells + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Bible Stories and Religious Classics + +Author: Philip P. Wells + +Release Date: December 4, 2003 [EBook #10380] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIBLE STORIES *** + + + + +Produced by Kevin Handy, Dave Maddock, and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + + + + +BIBLE STORIES AND RELIGIOUS CLASSICS + +WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ANSON PHELPS STOKES, JR. + + +_ILLUSTRATED BY_ BEATRICE STEVENS + + + +1903 + + + + +INTRODUCTION + +There never was a time when the demand for books for young people was so +great as it is to-day or when so much was being done to meet the demand. +"Children's Counter," "Boys' Books," are signs which, especially at the +Christmas season, attract the eye in every large book shop. Tales of +adventure, manuals about various branches of nature study, historical +romances, lives of heroes--in fact, almost every kind of book--is to be +found in abundance, beautifully illustrated, attractively bound, well +printed, all designed and written especially for the youth of our land. +It is indeed an encouraging sign. It means that the child of to-day is +being introduced to the world's best in literature and science and +history and art in simple and gradual ways. + +In the Middle Ages stories of the martyrs and legends of the Church, +along with some simple form of catechetical instruction, formed the +basis of a child's mental and religious training. Later, during and +after the Crusades, the stories of war and the mysteries of the East +increased the stock in trade for the homes of Europe; but still the +horizon remained a narrow one. Even the invention of printing did not +bring to the young as many direct advantages as would naturally be +expected. To-day, when Christian missionaries set up a printing press in +some distant island of the sea, the first books which they print in the +vernacular are almost invariably those parts of the Bible, such as the +Gospels and the stories of Genesis, which most appeal to the young, and, +what is of special importance, they have the young directly and mainly +in mind in their publishing work. This was not true a few centuries ago. +The presses were, perhaps naturally and inevitably, almost exclusively +occupied with books for the learned world. To be sure, the Legenda +Aurea, of which I shall speak later, although not intended primarily for +children, proved a great boon to them. So did the Chap Books of England. +But it was not until the middle of the eighteenth century, when John +Newbery set up his book shop at St. Paul's Churchyard, London, that any +special attention was given by printers to the publication, in +attractive form, of juvenile books. Newbery's children's books made him +famous in his day, but the world seems to have forgotten him. Yet he +deserves a monument along with Ęsop, and La Fontaine, and Kate +Greenaway, and Andersen, and Scott and Henty, and all the other greater +and lesser lights who have done so much to gladden the heart and enlarge +the mind of childhood and youth. + +But from Newbery's day to this year of our Lord nineteen hundred and +three is a very long jump in what we may call the evolution of juvenile +literature, for the preparation of reading matter for young people seems +now almost to have reached its climax. There is one field, however, and +that the one which this volume tries to cover, which strangely enough +seems to have been almost neglected. Of "goody-goody" Sunday School +library books of an old-fashioned type, which are insipid and lacking +both in virility of thought and literary form, there are, alas, already +too many. What we need is something to take their place, something which +will furnish real literature, and yet which from subject matter and +manner of handling is specially adapted to what I still like to call +Sunday reading, a phrase which unfortunately seems to mean little to +most people to-day. Bearing this in mind, it is the purpose of this book +to gather together, in attractive form, such religious classics as are +specially fitted to interest and uplift young people. + +There is a wide variety in so far as _subject matter_, _source_ and +_form_ are concerned, but a certain unity is given to the contents of +the volume by the religious note, which, whether brought prominently +forward or not, is found alike in all the selections. + +The Bible has furnished directly or indirectly most of the _subject +matter_ here used. The biographies of various Scripture characters +appear in large numbers. Adam and Noah head the list, and Peter and +Paul bring up the end of a procession of worthies whose heroic deeds as +the servants of Jehovah will always appeal to the imagination of +youthful minds. But it is not with Bible characters only that this book +deals. The lives of Christian saints who entered upon their inheritance, +such as Christopher and Sylvester and Francis of Assisi, also have their +place, while yet more prominent are stories and poems based on some +Bible incidents. Even selections such as Hawthorne's Great Stone Face or +Wordsworth's Ode to Duty have their roots deep in the Bible, for they +can be understood and explained only by those who know the Revelation it +contains. In so far, then, as the subject matter of the volume is +concerned, either it or its inspiration can always be traced back to the +Bible. + +When we turn from the Bible material which, as we have seen, supplies +both subject and inspiration, to the _source_ from which the selections +in their literary form as here given are derived, we find that the old +foundations have sufficed for many kinds of structure. Probably the +source from which the editor has drawn most largely is the Golden +Legend. This work, which was translated into English and printed by +Caxton in 1483, although little heard of now, was for several centuries +a household word in Christendom. It was the creation of a Genoese +Archbishop, Jacobus de Voragine, and dates from about the middle of the +thirteenth century. The good Archbishop, using the Bible and the Lives +of the Saints as a basis, and as a sharer of the superstitions of the +time having unbounded faith in every legend of the Church, put together +in simple form for the edification of his flock the various stories +about Jewish and Christian worthies which compose the original Legenda +Aurea. This was translated into French by one Jean de Vignay in the +fourteenth century, and the English version was in turn mainly made from +this translation. In the simple, sturdy language of Caxton the book +became a most popular one, being often read aloud in the Parish Churches +of England, where it helped to familiarize the people, especially the +young, with sacred story as represented by the heroes of the Old +Testament and the saints of the Church. In Caxton's introduction there +is a quaint sentence regarding the name of the book. After mentioning +the Latin title, he adds "that is to say in Englyshe the golden legende +for lyke as passeth golde in vallwe al other metallys, soo thys legende +exedeth all other bokes." Whether the good printer's judgment be +justified or no, it is not for us to say. It is true, however, that +after the passing of over six centuries since its original production, +the editor of this volume in looking for religious classics for young +people has made more use of it than of any other collection. All honor, +then, to the old Archbishop of Genoa and to William Caxton, who made +his work accessible to the youth of England. + +The only other work which deserves any special mention as a source for +the contents of this volume, is the Stories and Tales of Hans Christian +Andersen. If ever there was any one who deserved the title of the +Children's Friend, surely this son of a poor Danish shoemaker is the +man. His Tales have been translated into many languages, and because of +their true imagination and their simplicity of expression they have +appealed to all children. Ten or more of them appear in this volume. +They are charming and wholesome reading, and their continued popularity +makes us realize the truth of these closing lines in Andersen's The Old +Grave Stones: "The good and the beautiful perish never; they live +eternally in tale and song." + +The other sources from which this collection has been made up are so +varied as to require no mention aside from that given with each title. +The Master Poets of English Literature have been freely drawn upon: +Byron to tell of the Destruction of Sennacherib, Milton to sing of +Christ's Nativity, Wordsworth to meditate aloud on Duty, and other great +writers to emphasize various deep truths of life. + + * * * * * + +As we turn from subject matter and source to _form_, we again find great +variety. Almost every kind of literature is represented. The early +lengends of the Jewish people, told by the author of the Legenda Aurea +almost in the words of Scripture, bring to young and old alike the same +lessons about God and Duty. The fact that they are legends, rather than +exact history, does not in any way lessen their religious value. Then, +too, the book contains allegories, such as that of the Pilgrim's +Progress, Christendom's greatest religious classic next to the Bible +itself, and those of some of Andersen's Tales. Poetry also is well +represented, the selections being in large part suggested by Scripture. +There are in addition many stories in the ordinary sense of the +word--tales which are entirely the fabric of the imagination, but which, +like the selections from Hawthorne, have some great lesson to teach. In +fact, the literary forms represented in this volume are almost as +numerous as those of the Bible itself. The latter used to be looked upon +merely as a storehouse of historic facts and devotional songs; now we +see in it Legend, Oratory, Poetry, Allegory, History, Proverb and +Prophecy; and we find that all of these forms are used by God's servants +to teach His truth to men. + + * * * * * + +Sufficient has been said, I think, to show the purpose and scope of this +volume and to introduce the reader to its contents. It is my hope and +belief that the effort of my friend, Mr. Philip P. Wells, to make this a +collection of religious classics in the full meaning of these words may +prove successful. My highest wish, however, is that those who read +these selections, with their great variety of source and form, may mark +the inspiration of thought or incident common to them all, and may find +an interest in refreshing what may be an old acquaintance with that Book +of Books which gives with classic truth the fundamental subject matter +for all deep thought and high aspiration. + +ANSON PHELPS STOKES, JR. + + + + +CONTENTS + +THE LIFE OF ADAM + +HERE BEGINNETH THE HISTORY OF NOAH + +THE RAINBOW + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM + +HERE BEGINNETH THE LIFE OF ISAAC, WITH THE HISTORY OF ESAU AND OF JACOB + +HERE BEGINNETH THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN + +HERE NEXT FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF MOSES + +THE BURIAL OF MOSES + +THE HISTORY OF JOSHUA + +THE HISTORY OF SAUL + +THE HISTORY OF DAVID + +THE SONG OF DAVID + +THE STORY OF A CUP OF WATER + +THE HISTORY OF SOLOMON + +THE HISTORY OF REHOBOAM + +A LITTLE MAID + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF JOB + +THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF TOBIT + +HERE BEGINNETH THE STORY OF JUDITH + +THE VISION OF BELSHAZZAR + +A CHRISTMAS CAROL + +ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY + +THE BURNING BABE + +A CRADLE SONG + +EASTER + +THE LIFE OF ST. PETER THE APOSTLE + +THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE + +THE LIFE OF ST. CHRISTOPHER + +THE SEVEN SLEEPERS + +THE LIFE OF ST. SILVESTER + +OF ST. AUSTIN THAT BROUGHT CHRISTENDOM TO ENGLAND + +EDWIN AND PAULINUS + +THE LIFE OF ST. GEORGE, MARTYR + +THE LIFE OF ST. PATRICK + +OF ST. FRANCIS + +SONG OF THE EMIGRANTS IN BERMUDA + +LANDING OF THE PILGRIM FATHERS IN NEW ENGLAND + +THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS + +THE PILGRIM + +THE GREAT STONE FACE + +THE GENTLE BOY + +THE ANGEL + +THE RED SHOES + +THE LOVELIEST ROSE IN THE WORLD + +A VISION OF THE LAST DAY + +THE OLD GRAVESTONE + +GOOD-FOR-NOTHING + +IN THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE SEA + +SOMETHING + +THE JEWISH GIRL + +THE STORY OF A MOTHER + +THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL + +FLOWERS WITHOUT FRUIT + +CONTENTMENT + +THE SEARCH FOR PEACE + +A SONG OF PRAISE + +THE TRAVELLER + +TRUE GREATNESS + +CHARACTER OF A HAPPY LIFE + +A THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR HIS HOUSE + +FRIENDS DEPARTED + +THE LAND OF DREAMS + +ADORATION + + + + +BIBLE STORIES AND RELIGIOUS CLASSICS + + + + +THE LIFE OF ADAM + +_The Sunday of Septuagesima beginneth the story of the Bible, in which +is read the legend and story of Adam which followeth_ + + +In the beginning God made and created heaven and earth. The earth was +idle and void and covered with darkness. And the spirit of God was borne +on the waters, and God said: Be made light, and anon light was made. And +God saw that light was good, and divided the light from darkness, and +called the light day and darkness night. + +And thus was made light with heaven and earth first, and even and +morning was made one day. The second day he made the firmament, and +divided the waters that were under the firmament from them that were +above, and called the firmament heaven. The third day were made on the +earth herbs and fruits in their kind. The fourth day God made the sun +and moon and stars, etc. The fifth day he made the fishes in the water +and birds in the air. The sixth day God made the beasts on the earth, +every one in his kind and gender. And God saw that all these works were +good and said: Make we man unto our similitude and image. Here spake the +Father to the Son and Holy Ghost, or else as it were the common voice of +three persons, when it was said make we, and to our, in plural number. +Man was made to the image of God in his soul. Here it is to be noted +that he made not only the soul with the body, but he made both body and +soul. As to the body he made male and female. God gave to man the +lordship and power upon living beasts. Thus in six days was heaven and +earth made and all the ornation of them. And then he made the seventh +day on which he rested, not for that he was weary, but ceased his +operation, and showed the seventh day which he blessed. Thus he shortly +showed the generations of heaven and earth, for here he determined the +works of the six days and the seventh day he sanctified and made holy. +God had planted in the beginning Paradise a place of desire and delices. +And man was made in the field of Damascus; he was made of the slime of +the earth. Paradise was made the third day of creation, and was beset +with herbs, plants and trees, and is a place of most mirth and joy. In +the midst whereof be set two trees, that is the tree of life, and that +other the tree of knowing good and evil. And there is a well, which +casteth out water for to water the trees and herbs of Paradise. This +well is the mother of all waters, which well is divided into four parts. +One part is called Phison. This goeth about Inde. The second is called +Gijon, otherwise Nilus, and that runneth about Ethiopia, the other two +be called Tigris and Euphrates. Tigris runneth toward Assyria, and +Euphrates is called fruitful, which runneth in Chaldea. These four +floods come and spring out of the same well, and depart, and yet in some +place some of them meet again. + +Then God took man from the place of his creation and brought him into +Paradise, for to work there, not to labor needily, but in delighting and +recreating him, and that he should keep Paradise. For like as Paradise +should refresh him, so should he labor to serve God, and there God gave +him a commandment. Every commandment standeth in two things, in doing or +forbidding, in doing he commanded him to eat of all the trees of +Paradise, in forbidding he commanded that he should not eat of the tree +of the knowledge of good and evil. This commandment was given to the +man, and by the man it went to the woman. For when the woman was made it +was commanded to them both, and hereto he set a pain, saying: Whatsoever +day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die by death. + +God said: It is not good a man to be alone, make we to him an helper +like to himself for to bring forth children. Adam supposed that some +helper to him had been among the beasts which had been like to him. +Therefore God brought to Adam all living beasts of the earth and air, in +which he understood them of the water also, which with one commandment +all came tofore him. They were brought for two causes, one was because +man should give to each of them a name, by which they should know that +he should dominate over them, and the second cause was because Adam +should know that there was none of them like to him. And he named them +in the Hebrew tongue, which was only the language and none other at the +beginning. And so none being found like unto him, God sent in Adam a +lust to sleep, which was no dream, but as is supposed in an extasy or in +a trance; in which was showed to him the celestial court. Wherefore when +he awoke he prophesied of the conjunction of Christ to his church, and +of the flood that was to come, and of the doom and destruction of the +world by fire he knew, which afterward he told to his children. + +Whiles that Adam slept, God took one of his ribs, both flesh and bone, +and made that a woman, and set her tofore Adam. Which then said: This is +now a bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; and Adam gave her a name +like as her lord, and said she should be called virago, which is as much +as to say as made of a man, and is a name taken of a man. And anon, the +name giving, he prophesied, saying: Because she is taken of the side of +a man, therefore a man shall forsake and leave father and mother and +abide and be adherent unto his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh; +and though they be two persons, yet in matrimony and wedlock they be but +one flesh, and in other things twain. For why, neither of them had power +of his own flesh. They were both naked and were not ashamed, for they +stood both in the state of innocence. Then the serpent which was hotter +than any beast of the earth and naturally deceivable, for he was full +of the devil Lucifer, which was deject and cast out of heaven, had great +envy to man that was bodily in Paradise, and knew well, if he might make +him to trespass and break God's commandments, that he should be cast out +also. + +Yet he was afeard to be taken or espied of the man, he went to the +woman, not so prudent and more prone to slide and bow. And in the form +of the serpent, for then the serpent was erect as a man. Bede saith that +he chose a serpent having a maiden's cheer [face], for like oft apply to +like, and spake by the tongue of the serpent to Eve, and said: Why +commanded you God that ye should not eat of all the trees of Paradise? +This he said to find occasion to say that he was come for. Then the +woman answered and said: Ne forte moriamur, lest haply we die, which she +said doubting, for lightly she was flexible to every part. Whereunto +anon he answered: Nay in no wise ye shall die, but God would not that ye +should be like him in science, and knowing that when ye eat of this tree +ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil, he as envious forbade you. +And anon the woman, elate in pride and willing to be like to God, +accorded thereto and believed him. The woman saw that the tree was fair +to look on, and clean and sweet of savor, took and ate thereof, and gave +unto Adam of the same, happily desiring him by fair words. But Adam anon +agreed, for when he saw the woman not dead he supposed that God had said +that they should die to fear them with, and then ate of the fruit +forbidden. And anon their sight was opened that they saw their +nakedness, and then anon they understood that they had trespassed. And +thus they knew that they were naked, and they took fig leaves and sewed +them together for to cover their members in manner of breeches. + +And anon after, they heard the voice of our Lord God walking, and anon +they hied him. Our Lord called the man and said: Adam, where art thou? +Calling him in blaming him and not as knowing where he was, but as who +said: Adam, see in what misery thou art. Which answered: I have hid me, +Lord, for I am naked. Our Lord said: Who told thee that thou wert naked, +but that thou hast eaten of the tree forbidden? He then not meekly +confessing his trespass, but laid the fault on his wife, and on him as +giver of the woman to him, and said: The woman that thou gavest to me as +a fellow, gave to me of the tree, and I ate thereof. And then our Lord +said to the woman: Why didst thou so? Neither she accused herself, but +laid the sin on the serpent, and privily she laid the fault on the maker +of him. The serpent was not demanded, for he did it not of himself, but +the devil by him. + +And our Lord, cursing them, began at the serpent, keeping an order and +congruous number of curses. The serpent was the first and sinned most, +for he sinned in three things. The woman next and sinned less than he, +but more than the man, for she sinned in two things. The man sinned last +and least, for he sinned but in one. The serpent had envy, he lied, and +deceived, for these three he had three curses. Because he had envy at +the excellence of man, it was said to him: Thou shalt go and creep on +thy breast; because he lied he is punished in his mouth, when it was +said: Thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life. Also he took away +his voice and put venom in his mouth. And because he deceived, it was +said: I shall put enmity between thee and woman, and thy seed and her +seed. She shall break thy head, etc. In two things the woman sinned, in +pride and eating the fruit. Because she sinned in pride, he meeked her, +saying: Thou shalt be under the power of man, and he shall have lordship +over thee, and he shall put thee to affliction. Now is she subject to a +man by condition and dread, which before was but subject by love; and +because she sinned in the fruit, she is punished in her fruit, when it +was said to her: Thou shalt bring forth children in sorrow; in the pain +of sorrow standeth the curse, but in bringing forth of children is a +blessing. And so, in punishing, God forgat not to have mercy. And +because Adam sinned but only in eating of the fruit, therefore he was +punished in seeking his meat, as it is said to him: Accursed be the +earth in thy work, that is to say for thy work of thy sin, for which is +made that the earth that brought forth good and wholesome fruits +plenteously, from henceforth shall bring forth but seldom, and also none +without man's labor, and also sometime weeds, briars, and thorns shall +grow. And he added: Thereto shalt thou eat herbs of the earth, as who +saith thou shalt be like a beast or jument. He cursed the earth because +the trespass was of the fruit of the earth and not of the water. He +added thereto to him of labor: In the sweat of thy cheer [face] thou +shalt eat thy bread unto the time thou return again into the earth; that +is to say till thou die, for thou art earth, and into earth thou shalt +go again. + +Then Adam, wailing and sorrowing the misery that was to come of his +posterity, named his wife Eve, which is to say, mother of all living +folk. Then God made to Adam and Eve two leathern coats of the skins of +dead beasts, to the end that they bare with them the sign of mortality, +and said: Lo, Adam is made as one of us, knowing good and evil, now lest +he put his hand and take of the tree of life and live ever, as who +saith: beware and cast him out, lest he take and eat of the tree of +life. And so he was cast out of Paradise, and set in the field of +Damascus where as he was made and taken from, for to work and labor +there. And our Lord set Cherubim to keep Paradise of delight with a +burning sword and pliant, to the end that none should enter there ne +come to the tree of life. + +After then that Adam was cast out of Paradise and set in the world, he +engendered Cain, the fifteenth year after he was made, and his sister +Calmana; but after another fifteen years was Abel born, and his sister +Delbora. + +When Adam was an hundred and thirty years of age, Cain slew Abel his +brother. Truth it is, after many days Cain and Abel offered sacrifice +and gifts unto God. It is to be believed that Adam taught his sons to +offer to God their tithes and first fruits. Cain offered fruits, for he +was a ploughman and tiller of earth, and Abel offered milk and the first +of the lambs, Moses saith, of the fattest of the flock. And God beheld +the gifts of Abel, for he and his sacrifices were acceptable to our +Lord; and as to Cain his sacrifices, God beheld them not, for they were +not to him acceptable, he offered withies and thorns. And as some +doctors say, fire came from heaven and lighted the sacrifice of Abel, +and the gifts of Cain pleased not our Lord, for the sacrifice would not +belight nor burn clear in the light of God. Whereof Cain had great envy +unto his brother Abel, which arose against him and slew him. And our +Lord said to him: Where is Abel thy brother? He answered and said: I wot +never, am I keeper of my brother? Then our Lord said: What hast thou +done? The voice of the blood of thy brother crieth to thee from the +earth, wherefore thou art cursed, and accursed be the earth that +received the blood of thy brother by his mouth of thy hands. When thou +shalt work and labor the earth it shall bring forth no fruit, but thou +shalt be fugitive, vagabond, and void on the earth. This Cain deserved +well to be cursed, knowing the pain of the first trespass of Adam, yet +he added thereto murder and slaughter of his brother. + +Then Cain, dreading that beasts should devour him, or if he went forth +he should be slain of the men, or if he dwelt with them, they would slay +him for his sin, damned himself, and in despair said: My wickedness is +more than I can deserve to have forgiveness, whoso find me shall slay +me. This he said of dread, or else wishing, as who said, would God he +would slay me. Then our Lord said: Nay not so, thou shalt die, but not +soon, for whosoever slayeth Cain shall be punished seven sithes more, +for he should deliver him from dread, from labor and misery, and added +that he should be punished personally sevenfold more. This punition +shall endure to him in pain unto the seventh, Lameth, whosomever shall +slay Cain shall loose seven vengeances. Some hold that his pain endured +unto the seventh generation, for he committed seven sins. He departed +not truly, he had envy to his brother, he wrought guilefully, he slew +his brother falsely, he denied it, he despaired and damned, he did no +penance. And after he went into the east, fugitive and vagabond. Cain +knew his wife which bare Enoch, and he made a city and named it Enoch +after the name of his son Enoch. Here it showeth well that this time +were many men, though their generation be not said, whom Cain called to +his city, by whose help he made it, whom he induced to theft and +robbery. + +He was the first that walled or made cities; dreading them that he +hurted, for surety he brought his people into the towns. Then Enoch gat +Irad, and Irad Mehujael, and he gat Methusael, and he gat Lameth, which +was the seventh from Adam and worst, for he brought in first bigamy. +This Lameth took two wives, Adah and Zilla; of Adah he gat Jabal which +found first the craft to make folds for shepherds and to change their +pasture, and ordained flocks of sheep, and departed the sheep from the +goats after the quality, the lambs by themselves, and the older by +themselves, and understood the feeding of them after the season of the +year. The name of his brother was Jubal, father of singers in the harp +and organs, not of the instruments, for they were found long after, but +he was the finder of music, that is to say of consonants of accord, such +as shepherds use in their delights and sports. And forasmuch as he heard +Adam prophesy of two judgments by the fire and water, that all things +should be destroyed thereby, and that his craft new found should not +perish, he did do write it in two pillars or columns, one of marble, +another of clay of the earth, to the end that one should endure against +the water, and that other against the fire. Josephus saith that the +pillar of marble is yet in the land of Syria. Of Zilla he begat +Tubal-cain, which found first the craft of smithery and working of iron, +and made things for war, and sculptures and gravings in metal to the +pleasure of the eyes, which he so working, Tubal, tofore said, had +delight in the sound of his hammers, of which he made the consonants and +tunes of accord in his song. Noema, sister of Tubal-cain, found first +the craft of diverse texture. + +Lameth was a shooter, and used to shoot at wild beasts, for none use of +the meat of them, but only for to have the skins for their clothing, and +lived so long that he was blind and had a child to lead him. And on a +time by adventure he slew Cain. For Cain was always afeard and hid him +among bushes and briars, and the child that led Lameth had supposed it +had been some wild beast and directed Lameth to shoot thereat, and so, +weening to shoot at a beast, slew Cain. And when he knew that he had +slain Cain, he with his bow slew the child, and thus he slew them both +to his damnation; therefore as the sin of Cain was punished seven +sithes, so was the sin of Lameth seventy sithes and seven. That is to +say, seventy-seven souls that came of Lameth were perished in the deluge +and Noah's flood; also his wife did him much sorrow, and evil-entreated +him. And he being wroth said that he suffered that for his double +homicide and manslaughter, yet nevertheless he feared him by pain, +saying: Why will ye slay me? he shall be more and sorer punished that +slayeth me, than he that slew Cain. + +Josephus said that when Abel was slain and Cain fled away, Adam when he +was one hundred and thirty years old engendered Seth like to his +similitude, and he to the image of God. This Seth was a good man, and he +gat Enos, and Enos Cainan, and Cainan begot Malaleel, and Malaleel +Jared, and Jared Enoch, and Enoch Methuselah, and Methuselah Lamech, and +Lamech Noah. And like as in the generation of Cain the seventh was the +worst, so in the generation of Seth the seventh was the best, that was +Enoch whom God took and brought him into Paradise, unto the time that he +shall come with Elias for to convert the hearts of the fathers into the +sons. And Adam lived after he had begotten Seth eight hundred years, and +engendered sons and daughters. Some hold opinion thirty sons and thirty +daughters, and some fifty of that one and fifty of that other. We find +no certainty of them in the Bible. But all the days of Adam living here +in earth amount to the sum of nine hundred and thirty years. And in the +end of his life when he should die, it is said, but of none authority, +that he sent Seth his son into Paradise for to fetch the oil of mercy, +where he received certain grains of the fruit of the tree of mercy by an +angel. And when he came again he found his father Adam yet alive and +told him what he had done. And then Adam laughed first and then died. +And then he laid the grains or kernels under his father's tongue and +buried him in the vale of Hebron; and out of his mouth grew three trees +of the three grains, of which trees the cross that our Lord suffered his +passion on was made, by virtue of which he gat very mercy, and was +brought out of darkness into very light of Heaven. To the which he bring +us that liveth and reigneth God, world without end. + + + + +HERE BEGINNETH THE HISTORY OF NOAH + +_The First Sunday in Sexagesima_ + + +After that Adam was dead, died Eve and was buried by him. At the +beginning, in the first age, the people lived long. Adam lived nine +hundred and thirty years, and Methuselah lived nine hundred and +sixty-nine years. S. Jerome saith that he died the same year that the +flood was. Then Noah was the tenth from Adam in the generation of Seth, +in whom the first age was ended. The seventy interpreters say that this +first age dured two thousand two hundred and forty-four years. S. Jerome +saith not fully two thousand, and Methodius full two thousand, etc. + +Noah then was a man perfect and righteous and kept God's commandment. +And when he was five hundred years old, he gat Shem, Ham, and Japhet. +This time men began to multiply on the earth, and the children of God, +that is to say of Seth, as religious, saw the daughters of men, that is +to say of Cain, and took them to their wives. This time was so much sin +on the earth, wherefore God was displeased and determined in his +prescience to destroy man that he had made, and said: I shall put man +away that I have made, and my spirit shall not abide in man for ever, +for he is flesh. As who said, I shall not punish man perpetually as I +do the devil, for man is frail, and yet ere I shall destroy him I shall +give him space and time of repentance and to amend him, if he will. The +time of repentance shall be one hundred and twenty years. Then Noah, +righteous and perfect, walked with God, that is in his laws, and the +earth was corrupt by sin and filled. + +When God saw the earth to be corrupt, and that every man was corrupt by +sin upon the earth, he said to Noah: The end of all people is come +tofore me except them that shall be saved, and the earth is replenished +with their wickedness. I shall destroy them with the earth, id est [that +is], with the fertility of the earth. Make to thee an ark of tree, hewn, +polished, and squared. And make there divers places, and lime it with +clay and pitch within and without, that is to wit with glue which is so +fervent, that the timber may not be loosed. And thou shalt make it three +hundred cubits of length, fifty in breadth, and thirty of height. And +make therein divers distinctions of places and chambers and of +wardrobes. And the ark had a door for to enter in and come out, and a +window was made thereon, which that the Hebrews say was of crystal. This +ark was on making, from the beginning that God commanded first to make +it, one hundred and twenty years. In which time Noah oft desired the +people to leave their sin, and how he had spoken with God, and that he +was commanded to make the ship, for God should destroy them for their +sin, but if they left it. And they mocked him and said that he raved +and was a fool, and gave no faith to his saying and continued in their +sin and wickedness. Then, when the ark was perfectly made, God bade him +to take into it of all the beasts of the earth, and also of the fowls of +the air, of each two, male and female, that they may live. And also of +all the meats of the earth that be comestible, that they may serve and +feed thee and them. And Noah did all that our Lord commanded him. Then +said our Lord to Noah: Enter thou and all thy household into the ark, +that is to say thou and thy wife and thy three sons and their three +wives. I have seen that thou art rightful in this generation. Of all +beasts that be clean thou shalt take seven, and of unclean beasts but +only two. And of the birds seven and seven, male and female, that they +may be saved on the face of the earth. Yet after seven days I shall rain +upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and shall destroy all the +substance that I made on the earth. And Noah did all things that our +Lord commanded him. + +He was six hundred years old when the flood began on the earth. And then +Noah entered in and his sons, his wife, and the wives of his sons, all +into the ark to eschew the waters of the flood. Of all the beasts and +the fowls, and of all that moved and had life on earth, male and female, +Noah took in to him as our Lord had bidden. And seven days after they +were entered, the water began to increase. The wells of the abysms were +broken, and the cataracts of heaven were opened, that is to say the +clouds, and it rained on the earth forty days and forty nights. And the +ark was elevate and borne upon the waters on height above the mountains +and hills, for the water was grown higher fifteen cubits above all the +mountains, that it should purge and wash the filth of the air. Then was +consumed all that was on the earth living, man, woman, and beast and +birds. And all that ever bare life, so that nothing abode upon the +earth, for the water was fifteen cubits above the highest mountain of +the earth. And when Noah was entered he shut the door fast without +forth, and limed it with glue. + +And so the waters abode elevate in height an hundred and fifty days from +the day that Noah entered in. And our Lord then remembered Noah and all +them that were in the ark with him, and also on the beasts and fowls, +and ceased the waters. And the wells and cataracts were closed, and the +rains were prohibited, and forbidden to rain no more. The seventh month, +the twenty-seventh day of the month, the ark rested on the hills of +Armenia. The tenth month, of the first day of the month, the tops of the +hills appeared first. After these forty days after the lessing of the +waters, Noah opened the window and desired sore to have tidings of +ceasing of the flood. And sent out a raven for to have tidings, and when +he was gone he returned no more again, for peradventure she found some +dead carrion of a beast swimming on the water, and lighted thereon to +feed her and was left there. After this he sent out a dove which flew +out, and when she could find no place to rest ne set her foot on, she +returned unto Noah and he took her in. Yet then were not the tops of +the hills bare. And seven days after he sent her out again, which at +even returned, bearing a branch of an olive tree, burgeoning, in her +mouth. And after other seven days he sent her again, which came no more +again. + +Then in the year of Noah six hundred and one, the first day of the +month, Noah opened the covering of the ark and saw that the earth was +dry, but he durst not go out, but abode the commandment of our Lord. The +second month, the twenty-seventh day of the month, our Lord said to +Noah: Go out of the ark, thou and thy wife, thy sons and the wives of +thy sons. He commanded them to go conjointly out which disjointly +entered, and let go out with them all the beasts and fowls living, and +all the reptiles, every each after his kind and gender, to whom our Lord +said: Grow ye and multiply upon the earth. Then Noah issued out and his +wife, and his sons with their wives, and all the beasts, the same day a +year after they entered in, every one after his gender. Noah then +edified an altar to our Lord and took of all the beasts that were clean +and offered sacrifice unto our Lord; and our Lord smelled the sweetness +of the sacrifice and said to Noah: From henceforth I shall not curse the +earth for man, for he is prone and ready to fall from the beginning of +his youth. I shall no more destroy man by such vengeance. And then our +Lord blessed them and said: Grow ye and multiply the earth and be ye +lords of all the beasts of the earth, of the fowls of the air, and of +the fishes. I have given all things to you, but eat no flesh with the +blood. I command you to slay no man, nor to shed no man's blood. I have +made man after mine image. Whosomever sheddeth his brother's blood, his +blood shall be shed. Go ye forth and grow and multiply and fill the +earth. This said our Lord to Noah and his sons: Lo! I have made a +covenant with you and with them that shall come after you, that I shall +no more bring such a flood to slay all people, and in token thereof I +have set my rainbow in the clouds of heaven, for who that trespasseth I +shall do justice otherwise on him. Noah lived after the flood three +hundred and fifty years. From the time of Adam until after Noah's flood, +the time and season was alway green and tempered; and all that time men +ate no flesh, for the herbs and fruits were then of great strength and +effect, they were pure and nourishing. But after the flood the earth was +weaker and brought not forth so good fruit, wherefore flesh was ordained +to be eaten. And then Noah began to labor for his livelihood with his +sons, and began to till the earth, to destroy briars and thorns and to +plant vines. And so on a time Noah had drunk so much of the wine that he +was drunk, and lay and slept. Ham, his middlest son, laughed and scorned +his father, and called his brethren to see, which rebuked Ham of his +folly and sin. And Noah awoke, and when he understood how Ham his son +had scorned him, he cursed him and also his son Canaan, and blessed Shem +and Japhet. All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years and +then he died. And after his death his sons dealed all the world between +them, Shem had all Asia, Ham Africa, and Japhet all Europe. Thus was it +departed. Asia is the best part and is as much as the other two, and +that is in the east. Africa is the south part, and therein is Carthage +and many rich countries, therein be blue and black men. Ham had that to +his part Africa. The third part is Europe which is in the north and +west, therein is Greece, Rome, and Germany. In Europe reigneth now most +the christian law and faith, wherein is many a rich realm. And so was +the world departed to the three sons of Noah. + + + + +THE RAINBOW + + +Triumphal arch, that fill'st the sky + When storms prepare to part, +I ask not proud Philosophy + To teach me what thou art. + +Still seem, as to my childhood's sight, + A midway station given, +For happy spirits to alight, + Betwixt the earth and heaven. + +Can all that optics teach, unfold + Thy form to please me so, +As when I dreamt of gems and gold + Hid in thy radiant bow? + +When science from creation's face + Enchantment's veil withdraws, +What lovely visions yield their place + To cold material laws! + +And yet, fair bow, no fabling dreams, + But words of the Most High, +Have told why first thy robe of beams + Was woven in the sky. + +When o'er the green undeluged earth + Heaven's covenant thou didst shine, +How came the world's gray fathers forth + To watch thy sacred sign! + +And when its yellow lustre smiled + O'er mountains yet untrod, +Each mother held aloft her child + To bless the bow of God. + +The earth to thee her incense yields, + The lark thy welcome sings, +When, glittering in the freshen'd fields, + The snowy mushroom springs. + +How glorious is thy girdle, cast + O'er mountain, tower, and town, +Or mirror'd in the ocean vast + A thousand fathoms down! + +As fresh in yon horizon dark, + As young thy beauties seem, +As when the eagle from the ark + First sported in thy beam. + +For, faithful to its sacred page, + Heaven still rebuilds thy span; +Nor lets the type grow pale with age + That first spoke peace to man. + +T. CAMPBELL. + + + + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM + + +The Sunday called Quinquagesima is read in the church the history of the +holy patriarch Abraham which was the son of Terah. This Terah was the +tenth from Noah in the generation of Shem. Japhet had seven sons and Ham +four sons. Out of the generation of Ham Nimrod came, which was a wicked +man and cursed in his works, and began to make the tower of Babel which +was great and high. And at the making of this tower, God changed the +languages, in such wise that no man understood other. For tofore the +building of that tower was but one manner speech in all the world, and +there were made seventy-two speeches. The tower was great, it was ten +miles about and five thousand and eighty-four steps of height. This +Nimrod was the first man that found mawmetry and idolatry, which endured +long and yet doth. Then I turn again to Terah which had three sons, +which was Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Of Nahor came Us, Bus, and Batuel. Of +Us came Job, of Bus came Balaam, and of Batuel Rebekah and Laban. Of +Haran came Lot and two daughters, Melcha and Sara. + +Now I shall speak of Abram of whom our blessed lady came. He wedded +Sara, daughter of his brother Haran. Abram was ever faithful and true, +he was sixty-five years old when his father died, for whom he mourned +till our Lord comforted him, which said to Abram: Abram, make thee ready +and go out of thy land and kindred, and also from the house of thy +father, and come into the land that I shall show to thee. I shall make +thee grow into much people; I shall bless thee and magnify thy name, and +thou shalt be blessed, and I shall bless them that bless thee, and curse +them that curse thee, and in thee shall be blessed all the kindreds of +the earth. + +Abram was seventy years old when he departed from the land of Haran, and +he took with him Sara his wife, and Lot the son of his brother, and +their meiny [company], and his cattle and his substance, and came into +the land of Canaan, and came into the vale of Sichem, in which were ill +people which were the people of Canaan. And our Lord said to Abram: I +shall give to thee this land and to thine heirs. Then Abram did raise an +altar on which he did sacrifice, and blessed and thanked our Lord. Abram +beheld all the land toward the south, and saw the beauty thereof, and +found it like as our Lord told him. But he had not been long in the land +but that there fell great hunger therein, wherefore he left that country +and went into Egypt and took with him Sara his wife. And as they went by +the way Abram said to his wife: I fear and dread sore that when we come +to this people, which be lawless, that they shall take thee for thy +beauty and slay me, because they would use thee. Wherefore say thou art +my sister, and I thy brother, and she agreed thereto. And when they +were come in to that country the people saw that she was so fair, and +anon they told the king, which anon commanded that she should be brought +into his presence. And when she was come, God of his good grace so +purveyed for her, that no man had power to do her villany. Wherefore the +king was feared that God would have taken vengeance on him for her, and +sent for Abram and said to him that he should take his wife, and that he +had evil done to say, that she was his sister, and so delivered her +again, and gave him gold and silver, and bade that men should worship +him in all his land, and he should freely at his pleasure depart with +all his goods. Then after this Abram took his wife Sara and went home +again, and came unto Bethel, and set there an altar of stone, and there +he adored and worshipped the name of God. His store and beasts began to +multiply, and Lot with his meiny was also there. And their beasts began +so sore to increase and multiply, that unnethe [hardly] the country +might suffice to their pasture, in so much that rumor and grudging began +to sourde and arise between the herdmen of Abram and the herdmen of Lot. +Then Abram said to Lot: Lo! this country is great and wide, I pray thee +to choose on which hand thou wilt go, and take it for thy meiny and thy +beasts. And let no strife be between me and thee, ne between my herdmen +ne thy herdmen. Lo! behold all the country is tofore thee, take which +thou wilt; if thou go on the right side, I shall go on the left side, +and if thou take the left, I will go on the right side. Then Lot beheld +the country and saw a fair plain toward flom Jordan, which was pleasant, +and the flood ran toward Sodom and Gomorrah, which was like a paradise, +and took that part for him. And Abram took toward the west, which was +beside the people of Canaan at the foot of mount Mamre. And Lot dwelled +in Sodom. The people of Sodom were worst of all people. + +Our Lord said to Abram: Lift up thine eyes and see directly from the +place that thou art now in, from the north to the south, and from the +east to the west. All this land that thou seest I shall give thee, and +to thy seed for evermore. I shall make thy seed as powder or dust of the +earth, who that may number the dust of the earth shall number thy seed. +Arise therefore and walk the land in length and in breadth, for I shall +give it to thee. Abram moved then his tabernacle and dwelled in the +valley of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and set there his tabernacle. It +happened soon after that there was a war in that land, that four kings +warred again other five kings, which were of Sodom, Gomorrah and other. +And the four kings overthrew the five and slew them, and spoiled and +took all the substance of the country and took also with them Lot and +all his goods. And a man gat away from them and came to Abram, and told +him how that Lot was taken and led away. And then anon Abram did do +gather his people together, the number of three hundred and eighteen. +And followed after, and departed his people in two parties because they +should not escape. And Abram smote in among them, and slew the kings, +and rescued Lot and all his goods, and delivered the men of Sodom that +were taken and the women. And they of Sodom came against him, and +Melchisedech came and met with him, and offered to him bread and wine. +This Melchisedech was king and priest of Jerusalem and all the country, +and blessed Abram. And there Abram gave to him the tythes of all he had. +And the king of Sodom would that Abram should have had such prey as he +took, but he would not have as much as the latchet of a shoe, and thus +gat Abram much love of all the people. + +After this our Lord appeared to Abram in a vision and said: Abram, dread +thee nothing, I am thy protector, and thy reward and meed shall be +great. Abram answered: Lord God, what wilt thou give me? Thou wottest +well I have no children, and sith I have none I will well that Eleazar +the son of my bailiff be my heir. Nay, said our Lord, he shall not be +thine heir, but he that shall issue and come of thy seed shall be thine +heir. Our Lord led him out and bade him behold the heaven, and number +the stars if thou mayst, and said to him, so shall thy offspringing and +seed be. And Abram believed it and gave faith to our Lord's words, and +it was reputed to him to justice. And our Lord said to him, I am the +Lord that led thee out of the land of Ur of the Chaldees for to give to +thee this land into thy possession. And Abram said: Lord, how shall I +know that I shall possess it? A voice said to Abram: Thy seed shall be +exiled into Egypt by the space of four hundred years, and shall be +there in servitude, and after, I shall bring them hither again in the +fourth generation. Thou shalt abide here unto thy good age, and shalt be +buried here, and go with thy fathers in peace. Sara was yet without +child, and she had a handmaid named Hagar, an Egyptian, and she on a day +said to Abram her husband: Thou seest I may bear no child, wherefore I +would thou took Hagar my maid, that thou might get a child which I might +keep and hold for mine. And ten year after that Abram had dwelled in +that land, he took Hagar, and anon she despised her mistress. Then Sara +said to Abram: Thou dost evil. My servant now hath me in despite, God +judge this between thee and me. To whom Abram answered: Thine handmaid +is in thine hands, chastise her as it pleaseth thee. After this Sara +chastised Hagar and put her to so great affliction that she went away; +and as she went an angel met with her in the wilderness by a well, and +said: Hagar, whence comest and whither goest thou? She answered: I flee +away from the face of my lady Sara. To whom the angel said, return again +and submit thee by humbleness unto thy lady, and I shall multiply thy +seed, and so much people shall come of it that it cannot be numbered for +multitude. And he said furthermore: Thou shalt bear a child and shalt +call him Ishmael. He shall be a fierce man, he shall be against all men, +and all men against him. Then Hagar returned home and served her lady, +and soon after this she was delivered of Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six +years old when Ishmael was born. + +When Abram was ninety-nine years, our Lord appeared to him and said: +Abram, lo! I am the Lord Almighty, walk thou before me and be perfect, +and I shall keep covenant between me and thee and shall multiply thy +seed greatly. And Abram fell down lowting low to the earth and thanked +him. Then our Lord said I AM, and my covenant I shall keep to thee, thou +shalt be father of much people. Thou shalt no more be called Abram, but +Abraham, for I have ordained thee father of much people. I shall make +thee to increase most abundantly; kings and princes shall come of thee, +and shall stablish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed in thy +generations. I shall give to thee and to thy seed after thee the land of +thy pilgrimage, all the land of Canaan, into their possession and I +shall be their God. Yet said God to Abraham: And thou shalt keep thy +covenant to me, and thine heirs after thee in their generations, and +this shall be the covenant that ye shall keep and thine heirs after +thee. Every child masculine that shall be born shall be circumcised when +he is eight days old. And see that the men in your generation be +circumcised, begin at thyself and thy children. And all that dwell in +thy kindred, who of you that shall not be circumcised shall be cast and +put out for ever from my people, because he obeyeth not my statute and +ordinance. And thy wife Sara shall be called no more Sara but she shall +be called Sarah, and I shall bless her, and shall give to thee a son of +her, whom I shall bless also. I shall him increase into nations, and +kings of peoples shall come of him. Abraham fell down on his face +toward the earth and laughed in his heart, saying: May it be that a +woman of ninety years may bear a child? I beseech thee, Lord, that +Ishmael may live before thee. Our Lord said to Abraham, Sarah shall +bring forth a son whom thou shalt name Isaac, and I shall keep my +covenant to him for evermore, and to his heirs after him. And I have +heard thy request for Ishmael also. I shall bless him and increase, and +shall multiply his seed into much people, twelve dukes shall come of +him. I shall keep my covenant to Isaac, whom Sarah shall bring forth the +next year. + +After this on a time, as Abraham sat beside his house in the vale of +Mamre in the heat of the day, and as he lift up his eyes, he saw three +young men coming to him, and anon as he saw these three standing by him +he ran to them and worshipped one alone; he saw three and worshipped but +one. That betokeneth the Trinity, and prayed them to be harboured with +him, and took water and washed their feet: and prayed them to tarry +under the tree, and he would bring bread to them for to comfort them. +And they bade him do as he had said, he went and bade Sarah to make +three ashy cakes and sent his child for a tender fat calf, which was +sodden and boiled. And he served them with butter and milk, and the +calf, and set it tofore them. He stood by them, and when they had eaten +they demanded him: Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said: Yonder in the +tabernacle. And he said, I shall go and come again, and Sarah thy wife +shall have a child. And she stood behind the door and heard it and +laughed, and said softly to herself: How may it be that I should bear a +child? She thought it impossible. Then said our Lord to Abraham: Why +laugheth Sarah thy wife, saying in scorn, Shall I bear a child? but as I +said to thee before, I shall return and come again, and she shall have a +child in that time. And he asked Sarah why she smiled in scorn, and she +said she smiled ne laughed not, and our Lord said, It is not so, for +thou laughedst. + +When they had rested Abraham conveyed them on the way. And our Lord said +to Abraham: I have not hid from thee what I purpose to do. The cry of +Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied and their sin is much grievous. I shall +descend and see if the sin be so great, the stench thereof cometh to +heaven, I shall take vengeance and destroy them. Then Abraham said: I +hope, Lord, thou wilt not destroy the just and righteous man with the +wicked sinner. I beseech thee, Lord, to spare them. Our Lord said: If +there be fifty good and righteous men among them, I shall spare them. +And Abraham said: Good Lord, if there be found forty, I pray thee to +spare them. Our Lord said: If there be forty, I shall spare them, and so +from forty to thirty and from thirty to twenty and from twenty to ten, +and our Lord said: If there be found ten good men among them, I shall +not destroy them. And then our Lord went from Abraham, and he returned +home again. That same eventide came two angels into Sodom, and Lot sat +at his gate, and when he saw them he went and worshipped them and +prayed them to come and rest in his house, and abide there and wash +their feet. And they said: Nay, we shall abide here in the street, and +Lot constrained them and brought them into his house and made a feast to +them. Then said the angels to Lot: If thou have here of thy kindred, +sons or daughters, all them that long to thee, lead out of this city, we +shall destroy this place, for the cry thereof is come to our Lord, which +hath sent us for to destroy them. Lot went unto his kinsmen and said: +Arise and take your children, and go out of this city, for our Lord +shall destroy it. And they supposed that he had raved or japed [jested]. +And as soon as it was day the angels said to Lot: Arise, and take thy +wife and thy two daughters, and go out of this town lest ye perish with +them. Yet he dissimuling, they took him by the hand and his wife and two +daughters, because that God should spare them, and led them out of the +city. And there they said to him: Save thy soul and look not behind thee +lest thou perish also, but save thee in the mountain. Lot said to them: +I beseech thee, my Lord, forasmuch as thy servant hath found grace +before thee, and that thou hast showed thy mercy to me, and that +peradventure I might take harm on the hill, that I may go into the +little city hereby and may be saved there. He said to Lot: I have heard +thy prayers, and for thy sake I shall not subvert this town for which +thou hast prayed, hie thee and save thyself there, for I may do nothing +till thou be therein. Therefore that town is called Zoar. So Lot went +in to Zoar; and the sun arose, and our Lord rained from heaven upon +Sodom and Gomorrah sulphur and fire, and subverted the cities and all +the dwellers of the towns about that region, and all that was there +growing and burgeoning. Lot's wife turned her and looked toward the +cities, and anon she was turned into a statue or image of salt, which +abideth so unto this day. Abraham arose in the morning early, and looked +toward the cities, and saw the smoke ascending from the places, like as +it had been the light of a furnace. What time our Lord subverted these +cities he remembered Abraham, and delivered Lot from the vengeance of +the cities in which he dwelled. Then Lot ascended from Zoar and dwelled +in the mountain, and his two daughters with him. He dreaded to abide any +longer in the town, but dwelled in a cave, he and his two daughters with +him. + +Abraham departed from thence and went southward and dwelled between +Kadesh and Shur, and went a pilgrimage to Gerar. He said that his wife +was his sister. Abimelech the king of Gerar sent for her and took her. +God came to Abimelech in his sleep and said: Thou shalt be dead for the +woman that thou hast taken, she hath an husband. Abimelech said: Lord, +wilt thou slay a man ignorant and rightful? She said that she was his +sister, in the simpleness of my heart and cleanness of my hands I did +this. And God said to him: I know well that with a simple heart thou +didst it, and therefore I have kept thee from her, now yield the woman +to her husband, and he shall pray for thee, he is a prophet and thou +shalt live. And if thou deliver her not, thou shalt die, and all they +that be in thy house. Abimelech arose up the same night and called all +his servants, and told them all these words. All they dreaded sore. Also +Abimelech called Abraham and said to him: What hast thou done to us, +that we have trespassed to thee? Thou hast caused me and my realm to sin +greatly. Thou hast done that thou shouldst not have done. What sawest +thou for to do so? Abraham said: I thought that the dread of God was not +in this place, and that ye would slay me for my wife; and certainly +otherwise she is also my sister, the daughter of my father but not of my +mother, and I have wedded her. And after that I went from the house of +my father, I said to her: Wheresomever we go say thou art my sister. + +Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and servants and maidens, and gave to +Abraham, and delivered to him Sarah his wife, and said: Lo! the land is +here tofore thee, wheresoever thou wilt, dwell and abide. And he said to +Sarah: Lo! I have given to thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, this +shall be to thee a veil of thine eyes, and wheresomever thou go, +remember that thou wert taken. Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his +meiny [company] and God healed him, his wife and all his servants. Our +Lord then visited Sarah, and she brought forth a son in her old age, +that same time that God had promised. Abraham called his son that she +had borne, Isaac, and when he was eight days old he circumcised him as +God had commanded, and Abraham was then an hundred years old. Then said +Sarah: Who would have supposed that I should give suck to my child, +being so old? I laughed when I heard our Lord say so, and all they that +shall hear of it may well laugh. The child grew and was weaned, and +Abraham made a great feast at the day of his weaning. After this, on a +day when Sarah saw the son of Hagar her handmaid play with her son +Isaac, she said to Abraham: Cast out this handmaid with her son, the son +of the handmaid shall not be heir with my son Isaac. Abraham took this +word hard and grievously for his son. Then said God to him: Let it not +be hard to thee for thy son and handmaid, whatsomever Sarah say to thee +hear her voice, for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Yet shall I make +the son of the handmaid grow into great people, for he is of thy seed. +Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, +and laid it on her shoulder, and gave to her the child and let her go, +which, when she was departed, erred in the wilderness of Beersheba. And +when the water was consumed that was in the bottle, she left the child +under a tree that was there and went thence as far as a bow shot and sat +her down, and said: I shall not see my son die, and there she wept. Our +Lord heard the voice of the child, and an angel called Hagar saying, +What doest thou, Hagar? Be not afeard, our Lord hath heard the voice of +the child from the place which he is now in. Arise and take the child +and hold him by the hand, for I shall make him to increase into much +people. God opened her eyes and she saw a pit of water, and anon she +went and filled the bottle, and gave the child to drink, and abode with +him, which grew and dwelled in the wilderness, and became there a young +man and an archer, and dwelled also in the desert of Paran. And his +mother took to him a wife of the land of Egypt. + +That same time said Abimelech, and Phicol the prince of his host, unto +Abraham: Our Lord is with thee in all things that thou doest. Swear thou +by the Lord that thou grieve not me, ne them that shall come after me, +ne my kindred, but after the mercy that I have showed to thee, so do to +me and to my land in which thou hast dwelled as a stranger. And Abraham +said, I shall swear. And he blamed Abimelech for the pit of water which +his servants had taken away by strength. Abimelech answered: I know not +who hath done this thing, and thou toldest me not thereof, and I never +heard thereof till this day. And then after this they made covenant +together, and promised each to other to be friends together. + +After all these things God tempted Abraham, and said to him: Abraham, +Abraham. He answered and said: I am here, and he said to him: Take thou +thine only son that thou lovest, Isaac, and go into the land of Vision +and offer him in sacrifice to me upon one of the hills that I shall show +to thee. Then Abraham arose in the night, and made ready his ass, and +took with him two young men and Isaac his son. And when they had hewn +and gathered the wood together to make sacrifice, they went to the +place that God commanded him. The third day after, he lift up his eyes +and saw from afar the place, and he said to his children: Abide ye here +with the ass, I and my son shall go to yonder place, and when we have +worshipped there we shall return to you. Then he took the wood of the +sacrifice and laid it on his son Isaac, and he bare in his hands fire +and the sword. And as they went both together, Isaac said to his father: +Father mine. What wilt thou, my son? said Abraham, and he said: Lo! here +is fire and wood, where is the sacrifice that shall be offered? Abraham +answered: My son, God shall provide for him a sacrifice well enough. +They went forth and came to the place that God had ordained, and there +made an altar, and laid the wood thereon, and took Isaac and set him on +the wood on the altar, and took his sword and would have offered him up +to God. And lo! the angel of God cried to him from heaven saying: +Abraham, Abraham, which answered: I am here, and he said to him: Extend +not thy hand upon my child, and do nothing to him, now I know that thou +dreadest God, and hast not spared thine only son for me. Abraham looked +behind him, and saw among the briars a ram fast by the horns, which he +took, and offered him in sacrifice for his son. He called that place: +The Lord seeth. The angel called Abraham the second time saying: I have +sworn by myself, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and +hast not spared thine only son for me, I shall bless thee and shall +multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and like the gravel that is +on the seaside, thy seed shall possess the gates of their enemies, and +in thy seed shall be blessed all the people of the earth, for thou +obeyedst to me. Abraham then returned to his servants, and went into +Beersheba and dwelled there. Sarah lived an hundred and twenty-seven +years and died in the city of Arba, which is Hebron in the land of +Canaan; for whom Abraham made sorrow and wept, and bought of the +children of Heth a field, and buried her worshipfully in a double +spelunke. + +Abraham was an old man, and God blessed him in all his things. He said +to the eldest and upperest servant in all his house: I charge and +conjure thee by the name of God of heaven and of earth that thou suffer +not my son Isaac to take no wife of the daughters of Canaan amongst whom +I dwell, but go into the country where my kindred is, and take of them a +wife to my son. And the servant answered: If no woman there will come +with me into this country, shall I bring thy son into that country from +whence thou earnest? Abraham said: Beware that thou lead not my son +thither. The Lord of heaven and of earth, that took me from the house of +my father and from the place of my nativity, hath said and sworn to me, +saying: To thy seed I shall give this land. He shall send his angel +tofore thee, and thou shalt take there a wife for my son. If no woman +will come with thee thou shalt not be bounden by thine oath, but in no +wise lead my son thither. His servant then swore and promised to him +that he would so do. + +He took ten camels of the flock of his lord, and of all his goods bare +with him, and went in to Mesopotamia unto the town of Nahor. And he made +the camels to tarry without the town by a pit side at such time as the +women be wont to come out for to draw water. And there he prayed our +Lord, saying: Lord God of my lord Abraham, I beseech thee to help me +this day, and do mercy unto my lord Abraham. Lo! I stand here nigh by +the well of water, and the daughters of the dwellers of this town come +hither for to draw water, therefore the maid to whom I say: Set down thy +pot that I may drink, and then she set down her pot and say: I will give +to thee drink, and to the camels, that I may understand thereby that she +be the maid that thou hast ordained to thy servant Isaac, and thou +showest thy mercy to my lord Abraham. He had not fully finished these +words with himself, but that Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah +wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham, came out of the town, having a pot on +her shoulder, which was a right fair maid, and much beauteous and +unknown to the man. She went down to the well and filled her pot with +water and returned. The servant of Abraham ran to her and said: I pray +thee to give me a little of the water in thy pot for to drink. Which +said: Drink, my lord, and lightly took the pot from her shoulder, and +held it, and gave him drink. And when he had drunk she said: Yet I shall +give to thy camels drink, and draw water for them till all have drunken; +and she poured out the water into a vessel that was there for beasts to +drink, and ran to the pit and drew water that every one drank his +draught. He then thought in himself secretly that God had made him to +have a prosperous journey. + +After they had drunk, he gave her two rings to hang on her ears weighing +two shekels, and as many armlets weighing ten shekels, and asked her +whose daughter she was, and if there were any room in her father's house +to be lodged. And she answered: I am daughter to Bethuel, Nahor's son, +and in my father's house is place enough to lodge thee and thy camels, +and plenty of chaff and hay for them. And the man inclined down to the +ground and worshipped God saying: Blessed be the Lord God of my lord +Abraham, which hath not taken away his mercy ne his truth from my lord, +and hath brought me in my journey right into the house of my lord's +brother. The maid Rebekah ran and told at home all that she had heard. +Rebekah had a brother named Laban, which hastily went out to the man +where as he was when he had seen the rings in his sister's ears and her +poinettes or armlets on her hands; and had heard her say all that the +man said. He came to the man that stood by the well yet, and said to +him: Come in, thou blessed of God, why standest thou without? I have +made ready the house for thee, and have ordained place for thy camels. +And brought him in, and strawed his camels, and gave them chaff and hay, +and water to wash the camels' feet, and the men's feet that came with +him. + +And they set forth bread tofore him, which said: I shall not eat till I +have done mine errand and said wherefore I am come. And it was answered +to him, say on, and he said: I am servant of Abraham, and God hath +blessed and magnified him greatly and hath given to him oxen and sheep, +silver and gold, servants men and women, camels and asses. And Sarah his +wife hath brought him forth a son in her old age, and he hath given to +him all that he had. And my lord hath charged and adjured me saying: In +no wise let my son Isaac have no wife of the daughters of Canaan in +whose land he dwelleth, but go unto the house of my father and of my +kindred, and of them thou shall take a wife to my son, wherefore I am +come hither. And told all how he prayed God of some token, and how +Rebekah did to him, and in conclusion desired to have Rebekah for his +lord Isaac; and if he would not, that he might depart and go into some +other place, on the right side or on the left, to seek a wife for his +lord's son. Then Bethuel and Laban said to him: This word is come of +God, against his will we may nothing do. Lo! Rebekah standeth tofore +thee, take her and go forth that she may be wife unto the son of thy +lord, as our Lord hath said. Which words when Abraham's servant had +heard, he fell down to the ground and thanked our Lord, and anon took +forth silver vessels and of gold and good clothes and gave them to +Rebekah for a gift. And to her brethren and mother he gave also gifts, +and anon they made a feast, and ate and were joyful together. On the +morn betimes, the servant of Abraham arose, and desired to depart and +take Rebekah with him and go to his lord. Then the mother and her +brethren said: Let the maid abide with us but only ten days, and then +take her and go thy way. I pray you, said he, retain ne let [hinder] me +not, our Lord hath addressed my way and achieved my errand, wherefore +let me go to my lord. And they said: We shall call the maid and know her +will; and when she was demanded if she would go with that man, she said: +Yea, I shall go with him. Then they let her go, and her nurse with her, +and so she departed, and they said to her: Thou art our sister, we pray +God that thou mayst increase into a thousand thousand, and that thy seed +may possess the gates of their enemies. Then Rebekah and her maidens +ascended upon the camels, and followed the servant of Abraham which +hastily returned unto his lord. + +That same time, when they were come, Isaac walked by the way without +forth and looked up and saw the camels coming from far. Rebekah espied +him and demanded of the servant who that he was that came in the field +against them. He answered and said: That is my lord Isaac, and anon she +took her pall or mantle and covered her. The servant anon told unto his +lord Isaac all that he had done; which received her and led her into the +tabernacle of Sarah his mother and wedded her, and took her in to his +wife, and so much loved her, that the love attempered the sorrow that he +had for his mother. Abraham after this wedded another wife, by whom he +had divers children. Abraham gave to Isaac all his possessions, and to +his other children he gave movable goods, and departed the sons of his +concubines from his son Isaac whilst he yet lived. And all the days of +the life of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five years, and then +died in good mind and age, and Isaac and Ishmael buried him by his wife +Sarah in a double spelunke [cave]. + + + + +HERE BEGINNETH THE LIFE OF ISAAC + +WITH THE HISTORY OF ESAU AND OF JACOB + +_Which is read in the Church the Second Sunday in Lent_ + + +Isaac was forty years old when he wedded Rebekah and she bare him no +children. Wherefore he besought our Lord that she might bring forth +fruit. Our Lord heard his prayer, and she had twain sons at once. The +first was rough from the head to the foot, and he was named Esau; and +the other was named Jacob. Isaac the father was sixty years old when +these children were born. And after this, when they were grown to +reasonable age, Esau became a ploughman, and a tiller of the earth, and +an hunter. And Jacob was simple and dwelled at home with his mother. +Isaac the father loved well Esau, because he ate oft of the venison that +Esau took, and Rebekah the mother loved Jacob. + +Jacob on a time had made a good pottage, and Esau his brother had been +an hunting all day and came home sore an hungred, and found Jacob having +good pottage, and prayed him to give him some, for he was weary and much +hungry. To whom Jacob said: If thou wilt sell to me thy patrimony and +heritage I shall give thee some pottage. And Esau answered, Lo! I die +for hunger, what shall avail me mine inheritance if I die, and what +shall profit me my patrimony? I am content that thou take it for this +pottage. Jacob then said: Swear that to me thou shalt never claim it, +and that thou art content I shall enjoy it, and Esau sware it, and so +sold away his patrimony, and took the pottage and ate it, and went his +way, setting nothing thereby that he had sold his patrimony. This +aforesaid is to bring in my matter of the history that is read, for now +followeth the legend as it is read in the church. + +Isaac began to wax old and his eyes failed and dimmed that he might not +clearly see. And on a time he called Esau his oldest son and said to +him: Son mine, which answered: Father, I am here ready, to whom the +father said: Behold that I wax old and know not the day that I shall die +and depart out of this world, wherefore take thine harness, thy bow and +quiver with tackles, and go forth an hunting, and when thou hast taken +any venison, make to me thereof such manner meat as thou knowest that I +am wont to eat, and bring it to me that I may eat it, and that my soul +may bless thee ere I die. Which all these words Rebekah heard. And Esau +went forth for to accomplish the commandment of his father, and she said +then to Jacob: I have heard thy father say to Esau, thy brother: Bring +to me of thy venison, and make thereof meat that I may eat, and that I +may bless thee tofore our Lord ere I die. Now my son, take heed to my +counsel, and go forth to the flock, and bring to me two the best kids +that thou canst find, and I shall make of them meat such as thy father +shall gladly eat, which when thou hast brought to him and hast eaten he +may bless thee ere he die: To whom Jacob answered: Knowest thou not that +my brother is rough and hairy and I am smooth? If my father take me to +him and taste me and feel, I dread me that he shall think that I mock +him, and shall give me his curse for the blessing. The mother then said +to him: In me, said she, be this curse, my son, nevertheless hear me; go +to the flock and do that I have said to thee. He went and fetched the +kids and delivered them to his mother, and she went and ordained them +into such meat as she knew well that his father loved, and took the best +clothes that Esau had, and did them on Jacob. And the skins of the kid +she did about his neck and hands there as he was bare, and delivered to +him bread and the pulment that she had boiled. And he went to his father +and said: Father mine, and he answered: I am here; who art thou, my son? +Jacob said: I am Esau, thy first begotten son, I have done as thou +commandedst me, arise, sit and eat of the venison of my hunting that thy +soul may bless me. Then said Isaac again to his son: How mightest thou, +said he, so soon find and take it, my son? To whom he answered: It was +the will of God that such thing as I desired came soon to my hand. Isaac +said to him: Come hither to me, my son, that I may touch and handle +thee, that I may prove whether thou be my son Esau or not. He came to +his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said: The voice truly is the +voice of Jacob, but the hands be the hands of Esau. And he knew him not, +for his hands expressed the likeness and similitude of the more +brother. Therefore blessing him, he said to him: Thou art then my son +Esau? He answered and said: I am he. Then said Isaac: Bring to the meat +of thine hunting, my son, that my soul may bless thee; which he offered +and gave to his father, and also wine. And when he had eaten and drunken +a good draught of the wine, he said to Jacob: Come hither to me, my son, +and kiss me; and he went to him and kissed him. Anon as he felt the +sweet savour and smell of his clothes, blessing him he said: Lo! the +sweet odour of my son is as the odour of a field full of flowers, whom +our Lord bless. God give to thee of the dew of heaven, and of the +fatness of the earth, abundance of wheat, wine, and oil, and the people +serve thee, and the tribes worship thee. Be thou lord of thy brethren, +and the sons of thy mother shall bow down and kneel to thee. Whosomever +curseth thee, be he accursed, and who that blesseth thee, with blessings +be he fulfilled. + +Unnethe [hardly] had Isaac fulfilled these words and Jacob gone out, +when that Esau came with his meat that he had gotten with hunting, +entered in, and offered to his father saying: Arise, father mine, and +eat of the venison that thy son hath ordained for thee, that thy soul +may bless me. Isaac said to him: Who art thou? To whom he answered, I am +thy first begotten son Esau. Isaac then was greatly abashed and +astonied, and marvelled more than can be thought credible. And then he +was in a trance, as the master of histories saith, in which he had +knowledge that God would that Jacob should have the blessing. And said +to Esau: Who then was he that right now a little tofore thy coming +brought to me venison? And I have eaten of all that he brought to me ere +thou camest. I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. When Esau +heard these words of his father, he cried with a great cry, and was sore +astonied and said: Father, I pray thee bless me also. To whom he said: +Thy brother germain is come fraudulently, and hath received thy +blessing. Then said Esau: Certainly and justly may his name be called +well Jacob, for on another time tofore this he supplanted me of my +patrimony, and now secondly he hath undernome from me my blessing. And +yet then he said to his father: Hast thou not reserved to me one +blessing? Isaac answered: I have ordained him to be thy lord, I have +subdued all his brethren to his servitude. I have stablished him in +wheat, wine and oil. And after this what shall I do to thee, my son? To +whom Esau said: Hast thou not, father, yet one blessing? I beseech thee +to bless me. Then with a great sighing and weeping Isaac moved said to +him: In the fatness of the earth and in the dew of heaven shall be thy +blessing, thou shalt live in thy sword, and shalt serve thy brother. +Then was Esau woebegone, and hated Jacob for supplanting him of his +blessing that his father had blessed him with, and said in his heart: +The days of sorrow shall come to my father, for I shall slay my brother +Jacob. This was told to Rebekah, which anon sent for Jacob her son, and +said to him: Lo! Esau thy brother threateneth to slay thee, therefore +now my son hear my voice and do as I shall counsel. Make thee ready and +go to my brother in Aran, and dwell there with him unto the time that +his anger and fury be overpast, and his indignation ceased, and that he +forget such things that thou hast done to him, and then after that I +shall send for thee, and bring thee hither again. And Rebekah went to +Isaac her husband and said: I am weary of my life because of the +daughters of Heth, if Jacob take to him a wife of that kindred, I will +no longer live. Isaac then called Jacob and blessed him and commanded to +him saying: I charge thee in no wise to take a wife of the kindred of +Canaan, but go and walk into Mesopotamia of Syria, unto the house of +Bethuel, father of thy mother, and take to thee there a wife of the +daughters of Laban thine uncle. God Almighty bless thee, and make thee +grow and multiply, that thou mayst be increased into tourbes of people, +and give to thee the blessings of Abraham, and to thy seed after thee, +that thou mayst possess and own the land of thy pilgrimage which he +granted to thy grandsire. When Isaac had thus said, and given him leave +to go, he departed anon, and went into Mesopotamia of Syria to Laban, +son of Bethuel, brother of Rebekah his mother. Esau seeing that his +father had blessed Jacob and sent him into Mesopotamia of Syria to wed a +wife there, and that after his blessing commanded to him saying: Take +thou no wife of the daughters of Canaan; and he obeying his father went +into Syria, proving thereby that his father saw not gladly the daughters +of Canaan, he went to Ishmael, and took him a wife beside them that he +had taken tofore, that was Melech, daughter of Ishmael, son of Abraham. + +Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went forth on his journey toward +Aran. When he came to a certain place after going down of the sun and +would rest there all night, he took of the stones that were there and +laid under his head and slept in the same place. And there he saw in his +sleep a ladder standing on the earth, and the upper end thereof touched +heaven, and angels of God ascending and descending upon it, and our Lord +in the midst of the ladder saying to him: I am the Lord God of Abraham +thy father, and of Isaac; the land on which thou sleepest I shall give +to thee and to thy seed, and thy seed shall be as dust of the earth; +thou shalt spread abroad unto the east and unto the west, and north and +south, and all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed in thee and in +thy seed. And I shall be thy keeper wheresoever thou shalt go, and shall +bring thee again into this land, and I shall not leave till I have +accomplished all that I have said. When Jacob was awaked from his sleep +and dreaming, he said: Verily God is in this place, and I wist not of +it. And he said dreadingly: How terrible is this place, none other thing +is here but the house of God and the gate of heaven. Then Jacob arose +early and took the stone that lay under his head, and raised it for +witness, pouring oil thereon, and called the name of the place Bethel +which tofore was called Luza. And there he made a vow to our Lord, +saying: If God be with me and keep me in the way that I walk, and give +me bread to eat, and clothes to cover me, and I may return prosperously +into the house of my father, the Lord shall be my God, and this stone +that I have raised in witness, this shall be called the house of God. +And the good of all things that thou givest to me, I shall offer to thee +the tithes and tenth part. Then Jacob went forth into the east, and saw +a pit in a field and three flocks of sheep lying by it, for of that pit +were the beasts watered. And the mouth thereof was shut and closed with +a great stone, for the custom was when all the sheep were gathered, they +rolled away the stone, and when they had drunken they laid the stone +again at the pit mouth. And then he said to the shepherds: Brethren, +whence are ye? Which answered: Of Aran. Then he asking them said: Know +ye not Laban, son of Nahor? They said: We know him well. How fareth he, +said he, is he all whole? He fareth well, said they; and lo! Rachel his +daughter cometh there with her flock. Then said Jacob: It is yet far to +even, it is yet time that the flocks be led to drink, and after be +driven to pasture, which answered: We may not so do till all the beasts +be gathered, and then we remove the stone from the mouth of the pit and +water our beasts. And as they talked, Rachel came with the flock of her +father, for she kept that time the beasts. And when Jacob saw her and +knew that she was his erne's [uncle's] daughter, and that they were his +erne's sheep, he removed the stone from the pit's mouth, and when her +sheep had drunken, he kissed her, and weeping he told her that he was +brother to her father and son of Rebekah. Then she hied her and told it +to her father, which when he understood that Jacob, his sister's son, +was come, he ran against him and, embracing, kissed him, and led him +into his house. And when he had heard the cause of his journey he said: +Thou art my mouth and my flesh. + +And when he had been there the space of a month, he demanded Jacob if he +would gladly serve him because he was his cousin, and what hire and +reward he would have. He had two daughters, the more was named Leah, and +the less was called Rachel, but Leah was blear-eyed, and Rachel was fair +of visage and well-favored, whom Jacob loved, and said: I shall serve +thee for Rachel thy younger daughter seven years. Laban answered: It is +better that I give her to thee than to a strange man; dwell and abide +with me, and thou shalt have her. And so Jacob served him for Rachel +seven years, and him thought it but a little while, because of the great +love that he had to her. And at the end of seven years, Jacob said to +Laban: Give to me my wife, for the time is come that I should have her. +Then Laban called all his friends and made a feast for the wedding, and +at night he brought in Leah, the more daughter, and delivered to her an +handmaid named Zilpah. Then Jacob, when the morning came, saw that it +was Leah. He said to Laban her father: What hast thou done? Have I not +served thee for Rachel, why hast thou brought Leah to me? Laban +answered: It is not the usage ne custom of our country to give the +younger first to be wedded, but fulfil and make an end of this marriage +this week, and then shall I give to thee Rachel my daughter for other +seven years that thou shalt serve to me. Jacob agreed gladly, and when +that week was passed, he wedded Rachel to his wife. To whom Laban her +father gave an handmaid named Bilhah. Nevertheless when the wedding of +the younger was finished, because of the great love that he had to her, +him thought that the other seven years were but short. + +[And Jacob while he served Laban had these sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, +Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph.] When +Joseph was born, Jacob said to Laban his wives' father: Give me leave to +depart that I may go in to my country and my land; give to me my wives +and children for whom I have served thee that I may go hence. Thou +knowest what service I have served thee. Laban said to him: I have +founden grace in thy sight; I know it by experience that God hath +blessed me for thee; I have ordained the reward that I shall give to +thee. Then Jacob answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how +much thy possession was in my hands. Thou hadst but little when I came +to thee, and now thou art rich, God hath blessed thee at mine entry; it +is now right that I provide somewhat toward mine house. Laban said: What +shall I give to thee? Jacob answered: I will nothing but that thou do +that I demand. I shall yet feed and keep thy beasts, and depart asunder +all the sheep of divers colors. And all that ever shall be of divers +colors and spotty, as well in sheep as in goats, let me have them for my +reward and meed, and Laban granted thereto. Then at time of departing, +Laban took them of two colors, and Jacob them that were of one color. +Thus was Jacob made much rich out of measure, and had many flocks, and +servants both men and women, camels and asses. + +After that Jacob had heard Laban's sons say: Jacob hath taken all that +was our father's from him, and of his faculty is made rich, he was +abashed and understood well by Laban's looking that he was not so +friendly to himward as he had been tofore. And also our Lord said to him +that he should return into the land of his fathers and to his +generation, and that he would be with him. He then called Rachel and +Leah into the field whereas he fed his flocks, and said to them: I see +well by your father's visage that he is not toward me as he was +yesterday or that other day; forsooth the God of my father was with me, +and ye know well how I have served your father with all my might and +strength, but he hath deceived me, and hath changed mine hire and meed +ten times, and yet our Lord hath not suffered him to grieve me. When he +said the beasts of party color should be mine, then all the ewes brought +forth lambs of variable colors. And when he said the contrary they +brought forth all white. God hath taken the substance of your father and +hath given it to me. And now God hath commanded me to depart, wherefore +make you ready and let us depart hence. Then answered Rachel and Leah: +Shall we have nothing else of our father's faculty and of the heritage +of his house? Shall he repute us as strangers, and he hath eaten and +sold our goods? Sith God hath taken the goods of our father and hath +given it to us and to our children, wherefore all that God commanded to +thee, do it. + +Jacob arose and set his children and his wives upon his camels, and went +his way and took all his substance, and flocks, and all that he had +gotten in Mesopotamia and went toward his father Isaac into the land of +Canaan. That time was Laban gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole +away the idols of her father. Jacob would not let Laban know of his +departing, and when he was departed with all that longed to him of +right, he came to the mount of Gilead. It was told to Laban, the third +day after, that Jacob was fled and gone, who anon took his brethren and +pursued him by the space of seven days and overtook him in the mount of +Gilead. He saw our Lord in his sleep saying to him: Beware that thou +speak not angrily ne hard words to Jacob. That time Jacob had set his +tabernacle in the hill, and when he came thither with his brethren, he +said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus to me to take away my daughters +as prisoners taken by sword? Why fleddest thou from me and wouldst not +let me have knowledge thereof? Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons +and daughters, thou hast done follily. Now may I do thee harm and evil, +but the God of thy father said to me yesterday: Beware that thou speak +no hard words against Jacob. Thou desirest to go to the house of thy +father, why hast thou stolen my gods? Jacob answered: That I departed +thee not knowing, I dreaded that violently thou wouldst have taken from +me thy daughters. And where thou reprovest me of theft, whosoever have +stolen thy gods let him be slain tofore our brethren. Seek and what thou +findest that is thine, take with thee. + +He, saying this, knew not that Rachel had stolen her father's gods. Then +Laban entered the tabernacle of Jacob and Leah, and sought and found +nothing. And when he came into the tabernacle of Rachel, she hied her +and hid the idols under the litter of her camel and sat upon it. And he +sought and found nought. Then said Rachel: Let not my lord be wroth for +I may not arise to thee, for sickness is fallen to me, and so she +deceived her father. Then Jacob, being angry and grudging, said to +Laban: What is my trespass and what have I sinned to thee that thou hast +pursued me, and hast searched everything? What hast thou now founden of +all the substance of thy house? Lay it forth tofore my brethren and thy +brethren, that they judge between me and thee. I have served thee twenty +years and have been with thee, thy sheep and thy goats were never +barren. I have eaten no wethers of thy flock, nor beast hath destroyed +none. I shall make all good what was stolen. I prayed therefore day and +night, I labored both in heat and in cold, sleep fled from mine eyes. +Thus I served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters +and six for thy flocks. Thou hast changed mine hire and reward ten +times. But if the God of my father Abraham and the dread of Isaac had +been with me, haply thou wouldst now have left me naked. Our Lord God +hath beholden mine affliction and the labor of mine hands and reproved +thee yesterday. Laban answered to him: My daughters and sons, and thy +flocks, and all that thou beholdest are thine, what may I do to my sons +and nephews? Let us now be friends, and make we a fast league and +confederacy together. Then Jacob raised a stone, and raised it in token +of friendship and peace, and so they ate together in friendship, and +sware each to other to abide in love ever after. And after this Laban +arose in the night, and kissed his daughters and sons, and blessed them, +and returned into his country. + +Jacob went forth in his journey that he had taken. Angels of God met +him, which when he saw, he said: These be the castles of God, and called +that place Mahanaim. He sent messengers tofore him to Esau his brother +in the land of Seir, in the land of Edom, and bade them say thus to +Esau: This saith thy brother Jacob: I have dwelled with Laban unto this +day, I have oxen and asses, servants both men and women. I send now a +legation unto my lord that I may find grace in his sight. These +messengers returned to Jacob and said: We came to Esau thy brother, and +lo! he cometh for to meet thee with four hundred men. Jacob was sore +afraid then, and divided his company into twain turmes [two troops], +saying: If Esau come to that one and destroy that, that other shall yet +be saved. Then said Jacob: O God of my father Abraham, and God of my +father Isaac, O Lord that saidst to me, return into thy land and place +of thy nativity, and saidst I shall do well to thee, I am the least in +all thy mercies, and in thy truth that thou hast granted to thy servant, +with my staff I have gone this river of Jordan, and now I return with +two turmes. I beseech the Lord keep me from the hands of my brother +Esau, for I fear him greatly lest he come and smite down the mother with +the sons. Thou hast said that thou shouldest do well to me and shouldest +spread my seed like unto the gravel of the sea, and that it may not be +numbered for multitude. Then when he had slept that night, he ordained +gifts for to send to his brother, goats two hundred, kids twenty, sheep +two hundred, and rams twenty; forty kine and twenty bulls, twenty asses +and ten foals of them. And he sent by his servants all these beasts; and +bade them say that Jacob his servant sent to him this present and that +he followeth after. And Jacob thought to please him with gifts. + +The night following, him thought a man wrestled with him all that night +till the morning, and when he saw he might not overcome him, he hurted +the sinew of his thigh that he halted thereof, and said to him: Let me +go and leave me, for it is in the morning. Then Jacob answered: I shall +not leave thee but if thou bless me. He said to him: What is thy name? +he answered: Jacob. Then he said: Nay, said he, thy name shall no more +be called Jacob, but Israel, for if thou hast been strong against God, +how much more shalt thou prevail against men? Then Jacob said to him: +What is thy name? tell me. He answered, Why demandest thou my name, +which is marvellous? And he blessed him in the same place. Jacob called +the name of that same place Penuel, saying: I have seen our Lord face to +face, and my soul is made safe. And anon as he was past Penuel the sun +arose. He halted on his foot, and therefore the children of Israel eat +no sinews because it dried in the thigh of Jacob. Then Jacob lifting up +his eyes saw Esau coming and four hundred men with him, and divided the +sons of Leah and of Rachel, and of both their handmaidens, and set each +handmaid and their children tofore in the first place, Leah and her sons +in the second, and Rachel and Joseph all behind. And he going tofore +kneeled down to ground and, worshipping his brother, approached him. +Esau ran for to meet with his brother, and embraced him, straining his +neck, and weeping kissed him, and he looked forth and saw the women and +their children, and said: What been these and to whom longen they? Jacob +answered: They be children which God hath given to me thy servant and +his handmaidens, and their children approached and kneeled down, and +Leah with her children also worshipped him, and last of all Joseph and +Rachel worshipped him. Then said Esau: Whose been these turmes [troops] +which I have met? Jacob answered: I have sent them to thee, my lord, +unto the end that I may stand in thy grace. Esau said: I have many +myself, keep these and let them be thine. Nay, said Jacob, I pray thee +to take this gift which God hath sent me that I may find grace in thy +sight, for meseemeth I see thy visage like the visage of God; and +therefore be thou to me merciful, and take this blessing of me. Unnethe +[hardly] by compelling he taking it, said: Let us go together, I shall +accompany thee and be fellow of thy journey. Then said Jacob: Thou +knowest well, my lord, that I have young children and tender, and sheep +and oxen, which, if I over-labored, should die all in a day, wherefore +please it you, my lord, to go tofore, and I shall follow as I may with +my children and beasts. Esau answered: I pray thee then let my fellows +abide and accompany thee, whatsoever need thou have. Jacob said: It is +no need, I need no more but one, that I may stand in thy favor, my lord. +And Esau returned then the same way and journey that he came into Seir. +And Jacob came to Succoth and builded there an house, and from thence he +went in to Shalem, the town of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan, +and bought there a part of a field, in which he fixed his tabernacles, +of the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for an hundred lambs. And there +he raised an altar, and worshipped upon it the strongest God of Israel. + +After this our Lord appeared to Jacob and said: Arise and go up to +Bethel and dwell there, and make there an altar to the Lord that +appeared to thee in the way when thou fleddest from thy brother Esau. +Jacob then called all them of his house and said: Cast away from you all +your strange gods that be among you, and make you clean and change your +clothes; arise and let us go into Bethel, and make we there an altar to +our Lord that heard me in the day of my tribulation, and was fellow of +my journey. Then they gave to him all their strange gods, and the gold +that hung on their ears, and he dalf a pit behind the city of Shechem +and threw them therein. And when they departed, all the countries +thereabout were afraid and durst not pursue them. Then Jacob came to a +place called Luz which is in the land of Canaan, and all the people with +him, which otherwise is called Bethel. He edified there an altar to our +Lord, and named that place the House of God. Our Lord appeared to him in +that place when he fled from his brother Esau. That same time died +Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, and was buried at the root of Bethel +under an oak. Our Lord appeared again to Jacob after that he was +returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and was come into Bethel, and +blessed him saying: Thou shalt no more be called Jacob but Israel shall +be thy name, and called him Israel, and said to him: I am God Almighty, +grow and multiply, folks and peoples of nations shall come of thee, +kings shall come of thy loins. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac +I shall give to thee and thy seed; and vanished from him. + +He then raised a stone for a remembrance in the place where God spake to +him, and anointed it with oil, calling the name of the place Bethel. He +went thence and came in veer time unto the land that goeth to Ephrath, +in which place Rachel bare a son. And the death drawing near, she named +him Benoni, which is as much to say as the son of my sorrow. The father +called him Benjamin, that is to say the son of the right hand. There +Rachel died and was buried in the way toward Ephrath, that is Bethlehem. +Jacob raised a title upon her tomb; this is the title of the monument of +Rachel unto this present day. Jacob went thence and came to Isaac his +father into Mamre the city of Arbah, that is Hebron, in which dwelled +Abraham and Isaac. And all the days of Isaac were complete, which were +an hundred and fourscore years, and he consumed and died in good mind, +and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him. + +Thus endeth the history of Isaac and his two sons Esau and Jacob. + + + + +HERE BEGINNETH THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN + +_Which is read the Third Sunday in Lent_ + + +Joseph when he was sixteen years old began to keep and feed the flock +with his brethren, he being yet a child, and was accompanied with the +sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, wives of his father. Joseph complained on his +brethren, and accused them to their father of the most evil sin. Israel +loved Joseph above all his sons for as much as he had gotten him in his +old age, and made for him a motley coat. His brethren then seeing that +he was beloved of his father more than they were, hated him and might +not speak to him a peaceable word. It happed on a time that Joseph +dreamed, and saw a sweven [dream], and told it to his brethren, which +caused them to hate him yet more. Joseph said to his brethren: Hear ye +my dream that I had; methought that we bound sheaves in the field, and +my sheaf stood up and yours standing round about and worshipped my +sheaf. His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king and shall we be +subject and obey thy commandment? Therefore this cause of dreams and of +these words ministered the more fume of hate and envy. Joseph saw +another sweven and told to his father and brethren: Methought I saw in +my sleep the sun, the moon, and eleven stars worship me. Which when his +father and his brethren had heard, the father blamed him, and said: What +may betoken this dream that thou sawest? Trowest thou that I, thy mother +and thy brethren, shall worship thee upon the earth? His brethren had +great envy hereat. + +The father thought and considered a thing secretly in himself. On a time +when his brethren kept their flocks of sheep in Shechem, Israel said to +Joseph: Thy brethren feed their sheep in Shechem, come and I shall send +thee to them, which answered: I am ready, and he said: Go and see if all +things be well and prosperous at thy brethren and beasts, and come again +and tell me what they do. He went from the vale of Hebron and came unto +Shechem. There a man found him erring in the field, and asked him what +he sought, and he answered: I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed +their flocks. The man said to him: They been departed from this place, I +heard them say Let us go in to Dothan. Which then when his brethren saw +him come from far, tofore he approached to them they thought to slay +him, and spake together saying: Lo! see the dreamer cometh. Come and let +us slay him and put him into this old cistern. And we shall say that +some wild evil beast hath devoured him, and then shall appear what his +dreams shall profit him. Reuben hearing this, thought for to deliver him +from their hands, and said: Let us not slay him ne shed his blood, but +keep your hands undefouled. This he said, willing to keep him from their +hands and render him again to his father. Anon then as he came they +took off his motley coat, and set him into an old cistern that had no +water. As they sat for to eat bread they saw Ishmaelites coming from +Gilead, and their camels bringing spices and raisins into Egypt. Then +said Judah to his brethren: What should it profit us if we slew our +brother and shed his blood? It is better that he be sold to Ishmaelites +and our hands be not defouled, he is our own brother and our flesh. His +brethren agreed to his words, and drew him out of the cistern, and sold +him to the Midianitish merchants passing forth by to Ishmaelites for +thirty pieces of silver, which led him into Egypt. At this time when he +was sold Reuben was not there, but was in another field with his beasts. +And when he returned and came unto the cistern and found not Joseph, he +tare his clothes for sorrow, and came to his brethren and said: The +child is not yonder, whither shall I go to seek him? He had supposed his +brethren had slain him in his absence. They told him what they had done, +and took his coat, and besprinkled it with the blood of a kid which they +slew, and sent it to their father saying: See whether this be the coat +of thy son or not, this we have found. Which anon as the father saw it +said: This is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath devoured him, some +beast hath eaten him; and rent his clothes and did on him a sackcloth, +bewailing and sorrowing his son a long time. All his sons gathered them, +together for to comfort their father and assuage his sorrow, but he +would take no comfort, but said: I shall descend to my son into hell for +to bewail him there. And thus, he abiding in sorrow, the Midianites +carried Joseph into Egypt, and sold him to Potiphar, eunuch of Pharaoh, +master of his knights. + +Thus was Joseph led into Egypt, and Potiphar, prince of the host of +Pharaoh, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of Ishmaelites. Our Lord +God was always with Joseph, and he was wise, ready, and prosperous in +all manner of things. He dwelled in his lord's house and pleased so well +his lord, that he stood in his grace that he made him upperest and above +all other, and betook him the rule and governance of all his house, +which well and wisely governed the household and all that he had charge +of. Our Lord blessed the house of Egypt for Joseph's sake, and +multiplied as well in beasts as in fields all his substance. Joseph was +fair of visage and well favored. + +After many days the lady, his master's wife, beheld and cast her eyes on +Joseph, and tempted him to sin. He refused that, and would not attend ne +listen to her words, ne would not consent to so sinful a work, and said +to her: Lo! hath not my lord delivered to me all that he hath in his +house? and he knoweth not what he hath, and there is nothing therein but +that it is in my power and at my commandment except thee, which art his +wife. How may I do this evil and sin to my lord? Such manner, or +semblable words, he said daily to her, and the woman was the more +desirous and grievous to the young man, and he always forsook and +refused the sin. And when the lady saw that she was refused, she cried +and called the men of the house and accused Joseph falsely. When the +lord heard this, anon he gave faith and believed his wife, and being +sore wroth, set Joseph in prison where the prisoners of the king were +kept and he was there fast set in. Our Lord God was with Joseph, and had +mercy on him, and made him in the favor and grace of the chief keeper of +the prison, in so much that he delivered to Joseph the keeping of all +the prisoners, and what he did was done, and the chief jailer was +pleased with all. Our Lord was with him and directed all his works. + +After this it fell so that two officers of the king's trespassed unto +their lord, wherefore he was wroth with them and commanded them to the +prison whereas Joseph was. That one of them was the butler, and that +other the baker; and the keeper betook them to Joseph to keep, and he +served them. After a while that they had been in prison they both saw on +one night a dream of which they were astoned and abashed, and when +Joseph was come in to serve them, and saw them heavy, he demanded them +why they were heavier than they were wont to be, which answered: We have +dreamed and there is none to interpret it to us. Joseph said to them: +Suppose ye that God may not give me grace to interpret it? Tell to me +what ye saw in your sleep. Then the butler told first and said: +Methought I saw a vine had three branches, and after they had flowered +the grapes were ripe, and then I took the cup of Pharaoh in my hand, and +took the grapes and wrang out of them wine into the cup that I held, +and presented it to Pharaoh to drink. Joseph answered: The three +branches be yet three days, after which Pharaoh shall remember thy +service and shall restore thee into thy foremost office and gree, for to +serve him as thou wert wont to do. Then I pray thee to remember me when +thou art at thine above, and be to me so merciful to sue unto Pharaoh +that he take me out of this prison, for I was stolen out of the land of +Hebrews and am innocently set here in prison. Then the master baker saw +that he had wisely interpreted the butler's dream; he said: Methought +that I had three baskets of meat upon my head, and in that one basket +that was highest methought I bare all the meat of the bakehouse and +birds came and ate of it. Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of +the dream; the three baskets be three days yet to come, after which +Pharaoh shall smite off thy head and shall hang thee on the cross, and +the birds shall tear thy flesh. And the third day after this Pharaoh +made a great feast unto his children, and remembered him, among the +meals, on the master butler and the master baker. He restored his butler +unto his office, and to serve him of the cup, and that other was hanged, +that the truth of the interpreter was believed and proved. +Notwithstanding the master butler in his wealth forgat Joseph his +interpreter. + +Two years after Pharaoh saw in his sleep a dream. Him thought he stood +upon the river, from which he saw seven oxen ascend to the land which +were fair and right fat, and were fed in a fat pasture; he saw other +seven come out of the river, poor and lean, and were fed in places +plenteous and burgeoning. These devoured the other that were so fat and +fair. Herewith he started out of his sleep, and after slept again, and +saw another dream. He saw seven ears of corn standing on one stalk, full +and fair of corns, and as many other ears void and smitten with drought, +which devoured the beauty of the first seven. In the morning Pharaoh +awoke and was greatly afeard of these dreams, and sent for all +conjectors and diviners of Egypt, and wise men; and when they were +gathered he told to them his dream, and there was none that could +interpret it. Then at last the master butler, remembering Joseph, said: +I knowledge my sin, on a time the king being wroth with his servants, +sent me and the master of the bakers into prison, where we in one night +dreamed both prodigies of things coming. And there was a child of the +Hebrews, servant to the jailer, to whom we told our dreams and he +expounded them to us and said what should happen; I am restored to mine +office and that other is hanged on the cross. + +Anon, by the king's commandment, Joseph was taken out of prison and +shaved, bathed, and changed his clothes, and brought tofore Pharaoh, to +whom he said: I saw a dream which I have showed unto wise men, and there +is none that can tell me the interpretation thereof. To whom Joseph +answered: God shall answer by me things prosperous to Pharaoh. Then +Pharaoh told to him his dreams, like as is tofore written, of the seven +fat oxen and seven lean, and how the lean devoured the fat, and in +likewise of the ears. Joseph answered: The king's dreams are one thing +which God hath showed to Pharaoh. The seven fat oxen and the seven ears +full, betoken seven years to come of great plenty and commodious, and +the seven lean oxen, and the seven void ears smitten with drought, +betoken seven years after them of great hunger and scarcity. Lo! there +shall come first seven years of great fertility and plenty in all the +land of Egypt, after whom shall follow other seven years of so great +sterility, barrenness, and scarcity, that the abundance of the first +shall be all forgotten. The great hunger of these latter years shall +consume all the plenty of the first years. The latter dream pertaineth +to the same, because God would that it should be fulfilled. Now +therefore let the king provide for a man that is wise and witty, that +may command and ordain provosts and officers in all places of the realm, +that they gather into garners and barns the fifth part of all the corn +and fruits that shall grow these first seven plenteous years that be to +come, and that all this wheat may be kept in barns and garners in towns +and villages, that it may be made ready against the coming of the seven +scarce years that shall oppress by hunger all Egypt, to the end that the +people be not enfamined. This counsel pleased much to Pharaoh and to all +his ministers. Then Pharaoh said to his servants: Where should we find +such a man as this is, which is fulfilled with the spirit of God? And +then he said to Joseph: Forasmuch as God hath showed to thee all that +thou hast spoken, trowest thou that we might find any wiser than thou +or like to thee? Thou shalt be upperest of my house, and to the +commandment of thy mouth all people shall obey. I only shall go tofore +thee and sit but one seat above thee. Yet said Pharaoh to Joseph: Lo! I +have ordained thee above and master upon all the land of Egypt. He took +a ring from his hand and gave it into his hand, and clad him with a +double stole furred with bise; and a golden collar he put about his +neck, and made him to ascend upon his chair; the second trumpet crying +that all men should kneel tofore him, and that they should know him +upperest provost of all the land of Egypt. Then said the king of Egypt +to Joseph: I am Pharaoh, without thy commandment shall no man move hand +nor foot in all the land of Egypt. He changed his name and called him in +the tongue of Egypt: The saviour of the world. He gave to him a wife +named Asenath, daughter of Poti-phera, priest of Eliopoleos. + +Joseph went forth then into the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years +old when he stood in the favor and grace of Pharaoh. And he went round +about all the region of Egypt. The plenteousness and fertility of the +seven years came, and sheaves and shocks of corn were brought in to the +barns; all the abundance of fruits was laid in every town. There was so +great plenty of wheat that it might be compared to the gravel of the +sea, and the plenty thereof exceedeth measure. Joseph had two sons by +his wife ere the famine and hunger came, which Asenath the priest's +daughter brought forth, of whom he called the name of the first +Manasseh, saying: God hath made me to forget all my labors, and the +house of my father hath forgotten me. He called the name of the second +son Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty. + +Then passed the seven years of plenty and fertility that were in Egypt, +and the seven years of scarcity and hunger began to come, which Joseph +had spoken of tofore, and hunger began to wax and grow in the universal +world; also in all the land of Egypt was hunger and scarcity. And when +the people hungered they cried to Pharaoh asking meat, to whom he +answered: Go ye to Joseph, and whatsoever he saith to you do ye. Daily +grew and increased the hunger in all the land. Then Joseph opened the +barns and garners, and sold corn to the Egyptians, for the hunger +oppressed them sore. All provinces came into Egypt for to buy meat to +them, and to eschew the hunger. + +Jacob, father unto Joseph, heard tell that corn and victuals were sold +in Egypt, and said to his sons: Why be ye negligent? I have heard say +that corn is sold in Egypt; go ye thither and buy for us that is +necessary and behoveful, that we may live, and consume not for need. +Then the ten brethren of Joseph descended into Egypt for to buy wheat, +and Benjamin was left at home with the father, because whatsoever happed +to the brethren in their journey. Then they entered into the land of +Egypt with others for to buy corn. There was great famine in the land of +Canaan, and Joseph was prince in the land of Egypt, also by his +commandment wheat was sold unto the people. Then when his brethren were +come and had adored and worshipped him, he anon knew them, and spake to +them, as to strangers, hard words, demanding them saying: Whence be ye? +Which answered: Of the land of Canaan, and come hither to buy that is +necessary for us. And though he knew his brethren, yet was he unknown of +them. He remembered the dreams that he sometime had seen, and told them +and said: Ye be spies and be come hither for to espy the weakest places +of this land, which said to him: It is not so, my lord, but we thy +servants be come for to buy victuals. We be all sons to one man, we come +peaceably, ne we thy servants think ne imagine none evil. To whom he +answered: It is all otherwise, ye be come for to espy and consider the +secretest places of this realm. Then they said: We are twelve brethren, +thy servants, sons of one man in the land of Canaan, the youngest is at +home with our father, and that other is dead. That is, said he, that I +said; ye be spies. Now I have of you the experience. I swear to you by +the health of Pharaoh ye shall not depart till that your youngest +brother come. Send ye one of you for him to bring him hither. Ye shall +abide in fetters in prison till the truth be proved whether the things +that ye have said be true or false, else, by the health of Pharaoh, ye +be spies. And delivered them to be kept three days. The third day they +were brought out of prison, to whom he said: I dread God, if ye be +peaceable as ye say, do as ye have said, and ye shall live. Let one +brother be bounden in prison, and go ye your way, and lead home the +wheat that ye have bought into your houses, and bring to me with you +your youngest brother, that I may prove your words, that ye die not. +They did as he said, and spake together: We be worthy and well deserved +to suffer this, for we have sinned in our brother, seeing his anguish +when he prayed us and we heard him not, therefore this tribulation is +fallen upon us. Of whom Reuben said: Said not I to you, in no wise sin +not ye in the child, and ye would not hear me? Now his blood is wroken. +They knew not that Joseph understood them, forasmuch as he spake alway +to them by an interpreter. Then Joseph turned him a little and wept. +After he returned to them, and took Simeon in their presence and bound +him, and sent him to prison, and commanded to his ministers to fill +their sacks with wheat, and to put each man's money in their sacks, and +above that to give them meat to spend in their way; which did so. And +they took their wheat and laid it on their asses and departed on their +way. After, one of them, on the way, opened his sack for to give his +beast meat, and found his money in the mouth of his sack and said to his +brethren: My money is given to me again, lo! I have found it in my sack. +And they were all astonied: What is this that God hath done to us? Then +they came home to their father in the land of Canaan and told to him all +things that was fallen to them, saying: The lord of the country hath +spoken hard to us and had supposed that we been spies of that province, +to whom we answered that, we were peaceable people ne were no such +spies, and that we were twelve sons gotten of one father, one is dead +and the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan. Which then +said to us: Now shall I prove whether ye be peaceable or no. Ye shall +leave here one brother with me, and lead home that is necessary for you, +and go your way and see that ye bring with you your youngest brother +that I may know that ye be none espies and that ye may receive this +brother that I hold in prison, and then forthon what that ye will buy ye +shall have license. And this said, each of them poured out the wheat, +and every man found his money bounden in the mouth of every sack. Then +said Jacob their father: Ye have made me without children. Joseph is +gone and lost, Simeon is bounden in prison, and Benjamin ye will take +away from me, on me come all these evils. To Reuben answered: Slay my +two sons if I bring him not again to thee; deliver him to me in my hand, +and I shall restore him again to thee. The father said: My son shall not +go with you, his brother is dead and he is left now alone, if any +adversity should hap to him in the way that ye go into, ye shall lead my +old hairs with sorrow to hell. + +In the meanwhile famine and hunger oppressed all the land greatly. And +when the corn that they brought from Egypt was consumed, Jacob said to +his sons: Return ye into Egypt and buy for us some meat, that we may +live. Judah answered: That man said to us, under swearing of great +oaths, that: Ye shall not see my face ne come into my presence, but if +ye bring your youngest brother with you. Therefore if thou wilt send him +with us, we shall go together and shall buy for us that shall be +necessary, and if thou wilt not we shall not go. The man said as we oft +have said to thee, that if we bring him not we shall not see his visage. +Israel said to them: This have ye done into my misery, that ye told to +him that ye had another brother. And they answered: The man demanded of +us by order our progeny, if our father lived, if we had any brother. And +we answered him consequently after that he demanded, we wist not what he +would say, ne that he said bring your brother with you. Send the child +with us that we may go forth and live, and that we ne our children die +not for hunger. I shall receive thy son, and require him of my hand. If +I lead him not thither and bring him again, I shall be guilty to thee of +the sin ever after. If there had been no delay of this, we had been +there and come again by this time. + +Then Israel their father said to them: If it be so necessary as ye say, +do ye as ye will; take with you of the best fruits of this land in your +vessels, and give ye and present to that man gifts, a little raisins, +and honey, storax, stacten, terebinthe, and dates, and bear with you +double money, and also the same money that ye found in your sacks, lest +there be any error therefore; and take with you Benjamin, your brother. +My God, that is almighty, make him pleasant unto you, and that ye may +return in safety with this your brother and him also that he holdeth in +prison; I shall be as a man barren therewhiles, without children. Then +the brethren took the gifts and double money and Benjamin, and went +forth into Egypt, and came and stood tofore Joseph; whom when he had +seen, and Benjamin, he commanded to the steward of his house that he +should do slay sheep and calves and make a feast, for these brethren +shall dine with me this day. He did as he was commanded and brought the +men unto his lord's house. + +Then were they all afeard and said softly together: Because of the money +that we had in our sacks we be brought in that he take us with the +default, and shall by violence bring us and our asses into servitude. +Wherefore they said to the steward of the house, in the gate of the +house ere they entered, saying: We pray thee to hear us: the last time +that we came to buy victual, which when we had bought and departed, and +were on our way, for to give our beasts meat we opened our sacks, and we +found in the mouth of our sacks our money that we had paid, which we now +bring again of the same weight, and we have more other for to buy to us +that shall be necessary. It is not in our conscience to have it, we weet +never who put it in our sacks. He answered to him: Peace be among you, +fear ye nothing, the God of your father hath given to you the treasure +that ye found in your sacks, for the money that ye paid to me I have it +ready. And then he brought in Simeon to them, and brought them into the +house, and washed their feet, and gave meat to their asses. They made +ready and ordained their gifts and presents against the coming of +Joseph. They heard say that they should dine and eat there. + +Then Joseph entered into the house, and they offered to him the gifts, +holding them in their hands, and worshipped him falling down to the +ground. And he debonairly saluted them and demanded them, saying: Is +your father in good health of whom ye told me, liveth he yet? They +answered: Thy servant our father is in good health and liveth yet, and +kneeled down and worshipped him. Then, said he, casting his eyes on his +brother Benjamin that was of one mother, and said: Is this your young +brother of whom ye told me? And also said, God be merciful to thee, my +son; he hied him from themward, for he was moved in all his spirits and +wept on his brother, and went into his bedchamber. After this he washed +his visage and came out making good countenance and commanded to set +bread on the board, and after that he set his brethren in order, each +after their age, and ate together, and Joseph sat and ate with the +Egyptians. For it was not lawful to the Egyptians to eat with the +Hebrews. And each of them were well served, but Benjamin had the best +part, and they ate and drank so much that they were drunken. + +Then Joseph commanded the steward of his house to fill their sacks with +wheat as much as they might receive, and the money of the wheat put it +into every man's sack, and take my cup of silver, and the money of the +youngest, and put that in his sack. And all this was done. And on the +morn betimes they were suffered to depart with their asses. And when +they were gone out of the town and a little on their way, then Joseph +said to his steward: Make thee ready and ride after, and say to them: +Why have ye done evil for good? The cup that my lord is accustomed to +drink in, ye have stolen, ye might not do a worse thing. He did as +Joseph had commanded and overtook them, and said to them all by order +like as he had charge, which answered: Why saith your lord so, and doth +to us his servants such letting? The money that we found in our sacks we +brought again to thee from the land of Canaan, and how may it follow +that we should steal any gold or silver from the house of thy lord? +Look! at whom it be found of us all thy servants, let him die. Which +said to them: Be it after your sentence, at whom that it ever be found +he shall be my servant and the others shall go free and be not guilty. +Then he hied and set down all their sacks, beginning at the oldest unto +the youngest, and at last found the cup in the mouth of the sack of +Benjamin. Then they all for sorrow cut and rent their clothes, and laded +their asses again, and returned all into the town again. Then Judah +entered first with his brethren unto Joseph and all they together fell +down platte to the ground. To whom Joseph said: Why have ye done thus? +Know not ye that there is no man like to me in the science of knowledge? +To whom Judah answered: What shall we answer to thee, my lord; or what +shall we speak or rightfully desire? God hath found and remembered the +iniquity of us thy servants, for we be all thy servants, yea, we and he +at whom the cup was found. Joseph answered: God forbid that I should so +do, whosoever stole the cup shall be my servant, and go ye your way, for +ye shall be free and go to your father. Then Judah approached near him +and spake with a hardy cheer to him and said: I beseech thee my lord to +hear me thy servant that I may say to thine audience a word, and that +thou wilt not be wroth to thy servant. Thou art next to Pharaoh; my +lord, thou demandedst first of us thy servants: Have ye a father or +brother? And we answered to thee, my lord: Our father is an old man and +we have a brother a young child which was born to him in his old age, +whose brother of the same mother is dead, and he is an only son whom the +father loveth tenderly. Thou saidst to us thy servants: Bring him hither +to me that I may see. We told to thee my lord for truth: our father may +not forego the child, if he forego him certainly he shall die. And thou +saidst to us, thy servants: But if ye bring him not with you, ye shall +no more see my visage. Then when we came to our father and told him all +these things, and our father bade us to return and buy more corn. To +whom we said: We may not go thither but if our youngest brother go with +us, for if he be absent we dare not approach, ne come to the presence of +the man; and he answered to us: Ye know well that my wife brought to me +forth but two sons, that one went out, and ye said that wild beasts had +devoured him, and yet I heard never of him ne he appeared not. If now +ye should take this my son and anything happened to him in the way ye +should bring my hoar hair with sorrow to hell. Therefore if I should +come home to my father and bring not the child with me, sith the soul +and health of my father dependeth of this child, and see that he is not +come with us, he shall die and we thy servants should lead his old age +with wailing and sorrow to hell. I myself shall be thy proper servant +which have received him upon my faith and have promised for him, saying +to my father: If I bring him not again I shall be guilty of the sin to +my father ever after. I shall abide and continue thy servant for the +child in the ministry and service of thee my lord. I may not depart, the +child being absent, lest I be witness of the sorrow that my father shall +take. Wherefore I beseech thee to suffer this child to go to his father +and receive me into thy service. Thus said Judah, with much more; as +Josephus, Antiquitatum, rehearseth more piteously, and saith moreover +that the cause why he did do hide the cup in Benjamin's sack, was to +know whether they loved Benjamin or hated him as they did him, what time +they sold him to the Ishmaelites. + +Then this request made, Joseph might no longer forbear, but commanded +them that stood by to withdraw them, and when all men were gone out sauf +he and his brethren, he began to say to them weeping: I am Joseph your +brother, liveth yet my father? The brethren were so afeard that they +could not speak ne answer to him. Then he debonairly said to them: Come +hither to me; and when they came near him he said: I am Joseph your +brother that ye sold into Egypt; be ye not afeard nor think not hard +unto you that ye sold me into these regions. God hath sent me tofore you +into Egypt for your health. It is two years since the famine began, and +yet been five years to come in which men may not ear, sow, ne reap. God +hath sent me tofore you that ye should be reserved on the earth, and +that ye may have meat to live by. It is not by your counsel that I was +sent hither, but by the will of God, which hath ordained me father of +Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and prince in all the land of Egypt. +Hie you, and go to my father, and say ye to him: This word sendeth thee +thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of the universal land of Egypt, +come to me lest thou die, and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen. +Thou shalt be next me, thou and thy sons and the sons of thy sons, and I +shall feed thy sheep, thy beasts and all that thou hast in possession. +Yet rest five year to come of famine, therefore come lest thou perish, +thy house, and all that thou owest. Lo! your eyes and the eyes of my +brother Benjamin see that my mouth speaketh these words to you. Show ye +to my father all my glory and all that ye have seen in Egypt. Hie ye and +bring him to me. This said, he embraced his brother Benjamin about his +neck and wept upon each of them. After this they durst better speak to +him. Anon it was told and known all about in the King's hall that +Joseph's brethren were come. And Pharaoh was joyful and glad thereof and +all his household. And Pharaoh said to Joseph that he should say to his +brethren: Lade ye your beasts and go into the land of Canaan, and bring +from thence your father and kindred, and come to me, and I shall give +you all the goods of Egypt, that ye may eat the marrow of the earth. +Command ye also that they take carriages of this land of Egypt, for the +carriage of their children and wives, and say to them: Take your father +and come as soon as ye may, and leave nothing behind you, for all the +best things shall be yours. The sons of Israel did as they were +commanded. To whom Joseph gave carriages after the commandment of +Pharaoh, and meat to eat by the way. He commanded to give to every each +two garments. To Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, with +five garments of the best, and also he sent clothing to his father, +adding to them ten asses which were laden with all riches of Egypt, and +as many asses laden and bearing bread and victual to spend by the way. +And thus he let his brethren depart from him saying: Be ye not wroth in +the way. Then they thus departing came into the land of Canaan to their +father, and showed all this to their father, and said: Joseph thy son +liveth and he lordeth in all the land of Egypt. + +When Jacob heard this he awoke as a man had been awaked suddenly out of +his sleep, yet nevertheless he believed them not, and they told to him +all the order of the matter. When he saw the carriage and all that he +had sent, his spirit revived and said: It sufficeth to me if Joseph my +son yet live, I shall go and see him ere I die. Then Israel went forth +with all that he had and came to the pit where tofore he had sworn to +God; and slew there beasts to make sacrifices to the God of Isaac his +father. He heard God by a vision that same night saying to him: Jacob, +Jacob, to whom he answered: I am here all ready. God said to him: I am +strongest God of thy father Isaac, dread thee not, but descend down into +Egypt. I shall make thee to grow there into great people. I shall +descend with thee thither, and I shall bring thee again when thou +returnest. Joseph soothly shall put his hands upon thine eyes. Jacob +then arose on the morn early, and his sons took him with their children +and wives and set them on the carriages that Pharaoh had sent to bring +him and all that he had into the land of Canaan. And so came into Egypt +with all his progeny, sons and children, etc. + +These be the names of the sons of Israel that entered with him into +Egypt. The first begotten Reuben with his children four. Simeon with his +seven sons. Levi with his three sons. Judah and his sons three. Issachar +and his four sons. Zebulon and his sons three. These were sons of Leah +that Jacob gat in Mesopotamia, and Dinah his daughter. All these sons +and daughters were thirty-three. Gad also entered with his children +seven. Asher with his children five and of his children's children two. +These were sons of Zilpah, in number sixteen. The sons of Rachel were +Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph had two sons in the land of Egypt by his +wife Asenath, Manasseh and Ephraim. The sons of Benjamin were ten. All +these children that came of Rachel were in number fourteen. Dan entered +with one son, and Naphtali with four sons. These were the children of +Bilhah; they were in number seven. All the souls that were issued of his +seed that entered into Egypt with him, without the wives of his sons, +were sixty-six. The sons of Joseph that were born in Egypt twain. Summa +of all the souls of the house of Jacob that entered into Egypt were in +all seventy. + +Jacob sent them tofore him Judah unto Joseph, to show to him his coming. +And he came to Joseph in Goshen, and anon Joseph ascended his chariot +and went for to meet his father, and when he saw him, he embraced him +meekly and wept. And his father received him joyously and embraced also +him. Then said the father to Joseph: Now shall I die joyously because I +have seen thy visage. Then said Joseph to his brethren and to all the +house of his father: I shall go and ascend to Pharaoh and shall say to +him, that my brethren and the house of my father that were in the land +of Canaan be come to me, and be men keeping sheep, and can the manner +well for to keep the flocks of sheep, and that they have brought with +them their beasts, and all that ever they had. When he shall call you +and ask you of what occupation ye be, ye shall say: We be shepherds, thy +servants, from our childhood unto now, and our fathers also. This shall +ye say that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen, for the Egyptians have +spite unto herdmen of sheep. Then Joseph entered tofore Pharaoh and said +to him: My father, my brethren, their sheep and beasts be come from the +land of Canaan, and be in the land of Goshen. And he brought five of his +brethren tofore the king, whom he demanded of what occupation they were +of. They answered: We be keepers of sheep, thy servants, we and our +fathers, we be come to dwell in thy land, for there is no grass for the +flocks of sheep of us thy servants, the famine is so great in the land +of Canaan. We beseech thee that thou command us thy servants to dwell in +the land of Goshen. Then said the king to Joseph: Thy father and thy +brethren be come to thee, the land of Egypt is at thy commandment, make +thou them to dwell in the best place, and deliver to them the land of +Goshen. And if thou know them for conning, ordain they to be masters of +my beasts. After this Joseph brought his father in, and made him stand +tofore the king which blessed him, and was demanded of the king how old +he was. He answered: The days of the pilgrimage of my life be an hundred +and thirty years, small and evil, and yet I am not come unto the days of +my fathers that they have lived. And he blessed the king and went out. +Then Joseph gave to his father and brethren possession in Egypt in the +best soil of Rameses like as Pharaoh had commanded, and there fed them, +giving to each of them victual. + +In all the world was scarcity of bread, and hunger and famine oppressed +specially and most, the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan. Of which +lands Joseph gat all the money for selling of wheat, and brought it into +the king's treasury. When all people lacked money, all Egypt came to +Joseph saying: Give us bread, why die we to the lacking money. To whom +he answered: Bring to me your beasts and I shall give you for them +victuals, if ye have no money: which when they brought, he gave to them +victuals and food for horses, sheep, oxen and asses, and sustained them +one year for changing of their beasts. Then came they again the second +year and said: We hide not from thee our lord that our money is failed +and also our beasts be gone, and there is nothing left but our bodies +and our land. Why then shall we die in thy sight? And we ourselves and +also our land shall be thine, buy us into bondship and servitude of the +king, and give us seed to sow lest the earth turn into wilderness. Then +Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his possessions +for the vehement hunger that they had. He subdued all unto Pharaoh, and +all his people from the last terms of Egypt unto the utterest ends of +the same, except the land longing to the priests, which was given to +them by the king, to whom were given victuals openly out of all the +barns and garners, and therefore they were not compelled to sell their +possessions. Then said Joseph to all the peoples: Lo, now ye see and +know that Pharaoh oweth and is in possession of you and of your land. +Take to you seed and sow ye the fields that ye may have fruit. The fifth +part thereof ye shall give to the king and four parts I promise to you +to sow, and for meat to your servants and to your children. Which +answered: Our health is in thine hand, let our lord only behold us and +we shall gladly serve the king. From that time unto this present day, in +all the land of Egypt the fifth part is paid to the king; and it is +holden for a law, except the land longing to the priests which is free +from this condition. + +Then Israel dwelled in Egypt in the land of Goshen, and was in +possession thereof. He increased and multiplied greatly, and lived +therein seventeen years. And all the years of his life were an hundred +and seven and forty years. When he understood that the day of his death +approached, he called to him his son Joseph and said to him: If I may +find so much grace in thy sight, do to me so much mercy as thou promise +and swear that thou bury me not in Egypt, but that I may rest with my +fathers, and take and carry me from this land, and lay me in the +sepulchre of my forefathers. To whom Joseph answered: I shall do that +thou hast commanded. Then said he: Swear to me, and so he swore. And +then Israel adored and worshipped our Lord, and turned him toward his +bed's head. Then this done, anon after it was told to Joseph that his +father was sick and feeble; who anon took his sons Manasseh and Ephraim +and came to his father. Anon it was told to the father: Lo thy son +Joseph cometh to thee, which then was comforted, and sat up in his bed. +And Joseph entered in, and Jacob said: Almighty God appeared to me in +Luz which is in the land of Canaan, and he blessed me and said: I shall +increase thee and multiply thee into tourbes of peoples, I shall give to +thee this land and to thy seed after thee in sempiternal possession, +therefore thy two sons that be born to thee in this land of Egypt tofore +I came hither to thee, shall be my sons Ephraim and Manasseh, they shall +be reputed to me as Simeon and Reuben. The other that thou shalt get +after them shall be thine, and shall be called in the name of their +brethren in their possessions. Then he, seeing Joseph's sons, said to +him: Who be these children? Joseph answered: They be my sons which God +hath given to me in this place. Bring them hither, said he, to me that I +may bless them. Israel's eyes were dimmed and might not see clearly for +great age. He took them to him and kissed them and said to Joseph: I am +not defrauded from the sight of thee, and furthermore God hath showed to +me thy seed. Then when Joseph took them from his father's lap, he +worshipped him kneeling low to the earth, and set Ephraim on his right +side, and on the left side of Israel, and Manasseh on the right side of +his father Israel, which took his right hand and laid it on the head of +Ephraim the younger brother, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh +which was first born. Then Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph and said: +God, in whose sight walked my fathers Abraham and Isaac, God that hath +fed me from my youth unto this present day, the angel that hath kept me +from all evil bless these children, and my name be called on them, and +the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and grow they into multitude +upon earth. Then Joseph seeing that his father set his right hand upon +the head of Ephraim the younger brother took it heavily, and took his +father's hand and would have laid it on the head of Manasseh, and said +to his father; Nay father, it is not convenient, that ye do, this is the +first begotten son, set thy right hand on his head. Which renied that +and would not do so, but said: I wot, my son, I wot what I do, and this +son shall increase into peoples and multiply, but his younger brother +shall be greater than he, and his seed shall grow into gentiles, and +blessed them, saying that same time: In thee shall be blessed Israel, +and shall be said: God make thee like to Ephraim and Manasseh. And he +said to Joseph his son: Lo! now I die and God shall be with you, and +shall reduce and bring you again into the land of your fathers; and I +give to thee one part above thy brethren, which I gat and won from the +hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow. Then Jacob called his sons +tofore him and said to them: + +Gather ye altogether tofore me, that I may show to you things that be to +come, and hear your father Israel. And there he told to each of them his +condition singularly. And when he had blessed his twelve sons he +commanded them to bury him with his fathers in a double spelunke which +is in the field of Ephron the Hittite against Mamre in the land of +Canaan which Abraham bought. And this said he gathered to him his feet +and died. Which anon as Joseph saw, he fell on his visage and kissed +him. He commanded to his masters of physic and medicines, which were his +servants, that they should embalm the body of his father with sweet +spices aromatic; which was all done, and then went they sorrowing him +forty days. The Egyptians wailed him seventy days, and when the wailing +was past, Joseph did say to Pharaoh how he had sworn and promised to +bury him in the land of Canaan. To whom Pharaoh said: Go and bury thy +father like as thou hast sworn. Which then took his father's body and +went, and with him were accompanied all the aged men of Pharaoh's house, +and the noblest men of birth of all the land of Egypt, the house of +Joseph with his brethren, without the young children, flocks and beasts, +which they left in the land of Goshen. He had in his fellowship +chariots, carts and horsemen, and was a great tourbe and company, and +came over Jordan where as they hallowed the exequies by great wailing +seven days long. And when they of the country saw this plaint and +sorrowing they said: This is a great sorrow to the Egyptians. And that +same place is named yet the bewailing of Egypt. The children of Israel +did as they were commanded, and bare him into the land of Canaan, and +buried him in the double spelunke which Abraham had bought. Then when +Jacob the father was buried, Joseph with all his fellowship returned +into Egypt. Then his brethren after the death of their father spake +together privily, and dreading that Joseph would avenge the wrong and +evil that they had done to him, came to him and said: Thy father +commanded us ere he died that we should say thus to thee: We pray thee +that thou wilt forget, and not remember the sin and trespass of thy +brethren, ne the malice that they executed in thee. We beseech thee +that thou wilt forgive to thy father, servant of God, this wickedness. +Which when Joseph heard he wept bitterly, and his brethren came to him +kneeling low to the ground and worshipped him, and said, We be thy +servants. To whom he answered: Be ye nothing afeard ne dread you not, +ween ye that ye may resist God's will? Ye thought to have done to me +evil, but God hath turned it into good, and hath exalted me as ye see +and know, that he should save much people. Be ye nothing afeard, I shall +feed you and your children. And comforted them with fair words, and +spake friendly and joyously to them. And he abode and dwelled still in +Egypt with all the house of his father, and lived an hundred and ten +years, and saw the sons of Ephraim in to the third generation. After +these things he said to his brethren: After my death, God shall visit +you and shall do you depart from this land unto the land that he +promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When that time shall come, take +my bones and lead them with you from this place, and then died. Whose +body was embalmed with sweet spices and aromatics and laid in a chest in +Egypt. + + + + +HERE NEXT FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF MOSES + +_Which is read in-the Church on Mid-lent Sunday_ + + +These be the names of the children of Israel that entered into Egypt +with Jacob, and each entered with their household and meiny. Reuben, +Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, +and Asher; they were all in number that entered seventy. Joseph was +tofore in Egypt. And when he was dead and all his brethren and kindred, +the children of Israel grew and multiplied greatly, and filled the +earth. Then was there a new king upon Egypt which knew nothing of +Joseph, and said to his people: Lo! and see the people of Israel is +great, and stronger than we be, come and let us wisely oppress them, +lest they multiply and give us battle and fight with us and drive us out +of our land. Then he ordained provosts and masters over them to set them +awork and put them to affliction of burdens. They builded to Pharaoh two +towns, Pithom and Raamses. How much more they oppressed them, so much +the more they increased and multiplied. The Egyptians hated the children +of Israel and put them to affliction, scorning and having envy at them, +and oppressed bitterly their life with hard work and sore labors of +tile and clay, and grieved all them in such works. Then Pharaoh +commanded to his people saying: Whatsomever is born of males cast ye +into the river, and what of women keep ye them and let ye them live. + +After this was a man of the house of Levi went out and took a wife of +his kindred, which conceived and brought forth a son, and he saw him +elegant and fair, and hid him three months, and when he might no longer +hide him, took a little crib of rushes and wickers and pitched it with +glue and pitch, and put therein the child, and set it on the river, and +let it drive down in the stream, and the sister of the child standing +afar, considering what should fall thereof. And it happed that same +time, the daughter of king Pharaoh descended down to the river for to +wash her in the water, and her maidens went by the brink, which then, +when she saw the little crib or fiscelle she sent one of her maidens to +fetch and take it up, which so fetched and brought to her, and she saw +therein lying a fair child; and she having pity on it said: This is one +of the children of the Hebrews. To whom anon spake the sister of the +child: Wilt thou, said she, that I go and call thee a woman of the +Hebrews that shall and may nourish this child? She answered: Go thy way. +The maid went and called his mother, to whom Pharaoh's daughter said: +Take this child and nourish him to me, and I shall give to thee thy meed +and reward. The mother took her child and nourished it, and when it was +weaned and could go she delivered it to the daughter of king Pharaoh, +whom she received and adopted instead of a son and named him Moses, +saying that I took him out of the water. And he there grew and waxed a +pretty child. And as Josephus, Antiquitatum, saith: This daughter of +Pharaoh, which was named Termuthe, loved well Moses and reputed him as +her son by adoption, and on a day brought him to her father, who for his +beauty took him in his arms and made much of him, and set his diadem on +his head, wherein was his idol. And Moses anon took it, and cast it +under his feet and trod on it, wherefore the king was wroth, and +demanded of the great doctors and magicians what should fall of this +child. And they kalked on his nativity and said: This is he that shall +destroy thy reign and put it under foot, and shall rule and govern the +Hebrews. Wherefore the king anon decreed that he should be put to death. +But others said that Moses did it of childhood and ought not to die +therefore, and counselled to make thereof a proof, and so they did. + +They set tofore him a platter full of coals burning, and a platter full +of cherries, and bade him eat, and he took and put the hot coals in his +mouth and burned his tongue, which letted his speech ever after; and +thus he escaped the death. Josephus saith that when Pharaoh would have +slain him, Termuthe, his daughter, plucked him away and saved him. Then +on a time as Moses was full grown, he went to his brethren, and saw the +affliction of them, and a man of Egypt smiting one of the Hebrews, his +brethren. And he looked hither and thither and saw no man. He smote the +Egyptian and slew him and hid him in the sand. And another day he went +out and found two of the Hebrews brawling and fighting together; then he +said to him that did wrong: Why smitest thou thy neighbor? which +answered: Who hath ordained thee prince and judge upon us? wilt thou +slay me as thou slewest that other day an Egyptian? Moses was afeard and +said to himself: How is this deed known and made open? Pharaoh heard +hereof and sought Moses for to slay him, which then fled from his sight +and dwelled in the land of Midian, and sat there by a pit side. The +priest of Midian had seven daughters which came thither for to draw +water, and to fill the vessels for to give drink to the flocks of the +sheep of their father. Then came on them the herdmen and put them from +it. Then rose Moses and defended the maidens and let them water their +sheep, which then returned to their father Jethro. And he said to them: +Why come ye now earlier than ye were wont to do? They said that a man of +Egypt hath delivered us from the hand of the herdmen, and also he drew +water for us and gave to the sheep drink. Where is he, said he, why left +ye the man after you? go call him that he may eat some bread with us. +Then Moses sware that he would dwell with him. And he took Zipporah one +of his daughters aad wedded her to his wife, which conceived and bare +him a son whom he called Gershom, saying: I was a stranger in a strange +land. She brought to him forth another son whom he named Eleazar, +saying: The God of my father is my helper and hath kept me from the +hand of Pharaoh. + +Long time after this died the king of Egypt, and the children of Israel, +wailing, made great sorrow for the oppression of their labor, and cried +unto God for help. Their cry came unto God of their works, and God heard +their wailing, and remembered the promise he made with Abraham, Isaac, +and Jacob, and our Lord beheld the children of Israel and knew them. + +Moses fed the sheep of Jethro his wife's father. When he had brought the +sheep into the innermost part of the desert he came unto the mount of +God, Oreb. Our Lord appeared to him in flame of fire in the midst of a +bush, and he saw the fire in the bush, and the bush burned not. Then +said Moses, I shall go and see this great vision why the bush burneth +not. Our Lord then beholding that he went for to see it, called him, +being in the bush, and said: Moses, Moses, which answered: I am here. +Then said our Lord: Approach no nearer hitherward. Take off thy shoon +from thy feet, the place that thou standest on is holy ground. And said +also: I am God of thy fathers, God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and God +of Jacob. Moses then hid his face, and durst not look toward God. To +whom God said: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I +have heard their cry of the hardness that they suffer in their works, +and I knowing the sorrow of them am descended to deliver them from the +hand of the Egyptians, and shall lead them from this land into a good +land and spacious, into a land that floweth milk and honey, unto the +places of Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and +Jebusites. The cry of the children of Israel is come to me, I have seen +their affliction, how they be oppressed of the Egyptians. But come to me +and I shall send thee unto Pharaoh that thou shalt lead the children of +Israel out of Egypt. Then Moses said to him: Who am I that shall go to +Pharaoh and lead the children out of Egypt? To whom God said: I shall be +with thee, and this shall be the sign that I send thee. When thou shalt +have led out my people of Egypt, thou shalt offer to God upon this hill. +Moses said unto God: Lo! if I go to the children of Israel and say to +them: God of your fathers hath sent me to you; if they say: What is his +name? what shall I say? Our Lord said to Moses: I am that I am. He said: +Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: He that is, sent me to +you, and yet shalt thou say to them: The Lord God of your fathers, God +of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, hath appeared to me saying: +This is my name for evermore, and this is my memorial from generation to +generation. Go and gather together the seniors and aged men of Israel, +and say to them: The Lord God of your fathers hath appeared to me, God +of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, saying: Visiting I have +visited you, and have seen all that is fallen in Egypt, and I shall lead +you out of the affliction of Egypt into the land of Canaan, Ethei, etc., +unto the land flowing milk and honey, and they shall hear thy voice. +Thou shalt go and take with thee the seniors of Israel to the king of +Egypt, and shalt say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews hath called us; +we shall go the journey of three days in wilderness that we may offer to +our Lord God. But I know well that the king of Egypt shall not suffer +you to go but by strong hand. I shall stretch out my hand and shall +smite Egypt in all my marvels that I shall do amid among them. After +that he shall let you go. I shall then give my grace to this people +tofore the Egyptians, and when ye shall go out ye shall not depart void, +nor with nought, but every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of +her hostess, vessels of silver and of gold, and clothes, and them shall +ye lay on your sons, and on your daughters, and ye shall rob Egypt. Then +Moses answered and said: They shall not believe me ne hear my voice, but +shall say: God hath not appeared to thee. + +God said then to him: What is that thou holdest in thine hand? He +answered: A rod. Our Lord said: Cast it on the ground. He threw it down +and it turned into a serpent, whereof Moses was afeard and would have +fled. Our Lord said to him: Put forth thy hand and hold him by the tail; +he stretched forth his hand and held him, and it turned again into a +rod. To this, that they believe thee, that I have appeared to thee. And +yet our Lord said to him: Put thy hand into thy bosom, which, when he +hath put in, and drawn out again, it was like a leper's hand. Our Lord +bade him to withdraw it into his bosom again, and he drew it out and it +was then like that other flesh. If they hear not thee, and believe by +the first sign and token, they shall believe thee by the second. If they +believe none of the two ne hear thy voice, then take water of the river +and pour on the dry ground, and whatsoever thou takest and drawest shall +turn into blood. Then Moses said: I pray the Lord send some other, for I +am not eloquent, but have a letting in my speech. Our Lord said to him: +Who made the mouth of a man, or who hath made a man dumb or deaf, seeing +or blind, not I? Go, therefore, I shall be in thy mouth and shall teach +thee what thou shalt say. Then said Moses: I beseech thee Lord, said he, +send some other whom thou wilt. Our Lord was wroth on Moses and said: +Aaron thy brother deacon, I know that he is eloquent, lo! he shall come +and meet with thee, and seeing thee he shall be glad in his heart. Speak +thou to him and put my words in his mouth, and I shall be in thy mouth +and in his mouth, and I shall show to you what ye ought to do, and he +shall speak for the people, and shall be thy mouth, and thou shalt be in +such things as pertain to God. Take with thee this rod in thine hand, by +which thou shalt do signs and marvels. Then Moses went to Jethro his +wife's father, and said to him, I shall go and return to my brethren +into Egypt, and see if they yet live. To whom Jethro said: Go in God's +name and place. Then said our Lord to Moses: Go and return into Egypt, +all they be now dead that sought for to slay thee. Then Moses took his +wife and his sons and set them upon an ass and returned in to Egypt, +bearing the rod of God in his hand. Then our Lord said to Aaron: Go +against Moses and meet with him in desert; which went for to meet with +him unto the mount of God, and there kissed him. + +And Moses told unto Aaron all that our Lord had said to him for which he +sent him, and all the tokens and signs that he bade him do. They came +both together and gathered and assembled all the seniors and aged men of +the children of Israel. And Aaron told to them all that God had said to +Moses, and made the signs and tokens tofore the people and the people +believed it. They heard well that our Lord had visited the children of +Israel, and that he had beholden the affliction of them, wherefore they +fell down low to the ground and worshipped our Lord. + +After this Moses and Aaron went unto Pharaoh and said: This saith the +Lord God of Israel: Suffer my people to depart that they may sacrifice +to me in desert. Then said Pharaoh: Who is that Lord that I may hear his +voice and leave Israel? I know not that Lord, nor I will not leave +Israel. They said to him: God of the Hebrews hath called us that we go +the journey of three days in the wilderness and sacrifice unto our Lord +God, lest peradventure pestilence or war fall to us. The king of Egypt +said to them: Why solicit ye, Moses and Aaron, the people from their +works and labor? Go ye unto your work. Pharaoh also said: The people is +much, see how they grow and multiply, and yet much more shall do if they +rested from their labor. Therefore he commanded the same day to the +prefects and masters of their works saying: In no wise give no more +chaff to the people for to make loam and clay, but let them go and +gather stubble, and make them do as much labor as they did tofore, and +lessen it nothing. They do now but cry: Let us go and make sacrifice to +our God, let them be oppressed by labor and exercised that they attend +not to leasings. Then the prefects and masters of their work said to +them that Pharaoh had commanded to give them no chaff, but they should +go and gather such as they might find, and that their work should not +therefore be minished. Then the children were disperpled for to gather +chaff, and their masters awaited on them and bade them: Make an end of +your work as ye were wont to do when that chaff was delivered to you. +And thus they were put to more affliction, and would make them to make +as many tiles as they did tofore. Then the upperest of the children of +Israel came to Pharaoh and complained saying: Why puttest thou thy +servants to such affliction? He said to them: Ye be so idle that ye say +ye will go and sacrifice to your God; ye shall have no chaff given to +you, yet ye shall work your customable work and gather your chaff also. + +Then the eldest and the upperest among the Hebrews went to Moses and +Aaron and said: What have ye done? ye have so done that ye have made our +odor to stink in the sight of Pharaoh, and have encouraged him to slay +us. Then Moses counselled with our Lord how he should do, and said: +Lord, why hast thou sent me hither? For, sith I have spoken to Pharaoh +in thy name, he hath put thy people to more affliction than they had +tofore, and thou hast not delivered them. Our Lord said to Moses: Now +thou shalt see what I shall do to Pharaoh. By strong hand he shall let +you go, and in a boistous he shall cast you from his land. + +Yet said our Lord to Moses: I am the Lord God that appeared to Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob in my might, and my name is Adonai, I showed to them +not that. I promised and made covenant with them that I should give to +them the land of Canaan in which they dwelled. I now have heard the +wailing and the tribulations that the Egyptians oppress them with, for +which I shall deliver and bring them from the servitude of the +Egyptians. Moses told all these things to the children of Israel, and +they believed him not for the anguish of their spirits that they were +in, and hard labor. Then said our Lord to Moses: Go and enter in to +Pharaoh and bid him deliver my people of Israel out of his land. Moses +answered: How should Pharaoh hear me when the children of Israel believe +me not? Then our Lord said to Moses and Aaron that they both should go +to Pharaoh and give him in commandment to let the children of Israel to +depart. And he said to Moses: Lo! I have ordained thee to be God of +Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt say to +him all that I say to thee, and he shall say to Pharaoh that he suffer +the children of Israel to depart from his land. But I shall enhard his +heart, and shall multiply my signs and tokens in the land of Egypt, and +he shall not hear ne believe you. And I shall lead the children of +Israel my people. And shall show mine hand, and such wonders on Egypt, +that Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. Moses and Aaron did as our +Lord commanded them. Moses was eighty years old when he came and stood +tofore Pharaoh, and Aaron eighty-three years when they spake to Pharaoh. +Then when they were tofore Pharaoh, Aaron cast the rod down, tofore +Pharaoh, and anon the rod turned into a serpent. Then Pharaoh called his +magicians and jugglers and bade them do the same. And they made their +witchcraft and invocations and cast down their rods, which turned in +likewise into serpents, but the rod of Aaron devoured their rods. Yet +was the heart of Pharaoh hard and so indurate that he would not do as +God bade. Then said our Lord to Moses: The heart of Pharaoh is grieved +and will not deliver my people. Go to him to-morn in the morning and he +shall come out, and thou shalt stand when he cometh on the bank of the +river, and take in thine hand the rod that was turned into the serpent, +and say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews sendeth me to thee saying: +Deliver my people that they may offer and make sacrifice to me in +desert, yet thou hast no will to hear me. Therefore our Lord said: In +this shalt thou know that I am the Lord: Lo! I shall smite with the rod +that is in my hand the water of the flood, and it shall turn into blood; +the fishes that be in the water shall die, and the Egyptians shall be +put to affliction drinking of it. Then said our Lord to Moses: Say thou +to Aaron: Take this rod and stretch thine hand upon all the waters of +Egypt, upon the floods, rivers, ponds, and upon all the lakes where any +water is, in that they turn to blood, that it may be a vengeance in all +the land of Egypt, as well in treen vessels as in vessels of earth and +stone. + +Moses and Aaron did as God had commanded them, and smote the flood with +the rod tofore Pharaoh and his servants, which turned into blood, and +the fishes that were in the river died, and the water was corrupt. And +the Egyptians might not drink the water, and all the water of Egypt was +turned into blood. And in likewise did the enchanters with their +witchcraft, and the heart of Pharaoh was so indurate that he would not +let the people depart as our Lord had commanded, but he returned home +for this time. The Egyptians went and dolven pits for water all about by +the river, and they found no water to drink but all was blood. And this +plague endured seven days, and whatsomever water the children of Israel +took in this while was fair and good water. This was the first plague +and vengeance. The second was that God sent frogs so many, that all the +land was full, the rivers, the houses, chambers, beds, that they were +woebegone, and these frogs entered into their meat, so many that they +covered all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh prayed Moses and Aaron that +God would take away these frogs, and that he would go suffer the people +to do sacrifice; and then Moses asked when he would deliver them if the +frogs were voided, and Pharaoh said: In the morn. And then Moses prayed, +and they voided all. And when Pharaoh saw that he was quit of them, he +kept not his promise and would not let them depart. The third vengeance +that God sent to them was a great multitude of hungry horse-flies, as +many as the dust of the earth, which were on men, and bit them and +beasts. And then enchanters said then to Pharaoh: This is the finger of +God. Yet would not Pharaoh let them depart. The fourth vengeance was +that God sent all manner kind of flies and lice in such wise that the +universal land of Egypt was full of all manner flies and lice, but in +the land of Goshen were none. Yet was he so indurate that he would not +let them go, but would that they should make their sacrifice to God in +that land. But Moses would not so, but would go three days' journey in +desert, and sacrifice to God there. Pharaoh said: I will that ye go into +desert, but not far, and come soon again, and pray ye for me. And Moses +prayed for him to our Lord, and the flies voided that there was not one +left. And when they were gone Pharaoh would not keep his promise. Then +the fifth plague was that God showed his hand upon the fields and upon +the horses, asses, camels, sheep and oxen, and was a great pestilence on +all the beasts. And God showed a wonder miracle between the possessions +of the Egyptians and the possessions of his people of Israel, for of the +beasts of the children of Israel there was not one that perished. Yet +was Pharaoh so hard-hearted that he would not suffer the people to +depart. The sixth plague was that Moses took ashes out of the chimney +and cast on the land. And anon all the people of Egypt, as well men as +beasts, were full of blotches, boils, and blains and wounds, and +swellings in such wise that the enchanters could ne might not stand for +pain tofore Pharaoh. Yet would not Pharaoh hear them, nor do as God had +commanded. The seventh plague was a hail so great that there was never +none like tofore, and thunder and fire that it destroyed all the grass +and herbs of Egypt and smote down all that was in the field, men and +beasts. But in the land of Goshen was none heard ne harm done. Yet would +not Pharaoh deliver them. The eighth our Lord sent to them locusts, +which is a manner great fly, called in some place an adder-bolte, which +bit them and ate up all the corn and herbs that was left, in such wise +that the people came to Pharaoh and desired him to deliver, saying that +the land perished. Then Pharaoh gave to the men license to go and make +their sacrifice, and leave their wives and children there still, till +they came again, but Moses and Aaron said they must go all, wherefore he +would not let them depart. The ninth plague and vengeance was that God +sent so great darkness upon all the land of Egypt that the darkness was +so great and horrible that they were palpable, and it endured three days +and three nights. Wheresoever the children of Israel went it was light. + +Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said to them: Go ye and make +your sacrifice unto your Lord God, and let your sheep and beasts only +abide. To whom Moses said: We shall take with us such hosties and +sacrifices as we shall offer to our Lord God. All our flocks and beasts +shall go with us, there shall not remain as much as a nail that shall be +necessary in the honor of our Lord God, for we know not what we shall +offer till we come to the place. Pharaoh was so indurate and +hard-hearted that he would not let them go, and bade Moses that he +should no more come in his sight. For when thou comest thou shalt die. +Moses answered: Be it as thou hast said: I shall no more come to thy +presence. And then our Lord said to Moses: There resteth now but one +plague and vengeance, and after that he shall let you go. But first say +to all the people that every man borrow of his friend, and woman of her +neighbor, vessels of gold and silver, and clothes; our Lord shall give +to his people grace and favor to borrow of the Egyptians; and then gave +to them a commandment how they should depart. And our Lord said to +Moses: At midnight I shall enter into Egypt and the first-begotten child +and heir of all Egypt shall die, from the first-begotten son of Pharaoh +that sitteth in his throne unto the first-begotten son of the handmaid +that sitteth at the mill, and all the first-begotten of the beasts. +There shall be a great cry and clamor in all the land of Egypt in such +wise that there was never none like, ne never shall be after, and among +all the children there shall not an hound be hurt, ne woman, ne beast, +whereby ye shall know by what miracle God divideth the Egyptian and +Israel. Moses and Aaron showed all these signs and plagues tofore +Pharaoh, and his heart was so indurate that he would not let them +depart. Then when Moses had said to the children how they should do, +they departed, and ate their paschal lamb, and all other ceremonies as +be expressed in the Bible, for a law to endure ever among them, which +the children of Israel obeyed and accomplished, it was so that at +midnight our Lord smote and slew every first-begotten son throughout all +the land of Egypt, beginning at the first son and heir of Pharaoh unto +the son of the caitiff that lay in prison, and also the first-begotten +of the beasts. Pharaoh arose in the night and all his servants and all +Egypt, and there was a great clamor and sorrowful noise and cry, for +there was not a house in all Egypt but there lay therein one that was +dead. Then Pharaoh did do call Moses and Aaron in the night, and said: +Arise ye and go your way from my people, ye and the children of Israel, +as ye say ye will, take your sheep and beasts with you like as ye +desired, and at your departing bless ye me. The Egyptians constrained +the children to depart and go their way hastily, saying: We all shall +die. The children of Israel took their meal, and put it on their +shoulders as they were commanded, and borrowed vessels of silver and of +gold, and much clothing. Our Lord gave to them such favor tofore the +Egyptians that the Egyptians lent to them all that they desired, and +they spoiled and robbed Egypt. + +And so the children of Israel departed, nigh the number of six hundred +thousand footmen, besides women and children which were innumerable, and +an huge great multitude of beasts of divers kinds. The time that the +children of Israel had dwelt in Egypt was four hundred years. And so +they departed out of Egypt, and went not the right way by the +Philistines, but our Lord led them by the way of desert which is by the +Red Sea. And the children descended out of Egypt armed. Moses took with +him the bones of Joseph for he charged them so to do when he died. They +went in the extreme ends of the wilderness, and our Lord went tofore +them by day in a column of a cloud, and by night in a column of fire and +was their leader and duke; the pillar of the cloud failed never by day, +nor the pillar of fire by night tofore the people. Our Lord said to +Moses, I shall make his heart so hard that he shall follow and pursue +you, and I shall be glorified in Pharaoh, and in all his host, the +Egyptians shall know that I am Lord. And anon it was told to Pharaoh +that the children of Israel fled, and anon his heart was changed, and +also the heart of his servants, and said: What shall we do, shall we +suffer the children to depart and no more to serve us? Forthwith he took +his chariot and all his people with him. He took with him six hundred +chosen chariots, and all the chariots and wains of Egypt, and the dukes +of all his hosts and he pursued the children of Israel and followed them +in great pride. And when he approached, that the children of Israel saw +him come, they were sore afraid and cried to our Lord God, and said to +Moses: Was there not sepulchre enough for us in Egypt but that we must +now die in wilderness? Said we not to thee: Go from us and let us serve +the Egyptians: It had been much better for us to have served the +Egyptians than to die here in wilderness. And Moses said to the people: +Be ye not afraid, stand and see ye the great wonders that our Lord shall +do for you this day. The Egyptians that ye now see, ye shall never see +them after this day. God shall fight for you, and be ye still. Our Lord +said then to Moses: What criest thou to me? Say to the children of +Israel that they go forth. Take thou and raise the rod, and stretch thy +hand upon the sea, and depart it that the children of Israel may go dry +through the middle of it. I shall so indurate the heart of Pharaoh that +he shall follow you, and all the Egyptians, and I shall be glorified in +Pharaoh, and in all his host, his carts and horsemen. And the Egyptians +shall know that I am Lord when I shall so be glorified. The angel of God +went tofore the castles of Israel, and another came after in the cloud +which stood between them of Egypt and the children of Israel. And the +cloud was dark that the host of Israel might not come to them of all the +night. Then Moses stretched his hand upon the sea, and there came a wind +blowing in such wise that it waxed dry, and the children of Israel went +in through the midst of the Red Sea all dry foot; for the water stood up +as a wall on the right side and on the left side. The Egyptians then +pursuing them followed and entered after them, and all the carts, +chariots and horsemen, through the middle of the sea. And then our Lord +beheld that the children of Israel were passed over and were on the dry +land, on that other side. Anon turned the water on them, and the wheels +on their carts turned up so down, and drowned all the host of Pharaoh, +and sank down into the deep of the sea. Then said the Egyptians: Let us +flee Israel; the Lord fighteth for them against us. And our Lord said to +Moses: Stretch out thine hand upon the sea, and let the water return +upon the Egyptians, and upon their chariots and horsemen. And so Moses +stretched out his hand and the sea returned in to his first place. And +then the Egyptians would have fled, but the water came and overflowed +them in the midst of the flood, and it covered the chariots and +horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh, and there was not one saved of +them. And the children of Israel had passed through the middle of the +dry sea and came a-land. + +Thus delivered our Lord the children of Israel from the hand of the +Egyptians, and they saw the Egyptians lying dead upon the brinks of the +sea. And the people then dreaded our Lord and believed in him, and to +Moses his servant. Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song +to our Lord: Cantemus domino magnificatus est, Let us sing to our Lord, +he is magnified, he hath overthrown the horsemen and carmen in the sea. +And Miriam the sister of Aaron, a prophetess, took a timpane in her +hand, and all the women followed her with timpanes and chords, and she +went tofore singing Cantemus domino. Then Moses brought the children of +Israel from the sea into the desert of Sur, and walked with them three +days and three nights and found no water, and came into Marah, and the +waters there were so bitter that they might not drink thereof. Then the +people grudged against Moses, saying: What shall we drink? And he cried +unto our Lord which showed to him a tree which he took and put into the +waters, and anon they were turned into sweetness. There our Lord +ordained commandments and judgments, and there he tempted him saying: If +thou hearest the voice of thy Lord-God, and that thou do is rightful +before him, and obeyest his commandments, and keep his precepts, I shall +not bring none of the languors ne sorrows upon thee that I did in Egypt. +I am Lord thy saviour. Then the children of Israel came in to Elim, +where as were twelve fountains of water, and seventy palm trees, and +they abode by the waters. Then from thence went all the multitude of the +children of Israel into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and +Sinai, and grudged against Moses and Aaron in that wilderness, and said: +Would God we had dwelled still in Egypt, whereas we sat and had plenty +of bread and flesh; why have ye brought us into the desert for to slay +all this multitude by hunger? Our Lord said then to Moses: I shall rain +bread to you from heaven, let the people go out and gather every day +that I may prove them whether they walk in my law or not; the sixth day +let them gather double as much as they gather in one day of the other. +Then said Moses and Aaron to all the children of Israel: At even ye +shall know that God hath brought you from the land of Egypt, and to-morn +ye shall see the glory of our Lord. I have well heard your murmur +against our Lord, what have ye mused against us? what be we? and yet +said Moses; Our Lord shall give you at even flesh for to eat and to-morn +bread unto your fill, for as much as ye have murmured against him; what +be we? Your murmur is not against us but against our Lord. As Aaron +spake to all the company of the children of Israel they beheld toward +the wilderness, and our Lord spake to Moses in a cloud and said: I have +heard the grudgings of the children of Israel; say to them: At even ye +shall eat flesh and to-morn ye shall be filled with bread, and ye shall +know that I am your Lord God. And when the even was come there came so +many curlews that it covered all their lodgings, and on the morn there +lay like dew all about in their circuit. Which when they saw and came +for to gather, it was small and white like to coriander. And they +wondered on it and said: Mahun, that is as much to say, what is this? To +whom Moses said: This is the bread that God hath sent you to eat, and +God commandeth that every man should gather as much for every head as is +the measure of gomor, and let nothing be left till on the morn. And the +sixth day gather ye double so much, that is two measures of gomor, and +keep that one measure for the Sabbath, which God hath sanctified and +commanded you to hallow it. Yet some of them brake God's commandment, +and gathered more than they ate and kept it till on the morn, and then +it began to putrify and be full of worms. And that they kept for the +Sabbath day was good and putrified not. And thus our Lord fed the +children of Israel forty years in the desert. And it was called Manna. +Moses took one gomor thereof and put it in the tabernacle for to be kept +for a perpetual memory and remembrance. + +Then went they forth all the multitude of the children of Israel, in the +desert of Sin in their mansions and came, to Rephidim, where as they had +no water. Then all grudging they said to Moses, Give us water for to +drink. To whom Moses answered: What grudge ye against me, why tempt ye +our Lord? The people thirsted sore for lack and penury of water saying: +Why hast thou brought us out of Egypt for to slay us and our children +and beasts? Then Moses cried unto our Lord saying: What shall I do to +this people? I trow within a while they shall stone me to death. Then +our Lord said to Moses: Go before the people and take with thee the +older men and seniors of Israel, and take the rod that thou smotest with +the flood in thy hand, and I shall stand tofore upon the stone of Oreb, +and smite thou the stone with the rod and the waters shall come out +thereof that the people may drink. Moses did so tofore the seniors of +Israel and called that place Temptation, because of the grudge of the +children of Israel, and said: Is God with us or not? Then came Amalek +and fought against the children of Israel in Rephidim. Moses said then +to Joshua: Choose to thee men, and go out and fight against Amalek +to-morrow. I shall stand on the top of the hill having the rod of God in +my hand: Joshua did as Moses commanded him, and fought against Amalek. +Moses, Aaron, and Hur ascended into the hill, and when Moses held up +his hands, Israel won and overcame their enemies, and when he laid them +down then Amalek had the better. The hands of Moses were heavy; Aaron +and Hur took then a stone and put it under them, and they sustained his +hands on either side, and so his hands were not weary until the going +down of the sun. And so Joshua made Amalek to flee, and his people, by +strength of his sword. Our Lord said to Moses: Write this for a +remembrance in a book and deliver it to the ears of Joshua; I shall +destroy and put away the memory of Amalek under heaven. Moses then +edified an altar unto our Lord, and called there on the name of our +Lord, saying: The Lord is mine exaltation, for this is the hand only of +God, and the battle and God shall be against Amalek from generation to +generation. + +When Jethro the priest of Midian, which was cousin of Moses, heard say +what our Lord had done to Moses and to the children of Israel his +people, he took Zipporah the wife of Moses, and his two sons, Gershom +and Eleazar and came with them to him into desert, whom Moses received +with worship and kissed him. And when they were together Moses told him +all what our Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel, +and all the labor that they endured and how our Lord had delivered them. +Jethro was glad for all these things, that God had so saved them from +the hands of the Egyptians and said: Blessed be the Lord that hath +delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and hath +saved his people; now I know that he is a great Lord above all gods, +because they did so proudly against them. And Jethro offered sacrifices +and offerings to our Lord. Aaron and all the seniors of Israel came and +eat with him tofore our Lord. The next day Moses sat and judged and +deemed the people from morning unto evening, which, when his cousin saw, +he said to him: What doest thou? Why sittest thou alone and all the +people tarry from the morning until evening? To whom Moses answered: The +people came to me demanding sentence and the doom of God; when there is +any debate or difference among them they come to me to judge them, and +to show to them the precepts and the laws of God. Then said Jethro: Thou +dost not well nor wisely, for by folly thou consumest thy self, and the +people with thee; thou dost above thy might, thou mayst not alone +sustain it, but hear me and do there after, and our Lord shall be with +thee. Be thou unto the people in those things that appertain to God, +that thou tell to them what they should do, and the ceremonies and rites +to worship God, and the way by which they should go, and what work they +shall do. Provide of all people wise men and dreading God, in whom is +truth, and them that hate avarice and covetise, and ordain of them +tribunes and centurions and deans that may in all times judge the +people. And if there be of a great charge and weight, let it be referred +to thee, and let them judge the small things; it shall be the easier to +thee to bear the charge when it is so parted. If thou do so, thou shalt +fulfil the commandment of God, and sustain his precepts, and the people +shall go home to their places in peace. Which things when Moses had +heard and understood, he did all that he had counselled him, and chose +out the strongest and wisest people of all Israel and ordained them +princes of the people, tribunes, centurions, quinquagenaries, and deans, +which at all times should judge and deem the people. And all the great +and weighty matters they referred to him, deeming and judging the small +causes. And then his cousin departed and went into his country. + +The third month after the children of Israel departed out of Egypt, that +same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai, and there about the +region of the mount they fixed their tents. Moses ascended into the hill +unto God. God called him on the hill and said: This shalt thou say to +the house of Jacob and to the children of Israel. Ye yourselves have +seen what I have done to the Egyptians, and how I have borne you on the +wings of eagles and have taken you to me. If ye therefore hear my voice +and keep my covenant, ye shall be to me in the reign of priesthood and +holy people. These be the words that thou shalt say to the children of +Israel. Moses came down and gathered all the most of birth, and +expounded in them all the words that our Lord had commanded him. All the +people answered: All that ever our Lord hath said we shall do, + +When Moses had showed the people the words of our Lord, our Lord said to +him: Now I shall come to thee in a cloud that the people may hear me +speaking to thee, that they believe thee ever after. Moses went and told +this to the people, and our Lord bade them to sanctify the people this +day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready the +third day. The third day our Lord shall descend tofore all the people on +the mount of Sinai. And ordain to the people the marks and terms in the +circuit. And say to them: Beware that ye ascend not on the hill ne touch +the ends of it. Whosoever touched the hill shall die by death, there +shall no hand touch him, but with stones he shall be oppressed and with +casting of them on him he shall be tolben; whether it be man or beast, +he shall not live. When thou hearest the trump blown then ascend to the +hill. Moses went down to the people and sanctified and hallowed them, +and when they had washen their clothes he said to them: Be ye ready at +the third day and approach not your wives; When the third day came, and +the morning waxed clear, they heard thunder and lightning and saw a +great cloud cover the mount, and the cry of the trump was so shrill that +the people were sore afraid. When Moses had brought them forth unto the +root of the hill they stood there. All the mount of Sinai smoked, for so +much as our Lord descended on it in fire, and the smoke ascended from +the hill as it had been from a furnace. The mount was terrible and +dreadful, and the sound of the trump grew a little more and continued +longer. Moses spake and our Lord answered him. Our Lord descended upon +the top of the mount of Sinai, even on the top of it, and called Moses +to him, which when he came said to him: Go down and charge the people +that they come not to the terms of the hill for to see the Lord, for if +they do, much multitude shall perish of them. The priests that shall +come let them be sanctified lest they be smitten down. And thou and +Aaron shall ascend the hill. All the people and priests let them not +pass their bounds lest God smite them. Then Moses descended and told to +the people all that our Lord hath said. After this our Lord called Moses +and said: I am the Lord God that brought you out of Egypt and of +thraldom. And gave him the Commandment first by speaking and many +ceremonies as be rehearsed in the Bible, which is not requisite to be +written here, but the ten commandments every man is bounden to know. And +ere Moses received them written, he went up into the mount of Sinai, and +fasted there forty days and forty nights ere he received them. In which +time he commanded him to make many things, and to ordain the laws and +ceremonies which now be not had in the new law. And also as doctors say, +Moses learned that time all the histories tofore written of the making +of heaven and earth, of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and of Joseph +with his brethren. And at last delivered to him two tables of stone, +both written with the hand of God, which follow. + + +The first commandment that God commanded is this. Thou shalt not worship +no strange ne diverse gods. + +The second commandment is this, that thou shalt not take the name of +God in vain, that is to say, thou shalt not swear by him for nothing. + +The third commandment is that thou have mind and remember that thou +hallow and keep holy thy Sabbath day or Sunday. These three commandments +be written in the first table and appertain only to God. + +The fourth commandment is that thou shalt honor and worship thy father +and mother, for thou shalt live the longer on earth. + +The fifth commandment is that thou shalt slay no man. + +The sixth commandment is, thou shalt not do adultery. + +The seventh commandment is that thou shalt do no theft. + +The eighth commandment is that thou shalt not bear false witness against +thy neighbor. + +The ninth commandment is that thou shalt not desire the wife of thy +neighbor, nor shalt not covet her in thine heart. + +The tenth commandment is that thou shalt not covet nothing that is, or +longeth to, thy neighbor. + + +These be the ten commandments of our Lord, of which the three first +belong to God, and the seven other be ordained for our neighbors. Every +person that hath wit and understanding in himself, and age, is bound to +know them and to obey and keep these ten commandments aforesaid or else +he sinneth deadly. + +Thus Moses abode in the hill forty days and forty nights and received +of Almighty God the tables with the commandments written with the hand +of God; and also received and learned many ceremonies and statutes that +God ordained, by which the children of Israel should be ruled and +judged. And whiles that Moses was thus with our Lord on the mount, the +children of Israel saw that he tarried and descended not, and some of +them said that he was dead or gone away, and would not return again, and +some said nay; but in conclusion they gathered them together against +Aaron, and said to him: Make to us some gods that may go tofore us, we +know not what is befallen to Moses. Then Aaron said: Take the gold that +hangeth in the ears of your wives and your children, and bring it to me. +The people did as he bade, and brought the gold to Aaron, which he took +and molt it and made thereof a calf. Then they said: These be thy gods, +Israel, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Then the people made +an altar tofore it, and made great joy and mirth, and danced and played +tofore the calf, and offered and made sacrifices thereto. Our Lord spake +to Moses, saying: Go hence and descend down, thy people have sinned whom +thou hast brought forth from the land of Egypt. They have soon forsaken +and left the way which thou hast showed to them. They have made to them +a calf blown, and they have worshipped it, and offered sacrifices +thereto, saying: These be thy gods, Israel, that have brought thee out +of the land of Egypt, Yet said our Lord to Moses: I see well that this +people is of evil disposition, suffer me that I may wreak my wrath on +them, and I shall destroy them. I shall make thee governor of great +people. + +Moses then prayed our Lord God saying: Why art thou wroth, Lord, against +thy people that thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt in a great +strength and a boisterous hand? I beseech thee, Lord, let not the +Egyptians say that their God hath locked them out for to slay them in +the mountains. I pray thee Lord that thy wrath may assuage, and be thou +pleased and benign upon the wickedness of thy people. Remember Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob thy servants, to whom thou promisedst and swaredst by +thyself saying: I shall multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and +the universal, land of which I have spoken I shall give to your seed, +and ye shall possess and have it ever. And with these words our Lord was +pleased that he would do no harm as he had said unto his people; and +Moses returned from the mount, bearing two tables of stone, written both +with the hand of God. And the scripture that was in the tables were the +ten commandments as fore be written. Joshua hearing the great noise of +the children of Israel said to Moses: I trow they fight beneath, which +answered and said: It is no cry of exhorting men to fight, ne noise to +compel me to flee, but I hear the noise of singing. When he approached +to them he saw the calf and the instruments of mirth, and he was so +wroth that he threw down the tables and brake them at the foot of the +hill, and ran and caught down the calf that they had made, and burnt +and smote it all to powder, which he cast into water and gave it to +drink to the children of Israel. Then said Moses to Aaron: What hath +this people done to thee that thou hast made to sin grievously? To whom +he answered: Let not my lord take none indignation at me, thou knowest +well that this people is prone and ready to sin. They said to me: Make +us gods that may go tofore us; we know not what is fallen to this Moses +that led us out of Egypt. To whom I said: Who of you that hath gold give +it me; they took and gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and +thereof came out this calf. And then said Moses: All they that be of +God's part and have not sinned in this calf let them join to me; and the +children of Levi joined to him, and he bade each man take a sword on his +side and take vengeance and slay every each his brother, friend, and his +neighbor that have trespassed. And so the children of Levi went and slew +thirty-three thousand of the children of Israel. And then said Moses: Ye +have hallowed this day your hands unto our Lord, and ye shall be +therefore blessed. The second day Moses spake to the people and said: Ye +have committed and done the greatest sin that may be. I shall ascend +unto our Lord again, and shall pray him for your sin. Then Moses +ascended again, and received afterward two tables again, which our Lord +bade him make. And therein our Lord wrote the commandments. And after, +our Lord commanded him to make an ark and a tabernacle: in which ark was +kept three things. First the rod with which he did marvels, a pot full +of manna, and the two tables with commandments. And then after Moses +taught them the law; how each man should behave him against other and +what he should do, and what he should not do, and departed them into +twelve tribes, and commanded that every man should bring a rod into the +Tabernacle. And Moses wrote each name on the rod, and Moses shut fast +the tabernacle. And on the morn there was found one of the rods that +burgeoned and bare leaves and fruit, and was of an almond tree. That rod +fell to Aaron. + +And after this, long time, the children desired to eat flesh and +remembered of the flesh that they ate in Egypt, and grudged against +Moses, and would have ordained to them a duke for to have returned into +Egypt. Wherefore Moses was so woe that he desired of our Lord to deliver +him from this life, because he saw them so unkind against God. Then God +sent to them so great plenty of curlews that two days and one night they +flew so thick by the ground that they took great number, for they flew +but the height of two cubits. And they had so many that they dried them +hanging on their tabernacles and tents. Yet were they not content, but +ever grudging, wherefore God smote them and took vengeance on them by a +great plague and many died and were buried there. And then from thence +they went into Hazeroth and dwelt. After this Miriam and Aaron, brother +and sister of Moses, began to speak against Moses, because of his wife +which was of Ethiopia, and said: God hath not spoken only by Moses, +hath he not also spoken to us? Wherefore our Lord was wroth. Moses was +the humblest and the meekest man that was in all the world. Anon then, +our Lord said to him, and to Aaron and to Miriam: Go ye three only unto +the tabernacle; and there our Lord said that there was none like to +Moses, to whom he had spoken mouth to mouth, and reproved Aaron and +Miriam because they spake so to Moses, and being wroth, departed from +them, and anon, Miriam was smitten and made leper and white like snow. +And when Aaron beheld her and saw her smitten with leprosy, he said to +Moses: I beseech the Lord that thou set not the sin on us which we have +committed follily, and let not this our sister be as a dead woman, or as +born out of time and cast away from her mother, behold and see, half her +flesh is devoured of the leprosy. Then Moses cried unto our Lord, +saying: I beseech thee Lord that thou heal her; to whom our Lord said: +If her father had spit in her face should she not be put to shame and +rebuke seven days? Let her depart out of the castles seven days, and +after she shall be called in again. So Miriam was shut out of the +castles seven days, and the people removed not from the place till she +was called again. + +After this our Lord commanded Moses to send men into the land of Canaan +that he should give them charge for to see and consider the goodness +thereof, and that of every tribe he should send some. Moses did as our +Lord had commanded, which went in and brought of the fruits with them, +and they brought a branch with one cluster of grapes as much as two men +might bear between them upon a colestaff. When they had seen the country +and considered by the space of forty days they returned and told the +commodities of the land, but some said that the people were strong, and +many kings and giants, in such wise that they said it was impregnable +and that the people were much stronger than they were. Wherefore the +people anon were afeard, and murmured against Moses and would return +again into Egypt. Then Joshua and Caleb, which were two of them that had +considered the land, said to the people: Why grudge ye and wherefore be +ye afraid? We have well seen the country, and it is good to win. The +country floweth full of milk and honey, be not rebel against God, he +shall give it us, be ye not afeard. Then all the people cried against +them, and when they would have taken stones and stoned them, our Lord in +his glory appeared in a cloud upon the covering of the tabernacle, and +said to Moses: This people believeth not the signs and wonders that I +have showed and done to them. I shall destroy them all by pestilence, +and I shall make thee a prince upon people greater and stronger than +this is. Then prayed Moses to our Lord for the people, that he would +have pity on them and not destroy them, but to have mercy on them after +the magnitude of his mercy. And our Lord at his request forgave them. +Nevertheless our Lord said that all the men that had seen his majesty, +and the signs and marvels that he did in Egypt, and in desert, and have +tempted him ten times, and not obeyed unto his voice, shall not see ne +come into the country and land that I have promised to their fathers, +but Joshua and Caleb, my servants, shall enter into the land, and their +seed shall possess it. Moses told all this unto the children and they +wailed and sorrowed greatly therefore. + +After this the people removed from thence and came into the desert of +Sin; and then Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron, died, and was buried in +the same place. Then the people lacked water and came and grudged +against Moses, and yet wished they had abided in Egypt. Then Moses and +Aaron entered into the Tabernacle and fell down to the ground low, and +prayed unto our Lord, saying: Lord God, hear the clamor of thy people, +and open to them thy treasure, a fountain of living water, that they may +drink and the murmuration of them may cease. Our Lord said to him then: +Take the rod in thy hand, and thou and Aaron thy brother, assemble and +gather the people and speak ye to the stone, and it shall give out +water. And when the water cometh let all the multitude drink and their +beasts. Moses then took the rod as our Lord bade, and gathered all the +people tofore the stone and said to them: Hear ye rebels and out of +belief; trow ye not that we may give you water out of this stone? And he +lift up his hand and smote between the stone, and water came and flowed +out in the most largest wise, in such wise that the people and beasts +drank their fill. Then said God to Moses and Aaron: Because ye have not +believed me and sanctified my name tofore the children of Israel, and +given to me the laud, but have done this in your name, ye shall not +bring this people into the land that I shall give to them. And therefore +this water was called the water of contradiction, where the children +grudged against God. + +Anon after this, by God's commandment, Moses took Aaron upon the hill, +and despoiled him of his vesture, and clothed therewith his son Eleazar, +and made him upperest bishop for his father Aaron. And there Aaron died +in the top of the hill, and Moses descended with Eleazar. And when all +the multitude of people saw that Aaron was dead, they wept and wailed on +him thirty days in every tribe and family. + +After this the people went about the land of Edom, and began to wax +weary, and grudged against our Lord and Moses, and said yet: Why hast +thou led us out of the Land of Egypt for to slay us in this desert and +wilderness? Bread faileth us, there is no water, and our souls abhor and +loathe this light meat. For which cause God sent among them +fiery-serpents, which bit and wounded many of them and slew also. Then +they that were hurt came in to Moses and said: We have sinned, for we +have spoken against our Lord and thee; pray for us unto God that he +deliver from us these serpents. Then Moses prayed our Lord for the +people. And our Lord said to him: Make a serpent of brass and set it up +for a sign, and whosomever be hurt, and looketh thereon and beholdeth +it, shall live and be whole. Then Moses made a serpent of brass, and set +it up for a sign, and when they that were hurt beheld it they were made +whole. + +After this when Moses had showed to them all the laws of our Lord, and +ceremonies, and had governed them forty years, and that he was an +hundred and twenty years old, he ascended from the fields of Moab upon +the mountain of Nebo into the top of Pisgah against Jericho, and there +our Lord showed to him all the land of Gilead unto Dan, and the land of +promise from that one end unto that other. And then our Lord said to +him: This is the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, +saying: I shall give it to thy seed. Now thou hast seen it with thine +eyes, and shalt not enter ne come therein. And there in that place died +Moses, servant of our Lord, as God commanded, and was buried in the vale +of the land of Moab against Beth-peor. And yet never man knew his +sepulchre unto this day. Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when +he died, his eyes never dimmed, ne his teeth were never moved. The +children of Israel wept and mourned for him thirty days in the fields of +Moab. Joshua the son of Nun was replenished with the spirit of wisdom; +for Moses set on him his hands, and the children obeyed him as our Lord +had commanded to Moses. And there was never after a prophet in Israel +like unto Moses, which knew and spake to God face to face in all signs +and tokens that God did and showed by him in the land of Egypt to +Pharaoh and all his servants. + + + + +THE BURIAL OF MOSES + + +By Nebo's lonely mountain, + On this side Jordan's wave, +In a vale in the land of Moab + There lies a lonely grave. +And no man knows that sepulchre, + And no man saw it e'er, +For the angels of God upturned the sod, + And laid the dead man there. + +That was the grandest funeral + That ever passed on earth; +But no man heard the trampling, + Or saw the train go forth-- +Noiselessly as the daylight + Comes back when night is done, +And the crimson streak on ocean's cheek + Grows into the great sun. + +Noiselessly as the springtime + Her crown of verdure weaves, +And all the trees on all the hills + Open their thousand leaves; +So without sound of music, + Or voice of them that wept, +Silently down from the mountain's crown + The great procession swept. + +Perchance the bald old eagle, + On gray Beth-peor's height, +Out of his lonely eyrie + Looked on the wondrous sight; +Perchance the lion stalking, + Still shuns that hallowed spot, +For beast and bird have seen and heard + That which man knoweth not. + +But when the warrior dieth, + His comrades in the war, +With arms reversed and muffled drum, + Follow his funeral car; +They show the banners taken, + They tell his battles won, +And after him lead his masterless steed, + While peals the minute gun. + +Amid the noblest of the land + We lay the sage to rest, +And give the bard an honored place + With costly marble drest, +In the great minster transept, + Where lights like glories fall, +And the organ rings, and the sweet choir sings, + Along the emblazoned wall. + +This was the truest warrior + That ever buckled sword; +This the most gifted poet + That ever breathed a word. +And never earth's philosopher + Traced with his golden pen +On the deathless page truths half so sage + As he wrote down for men. + +And had he not high honor?-- + The hillside for a pall, +To lie in state, while angels wait, + With stars for tapers tall; +And the dark rock-pines, like tossing plumes, + Over his bier to wave, +And God's own hand in that lonely land + To lay him in the grave,-- + +In that strange grave without a name, + Whence his uncoffined clay +Shall break again, O wondrous thought! + Before the judgment day, +And stand with glory wrapt around + On the hills he never trod; +And speak of the strife, that won our life, + With the incarnate son of God. + +O lonely grave in Moab's land! + O dark Beth-peor's hill! +Speak to these curious hearts of ours, + And teach them to be still. +God hath his mysteries of grace, + Ways that we cannot tell; +He hides them deep, like the hidden sleep + Of him He loved so well. + +_--Cecil Frances Alexander._ + + + + +THE HISTORY OF JOSHUA + + +After Moses, Joshua was duke and leader of the children of Israel, and +brought them into the land of behest, and did many great battles. For +whom God showed many great marvels and in especial one; that was that +the sun stood still at his request, till he had overcome his enemies, by +the space of a day. And our Lord, when he fought, sent down such +hail-stones that slew more of his enemies with the stones than with +man's hand. + +Joshua was a noble man and governed well Israel, and divided the land +unto the twelve tribes by lot. And when he was an hundred and ten years +old he died. And divers dukes after him judged and deemed Israel, of +whom be noble histories, as of Jephthah, Gideon, and Samson, which I +pass over unto the histories of the kings, which is read in holy church +from the first Sunday after Trinity Sunday, unto the first Sunday of +August. + + + + +THE HISTORY OF SAUL + +_The first Sunday after Trinity Sunday unto the first Sunday of the +month of August is read the Book of Kings_. + + +This history maketh mention that there was a man named Elkanah which had +two wives, that one was named Hannah, and the name of the second +Peninnah. Peninnah had children and Hannah had none but was barren. The +good man at such days as he was bounden, went to his city for to make +his sacrifice and worship God. In this time Hophni and Phineas sons of +Eli, the great priest, were priests of our Lord. This Elkanah gave to +Peninnah at such times as he offered, to her sons and daughters, certain +parts, and unto Hannah he gave but one part. Peninnah did much sorrow +and reproof to Hannah because she had had no children, and thus did +every year, and provoked her to wrath, but she wept for sorrow and ate +no meat. To whom Elkanah her husband said: Hannah, why weepest thou? and +wherefore eatest thou not? Why is thine heart put to affliction? Am I +not better to thee than ten sons? Then Hannah arose after she had eaten +and drunk in Shilo and went to pray unto our Lord, making to him a vow +if that she might have a son she should offer him to our Lord. Eli that +time sat tofore the posts of the house of our Lord. And Hannah besought +and prayed our Lord, making to him a vow, if that she might have a son +she should offer him to our Lord. And it was so that she prayed so +heartily in her thought and mind, that her lips moved not, wherefore Eli +bare her on hand that she was drunk. And she said: Nay, my lord, I am a +sorrowful woman, I have drunken no wine ne drink that may cause me to be +drunken, but I have made my prayers, and cast my soul in the sight of +Almighty God. Repute me not as one of the daughters of Belial, for the +prayer that I have made and spoken yet is of the multitude of the +heaviness and sorrow of my heart. Then Eli the priest said to her: Go in +peace, the God of Israel give to thee the petition of thy heart for that +thou hast prayed him. And she said: Would God that thy handservant might +find grace in thy sight. And so she departed, and on the morn they went +home again in to Ramatha. + +After this our Lord remembered her, and she bare a fair son and named +him Samuel for so much as she asked him of our Lord. Wherefore Elkanah, +her husband, went and offered a solemn sacrifice and his vow +accomplished, but Hannah ascended not with him. She said to her husband +that she would not go till her child were weaned and taken from the pap. +And after when Samuel was weaned, and was an infant, the mother took +him, and three calves and three measures of meal, and a bottle of wine, +and brought him unto the house of our Lord in Shilo and sacrificed that +calf and offered the child to Eli, and told to Eli that she was the +woman that prayed our Lord for that child. And there Hannah worshipped +our Lord and thanked him, and there made this psalm which is one of the +canticles: My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and so forth, all the +remnant of that psalm. And then Elkanah with his wife returned home to +his house. After this our Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived three +sons, and two daughters, which she brought forth. And Samuel abode in +the house of our Lord and was minister in the sight of Eli. But the two +sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were children of Belial, not knowing +our Lord, but did great sins against the commandments of God. And our +Lord sent a prophet to Eli because he corrected not his sons, and said +he would take the office from him and from his house, and that there +should not be an old man in his house and kindred, but should die ere +they came to man's estate, and that God should raise a priest that +should be faithful and after his heart. + +Samuel served and ministered our Lord in a surplice before Eli. And on a +time as Eli lay in his bed his eyes were so dimmed that he might not see +the lantern of God till it was quenched and put out. Samuel slept in the +temple of our Lord whereas the ark of God was, and our Lord called +Samuel, which answered: I am ready, and ran to Eli and said: I am ready, +thou callest me. Which said: I called thee not my son, return and sleep, +and he returned and slept. And our Lord called him the second time, and +he arose and went to Eli and said: Lo! I am here, thou calledst me, +which answered: I called thee not, go thy way, and sleep. Samuel knew +not the calling of our Lord yet, ne there was never revelation showed +him tofore. And our Lord called Samuel the third time, which arose and +came to Eli and said: I am here, for thou calledst me. Then Eli +understood that our Lord had called him, and said to Samuel: Go and +sleep, and if thou be called again thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for thy +servant heareth thee. Samuel returned and slept in his place, and our +Lord came and called him: Samuel! Samuel! and Samuel said: Say, Lord, +what it pleaseth, for thy servant heareth. And then our Lord said to +Samuel: Lo! I make my word to be known in Israel that whoso heareth, his +ears shall ring and sound thereof. In that day I shall raise against Eli +that I have said upon his house. I shall begin and accomplish it. I have +given him in knowledge that I shall judge his house for wickedness, +forasmuch as he knoweth his sons to do wickedly, and hath not corrected +them. Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the wickedness of +his house shall not be made clean with sacrifices ne gifts never. + +Samuel slept till on the morn, and then he rose and opened the doors of +the house of our Lord in his surplice; and Samuel was afeard to show +this vision unto Eli. Eli called him and asked what our Lord hath said +to him and charged him to tell him all: and Samuel told to him all that +our Lord had said, and hid nothing from him. And he said: He is our +Lord, what it pleaseth him, let him do. Samuel grew, and our Lord was +with him in all his works. And it was known to all Israel from Dan to +Beersheba that Samuel was the true prophet of our Lord. After this it +was so that the Philistines warred against the children of Israel, +against whom there was a battle, and the children of Israel overthrown +and put to flight. Wherefore they assembled again, and took with them +the ark of God which Hophni and Phineas, sons of Eli, bare, and when +they came with a great multitude with the ark, the Philistines were +afraid. Notwithstanding they fought against them manly and slew thirty +thousand footmen of the children of Israel and took the ark of God. And +the two sons of Eli were slain, Hophni and Phineas. And a man of the +tribe of Benjamin ran for to tell this unto Eli which sat abiding some +tidings of the battle. This man, as soon as he entered into the town, +told how the field was lost, the people slain, and how the ark was +taken. And there was a great sorrow and cry. + +And when Eli heard this cry and wailing he demanded what this noise was +and meant, and wherefore they so sorrowed. Then the man hied and came +and told to Eli. Eli was at that tide ninety-eight years old, and his +eyes were waxen blind and might not see, and he said: I am he that came +from the battle, and fled this day from the host. To whom Eli said: What +is there done, my son? He answered: The host of Israel is overthrown and +fled tofore the Philistines, and a great ruin is made among the people, +thy two sons be slain and the ark of God is taken. And when Eli heard +him name the ark of God he fell down backward by the door and brake his +neck and there died. He was an old man and had judged Israel forty +years. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and set it in their +temple of Dagon, by their god Dagon, in Ashdod. On the morn, the next +day early, when they of Ashdod came into their temple, they saw their +god Dagon lie on the ground tofore the ark of God upon his face, and the +head and the two hands of Dagon were cut off. And there abode no more +but the trunk only in the place. And God showed many vengeances to them +of the country as long as the ark was with them, for God smote them with +sickness, and wells boiled in towns and fields of that region, and there +grew among them so many mice, that they suffered great persecution and +confusion in that city. + +The people seeing this vengeance and plague said: Let not the ark of the +God of Israel abide longer with us, for his hand is hard on us and on +Dagon our god, and sent for the great masters and governors of the +Philistines, and when they were gathered they said: What shall we do +with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered: Let it be led all +about the cities, and so it was, and a great vengeance and death was had +upon all the cities, and smote every man with plague from the most to +the least. And then they sent the ark of God into Acheron and when they +of Acheron saw the ark, they cried saying: They have brought the ark of +the God of Israel to us, for to slay us and our people. They cried that +the ark should be sent home again, for much people were dead by the +vengeance that was taken on them, and a great howling and wailing was +among them. The ark was in the region of the Philistines seven months. +After this they counselled with their priests what they should do with +the ark, and it was concluded it should be sent home again, but the +priests said: If ye send it home, send it not void, but what ye owe pay +for your trespass and sin, and then ye shall be healed and cured of your +sicknesses. And so they ordained after the number of the five provinces +of the Philistines, five pieces of gold and five mice of gold, and led +to a wain and put in it two wild kine, which never bear yoke, and said, +Leave their calves at home and take the ark and set it on the wain, and +also the vessels and pieces of gold that ye have paid for your trespass, +set them at the side of the ark and let them go where they will, and +thus they sent the ark of God unto the children of Israel. + +Samuel then governed Israel long, and when he was old he set his sons +judges on Israel, whose names were Joel and Abiah. And these two his +sons walked not in his ways, but declined after covetise and took gifts +and perverted justice and doom. Then assembled and gathered together all +the greatest of birth of the children of Israel, and came to Samuel and +said: Lo! thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways, wherefore +ordain to us a king that may judge and rule us like as all other nations +have. This displeased much to Samuel when they said, Ordain on us a +king. Then Samuel counselled on this matter with our Lord, to whom God +said: Hear the voice of the people that speak to thee: they have not +cast only thee away, but me, that I should not reign on them, for they +do now like as they ever have done sith I brought them out of Egypt unto +this day; that is that they have served false gods and strange, and so +do they to thee. Notwithstanding hear them, and tell to them tofore, the +right of the king, and how he shall oppress them. + +Samuel told all this to the people that demanded to have a king, and +said: This shall be the right of a king that shall reign on you. He +shall take your sons and make them his men of war, and set them in his +chariots and shall make them his carters and riders of his horse in his +chariots and carts, and shall ordain of them tribunes and centurions, +earers and tillers of his fields, and mowers and reapers of his corn, +and he shall make them smiths, and armorers of harness and cars, and he +shall also take your daughters and make them his unguentaries [makers of +perfumes], and ready at his will and pleasure; he shall also take from +you your fields and vineyards and the best olives and give them to his +servants, and he shall task and dime [tithe] your corn and sheaves, and +the rents of your vineyards he shall value for to give to his officers +and servants, and shall take from you your servants, both men and women, +and set them to his works. And your asses and beasts he also shall take +to his labor, your flocks of sheep he shall task and take the tenth or +what shall please him, and ye shall be to him thrall and servants. And +ye shall cry then wishing to flee from the face of yaur king, and our +Lord shall not hear you nor deliver you because ye have asked for you a +king. Yet for all this the people would not hear Samuel, but said: Give +to us a king, for a king shall reign on us, and we shall be as all other +people be. And our king shall judge us and go before us, and he shall +fight our battles for us. + +And Samuel heard all and counselled with our Lord. To whom God commanded +to ordain to them a king, and so he did, for he took a man of the tribe +of Benjamin whose name was Saul, a good man and chosen, and there was +not a better among all the children of Israel, and he was higher of +stature from the shoulder upward than any other of all the people. And +Samuel anointed him king upon Israel, and said to him: Our Lord God hath +anointed thee upon his heritage and ordained thee a prince, and thou +shalt deliver his people from the hands of his enemies that be in the +circuit and countries about, and so departed from him. And Samuel after +this gathered the people together and said: Our Lord saith that he hath +brought you from the land of Egypt, and saved you from the hands of all +the kings that were your enemies and pursued you, and ye have forsaken +our Lord God that hath only delivered you from all your evil and +tribulations, and have said: Ordain upon us a king. Wherefore now stand +every each in his tribe, and we shall lot who shall be our king. And the +lot fell on the tribe of Benjamin, and in that tribe the lot fell upon +Saul the son of Kish. And they sought him and could not find him, and it +was told him that he was hid in his house at home, and the people ran +thither and fetched him and set him amidst all the people. And he was +higher than any of all the people from the shoulder upward. Then Samuel +said to the people, Now ye see and behold whom our Lord hath chosen, for +there is none like him of all the people. And then all the people cried: +Vivat Rex, live the king. Samuel wrote the law of the realm to the +people in a book, and put it tofore our Lord. Thus was Saul made the +first king in Israel, and anon had much war, for on all sides men warred +on the children of Israel, and he defended them, and Saul had divers +battles and had victory. + +Samuel came on a time to Saul and said God commanded him to fight +against Amalek and that he should slay and destroy man, woman, and +child, ox, cow, camel and ass and sheep, and spare nothing. Then Saul +assembled his people and had two hundred thousand footmen and twenty +thousand men of the tribe of Judah, and went forth and fought against +Amalek and slew them, sauf he saved Agag the King of Amalek alive, and +all other he slew, but he spared the best flocks of sheep and of other +beasts, and also good clothes, and wethers, and all that was good he +spared, and whatsomever was foul he destroyed. And this was showed to +Samuel by our Lord, saying: Me forthinketh that I have ordained Saul +king upon Israel, for he hath forsaken me, and not fulfilled my +commandments. Samuel was sorry herefor, and wailed all the night. On the +morn he rose and came to Saul, and Saul offered sacrifice to our Lord of +the pillage that he had taken. And Samuel demanded of Saul what noise +that was he heard of sheep and beasts, and he said that they were of the +beasts that the people had brought from Amalek to offer unto our Lord, +and the residue were slain. They have spared the best and fattest for to +do sacrifice with unto thy Lord God. Then said Samuel to Saul: +Rememberest thou not that whereas thou wert least among the tribes of +Israel thou wert made upperest? And our Lord anointed thee, and made +thee king. And he said to thee: Go and slay the sinners of Amalek and +leave none alive, man ne beast; why hast thou not obeyed the commandment +of our Lord? And hast run to robbery and done evil in the sight of God? +And then said Saul to Samuel: I have taken Agag, king of the Amalekites, +and brought him with me, but I have slain Amalek. The people have taken +of the sheep and beasts of the best for to offer unto our Lord God. And +then said Samuel: Trowest thou that our Lord would rather have sacrifice +and offerings than not to obey his commandments? Better is obedience +than sacrifice, and better it is to take heed to do after thy Lord than +to offer the fat kidneys of the wethers. For it is a sin to withstand +and to repugn against his Lord like the sin of idolatry. And because +thou hast not obeyed our Lord, and cast away his word, our Lord hath +cast thee away that thou shalt not be king. Then said Saul to Samuel: I +have sinned for I have not obeyed the word of God and thy words, but +have dreaded the people and obeyed to their request, but I pray thee to +bear my sin and trespass and return with me that I may worship our +Lord. And Samuel answered, I shall not return with thee. And so Samuel +departed, and yet ere he departed, he did do slay [caused to be slain] +Agag the king. And Samuel saw never Saul after unto his death. + +Then our Lord bade Samuel to go and anoint one of the sons of Isai, +otherwise called Jesse, to be king of Israel. And so he came into +Bethlehem unto Jesse and bade him bring his sons tofore him. This Jesse +had eight sons, be brought tofore Samuel seven of them, and Samuel said +there was not he that he would have. Then he said that there was no +more, save one which was youngest and yet a child, and kept sheep in the +field. And Samuel said: Send for him, for I shall eat no bread till he +come. And so he was sent for and brought. He was ruddy and fair of +visage and well favored, and Samuel arose, and took an horn with oil and +anointed him in the middle of his brethren. And forthwith the spirit of +our Lord came directly in him that same day and ever after. Then Samuel +departed and came into Ramah. And the spirit of our Lord went away from +Saul and an evil spirit oft vexed him. Then his servants said to him: +Thou oft art vexed with an evil spirit, it were good to have one that +could harp, to be with thee when the spirit vexeth thee, thou shalt bear +it the lighter. And he said to his servants: Provide ye to me such one. +And then one said: I saw one of Jesse's sons play on a harp, a fair +child and strong, wise in his talking and our Lord is with him. Then +Saul sent messages to Jesse for David, and Jesse sent David his son +with a present of bread, wine, and a kid, to Saul. And always when the +evil spirit vexed Saul, David harped tofore him and anon he was eased, +and the evil spirit went his way. + +After this the Philistines gathered them into great hosts to make war +against Saul and the children of Israel, and Saul gathered the children +of Israel together and came against them in the vale of Terebinthe. The +Philistines stood upon the hill on that other part, and the valley was +between them. And there came out of the host of the Philistines a great +giant named Goliath of Gath; he was six cubits high and a palm, and a +helmet of brass on his head, and was clad in a habergeon. The weight of +his habergeon was of five thousand shekels of weight of metal. He had +boots of brass on his calves, and his shoulders were covered with plates +of brass. His glaive was as a great colestaff, and there was thereon six +shekels of iron, and his squire went tofore him and cried against them +of Israel, and said they should choose a man to fight a singular battle +against Goliath, and if he were overcome the Philistines should be +servants to Israel, and if he prevailed and overcame his enemy, they of +Israel should serve the Philistines, and thus he did cry forty days +long. Saul and the children of Israel were sore afraid. David was at +this time in Bethlehem with his father, and kept sheep, and three of his +brethren were in the host with Saul. To whom Jesse said: David, take +this pottage, ten loaves of bread, and ten cheeses, and go run unto the +host to thy brethren, and see how they do, and learn how they be +arrayed. David delivered his sheep to one to keep them, and bare these +things unto the host. And when he came thither he heard a great cry, and +he demanded after his brethren. And that same time came forth that giant +Goliath and said, as he had done tofore, and David heard him speak. All +they of Israel fled for fear of him, and David demanded what he was, and +it was told him that he was come to destroy Israel, and also that what +man that might slay him, the king should enrich him with great riches, +and should give to him his daughter, and shall make the house of his +father without tribute. And David said: What is this uncircumcised that +hath despised the host of the God of Israel? And what reward shall he +have that shall slay him? And the people said as afore is said. And when +his oldest brother heard him speak to the people he was wroth with him, +and said: Wherefore art thou come hither and hast left the few sheep in +desert. I know well thy pride, thou art come for to see the battle. And +David said: What have I done? Is it not as the people said? I dare fight +well with this giant; and declined from his brother to other of the +people. And all this was showed to Saul, and David was brought to him, +and said to Saul: I, thy servant, shall fight against this giant if thou +wilt. And Saul said to him: Thou mayst not withstand this Philistine nor +fight against him, for thou art but a child; this giant hath been a +fighter from his childhood. David said to Saul: I thy servant kept my +father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear and took away a wether +from the middle of my flock, and I pursued after, and took it again from +their mouths, and they arose and would have devoured me, and I caught +them by the jaws and slew them. I thy servant slew the lion and the +bear, therefore this Philistine uncircumcised shall be as one of them. I +shall now go and deliver Israel from this opprobrium and shame. How is +this Philistine uncircumcised so hardy as to curse the host of the +living God? And yet said David: The Lord that kept me from the might of +the lion and from the strength of the bear, he will deliver me from the +power of the Philistine. Saul said then to David: Go, and our Lord be +with thee. + +Saul did do arm him with his armor, and girded his sword about him. And +when he was armed, David said: I may not ne cannot fight thus, for I am +not accustomed ne used, and unarmed him, and took his staff that he had +in his hand, and chose to him five good round stones from the brook and +put them in his bag, and took a sling in his hand, and went forth +against the giant. And when Goliath saw him come, he despised him and +said: Weenest thou that I am a hound that comest with thy staff to me? +And he cursed David by his gods, and said to David: Come hither and I +shall give thy flesh to the fowls of heaven and to the beasts of the +earth. David said unto Goliath: Thou comest to me with thy sword and +glaive, and I come to thee in the name of the Lord God of the host of +Israel which thou hast this day despised; and that Lord shall give thee +in my hand, and I shall slay thee and smite off thy head. And I shall +give this day the bodies of the men of war of the Philistines to the +fowls of heaven, and to the beasts of the earth. Then Goliath rose and +hied toward David, and David on that other side hied, and took a stone +and laid it in his sling, and threw it at the giant, and smote him in +the forehead in such wise that the stone was fixed there, in that he +fell down on his visage. Thus prevailed David against the Philistine +with his sling and stone, and smote him and slew him. And he had no +sword but he went and took Goliath's own sword and therewith smote off +his head. And then the Philistines seeing this giant thus slain, fled, +and the Israelites after followed, and slew many of them, and returned +again and came into the tents, pavilions and lodgings of the +Philistines, and took all the pillage. + +David took the head of Goliath and brought it into Jerusalem, and his +arms he brought into his tabernacle. And Abner brought David, having the +head of Goliath in his hand, tofore Saul. And Saul demanded of him of +what kindred that he was, and he said that he was son of Jesse of +Bethlehem, and forthwith that same time Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved +David as his own soul. Saul then would not give him license to return to +his father, and Jonathan and he were confederate and swore each of them +to be true to other, for Jonathan gave his coat that he was clad withal, +and all his other garments, unto his sword and spear, unto David. And +David did all that ever Saul bade him do wisely and prudently. And when +he returned from the battle, and Goliath was slain, the women came out +from every town singing with choirs and timpanes against the coming of +Saul with great joy and gladness, saying: Saul hath slain a thousand and +David hath slain ten thousand. And this saying displeased much to Saul, +which said: They have given to David ten thousand and to me one +thousand; what may he more have save the realm, and to be king? For this +cause Saul never loved David after that day, ne never looked on him +friendly but ever sought means afterward to destroy David, for he +dreaded that David should be lord with him, and put him from him. And +David was wise and kept him well from him. And after this he wedded +Michal, daughter of Saul, and Jonathan made oft times peace between Saul +and David, yet Saul kept no promise, but ever lay in wait to slay David. +And Jonathan warned David thereof. And David gat him a company of men of +war to the number of four hundred, and kept him in the mountains. + +And on a time David was at home with his wife Michal, and Saul sent +thither men of war to slay him in his house in the morning; and when +Michal heard thereof, she said to David: But if thou save thyself this +night, to-morn thou shalt die, and she let him out by a window by which +he escaped and saved himself. Michal took an image and laid in his bed, +and a rough skin of a goat on the head of the image, and covered it with +clothes. And on the morn Saul sent spies for David, and it was answered +to them that he lay sick in his bed. Then after this sent Saul +messengers for to see David, and said to them: Bring him to me in his +bed that he may be slain. And when the messengers came they found a +simulachre or an image in his bed, and goats' skins on the head. Then +said Saul to Michal his daughter: Why hast thou mocked me so, and hast +suffered mine enemy to flee? And Michal answered to Saul and said: He +said to me: Let me go or I shall slay thee. + +David went to Samuel in Rama and told him all that Saul had done to him. +And it was told to Saul that David was with Samuel, and he sent thither +messengers to take him. And when they came they found them with the +company of prophets, and they sat and prophesied with them. And he sent +more. And they did also so. And the third time he sent more messengers. +And they also prophesied. And then Saul being wroth asked where Samuel +and David were, and went to them, and he prophesied when he came also, +and took off his clothes and was naked all that day and night before +Samuel. David then fled from thence and came to Jonathan and complained +to him saying: What have I offended that thy father seeketh to slay me? +Jonathan was sorry therefore, for he loved well David. After this Saul +ever sought for to slay David. And on a time Saul went into a cave, and +David was within the cave, to whom his squire said: Now hath God brought +thine enemy into thine hand; now go and slay him. And David said: God +forbid that I should lay any hand on him, he is anointed. I shall never +hurt ne grieve him, let God do his pleasure. And he went to Saul and cut +off a gobet [a small piece] of his mantle and kept it. And when Saul was +gone out, soon after issued David out and cried to Saul saying: Lo! +Saul, God hath brought thee into my hands. I might have slain thee if I +had would, but God forbade that I should lay hand on thee, my lord +anointed of God. And what have I offended that thou seekest to slay me? +Who art thou? said Saul. Art thou not David my son? Yes, said David, I +am thy servant, and kneeled down and worshipped him. Then said Saul: I +have sinned, and wept and also said: Thou art rightfuller than I am, +thou hast done to me good, and I have done to thee evil. And thou hast +well showed to me this day that God had brought me into thine hand, and +thou hast not slain me. God reward thee for this, that thou hast done to +me; now know I well that thou shalt reign in Israel. I pray thee to be +friendly to my seed, and destroy not my house, and swear and promise me +that thou take not away my name from the house of my father; and David +sware and promised to Saul. And then Saul departed and went home, and +David and his people went in to surer places. + +Anon after this Samuel died, and was buried in his house in Rama. And +all Israel bewailed him greatly. Then there was a rich man in the mount +of Carmel that hight Nabal, and on a time he sheared and clipped his +sheep, to whom David sent certain men, and bade them say that David +greeted him well, and whereas aforetimes his shepherds kept his sheep +in desert, he never was grevious to them, ne they lost not much as a +sheep as long as they were with us, and that he might ask his servants +for they could tell, and that he would now in their need send them what +it pleased him. Nabal answered to the children of David: Who is that +David? Trow ye that I shall send the meat that I have made ready for +them that shear my sheep and send it to men that I know not? The men +returned and told to David all that he had said. Then said David to his +men: Let every man take his sword and gird him withal, and David took +his sword and girt him. And David went and four hundred men followed +him, and he left two hundred behind him. One of the servants of Nabal +told to Abigail, Nabal's wife, how that David had sent messengers from +the desert unto his lord, and how wroth and wayward he was, and also he +said that those men were good enough to them when they were in desert, +ne never perished beast of yours as long as they were there. They were a +wall and a shield for us both day and night all the time that we kept +our flocks there, wherefore consider what is to be done. They purpose to +do harm to him and to his house, for he is the son of Belial in such +wise that no man may speak with him. Then Abigail hied her and took two +hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bottles of wine, five wethers +sodden, and five measures of pottage, and one hundred bonds of grapes +dried, and two hundred masses of caricares, and laid all this upon +asses, and said to her servants: Go ye tofore, and I shall follow +after. She told hereof nothing to her husband Nabal. + +Then she took an ass and rode after, and when she came to the foot of +the hill, David and his men descended; to whom she ran, and David said: +I have for naught saved all the beasts of this Nabal in desert, and +there perished nothing of his that pertained to him, and he hath yielded +evil for good. By the living God I shall not leave as much as his alive +as one man. As soon as Abigail saw David she descended from her ass, and +fell down tofore David, upon her visage and worshipped him on the earth, +and fell down to his feet and said: In me, said she, my lord, be this +wickedness, I beseech thee that I thine handmaiden may speak to thine +ears, and that thou wilt hear the words of me thy servant. I pray and +require thee my lord, let not thy heart be set against this wicked man +Nabal, for according to his name he is a fool, and folly is with him. I +thine handmaid saw not thy children that thou sendedst. Now, therefore, +my lord, for the love of God and of thy soul, suffer not thy hand to +shed no blood, and I beseech God that thine enemies may be like Nabal +and they that would thee harm; and I beseech thee to receive this +blessing and present which I thine handmaid have brought to thee, my +lord, and give it to thy men that follow thee, my lord. Take away the +wickedness from me thy servant, and I beseech God to make to thee, my +lord, a house of truth, for thou, my lord, shall fight the battles of +our Lord God; and let no malice be found in thee, never in all the days +of thy life. If ever any man arise against thee or would pursue or would +hurt thee, I beseech God to keep thee. And when our Lord God hath +accomplished to thee, my lord, all that he hath spoken good of thee, and +hath constituted thee duke upon Israel, let this not be in thy thought, +ne scruple in thy heart that thou shouldest shed blood not guilty, ne be +thou not now avenged. And when our Lord God hath done well to thee, my +lord, have thou remembrance on me thine handmaid, and do well to me. + +And David said to Abigail: Blessed be God of Israel that sent thee this +day to meet me, and blessed be thy speech, and blessed be thou that hast +withdrawn me from bloodshedding, and that I avenged me not on mine enemy +with mine hand, else by the living God of Israel, if thou hadst not come +unto me, there should not have blyven [been left] unto Nabal to-morn in +the morning one man. Then David received all that she brought and said +to her: Go peaceably into thine house, lo! I have heard thy voice and I +have honored thy visage; and so Abigail came unto Nabal, and David +returned into the place he came from. Nabal made a great feast in his +house, like the feast of a king, and the heart of Nabal was jocund; he +was drunken, and Abigail his wife told to him no word till on the morn, +little ne much. On the morn when Nabal had digested the wine, his wife +told him all these words. And his heart was mortified within him, and he +was dead like a stone, for the tenth day after, our Lord smote him and +he died. And when David heard that he was dead, he said: Blessed be the +good Lord that hath judged the cause of mine opprobrium from the hand of +Nabal, and hath kept me his servant from harm, and our Lord hath yielded +the malice of Nabal on his own head. Then David sent to Abigail for to +have her to his wife, and she humbled herself and said she his handmaid +was ready to wash the feet of his servants. And she arose and took with +her five maidens which went afoot by her, and she rode upon an ass, and +followed the messengers, and was made wife to David. And David also took +another wife called Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both two were his wives. + +After this Saul always sought David for to slay him. And the people +called Zyphites told to Saul that David was hid in the hill of Hachilah +which was on the after part of the wilderness, and Saul took with him +three thousand chosen men and followed and sought David. David when he +heard of the coming of Saul went into the place whereas Saul was, and +when he was asleep he took one with him and went into the tent where +Saul slept, and Abner with him and all his people. Then said Abishai to +David: God hath put thine enemy this day in thine hands, now I shall go +and smite him through with my spear, and then after that we shall have +no need to dread him. And David said to Abishai: Slay him not; who may +extend his hand into the anointed king of God and be innocent? And David +said yet more: By the living God, but if God smite him or the days come +that he shall die or perish in battle, God be merciful to me, as I +shall not lay my hand on him that is anointed of our Lord. Now take the +spear that standeth at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go. +David took the spear and the cup and departed thence and there was not +one that saw them ne awaked, for they slept all. Then when David was on +the hill far from them, David cried to the people and to Abner, saying: +Abner, shalt not thou answer? And Abner answered: Who art thou that +cryest and wakest the king? And David said to Abner: Art thou not a man +and there is none like thee in Israel? why hast thou not therefore kept +thy lord the king? There is one of the people gone in to slay the king +thy lord; by the living Lord it is not good that ye do, but be ye worthy +to die because ye have not kept your lord anointed of our Lord. Now look +and see where the king's spear is, and the cup of water that stood at +his head. Saul knew the voice of David and said: Is not this thy voice, +my son David? And David said: It is my voice, my lord king. For what +cause dost thou, my lord, pursue me thy servant? what thing have I done +and what evil have I committed with my hand? Thou seest well I might +have slain thee if I would; God judge between thee and me. And Saul +said: I have sinned, return, my son; I shall never hereafter do thee +harm ne evil, for thy soul is precious in my sight this day. It +appeareth now that I have done follily, and am ignorant in many things. +Then said David: Lo! here is the spear of the king, let a child come +fetch it, our Lord shall reward to every man after his justice and +faith. Our Lord hath this day brought thee into my hands, and yet I +would not lay mine hand on him that is anointed of our Lord. And like as +thy soul is magnified this day in my sight, so be my soul magnified in +the sight of God and deliver me from all anguish. Saul said then to +David: Blessed be thou, my son David. And David went then his way, and +Saul returned home again. + +And David said in his heart: Sometime it might hap to me to fall and +come into the hands of Saul, it is better I flee from him and save me in +the land of the Philistines. And he went thence with six hundred men and +came to Achish king of Gath and dwelled there. And when Saul understood +that he was with Achish he ceased to seek him. And Achish delivered to +David a town to dwell in named Ziklag. + +After this the Philistines gathered and assembled much people against +Israel. And Saul assembled all Israel and came upon Gilboa; and when +Saul saw all the host of the Philistines, his heart dreaded and fainted +sore, he cried for to have counsel of our Lord. And our Lord answered +him not, ne by swevens ne by priests, ne by prophets. Then said Saul to +his servants: Fetch to me a woman having a phiton, otherwise called a +phitoness or a witch. And they said that there was such a woman in +Endor. Saul then changed his habit and clothing, and did on other +clothing, and went, and two men with him, and came to the woman by +night, and made her by her craft to raise Samuel. And Samuel said to +Saul: Why hast thou put me from my rest, for to arise? And Saul said: I +am coarted [constrained] thereto, for the Philistines fight against me, +and God is gone from me, and will not hear me, neither by prophets, ne +by swevens [dreams]. And Samuel said: What askest thou of me when God is +gone from thee and gone unto David? God shall do to thee as he hath said +to thee by me, and shall cut thy realm from thine hand, and shall give +it thy neighbor David. For thou hast not obeyed his voice, ne hast not +done his commandment in Amalek; therefore thou shalt lose the battle and +Israel shall be overthrown. To-morrow thou and thy children shall be +with me, and our Lord shall suffer the children of Israel to fall in the +hands of the Philistines. Anon then Saul fell down to the earth. The +words of Samuel made him afeard and there was no strength in him, for he +had eaten no bread of all that day, he was greatly troubled. Then the +phitoness desired him to eat, and she slew a paschal lamb that she had, +and dighted and set it tofore him, and bread. And when he had eaten he +walked with his servants all that night. And on the morn the Philistines +assailed Saul and them of Israel, and fought a great battle, and the men +of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and many of them were +slain in the mount of Gilboa. The Philistines smote in against Saul and +his sons, and slew Jonathan and Abinadab, and Melchi-shua, sons of Saul. +And all the burden of the battle was turned on Saul, and the archers +followed him and wounded him sore. Then said Saul to his squire: Pluck +out thy sword and slay me, that these men uncircumcised come not and, +scorning, slay me; and his squire would not for he was greatly afeard. +Then Saul took his sword and slew himself, which thing when his squire +saw, that is that Saul was dead, he took his sword and fell on it and +was dead with him. Thus was Saul dead, and his three sons and his +squire, and all his men that day together. Then the children of Israel +that were thereabouts, and on that other side of Jordan, seeing that the +men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his three sons were dead, left +their cities and fled. The Philistines came and dwelled there, and the +next day the Philistines went for to rifle and pillage them that were +dead, and they found Saul and his three sons lying in the hill of +Gilboa. And they cut off the head of Saul, and robbed him of his armor, +and sent it into the land of the Philistines all about, that it might be +showed in the temple of their idols, and unto the people; and set up his +arms in the temple of Ashtaroth, and hung his body on the wall of +Bethshan. And when the men that dwelt in Jabesh-Gilead saw what the +Philistines had done unto Saul, all the strongest men of them arose and +went all that night and took down the bodies of Saul and of his sons +from the wall of Bethshan and burned them, and took the bones and buried +them in the wood of Jabesh-Gilead and fasted seven days. + +_Thus endeth the life of Saul which was first king upon Israel, and for +disobedience of God's commandment was slain, and his heirs never reigned +long after._ + + + + +THE HISTORY OF DAVID + +_Here followeth how David reigned after Saul, and governed Israel. +Shortly taken out of the Bible, the most historical matters and but +little touched._ + + +After the death of Saul David returned from the journey that he had +against Amalek. For whilst David had been out with Achish the king, they +of Amalek had been in Ziklag and taken all that was therein prisoners, +and robbed and carried away with them the two wives of David, and had +set fire and burned the town. And when David came again home and saw the +town burned he pursued after, and by the conveying of one of them of +Amalek that was left by the way sick, for to have his life he brought +David upon the host of Amalek whereas they sat and ate and drank. And +David smote on them with his meiny [company] and slew down all that he +found, and rescued his wives and all the good that they had taken, and +took much more of them. And when he was come to Ziklag, the third day +after there came one from the host of Saul, and told to David how that +Israel had lost the battle, and how they were fled, and how Saul the +king and Jonathan his son were slain. David said to the young man that +brought these tidings: How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan be dead? +And he answered it was so by adventure that I came upon the mount of +Gilboa, and Saul rested upon his spear, and the horsemen and the +chariots of the Philistines approached to himward, and he looked behind +him and saw me, and called me, and said to me: Who art thou? And I said +I am an Amalekite, and then he said: Stand upon me and slay me, for I am +full of anguish, and yet my soul is in me. And I then standing on him +slew him, knowing well that he might not live after the ruin. And I took +the diadem from his head, and the armylle from his arm, which I have +brought hither to thee, my lord. David took and rent his vestment, and +all the men that were with him, and wailed and sorrowed much the death +of Saul and Jonathan and of all the men of Israel, and fasted that day +till even. And David said to the young man: Of whence art thou? And he +said: I am the son of an Amalekite. And David said to him: Why dreadedst +thou not to put thy hand forth to slay him that is anointed of God? +David called one of his men, and bade him slay him. And he smote him and +slew him. And David said: Thy blood be on thy head! thine own mouth hath +spoken against thee, saying: I have slain Saul which was king anointed +of our Lord. + +David sorrowed and bewailed much the death of Saul and of Jonathan. +After this David counselled with our Lord and demanded if he should go +in to one of the cities of Judah. And our Lord bade him go, and he asked +whither, and our Lord said: Into Hebron. Then David took his two wives +and all the men that were with him, every each with his household, and +dwelled in the towns of Hebron. And thither came the men of Judah and +anointed David king to reign upon the tribe of Judah. And Abner prince +of the host of Saul, and other servants of Saul, took Ishbosheth the son +of Saul, and led him about, and made him king over Israel, except the +tribe of Judah. Ishbosheth was forty years when he began to reign, and +he reigned two years. The house of Judah only followed David. After this +it happed that Abner, prince of the host of Ishbosheth, with certain +men, went out of the castles, and Joab with certain men of David went +also out and ran by the piscine [pool] of Gibeon. One party was on that +one side, and that other on the other. And Abner said to Joab: Let our +young men play and skirmish together, and Joab agreed. And there rose +twelve of Benjamin, of the party of Ishbosheth, and twelve of the +children of David; and when they met together each took other by the +head, and roof their swords into each other's sides and were all there +slain. And there arose a great battle, and Abner and his fellowship were +put to flight by the men of David. + +And among all other there was Asahel one of the brethren of Joab and was +the swiftest runner that might be, and pursued Abner, and Abner looked +behind him, and bade him decline on the right side or on the left side, +and take one of the young men and his harness, and come not at me. +Asahel would not leave him; yet Abner said to him: Go from me and follow +not me lest I be compelled to slay thee, and then I may not make my +peace with Joab thy brother. Which would not hear Abner, but despised +him, and Abner then turned and slew him in the same place, and anon the +sun went down and they withdrew. There were slain of the children of +David nineteen men and of them of Benjamin three hundred and sixty were +slain, and thus there was long strife and contention between the house +of David and the house of Ishbosheth. After this Abner took a concubine +of Saul and held her, wherefore Ishbosheth reproved him of it and Abner +was wroth greatly thereof; and came to David and made friendship with +him. Joab was not there when Abner made his peace with David; but when +he knew it he came to Abner with a fair semblant and spake fair to him +by dissimulation, and slew him for to avenge the death of Asahel his +brother. And when David heard how Joab had slain Abner he cursed him, +and bewailed greatly the death of Abner, and did do bury him [caused him +to be buried] honorably, and David followed the bier himself. And when +Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner was dead, he was all +abashed and all Israel sore troubled. There were two princes of thieves +with Ishbosheth named Baanah and Rechab, which came on a day in to +Ishbosheth where he lay and slept, and there they slew him, and took +privily his head and brought it in to David in Hebron and said: Lo, here +is the head of thine enemy Ishbosheth, that sought to slay thee; this +day God hath given to thee my lord vengeance of Saul and of his seed. +David answered to them: By the living God that hath delivered me from +all anguish, him that told me that he had slain Saul, and had thought +to have had a reward of me, I did do slay, how much more ye that be so +wicked to slay him that is not guilty, in his house and upon his bed? +Shall I not ask his blood of your hands, and throw you out of this +world? Yes, certainly. And David commanded to his servants to slay them, +and so they were slain, and cut off their hands and feet, and hung them +on the piscine [pool] in Hebron, and took the head of Ishbosheth and +buried it in the sepulchre of Abner. And then came all the tribes of +Israel to David in Hebron, saying: We be thy mouth and thy flesh, when +Saul lived and was king on us and reigned, thou wert coming and going; +and because God hath said thou shalt reign upon my people and be their +governor, therefore we shall obey thee. And all the seniors of Israel +came and did homage to David in Hebron, and anointed him king over them. + +David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned forty +years. He reigned in Hebron upon Judah seven years and six months, and +in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years upon all Israel and Judah. +David then made him a dwelling-place in the hill of Sion in Jerusalem. +And after this the Philistines made war against him, but he oft +overthrew them and slew many of them, and made them tributary to him, +and after brought the ark of God in Jerusalem, and set it in his house. +After this yet the Philistines made war again unto him and other kings +were aiding and helping them against David, whom David overcame and slew +and put under. + +And on a time when Joab was out with his men of war lying at a siege +tofore a city, David was at home, and walked in his chamber, and as he +looked out at a window he saw a fair woman wash her and bain her in her +chamber, which stood against his house, and demanded of his servants who +she was, and they said she was Uriah's wife. And David sent letters to +Joab and bade him to send home to him Uriah; and Joab sent Uriah to +David, and David demanded how the host was ruled, and after bade him go +home to his house and wash his feet. And Uriah went thence, and the king +sent to him his dish with meat. Uriah would not go home, but lay before +the gate of the king's house with other servants of the king's. And it +was told to the king that Uriah went not home, and then David said to +Uriah: Thou comest from a far way, why goest thou not home? And Uriah +said to David: The ark of God and Israel and Judah be in the pavilions, +and my lord Joab and the servants of thee, my lord, lie on the ground, +and would ye that I should go to my house? By thy health and by the +health of my soul I shall not do so. Then David said to Uriah, Abide +here then this night, and to-morrow I shall deliver thee. Uriah abode +there that day and the next, and David made him eat tofore him and made +him drunk, yet for all that he would not go home, but lay with the +servants of David. Then on the morn David wrote a letter to Joab, that +he should set Uriah in the weakest place of the battle and where most +jeopardy was, and that he should be left there that he might be slain. +And Uriah bare this letter to Joab, and it was so done as David had +written, and Uriah was slain in the battle. And Joab sent word to David +how they had fought, and how Uriah was slain and dead. When Uriah's wife +heard that her husband was dead, she mourned and wailed him; and after +the mourning David sent for her and wedded her, and she bare him a son. +And this that David had committed on Uriah displeased greatly our Lord. + +Then our Lord sent Nathan the prophet unto David, which, when he came, +said to him: There were two men dwelling in a city, that one rich and +that other poor. The rich man had sheep and oxen right many, but the +poor man had but one little sheep, which he bought and nourished and +grew with his children, eating of his bread and drinking of his cup, and +slept in his bosom. She was to him as a daughter. And on a time when a +certain pilgrim came to the rich man, he, sparing his own sheep and oxen +to make a feast to the pilgrim that was come to him, took the only sheep +of the poor man and made meat thereof to his guest. David was wroth and +said to Nathan: By the living God, the man that hath so done is the +child of death, the man that hath so done shall yield therefor four +times double. Then said Nathan to David: Thou art the same man that hath +done this thing. This said the Lord God of Israel: I have anointed thee +king upon Israel, and kept thee from the hand of Saul, and I have given +to thee an house to keep in thine household and wives in thy bosom. I +have given to thee the house of Israel and the house of Judah, and if +these be small things I shall add and give to thee much more and +greater. Why hast thou therefore despised the word of God and hast done +evil in the sight of our Lord? Thou hast slain Uriah with a sword, and +his wife hast thou taken unto thy wife, and thou hast slain him with the +sword of the sons of Ammon. Therefore the sword shall not go from thy +house, world without end, forasmuch as thou hast despised me and hast +taken Uriah's wife unto thy wife. This said our Lord: I shall raise evil +against thee, and shall take thy wives in thy sight and give them to thy +neighbor. Thou hast done it privily, but I shall make this to be done +and open in the sight of all Israel. And then said David to Nathan: +Peccavi! I have sinned against our Lord. Nathan said: Our Lord hath +taken away thy sin, thou shalt not die, but forasmuch as thou hast made +the enemy to blaspheme the name of God, therefore the son that is born +to thee shall die by death. And Nathan returned to his house. And for +this sin David made this psalm: Miserere mei deus [Have pity on me, O +God!], which is a psalm of mercy, for David did great penance for these +sins of adultery and also of homicide. + +Therefore God took away this sin, and forgave it him, but the son that +she brought forth died. And after this Bathsheba, that had been Uriah's +wife, brought forth another son named Solomon, which was well-beloved of +God, and after David, Solomon was king. + +After this David had much war and trouble and anger, insomuch that on a +time Amnon, oldest son of David, loved Thamar his sister. David knew +hereof, and was right sorry for it, but he would not rebuke his son +Amnon for it, for he loved him because he was his first begotten son. +Absalom hated Amnon ever after, and when Absalom on a time did do shear +his sheep he prayed all his brethren to come eat with him, and made them +a feast like a king's feast. At which feast he did do slay his brother +Amnon; and anon it was told to the King David that Absalom had slain all +the king's sons. Wherefore the king was in great heaviness and sorrow, +but anon after it was told him that there was no more slain but Amnon, +and the other sons came home. And Absalom fled into Geshur, and was +there three years, and durst not come home. And after by the moyen of +Joab he was sent for, and came into Jerusalem, but yet he might not come +in his father the king's presence, and dwelled there two years, and +might not see the King his father. This Absalom was the fairest man that +ever was, for from the sole of his foot unto his head there was not a +spot; he had so much hair on his head that it grieved him to bear, +wherefore it was shorn off once a year, it weighed two hundred shekels +of good weight. Then when he abode so long that he might not come to his +father's presence he sent for Joab to come speak with him, and he would +not come. He sent again for him and he came not. Then Absalom said to +his servants: Know ye Joab's field that lieth by my field? They said +yea. Go ye, said he, and set fire in the barley that is therein, and +burn it. And Joab's servants came and told to Joab that Absalom had set +fire on his corn. Then Joab came to Absalom and said: Why hast thou set +fire on my corn! And he said, I have sent twice to thee, praying thee to +come to me that I might send thee to the king, and that thou shouldst +say to him why I came from Geshur; it had been better for me for to have +abiden there. I pray thee that I may come to his presence and see his +visage, and if he remember my wickedness let him slay me. Joab went in +to the King and told to him all these words. Then was Absalom called, +and entered in to the king, and he fell down and worshipped the king, +and the king kissed him. After this Absalom did do make for himself +chariots and horsemen and fifty men for to go before him, and walked +among the tribes of Israel; and greeted and saluted them, taking them by +the hand, and kissed them, by which he gat to him the hearts of the +people; and said to his father that he had avowed to make sacrifice to +God in Hebron, and his father gave him leave. And when he was there he +gathered people to him, and made himself king, and did do cry that all +men should obey and wait on him as king of Israel. When David heard this +he was sore abashed and was fain to flee out of Jerusalem. And Absalom +came with his people and entered into Jerusalem into his father's house, +and after pursued his father to depose him. And David ordained his +people and battle against him, and sent Joab, prince of his host, +against Absalom, and divided his host into three parts, and would have +gone with them, but Joab counselled that he should not go to the battle +whatsomever happed, and then David bade them to save his son Absalom. + +And they went forth and fought, and Absalom with his host was overthrown +and put to flight. And as Absalom fled upon his mule he came under an +oak, and his hair flew about a bough of the tree and held so fast that +Absalom hung by his hair, and the mule ran forth. There came one to Joab +and told him how that Absalom hung by his hair on a bough of an oak, and +Joab said: Why hast thou not slain him? The man said: God forbid that I +should set hand on the king's son; I heard the king say: keep my son +Absalom alive and slay him not. Then Joab went and took three spears, +and fixed them in the heart of Absalom as he hung on the tree by his +hair, and yet after this ten young men, squires of Joab, ran and slew +him. Then Joab trumped and blew the retreat, and retained the people +that they should not pursue the people flying. And they took the body of +Absalom and cast it in a great pit, and laid on him a great stone. And +when David knew that his son was slain, he made great sorrow and said: O +my son Absalom, my son Absalom, who shall grant to me that I may die for +thee, my son Absalom, Absalom my son! It was told to Joab that the king +wept and sorrowed the death of his son Absalom, and all their victory +was turned into sorrow and wailing, insomuch that the people eschewed to +enter into the city. Then Joab entered in to the king and said: Thou +hast this day discouraged the cheer of all thy servants because they +have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and daughters, of thy +wives and of thy concubines, thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest +them that love thee, and showest well this day that thou settest little +by thy dukes and servants; and truly I know now well that if Absalom had +lived and all we thy servants had been slain, thou haddest been pleased. +Therefore, arise now and come forth and satisfy the people; or else I +swear to thee by the good lord that there shall not one of thy servants +abide with thee till to-morrow, and that shall be worse to thee than all +the harms and evils that ever yet fell to thee. Then David the king +arose and sat in the gate, and anon it was shown to all the people that +the king sat in the gate. And then all the people came in tofore the +king, and they of Israel that had beerv with Absalom fled into their +tabernacles, and after came again unto David when they knew that Absalom +was dead. + +And after, one Sheba, a cursed man, rebelled and gathered people against +David. Against whom Joab with the host of David pursued, and drove him +unto a city which he besieged, and by the means of a woman of the same +city Sheba's head was smitten off and delivered to Joab over the wall, +and so the city was saved, and Joab pleased. After this David called +Joab, and bade him number the people of Israel, and so Joab walked +through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and over Jordan +and all the country, and there were founden in Israel eight hundred +thousand strong men that were able to fight and to draw sword, and of +the tribe of Judah fifty thousand fighting men. And after that the +people was numbered, the heart of David was smitten by our Lord and was +heavy, and said: I have sinned greatly in this deed, but I pray the Lord +to take away the wickedness of thy servant, for I have done follily. +David rose on the morn early, and the word of our Lord came to Gad the +prophet saying: that he should go to David and bid him choose one of +three things that he should say to him. When Gad came to David he said +that he should choose whether he would have seven years hunger in his +land, or three months he should flee his adversaries and enemies, or to +have three days' pestilence. Of these three God biddeth thee choose +which thou wilt; now advise thee and conclude what I shall answer to our +Lord. David said to Gad: I am constrained to a great thing, but it is +better for me to put me in the hands of our Lord, for his mercy is much +more than in men, and so he chose pestilence. + +Then our Lord sent pestilence the time constitute, and there died of the +people from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men. And when the angel +extended his hand upon Jerusalem for to destroy it, our Lord was +merciful upon the affliction, and said to the angel so smiting: It +sufficeth now, withdraw thy hand. David said to our Lord when he saw the +angel smiting the people: I am he that have sinned and done wickedly, +what have these sheep done? I beseech thee that thy hand turn upon me +and upon the house of my father. Then came Gad to David and bade him +make an altar in the same place where he saw the angel; and he bought +the place, and made the altar, and offered sacrifices unto our Lord, and +our Lord was merciful, and the plague ceased in Israel. + +David was old and feeble and saw that his death approached, and ordained +that his son Solomon should reign and be king after him. Howbeit that +Adonijah his son took on him to be king during David's life. For which +cause Bathsheba and Nathan came to David, and tofore them he said that +Solomon should be king, and ordained that he should be set on his mule +by his prophets Nathan, Zadok the priest and Benaiah, and brought in to +Sion. And there Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him +king upon Israel and blew in a trump and said: Live the King Solomon. +And from thence they brought him into Jerusalem and set him upon his +father's seat in his father's throne, and David worshipped him in his +bed, and said: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath suffered me +to see my son in my throne and seat And then Adonijah and all they that +were with him were afeared, and dreading Solomon ran away, and so ceased +Adonijah. The days of David approached fast that he should die, and did +do call Solomon before him, and there he commanded him to keep the +commandments of our Lord and walk in his ways, and to observe his +ceremonies, his precepts and his judgments, as it is written in the law +of Moses, and said: Our Lord confirm thee in thy reign, and send to thee +wisdom to rule it well. And when David had thus counselled and +commanded him to do justice and keep God's law, he blessed him and died, +and was buried with his fathers. This David was an holy man and made the +holy psalter, which is an holy book and is contained therein the old law +and the new law. He was a great prophet, for he prophesied the coming of +Christ, his nativity, his passion, and resurrection, and also his +ascension, and was great with God, yet God would not suffer him to build +a temple for him, for he had shed man's blood. But God said to him, his +son that should reign after him should be a man peaceable, and he should +build the temple to God. And when David had reigned forty years king of +Jerusalem, over Judah and Israel, he died in good mind, and was buried +with his fathers in the city of David. + + + + +THE SONG OF DAVID + + +He sang of God, the mighty source +Of all things, the stupendous force + On which all strength depends; +From whose right arm, beneath whose eyes, +All period, power, and enterprise + Commences, reigns, and ends. + +The world, the clustering spheres he made, +The glorious light, the soothing shade, + Dale, champaign, grove, and hill: +The multitudinous abyss, +Where secrecy remains in bliss, + And wisdom hides her skill. + +Tell them, I AM, Jehovah said +To Moses: while Earth heard in dread, + And, smitten to the heart, +At once, above, beneath, around, +All Nature, without voice or sound, + Replied, "O Lord, THOU ART." + +_--C. Smart_ + + + + +THE STORY OF A CUP OF WATER + +BY THEODORE T. MUNGER + +[From "Lamps and Paths," by courtesy of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.] + +Be noble! and the nobleness that lies +In other men, sleeping, but never dead, +Will rise in majesty to meet thine own. + +--James Russell Lowell: _Sonnet IV_ + +Restore to God his due in tithe and time: + A tithe purloined cankers the whole estate. +Sundays observe: think, when the bells do chime, + 'Tis angels' music; therefore come not late. +God there deals blessings. If a king did so, +Who would not haste, nay give, to see the show? + +--George Herbert + + O Lord, that lends me life, +Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness! + +_--King Henry VI.,_ Part II.; i. I + +_"And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the +water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate! And the three brake +through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of +Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David: +but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord, and +said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink +the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with +the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not +drink it."_--I Chronicles xi. 17-19 + + +If any of my young friends ask why I have read this long-time-ago +Bible-story as a text for a sermon to-day, I will not only answer, but +thank them for the question; for nothing helps a speaker at the start so +much as a straight, intelligent question. I have read this story from +the Chronicles, because I want to connect this beautiful occasion with +some beautiful thing in the Bible; for beautiful things go together. + +My main object and desire in this service is to have everything +beautiful and pure and high. For I know how well you will remember this +day in after years; I know how every feature and incident is imprinting +itself upon your minds; I know how, twenty and forty years hence, when +we older ones will be dead and gone, and you will be scattered far and +wide, some in the great cities--New York, Chicago, St. Louis--some in +California, and some further off still--I know how, on quiet June +Sundays years hence, you will recall this Festival of Flowers in North +Adams. You may be in some of the great cities, or on the broad prairies, +or among the park-like forests of the Sierra, or in Puget Sound, but you +will never forget this day. These familiar walls; this pulpit and font +and chancel decked with flowers; this service, made _for_ you and in +part _by_ you--you will never forget it. And because you will always +remember it, I want to have it throughout just as beautiful, just as +pure and inspiring, as possible. The flowers will do their part; they +never fail to speak sweet, pure words to us. Your Superintendent always +does his part well, and I hope you will all thank him in your hearts, if +not in words, for his faithful and laborious interest in you. And your +teachers and others who have brought together this wealth of beauty, +this glory of color and perfume, this tribute of sweetness from +mountain-side and field and garden--they have done well; and you will +remember it all years hence, and when far away, and perhaps some tears +will start for "the days that are no more." + +But this occasion would not be complete to my mind if there were not +linked with it some noble and inspiring trutn. I want to make all these +flowers and this music the setting of a truth, like a diamond set round +with emeralds, or an opal with pearls. _You_ have brought the pearls and +the emeralds; _I_ must bring a diamond or an opal to set in the midst of +them. I am very sure that I have one in this old story--a diamond very +brilliant if we brush away the old Hebrew dust, and cut away the sides +and let in a little more light upon it. I am not sure, however, but I +ought to call it a pearl rather than a diamond; for there is a chaste +and gentle modesty about it that reminds one of the soft lustre of a +pearl rather than of the flashing splendor of a diamond. St. John, in +naming the precious stones that make the foundation of the heavenly +city, omits the diamond--and for some good reason, I suspect--while the +twelve gates were all pearls. Now, I think David stood very near one of +those gates of pearl at the time of this story. To my mind, it is nearly +the most beautiful in all this Book; and I know you will listen while I +tell it more fully. + +I have this impression of David--that if you had seen him when he was +young, you would have thought him the most glorious human being you had +ever looked on. He was one of those persons who fascinate all who come +near them. He bound everybody to him in a wonderful way. They not only +_liked_ him, but they became absorbed in him, and were ready to obey +him, and serve him, and to give themselves up to him in every way +possible. I am not at all surprised that Saul's son and daughter and +Saul himself fell in love with, and could hardly live without, him. It +was so all along; and even after he became an old man everybody was +fascinated by him--even his old uncles--and stood ready to do his +bidding and consult his wishes. + +It was somewhat so with Richard Coeur de Lion and Napoleon and Mary +Stuart and Alexander and Julius Cęsar; but the personal fascination of +none of these persons was so great as that of David. In some respects he +was no greater than some of these; but he had a broader and more lovable +nature than any of them, for he had what not one of them had in anything +like the same degree--a great and noble generosity. David deserved all +the love that was lavished upon him, because--let men love him ever so +much--he loved more in return. + +There was not apparently, at this early time of his life, one grain of +selfishness about him. You know that the word _chivalry_ was not used +till about a thousand years back, while David lived almost three times +as long ago; but he was one of the most _chivalrous_ men that ever +lived. By chivalry I mean a union of honor, purity, religion, nobleness, +bravery, and devotion to a cause or person. David excited this chivalric +devotion in others because he had so much of it in himself. And here I +will stop a moment just to say that if you want to awaken any feeling +in another toward yourself, you must first have it in yourself. I think +there is a very general notion that in order to awaken admiration and +love and regard in others one must have a fine appearance. There is a +great deal of misplaced faith in fine clothes and bright eyes and clear +complexions and pretty features; but I have yet to learn that these ever +win genuine love and admiration. And so far as I have observed, a true +sentiment only grows out of a corresponding sentiment; feeling comes +from feeling; in short, others come at last to feel toward us just about +as we feel toward them. And I never knew a person, young or old, to show +a kind, generous, hearty disposition to others who was not surrounded by +friends. And I have seen--I know not how many--selfish and unobliging +and unsympathetic persons go friendless all their days in spite of +wealth and fine appearance. Now, put this away in your memory to think +of hereafter. + +It was David's great-heartedness that bound others to him. At the time +of this story he was a sort of outlaw, driven without any good reason +from the court of Saul. But he was a man of too much spirit to allow +himself to be tamely killed, and he loved Saul and his family too well +to actually make war upon him, and he was too good a patriot to give +trouble to his country--a pretty hard place he had to fill, I can assure +you. But he was equal to it, and simply bided his time, drawing off into +the wild and rocky regions where he could hide and also protect himself. +But he was not a man whom people would leave alone. The magnetic power +that was in him drew kindred spirits, and some that were not kindred who +found it pleasanter to follow a chief in the wilds than to live in the +dull quiet of their homes. But the greater part of them were brave, +generous, devoted souls, who had come to the conclusion that to live +with David and fight his battles and share his fortunes was more +enjoyable than to plod along under Saul and his petty tyrannies. There +were, in particular, eleven men of the tribe of Gad--mountaineers--fierce +as lions and swift as roes, terrible men in battle, and full of devotion +to David. In this way he got together quite a little army, which he used +to defend the borders from the Philistines, who were a thieving set, and +also to defend himself in case Saul troubled him. It was not exactly the +best sort of a life for a man to live; and had not David been a person +of very high principles, his followers would have been a band of robbers +living on the country. But David prevented that, and made them as useful +as was possible. His headquarters were at the cave of Adullam, or what +is now called Engedi. While here, the Philistines came on a foraging +expedition as far as Bethlehem, and with so large a force that David and +his few followers were shut up in their fortress--for how long we do not +know--probably for some days. It was very dull and wearisome business, +imprisoned in a rocky defile and unable to do anything, while the +Philistines were stealing the harvests that grew on the very spot where +he had spent his boyhood. + +It was then that what has always seemed to me a very touching and +beautiful trait of David's character showed itself, and that is--_a +feeling of homesickness_. Now, there is very little respect to be had +for a person who is not capable of homesickness. To give up to it may be +weak, but to be incapable of it is a bad sign. But in David it took a +very poetic form. Close by was the home where he was born. There, in +Bethlehem, he had passed the dreamy years of his childhood and youth +amid the love of his parents and brothers, whom he now had with him; +there he fed his sheep and sang to his harp; and there, morning and +evening, he gathered with others about the well--the meeting-place of +his companions--loved with all the passionate energy of his nature, and +still loved in spite of the troublous times that had come upon him. As +David broods over these memories, he longs with a yearning, homesick +feeling for Bethlehem and its well. And, like a poet as he was, he +conceives that if he could but drink of its water, it would relieve this +feverish unrest and longing for the past. It was a very natural feeling. +You are too young to know what it means; but we who are older think of +these little things in a strange, yearning way. It is the little things +of childhood that we long for--to lie under the roof on which we heard +the rain patter years and years ago; to gather fruit in the old orchard; +to fish in the same streams; to sit on the same rock, or under the same +elm or maple, and see the sun go down behind the same old hills; to +drink from the same spring that refreshed us in summer days that will +not come again--_you_ are too young for this, but we who are older know +well how David felt. He was not a man to hide his feelings, and so he +uttered his longing for the water of the well by the gate of Bethlehem. +His words are overheard; and three of these terrible followers of +his--fierce as lions and fleet as deer--took their swords and fought +their way through the Philistines, slaying we know not how many, and +brought back some of the water. It was enough for _them_ that David +wanted it. + +Now, some people would say that it was very foolish and sentimental of +David to be indulging in such a whim, and still more foolish in these +men to gratify it at the risk of their lives; but I think there is a +better way of looking at it. If David had _required_ them to procure the +water at the risk of their lives, it would have been very wrong; but the +whole thing was unknown to him till the water was brought. I prefer to +regard it as an act of splendid heroism, prompted by chivalric devotion, +and I will not stop to consider whether or not it was sensible and +prudent. And I want to say to you that whenever you see or hear of an +action that has these qualities of heroism and generosity and devotion, +it is well to admire and praise it, whether it will bear the test of +cold reason or not. I hope your hearts will never get to be so dry and +hard that they will not beat responsive to brave and noble deeds, even +if they are not exactly prudent. + +But David took even a higher view of this brave and tender act of his +lion-faced, deer-footed followers. It awoke his religious feelings; for +our sense of what is noble and generous and brave lies very close to +our religious sensibilities. The whole event passes, in David's mind, +into the field of religion; and so what does he do? Drink the water, and +praise his three mighty warriors, and bid them never again run such +risks to gratify his chance wishes? No. David looks a great deal further +into the matter than this. The act seemed to him to have a religious +character; its devotion was so complete and unselfish that it became +sacred. He felt what I have just said--that a brave and devoted act that +incurs danger is almost if not quite a religious act. And so he treats +it in a religious way. He is anxious to separate it from himself, +although done for him, and get it into a service done for God; and he +may have thought that he had himself been a little selfish. To his mind +it would have been a mean and low repayment to these men to drink their +water with loud praises of their valor. They had done a Godlike deed, +and so he will transfer it to God, and make it an act as between them +and God. I do not know that those lion-faced, deer-footed warriors +understood or appreciated his treatment of their act; but David himself +very well knew what he was about, and you can see that he acted in a +very high and true way. He will not drink the water, but pours it out +unto the Lord, and lets it sink into the ground unused, and, because +unused, a sort of sacrifice and offering to God. Water got with such +valor and risk was not for man, but for God. Much less was it right to +use it to gratify a dreamy whim that had in it perhaps just a touch of +selfishness. The bravery and danger had made the water sacred, and so +he will make a sacred use of it. + +If any one thinks that David was carried away by sentimentality, or that +he was overscrupulous, one has only to recall how, when _actually_ in +want, he took the consecrated bread from the Tabernacle at Nob, and ate +it and gave it to his followers. His strong common-sense told him that +even consecrated bread was not too good for hungry men; but that same +fine common-sense told him that water procured at the risk of life, when +not actually wanted, had become sacred, and had better be turned into a +sort of prayer and offering to God than wantonly drunk. + +And now, having the story well in mind, I will close by drawing out from +it one or two lessons that seem to me very practical. + +Suppose we were to ask, Who acted in the noblest way--the three strong +men who got the water, or David, who made a sacrifice or libation of it? +It does not take us long to answer. The real greatness of the whole +affair was with the three men, though David put a beautiful meaning upon +it, and exalted it to its true place. Their act was very brave and +lofty; but David crowned it with its highest grace by carrying it on +into religion--that is, by setting it before God. + +I see a great many people who are living worthy lives, doing a great +many kind acts and rendering beautiful services, but do not take God +into their thoughts, nor render their services as unto Him. I think +everybody must see that this act of these lion-faced men was more +complete when David took it before God than as rendered for himself. +Why, it might take long to tell; but, briefly, it was because the +nameless grace of religion has been added to it, and because it was +connected with that great, dear Name that hallows everything brought +under it. + +Many of you have brought here offerings of flowers, sweet and fit for +this day and place and purpose. Some may have brought them simply with +the thought of helping out the occasion, or to please your teacher, or +because it is beautiful in itself to heap up beauty in this large way; +but if, as you worked here yesterday, or brought your flowers to-day, +your thoughts silently rose to God, saying, "These are for _Thy_ +altars--this glory of tint and perfume is not for us, but for +_Thee_"--then, I think, every poet, every person of fine feeling, every +true thinker, would say that the latter is more beautiful than the +former. I hate to see a life that does not take hold of God; I hate to +see fine acts and brave lives and noble dispositions and generous +emotions that do not reach up into a sense of God; I hate to see +persons--and I see a great many such nowadays--striving after beautiful +lives and true sentiments and large thoughts without ever a word of +prayer, or thought of God, or anything to show they love and venerate +Christ. I hate to see it, both because they might rise so much higher +and because at last it fails; for God must enter into every thought and +sentiment and purpose in order to make it genuine, and truly beautiful, +and altogether right. That God may be in your thoughts; that you may +learn to confess Him in all your ways, to serve and fear and know and +love him--this is the wish with which I greet you to-day, and the prayer +that I offer in your behalf. + +I found, the other day, some lines by Faber--a Catholic poet--so +beautifully giving this last thought of our sermon that I will read them +to you: + +"Oh God! who wert my childhood's love, + My boyhood's pure delight, +A presence felt the livelong day, + A welcome fear at night, + +"I know not what I thought of Thee; + What picture I had made +Of that Eternal Majesty + To whom my childhood prayed. + +"With age Thou grewest more divine, + More glorious than before; +I feared Thee with a deeper fear, + Because I loved Thee more. + +"Thou broadenest out with every year + Each breath of life to meet. +I scarce can think Thou art the same, + Thou art so much more sweet. + +"Father! what hast Thou grown to now? + A joy all joys above, +Something more sacred than a fear, + More tender than a love. + +"With gentle swiftness lead me on, + Dear God! to see Thy face; +And meanwhile in my narrow heart, + Oh, make Thyself more space." + + + + +THE HISTORY OF SOLOMON + + +After David, reigned Solomon his son, which was in the beginning a good +man and walked in the ways and laws of God. And all the kings about him +made peace with him and was king confirmed, obeyed and peaceable in his +possession, and according to his father's commandment did justice. First +on Joab that had been prince of his father's host, because he slew two +good men by treason and guile, that was Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa +the son of Ithra. And Joab was afeard and dreaded Solomon, and fled into +the Tabernacle of our Lord and held the end of the altar. And Solomon +sent Benaiah and slew him there, and after buried him in his house in +desert. And after this on a night as he lay in his bed after he had +sacrificed to our Lord in Gibeon, our Lord appeared to him in his sleep +saying to him: Ask and demand what thou wilt that I may give to thee. +And Solomon said: Lord, thou hast done to my father great mercy; because +he walked in thy ways in truth, justice, and a rightful heart, thou hast +always kept for him thy great mercy, and hast given to him a son sitting +upon this throne as it is this day. And now Lord thou hast made me thy +servant to reign for my father David. I am a little child and know not +my going out and entering in, and I thy servant am set in the middle of +the people that thou hast chosen which be infinite, and may not be +numbered for multitude; therefore Lord give to me thy servant a heart +docile and taught in wisdom that may judge thy people, and discern +between good and evil. Who may judge this people, thy people that be so +many? This request and demand pleased much unto God that Solomon had +asked such a thing. And God said to Solomon: Because thou hast required +and asked this and hast not asked long life, ne riches, ne the souls of +thine enemies, but hast asked sapience and wisdom to discern doom and +judgment, I have given to thee after thy desire and request, and I have +given to thee a wise heart and understanding insomuch that there was +never none such tofore, ne never after shall be. And also those things +that thou hast not asked I have given also to thee, that is to say +riches and glory, that no man shall be like to thee among all the kings +that shall be after thy days. If thou walk in my ways and keep my +precepts and observe my commandments as thy father walked, I shall make +thy days long. After this Solomon awoke and came to Jerusalem, and stood +tofore the Ark of our Lord and offered sacrifices and victims unto our +Lord, and made a great feast unto all his servants and household. Then +came tofore him two women, of which that one said: I beseech thee my +lord hear me; this woman and I dwelled together in one house, and I was +delivered of a child in my cubicle [sleeping room], and the third day +after she bare a child, and was also delivered, and we were together +and none other in the house but we twain, and it was so that this +woman's son was dead in the night; for she sleeping, overlaid and +oppressed him, and she arose in the darkest of the night privily, and +took my son from the side of me thy servant and laid him by her, and her +son that was dead she laid by me. When I arose in the morning for to +give milk to my son it appeared dead, whom I took beholding him +diligently in the clear light, understood well anon that it was not my +son that I had borne. The other woman answered and said: It was not so +as thou sayest, but my son liveth and thine is dead. And contrary that +other said: Thou liest: my son liveth and thine is dead. Thus in this +wise they strove tofore the king. Then the king said: This woman saith +my son liveth and thine is dead, and this answereth Nay, but thy son is +dead, and mine liveth. Then the king said: Bring to me here a sword. +When they had brought forth a sword the king said: Divide ye, said he, +the living child in two parts, and give that one half to that one, and +that other half to that other. Then said the woman that was mother of +the living child to the king, for all her members and bowels were moved +upon her son: I beseech and pray thee, my lord, give to her the child +alive, and slay him not, and contrary said that other woman: Let it not +be given to me ne to thee, but let it be divided. The king then answered +and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be slain; +this is verily the mother. All Israel heard how wisely the king had +given this sentence and dreaded him, seeing that the wisdom of God was +in him in deeming of rightful dooms. + +After this Solomon sent his messengers to divers kings for cedar trees +and for workmen, for to make and build a temple unto our Lord. Solomon +was rich and glorious, and all the realms from the river of the ends of +the Philistines unto the end of Egypt were accorded with him, and +offered to him gifts and to serve him all the days of his life. Solomon +had daily for the meat of his household thirty measures, named chores, +of corn, and sixty of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen of pasture and +an hundred wethers, without venison that was taken, as harts, goats, +bubals, and other flying fowls and birds. He obtained all the region +that was from Tiphsa unto Azza, and had peace with all the kings of all +the realms that were in every part round about him. In that time Israel +and Judah dwelled without fear and dread, every each under his vine and +fig tree from Dan unto Beersheba. + +Solomon had forty thousand racks for the horses of his carts, chariots +and cars, and twelve thousand for horses to ride on, by which prefects +brought necessary things for the table of King Solomon, with great +diligence in their time. God gave to Solomon much wisdom and prudence in +his heart, like to the gravel that is in the sea-side, and the sapience +and wisdom of Solomon passed and went tofore the sapience of all them of +the Orient and of Egypt, and he was the wisest of all men, and so he was +named. He spake three thousand parables, and five thousand songs, and +disputed upon all manner trees and virtue of them, from the cedar that +is in Lebanon unto the hissop that groweth on the wall, and discerned +the properties of beasts, fowls, reptiles and fishes, and there came +people from all regions of the world for to hear the wisdom of Solomon, + +And Solomon sent letters to Hiram, king of Tyre, for to have his men to +cut cedar trees with his servants, and he would yield to them their hire +and meed, and let him wit how that he would build and edify a temple to +our Lord. And Hiram sent to him that he should have all that he desired, +and sent to him cedar trees and other wood. And Solomon sent to him corn +in great number, and Solomon and Hiram confederated them together in +love and friendship. Solomon chose out workmen of all Israel the number +of thirty thousand men of whom he sent to Lebanon ten thousand every +month, and when ten thousand went the others came home, and so two +months were they at home, and Adonias was overseer and commander on +them. Solomon had seventy thousand men that did nothing but bear stone +and mortar and other things to the edifying of the temple, and were +bearers of burdens only, and he had eighty thousand of hewers of stone +and masons in the mountain, without the prefects and masters, which were +three thousand three hundred that did nothing but command and oversee +them that wrought. Solomon commanded the workmen to make square stones, +great and precious, for to lay in the foundament, which the masons of +Israel and masons of Hiram hewed, and the carpenters made ready the +timber. + +Then began Solomon the temple to our Lord, in the fourth year of his +reign he began to build the temple. The house that he builded had +seventy cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and thirty in +height, and the porch tofore the temple was twenty cubits long after the +measure of the breadth of the temple, and had ten cubits of breadth +tofore the face of the temple, and for to write the curiosity and work +of the temple, and the necessaries, the tables and cost that was done in +gold, silver and latten, it passeth my cunning to express and English +them. Ye that be clerks may see it in the Second Book of Kings and the +Second Book of Paralipomenon. It is wonder to hear the costs and +expenses that was made in that temple, but I pass over. It was on making +seven years, and his palace was thirteen years ere it was finished. He +made in the temple an altar of pure gold, and a table to set on the +loaves of proposition of gold, five candlesticks of gold on the right +side and five on the left side, and many other things, and took all the +vessels of gold and silver that his father David had sanctified and +hallowed, and brought them into the treasury of the house of our Lord. +After this he assembled all the noblest and greatest of birth of them of +Israel, with the princes of the tribes and dukes of the families, for to +bring the Ark of God from the city of David, Sion, into the temple. And +the priests and Levites took the Ark and bare it and all the vessels of +the sanctuary that were in the tabernacle. King Solomon, with all the +multitude of the children that were there, went tofore the Ark and +offered sheep and oxen without estimation and number. + +And the priests set the Ark in the house of our Lord in the oracle of +the temple, in sancta sanctorum, under the wings of cherubim. In the ark +was nothing but the two tables of Moses of stone which Moses had put in. +And then Solomon blessed our Lord tofore all the people, and thanked him +that he had suffered him to make an house unto his name, and besought +our Lord that he whosomever prayed our Lord for any petition in that +temple, that he of his mercy would hear him and be merciful to him. And +our Lord appeared to him when the edifice was accomplished perfectly, +and said to Solomon: I have heard thy prayer and thine oration that thou +hast prayed tofore me. I have sanctified and hallowed this house that +thou hast edified for to put my name therein for evermore, and my eyes +and heart shall be thereon always. And if thou walk before me like as +thy father walked in the simplicity of heart and in equity, and wilt do +all that I have commanded thee, and keep my judgments and laws, I shall +set the throne of thy reign upon Israel evermore, like as I have said to +thy father David, saying: There shall not be taken away a man of thy +generation from the reign and seat of Israel. If ye avert and turn from +me, ye and your sons, not following ne keeping my commandments and +ceremonies that I have showed tofore you, but go and worship strange +gods, and honor them, I shall cast away Israel from the face of the +earth that I have given to them, and the temple that I have hallowed to +my name, I shall cast it away from my sight. And it shall be a fable and +proverb, and thy house an example shall be to all people; every man that +shall go thereby shall be abashed and astonied, and shall say: Why hath +God done thus to this land and to thy house? And they shall answer: For +they have forsaken their Lord God that brought them out of the land of +Egypt, and have followed strange gods, and them adored and worshipped, +and therefore God hath brought on them all this evil: here may every man +take ensample how perilous and dreadful it is to break the commandment +of God. + +Twenty years after that Solomon had edified the temple of God and his +house, and finished it perfectly, Hiram the king of Tyre went for to see +towns that Solomon had given to him, and they pleased him not. Hiram had +sent to King Solomon an hundred and twenty besants of gold, which he had +spent on the temple and his house, and on the wall of Jerusalem and +other towns and places that he had made. Solomon was rich and glorious +that the fame ran, of his sapience and wisdom and of his building and +dispense in his house, through the world, insomuch that the queen of +Sheba came from far countries to see him and to tempt him in demands and +questions. And she came into Jerusalem with much people and riches, with +camels charged with aromatics and gold infinite. And she came and spake +to King Solomon all that ever she had in her heart. And Solomon taught +her in all that ever she purposed tofore him. She could say nothing but +that the king answered to her, there was nothing hid from him. The queen +of Sheba then seeing all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had +builded, and the meat and service of his table, the habitacles of his +servants, the order of the ministers, their clothing and array, his +butlers and officers, and the sacrifices that he offered in the house of +our Lord, when she saw all these things, she had no spirit to answer, +but she said to King Solomon: The word is true that I heard in my land, +of thy words and thy wisdom, and I believed not them that told it to me, +unto the time that I myself came and have seen it with mine eyes, and I +have now well seen and proved that the half was not told to me. Thy +sapience is more, and thy works also, than the tidings that I heard. +Blessed be thy servants, and blessed be these that stand always tofore +thee and hear thy sapience and wisdom, and thy Lord God be blessed whom +thou hast pleased, and hath set thee upon the throne of Israel, for so +much as God of Israel loveth thee and hath ordained thee a king for to +do righteousness and justice. She gave then to the king an hundred and +twenty besants of gold, many aromatics, and gems precious. There were +never seen tofore so many aromatics ne so sweet odors smelling as the +queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. + +King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that ever she desired and +demanded of him, and after returned into her country and land. The +weight of pure gold that was offered every year to Solomon was six +hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, except that that the merchants +offered, and all they that sold, and all the kings of Arabia and dukes +of that land. Solomon made two hundred shields of the purest gold and +set them in the house of Lebanon; he made him also a throne of ivory +which was great and was clad with gold, which had six grees or steps, +which was richly wrought with two lions of gold holding the seat above, +and twelve small lions standing upon the steps, on every each twain, +here and there. There was never such a work in no realm. And all the +vessels that King Solomon drank of were of gold, and the ceiling of the +house of Lebanon in which his shields of gold were in was of the most +pure gold. Silver was of no price in the days of King Solomon, for the +navy of the king, with the navy of Hiram, went in three years once into +Tarsis and brought them thence gold and silver, teeth of elephants and +great riches. The King Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the +world in riches and wisdom, and all the world desired to see the cheer +and visage of Solomon, and to hear his wisdom that God had given to him. +Every man brought to him gifts, vessels of gold and silver, clothes and +armor for war, aromatics, horses and mules every year. Solomon gathered +together chariots and horsemen; he had a thousand four hundred chariots +and cars, and twelve thousand horsemen, and were lodged in small cities +and towns about Jerusalem by the king. There was as great abundance and +plenty of gold and silver in those days in Jerusalem as stones or +sycamores that grow in the field, and horses were brought to him from +Egypt and Chao. What shall I all day write of the riches, glory and +magnificence of King Solomon? It was so great that it cannot be +expressed, for there was never none like to him, ne never shall none +come after him like unto him. He made the book of the parables +containing thirty-one chapters, the book of the Canticles, the book of +Ecclesiastes, containing twelve chapters, and the book of Sapience +containing nineteen chapters. This King Solomon loved overmuch women, +and specially strange women of other sects; as King Pharaoh's daughters +and many other of the gentiles. He had seven hundred wives which were as +queens, and three hundred concubines, and these women turned his heart. +For when he was old he so doted and loved them that they made him honor +their strange gods, and worshipped Ashtareth, Chemosh and Moloch, idols +of Zidonia, of Moabites, and Ammonites, and made to them Tabernacles for +to please his wives and concubines, wherefore God was wroth with him, +and said to him: Because thou hast not observed my precepts and my +commandments that I commanded thee, I shall cut thy kingdom and divide +it and give it to thy servant but not in thy day, I shall not do it for +love that I had to David thy father; but from the hand of thy son I +shall cut it but not all, I shall reserve to him one tribe for David's +love, and Jerusalem that I have chosen. And after this divers kings +became adversaries to Solomon, and was never in peace after. + +It is said, but I find it not in the Bible, that Solomon repented him +much of this sin of idolatry and did much penance therefor, for he let +him be drawn through Jerusalem and beat himself with rods and scourges, +that the blood flowed in the sight of all the people. He reigned upon +all Israel in Jerusalem forty years, and died and was buried with his +fathers in the city of David, and Rehoboam his son reigned after him. + + + + +THE HISTORY OF REHOBOAM + + +After Solomon, reigned his son Rehoboam. He came to Sichem and thither +came all the people for to ordain him king. Jeroboam and all the +multitude of Israel spake to Rehoboam, and said: Thy father set on us an +hard yoke and great impositions, now thou hast not so much need, +therefore less it and minish it, and ease us of the great and hard +burden and we shall serve thee. Rehoboam answered and said: Go ye and +come again the third day and ye shall have an answer. When the people +was departed, Rehoboam made a counsel of the seniors and old men that +had assisted his father Solomon whiles he lived, and said to them: What +say ye? and counsel me that I may answer to the people, which said to +Rohoboam: If thou wilt obey and agree to this people, and agree to their +petition, and speak fair and friendly to them, they shall serve thee +always. But Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, and called the +young men that were of his age, and asked of them counsel. And the young +men that had been nourished with him bade him say to the people in this +wise: Is not my finger greater than the back of my father? If my father +hath laid on you a heavy burden, I shall add and put more to your +burden; my father beat you with scourges, and I shall beat you with +scorpions. The third day after, Jeroboam and all the people came to +Rehoboam to have their answer, and Rehoboam left the counsel of the old +men, and said to them like as the young men had counselled him. And anon +the people of Israel forsook Rehoboam, and of twelve tribes, there abode +with him no more but the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. And the other ten +tribes departed and made Jeroboam their king, and never returned unto +the house of David after unto this day. And thus for sin of Solomon, and +because Rehoboam would not do after the counsel of the old men, but was +counselled by young men, the ten tribes of Israel forsook him, and +departed from Jerusalem, and served Jeroboam, and ordained him king upon +Israel. Anon after this, Jeroboam fell to idolatry and great division +was ever after between the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel. And +so reigned divers kings each after other in Jerusalem after Rehoboam, +and in Israel after Jeroboam. And here I leave all the history and make +an end of the book of Kings for this time, etc. For ye that list to know +how every king reigned after other, ye may find it in the first chapter +of Saint Matthew which is read on Christmas day in the morning before Te +Deum, which is the genealogy of our Lady. + + + + +A LITTLE MAID + +BY THEODORE T. MUNGER + +[From "Lamps and Paths," by courtesy of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.] + +In old days we read of angels who came and took men by the hand, and led +them away from the city of Destruction. We see no white-robed angels +now; yet men are led away from threatening destruction: a hand is put +into theirs, and they are gently guided toward a bright and calm land, +so that they look no more backward; and the hand may be that of a little +child.--GEORGE ELIOT + +As aromatic plants bestow +No spicy fragrance while they grow, +But crushed, or trodden to the ground, +Diffuse their balmy sweets around. + +--GOLDSMITH: _The Captivity_ + +_"Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man +with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given +deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a +leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away +captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on +Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress. Would God my lord were +with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his +leprosy."_--2 KINGS v. 1-3 + + +I think upon the whole that old stories are better than new ones; I +mean, stories of old times. It is perhaps because only the very best are +remembered while the poorer ones are forgotten, so that those which have +come down to us through past ages are the choice ones selected from a +great number that pleased people for a while, but not well nor long +enough to get fixed in their minds. + +Of all old stories, I hardly know a better one than this of Naaman and +the little maid from Samaria. It is full of human nature; that is, it +shows that people acted and felt three thousand years ago just as they +do now: they were kind and sympathetic, and proud and grateful and +covetous and deceitful, just as people are nowadays. And the story has a +fine romantic setting; that is, its incidents take hold of our fancy and +charm us;--a little girl stolen in war and carried to a foreign country +and put into the house of a great general, who falls very ill and is +cured in a wonderful way, and so on. I think it will please us all to +hear it over again. + +Syria and Israel stood to each other very much like Germany and +Switzerland. One was a great, rich country, with fine rivers like the +Rhine and Danube, and a capital city so beautiful that it was called +"the eye of the East"; while Israel was a small country, full of +mountains, and with only one small river that ran nearly dry in summer. +To tell the truth, Syria looked down on Israel, and--what is +worse--often made war on it. In those days war was even more cruel and +senseless than it is now; for it was not confined to the armies that +fought and captured one another, but extended to women and children, who +were often seized, carried away from their homes into the country of the +enemy, and made slaves. It is bad and senseless enough for men to stand +up and stab one another as they used to in old times, or shoot one +another as they do now; but to carry a mother away from her children, or +take a little girl away from her home and playmates and make a slave of +her, is something worse. But it was often done in those ancient days, as +you will learn when you read history, and the story of the siege of +Troy, which sprang out of stealing a beautiful woman. + +There were frequent wars between Syria and Israel. Israel had once +conquered Syria, and Syria had broken away, and so it went on back and +forth, year after year. When our story begins, Naaman, a great general, +had delivered his country from Israel, and brought home with him a +little Hebrew girl, who was so beautiful and sweet in her ways that he +gave her to his wife on his return from the war. A strange present, you +say, but it proved a very valuable one. It seems to us very cruel. One +would think that if Naaman and his wife loved this little girl--and I am +sure they did--they would have sent her back to her home, for she must +have had a heartbreaking time of it at first; but people were not kind +in that way in those days. Yes, I am sure they loved her and were kind +to her, for the simple reason that she evidently loved them; and I am +also sure that the reason they loved her was that they could not help +it, as we shall see further on. + +Not long after the war, Naaman was attacked with a disease so dreadful +and repulsive that I cannot describe it to you. Let us be thankful that +leprosy is unknown here. It is not only incurable, but as it goes on it +becomes so terrible that one cannot stay at home with his family, but +must go out and live alone, or with other lepers, and wait for death, +which often does not happen for years. It was a sad time for the great +Naaman when he discovered that it had seized him. He felt well and +strong, but the fearful signs made it sure. It was a sadder time when he +told his wife; for both knew that the day would soon come when they +could no longer stay together at home, and that he must leave beautiful +Damascus, and give up his place in the army, and go off into the +mountains and live alone, or with others like himself. The saddest +feature of all was that there was no hope: all this was sure to take +place. If you have ever been in a house where some one is very ill and +likely to die, or some terrible accident has occurred, you have felt +what a gloom overhangs it, and have been glad to escape from it and get +out under the open sky. But our little Hebrew girl could not escape. She +must stay through it all, and wait on Naaman's wife, and see her weep +and Naaman's strong face grow sadder every day. Now I think we shall +begin to see what a rare, noble, sweet child this was that we are +talking about. What a pity that we do not know her name--for she is a +nameless child! I would like to call her Anna if I had any right to +leave off the _H_ that the Hebrews put before and after this beautiful +name. And I should not change it by turning the _a_ at the close into +_ie_, as so many young people--and older ones, too, who ought to know +better--are in the habit of doing; for I never could understand why +girls with so noble names as Anna and Mary and Helen and Margaret and +Caroline should change them into the weak and silly forms that we hear +every day. This change, which usually shortens the name and ends it with +an _ie_, is called a _diminutive_, which, according to Worcester, means +"a thing little of its kind," and so may well enough be used in the +nursery; but that grown women should use it seems to me foolish and even +ignoble, and I often fear it may indicate a lack of fine sentiment. We +do not know the name of our little maiden, but we can safely imagine her +appearance for two reasons: we know her circumstances and her character. +Is it not quite sure that when Naaman selected from his captives a +little girl to wait on his wife, he would take the most beautiful one? +When we make presents to those we love, we always get the best we can. +Now we can go a step further, and ask what made her beautiful _in such a +way_ that Naaman thought she would please his wife. It must have been +her sweet and amiable expression; and that came from her character, for +nothing else can make beauty of this sort. And so we picture her with +black, wavy hair and soft, dark eyes, with red cheeks glowing through an +olive-colored skin, lips like a pomegranate, a sweet, patient, loving +expression, and a voice "gentle and low" and full of sympathy and +readiness. I am very sure about her voice and expression, because I know +her character. I never have seen any one with a loving and helpful +spirit who had not a gentle voice and a sweet expression. I think she +must have been about twelve years old; for if she had been younger she +would not have known all about Elisha, and if older she would not have +been called "a _little_ maid." + +When the trouble came upon Naaman's family, she felt it grievously, and +was more attentive and gentle in her services than ever. Just here she +showed the beauty of her character. She had been cruelly wronged--stolen +away from her country and home, and made a slave without hope of ever +seeing them again--and so might naturally feel revengeful, and say that +Naaman's leprosy was a punishment for the wrong he had done her. But +instead she pitied him, and in her sympathy with his sufferings forgot +her own. So, as she brooded on the trouble, she happened to remember one +day that Elisha had cured people who were very ill, and done many +wonderful things, and she said to her mistress, "Would God my lord were +with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his +leprosy." Probably Naaman's wife questioned her closely about Elisha, +and got at all she knew about him, and so heard about the child that +fell sick among the reapers, and the poor widow whose two sons were to +be sold as slaves, and the mantle of Elijah, that Elisha had caught upon +the banks of the Jordan, with which he smote the waters. At any rate, +she heard enough to awaken some hope, and so told her husband what our +little maid had said. When people are hopelessly ill, they are willing +to try anything; a drowning man will catch at a straw, and Naaman caught +at this little straw of hope that the wind of war had blown across his +path. He thought it over and said to himself, "It is my only chance; no +one here can do anything for me. I will go down to Samaria and find +Elisha. I have often heard that the prophets there did wonderful things; +if what the little maid says of the boy among the reapers is true, +perhaps Elisha can cure me." And so he went; but it was very +humiliating. He thought of Israel and the little city of Samaria and the +Jordan in a scornful way, comparing them with his splendid Damascus, and +its green, beautiful plain, thirty miles wide, and the great river +Abana, that gushed from the side of the mountain, and flowed through and +all about the city, making the whole country one vast garden. He +despised, too, the people of Israel. They were rude and poor and +ignorant, while his own people were rich and cultivated. Perhaps he had +borne himself proudly when he was at war there; and now to go back and +ask favors--to ask for himself what he could not get at home--was +humiliating indeed. But he made the best of it; and to cover his pride +and make it seem as though he were not asking favors, he took with him +an immense amount of silver and gold, and ten suits of raiment--perhaps +of linen _damask_, that was first made in Damascus. + +I shall not follow the story further, except to say that because Naaman +went in such a proud spirit, Elisha used every means to make him humble. +He seemed to be anxious to send Naaman home, not only a well, but a +better man, and to teach him that there were other things to be thought +of than great rivers, and fine cities, and temples of Rimmon. +Especially he wanted to teach him that the one, true God could make a +small, rough nation greater and stronger than one that worshipped idols. +Naaman went home cured of his leprosy, with some earth to make an altar +of, and all his gold and silver and fine garments, except what the +foolish Gehazi got from him by lying. How Naaman proposed to act when he +should get home and be forced to go with the king into the temple of +Rimmon, you will find discussed in the second chapter of the second part +of "School Days at Rugby." My opinion is that Elisha told him he must +settle that matter with his own conscience; but I can imagine that when +he had worshipped God before the altar built of the earth brought from +the Jordan, and then went into the temple of Rimmon and did what the +king did, his conscience must have troubled him. + +But I care a great deal more for our little maid than for Naaman. I +wonder what became of her. If Naaman did what he ought, he sent her back +to her home, and gave her all the gold and silver he had offered to +Elisha. I am quite inclined to believe this for several reasons. Naaman +was a _reasonable_ man. When he was told to "go and wash himself seven +times in Jordan," he was surprised and angry, because it was so +different from what he had expected, and because he thought it was an +insult to his own great rivers. But when his servants reminded him that +it was just as easy to do a little thing as a great thing, he saw the +wisdom of it, and let good sense triumph over pride. He was also a +_generous_ man, as the gifts he offered to Elisha show. And he was +_conscientious_, or he would not have asked Elisha about bowing down in +the temple of Rimmon as a part of his duty to the king. All through he +showed himself _grateful_. Yes; I think he went back to Syria not only +with "the flesh of a little child," but with a child's heart. And +because he was reasonable and generous and conscientious and grateful, +he did not forget the little maid who was at the bottom of the whole +affair. He owed quite as much to her as to Elisha; for people who start +good enterprises deserve more praise and reward than those who carry +them out. So, when he reached home and met his wife and children--why, +it was almost like coming back from the dead!--his first thought must +have been of the little maid. We can imagine the great Naaman taking her +in his arms with tears, and saying, "What can I do for you, my little +maid? Tell me what you most want, and I will give it to you, even if it +is the half of my possessions." We know that Eastern princes often said +such things when their fancy or their gratitude was deeply stirred; they +gave full course to all their feelings, good and bad. Perhaps she had +become fond of Naaman's wife, and would like to stay with her. Perhaps +they told her they would adopt her, and clothe her with rich damask and +jewels of gold and silver. But I doubt if she was a child who cared more +for such things than for her parents and her home. And as she heard the +story of Naaman's cure, and of Elisha and the Jordan, her mind went back +to her native land and to her home, and a great longing filled her +heart to see it again, and to live the old life with her parents and +brothers and sisters. The Jews do not easily forget their country nor +their families; and this little maid was a true Jewess. It might be a +fine thing to live in a palace and wear jewels, but she would rather go +home, and tend the sheep and goats, and pick the grapes, and go to the +fountain for water. Perhaps she had lived on the slope of Hermon, where +the dew fell heavily every night, and the brooks ran full all summer; +for Naaman's march home led near it. + +We found her in Damascus a slave; but we will leave her at home among +the vines and flowers and kids, with father and mother and mates, for +sh'e was a child who lived in her affections rather than in her +ambitions. + +The chief thing she teaches us is the beauty and blessedness of +returning good for evil. Long before Christ's day she was Christ's own +child; for she loved her enemies, and prayed for those who had +persecuted her. + + + + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF JOB + +_Read on the first Sunday of September_ + + +There was a man in the land of Uz named Job, and this man was simple, +rightful and dreading God, and going from all evil. He had seven sons +and three daughters, and his possession was seven thousand sheep, three +thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred asses, and his +family and household passing much and great. He was a great man and rich +among all the men of the orient. And his sons went daily each to other +house making great feasts, ever each one as his day came, and they sent +for their three sisters for to eat and drink with them. When they had +thus feasted each other, Job sent to them and blessed and sanctified +them, and rising every day early, he offered sacrifices for them all, +saying: Lest my children sin and bless not God in their hearts. And thus +did Job every day. + +On a day when the sons of God were tofore our Lord, Satan came and was +among them, to whom our Lord said: Whence comest thou? Which answered, I +have gone round about the earth and through walked it. Our Lord said to +him: Hast thou not considered my servant Job, that there is none like +unto him in the earth, a man simple, rightful, dreading God, and going +from evil? To whom Satan answered: Doth Job dread God idly? If so were +that thou overthrewest him, his house and all his substance round about, +he should soon forsake thee. Thou hast blest the work of his hands, and +his possession is increased much in the earth, but stretch out thy hand +a little, and touch all that he hath in possession, and he shall soon +grudge and not bless thee. Then said our Lord to Satan: Lo! all that +which he owneth and hath in possession, I will it be in thy hand and +power, but on his person ne body set not thy hand. Satan departed and +went from the face of our Lord. On a day as his sons and daughters ate, +and drank wine, in the house of the oldest brother, there came a +messenger to Job which said: The oxen eared in the plough and the ass +pastured in the pasture by them, and the men of Sabea ran on them, and +smote thy servants, and slew them with sword, and I only escaped for to +come and to show it to thee. And whiles he spake came another and said: +The fire of God fell down from heaven and hath burned thy sheep and +servants and consumed them, and I only escaped for to come and show it +to thee. And yet whiles he spake came another and said: The Chaldees +made three hosts and have enveigled thy camels and taken them, and have +slain thy servants with sword, and I only escaped for to bring thee +word. And yet he speaking another entered in and said: Thy sons and +daughters, drinking wine in the house of thy first begotten son, +suddenly came a vehement wind from the region of desert and smote the +four corners of the house, which falling oppressed thy children, and +they be all dead, and I only fled for to tell it to thee. Then Job +arose, and cut his coat, and did do shave his head, and falling down to +the ground, worshipped and adored God, saying: I am come out naked from +the womb of my mother and naked shall return again thereto. Our Lord +hath given and our Lord hath taken away, as it hath pleased our Lord, so +it is done, the name of our Lord be blessed. In all these things Job +sinned not with his lips, ne spake nothing follily against our Lord, but +took it all patiently. + +After this it was so that on a certain day when the children of God +stood tofore our Lord, Satan came and stood among them, and God said to +him: Whence comest thou? To whom Satan answered: I have gone round the +earth, and walked through it. And God said to Satan, Hast thou not +considered my servant Job that there is no man like him in the earth, a +man simple, rightful, dreading God, and going from evil, and yet +retaining his innocency? Thou hast moved me against him that I should +put him to affliction without cause. To whom Satan said: Skin for skin, +and all that ever a man hath he shall give for his soul. Nevertheless, +stretch thine hand and touch his mouth and his flesh, and thou shalt see +that he shall not bless thee. Then said God to Satan: I will well that +his body be in thine hand, but save his soul and his life. Then Satan +departed from the face of our Lord and smote Job with the worst blotches +and blains from the plant of his foot, unto the top of his head, which +was made like a lazar [leper] and was cast out and sat on the dunghill. +Then came his wife to him and said: Yet thou abidest in thy simpleness, +forsake thy God and bless him no more, and go die. Then Job said to her: +Thou hast spoken like a foolish woman; if we have received and taken +good things of the hand of our Lord, why shall we not sustain and suffer +evil things? In all these things Job sinned not with his lips. Then +three men that were friends of Job, hearing what harm was happed and +come to Job, came ever each one from his place to him, that one was +named Eliphas the Temanite, another Bildad the Shuhite, and the third, +Zophar Naamathite. And when they saw him from far they knew him not, and +crying they wept. They came for to comfort him, and when they considered +his misery they tare their clothes and cast dust on their heads, and sat +by him seven days and seven nights, and no man spake to him a word, +seeing his sorrow. Then after that Job and they talked and spake +together of his sorrow and misery, of which S. Gregory hath made a great +book called: The morals of S. Gregory, which is a noble book and a great +work. + +But I pass over all the matters and return unto the end, how God +restored Job again to prosperity. It was so that when these three +friends of Job had been long with Job, and had said many things each of +them to Job, and Job again to them, our Lord was wroth with these three +men and said to them: Ye have not spoken rightfully, as my servant Job +hath spoken. Take ye therefore seven bulls and seven wethers and go to +my servant Job and offer ye sacrifice for you. Job my servant shall pray +for you. I shall receive his prayer and shall take his visage. They went +forth and did as our Lord commanded them. And our Lord beheld the visage +of Job, and saw his penance when he prayed for his friends. And our Lord +added to Job double of all that Job had possessed. All his brethren came +to him, and all his sisters, and all they that tofore had known him, and +ate with him in his house, and moved their heads upon him, and comforted +him upon all the evil that God had sent to him. And each of them gave +him a sheep and a gold ring for his ears. Our Lord blessed more Job in +his last days than he did in the beginning. And he had then after +fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, +one thousand asses. And he had seven sons and three daughters. And the +first daughter's name was Jemima, the second Kezia, and the third +Keren-happuch. There was nowhere found in the world so fair women as +were the daughters of Job. Their father Job gave to them heritage among +their brethren, and thus Job by his patience gat so much love of God, +that he was restored double of all his losses. And Job lived after, one +hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and the sons of his sons unto +the fourth generation, and died an old man, and full of days. + + + + +THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB + + +The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, +And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold, +And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, +When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. + +Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green, +That host with their banners at sunset were seen; +Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown, +That host on the morrow lay wither'd and strown. + +For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, +And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass'd; +And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill, +And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still. + +And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide, +But through it there roll'd not the breath of his pride: +And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf, +And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf. + +And there lay the rider, distorted and pale, +With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail; +And the tents were all silent, the banners alone, +The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown. + +And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail, +And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal, +And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, +Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord! + +_--Lord Byron_ + + + + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF TOBIT + +_Which is read the third Sunday of September_ + + +Tobit of the tribe and of the city of Nephthali, which is in the +overparts of Galilee upon Aser, after the way that leadeth men westward, +having on his left side the city of Sepheth, was taken in the days of +Salmanazar, King of the Assyrians, and put in captivity, yet he forsook +not the way of truth, but all that he had or could get he departed daily +with his brethren of his kindred which were prisoners with him. And +howbeit that he was youngest in all the tribe of Nephthali yet did he +nothing childishly. Also when all other went unto the golden calves that +Jeroboam, King of Israel, had made, this Tobit only fled the fellowship +of them all, and went to Jerusalem into the temple of our Lord. And +there he adored and worshipped the Lord God of Israel, offering truly +his first fruits and tithes insomuch that in the third year he +ministered unto proselytes and strangers all the tithe. Such things and +other like to these he observed while he was a child, and when he came +to age and was a man he took a wife named Anna, of his tribe, and begat +on her a son, naming after his own name Tobias, whom from his childhood +he taught to dread God and abstain him from all sin. Then after when he +was brought by captiviy with his wife and his son into the city of +Nineveh with all his tribe, and when all ate of the meats of the +Gentiles and Paynims, this Tobit kept his soul clean and was never +defouled in the meats of them. And because he remembered our Lord in all +his heart, God gave him grace to be in the favor of Salmanazar the king +which gave to him power to go where he would. Having liberty to do what +he would, he went then to all them in captivity and gave to them +warnings of health. When he came on a time in Rages, city of the Jews, +he had such gifts as he had been honored with of the king, ten besants +of silver. And when he saw one Gabael being needy which was of his +tribe, he lent him the said weight of silver upon his obligation. Long +time after this when Salmanazar the king was dead, Sennacherib his son +reigned for him, and hated, and loved not, the children of Israel. And +Tobit went unto all his kindred and comforted them, and divided to every +each of them as he might of his faculties and goods. + +He fed the hungry and gave to the naked clothes, and diligently he +buried the dead men and them that were slain. After this when +Sennacherib returned, fleeing the plague from the Jewry, that God had +sent him for his blasphemy, and he, being wroth, slew many of the +children of Israel, and Tobit always buried the bodies of them, which +was told to the king, which commanded to slay him, and took away all his +substance. Tobit then with his wife and his son hid him and fled away +all naked, for many loved him well. After this, forty-five days, the +sons of the king slew the king, and then returned Tobit unto his house, +and all his faculties and goods were restored to him again. After this +on a high festival day of our Lord when that Tobit had a good dinner in +his house, he said to his son: Go and fetch to us some of our tribe +dreading God, that they may come and eat with us. And he went forth and +anon he returned telling to his father that one of the children of +Israel was slain and lay dead in the street. And anon he leapt out of +his house, leaving his meat, and fasting came to the, body, took it and +bare it in to his house privily, that he might secretly bury it when the +sun went down. And when he had hid the corpse, he ate his meat with +wailing and dread, remembering that word that our Lord said by Amos the +prophet: The day of your feast shall be turned into lamentation and +wailing. And when the sun was gone down he went and buried him. All his +neighbors reproved and chid him, saying for this cause they were +commanded to be slain, and unnethe [hardly] thou escapedst the +commandment of death, and yet thou buriest dead men. But Tobit, more +dreading God than the king, took up the bodies of dead men and hid them +in his house, and at midnight he buried them. + +It happed on a day after this that when he was weary of burying dead +men, he came home and laid him down by a wall and slept. And he became +blind. This temptation suffered God to fall to him, that it should be an +example to them that shall come after him of his patience, like as it +was of holy Job. For from his infancy he dreaded ever God and kept his +precepts and was not grudging against God for his blindness, but he +abode immovable in the dread of God, giving and rendering thankings to +God all the days of his life. For like as Job was assailed so was Tobit +assailed of his kinsmen, scorning him and saying to him: Where is now +thy hope and reward for which thou gavest thy alms and madest +sepulchres? Tobit blamed them for such words, saying to them: In no wise +say ye not so, for we be the sons of holy men, and we abide that life +that God shall give to them that never shall change their faith from +him. Anna his wife went daily to the work of weaving, and got by the +labor of her hands their livelihood as much as she might. Whereof on a +day she gat a kid and brought it home. When Tobit heard the voice of the +kid bleating, he said: See that it be not stolen, yield it again to the +owner, for it is not lawful for us to eat ne touch anything that is +stolen. To that his wife all angry answered: Now manifestly and openly +is thine hope made vain, and thy alms lost. And thus with such and like +words she chid him. Then Tobit began to sigh and began to pray our Lord +with tears saying: O Lord, thou art rightful, and all thy dooms be true, +and all thy ways be mercy, truth, and righteousness. And now, Lord, +remember me, and take now no vengeance of my sins, ne remember not my +trespasses, ne the sins of my fathers. For'we have not obeyed thy +commandments, therefore we be betaken in to direption, captivity, death, +fables, and into reproof and shame to all nations in which thou hast +dispersed us. And now, Lord, great be thy judgments, for we have not +done according to thy precepts, ne have not walked well tofore thee. And +now, Lord, do to me after thy will, and command my spirit to be received +in peace, it is more expedient to me to die than to live. + +The same day it happed that Sara, daughter of Raguel in the city of +Medes, that she was rebuked and heard reproof of one of the handmaidens +of her father. For she had been given to seven men, and a devil named +Asmodeus slew them as soon as they would have gone to her; therefore the +maid reproved her saying: We shall never see son ne daughter of thee on +the earth, thou slayer of thy husbands. Wilt thou slay me as thou hast +slain seven men? With this voice and rebuke she went up in the upperest +cubicle of the house. And three days and three nights she ate not, ne +drank not, but was continually in prayers beseeching God for to deliver +her from this reproof and shame. And on the third day, when she had +accomplished her prayer, blessing our Lord she said: Blessed be thy +name, God of our fathers, for when thou art wroth thou shalt do mercy +and in a time of tribulation thou forgivest sins to them that call to +thee. Unto thee, Lord, I convert my visage, and unto thee I address mine +eyes. I ask and require thee that thou assoil me from the bond of the +reproof and shame, or certainly upon the earth keep me. Thou knowest +well, Lord, that I never desired man, but I have kept clean my soul. I +never meddled me with players, ne never had part of them that walk in +lightness. I consented for to take an husband with thy dread. Or I was +unworthy to them or haply they were unworthy to me, or haply thou hast +conserved and kept me for some other man. Thy counsel is not in man's +power. This knoweth every man that worshippeth thee, for the life of him +if it be in probation shall be crowned, and if it be in tribulation it +shall be delivered, and if it be in correction, it shall be lawful to +come to mercy. Thou hast none delectation in our perdition, for after +tempest thou makest tranquillity, and after weeping and shedding of +tears thou bringest in exultation and joy. Thy name, God of Israel, be +blessed, world without end. + +In that same time were the prayers of them both heard in the sight of +the glory of the high God. And the holy angel of God, Raphael, was sent +to heal them both. Of whom in one time were the prayers recited in the +sight of our Lord God. Then when Tobit supposed his prayers to be heard +that he might die, he called to him his son Tobias, and said to him: +Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and set them in thy heart as a +fundament. When God shall take away my soul, bury my body, and thou +shalt worship thy mother all the days of her life, thou owest to +remember what and how many perils she hath suffered for thee in her +womb. When she shall have accomplished the time of her life, bury her by +me. All the days of thy life have God in thy mind, and beware that thou +never consent to sin, ne to disobey ne break the commandments of God. Of +thy substance do alms, and turn never thy face from any poor man, so do +that God turn not his face from thee. As much as thou mayst, be +merciful, if thou have much good give abundantly, if thou have but +little, yet study to give and to depart thereof gladly, for thou makest +to thee thereof good treasure and meed in the day of necessity, for alms +delivereth a man from all sin and from death, and suffereth not his soul +to go in to darkness. Alms is a great sikerness [surety] tofore the high +God unto all them that do it. Beware, my son, keep thee from all +uncleanness, and suffer not thyself to know that sin; and suffer never +pride to have domination in thy wit, ne in thy word, that sin was the +beginning of all perdition. Whosomever work to thee any thing, anon +yield to him his meed and hire, let never the hire of thy servant ne +meed of thy mercenary remain in no wise with thee. That thou hatest to +be done to thee of other, see that thou never do to an other. Eat thy +bread with the hungry and needy, and cover the naked with thy clothes. +Ordain thy bread and wine upon the sepulture of a righteous man, but eat +it not ne drink it with sinners. Ask and demand counsel of a wise man. +Always and in every time bless God and desire of him that he address thy +ways, and let all thy counsels abide in him. I tell to thee, my son, +that when thou wert a little child I lent to Gabael ten besants of +silver, dwelling in Rages the city of Medes, upon an obligation, which I +have by me. And therefore spere [search] and ask how thou mayst go to +him, and thou shalt receive of him the said weight of silver and restore +to him his obligation. Dread thou not, my son; though we lead a poor +life, we shall have much good if we dread God and go from sin and do +well. Then young Tobias answered to his father: All that thou hast +commanded me I shall do, father; but how I shall get this money I wot +never; he knoweth not me, ne I know not him; what token shall I give +him? And also I know not the way thither. Then his father answered to +him and said: I have his obligation by me, which when thou shewest him, +anon he shall pay thee. But go now first and seek for thee some true +man, that for his hire shall go with thee whiles I live, that thou mayst +receive it. + +Then Tobias went forth and found a fair young man girt up and ready for +to walk, and not knowing that it was the angel of God, saluted him and +said: From whence have we thee, good young man? And he answered: Of the +children of Israel. And Tobias said to him: Knowest thou the way that +leadeth one into the region of Medes? To whom he answered: I know it +well, and all the journeys I have oft walked and have dwelled with +Gabael our brother which dwelled in Rages the city of Medes, which +standeth in the hill of Ecbathanis. To whom Tobias said: I pray thee +tary here a while till I have told this to my father. Then Tobias went +in to his father and told to him all these things, whereon his father +marvelled and prayed him that he should bring him in. Then the angel +came in and saluted the old Tobit and said: Joy be to thee always. And +Tobit said: What joy shall be to me that sit in darkness, and see not +the light of heaven. To whom the youngling said: Be of strong belief; it +shall not be long but of God thou shalt be cured and healed. Then said +Tobit to him: Mayst thou lead my son unto Gabael in Rages city of Medes, +and when thou comest again I shall restore to thee thy meed. And the +angel said: I shall lead him thither and bring him again to thee. To +whom Tobit said: I pray thee to tell me of what house or of what kindred +art thou. To whom Raphael the angel said: Thou needest not to ask the +kindred of him that shall go with thy son, but lest haply I should not +deliver him to thee again: I am Azarias son of great Ananias. Tobit +answered: Thou art of a great kindred, but I pray thee be not wroth, +though I would know thy kindred. The angel said to him: I shall safely +lead thy son thither, and safely bring him and render him to thee again. +Tobit then answered saying: Well mote ye walk, and our Lord be in your +journey, and his angel fellowship with you. Then, when all was ready +that they should have with them by the way, young Tobias took leave of +his father and mother, and bade them farewell. When they should depart +the mother began to weep and say: Thou has taken away and sent from us +the staff of our old age, would God that thilke [that] money had never +been for which thou hast sent him, our poverty sufficeth enough to us +that we might have seen our son. Tobit said to her: Weep not, our son +shall come safely again and thine eyes shall see him. I believe that the +good angel of God hath fellowship with him, and shall dispose all +things that shall be needful to him, and that he shall return again to +us with joy. With this the mother ceased of her weeping and was still. + +Then young Tobias went forth and an hound followed him. And the first +mansion [stay] that they made was by the river of Tigris, and Tobias +went out for to wash his feet, and there came a great fish for to devour +him, whom Tobias fearing cried out with a great voice: Lord, he cometh +on me, and the angel said to him: Take him by the fin and draw him to +thee. And so he did and drew him out of the water to the dry land. Then +said the angel to him: Open the fish and take to thee the heart, the +gall, and the milt, and keep them by thee; they be profitable and +necessary for medicines. And when he had done so he roasted of the fish, +and took it with them for to eat by the way, and the remnant they +salted, that it might suffice them till they came into the city of +Rages. Then Tobias demanded of the angel and said: I pray thee, Azarias, +brother, to tell me whereto these be good that thou hast bidden me keep. +And the angel answered and said: If thou take a little of his heart and +put it on the coals, the smoke and fume thereof driveth away all manner +kind of devils, be it from man or from woman, in such wise that he shall +no more come to them. And Tobias said: Where wilt thou that we shall +abide? And he answered and said: Hereby is a man named Raguel, a man +nigh to thy kindred and tribe, and he hath a daughter named Sara, he +hath neither son ne daughter more than her. Thou shalt owe all his +substance, for thee behoveth to take her to thy wife. Then Toby answered +and said: I have heard say that she hath been given to seven men, and +they be dead, and I have heard that a devil slayeth them. I dread +therefore that it might hap so to me, and I that am an only son to my +father and mother, I should depose their old age with heaviness and +sorrow to hell. Then Raphael the angel said to him: Hear me, and I shall +show thee wherewith thou mayst prevail against that devil; these that +took their wedlock in such wise that they exclude God from them and +their mind, the devil hath power upon them. Thou therefore when thou +shalt take a wife, and enterest into her cubicle, be thou continent by +the space of three days from her, and thou shalt do nothing but be in +prayers with her: and that same night put the heart of the fish on the +fire, and that shall put away the devil, and after the third night thou +shalt take the virgin with dread of God, that thou mayst follow the +blessing of Abraham in his seed. Then they went and entered into +Raguel's house, and Raguel received them joyously, and Raguel, beholding +well Tobias, said to Anna his wife: How like is this young man unto my +cousin! And when he had so said he asked them: Whence be ye, young men +my brethren? And they said: Of the tribe of Nephthalim, of the captivity +of Nineveh. Raguel said to them: Know ye Tobit my brother? Which said: +We know him well. When Raguel had spoken much good of him, the angel +said to Raguel: Tobit of whom thou demandest is father of this young +man. And then went Raguel, and with weeping eyes kissed him, and weeping +upon his neck said: The blessing of God be to thee, my son, for thou art +son of a blessed and good man. And Anna his wife and Sara his daughter +wept also. + +And after they had spoken, Raguel commanded to slay a wether, and make +ready a feast. When he then should bid them sit down to dinner, Tobias +said: I shall not eat here this day ne drink but if thou first grant to +me my petition, and promise to me to give me Sara thy daughter. Which +when Raguel heard he was astonied and abashed, knowing what had fallen +to seven men that tofore had wedded her, and dreaded lest it might +happen to this young man in likewise. And when he held his peace and +would give him none answer the angel said to him: Be not afeard to give +thy daughter to this man dreading God, for to him thy daughter is +ordained to be his wife, therefore none other may have her. Then said +Raguel: I doubt not God hath admitted my prayers and tears in his sight, +and I believe that therefore he hath made you to come to me that these +may be joined in one kindred after the law of Moses, and now have no +doubt but I shall give her to thee. And he taking the right hand of his +daughter delivered it to Tobias saying: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, +and God of Jacob be with you, and he conjoin you together and fulfil his +blessing in you. And took a charter and wrote the conscription of the +wedlock. And after this they ate, blessing our Lord God. Raguel called +to him Anna his wife and bade her to make ready another cubicle. And she +brought Sara her daughter therein, and she wept, to whom her mother +said: Be thou strong of heart, my daughter, our Lord of heaven give to +thee joy for the heaviness that thou hast suffered. After they had +supped, they led the young man to her. Tobias remembered the words of +the angel, and took out of his bag part of the heart of the fish, and +laid it on burning coals. Then Raphael the angel took the devil and +bound him in the upperest desert of Egypt. Then Tobias exhorted the +virgin and said to her: Arise, Sara, and let us pray to God this day, +and to-morrow, and after to-morrow, for these three nights we be joined +to God. And after the third night we shall be in our wedlock. We be +soothly the children of saints, and we may not so join together as +people do that know not God. Then they both arising prayed together +instantly that health might be given to them. Tobias said: Lord God of +our fathers, heaven and earth, sea, wells, and floods, and all creatures +that be in them, bless thee. Thou madest Adam of the slime of the earth, +and gavest to him for an help Eve, and now, Lord, thou knowest that I +take my sister to wife, only for the love of posterity, in which thy +name be blessed world without end. Then said Sara: Have mercy on us, +Lord, have mercy, and let us wax old both together in health. And after +this the cocks began to crow, at which time Raguel commanded his +servants to come to him, and they together went for to make and delve a +sepulchre. He said: Lest haply it happen to him as it hath happed to +the seven men that wedded her. When they had made ready the foss and +pit, Raguel returned to his wife and said to her: Send one of thy +handmaidens, and let her see if he be dead, that he may be buried ere it +be light day. And she sent forth one of her servants, which entered into +the cubicle and found them both safe and whole, and sleeping together, +and she returned and brought good tidings. And Raguel and Anna blessed +our Lord God and said: We bless thee, Lord God of Israel, that it hath +not happed to us as we supposed; thou hast done to us thy mercy, and +thou hast excluded from us our enemy pursuing us, thou hast done mercy +on two only children. Make them, Lord, to bless thee to full, and to +offer to thee sacrifice of praising and of their health, that the +university of peoples may know that thou art God only in the universal +earth. + +Anon then Raguel commanded his servants to fill again the pit that they +had made ere it waxed light, and bade his wife to ordain a feast, and +make all ready that were necessary to meat. He did do slay two fat kine +and four wethers, and to ordain meat for all his neighbors and friends, +and Raguel desired and adjured Tobias that he should abide with him two +weeks. Of all that ever Raguel had in possession of goods he gave half +part to Tobias, and made to him a writing that the other half part he +should have after the death of him and his wife. Then Tobias called the +angel to him, which he trowed had been a man, and said to him: Azarias, +brother, I pray thee to take heed to my words; if I make myself servant +to thee I shall not be worthy to satisfy thy providence. Nevertheless I +pray thee to take to thee the beasts and servants and go to Gabael in +Rages the city of Medes, and render to him his obligation, and receive +of them the money and pray him to come to my wedding. Thou knowest +thyself that my father numbereth the days of my being out, and if I +tarry more his soul shall be heavy, and certainly thou seest how Raguel +hath adjured me, whose desire I may not despise. Then Raphael, taking +four of the servants of Raguel and two camels, went to Rages the city of +Medes, and there finding Gabael, gave to him his obligation and received +all the money, and told to him of Tobias, son of Tobit, all that was +done, and made him come with him to the wedding. When then he entered +the house of Raguel, he found Tobias sitting at meat, and came to him +and kissed him, and Gabael wept and blessed God saying: God of Israel +bless thee, for thou art son of the best man and just, dreading God and +doing alms, and the blessing be said upon thy wife and your parents, and +that you may see the sons of your sons unto the third and fourth +generation, and your seed be blessed of the God of Israel, which +reigneth in secula seculorum [forever]. And when all had said Amen, they +went to the feast. And with the dread of God they exercised the feast of +their weddings. Whiles that Tobias tarried because of his marriage, his +father Tobit began to be heavy saying: Trowest thou wherefore my son +tarrieth and why he is holden there? Trowest thou that Gabael be dead, +and no man is there that shall give him his money? + +He began to be sorry and heavy greatly, both he and Anna his wife with +him, and began both to weep because at the day set he came not home. His +mother therefore wept with unmeasurable tears, and said: Alas, my son, +wherefore sent we thee to go this pilgrimage? The light of our eyes, the +staff of our age, the solace of our life, the hope of our posterity, all +these only having in thee, we ought not to have let thee go from us. To +whom Tobit said: Be still and trouble thee not, our son is safe enough, +the man is true and faithful enough with whom we sent him. She might in +no wise be comforted, but every day she went and looked and espied the +way that he should come if she might see him come from far. Then Raguel +said to Tobias his son-in-law: Abide here with me, and I shall send +messengers of thy health and welfare to Tobit thy father. To whom Tobias +said: I know well that my father and my mother accompt the days, and the +spirit is in great pain within them. Raguel prayed him with many words, +but Tobias would in no wise grant him. Then he delivered to him Sara his +daughter, and half part of all his substance in servants, men and women, +in beasts, camels, in kine and much money. And safe and joyful he let +him depart from him, saying: The angel of God that is holy be in your +journey, and bring you home whole and sound, and that ye may find all +things well and rightful about your father and mother, and that mine +eyes may see your sons ere I die. And the father and mother taking +their daughter kissed her and let her depart, warning her to worship her +husband's father and mother, love her husband, to rule well the meiny +[retinue], to govern the house and to keep herself irreprehensible, that +is to say, without reproof. + +When they thus returned and departed, they came to Charram, which is the +half way to Nineveh, the thirteenth day. Then said the angel to Tobias: +Tobias, brother, thou knowest how thou hast left thy father, if it +please thee we will go tofore and let thy family come softly after, with +thy wife and with thy beasts. This pleased well to Tobias; and then said +Raphael to Tobias: Take with thee of the gall of the fish, it shall be +necessary. Tobias took of the gall and went forth tofore. Anna his +mother sat every day by the way in the top of the hill, from whence she +might see him come from far, and whilst she sat there and looked after +his coming, she saw afar and knew her son coming, and running home she +told to her husband saying: Lo! thy son cometh. Raphael then said to +young Tobias: Anon as thou enterest in to the house adore thy Lord God, +and giving to him thankings, go to thy father and kiss him. And anon +then anoint his eyes with the gall of the fish that thou bearest with +thee, thou shalt well know that his eyes shall be opened, and thy father +shall see the light of heaven and shall joy in thy sight. Then ran the +dog that followed him and had been with him in the way, and came home as +a messenger, fawning and making joy with his tail. And the blind father +arose and began offending his feet to run to meet his son, giving to him +his hand, and so taking, kissed him with his wife, and began to weep for +joy. When then they had worshipped God and thanked him, they sat down +together. Then Tobias taking the gall of the fish anointed his father's +eyes, and abode as it had been half an hour, and the slime of his eyes +began to fall away like as it had been the white of an egg, which Tobias +took and drew from his father's eyes, and anon he received sight. And +they glorified God, that is to wit he and his wife and all they that +knew him. + +Then said Tobit the father: I bless thee, Lord God of Israel, for thou +hast chastised me, and thou hast saved me, and, lo! I see Tobias my son. +After these seven days Sara the wife of his son came and entered in with +all the family, and the beasts whole and sound, camels and much money of +his wife's, and also the money that he had received of Gabael. And he +told to his father and mother all the benefits of God that was done to +him by the man that led him. Then came Achiacharus and Nasbas, cousins +of Tobias, joying and thanking God of all the goods that God had showed +to him. And seven days they ate together making feast, and were glad +with great joy. Then old Tobit call his son Tobias to him, and said: +What may we give to this holy man that cometh with thee? Then Tobias +answering said to his father: Father, what meed may we give to him, or +what may be worthy to him for his benefits? He led me out and hath +brought me whole again, he received the money of Gabael; he did me have +my wife and he put away the devil from her; he hath made joy to my +parents, and saved myself from devouring of the fish, and hath made thee +see the light of heaven, and by him we be replenished with all goods; +what may we then worthily give to him? Wherefore I pray thee, father, +that thou pray him if he vouchsafe to take the half of all that I have. +Then the father and the son calling him took him apart and began to pray +him that he would vouchsafe to take half the part of all the goods that +they had brought. Then said he to them privily: Bless ye God of heaven +and before all living people knowledge ye him, for he hath done to you +his mercy. Forsooth to hide the sacrament of the king it is good, but +for to show the works of God and to knowledge them it is worshipful. +Oration and prayer is good, with fasting and alms, and more than to set +up treasures of gold. For alms delivereth from death, and it is she that +purgeth sins and maketh a man to find everlasting life. Who that do sin +and wickedness they be enemies of his soul. I show to you therefore the +truth and I shall not hide from you the secret word. When thou prayedst +with tears and didst bury the dead men and leftest thy dinner and +hiddest dead men by the day in thine house, and in the night thou +buriedst them, I offered thy prayer unto God. And forasmuch as thou wert +accepted tofore God, it was necessary, thou being tempted, that he +should prove thee. And now hath our Lord sent me for to cure thee, and +Sara the wife of thy son I have delivered from the devil. I am soothly +Raphael the angel, one of the seven which stand tofore our Lord God. +When they heard this they were troubled, and trembling fell down on +their faces upon the ground. The angel said to them: Peace be to you, +dread you not. Forsooth I was with you by the will of God, him alway +bless ye and sing ye to him, I was seen of you to eat and drink, but I +use meat and drink invisible, which of men may not be seen. It is now +therefore time that I return to him which sent me. Ye alway bless God +and tell ye all his marvels. And when he had said this he was taken away +from the sight of them, and after that they might no more see him. Then +they fell down flat on their faces by the space of three hours and +blessed God, and arising up they told all the marvels of him. + +Then the older Tobit opening his mouth blessed our Lord and said: Great +art thou, Lord, evermore, and thy reign is in to all worlds, for thou +scourgest and savest, thou leadest to hell and bringest again, and there +is none that may flee thy hand. Knowledge and confess you to the Lord, +ye children of Israel, and in the sight of Gentiles praise ye him. +Therefore he hath disperpled [scattered] you among Gentiles that know +him not, that ye tell his marvels, and make them to be known. For there +is none other God Almighty but he; he hath chastised us for our +wickedness and he shall save us for his mercy. Take heed and see +therefore what he hath done to us, and with fear and dread, knowledge ye +to him, and exalt him king of all worlds in your works. I soothly in the +land of my captivity shall knowledge to him, for he hath showed his +majesty into the sinful people. Confess ye therefore sinners, and do ye +justice tofore our Lord by believing that he shall do to you his mercy, +aye soothly, and my soul shall be glad in him. All ye chosen of God, +bless ye him and make ye days of gladness and knowledge ye to him. +Jerusalem city of God, our Lord hath chastised thee in the works of his +hands, confess thou to our Lord in his good things and bless thou the +God of worlds that he may re-edify in thee his tabernacle, and that he +may call again to thee all prisoners and them that be in captivity and +that thou joy in omnia secula seculorum. Thou shalt shine with a bright +light, and all the ends of the earth shall worship thee. Nations shall +come to thee from far, and bringing gifts shall worship in thee our +Lord, and shall have thy land into sanctification. They shall call in +thee a great name, they shall be cursed that shall despise thee, and +they all shall be condemned that blaspheme thee. Blessed be they that +edify thee, thou shalt be joyful in thy sons, for all shall be blessed, +and shall be gathered together unto our Lord. Blessed be they that love +thee and that joy upon thy peace. My soul, bless thou our Lord, for he +hath delivered Jerusalem his city. I shall be blessed if there be left +of my seed for to see the clearness of Jerusalem. The gates of Jerusalem +shall be edified of sapphire and emerald, and all the circuit of his +walls of precious stone; all the streets thereof shall be paved with +white stone and clean; and Alleluia shall be sung by the ways thereof. +Blessed be the Lord that hath exalted it that it may be his kingdom in +secula seculorum, Amen. And thus Tobit finished these words. And Tobit +lived after he had received his sight forty-two years, and saw the sons +of his nephews, that is, the sons of the sons of his son young Tobias. +And when he had lived one hundred and two years he died, and was +honorably buried in the city of Nineveh. + +He was fifty-six years old when he lost his sight, and when he was sixty +years old he received his sight again. The residue of his life was in +joy, and with good profit of the dread of God he departed in peace. In +the hour of his death he called to him Tobias his son, and seven of his +young sons, his nephews, and said to them: The destruction of Nineveh is +nigh, the word of God shall not pass, and our brethren that be +disperpled [scattered] from the land of Israel shall return thither +again. All the land thereof shall be fulfilled with desert, and the +house that is burnt therein shall be re-edified, and thither shall +return all people dreading God. And Gentiles shall leave their idols and +shall come in Jerusalem and shall dwell, therein, and all the kings of +the earth shall joy in her, worshipping the king of Israel. Hear ye +therefore, my sons, me your father, serve ye God in truth and seek ye +that ye do that may be pleasing to him, and command ye to your sons that +they do righteousness and alms, that they may remember God and bless him +in all time in truth and in all their virtue. Now therefore, my sons, +hear me and dwell ye no longer here, but whensoever your mother shall +die, bury her by me and from then forthon dress ye your steps that ye +go hence, I see well that wickedness shall make an end of it. It was so +then after the death of his mother, Tobias went from Nineveh with his +wife and his sons, and the sons of his sons, and returned unto his +wife's father and mother, whom they found in good health and good age, +and took the cure and charge of them, and were with them unto their +death, and closed their eyes. And Tobias received all the heritage of +the house of Raguel and saw the sons of his sons unto the fifth +generation. And when he had complished ninety-nine years he died in the +dread of God, and with joy they buried him. All his cognation [kindred] +and all his generation [offspring] abode in good life and in holy +conversation, and in such wise as they were acceptable as well to God as +to men, and to all dwelling on the earth. + + + + +HERE BEGINNETH THE STORY OF JUDITH + +_Which is read the last Sunday of October_ + + +Arpaxhad, king of the Medes, subdued into his empire many peoples and +edified a mighty city, which he named Ecbatane, and made it with stones +squared, and polished them. The walls thereof were of height seventy +cubits, and of breadth thirty cubits, and the towers thereof were an +hundred cubits high. And he glorified himself as he that was mighty in +puissance and in the glory of his host and of his chariots. +Nebuchadnezzar then in the twelfth year of his reign, which was king of +the Assyrians, and reigned in the city of Nineveh, fought against +Arphaxad and took him in the field, whereof Nebuchadnezzar was exalted +and enhanced himself, and sent unto all regions about and unto Jerusalem +till the Mounts of Ethiopia, for to obey and hold of him. Which all +gainsaid him with one will, and without worship sent home his messengers +void, and set nought by him. Then Nebuchadnezzar, having them at great +indignation, swore by his reign and by his throne that he would avenge +him on them all, and thereupon called all his dukes, princes, and men of +war, and held a counsel in which was decreed that he should subdue all +the world unto his empire. And thereupon he ordained Holofernes prince +of his knighthood, and bade him go forth, and in especial against them +that had despised his empire; and bade him spare no realm ne town but +subdue all to him. Then Holofernes assembled dukes and masters of the +strength of Nebuchadnezzar, and numbered one hundred and twenty thousand +footmen, and horsemen shooters twelve thousand. And tofore them he +commanded to go a multitude of innumerable camels laden with such things +as were needful to the host, as victual, gold and silver, much that was +taken out of the treasury of the kings. And so went to many realms which +he subdued; and occupied a great part of the orient till he came +approaching the land of Israel. And when the children of Israel heard +thereof they dreaded sore lest he should come among them into Jerusalem +and destroy the temple, for Nebuchadnezzar had commanded that he should +extinct all the gods of the earth, and that no god should be named ne +worshipped but he himself, of all the nations that Holofernes should +subdue. + +Eliachim, then priest in Israel, wrote unto all them in the mountains +that they should keep the strait ways of the mountains, and so the +children of Israel did as the priest had ordained. Then Eliachim, the +priest, went about all Israel and said to them: Know ye that God hath +heard your prayers, if ye abide and continue in your prayers and +fastings in the sight of God. Remember ye of Moses, the servant of God, +which overthrew Amalek trusting in his strength, and in his power, in +his host, in his helmets, in his chariots, and in his horsemen; not +fighting with iron, but with praying of holy prayers. In like wise shall +it be with all the enemies of Israel if ye persevere in this work that +ye have begun. With this exhortation they continued praying God. They +persevered in the sight of God, and also they that offered to our Lord +were clad with sackcloth, and had ashes on their heads, and with all +their heart they prayed God to visit his people Israel. It was told to +Holofernes prince of the knighthood of the Assyrians that the children +of Israel made them ready to resist him, and had closed the ways of the +mountains, and he was burned in overmuch fury in great ire. He called +all the princes of Moab and dukes of Ammon and said to them: Say ye to +me, what people is this that besiege the mountains, or what or how many +cities have they? And what is their virtue, and what multitude is of +them? Or who is king of their knighthood? Then Achior, duke of all of +them of Ammon, answering said: If thou deignest to hear me I shall tell +thee truth of this people that dwelleth in the mountains, and there +shall not issue out of my mouth one false word. This people dwelled +first in Mesopotamia, and was of the progeny of the Chaldees, but would +not dwell there for they would not follow the gods of their fathers that +were in the land of Chaldees, and going and leaving the ceremonies of +their fathers, which was in the multitude of many gods, they honored +one, God of heaven, which commanded them to go thence that they should +dwell in Canaan. Then after was there much hunger, that they descended +into Egypt, and there abode four hundred years, and multiplied that +they might not be numbered. When the king of Egypt grieved them in his +buildings, bearing clay tiles, and subdued them, they cried to their +Lord, and he smote the land of Egypt with divers plagues. When they of +Egypt had cast them out from them, the plagues ceased from them and then +they would have taken them again and would have called them to their +service, and they fleeing, their God opened the sea to them that they +went through dry-foot, in which the innumerable host of the Egyptians +pursuing them were drowned, that there was not one of them saved for to +tell to them that came after them. They passed thus the Red Sea, and he +fed them with manna forty years, and made bitter waters sweet, and gave +them water out of a stone. And wheresoever this people entered without +bow or arrow, shield or sword, their God fought for them, and there is +no man may prevail against this people but when they departed from the +culture and honor of their God. And as oft as they have departed from +their God and worshipped other strange gods, so oft have they been +overcome with their enemies. And when they repent and come to the +knowledge of their sin, and cry their God mercy, they be restored again, +and their God giveth to them virtue to resist their enemies. They have +overthrown Cananeum the king, Jebusee, Pheresee, Eneum, Etheum and +Amoreum, and all the mighty men in Esebon, and have taken their lands +and cities and possess them, and shall, as long as they please their +God. Their God hateth wickedness, for tofore this time when they went +from the laws that their God gave to them, he suffered them to be taken +of many nations into captivity, and were disperpled. And now late they +be come again and possess Jerusalem wherein is sancta sanctorum, and be +come over these mountains whereas some of them dwell. Now therefore, my +lord, see and search if there be any wickedness of them in the sight of +their God, and then let us go to them, for their God shall give them +into thy hands and they shall be subdued under the yoke of thy power. + +And when Achior had said thus, all the great men about Holofernes were +angry and had thought for to have slain him, saying each to other: Who +is this that may make the children of Israel resist the king +Nebuchadnezzar and his army and host? Men cowards and without might and +without any wisdom of war. Therefore that Achior may know that he saith +not true, let us ascend the mountains, and when the mighty men of them +be taken let him be slain with them, that all men may know that +Nebuchadnezzar is god of the earth, and that there is none other but he. +Then when they ceased to speak, Holofernes having indignation said to +Achior: Because thou hast prophesied to us of the children of Israel +saying, that their God defend them, I shall show to thee that there is +no god but Nebuchadnezzar, for whom we have overcome them all and slain +them as one man, then shalt thou die with them by the sword of the +Assyrians, and all Israel shall be put into ruin and perdition, and then +shall be known that Nebuchadnezzar is lord of all the earth, and the +sword of my knighthood shall pass through thy sides. And thou shalt +depart hence and go to them, and shalt not die unto the time that I have +them and thee. And when I have slain them with my sword thou shalt in +like wise be slain with like vengeance. After this Holofernes commanded +his servants to take Achior, and lead him to Bethulia and to put him in +the hands of them of Israel. And so they took Achior and ascended the +mountains, against whom came out men of war. Then the servants of +Holofernes turned aside and bound Achior to a tree hands and feet with +cords, and left him and so returned to their lord. Then the sons of +Israel coming down from Bethulia loosed and unbound him, and brought him +to Bethulia, and he being set amid the people was demanded what he was, +and why he was so sore there bounden. And he told to them all the matter +like as it is aforesaid, and how Holofernes had commanded him to be +delivered unto them of Israel. Then all the people fell down on to their +faces worshipping God, and with great lamentation and weeping, with one +will made their prayers unto our Lord God of heaven, and that he would +behold the pride of them, and to the meekness of them of Israel, and to +take heed to the faces of his hallows and show to them his grace and not +forsake them, and prayed God to have mercy on them and defend them from +their enemies. And on that other side, Holofernes commanded his hosts to +go up and assail Bethulia, and so went up, of footmen one hundred and +twenty thousand, and twelve thousand horsemen, and besieged the town, +and took their water from them, insomuch that they that were in the town +were in great penury of water, for in all the town was not water enough +for one day, and such as they had was given to the people by measure. +Then all the people young and old came to Ozias which was their prince, +with Charmis and Gothoniel, all with one voice crying: God the Lord deem +between us and thee, for thou hast done to us evil what thou spakest not +peaceably with Assyrians, for now we shall be delivered into the hands +of them. It is better for us to live in captivity under Holofernes and +live, than to die here for thirst, and see our wives and children die +before our eyes. And when they had made this piteous crying and yelling, +they went all to their church, and there a long while prayed and cried +unto God knowledging their sins and wickedness, meekly beseeching him to +show his grace and pity on them. Then at last Ozias arose up, and said +to the people: Let us abide yet five days, and if God send us no rescue +ne help us not in that time that we may give glory to his name, else we +shall do as ye have said. And when that Judith heard thereof, which was +a widow and a blessed woman, and was left widow three years and six +months. + +After that Manasses her husband died, anon she went into the overest +part of her house in which she made a privy bed, which she and her +servants closed, and having on her body a hair [hair cloth], had fasted +all the days of her life save Sabbaths and new moons, and the feasts of +the house of Israel. She was a fair woman and her husband had left her +much riches, with plentiful meiny, and possessions of droves of oxen and +flocks of sheep, and she was a famous woman and dreaded God greatly. And +when she had heard that Ozias had said, that the fifth day the city +should be given over if God helped them not, she sent for the priests +Chambris and Charmis and said to them: What is this word in which Ozias +hath consented that the city should be delivered to the Assyrians if +within five days there come no help to us? And who be ye that tempt the +Lord God? This word is not to stir God to mercy but rather to arouse +wrath and woodness. Ye have set a time of mercy doing by God, and in +your doom ye have ordained a day to him. O good Lord, how patient is he, +let us ask him for forgiveness with weeping tears; he shall not threaten +as a man, ne inflame in wrath as a son of a man, therefore meek we our +souls to him and in a contrite spirit and meeked, serve we to him, and +say we weeping to God, that after his will he show to us his mercy, and +as our heart is troubled in the pride of them, so also of our humbleness +and meekness let us be joyful. For we have not followed the sin of our +fathers that forsook their God and worshipped strange gods, wherefore +they were given and be taken into hideous and great vengeance, into +sword, ravin, and into confusion to their enemies; we forsooth know no +other god but him. Abide we meekly the comfort of him, and he shall keep +us from our enemies and he shall make all gentiles that arise against +him, and shall make them without worship the Lord our God. And now ye +brethren, ye that be priests, on whom hangeth the life of the people of +God, pray ye unto Almighty God that he make me steadfast in the purpose +that I have proposed. Ye shall stand at the gate and I shall go out with +my handmaid. And pray ye the Lord that he steadfast make my soul, and do +ye nothing till I come again. + +And then Judith went into her oratory, and arrayed her with her precious +clothing and adornments, and took unto her handmaid certain victuals +such as she might lawfully eat, and when she had made her prayers unto +God she departed in her most noble array toward the gate, whereas Ozias +and the priests abode her, and when they saw her they marvelled of her +beauty. Notwithstanding they let her go, saying: God of our fathers give +thee grace and strengthen all the counsel of thine heart with his virtue +and glory to Jerusalem, and be thy name in the number of saints and of +righteous men. And they all that were there said: Amen, and, fiat! fiat! +[let it be done]. Then she praising god passed through the gate, and her +handmaid with her. And when she came down the hill, about the springing +of the day, anon the spies of the Assyrians took her saying: Whence +comest thou, or whither goest thou? The which answered: I am a daughter +of the Hebrews and flee from them, knowing that they shall be taken by +you, and come to Holofernes for to tell him their privities, and I shall +show him by what entry he may win them, in such wise as one man of his +host shall not perish. And the men that heard these words beheld her +visage and wondered of her beauty, saying to her: Thou hast saved thy +life because thou hast founden such counsel, come therefore to our Lord, +for when thou shalt stand in his sight he shall accept thee. And they +led her to the tabernacle of Holofernes. And when she came before him +anon Holofernes was caught by his eyes, and his tyrant knights said to +him: Who despised the people of Jews that have so fair women, that not +for them of right we ought to fight against them? And so Judith seeing +Holofernes sitting in his canape that was of purple, of gold, smaragdos +and precious stones within woven, and when she had seen his face she +honored him, falling down herself unto the earth. And the servants of +Holofernes took her up, he so commanding. Then Holofernes said to her: +Be thou not afeard ne dread thee not. I never grieved ne noyed man that +would serve Nebuchadnezzar. Thy people soothly, if they had not despised +me, I had not raised my people ne strength against them. Now tell to me +the cause why thou wentest from them, and that it hath pleased thee to +come to us. And Judith said: Take the words of thine handmaid, and if +thou follow them, a perfect thing God shall do with thee. Forsooth +Nebuchadnezzar is the living king of the earth, and thou hast his power +for to chastise all people, for men only serve not him, but also the +beasts of the field obey to him, his might is known over all. And the +children of Israel shall be yielded to thee, for their God is angry with +them for their wickedness. They be enfamined and lack bread and water, +they be constrained to eat their horse and beasts, and to take such holy +things as be forbidden in their law, as wheat, wine, and oil, all these +things God hath showed to me. And they purpose to waste such things as +they ought not touch, and therefore and for their sins they shall be put +in the hands of their enemies, and our Lord hath showed me these things +to tell thee. And I thine handmaid shall worship God, and shall go out +and pray him, and come in and tell thee what he shall say to me, in such +wise that I shall bring thee through the middle of Jerusalem, and thou +shalt have all the people of Israel under thee, as the sheep be under +the shepherd, insomuch there shall not an hound burk against thee. And +because these things be said to me by the providence of God, and that +God is wroth with them, I am sent to tell thee these things. + +Forsooth, all these words pleased much to Holofernes, and to his people, +and they marvelled of the wisdom of her. And one said to another. There +is not such a woman upon earth in sight, in fairness, and in wit of +words. And Holofernes said to her: God hath done well that he hath sent +thee hither for to let me have knowledge, and if thy God do to me these +things he shall be my God, and thou and thy name shall be great in the +house of Nebuchadnezzar. Then commanded Holofernes her to go in where +his treasure lay, and to abide there, and to give to her meat from his +feast, to whom she said that she might not eat of his meat, but that she +had brought meat with her for to eat. Then Holofernes said: When that +meat faileth what shall we give to thee to eat? And Judith said that she +should not spend all till God shall do in my hands those things that I +have thought. And the servants led her into his tabernacle, and she +desired that she might go out in the night and before day to pray, and +come in again. And the lord commanded his cubiculers that she should go +and come at her pleasure three days during. And she went out into the +valley of Bethulia and baptized her in the water of the well. And she +stretched her hands up to the God of Israel, praying the good Lord that +he would govern her way for to deliver his people; and thus she did unto +the fourth day. Then Holofernes made a great feast, and sent a man of +his, named Bagoas, for to entreat Judith to come eat and drink with him. +And Judith said: What am I that should gainsay my lord's desire. I am at +his commandment, whatsomever he will that I do, I shall do, and please +him all the days of my life. And she rose and adorned herself with her +rich and precious clothes, and went in and stood before Holofernes, and +Holofernes' heart was pierced with her beauty, and he said to her: Sit +down and drink in joy, for thou hast found grace before me. Judith said: +I shall drink my lord, for my life is magnified this day before all the +days of my life. And she ate and drank such as her handmaid had ordained +for her. And Holofernes was merry and drank so much wine that he never +drank so much in one day in all his life, and was drunken. And at even, +when it was night, Holofernes went into his bed, and Bagoas brought +Judith in to his chamber and closed the door. And when Judith was alone +in the chamber, and Holofernes lay and slept in overmuch drunkenness, +Judith said to her handmaid that she should stand without forth before +the door of the privy chamber and wait about, and Judith stood before +the bed praying with tears and with moving of her lips secretly, saying: +O Lord God of Israel, conform me in this hour to the works of my hands, +that thou raise up the city of Jerusalem as thou hast promised, and that +I may perform this that I have thought to do. And when she had thus +said, she went to the pillar that was at his bed's head, and took his +sword and loosed it, and when she had drawn it out, she took his hair in +her hand and said: Confirm me God of Israel in this hour, and smote +twice in the neck and cut off his head, and left the body lie still, and +took the head and wrapped it in the canape and delivered it to her maid, +and bade her to put it in her scrip, and they two went out after their +usage to pray. And they passed the tents, and going about the valley +came to the gate of the city, and Judith said to the keepers of the +walls: Open the gates, for God is with us that hath done great virtue in +Israel. And anon when they heard her call, they called the priests of +the city, and they came running for they had supposed no more to have +seen her, and lighting lights all went about her. + +She then entered in and stood up in a high place and commanded silence, +and said: Praise ye the Lord God that forsaketh not men hoping in him; +and in me his handwoman, hath fulfilled his mercy that he promised to +the house of Israel, and hath slain in my hand the enemy of his people +this night. And then she brought forth the head of Holofernes and showed +it to them, saying: Lo! here the head of Holofernes, prince of the +chivalry of Assyrians, and lo! the canape of him in which he lay in his +drunkenhood, where our Lord hath smitten him by the hand of a woman. +Forsooth God liveth, for his angel kept me hence going, there abiding, +and from thence hither returning, and the Lord hath not suffered me, his +handwoman, to be defouled, but without pollution of sin hath called me +again to you joying in his victory, in my escaping and in your +deliverance. Knowledge ye him all for good, for his mercy is +everlasting, world without end. And all they, honoring our Lord, said to +her: The Lord bless thee in his virtue, for by thee he hath brought our +enemies to naught. Then Ozias, the prince of the people, said to her: +Blessed be thou of the high God before all women upon earth, and blessed +be the Lord that made heaven and earth, that hath addressed thee in the +wounds of the head of the prince of our enemies. After this Judith bade +that the head should be hanged up on the walls, and at the sun rising +every man in his arms issue out upon your enemies, and when their spies +shall see you, they shall run into the tent of their prince, to raise +him and to make him ready to fight, and when his lords shall see him +dead, they shall be smitten with so great dread and fear that they shall +flee, whom ye then shall pursue, and God shall bring them and tread +them under your feet. Then Achior seeing the virtue of the God of +Israel, left his old heathen's customs and believed in God, and put +himself to the people of Israel, and all the succession of his kindred +unto this day. Then at the springing of the day they hung the head of +Holofernes on the walls, and every man took his arms and went out with +great noise, which thing seeing, the spies ran together to the +tabernacle of Holofernes, and came making noise for to make him to +arise, and that he should awake, but no man was so hardy to knock or +enter into his privy chamber. But when the dukes and leaders of +thousands came, and other, they said to the privy chamberlains: Go and +awake your lord, for the mice be gone out of their caves and be ready to +call us to battle. Then Bagoas went into his privy chamber and stood +before the curtain, and clapped his hands together. And when he +perceived no moving of him, he drew the curtain and seeing the dead body +of Holofernes, without head, lying in his blood, cried with great voice, +weeping and rending his clothes, and went in to the tabernacle of Judith +and found her not, and started out to the people and said: A woman of +the Hebrews hath made confusion in the house of Nebuchadnezzar, she hath +slain Holofernes, and he is dead, and she hath his head with her. + +And when the princes and captains of the Assyrians heard this, anon they +rent their clothes, and intolerable dread fell on them, and were sore +troubled in their wits and made a horrible cry in their tents. And when +all the host had heard how Holofernes was beheaded, counsel and mind +flew from them, and with great trembling for succor began to flee, in +such wise that none would speak with other, but with their heads bowed +down fled for to escape from the Hebrews, whom they saw armed coming +upon them, and departed fleeing by fields and ways of hills and valleys. +And the sons of Israel, seeing them fleeing, following them, crying with +trumps and shouting after them, and slew and smote down all them that +they overtook. And Ozias sent forth unto all the cities and regions of +Israel, and they sent after all the young men and valiant to pursue them +by sword, and so they did unto the uttermost coasts of Israel. The other +men soothly, that were in Bethulia, went in to the tents of the +Assyrians, and took all the prey that the Assyrians had left, and when +the men had pursued them were returned, they took all their beasts and +all the movable goods and things that they had left, so much that every +man from the most to the least were made rich by the prey that they +took. Then Joachim the high bishop of Jerusalem came unto Bethulia, with +all the priests, for to see Judith, and when she came tofore them all, +they blessed her with one voice, saying: Thou glory of Jerusalem, thou +gladness of Israel, thou the worship doing of our people, thou didst +manly, and thy heart is comforted because thou lovedst chastity and +knewest no man after the death of thy husband, and therefore the hand of +God hath comforted thee. And therefore thou shalt be blessed world +without end, and all the people said: Fiat! fiat! be it done, be it +done. Certainly the spoils of the Assyrians were unnethe gathered and +assembled together in thirty days, of the people of Israel, but all the +proper riches that were appertaining to Holofernes and could be found +that had been his, they were given to Judith as well gold, silver, gems, +clothes, as all other appurtenances to household; and all was delivered +to her of the people, and the folks, with women and maidens, joyed in +organs and harps. Then Judith sang this song unto God saying: Begin ye +in timbrels, sing ye to the Lord in cymbals, mannerly sing to him a new +psalm. Fully joy ye, and inwardly call ye his name, and so forth. And +for this great miracle and victory all the people came to Jerusalem for +to give laud, honor, and worship unto our Lord God. And after they were +purified they offered sacrifices, vows, and behests unto God, and the +joy of this victory was solemnized during three months, and after that, +each went home again into his own city and house, and Judith returned +into Bethulia, and was made more great and clear to all men of the land +of Israel. She was joined to the virtue of chastity, so that she knew no +man all the days of her life after the death of Manasses, her husband, +and dwelled in the house of her husband an hundred and five years, and +she left her demoiselle free. After this she died and is buried in +Bethulia and all the people bewailed her seven days. During her life +after this journey was no trouble among the Jews, and the day of this +victory of the Hebrews was accepted for a feastful day, and hallowed of +the Jews and numbered among their feasts unto this day. + + + + +THE VISION OF BELSHAZZAR + + +The King was on his throne, + The Satraps throng'd the hall; +A thousand bright lamps shone + O'er that high festival. +A thousand cups of gold, + In Judah deem'd divine-- +Jehovah's vessels hold + The godless Heathen's wine. + +In that same hour and hall + The fingers of a Hand +Came forth against the wall, + And wrote as if on sand: +The fingers of a man;-- + A solitary hand +Along the letters ran, + And traced them like a wand. + +The monarch saw, and shook, + And bade no more rejoice; +All bloodless wax'd his look, + And tremulous his voice:-- +"Let the men of lore appear, + The wisest of the earth, +And expound the words of fear, + Which mar our royal mirth." + +Chaldea's seers are good, + But here they have no skill; +And the unknown letters stood + Untold and awful still. +And Babel's men of age + Are wise and deep in lore; +But now they were not sage, + They saw--but knew no more. + +A Captive in the land, + A stranger and a youth, +He heard the king's command, + He saw that writing's truth; +The lamps around were bright, + The prophecy in view; +He read it on that night,-- + The morrow proved it true! + +"Belshazzar's grave is made, + His kingdom pass'd away, +He, in the balance weigh'd, + Is light and worthless clay; +The shroud, his robe of state; + His canopy, the stone: +The Mede is at his gate! + The Persian on his throne!" + +_--Lord Byron_ + + + + +A CHRISTMAS CAROL + + +As Joseph was a-walking, + He heard an angel sing, +"This night shall be the birth-time + Of Christ, the heavenly king. + +"He neither shall be born + In housen nor in hall, +Nor in the place of paradise, + But in an ox's stall. + +"He neither shall be clothed + In purple nor in pall, +But in the fair white linen + That usen babies all. + +"He neither shall be rocked + In silver nor in gold, +But in a wooden manger + That resteth on the mould." + +As Joseph was a-walking, + There did an angel sing, +And Mary's child at midnight + Was born to be our king. + +Then be ye glad, good people, + This night of all the year, +And light ye up your candles, + For his star it shineth clear. + + + + +ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY + + +This is the month, and this the happy morn +Wherein the Son of heav'n's eternal king +Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born, +Our great redemption from above did bring; +For so the holy sages once did sing, +That He our deadly forfeit should release, +And with His Father work us a perpetual peace. + +That glorious Form, that Light unsufferable, +And that far-beaming blaze of Majesty +Wherewith He wont at Heav'n's high council-table +To sit the midst of Trinal Unity, +He laid aside; and here with us to be, +Forsook the courts of everlasting day, +And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. + +Say, heav'nly Muse, shall not thy sacred vein +Afford a present to the Infant God? +Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain, +To welcome Him to this His new abode, +Now while the heav'n by the sun's team untrod, +Hath took no print of the approaching light, +And all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons bright? + +See how from far, upon the eastern road +The star-led wizards haste with odors sweet: +O run, prevent them with thy humble ode, +And lay it lowly at His blessčd feet; +Have thou the honor first thy Lord to greet, +And join thy voice unto the angel quire, +From out His secret altar touch'd with hallow'd fire. + + +THE HYMN + +It was the winter wild +While the heav'n-born Child +All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; +Nature in awe to Him +Had doff'd her gaudy trim, +With her great Master so to sympathize: +It was no season then for her +To wanton with the sun, her lusty paramour. + +Only with speeches fair +She woos the gentle air +To hide her guilty front with innocent snow, +And on her naked shame, +Pollute with sinful blame, +The saintly veil of maiden white to throw, +Confounded that her Maker's eyes +Should look so near upon her foul deformities. + +But He, her fears to cease, +Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace; +She crown'd with olive-green, came softly sliding +Down through the turning sphere, +His ready harbinger, +With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing; +And waving wide her myrtle wand, +She strikes a universal peace through sea and land. + +No war, or battle's sound +Was heard the world around: +The idle spear and shield were high up hung, +The hooked chariot stood +Unstain'd with hostile blood, +The trumpet spake not to the armed throng, +And kings sat still with awful eye, +As if they surely knew their sov'reign Lord was by. + +But peaceful was the night, +Wherein the Prince of Light +His reign of peace upon the earth began: +The winds, with wonder whist, +Smoothly the waters kist, +Whispering new joys to the mild ocean, +Who now hath quite forgot to rave, +While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave. + +The stars with deep amaze, +Stand fix'd in steadfast gaze, +Bending one way their precious influence, +And will not take their flight, +For all the morning light, +Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence; +But in their glimmering orbs did glow, +Until their Lord Himself bespake, and bid them go, + +And though the shady gloom +Had given day her room, +The sun himself withheld his wonted speed, +And hid his head for shame, +As his inferior flame +The new-enlighten'd world no more should need; +He saw a greater Sun appear +Than his bright throne, or burning axle-tree, could bear. + +The shepherds on the lawn, +Or ere the point of dawn, +Sate simply chatting in a rustic row; +Full little thought they then +That the mighty Pan +Was kindly come to live with them below; +Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep, +Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. + +When such music sweet +Their hearts and ears did greet, +As never was by mortal finger strook, +Divinely warbled voice +Answering the stringčd noise, +As all their souls in blissful rapture took: +The air, such pleasure loth to lose, +With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly close. + +Nature that heard such sound, +Beneath the hollow round +Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling, +Now was almost won +To think her part was done, +And that her reign had here its last fulfilling; +She knew such harmony alone +Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union. + +At last surrounds their sight +A globe of circular light, +That with long beams the shamefac'd night array'd; +The helmčd Cherubim, +And sworded Seraphim, +Are seen in glittering ranks with wings display'd, +Harping in loud and solemn quire, +With unexpressive notes to Heaven's new-born Heir. + +Such music (as 'tis said) +Before was never made, +But when of old the Sons of Morning sung, +While the Creator great +His constellations set, +And the well-balanc'd world on hinges hung, +And cast the dark foundations deep, +And bid the welt'ring waves their oozy channel keep. + +Ring out, ye crystal spheres, +Once bless our human ears, +If ye have power to touch our senses so; +And let your silver chime +Move in melodious time, +And let the bass of Heav'n's deep organ blow; +And with your ninefold harmony +Make up full consort to th' angelic symphony. + +For if such holy song +Inwrap our fancy long, +Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold, +And speckled Vanity +Will sicken soon and die, +And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mould +And Hell itself will pass away, +And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day. + +Yea, Truth and Justice then +Will down return to men, +Orb'd in a rainbow; and, like glories wearing, +Mercy will set between, +Throned in celestial sheen, +With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steering: +And Heav'n, as at some festival, +Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall. + +But wisest Fate says, No. +This must not yet be so, +The Babe yet lies in smiling infancy, +That on the bitter cross +Must redeem our loss; +So both himself and us to glorify; +Yet first to those ychain'd in sleep, +The wakeful trump of doom must thunder through the deep, + +With such a horrid clang +As on Mount Sinai rang, +While the red fire and smouldering clouds out-brake: +The aged Earth aghast, +With terror of that blast, +Shall from the surface to the centre shake; +When at the world's last sessiņn, +The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread his throne. + +And then at last our bliss +Full and perfect is, +But now begins; for from this happy day +The old Dragon under ground +In straiter limits bound, +Not half so far casts his usurped sway, +And wroth to see his kingdom fail, +Swinges the scaly horror of his folded tail. + +The oracles are dumb, +No voice or hideous hum +Runs thro' the arched roof in words deceiving. +Apollo from his shrine +Can no more divine, +With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving. +No nightly trance or breathčd spell +Inspires the pale-ey'd priest from the prophetic cell. + +The lonely mountains o'er, +And the resounding shore, +A voice of weeping heard, and loud lament; +From haunted spring and dale +Edg'd with poplar pale, +The parting Genius is with sighing sent; +With flow'r-inwoven tresses torn +The Nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn. + +In consecrated earth, +And on the holy hearth, +The Lars, and Lemures moan with midnight plaint; +In urns, and altars round, +A drear and dying sound +Affrights the Flamens at their service quaint; +And the chill marble seems to sweat, +While each peculiar Power forgoes his wonted seat. + +Peor and Baälim +Forsake their temples dim, +With that twice-batter'd god of Palestine; +And moončd Ashtaroth, +Heaven's queen and mother both, +Now sits not girt with tapers' holy shine; +The Lybic Hammon shrinks his horn. +In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded Thammuz mourn. + +And sullen Moloch fled, +Hath left in shadows dread +His burning idol all of blackest hue; +In vain with cymbals' ring +They call the grisly king, +In dismal dance about the furnace blue: +The brutish gods of Nile as fast, +Isis and Orus, and the dog Anubis haste. + +Nor is Osiris seen +In Memphian grove or green, +Trampling the unshow'r'd grass with lowings loud: +Nor can he be at rest +Within his sacred chest, +Naught but profoundest hell can be his shroud; +In vain with timbrell'd anthems dark +The sable-stolčd sorcerers bear his worship'd ark. + +He feels from Juda's land +The dreaded infant's hand, +The rays of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn; +Not all the gods beside, +Longer dare abide, +Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine: +Our Babe, to show his Godhead true, +Can in his swaddling bands control the damnčd crew. + +So, when the sun in bed +Curtain'd with cloudy red +Pillows his chin upon an orient wave, +The flocking shadows pale +Troop to the infernal jail, +Each fetter'd ghost slips to his several grave; +And the yellow-skirted fays +Fly after the night-steeds, leaving their moon-loved maze. + +But see, the Virgin blest +Hath laid her Babe to rest; +Time is, our tedious song should here have ending: +Heaven's youngest-teemčd star +Hath fix'd her polish'd car, +Her sleeping Lord with handmaid lamp attending: +And all about the courtly stable +Bright-harness'd angels sit in order serviceable. + +_--J. Milton_ + + + + +THE BURNING BABE + + +As I in hoary winter's night stood shivering in the snow, +Surprised I was with sudden heat, which made my heart to glow; +And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near, +A pretty babe, all burning bright, did in the air appear; +Who, scorchčd with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed, +As though his floods should quench his flames which with his + tears were fed:-- +"Alas!" quoth He, "but newly born, in fiery heats I fry, +Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I! +My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns; +Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns; +The fuel Justice layeth on, and Mercy blows the coals, +The metal in this furnace wrought are men's defilčd souls, +For which, as now on fire I am, to work them to their good, +So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood."-- +With this He vanish'd out of sight, and swiftly shrunk away; +And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmasday. + +_--R. Southwell_ + + + + +A CRADLE SONG. + + +Hush! my dear, lie still and slumber; +Holy angels guard thy bed! +Heavenly blessings without number +Gently falling on thy head. + +Sleep, my babe; thy food and raiment, +House and home, thy friends provide, +All without thy care or payment +All thy wants are well supplied. + +How much better thou'rt attended +Than the Son of God could be, +When from heaven He descended, +And became a child like thee! + +Soft and easy is thy cradle; +Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay: +When his birthplace was a stable, +And his softest bed was hay. + +See the kindly shepherds round him, +Telling wonders from the sky! +Where they sought him, there they found him, +With his Virgin-Mother by. + +See the lovely babe a-dressing: +Lovely infant, how he smiled! +When he wept, the mother's blessing +Soothed and hush'd the holy child. + +Lo, he slumbers in his manger, +Where the hornčd oxen fed; +--Peace, my darling! here's no danger! +Here's no ox a-near thy bed! + +--May'st thou live to know and fear him, +Trust and love him all thy days: +Then go dwell forever near him; +See his face, and sing his praise. + +I could give thee thousand kisses, +Hoping what I most desire: +Not a mother's fondest wishes +Can to greater joys aspire. + +_--I. Watts_ + + + + +EASTER + + +I got me flowers to straw Thy way, +I got me boughs off many a tree; +But Thou wast up by break of day, +And brought'st Thy sweets along with Thee. + +The sun arising in the East, +Though he give light, and th' East perfume, +If they should offer to contest +With Thy arising, they presume. + +Can there be any day but this, +Though many suns to shine endeavor? +We count three hundred, but we miss: +There is but one, and that one ever. + +_--George Herbert_ + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. PETER THE APOSTLE + + +St. Peter the apostle among all other, and above all other, was of most +fervent and burning love, for he would have known the traitor that +should betray our Lord Jesu Christ, as St. Austin saith: If he had known +him he would have torn him with his teeth, and therefore our Lord would +not name him to him, for as Chrysostom, saith: If he had named him, +Peter had arisen and all to-torn him. Peter went upon the sea; he was +chosen of God to be at his transfiguration, and raised a maid from death +to life; he found the stater or piece of money in the fish's mouth; he +received of our Lord the keys of the kingdom of heaven; he took the +charge to feed the sheep of Jesu Christ. He converted at a Whitsuntide +three thousand men, he healed Claude with John, and then converted five +thousand men; he said to Ananias and Saphira their death before; he +healed Ęneas of the palsy; he raised Tabitha; he baptized Cornelia; with +the shadow of his body he healed sick men; he was put in prison by +Herod, but by the angel of our Lord he was delivered. What his meat was +and his clothing, the book of St. Clement witnesseth, for he said: Bread +only with olives, and seldom with worts, is mine usage, and I have such +clothing as thou seest, a coat and a mantle, and when I have that, I +demand no more. It is said for certain that he bare always a sudary in +his bosom, with which he wiped the tears that ran from his eyes; for +when he remembered the sweet presence of our Lord, for the great love +that he had to him he might not forbear weeping. And also when he +remembered that he had renied him, he wept abundantly great plenty of +tears, in such wise that he was so accustomed to weep that his face was +burned with tears as it seemed, like as Clement saith. And saith also +that in the night when he heard the cock crow he would weep customably. +And after that it is read in Historia Ecclesiastica that, when St. +Peter's wife was led to her passion, he had great joy and called her by +her proper name, and said to her: My wife, remember thee of our Lord. + +On a time when St. Peter had sent two of his disciples for to preach the +faith of Jesu Christ, and when they had gone twenty days' journey, one +of them died, and that other then returned to St. Peter and told him +what had happened, some say that it was St. Marcial that so died, and +some say it was St. Maternus, and others say that it was St. Frank. Then +St. Peter gave to him his staff and commanded that he should return to +his fellow, and lay it upon him, which he so did, then he which had been +forty days dead, anon arose all living. + +That time Simon the enchanter was in Jerusalem, and he said he was first +truth, and affirmed that who that would believe in him he would make +them perpetual. And he also said that nothing to him was impossible. It +is read in the book of St. Clement that he said that he should be +worshipped of all men as God, and that he might do all that he would. +And he said yet more: When my mother Rachel commanded me that I should +go reap corn in the field, and saw the sickle ready to reap with, I +commanded the sickle to reap by itself alone, and it reaped ten times +more than any other. And yet he added hereto more, after Jerome, and +said: I am the Word of God, I am the Holy Ghost, I am Almighty, I am all +that is of God. He made serpents of brass to move, and made the images +of iron and of stone to laugh, and dogs to sing, and as St. Linus saith, +he would dispute with St. Peter and show, at a day assigned, that he was +God. And Peter came to the place where the strife should be, and said to +them that were there: Peace to you brethren that love truth. To whom +Simon said: We have none need of thy peace, for if peace and concord +were made, we should not profit to find the truth, for thieves have +peace among them. And therefore desire no peace but battle, for when two +men fight and one is overcome then is it peace. Then said Peter: Why +dreadest thou to hear of peace? Of sins grow battles, where is no sin +there is peace; in disputing is truth found, and in works righteousness. +Then said Simon: It is not as thou sayest, but I shall show to thee the +power of my dignity, that anon thou shalt adore me; I am first truth, +and may flee by the air; I can make new trees and turn stones into +bread; endure in the fire without hurting; and all that I will I may do. +St. Peter disputed against all these, and disclosed all his malefices. +Then Simon Magus, seeing that he might not resist Peter, cast all his +books into the sea, lest St. Peter should prove him a magician, by his +books, and went to Rome where he was had and reputed as a god. And when +Peter knew that, he followed and came to Rome. The fourth year of +Claudius the emperor, Peter came to Rome, and sat there twenty-five +years, and ordained two bishops as his helpers, Linus and Cletus, one +within the walls, and that other without. He entended much to preaching +of the Word of God, by which he converted much people to the faith of +Christ, and healed many sick men, and in his preaching always he praised +and preferred chastity. He converted four concubines, of Agrippa the +provost, so that they would no more come to him, wherefore the provost +sought occasion against Peter. + +After this, our Lord appeared to St. Peter, saying to him: Simon Magus +and Nero purpose against thee, dread thee not, for I am with thee, and +shall give to thee the solace of my servant Paul, which to-morn shall +come in to Rome. Then Peter, knowing that he should not long abide here, +assembled all his brethren, and took Clement by the hand and ordained +him a bishop, and made him to sit in his own seat. After this, as our +Lord had said tofore, Paul came to Rome, and with Peter began to preach +the faith of Christ. + +Simon Magus was so much beloved of Nero that he weened that he had been +the keeper of his life, of his health, and of all the city. On a day, as +Leo the pope saith, as he stood tofore Nero, suddenly his visage +changed, now old and now young, which, when Nero saw, he supposed that +he had been the son of God. Then said Simon Magus to Nero: Because that +thou shalt know me to be the very son of God, command my head to be +smitten off and I shall arise again the third day. Then Nero commanded +to his brother to smite off his head, and when he supposed to have +beheaded Simon, he beheaded a ram. Simon, by his art magic went away +unhurt, and gathered together the members of the ram, and hid him three +days. The blood of the ram abode and congealed. The third day he came +and showed him to Nero, saying: Command my blood to be washed away, for +lo I am he that was beheaded, and as I promised I have risen again the +third day. Whom Nero seeing, was abashed and trowed verily that he had +been the son of God. All this saith Leo. Sometime also, when he was with +Nero secretly within his conclave, the devil in his likeness spake +without to the people. Then the Romans had him in such worship that they +made to him an image, and wrote above, this title: To Simon the holy +God. Peter and Paul entered to Nero and discovered all the enchantments +and malefices of Simon Magus, and Peter added thereto, seeing that like +as in Christ be two substances that is of God and man, so are in this +magician two substances, that is of man and of the devil. Then said +Simon Magus, as St. Marcelle and Leo witness, lest I should suffer any +longer this enemy, I shall command my angels that they shall avenge me +on him. To whom Peter said: I dread nothing thine angels, but they +dread me. Nero said: Dreadest thou not Simon, that by certain things +affirmeth his godhead? To whom Peter said: If dignity or godhead be in +him let him tell now what I think or what I do, which thought I shall +first tell to thee, that he shall not mow lie what I think. To whom Nero +said: Come hither and say what thou thinkest. Then Peter went to him and +said to him secretly: Command some man to bring to me a barley-loaf, and +deliver it to me privily. When it was taken to him, he blessed it, and +hid it under his sleeve, and then said he: Now Simon say what I think, +and have said and done. Simon answered: Let Peter say what I think. +Peter answered: What Simon thinketh that I know, I shall do it when he +hath thought. Then Simon having indignation, cried aloud: I command that +dogs come and devour him. And suddenly there appeared great dogs and +made an assault against Peter. He gave to them of the bread that he had +blessed, and suddenly he made them to flee. Then said Peter to Nero: Lo! +I have showed you what he thought against me, not in words but in deeds, +for where he promised angels to come against me he brought dogs, thereby +he showeth that he hath none angels but dogs. Then said Simon: Hear ye, +Peter and Paul; if I may not grieve you here, ye shall come where me it +shall behove to judge you. I shall spare you here. Hęc Leo. Then Simon +Magus, as Hegesippus and Linus say, elate in pride avaunted him that he +can raise dead men to life. And it happed that there was a young man +dead, and then Nero let call Peter and Simon, and all gave sentence by +the will of Simon that he should be slain that might not arise the dead +man to life. Simon then, as he made his incantations upon the dead body, +he was seen move his head of them that stood by; then all they cried for +to stone Peter. Peter unnethe getting silence said: If the dead body +live, let him arise, walk and speak, else know ye that it is a fantasy +that the head of the dead man moveth. Let Simon be taken from the bed. +And the body abode immovable. Peter standing afar making his prayer +cried to the dead body, saying: Young man, arise in the name of Jesu +Christ of Nazareth crucified, and anon, he arose living, and walked. +Then, when the people would have stoned Simon Magus, Peter said: He is +in pain enough, knowing him to be overcome in his heart; our master hath +taught us for to do good for evil. Then said Simon to Peter and Paul: +Yet is it not come to you that ye desire, for ye be not worthy to have +martyrdom, the which answered: That is, that we desire to have, to thee +shall never be well, for thou liest all that thou sayest. + +Then as Marcel saith: Simon went to the house of Marcel and bound there +a great black dog at the door of the house, and said: Now I shall see if +Peter, which is accustomed to come hither, shall come, and if he come +this dog shall strangle him. And a little after that, Peter and Paul +went thither, and anon Peter made the sign of the cross and unbound the +hound, and the hound was as tame and meek as a lamb, and pursued none +but Simon, and went to him and took and cast him to the ground under +him, and would have strangled him. And then ran Peter to him and cried +upon the hound that he should not do him any harm. And anon the hound +left and touched not his body, but he all torent and tare his gown in +such wise that he was almost naked. Then all the people, and especially +children, ran with the hound upon him and hunted and chased him out of +the town as he had been a wolf. Then for the reproof and shame he durst +not come in to the town of all a whole year after. Then Marcel that was +disciple of Simon Magus, seeing these great miracles, came to Peter, and +was from then forthon his disciple. + +And after, at the end of the year, Simon returned and was received again +into the amity of Nero. And then, as Leo saith, this Simon Magus +assembled the people and showed to them how he had been angered of the +Galileans, and therefore he said that he would leave the city which he +was wont to defend and keep, and set a day in which he would ascend into +heaven, for he deigned no more to dwell in the earth. Then on the day +that he had stablished, like as he had said, he went up to an high +tower, which was on the capitol, and there being crowned with laurel, +threw himself out from place to place, and began to fly in the air. Then +said St. Paul to St. Peter: It appertaineth to me to pray, and to thee +for to command. Then said Nero: This man is very God, and ye be two +traitors. Then said St. Peter to St. Paul: Paul, brother, lift up thine +head and see how Simon flyeth. Then St. Paul said to St. Peter when he +saw him fly so high: Peter, why tarriest thou? perform that thou hast +begun, God now calleth us. Then said Peter: I charge and conjure you +angels of Sathanas, which bear him in the air, by the name of our Lord +Jesu Christ, that ye bear ne sustain him no more, but let him fall to +the earth. And anon they let him fall to the ground and brake his neck +and head, and he died there forthwith. And when Nero heard say that +Simon was dead, and that he had lost such a man, he was sorrowful, and +said to the apostles: Ye have done this in despite of me, and therefore +I shall destroy you by right evil example. Hęc Leo. Then he delivered +them to Paulin, which was a much noble man, and Paulin delivered them to +Mamertin under the keeping of two knights, Processe and Martinian, whom +St. Peter converted to the faith. And they then opened the prison and +let them all go out that would go, wherefore, after the passion of the +apostles, Paulin, when he knew that they were Christian, beheaded both +Processe and Martinian. + +The brethren then, when the prison was opened, prayed Peter to go +thence, and he would not, but at the last he being overcome by their +prayers went away. And when he came to the gate, as, Leo witnesseth, +which is called Sancta Maria ad passus, he met Jesu Christ coming +against him, and Peter said to him: Lord, whither goest thou? And he +said to him: I go to Rome for to be crucified again, and Peter demanded +him: Lord, shalt thou be crucified again? And he said: Yea, and Peter +said then: Lord, I shall return again then for to be crucified with +thee. This said, our Lord ascended into heaven, Peter beholding it, +which wept sore. And when Peter understood that our Lord had said to him +of his passion, he returned, and when he came to his brethren, he told +to them what our Lord had said. And anon he was taken of the ministers +of Nero and was delivered to the provost Agrippa, then was his face as +clear as the sun, as it is said. Then Agrippa said to him: Thou art he +that glorifiest in the people, and in women, that thou departest from +the bed of their husbands. Whom the apostle blamed, and said to him that +he glorified in the cross of the Lord Jesu Christ. Then Peter was +commanded to be crucified as a stranger, and because that Paul was a +citizen of Rome it was commanded that his head should be smitten off. +And of this sentence given against them, St. Dionysius in an epistle to +Timothy saith in this wise: O my brother Timothy, if thou hadst seen the +agonies of the end of them thou shouldst have failed for heaviness and +sorrow. Who should not weep that hour when the commandment of the +sentence was given against them, that Peter should be crucified and Paul +be beheaded? Thou shouldst then have seen the turbes of the Jews and of +the paynims that smote them and spit in their visages. And when the +horrible time came of their end that they were departed that one from +that other, they bound the pillars of the world, but that was not +without wailing and weeping of the brethren. Then said St. Paul to St. +Peter: Peace be with thee that are foundement of the church and pastor +of the sheep and lambs of our Lord. Peter then said to Paul: Go thou in +peace, preacher of good manners, mediator, leader, and solace of +rightful people. And when they were withdrawn far from other I followed +my master. They were not both slain in one street. This saith St. +Dionysius, and as Leo the pope and Marcel witness, when Peter came to +the cross, he said: When my Lord descended from heaven to the earth he +was put on the cross right up, but me whom it pleaseth him to call from +the earth to heaven, my cross shall show my head to the earth and +address my feet to heaven, for I am not worthy to be put on the cross +like as my Lord was, therefore turn my cross and crucify me my head +downward. Then they turned the cross, and fastened his feet upward and +the head downward. Then the people were angry against Nero and the +provost, and would have slain them because they made St. Peter so to +die; but he required them that they should not let his passion, and as +Leo witnesseth, our Lord opened the eyes of them that were there, and +wept so that, they saw the angels with crowns of roses and of lilies +standing by Peter that was on the cross with the angels. + +And then Peter received a book of our Lord, wherein he learned the words +that he said. Then as Hegesippus saith: Peter said thus: Lord, I have +desired much to follow thee, but to be crucified upright I have not +usurped, thou art always rightful, high and sovereign, and we be sons of +the first man which have the head inclined to the earth, of whom the +fall signifieth the form of the generation human. Also we be born that +we be seen inclined to the earth by effect, and the condition is changed +for the world weeneth that such thing is good, which is evil and bad. +Lord, thou art all things to me, and nothing is to me but thou only, I +yield to thee thankings with all the spirit of which I live, by which I +understand, and by whom I call thee. And when St. Peter saw that the +good Christian men saw his glory, in yielding thankings to God and +commending good people to him, he rendered up his spirit. Then Marcel +and Apuleius his brother, that were his disciples, took off the body +from the cross when he was dead, and anointed it with much precious +ointment, and buried him honorably. Isidore saith in the book of the +nativity and death of saints thus: Peter, after that he had governed +Antioch, he founded a church under Claudius the emperor, he went to Rome +against Simon Magus, there he preached the gospel twenty-five years and +held the bishopric, and thirty-six years after the passion of our Lord +he was crucified by Nero turned the head downward, for he would be so +crucified: Hęc Isidorus. + +That same day Peter and Paul appeared to St. Dionysius, as he saith in +his foresaid epistle in these words: Understand the miracle and see the +prodigy, my brother Timothy, of the day of the martyrdom of them, for I +was ready in the time of departing of them. After their death I saw +them together, hand in hand, entering the gates of the city, and clad +with clothes of light, and arrayed with crowns of clearness and light. +Hęc Dionysius. + +Nero was not unpunished for their death and other great sins and +tyrannies that he committed, for he slew himself with his own hand, +which tyrannies were overlong to tell, but shortly I shall rehearse here +some. He slew his master Seneca because he was afraid of him when he +went to school. Also Nero slew his mother. Then for his pleasure he set +Rome afire, which burned seven days and seven nights, and was in a high +tower and enjoyed him to see so great a flame of fire, and sang merrily. +He slew the senators of Rome to see what sorrow and lamentation their +wives would make. He fished with nets of gold thread, and the garment +that he had worn one day he would never wear it ne see it after. Then +the Romans seeing his woodness [madness], assailed him and pursued him +unto without the city, and when he saw he might not escape them, he took +a stake and sharped it with his teeth, and therewith stuck himself +through the body and so slew himself. In another place it is read that +he was devoured of wolves. Then the Romans returned and found the frog, +and threw it out of the city and there burned it. + +In the time of St. Cornelius the pope, Greeks stole away the bodies of +the apostles Peter and Paul, but the devils that were in the idols were +constrained by the divine virtue of God, and cried and said: Ye men of +Rome, succor hastily your gods which be stolen from you; for which thing +the good Christian people understood that they were the bodies of Peter +and Paul. And the Paynims had supposed that it had been their gods. Then +assembled great number of Christian men and of Paynims also, and pursued +so long the Greeks that they doubted to have been slain, and threw the +bodies in a pit at the catacombs, but afterward they were drawn out by +Christian men. St. Gregory saith that the great force of thunder and +lightning that came from heaven made them so afraid that they departed +each from other, and so left the bodies of the apostles at the catacombs +in a pit, but they doubted which bones were Peter's and which Paul's, +wherefore the good Christian men put them to prayers and fastings, and +it was answered them from heaven that the great bones longed to the +preacher, and the less to the fisher, and so were departed, and the +bones were put in the church of him that it was dedicate of. And others +say that Silvester the pope would hallow the churches and took all the +bones together, and departed them by weight, great and small, and put +that one-half in one church, and that other half in that other. + +And St. Gregory recounteth in his dialogues that, in the church of St. +Peter, where his bones rest, was a man of great holiness and of meekness +named Gentian, and there came a maid into the church which was cripple, +and drew her body and legs after her with her hands, and when she had +long required and prayed St. Peter for health, he appeared to her in a +vision, and said to her: Go to Gentian, my servant, and he shall restore +thy health. Then began she to creep here and there through the church, +and inquired who was Gentian, and suddenly it happed that he came to her +that him sought, and she said to him: The holy apostle St. Peter sent me +to thee that thou shouldest make me whole and deliver me from my +disease, and he answered: If thou be sent to me from him, arise thou +anon and go on thy feet. And he took her by the hand and anon she was +all whole, in such wise as she felt nothing of her grief nor malady, and +then she thanked God and St. Peter. + +And in the same book St. Gregory saith when that a holy priest was come +to the end of his life, he began to cry in great gladness: Ye be +welcome, my lords, ye be welcome that ye vouchsafe to come to so little +and poor a servant, and he said: I shall come and thank you. Then they +that stood by demanded who they were that he spake to, and he said to +them wondering: Have ye not seen the blessed apostles Peter and Paul? +and as he cried again, his blessed soul departed from the flesh. + +Some have doubt whether Peter and Paul suffered death in one day, for +some say it was the same one day, but one a year after the other. And +Jerome and all the Saints that treat of this matter accord that it was +on one day and one year, and so is it contained in an epistle of Denis, +and Leo the pope saith the same in a sermon, saying: We suppose but that +it was not done without cause that they suffered in one day and in one +place the sentence of the tyrant, and they suffered death in one time, +to the end that they should go together to Jesu Christ, and both under +one persecutor to the end that equal cruelty should strain that one and +that other. The day for their merit, the place for their glory, and the +persecution overcome by virtue. + +Though they suffered both death in one day and in one hour, yet it was +not in one place but in diverse within Rome, and hereof saith a +versifier in this wise: Ense coronatus Paulus, cruce Petrus, eodem--Sub +duce, luce, loco, dux Nero, Roma locus. That is to say, Paul crowned +with the sword, and Peter had the cross reversed, the place was the city +of Rome. And howbeit that they suffered death in one day, yet St. +Gregory ordained that that day specially should be the solemnity of St. +Peter, and the next day commemoration of St. Paul, for the church of St. +Peter was hallowed that same day, and also forasmuch as he was more in +dignity, and first in conversion, and held the principality at Rome. + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE + + +St. Paul the apostle, after his conversion, suffered many persecutions, +the which the blessed Hilary rehearseth shortly, saying: Paul the +Apostle was beaten with rods at Philippi, he was put in prison, and by +the feet fast set in stocks, he was stoned in Lystra. In Iconia and +Thessalonica he was pursued of wicked people. In Ephesus he was +delivered to wild beasts. In Damascus he was let by a lepe down of the +wall. In Jerusalem he was arrested, beaten, bound, and awaited to be +slain. In Cęsarea he was inclosed and defamed. Sailing toward Italy he +was in peril of death, and from thence he came to Rome and was judged +under Nero, and there finished his life. This saith St. Hilary: Paul +took upon him to be apostle among the Gentiles. In Lystra was a contract +which he lost and redressed. A young man that fell out of a window and +died, he raised to life, and did many other miracles. At the Isle of +Melita a serpent bit his hand, and hurted him not, and he threw it into +the fire. It is said that all they that came of the progeny and lineage +of that man that then harbored Paul may in no wise be hurt of no +venemous beasts, wherefore when their children be born they put serpents +in their cradles for to prove if they be verily their children or no. In +some place it is said that Paul is less than Peter, otherwhile more, +and sometimes equal and like, for in dignity he is less, in preaching +greater, and in holiness they be equal. Haymo saith that Paul, from the +cock-crow until the hour of five, he labored with his hands, and after +entended to preaching, and that endured almost to night, the residue of +the time was for to eat, sleep, and for prayer, which was necessary. He +came to Rome when Nero was not fully confirmed in the empire, and Nero +hearing that there was disputing and questions made between Paul and the +Jews, he, recking not much thereof, suffered Paul to go where he would, +and preach freely. Jeronimus saith in his book, De viris illustribus, +that the thirty-sixth year after the Passion of our Lord, the second +year of Nero, St. Paul was sent to Rome bound, and two years he was in +free keeping and disputed against the Jews, and after, he was let go by +Nero, and preached the gospel in the west parts. And the fourteenth year +of Nero, the same year and day that Peter was crucified, his head was +smitten off. Hęc Jeronimus. The wisdom and religion of him was published +over all, and was reputed marvellous. He gat to him many friends in the +emperor's house and converted them to the faith of Christ, and some of +his writings were recited and read tofore the emperor, and of all men +marvellously commended, and the senate understood of him by things of +authority. + +It happed on a day that Paul preached about evensong time in a loft, a +young man named Patroclus, butler of Nero, and with him well-beloved, +went for to see the multitude of people, and the better for to hear +Paul he went up into a window, and there sleeping, fell down and died, +which when Nero heard he was much sorry and heavy therefor, and anon +ordered another in his office. Paul knowing hereof by the Holy Ghost, +said to them standing by him that they should go and bring to him +Patroclus, which was dead, and that the emperor loved so much. Whom when +he was brought, he raised to life and sent him with his fellows to the +emperor, whom the emperor knew for dead, and, while he made lamentation +for him, it was told to the emperor that Patroclus was come to the gate. +And when he heard that Patroclus was alive he much marvelled, and +commanded that he should come in. To whom Nero said: Patroclus, livest +thou? And he said: Yea, emperor, I live; and Nero said: Who hath made +thee to live again? And he said: The Lord Jesu Christ, king of all +worlds. Then Nero being wroth said: Then shall he reign ever and resolve +all the royaumes of the world? To whom Patroclus said: Yea, certainly, +emperor; then Nero gave to him a buffet, saying: Therefore thou servest +him, and he said: Yea, verily, I serve him that hath raised me from +death to life. Then five of the ministers of Nero, that assisted him, +said to him: O emperor, why smitest thou this young man, truly and +wisely answering to thee? Trust verily we serve that same King Almighty. +And when Nero heard that he put them in prison, for strongly to torment +them, whom he much had loved. Then he made to inquire and to take all +Christian men, and without examination made them to be tormented with +overgreat torments. Then was Paul among others bound and brought tofore +Nero, to whom Nero said: O thou man, servant of the great King, bound +tofore me, why withdrawest thou my knights and drawest them to thee? To +whom Paul said: Not only from thy corner I have gathered knights, but +also I gather from the universal world to my Lord, to whom our king +giveth such gifts that never shall fail, and granteth that they shall be +excluded from all indigence and need; and if thou wilt be to him +subject, thou shalt be safe, for he is of so great power that he shall +come and judge all the world, and destroy the figure thereof by fire. +And when Nero heard that he should destroy the figure of the world by +fire, he commanded that all the Christian men should be burned by fire, +and Paul to be beheaded, as he that is guilty against his majesty. And +so great a multitude of Christian people were slain then, that the +people of Rome brake up his palace and cried and moved sedition against +him, saying: Cęsar, amend thy manners and attemper thy commandments, for +these be our people that thou destroyest, and defend the empire of Rome. +The emperor then dreading the noise of the people, changed his decree +and edict that no man should touch ne hurt no Christian man till the +emperor had otherwise ordained, wherefore Paul was brought again tofore +Nero, whom as soon as Nero saw, he cried and said: Take away this wicked +man and behead him, and suffer him no longer to live upon the earth. To +whom Paul said: Nero, I shall suffer a little while, but I shall live +eternally with my Lord Jesu Christ. Nero said: Smite off his head, that +he may understand me stronger than his king, that when he is overcome we +may see whether he may live after. To whom Paul said: To the end that +thou know me to live everlastingly, when my head shall be smitten off, I +shall appear to thee living, and then thou mayst know that Christ is God +of life and of death. And when he had said this he was led to the place +of his martyrdom, and as he was led, the three knights that led him said +to him: Tell to us, Paul, who is he your king that ye love so much that +for his love ye had liefer die than live, and what reward shall ye have +therefor? Then Paul preached to them of the kingdom of heaven and of the +pain of hell, in such wise that he converted them to the faith, and they +prayed him to go freely whither he would. God forbid, brethren, said he, +that I should flee, I am not fugitive, but the lawful knight of Christ. +I know well that from this transitory life I shall go to everlasting +life. As soon as I shall be beheaded, true men shall take away my body; +mark ye well the place, and come thither to-morrow, and ye shall find by +my sepulchre two men, Luke and Titus, praying. To whom when ye shall +tell for what cause I have sent you to them, they shall baptize you and +make you heirs of the kingdom of heaven. + +And whiles they thus spake together, Nero sent two knights to look if he +were slain and beheaded or no, and when thus St. Paul would have +converted them, they said: When thou art dead and risest again, then we +shall believe, now come forth and receive that thou hast deserved. And +as he was led to the place of his passion in the gate of Hostence, a +noble woman named Plautilla, a disciple of Paul, who after another name +was called Lemobia, for haply she had two names, met there with Paul, +which weeping, commended her to his prayers. To whom Paul said: +Farewell, Plautilla, daughter of everlasting health, lend to me thy veil +or keverchief with which thou coverest thy head, that I may bind mine +eyes therewith, and afterward I shall restore it to thee again. And when +she had delivered it to him, the butchers scorned her, saying: Why hast +thou delivered to this enchanter so precious a cloth for to lose it? +Then, when he came to the place of his passion, he turned him toward the +east, holding his hands up to heaven right long, with tears praying in +his own language and thanking our Lord; and after that bade his brethren +farewell, and bound his eyes himself with the keverchief of Plautilla, +and kneeling down on both knees, stretched forth his neck, and so was +beheaded. And as soon as the head was from the body, it said: Jesus +Christus! which had been to him so sweet in his life. It is said that he +named Jesus or Christus, or both, fifty times. From his wound sprang out +milk into the clothes of the knight, and afterward flowed out blood. In +the air was a great shining light, and from the body came a much sweet +odor. + +Dionysius, in an epistle to Timothy, saith of the death of Paul thus: In +that hour full of heaviness, my well-beloved brother, the butcher, +saying: Paul, make ready thy neck; then blessed Paul looked up into +heaven marking his forehead and his breast with the sign of the cross, +and then said anon: My Lord Jesus Christ, into thy hands I commend my +spirit, etc. And then without heaviness and compulsion he stretched +forth his neck and received the crown of martyrdom, the butcher so +smiting off his head. The blessed martyr Paul took the keverchief, and +unbound his eyes, and gathered up his own blood, and put it therein and +delivered to the woman, Then the butcher returned, and Plautilla met him +and demanded him, saying: Where hast thou left my master? The knight +answered: He lieth without the town with one of his fellows, and his +visage is covered with thy keverchief, and she answered and said: I have +now seen Peter and Paul enter into the city clad with right noble +vestments, and also they had right fair crowns upon their heads, more +clear and more shining than the sun, and hath brought again my +keverchief all bloody which he hath delivered me. For which thing and +work many believed in our Lord and were baptized. And this is that St. +Dionysius saith. And when Nero heard say this thing he doubted him, and +began to speak of all these things with his philosophers and with his +friends; and as they spake together of this matter, Paul came in, and +the gates shut, and stood tofore Cęsar and said: Cęsar, here is tofore +thee Paul the knight of the king perdurable, and not vanquished. Now +believe then certainly that I am not dead but alive, but thou, caitiff, +thou shalt die of an evil death, because thou hast slain the servants +of God. And when he had said thus he vanished away. And Nero, what for +dread and what for anger, he was nigh out of his wit, and wist not what +to do. Then by the counsel of his friends he unbound Patroclus and +Barnabas and let them go where they would. + +And the other knights, Longinus, master of the knights, and Accestus, +came on the morn to the sepulchre of Paul, and there they found two men +praying, that were Luke and Titus, and between them was Paul. And when +Luke and Titus saw them they were abashed and began to flee, and anon +Paul vanished away, and the knights cried after them and said: We come +not to grieve you, but know ye for truth that we come for to be baptized +of you, like as Paul hath said whom we saw now praying with you. When +they heard that they returned and baptized them with great joy. The head +of St. Paul was cast in a valley, and for the multitude of other heads +of men that were slain and thrown there, it could not be known which it +was. + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. CHRISTOPHER + + +Christopher tofore his baptism was named Reprobus, but afterward he was +named Christopher, which is as much to say as bearing Christ. +Christopher was of the lineage of the Canaanites, and he was of a right +great stature, and had a terrible and fearful cheer and countenance. And +he was twelve cubits of length, and as it is read in some histories +that, when he served and dwelled with the king of Canaan, it came in his +mind that he would seek the greatest prince that was in the world, and +him would he serve and obey. And so far he went that he came to a right +great king, of whom the renomee generally was that he was the greatest +of the world. And when the king saw him, he received him into his +service, and made him to dwell in his court. Upon a time a minstrel sang +tofore him a song in which he named oft the devil, and the king, which +was a Christian man, when he heard him name the devil, made anon the +sign of the cross in his visage. And when Christopher saw that, he had +great marvel what sign it was, and wherefore the king made it, and he +demanded of him. And because the king would not say, he said: If thou +tell me not, I shall no longer dwell with thee, and then the king told +to him, saying: Alway when I hear the devil named, I fear that he +should have power over me, and I garnish me with this sign that he +grieve not ne annoy me. Then Christopher said to him: Doubtest thou the +devil that he hurt thee not? Then is the devil more mighty and greater +than thou art. I am then deceived of my hope and purpose, for I had +supposed I had found the most mighty and the most greatest Lord of the +world, but I commend thee to God, for I will go seek him for to be my +Lord, and I his servant. And then departed from this king, and hasted +him for to seek the devil. + +And as he went by a great desert, he saw a great company of knights, of +which a knight cruel and horrible came to him and demanded whither he +went, and Christopher answered to him and said: I go seek the devil for +to be my master. And he said: I am he that thou seekest. And then +Christopher was glad, and bound him to be his servant perpetual, and +took him for his master and Lord. And as they went together by a common +way, they found there a cross, erect and standing. And anon as the devil +saw the cross he was afeard and fled, and left the right way, and +brought Christopher about by a sharp desert. And after, when they were +past the cross, he brought him to the highway that they had left. And +when Christopher saw that, he marvelled, and demanded whereof he +doubted, and had left the high and fair way, and had gone so far about +by so aspre a desert. And the devil would not tell him in no wise. Then +Christopher said to him: If thou wilt not tell me, I shall anon depart +from thee, and shall serve thee no more. Wherefor the devil was +constrained to tell him, and said: There was a man called Christ which +was hanged on the cross, and when I see his sign I am sore afraid, and +flee from it wheresoever I see it. To whom Christopher said: Then he is +greater, and more mightier than thou, when thou art afraid of his sign, +and I see well that I have labored in vain, when I have not founden the +greatest Lord of the world. And I will serve thee no longer, go thy way +then, for I will go seek Christ. And when he had long sought and +demanded where he should find Christ, at last he came into a great +desert, to an hermit that dwelt there, and this hermit preached to him +of Jesu Christ and informed him in the faith diligently, and said to +him: This king whom thou desirest to serve, requireth the service that +thou must oft fast. And Christopher said to him: Require of me some +other thing, and I shall do it, for that which thou requirest I may not +do. And the hermit said: Thou must then wake and make many prayers. And +Christopher said to him: I wot not what it is; I may do no such thing. +And then the hermit said to him: Knowest thou such a river, in which +many be perished and lost? To whom Christopher said: I know it well. +Then said the hermit: Because thou art noble and high of stature and +strong in thy members, thou shalt be resident by that river, and thou +shalt bear over all them that shall pass there, which shall be a thing +right convenable to our Lord Jesu Christ whom thou desirest to serve, +and I hope he shall show himself to thee. Then said Christopher: +Certes, this service may I well do, and I promise to him for to do it. +Then went Christopher to this river, and made there his habitacle for +him, and bare a great pole in his hand instead of a staff, by which he +sustained him in the water, and bare over all manner of people without +ceasing. And there he abode, thus doing, many days. And in a time, as he +slept in his lodge, he heard the voice of a child which called him and +said: Christopher, come out and bear me over. Then he awoke and went +out, but he found no man. And when he was again in his house, he heard +the same voice and he ran Out and found nobody. The third time he was +called and came thither, and found a child beside the rivage of the +river, which prayed him goodly to bear him over the water. And then +Christopher lift up the child on his shoulders, and took his staff, and +entered into the river for to pass. And the water of the river arose and +swelled more and more: and the child was heavy as lead, and alway as he +went further the water increased and grew more, and the child more and +more waxed heavy, insomuch that Christopher had great anguish and was +afeard to be drowned. And when he was escaped with great pain, and +passed the water, and set the child aground, he said to the child: +Child, thou hast put me in great peril; thou weighest almost as I had +all the world upon me, I might bear no greater burden. And the child +answered: Christopher, marvel thee nothing, for thou hast not only borne +all the world upon thee, but thou hast borne him that created and made +all the world, upon thy shoulders. I am Jesu Christ the king, to whom +thou servest in this work. And because that thou know that I say to be +the truth, set thy staff in the earth by thy house, and thou shalt see +to-morn that it shall bear flowers and fruit, and anon he vanished from +his eyes. And then Christopher set his staff in the earth, and when he +arose on the morn, he found his staff like a palmier bearing flowers, +leaves and dates. + +And then Christopher went into the city of Lycia, and understood not +their language. Then he prayed our Lord that he might understand them, +and so he did. And as he was in this prayer, the judges supposed that he +had been a fool, and left him there. And then when Christopher +understood the language, he covered his visage and went to the place +where they martyred Christian men, and comforted them in our Lord. And +then the judges smote him in the face, and Christopher said to them: If +I were not Christian I should avenge mine injury. And then Christopher +pitched his rod in the earth, and prayed to our Lord that for to convert +the people it might bear flowers and fruit, and anon it did so. And then +he converted eight thousand men. And then the king sent two knights for +to fetch him to the king, and they found him praying, and durst not tell +to him so. And anon after, the king sent as many more, and they anon set +them down for to pray with him. And when Christopher arose, he said to +them: What seek ye? And when they saw him in the visage they said to +him: The king hath sent us, that we should lead thee bound unto him. +And Christopher said to them: If I would, ye should not lead me to him, +bound ne unbound. And they said to him: If thou wilt go thy way, go +quit, where thou wilt. And we shall say to the king that we have not +found thee. It shall not be so, said he, but I shall go with you. And +then he converted them in the faith, and commanded them that they should +bind his hands behind his back, and lead him so bound to the king. And +when the king saw him he was afeard and fell down off the seat, and his +servants lifted him up and releved him again. And then the king inquired +his name and his country; and Christopher said to him: Tofore or I was +baptized I was named Reprobus, and after, I am Christopher; tofore +baptism, a Canaanite, now, a Christian man. To whom the king said: Thou +hast a foolish name, that is to wit of Christ crucified, which could not +help himself, ne may not profit to thee. How therefore, thou cursed +Canaanite, why wilt thou not do sacrifice to our gods? To whom +Christopher said: Thou art rightfully called Dagnus, for thou art the +death of the world, and fellow of the devil, and thy gods be made with +the hands of men. And the king said to him: Thou wert nourished among +wild beasts, and therefore thou mayst not say but wild language, and +words unknown to men. And if thou wilt now do sacrifice to the gods I +shall give to thee great gifts and great honors, and if not, I shall +destroy thee and consume thee by great pains and torments. But, for all +this, he would in no wise do sacrifice, wherefore he was sent in to +prison, and the king did do behead the other knights that he had sent +for him, whom he had converted. + +After this Christopher was brought tofore the king, and the king +commanded that he should be beaten with rods of iron, and that there +should be set upon his head a cross of iron red hot and burning, and +then after, he did do make a siege or a stool of iron, and made +Christopher to be bounden thereon, and after, to set fire under it, and +cast therein pitch. But the siege or settle melted like wax, and +Christopher issued out without any harm or hurt. And when the king saw +that, he commanded that he should be bound to a strong stake, and that +he should be through-shotten with arrows with forty knights archers. But +none of the knights might attain him, for the arrows hung in the air +about, nigh him, without touching. Then the king weened that he had been +through-shotten with the arrows of the knights, and addressed him for to +go to him. And one of the arrows returned suddenly from the air and +smote him in the eye, and blinded him. To whom Christopher said: Tyrant, +I shall die to-morn, make a little clay, with my blood tempered, and +anoint therewith thine eye, and thou shalt receive health. Then by the +commandment of the king he was led for to be beheaded, and then, there +made he his orison, and his head was smitten off, and so suffered +martyrdom. And the king then took a little of his blood and laid it on +his eye, and said: In the name of God and of St. Christopher! and was +anon healed. Then the king believed in God, and gave commandment that +if any person blamed God or St. Christopher, he should anon be slain +with the sword. + +Ambrose saith in his preface thus, of this holy martyr: Lord, thou hast +given to Christopher so great plenty of virtues, and such grace of +doctrine, that he called from the error of Paynims forty-eight thousand +men, to the honor of Christian faith, by his shining miracles. And with +this, he being strained and bounden in a seat of iron, and great fire +put under, doubted nothing the heat. And all a whole day during, stood +bounden to a stake, yet might not be through-pierced with arrows of all +the knights. And with that, one of the arrows smote out the eye of the +tyrant, to whom the blood of the holy martyr re-established his sight, +and enlumined him in taking away the blindness of his body, and gat of +the Christian mind and pardon, and he also gat of thee by prayer power +to put away sickness and sores from them that remember his passion and +figure. Then let us pray to St. Christopher that he pray for us, etc. + + + + +THE SEVEN SLEEPERS + + +The seven sleepers were born in the city of Ephesus. And when Decius the +emperor came into Ephesus for the persecution of Christian men, he +commanded to edify the temples in the middle of the city, so that all +should come with him to do sacrifice to the idols, and did do seek all +the Christian people, and bind them for to make them to do sacrifice, or +else to put them to death; in such wise that every man was afeard of the +pains that he promised, that the friend forsook his friend, and the son +renied his father, and the father the son. And then in this city were +founden seven Christian men, that is to wit, Maximian, Malchus, +Marcianus, Denis, John, Serapion, and Constantine. And when they saw +this, they had much sorrow, and because they were the first in the +palace that despised the sacrifices, they hid them in their houses, and +were in fastings and in prayers. And then they were accused tofore +Decius, and came thither, and were found very Christian men. Then was +given to them space for to repent them, unto the coming again of Decius. +And in the meanwhile they dispended their patrimony in alms to the poor +people; and assembled them together, and took counsel, and went to the +mount of Celion, and there ordained to be more secretly, and there hid +them long time. And one of them administered and served them always. +And when he went into the city, he clothed him in the habit of a beggar. + +When Decius was come again, he commanded that they should be fetched, +and then Malchus, which was their servant and ministered to them meat +and drink, returned in great dread to his fellows, and told and showed +to them the great fury and woodness of them, and then were they sore +afraid. And Malchus set tofore them the loaves of bread that he had +brought, so that they were comforted of the meat, and were more strong +for to suffer torments. And when they had taken their refection and sat +in weeping and wailings, suddenly, as God would, they slept, and when it +came on the morn they were sought and could not be found. Wherefore +Decius was sorrowful because he had lost such young men. And then they +were accused that they were hid in the mount of Celion, and had given +their goods to poor men, and yet abode in their purpose. And then +commanded Decius that their kindred should come to him, and menaced them +to the death if they said not of them all that they knew. And they +accused them, and complained that they had dispended all their riches. +Then Decius thought what he should do with them, and, as our Lord would, +he inclosed the mouth of the cave wherein they were with stones, to the +end that they should die therein for hunger and fault of meat. Then the +ministers and two Christian men, Theodorus and Rufinus, wrote their +martyrdom and laid it subtlely among the stones. And when Decius was +dead, and all that generation, three hundred and sixty-two years after, +and the thirtieth year of Theodosius the emperor, when the heresy was of +them that denied the resurrection of dead bodies, and began to grow; +Theodosius, then the most Christian emperor, being sorrowful that the +faith of our Lord was so felonously demened, for anger and heaviness he +clad him in hair and wept every day in a secret place, and led a full +holy life, which God, merciful and piteous, seeing, would comfort them +that were sorrowful and weeping, and give to them esperance and hope of +the resurrection of dead men, and opened the precious treasure of his +pity, and raised the foresaid martyrs in this manner following. + +He put in the will of a burgess of Ephesus that he would make in that +mountain, which was desert and aspre, a stable for his pasturers and +herdmen. And it happed that of adventure the masons, that made the said +stable, opened this cave. And then these holy saints, that were within, +awoke and were raised and intersalued each other, and had supposed +verily that they had slept but one night only, and remembered of the +heaviness that they had the day tofore. And then Malchus, which +ministered to them, said what Decius had ordained of them, for he said: +We have been sought, like as I said to you yesterday, for to do +sacrifice to the idols, that is it that the emperor desireth of us. And +then Maximian answered: God our Lord knoweth that we shall never +sacrifice, and comforted his fellows. He commanded to Malchus to go and +buy bread in the city, and bade him bring more that he did yesterday, +and also to inquire and demand what the emperor had commanded to do. And +then Malchus took five shillings, and issued out of the cave, and when +he saw the masons and the stones tofore the cave, he began to bless him, +and was much amarvelled. But he thought little on the stones, for he +thought on other things. Then came he all doubtful to the gates of the +city, and was all amarvelled. For he saw the sign of the cross about the +gate, and then, without tarrying, he went to that other gate of the +city, and found there also the sign of the cross thereon, and then he +had great marvel, for upon every gate he saw set up the sign of the +cross; and therewith the city was garnished. And then he blessed him and +returned to the first gate, and weened he had dreamed; and after he +advised and comforted himself and covered his visage and entered into +the city. And when he came to the sellers of bread, and heard the men +speak of God, yet then was he more abashed, and said: What is this, that +no man yesterday durst name Jesu Christ, and now every man confesseth +him to be Christian? I trow this is not the city of Ephesus, for it is +all otherwise builded. It is some other city, I wot not what. + +And when he demanded and heard verily that it was Ephesus, he supposed +that he had erred, and thought verily to go again to his fellows, and +then went to them that sold bread. And when he showed his money the +sellers marvelled, and said that one to that other, that this young man +had found some old treasure. And when Malchus saw them talk together, +he doubted not that they would lead him to the emperor, and was sore +afeard, and prayed them to let him go, and keep both money and bread, +but they held him, and said to him: Of whence art thou? For thou hast +found treasure of old emperors, show it to us, and we shall be fellows +with thee and keep it secret. And Malchus was so afeard that he wist not +what to say to them for dread. And when they saw that he spake not they +put a cord about his neck, and drew him through the city unto the middle +thereof. And tidings were had all about in the city that a young man had +found ancient treasure, in such wise that all they of the city assembled +about him, and he confessed there that he had found no treasure. And he +beheld them all, but he could know no man there of his kindred ne +lineage, which he had verily supposed that they had lived, but found +none, wherefore he stood as he had been from himself, in the middle of +the city. And when St. Martin the bishop, and Antipater the consul, +which were new come into this city, heard of this thing they sent for +him, that they should bring him wisely to them, and his money with him. +And when he was brought to the church he weened well he should have been +led to the Emperor Decius. And then the bishop and the consul marvelled +of the money, and they demanded him where he had found this treasure +unknown. And he answered that he had nothing founden, but it was come to +him of his kindred and patrimony, and they demanded of him of what city +he was. I wot well that I am of this city, if this be the city of +Ephesus. And the judge said to him: Let thy kindred come and witness for +thee. And he named them, but none knew them. And they said that he +feigned, for to escape from them in some manner. And then said the +judge: How may we believe thee that this money is come to thee of thy +friends, when it appeareth in the scripture that it is more than three +hundred and seventy-two years sith it was made and forged, and is of the +first days of Decius the emperor, and it resembleth nothing to our +money; and how may it come from thy lineage so long since, and thou art +young, and wouldst deceive the wise and ancient men of this city of +Ephesus? And therefore I command that thou be demened after the law till +thou hast confessed where thou hast found this money. Then Malchus +kneeled down tofore them and said: For God's sake, lords, say ye to me +that I shall demand you, and I shall tell to you all that I have in my +heart. Decius the emperor that was in this city, where is he? And the +bishop said to him there is no such at this day in the world that is +named Decius, he was emperor many years since. And Malchus said: Sire, +hereof I am greatly abashed and no man believeth me, for I wot well that +we fled for fear of Decius the emperor, and I saw him, that yesterday he +entered into this city, if this be the city of Ephesus. Then the bishop +thought in himself, and said to the judge that, this is a vision that +our Lord will have showed by this young man. Then said the young man: +Follow ye me, and I shall show to you my fellows which be in the mount +of Celion, and believe ye them. This know I well, that we fled from the +face of the Emperor Decius. And then they went with him, and a great +multitude of the people of the city with them. And Malchus entered first +into the cave to his fellows, and the bishop next after him. And there +found they among the stones the letters sealed with two seals of silver. +And then the bishop called them that were come thither, and read them +tofore them all, so that they that heard it were all abashed and +amarvelled. And they saw the saints sitting in the cave, and their +visages like unto roses flowering, and they, kneeling down, glorified +God. And anon the bishop and the judge sent to Theodosius the emperor, +praying him that he would come anon for to see the marvels of our Lord +that he had late showed. And anon he arose up from the ground, and took +off the sack in which he wept, and glorified our Lord. And came from +Constantinople to Ephesus, and all they came against him, and ascended +in to the mountain with him together, unto the saints in to the cave. + +And as soon as the blessed saints of our Lord saw the emperor come, +their visages shone like to the sun. And the emperor entered then, and +glorified our Lord and embraced them, weeping upon each of them, and +said: I see you now like as I should see our Lord raising Lazarus. And +then Maximian said to him: Believe us, for forsooth our Lord hath raised +us tofore the day of the great resurrection. And to the end that thou +believe firmly the resurrection of the dead people, verily we be raised +as ye here see, and live. And in like wise as the child is in the womb +of his mother without feeling harm or hurt, in the same wise we have +been living and sleeping in lying here without feeling of anything. And +when they had said all this, they inclined their heads to the earth, and +rendered their spirits at the command of our Lord Jesu Christ, and so +died. Then the emperor arose, and fell on them, weeping strongly, and +embraced them, and kissed them debonairly. And then he commanded to make +precious sepulchres of gold and silver, and to bury their bodies +therein. And in the same night they appeared to the emperor, and said to +him that he should suffer them to lie on the earth like as they had lain +tofore till that time that our Lord had raised them, unto the time that +they should rise again. Then commanded the emperor that the place should +be adorned nobly and richly with precious stones, and all the bishops +that would confess the resurrection should be assoiled. It is in doubt +of that which is said that they slept three hundred and sixty-two years, +for they were raised the year of our Lord four hundred and +seventy-eight, and Decius reigned but one year and three months, and +that was in the year of our Lord two hundred and seventy, and so they +slept but two hundred and eight years. + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. SILVESTER. + + +Silvester was son of one Justa and was learned and taught of a priest +named Cyrinus, which did marvellously great alms and made hospitalities. +It happed that he received a Christian man into his house named Timothy, +who no man would receive for the persecution of tyrants, wherefore the +said Timothy suffered death and passion after that year while he +preached justly the faith of Jesu Christ. It was so that the prefect +Tarquinius supposed that Timothy had had great plenty of riches, which +he demanded of Silvester, threatening him to the death but if he +delivered them to him. And when he found certainly that Timothy had no +great riches, he commanded to St. Silvester to make sacrifice to the +idols, and if he did not he would make him suffer divers torments. St. +Silvester answered: False, evil man, thou shalt die this night, and +shalt have torments that ever shall endure, and thou shalt know, whether +thou wilt or not, that he whom we worship is very God. Then St. +Silvester was put in prison, and the provost went to dinner. Now it +happed that as he ate, a bone of a fish turned in his throat and stuck +fast, so that he could neither have it down ne up, and at midnight died +like as St. Silvester had said, and then St. Silvester was delivered out +of prison. He was so gracious that all Christian men and Paynims loved +him, for he was fair like an angel to look on, a fair speaker, whole of +body, holy in work, good in counsel, patient and charitable, and firmly +established in the faith. He had in writing the names of all the widows +and orphans that were poor, and to them he administered their necessity. +He had a custom to fast all Fridays and Saturdays. And it was so that +Melchiades, the bishop of Rome, died, and all the people chose St. +Silvester for to be the high Bishop of Rome, which sore against his will +was made pope. He instituted for to be fasted Wednesday, Friday, and +Saturday, and the Thursday for to be hallowed as Sunday. + +Now it happed that the Emperor Constantine did do slay all the Christian +men over all where he could find them, and for this cause St. Silvester +fled out of the town with his clerks, and hid him in a mountain. And for +the cruelty of Constantine God sent him such a sickness that he became +lazar and measel, and by the counsel of his physicians he got three +thousand young children for to have cut their throats, for to have their +blood in a bath all hot, and thereby he might be healed of his measelry. +And when he should ascend into his chariot for to go to the place where +he should be bathed, the mothers of the children came crying and braying +for sorrow of their children, and when he understood that they were +mothers of the children, he had great pity on them and said to his +knights and them that were about him: The dignity of the empire of Rome +is brought forth of the fountain of pity, the which hath stablished by +decree that who that slayeth a child in battle shall have his head +smitten off, then should it be great cruelty to us for to do to ours +such thing as we defend to strange nations, for so should cruelty +surmount us. It is better that we leave cruelty and that pity surmount +us, and therefore me seemeth better to save the lives of these +innocents, than by their death I should have again my health, of the +which we be not yet certain. Ne we may recover nothing for to slay them, +for if so were that I should thereby have health, that should be a cruel +health that should be bought with the death of so many innocents. Then +he commanded to render and deliver again to the mothers their children, +and gave to every each of them a good gift, and thus made them return to +their houses with great joy, from whence they departed with great +sorrow, and he himself returned again in his chariot unto his palace. +Now it happed that the night after St. Peter and St. Paul appeared to +this Emperor Constantine, saying to him: Because thou hast had horror to +shed and spill the blood of innocents, our Lord Jesu Christ hath had +pity on thee, and commandeth thee to send unto such a mountain where +Silvester is hid with his clerks, and say to him that thou comest for to +be baptized of him and thou shalt be healed of thy malady. And when he +was awaked he did do call his knights and commanded them to go to that +mountain and bring the Pope Silvester to him courteously and fair, for +to speak with him. When St. Silvester saw from far the knights come to +him, he supposed they sought him for to be martyred, and began to say +to his clerks that they should be firm and stable in the faith for to +suffer martyrdom. When the knights came to him they said to him much +courteously that Constantine sent for him, and prayed him that he would +come and speak with him. And forthwith he came, and when they had +intersaluted each other, Constantine told to him his vision. And when +Silvester demanded of him what men they were that so appeared to him, +the emperor wist not ne could not name them. St. Silvester opened a book +wherein the images of St. Peter and St. Paul were portrayed, and +demanded of him if they were like unto them. Then Constantine anon knew +them and said that he had seen them in his sleep. Then St. Silvester +preached to him the faith of Jesu Christ, and baptized him; and when he +was baptized, a great light descended upon him so that he said that he +had seen Jesu Christ, and was healed forthwith of his measelry. And then +he ordained seven laws unto holy church, the first was that all the city +should worship Jesu Christ as very God, the second thing was that +whosoever should say any villany of Jesu Christ he should be punished, +the third, whosomever should do villany to Christian men, he should lose +half his goods. The fourth, that the Bishop of Rome should be chief of +all holy church, like as the emperor is chief of all the world. The +fifth, that who that had done or should do trespass and fled to the +church, that he should be kept there free from all injury. The sixth, +that no man should edify any churches without license of holy church and +consent of the bishop. The seventh, that the dime and tenth part of the +possessions should be given to the church. + +After this the emperor came to St. Peter's church and confessed meekly +all his sins tofore all people, and what wrong he had done to Christian +men, and made to dig and cast out to make the foundements for the +churches, and bare on his shoulders twelve hods or baskets full of +earth. When Helen, the mother of Constantine, dwelling in Bethany, heard +say that the emperor was become Christian, she sent to him a letter, in +which she praised much her son of this that he had renounced the false +idols, but she blamed him much that he had renounced the law of the +Jews, and worshipped a man crucified. Then Constantine remanded to his +mother that she should assemble the greatest masters of the Jews, and he +should assemble the greatest masters of the Christian men, to the end +that they might dispute and know which was the truest law. Then Helen +assembled twelve masters which she brought with her, which were the +wisest that they might find in that law, and St. Silvester and his +clerks were of that other party. Then the emperor ordained two Paynims, +Gentiles, to be their judges, of whom that one was named Crato, and that +other Zenophilus, which were proved wise and expert, and they to give +the sentence, and be judge of the disputation. Then began one of the +masters of the Jews for to maintain and dispute his law, and St. +Silvester and his clerks answered to his disputation, and to them all, +always concluding them by Scripture. The judges which were true and +just, held more of the party of St. Silvester than of the Jews. Then +said one of the masters of the Jews named Zambry, I marvel, said he, +that ye be so wise and incline you to their words, let us leave all +these words and go we to the effect of the deeds. Then he did do come +[caused to come] a cruel bull, and said a word in his ear, and anon the +bull died. Then the people were all against Silvester. Then said +Silvester, believe not thou that he hath named in the ear the name of +Jesu Christ, but the name of some devil, know ye verily it is no great +strength to slay a bull, for a man, or a lion, or a serpent may well +slay him, but it is great virtue to raise him again to life, then if he +may not raise him it is by the devil. And if he may raise him again to +life, I shall believe that he is dead by the power of God. And when the +judges heard this, they said to Zambry, that had slain the bull, that he +should raise him again. Then he answered that if Silvester might raise +him in the name of Jesus of Galilee his master, then he would believe in +him, and thereto bound them all the Jews that were there. And St. +Silvester first made his orisons and prayers to our Lord, and sith came +to the bull and said to him in his ear: Thou cursed creature that art +entered into this bull and hast slain him, go out in the name of Jesu +Christ, in whose name I command thee bull, arise thou up and go thou +with the other beasts debonairly, and anon the bull arose and went forth +softly. Then the queen and the judges, which were Paynims, were +converted to the faith. + +In this time it happed that there was at Rome a dragon in a pit, which +every day slew with his breath more than three hundred men. Then came +the bishops of the idols unto the emperor and said unto him: O thou most +holy emperor, sith the time that thou hast received Christian faith the +dragon which is in yonder foss or pit slayeth every day with his breath +more than three hundred men. Then sent the emperor for St. Silvester and +asked counsel of him of this matter. St. Silvester answered that by the +might of God he promised to make him cease of his hurt and blessure of +this people. Then St. Silvester put himself to prayer, and St. Peter +appeared to him and said: Go surely to the dragon and the two priests +that be with thee take in thy company, and when thou shalt come to him +thou shalt say to him in this manner: Our Lord Jesu Christ which was +born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, buried and arose, and now sitteth on +the right side of the Father, this is he that shall come to deem and +judge the living and the dead, I command thee Sathanas that thou abide +him in this place till he come. Then thou shalt bind his mouth with a +thread, and seal it with thy seal, wherein is the imprint of the cross. +Then thou and the two priests shall come to me whole and safe, and such +bread as I shall make ready for you ye shall eat. Thus as St. Peter had +said, St. Silvester did. And when he came to the pit, he descended down +one hundred and fifty steps, bearing with him two lanterns, and found +the dragon, and said the words that St. Peter had said to him, and bound +his mouth with the thread, and sealed it, and after returned, and as he +came upward again he met with two enchanters which followed him for to +see if he descended, which were almost dead of the stench of the dragon, +whom he brought with him whole and sound, which anon were baptized, with +a great multitude of people with them. Thus was the city of Rome +delivered from double death, that was from the culture and worshipping +of false idols, and from the venom of the dragon. At the last when St. +Silvester approached toward his death, he called to him the clergy and +admonished them to have charity, and that they should diligently govern +their churches, and keep their flock from the wolves. And after the year +of the incarnation of our Lord three hundred and twenty, he departed out +of this world and slept in our Lord, etc. + + + + +OF ST. AUSTIN THAT BROUGHT CHRISTENDOM TO ENGLAND + + +St. Austin was a holy monk and sent in to England, to preach the faith +of our Lord Jesu Christ, by St. Gregory, then being pope of Rome. The +which had a great zeal and love unto England, as is rehearsed all along +in his legend, how that he saw children of England in the market of Rome +for to be sold, which were fair of visage, for which cause he demanded +license and obtained to go into England for to convert the people +thereof to Christian faith. And he being on the way the pope died and he +was chosen pope, and was countermanded and came again to Rome. And +after, when he was sacred into the papacy, he remembered the realm of +England, and sent St. Austin, as head and chief, and other holy monks +and priests with him, to the number of forty persons, unto the realm of +England. And as they came toward England they came in the province of +Anjou, purposing to have rested all night at a place called Pounte, say +a mile from the city and river of Ligerim, but the women scorned and +were so noyous to them that they drove them out of the town, and they +came unto a fair broad elm, and purposed to have rested there that +night, but one of the women which was more cruel than the other purposed +to drive them thence, and came so nigh them that they might not rest +there that night. And then St. Austin took his staff for to remove from +that place, and suddenly his staff sprang out of his hand with a great +violence, the space of three furlongs thence, and there sticked fast in +the earth. And when St. Austin came to his staff and pulled it out of +the earth, incontinent by the might of our Lord, sourded and sprang +there a fair well or fountain of clear water which refreshed him well +and all his fellowship. And about that well they rested all that night, +and they that dwelled thereby saw all that night over that place a great +light coming from heaven which covered all that place where these holy +men lay. And on the morn St. Austin wrote in the earth with his staff +beside the well these words following: Here had Austin, the servant of +the servants of God, hospitality, whom St. Gregory the pope hath sent to +convert England. + +On the morn when the holy men were departed, the dwellers of the coasts +thereby which saw the light in the night tofore, came thither and found +there a fair well, of the which they marvelled greatly. And when they +saw the scripture written in the earth they were greatly abashed because +of their unkindness, and repented them full sore of that they had mocked +them the day before. And after, they edified there a fair church in the +same place in the worship of St. Austin, the which the bishop of Anjou +hallowed. And to the hallowing thereof came so great multitude of people +that they trod the corn in the fields down all plain, like unto a floor +clean swept, for there was no sparing of it. Notwithstanding, at the +time of reaping, that ground so trodden bare more corn and better than +any other fields beside, not trodden, did. And the high altar of that +church standeth over the place where St. Austin wrote with his staff by +the well, and yet unto this day may no woman come in to that church. But +there was a noble woman that said that she was not guilty in offending +St. Austin, and took a taper in her hand and went for to offer it in the +said church; but the sentence of Almighty God may not be revoked, for as +soon as she entered the church her bowels and sinews began to shrink and +she fell down dead in ensample of all other women; whereby we may +understand that injury done against a saint displeaseth greatly Almighty +God. + +And from thence St. Austin and his fellowship came into England and +arrived in the isle of Thanet in East Kent, and king Ethelbert reigned +that time in Kent, which was a noble man and a mighty. To whom St. +Austin sent, showing the intent of his coming from the court of Rome, +and said that he had brought to him right joyful and pleasant tidings, +and said that if he would obey and do after his preaching that he should +have everlasting joy in the bliss of heaven, and should reign with +Almighty God in his kingdom. And then King Ethelbert hearing this, +commanded that they should abide and tarry in the same isle, and that +all things should be ministered to them that were necessary, unto the +time that he were otherwise advised. And soon after, the king came to +them in the same isle, and he being in the field, St. Austin with his +fellowship came and spake with him, having tofore them the sign of the +cross, singing by the way the litany, beseeching God devoutly to +strengthen them and help. And the king received him and his fellowship, +and in the same place St. Austin preached a glorious sermon, and +declared to the king the Christian faith openly and the great merit and +avail that should come thereof in time coming. And when he had ended his +sermon the king said to him: Your promises be full fair that ye bring, +but because they be new and have not been heard here before, we may not +yet give consent thereto; nevertheless, because ye be come as pilgrims +from far countries, we will not be grevious ne hard to you, but we will +receive you meekly and minister to you such things as be necessary, +neither we will forbid you, but as many as ye can convert to your faith +and religion by your preaching ye shall have license to baptize them, +and to accompany them to your law. And then the king gave to them a +mansion in the city of Dorobernence, which now is called Canterbury. And +when they drew nigh the city they came in with a cross of silver, and +with procession singing the litany, praying Almighty God of succor and +help that he would take away his wrath from the city and to inflame the +hearts of the people to receive his doctrine. And then St. Austin and +his fellowship began to preach there the word of God, and about there in +the province, and such people as were well disposed anon were converted, +and followed this holy man. And by the holy conversation and miracles +that they did much people were converted and great fame arose in the +country. And when it came to the king's ear, anon he came to the +presence of St. Austin and desired him to preach again, and then the +word of God so inflamed him, that incontinent, as soon as the sermon was +ended, the king fell down to the feet of St. Austin and said +sorrowfully: Alas! woe is me, that I have erred so long and know not of +him that thou speakest of, thy promises be so delectable that I think it +all too long till I be christened, wherefore, holy father, I require +thee to minister to me the sacrament of baptism. And then St. Austin, +seeing the great meekness and obedience of the king that he had to be +christened, he took him up with weeping tears and baptized him with all +his household and meiny, and informed them diligently in the Christian +faith with great joy and gladness. And when all this was done St. +Austin, desiring the health of the people of England, went forth on foot +to York; and when he came nigh to the city there met him a blind man +which said to him: O thou holy Austin, help me that am full needy. To +whom St. Austin said: I have no silver, but such as I have I give thee; +in the name of Jesu Christ arise and be all whole, and with that word he +received his sight and believed in our Lord and was baptized. And upon +Christmas day he baptized, in the river named Swale, ten thousand men +without women and children, and there was a great multitude of people +resorting to the said river, which was so deep that no man might pass +over on foot, and yet by miracle of our Lord there was neither man, +woman, ne child drowned, but they that were sick were made whole both in +body and in soul. And in the same place they builded a church in the +worship of God and St. Austin. And when St. Austin had preached the +faith to the people and had confirmed them steadfastly therein, he +returned again from York, and by the way he met a leper asking help, and +when St. Austin had said these words to him: In the name of Jesu Christ +be thou cleansed from all thy leprosy, anon all his filth fell away, and +a fair new skin appeared on his body so that he seemed all a new man. + +Also as St. Austin came into Oxfordshire to a town that is called +Compton to preach the word of God, to whom the curate said: Holy father, +the lord of this lordship hath been ofttimes warned of me to pay his +tithes to God, and yet he withholdeth them, and therefore I have cursed +him, and I find him the more obstinate. To whom St. Austin said: Son, +why payest thou not thy tithes to God and to the church? Knowest thou +not that the tithes be not thine but belong to God? And then the knight +said to him: I know well that I till the ground, wherefore I ought as +well to have the tenth sheaf as the ninth, and when St. Austin could not +turn the knight's entent, then he departed from him and went to mass. +And ere he began he charged that all they that were accursed should go +out of the church, and then rose a dead body and went out in to the +churchyard with a white cloth on his head, and stood still there till +the mass was done. And then St. Austin went to him and demanded him +what he was, and he answered and said: I was sometime lord of this town, +and because I would not pay my tithes to my curate he accursed me, and +so I died and went to hell. And then St. Austin bade bring him to the +place where his curate was buried, and then the carrion brought him +thither to the grave, and because that all men should know that life and +death be in the power of God, St. Austin said: I command thee in the +name of God to arise, for we have need of thee, and then he arose anon, +and stood before all the people. To whom St. Austin said: Thou knowest +well that our Lord is merciful, and I demand thee, brother, if thou +knowest this man? and he said: Yea, would God that I had never known +him, for he was a withholder of his tithes, and in all his life an, evil +doer, thou knowest that our Lord is merciful, and as long as the pains +of hell endure let us also be merciful to all Christians. And then St. +Austin delivered to the curate a rod, and there the knight kneeling on +his knees was assoiled, and then he commanded him to go again to his +grave, and there to abide till the day of doom; and he entered anon into +his grave and forthwith fell to ashes and powder. And then St. Austin +said to the priest: How long hast thou lain here? and he said a hundred +and fifty years; and then he asked how it stood with him, and he said: +Well, holy father, for I am in everlasting bliss; and then said St. +Austin: Wilt thou that I pray to Almighty God that thou abide here with +us to confirm the hearts of men in very belief? And then he said: Nay, +holy father, for I am in a place of rest; and then said St. Austin: Go +in peace, and pray for me and for all holy church, and he then entered +again into his grave, and anon the body was turned to earth. Of this +sight the lord was sore afeard, and came all quaking to St. Austin and +to his curate, and demanded forgiveness of his trespass, and promised to +make amends and ever after to pay his tithes and to follow the doctrine +of St. Austin. + +After this St. Austin entered into Dorsetshire, and came in to a town +whereas were wicked people who refused his doctrine and preaching +utterly and drove him out of the town, casting on him the tails of +thornbacks, or like fishes, wherefore he besought Almighty God to show +his judgment on them, and God sent to them a shameful token, for the +children that were born after in that place had tails, as it is said, +till they had repented them. It is said commonly that this fell at +Strood in Kent, but blessed be God at this day is no such deformity. +Item in another place there were certain people which would in no wise +give faith to his preaching ne his doctrine, but scorned and mocked him, +wherefore God took such vengeance that they burned with fire invisible, +so that their skin was red as blood, and suffered so great pain that +they were constrained to come and ask forgiveness of St. Austin, and +then he prayed God for them that they might be acceptable to him and +receive baptism and that he would release their pain, and then he +christened them and that burning heat was quenched and they were made +perfectly whole, and felt never after more thereof. On a time, as St. +Austin was in his prayers, our Lord appeared to him, and comforting him +with a gentle and familiar speech, said: O thou my good servant and +true, be thou comforted and do manly, for I thy Lord God am with thee in +all thine affection, and mine ears be open to thy prayers, and for whom +thou demandest any petition thou shalt have thy desire, and the gate of +everlasting life is open to thee, where thou shalt joy with me without +end. And in that same place where our Lord said these words he fixed his +staff into the ground, and a well of clear water sourded and sprang up +in that same place, the which well is called Cerne, and it is in the +country of Dorset, whereas now is builded a fair abbey, and is named +Cerne after the well. And the church is builded in the same place +whereas our Lord appeared to St. Austin. Also in the same country was a +young man that was lame, dumb, and deaf, and by the prayers of St. +Austin he was made whole, and then soon after he was dissolute and +wanton, and noyed and grieved the people with jangling and talking in +the church. And then God sent to him his old infirmity again, because of +his misguiding, and at the last he fell to repentance, and asked God +forgiveness and St. Austin. And St. Austin prayed for him and he was +made whole again the second time, and after that he continued in good +and virtuous living to his life's end. + +And after this St. Austin, full of virtues, departed out of this world +unto our Lord God, and lieth buried at Canterbury in the abbey that he +founded there in the worship and rule, whereas our Lord God showeth yet +daily many miracles. And the third day before the nativity of our Lady +is hallowed the translation of St. Austin. In which night a citizen of +Canterbury, being that time at Winchester, saw heaven open over the +church of St. Austin, and a burning ladder shining full bright, and +angels coming down to the same church. And then him thought that the +church had burned of the great light and brightness that came down on +the ladder, and marvelled greatly what this should mean, for he knew +nothing of the translation of St. Austin; and when he knew the truth, +that on that time the body of the glorious saint was translated, he gave +laud and thankings to almighty God, and we may verily know by that +evident vision that it is an holy and devout place; and as it is said +that of old time, ancient holy men that used to come thither would at +the entry of it do off their hosen and shoes and durst not presume to go +into that holy monastery but barefoot, because so many holy saints be +there shrined and buried. And God hath showed so many miracles in that +holy place for his blessed saint, St. Austin, that if I should write +them here it should occupy a great book. + + + + +EDWIN AND PAULINUS + +_The Conversion of Northumbria_ + + +The black-hair'd gaunt Paulinus + By ruddy Edwin stood:-- +"Bow down, O king of Deira, + Before the blessed Rood! +Cast out thy heathen idols, + And worship Christ our Lord." +--But Edwin look'd and ponder'd, + And answer'd not a word. + +Again the gaunt Paulinus + To ruddy Edwin spake: +"God offers life immortal + For his dear Son's own sake! +Wilt thou not hear his message, + Who bears the keys and sword?" +--But Edwin look'd and ponder'd, + And answer'd not a word. + +Rose then a sage old warrior; + Was five-score winters old; +Whose beard from chin to girdle + Like one long snow-wreath roll'd:-- +"At Yule-time in our chamber + We sit in warmth and light, +While cold and howling round us + Lies the black land of Night. + +"Athwart the room a sparrow + Darts from the open door: +Within the happy hearth-light + One red flash--and no more! +We see it come from darkness, + And into darkness go:-- +So is our life, King Edwin! + Alas, that it is so! + +"But if this pale Paulinus + Have somewhat more to tell; +Some news of Whence and Whither, + And where the soul will dwell;-- +If on that outer darkness + The sun of hope may shine;-- +He makes life worth the living! + I take his God for mine!" + +So spake the wise old warrior; + And all about him cried: +"Paulinus' God hath conquer'd! + And he shall be our guide:-- +For he makes life worth living + Who brings this message plain, +When our brief days are over, + That we shall live again." + +_--Unknown_ + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. GEORGE MARTYR + + +St. George was a knight and born in Cappadocia. On a time he came in to +the province of Libya, to a city which is said Silene. And by this city +was a stagne or a pond like a sea, wherein was a dragon which envenomed +all the country. And on a time the people were assembled for to slay +him, and when they saw him they fled. And when he came nigh the city he +venomed the people with his breath, and therefore the people of the city +gave to him every day two sheep for to feed him, because he should do no +harm to the people, and when the sheep failed there was taken a man and +a sheep. Then was an ordinance made in the town that there should be +taken the children and young people of them of the town by lot, and +every each one as it fell, were he gentle or poor, should be delivered +when the lot fell on him or her. So it happed that many of them of the +town were then delivered, insomuch that the lot fell upon the king's +daughter, whereof the king was sorry, and said unto the people: For the +love of the gods take gold and silver and all that I have, and let me +have my daughter. They said: How sir! ye have made and ordained the law, +and our children be now dead, and ye would do the contrary. Your +daughter shall be given, or else we shall burn you and your house. + +When the king saw he might no more do, he began to weep, and said to +his daughter: Now shall I never see thine espousals. Then returned he to +the people ami demanded eight days' respite, and they granted it to him. +And when the eight days were passed they came to him and said: Thou +seest that the city perisheth: Then did the king do array his daughter +like as she should be wedded, and embraced her, kissed her and gave her +his benediction, and after, led her to the place where the dragon was. + +When she was there St. George passed by, and when he saw the lady he +demanded the lady what she made there and she said: Go ye your way fair +young man, that ye perish not also. Then said he: Tell to me what have +and why weep ye, and doubt ye of nothing. When she saw that he would +know, she said to him how she was delivered to the dragon. Then said St. +George: Fair daughter, doubt ye no thing hereof for I shall help thee in +the name of Jesu Christ. She said: For God's sake, good knight, go your +way, and abide not with me, for ye may not deliver me. Thus as they +spake together the dragon appeared and came running to them, and St. +George was upon his horse, and drew out his sword and garnished him with +the sign of the cross, and rode hardily against the dragon which came +toward him, and smote him with his spear and hurt him sore and threw him +to the ground. And after said to the maid: Deliver to me your girdle, +and bind it about the neck of the dragon and be not afeard. When she had +done so the dragon followed her as it had been a meek beast and +debonair. Then she led him into the city, and the people fled by +mountains and valleys, and said: Alas! alas! we shall be all dead. Then +St. George said to them: Ne doubt ye no thing, without more, believe ye +in God, Jesu Christ, and do ye to be baptized and I shall slay the +dragon. Then the king was baptized and all his people, and St. George +slew the dragon and smote off his head, and commanded that he should be +thrown in the fields, and they took four carts with oxen that drew him +out of the city. + +Then were there well fifteen thousand men baptized, without women and +children, and the king did do make a church there of our Lady and of St. +George, in the which yet sourdeth a fountain of living water, which +healeth sick people that drink thereof. After this the king offered to +St. George as much money as there might be numbered, but he refused all +and commanded that it should be given to poor people for God's sake; and +enjoined the king four things, that is, that he should have charge of +the churches, and that he should honor the priests and hear their +service diligently, and that he should have pity on the poor people, and +after, kissed the king and departed. + +Now it happed that in the time of Diocletian and Maximian, which were +emperors, was so great persecution of Christian men that within a month +were martyred well twenty-two thousand, and therefore they had so great +dread that some renied and forsook God and did sacrifice to the idols. +When St. George saw this, he left the habit of a knight and sold all +that he had, and gave it to the poor, and took the habit of a Christian +man, and went into the middle of the Paynims and began to cry: All the +gods of the Paynims and Gentiles be devils, my God made the heavens and +is very God. Then said the provost to him: Of what presumption cometh +this to thee, that thou sayest that our gods be devils? And say to us +what thou art and what is thy name. He answered anon and said: I am +named George, I am a gentleman, a knight of Cappadocia, and have left +all for to serve the God of heaven. Then the provost enforced himself to +draw him unto his faith by fair words, and when he might not bring him +thereto he did do raise him on a gibbet; and so must beat him with great +staves and broches of iron, that his body was all tobroken in pieces. +And after he did do take brands of iron and join them to his sides, and +his bowels which then appeared he did do frot with salt, and so sent him +into prison, but our Lord appeared to him the same night with great +light and comforted him much sweetly. And by this great consolation he +took to him so good heart that he doubted no torment that they might +make him suffer. Then, when Dacian the provost saw that he might not +surmount him, he called his enchanter and said to him: I see that these +Christian people doubt not our torments. The enchanter bound himself, +upon his head to be smitten off, if he overcame not his crafts. Then he +did take strong venom and meddled it with wine, and made invocation of +the names of his false gods, and gave it to St. George to drink. St. +George took it and made the sign of the cross on it, and anon drank it +without grieving him any thing. Then the enchanter made it more stronger +than it was tofore of venom, and gave it him to drink, and it grieved +him nothing. When the enchanter saw that, he kneeled down at the feet of +St. George and prayed him that he would make him Christian. And when +Dacian knew that he was become Christian he made to smite off his head. +And after, on the morn, he made St. George to be set between two wheels, +which were full of swords, sharp and cutting on both sides, but anon the +wheels were broken and St. George escaped without hurt. And then +commanded Dacian that they should put him in a caldron full of molten +lead, and when St. George entered therein, by the virtue of our Lord it +seemed that he was in a bath well at ease. Then Dacian seeing this began +to assuage his ire, and to flatter him by fair words, and said to him: +George, the patience of our gods is over great unto thee which hast +blasphemed them, and done to them great despite, then fair, and right +sweet son, I pray thee that thou return to our law and make sacrifice to +the idols, and leave thy folly, and I shall enhance thee to great honor +and worship. Then began St. George to smile, and said to him: Wherefore +saidst thou not to me thus at the beginning? I am ready to do as thou +sayest. Then was Dacian glad and made to cry over all the town that all +the people should assemble for to see George make sacrifice which so +much had striven there against. Then was the city arrayed and feast +kept throughout all the town, and all came to the temple for to see him. + +When St. George was on his knees, and they supposed that he would have +worshipped the idols, he prayed our Lord God of heaven that he would +destroy the temple and the idol in the honor of his name, for to make +the people to be converted. And anon the fire descended from heaven and +burned the temple, and the idols, and their priests, and sith the earth +opened and swallowed all the cinders and ashes that were left. Then +Dacian made him to be brought tofore him, and said to him: What be the +evil deeds that thou hast done, and also great untruth? Then said to him +St. George: Ah, sir, believe it not, but come with me and see how I +shall sacrifice. Then said Dacian to him: I see well thy fraud and thy +barat, thou wilt make the earth to swallow me, like as thou hast the +temple and my gods. Then said St. George: O caitiff, tell me how may thy +gods help thee when they may not help themselves! Then was Dacian so +angry that he said to his wife: I shall die for anger if I may not +surmount and overcome this man. Then said she to him: Evil and cruel +tyrant! ne seest thou not the great virtue of the Christian people? I +said to thee well that thou shouldst not do to them any harm, for their +God fighteth for them, and know thou well that I will become Christian. +Then was Dacian much abashed and said to her: Wilt thou be Christian? +Then he took her by the hair, and did do beat her cruelly. Then demanded +she of St. George: What may I become because I am not christened? Then +answered the blessed George: Doubt thee nothing, fair daughter, for thou +shalt be baptized in thy blood. Then began she to worship our Lord Jesu +Christ, and so she died and went to heaven. On the morn Dacian gave his +sentence that St. George should be drawn through all the city, and +after, his head should be smitten off. Then made he his prayer to our +Lord that all they that desired any boon might get it of our Lord God in +his name, and a voice came from heaven which said that it which he had +desired was granted; and after he had made his orison his head was +smitten off, about the year of our Lord two hundred and eighty-seven. +When Dacian went homeward from the place where he was beheaded toward +his palace, fire fell down from heaven upon him and burned him and all +his servants. + +Gregory of Tours telleth that there were some that bare certain relics +of St. George, and came into a certain oratory in a hospital, and on the +morning when they should depart they could not move the door till they +had left there part of their relics. It is also found in the history of +Antioch, that when the Christian men went oversea to conquer Jerusalem, +that one, a right fair young man, appeared to a priest of the host and +counselled him that he should bear with him a little of the relics of +St. George, for he was conductor of the battle, and so he did so much +that he had some. And when it was so that they had assieged Jerusalem +and durst not mount ne go up on the walls for the quarrels and defence +of the Saracens, they saw appertly St. George which had white arms with +a red cross, that went up tofore them on the walls, and they followed +him, and so was Jerusalem taken by his help. And between Jerusalem and +port Jaffa, by a town called Ramys, is a chapel of St. George which is +now desolate and uncovered, and therein dwell Christian Greeks. And in +the said chapel lieth the body of St. George, but not the head. And +there lie his father and mother and his uncle, not in the chapel but +under the wall of the chapel; and the keepers will not suffer pilgrims +to come therein, but if they pay two ducats, and therefore come but few +therein, but offer without the chapel at an altar. And there is seven +years and seven lents of pardon; and the body of St. George lieth in the +middle of the quire or choir of the said chapel, and in his tomb is an +hole that a man may put in his hand. And when a Saracen, being mad, is +brought thither, and if he put his head in the hole he shall anon be +made perfectly whole, and have his wit again. + +This blessed and holy martyr St. George is patron of the realm of +England and the cry of men of war. In the worship of whom is founded the +noble order of the Garter, and also a noble college in the castle of +Windsor by kings of England, in which college is the heart of St. +George, which Sigismund, the emperor of Almayne, brought and gave for a +great and a precious relic to King Harry the Fifth. + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. PATRICK + + +St. Patrick was born in Britain, which is called England, and was +learned at Rome and there flourished in virtues; and after departed out +of the parts of Italy, where he had long dwelled, and came home into his +country in Wales named Pendyac, and entered into a fair and joyous +country called the valley Rosine. To whom the angel of God appeared and +said: O Patrick, this see ne bishopric God hath not provided to thee, +but unto one not yet born, but shall thirty years hereafter be born, and +so he left that country and sailed over into Ireland. And as Higden +saith in Polycronicon the fourth book, the twenty-fourth chapter, that +St. Patrick's father was named Caprum, which was a priest and a deacon's +son which was called Fodum. And St. Patrick's mother was named +Conchessa, Martin's sister of France. In his baptism he was named +Sucate, and St. Germain called him Magonius, and Celestinus the pope +named him Patrick. That is as much to say as father of the citizens. + +St. Patrick on a day as he preached a sermon of the patience and +sufferance of the passion of our Lord Jesu Christ to the king of the +country, he leaned upon his crook or cross, and it happed by adventure +that he set the end of the crook, or his staff, upon the king's foot, +and pierced his foot with the pike, which was sharp beneath. The king +had supposed that St. Patrick had done it wittingly, for to move him the +sooner to patience and to the faith of God, but when St. Patrick +perceived it he was much abashed, and by his prayers he healed the king. +And furthermore he impetred and gat grace of our Lord that no venomous +beast might live in all the country, and yet unto this day is no +venomous beast in all Ireland. + +After it happed on a time that a man of that country stole a sheep, +which belonged to his neighbor, whereupon St. Patrick admonested the +people that whomsoever had taken it should deliver it again within seven +days. When all the people were assembled within the church, and the man +which had stolen it made no semblant to render ne deliver again this +sheep, then St. Patrick commanded, by the virtue of God, that the sheep +should bleat and cry in the belly of him that had eaten it, and so +happed it that, in the presence of all the people, the sheep cried and +bleated in the belly of him that had stolen it. And the man that was +culpable repented him of his trespass, and the others from then forthon +kept them from stealing of sheep from any other man. + +Also St. Patrick was wont for to worship and do reverence unto all the +crosses devoutly that he might see, but on a time tofore the sepulchre +of a Paynim stood a fair cross, which he passed and went forth by as he +had not seen it, and he was demanded of his fellows why he saw not that +cross. And then he prayed to God he said for to know whose it was, and +he said he heard a voice under the earth saying: Thou sawest it not +because I am a Paynim that am buried here, and am unworthy that the sign +of the cross should stand there, wherefore he made the sign of the cross +to be taken thence. On a time as St. Patrick preached in Ireland the +faith of Jesu Christ, and did but little profit by his predication, for +he could not convert the evil, rude and wild people, he prayed to our +Lord Jesu Christ that he would show them some sign openly, fearful and +ghastful, by which they might be converted and be repentant of their +sins. Then, by the commandment of God, St. Patrick made in the earth a +great circle with his staff, and anon the earth after the quantity of +the circle opened and there appeared a great pit and a deep, and St. +Patrick by the revelation of God understood that there was a place of +purgatory, in to which whomsoever entered therein he should never have +other penance ne feel none other pain, and there was showed to him that +many should enter which should never return ne come again. And they that +should return should abide but from one morn to another, and no more, +and many entered that came not again. As touching this pit or hole which +is named St. Patrick's purgatory, some hold opinion that the second +Patrick, which was an abbot and no bishop, that God showed to him this +place of purgatory; but certainly such a place there is in Ireland +wherein many men have been, and yet daily go in and come again, and some +have had there marvellous visions and seen grisly and horrible pains, of +whom there be books made as of Tundale and others. Then this holy man +St. Patrick, the bishop, lived till he was one hundred and twenty-two +years old, and was the first that was bishop in Ireland, and died in +Aurelius Ambrose's time that was king of Britain. In his time was the +Abbot Columba, otherwise named Colinkillus, and St. Bride whom St. +Patrick professed and veiled, and she over-lived him forty years. All +these three holy saints were buried in Ulster, in the city of Dunence, +as it were in a cave with three chambers. Their bodies were found at the +first coming of King John, King Harry the second's son, into Ireland. +Upon whose tombs these verses following were written: Hic jacent in Duno +qui tumulo tumulantur in uno, Brigida, Patricius atque Columba pius, +which is for to say in English: In Duno these three be buried all in one +sepulchre: Bride, Patrick, and Columba the mild. + +Men say that this holy bishop, St. Patrick, did three great things. One +is that he drove with his staff all the venomous beasts out of Ireland. +The second, that he had grant of our Lord God that none Irish man shall +abide the coming of Antichrist. The third wonder is read of his +purgatory, which is more referred to the less St. Patrick, the Abbot. +And this holy abbot, because he found the people of that land rebel, he +went out of Ireland and came in to England in the Abbey of Glastonbury, +where he died on a St. Bartholomew's day. He flourished about the year +of our Lord eight hundred and fifty. + + + + +OF SAINT FRANCIS + +HOW HE RECEIVED THE COUNSEL OF ST. CLARE AND OF BROTHER SILVESTER, AND +HOW HE PREACHED UNTO THE BIRDS + + +The humble servant of Christ, St. Francis, a short while after his +conversion, having already gathered together many companions and +received them into the order, fell into deep thought and much doubting +as to what he ought to do: whether to give himself wholly unto prayer, +or some time also unto preaching: and on this matter he much desired to +learn the will of God. And for that the holy humility that was in him +suffered him not to trust over much in himself nor in his own prayers, +he thought to search out the will of God through the prayers of others: +wherefore he called Brother Masseo, and bespake him thus: "Go unto +Sister Clare and tell her on my behalf, that she with certain of her +most spiritual companions, should pray devoutly unto God, that it may +please Him to show me which of the twain is the better: whether to give +myself to preaching or wholly unto prayer. And then go unto Brother +Silvester and tell the like to him." This was that Brother Silvester who +when he was in the world had seen a cross of gold proceeding from the +mouth of St. Francis, the which reached even unto heaven and the arms +thereof unto the ends of the world, and this Brother Silvester was of +so great devotion and so great sanctity, that whatsoe'er he asked of God +was granted him, and oftentimes he spake with God; wherefore St. Francis +had a great devotion unto him. + +So Brother Masseo departed, and according to the bidding of St. Francis +carried his message first unto St. Clare and then unto Brother +Silvester. Who, when he had heard thereof, forthwith fell on his knees +in prayer, and as he prayed received answer from God, and turned to +Brother Masseo, and bespake him thus: "Thus saith the Lord: Say unto +Brother Francis that God has not called him to this estate for himself +alone, but to the end that he may gain fruit of souls, and that many +through him may be saved." With this reply Brother Masseo returned to +St. Clare to learn what she had received of God, and she answered that +God had sent to her and her companions the same reply as He had given to +Brother Silvester. Whereat Brother Masseo hied him back again to St. +Francis; and St. Francis received him with exceeding great love, washing +his feet and making ready for him the meal, and after he had eaten, St. +Francis called Brother Masseo into the wood; and there kneeled down +before him and drew back his hood, stretching out his arms in the shape +of a cross, and asked him: "What has my Lord Jesu Christ commanded that +I should do?" Replied Brother Masseo: "As unto Brother Silvester, so +likewise unto Sister Clare and her sisters, has Christ made answer and +revealed: that it is His will that thou go throughout the world to +preach, since He hath chosen thee not for thyself alone, but also for +the salvation of others." And then St. Francis, when he had heard this +answer and known thereby the will of Jesu Christ, rose up with fervor +exceeding great, and said: "Let us be going in the name of God"; and he +took for his companions Brother Masseo and Brother Agnolo, holy men. And +setting forth with fervent zeal of spirit, taking no thought for road or +way, they came unto a little town that was called Savurniano, and St. +Francis set himself to preach, but first he bade the swallows that were +twittering keep silence till such time as he had done the preaching; and +the swallows were obedient to his word, and he preached there with such +fervor that all the men and women of that town minded through their +devotion to come after him and leave the town, but St. Francis suffered +them not, saying: "Make not ill haste nor leave your homes; and I will +ordain for you what ye should do for the salvation of your souls": and +therewith he resolved to found the third Order, for the salvation of all +the world. + +And so leaving them much comforted and with minds firm set on penitence, +he departed thence and came unto a place between Cannaio and Bevagno. +And as with great fervor he was going on the way, he lifted up his eyes +and beheld some trees hard by the road whereon sat a great company of +birds well-nigh without number; whereat St. Francis marvelled, and said +to his companions: "Ye shall wait for me here upon the way and I will go +to preach unto my little sisters, the birds." And he went unto the +field and began to preach unto the birds that were on the ground; and +immediately those that were on the trees flew down to him, and they all +of them remained still and quiet together, until St. Francis made an end +of preaching: and not even then did they depart, until he had given them +his blessing. And according to what Brother Masseo afterward related +unto Robert Jacques da Massa, St. Francis went among them touching them +with his cloak, howbeit none moved from out his place. The sermon that +St. Francis preached unto them was after this fashion: "My little +sisters, the birds, much bounden are ye unto God, your Creator, and +always in every place ought ye to praise Him, for that He hath given you +liberty to fly about everywhere, and hath also given you double and +triple raiment; moreover, He preserved your seed in the ark of Noah, +that your race might not perish out of the world; still more are ye +beholden to Him for the element of the air which he had appointed for +you; beyond all this, ye sow not, neither do you reap; and God feedeth +you, and giveth you the streams and fountains for your drink; the +mountains and the valleys for your refuge and the high trees whereon to +make your nests; and because ye know not how to spin or sew, God +clotheth you, you and your children; wherefore your Creator loveth you +much, seeing that He hath bestowed on you so many benefits; and +therefore, my little sisters, beware of the sin of ingratitude, and +study always to give praises unto God." Whenas St. Francis spake these +words to them, those birds began all of them to open their beaks, and +stretch their necks, and spread their wings, and reverently bend their +heads down to the ground, and by their acts and by their songs to show +that the holy Father gave them joy exceeding great. And St. Francis +rejoiced with them, and was glad, and marvelled much at so great a +company of birds and their most beautiful diversity and their good heed +and sweet friendliness, for the which cause he devoutly praised their +Creator in them. At the last, having ended the preaching, St. Francis +made over them the sign of the cross, and gave them leave to go away; +and thereby all the birds with wondrous singing rose up in the air; and +then, in the fashion of the cross that St. Francis had made over them, +divided themselves into four parts; and the one part flew toward the +East, and the other toward the West, and the other toward the South, and +the fourth toward the North, and each flight went on its way singing +wondrous songs; signifying thereby that even as St. Francis, the +standard-bearer of the Cross of Christ, had preached unto them, and made +over them the sign of the cross, after the pattern of which they +separated themselves unto the four parts of the world: even so the +preaching of the Cross of Christ, renewed by St. Francis, would be +carried by him and the brothers throughout the world; the which +brothers, after the fashion of the birds, possessing nothing of their +own in this world, commit their lives wholly unto the providence of God. + + +HOW ST. FRANCIS CONVERTED THE FIERCE WOLF OF AGOBIO + +What time St. Francis abode in the city of Agobio, there appeared in the +country of Agobio an exceeding great wolf, terrible and fierce, the +which not only devoured animals, but also men, insomuch that all the +city folk stood in great fear, sith ofttimes he came near to the city, +and all men when they went out arrayed them in arms as it were for the +battle, and yet withal they might not avail to defend them against him +whensoe'er any chanced on him alone; for fear of this wolf they were +come to such a pass that none durst go forth of that place. For the +which matter, St. Francis having compassion on the people of that land, +wished to go forth unto that wolf, albeit the townsfolk all gave counsel +against it: and making the sign of the most holy cross he went forth +from that place with his companions, putting all his trust in God. And +the others misdoubting to go further, St. Francis took the road to the +place where the wolf lay. And lo! in the sight of many of the townsfolk +that had come out to see this miracle, the said wolf made at St. Francis +with open mouth: and coming up to him, St. Francis made over him the +sign of the most holy cross, and called him to him, and bespake him +thus: "Come hither, brother wolf: I command thee in the name of Christ +that thou do no harm, nor to me nor to any one." O wondrous thing! +Whenas St. Francis had made the sign of the cross, right so the +terrible wolf shut his jaws and stayed his running: and when he was +bid, came gently as a lamb and lay him down at the feet of St. Francis. +Thereat St. Francis thus bespake him: "Brother wolf, much harm hast thou +wrought in these parts and done grievous ill, spoiling and slaying the +creatures of God, without His leave: and not alone hast thou slain and +devoured the brute beasts, but hast dared to slay men, made in the image +of God; for the which cause thou art deserving of the gibbet as a thief +and a most base murderer; and all men cry out and murmur against thee +and all this land is thine enemy. But I would fain, brother wolf, make +peace between thee and these; so that thou mayest no more offend them, +and they may forgive thee all thy past offences, and nor men nor dogs +pursue thee any more." At these words the wolf with movements of body, +tail, and eyes, and by the bending of his head, gave sign of his assent +to what St. Francis said, and of his will to abide therby. Then spake +St. Francis again: "Brother wolf, sith it pleaseth thee to make and hold +this peace, I promise thee that I will see to it that the folk of this +place give thee food alway so long as thou shalt live, so that thou +suffer not hunger any more; for that I wot well that through hunger hast +thou wrought all this ill. But sith I win for thee this grace, I will, +brother wolf, that thou promise me to do none hurt to any more, be he +man or beast; dost promise me this?" And the wolf gave clear token by +the bowing of his head that he promised. Then quoth St. Francis: +"Brother wolf, I will that thou plight me troth for this promise, that +I may trust thee full well." And St. Francis stretching forth his hand +to take pledge of his troth, the wolf lifted up his right paw before him +and laid it gently on the hand of St. Francis, giving thereby such sign +of good faith as he was able. Then quoth St. Francis: "Brother wolf, I +bid thee in the name of Jesu Christ come now with me, nothing doubting, +and let us go stablish this peace in God's name." And the wolf obedient +set forth with him, in fashion as a gentle lamb; whereat the townsfolk +made mighty marvel, beholding. And straightway the bruit of it was +spread through all the city, so that all the people, men-folk and +women-folk, great and small, young and old, gat them to the market place +for to see the wolf with St. Francis. + +And the people being gathered all together, St. Francis rose up to +preach, avizing them among other matters how for their sins God suffered +such things to be, and pestilences also: and how far more parlous is the +flame of hell, the which must vex the damned eternally, than is the fury +of the wolf that can but slay the body; how much then should men fear +the jaws of hell, when such a multitude stands sore adread of the jaws +of one so small a beast? Then turn ye, beloved, unto God, and work out a +fit repentance for your sins; and God will set you free from the wolf in +this present time, and in time to come from out the fires of hell. And +done the preaching, St. Francis said: "Give ear, my brothers: brother +wolf, who standeth here before ye, hath promised me and plighted troth +to make his peace with you, and to offend no more in any thing; and do +ye promise him to give him every day whate'er he needs: and I am made +his surety unto you that he will keep this pact of peace right +steadfastly." Then promised all the folk with one accord to give him +food abidingly. Then quoth St. Francis to the wolf before them all: "And +thou, brother wolf, dost thou make promise to keep firm this pact of +peace, that thou offend not man nor beast nor any creature?" And the +wolf knelt him down and bowed his head: and with gentle movements of his +body, tail, and eyes, gave sign as best he could that he would keep +their pact entire. Quoth St. Francis: "Brother wolf, I wish that as thou +hast pledged me thy faith to this promise without the gate, even so +shouldest thou pledge me thy faith to thy promise before all the people, +and that thou play me not false for my promise, and the surety that I +have given for thee." Then the wolf lifting up his right paw, laid it in +the hand of St. Francis. Therewith, this act, and the others set forth +above, wrought such great joy and marvel in all the people, both through +devotion to the saint, and through the newness of the miracle, and +through the peace with the wolf, that all began to lift up their voices +unto heaven praising and blessing God, that had sent St. Francis unto +them, who by his merits had set them free from the jaws of the cruel +beast. And thereafter this same wolf lived two years in Agobio; and went +like a tame beast in and out the houses, from door to door, without +doing hurt to any or any doing hurt to him, and was courteously +nourished by the people; and as he passed thuswise through the country +and the houses, never did any dog bark behind him. At length, after a +two years' space, brother wolf died of old age: whereat the townsfolk +sorely grieved, sith marking him pass so gently through the city, they +minded them the better of the virtue and the sanctity of St. Francis. + + +HOW ST. FRANCIS TAMED THE WILD TURTLE-DOVES + +It befell on a day that a certain young man had caught many +turtle-doves: and as he was carrying them for sale, St. Francis, who had +ever a tender pity for gentle creatures, met him, and looking on those +turtle-doves with pitying eyes, said to the youth: "I pray thee give +them me, that birds so gentle, unto which the Scripture likeneth chaste +and humble and faithful souls, may not fall into the hands of cruel men +that would kill them." Forthwith, inspired of God, he gave them all to +St. Francis; and he receiving them into his bosom, began to speak +tenderly unto them: "O my sisters, simple-minded turtle-doves, innocent +and chaste, why have ye let yourselves be caught? Now would I fain +deliver you from death and make you nests, that ye may be fruitful and +multiply, according to the commandments of your Creator." And St. +Francis went and made nests for them all: and they abiding therein, +began to lay their eggs and hatch them before the eyes of the brothers: +and so tame were they, they dwelt with St. Francis and all the other +brothers as though they had been fowls that had always fed from their +hands, and never did they go away until St. Francis with his blessing +gave them leave to go. And to the young man who had given them to him, +St. Francis said: "My little son, thou wilt yet be a brother in this +Order and do precious service unto Jesu Christ." And so it came to pass; +for the said youth became a brother and lived in the Order in great +sanctity. + + + + +SONG OF THE EMIGRANTS IN BERMUDA + + +Where the remote Bermudas ride +In the ocean's bosom unespied, +From a small boat that row'd along +The listening winds received this song: +"What should we do but sing His praise +That led us through the watery maze +Where He the huge sea-monsters wracks +That lift the deep upon their backs, +Unto an isle so long unknown, +And yet far kinder than our own? +He lands us on a grassy stage, +Safe from the storms, and prelate's rage: +He gave us this eternal spring +Which here enamels everything, +And sends the fowls to us in care +On daily visits through the air. +He hangs in shades the orange bright +Like golden lamps in a green night, +And does in the pomegranates close +Jewels more rich than Ormus shows: +He makes the figs our mouths to meet, +And throws the melons at our feet; +But apples plants of such a price, +No tree could ever bear them twice! +With cedars chosen by his hand +From Lebanon he stores the land; +And makes the hollow seas that roar +Proclaim the ambergris on shore. +He cast (of which we rather boast) +The Gospel's pearl upon our coast; +And in these rocks for us did frame +A temple where to sound His name. +O let our voice His praise exalt +Till it arrive at Heaven's vault, +Which then perhaps rebounding may +Echo beyond the Mexique bay!" +--Thus sung they in the English boat +A holy and a cheerful note: +And all the way, to guide their chime, +With falling oars they kept the time. + +_--A. Marvell_ + + + + +LANDING OF THE PILGRIM FATHERS IN NEW ENGLAND + + +The breaking waves dash'd high + On a stern and rock-bound coast, +And the woods against a stormy sky + Their giant branches toss'd; + +And the heavy night hung dark + The hills and waters o'er, +When a band of exiles moor'd their bark + On the wild New England shore. + +Not as the conqueror comes, + They, the true-hearted, came; +Not with the roll of the stirring drums, + And the trumpet that sings of fame; + +Not as the flying come, + In silence and in fear;-- +They shook the depths of the desert gloom + With their hymns of lofty cheer. + +Amidst the storm they sang, + And the stars heard and the sea; +And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang + To the anthem of the free! + +The ocean eagle soar'd + From his nest by the white wave's foam; +And the rocking pines of the forest roar'd-- + This was their welcome home! + +There were men with hoary hair + Amidst that pilgrim band;-- +Why had _they_ come to wither there, + Away from their childhood's land? + +There was woman's fearless eye, + Lit by her deep love's truth; +There was manhood's brow serenely high, + And the fiery heart of youth. + +What sought they thus afar?-- + Bright jewels of the mine? +The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?-- + They sought a faith's pure shrine! + +Ay, call it holy ground, + The soil where first they trod. +They have left unstain'd what there they found-- + Freedom to worship God. + +_--Felicia Browne Hemans_ + + + + +THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS + +_IN THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM_ + + +As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain +place where was a den, and laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I +slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed +with rags standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, +a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw +him open the book and read therein; and as he read he wept and trembled; +and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable +cry, saying, "What shall I do?" + +In this plight, therefore, he went home, and restrained himself as long +as he could, that his wife and children should not perceive his +distress; but he could not be silent long, because that his trouble +increased. Wherefore at length he brake his mind to his wife and +children; and thus he began to talk to them: "O my dear wife," said he, +"and you the children of my bowels, I, your dear friend, am in myself +undone by reason of a burden that lieth hard upon me; moreover, I am +certainly informed that this our city will be burned with fire from +heaven; in which fearful overthrow, both myself, with thee, my wife, and +you, my sweet-babes, shall miserably come to ruin, except (the which +yet I see not) some way of escape _can_ be found whereby we may be +delivered." + +At this his relations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that +what he said to them was true, but because they thought that some frenzy +distemper had got into his head; therefore, it drawing toward night, and +they hoping that sleep might settle his brains, with all haste they got +him to bed. But the night was as troublesome to him as the day; +wherefore, instead of sleeping, he spent it in sighs and tears. So when +the morning was come, they would know how he did. He told them, "Worse +and worse": he also set to talking to them again; but they began to be +hardened. They also thought to drive away his distemper by harsh and +surly carriage to him; sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would +chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him. Wherefore he began to +retire himself to his chamber to pray for and pity them, and also to +condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the fields, +sometimes reading and sometimes praying; and thus for some days he spent +his time. + +Now I saw, upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was, +as he was wont, reading in his book, and greatly distressed in his mind; +and as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, "What shall +I do to be saved?" + +I saw also that he looked this way, and that way, as if he would run; +yet he stood still, because, as I perceived, he could not tell which +way to go. I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, +and he asked, "Wherefore dost thou cry?" + +He answered, "Sir, I perceive, by the book in my hand, that I am +condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment; and I find that I +am not willing to do the first, nor able to do the second." + +Then said Evangelist, "Why not willing to die, since this life is +attended with so many evils?" The man answered, "Because I fear that +this burden that is upon my back will sink me lower than the grave and I +shall fall into Tophet. And, sir, if I be not fit to go to prison, I am +not fit to go to judgment, and from thence to execution; and the +thoughts of these things make me cry." + +Then said Evangelist, "If this be thy condition, why standest thou +still?" He answered, "Because I know not whither to go." Then he gave +him a parchment roll, and there was written within, "Flee from the wrath +to come." + +The man therefore read it and looking upon Evangelist very carefully, +said, "Whither must I fly?" Then said Evangelist, pointing with his +finger over a very wide field, "Do you see yonder wicket-gate?" The man +said, "No." Then said the other, "Do you see yonder shining light?" He +said, "I think I do." Then said Evangelist, "Keep that light in your +eye, and go up directly thereto, so shalt thou see the gate; at which, +when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do." So I saw +in my dream that the man began to run. Now he had not run far from his +own door when his wife and children, perceiving it, began to cry after +him to return; but the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, +crying, "Life! life! eternal life!" So he looked not behind him; but +fled toward the middle of the plain. + +The neighbors also came out to see him run; and as he ran some mocked, +others threatened, and some cried after him to return; and among those +that did so, there were two that resolved to fetch him back by force. +The name of the one was Obstinate, and the name of the other Pliable. +Now by this time the man was got a good distance from them; but however +they were resolved to pursue him, which they did, and in a little time +they overtook him. Then said the man, "Neighbors, wherefore are ye +come?" They said, "To persuade you to go back with us." But he said, +"That can by no means be; you dwell," said he, "in the City of +Destruction, the place also where I was born: I see it to be so; and +dying there, sooner or later you will sink lower than the grave, into a +place that burns with fire and brimstone: be content, good neighbors, +and go along with me." + +What! said Obstinate, and leave our friends and comforts behind us? + +Yes, said Christian, for that was his name, because that all which you +forsake is not worthy to be compared with a little of that I am seeking +to enjoy; and if you will go along with me, and hold it, you shall fare +as I myself; for there, where I go, is enough and to spare. Come away, +and prove my words. + +_Obst._ What are the things you seek, since you leave all the world to +find them? + +_Chr._ I seek an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth +not away; and it is laid up in heaven, and safe there, to be bestowed at +the time appointed, on them that diligently seek it. Read it so, if you +will, in my book. + +Tush, said Obstinate, away with your book; will you go back with us or +no? + +No, not I, said the other, because I have laid my hand to the plow. + +_Obst._ Come then, neighbor Pliable, let us turn again, and go home +without him; there is a company of these crazy-headed coxcombs, that +when they take a fancy by the end, are wiser in their own eyes than +seven men that can render a reason. + +_Pli._ Then said Pliable, Don't revile; if what the good Christian says +is true, the things he looks after are better than ours; my heart +inclines to go with my neighbor. + +_Obst._ What! more fools still? Be ruled by me and go back; who knows +whither such a brain-sick fellow will lead you? Go back, go back, and be +wise. + +_Chr._ Come with me, neighbor Pliable; there are such things to be had +which I spoke of, and many more glories beside. If you believe not me, +read here in this book; and for the truth of what is expressed therein, +behold, all is confirmed by the blood of him that made it. + +_Pli._ Well, neighbor Obstinate, said Pliable, I begin to come to a +point; I intend to go along with this good man, and to cast in my lot +with him: but, my good companion, do you know the way to this desired +place? + +_Chr._ I am directed by a man, whose name is Evangelist, to speed me to +a little gate that is before us, where we shall receive instruction +about the way. + +_Pli._ Come then, good neighbor, let us be going. + +Then they went both together. + +_Obst._ And I will go back to my place, said Obstinate. I will be no +companion of such misled, fantastical fellows. + +Now I saw in my dream, that when Obstinate was gone back, Christian and +Pliable went talking over the plain, and thus they began their +discourse. + +_Chr._ Come, neighbor Pliable, how do you do? I am glad you are +persuaded to go along with me. Had even Obstinate himself but felt what +I have felt of the powers and terrors of what is yet unseen, he would +not thus lightly have given us the back. + +_Pli._ Come, neighbor Christian, since there are none but us two here, +tell me now further, what the things are, and how to be enjoyed, whither +we are going. + +_Chr._ I can better conceive of them with my mind, than speak of them +with my tongue: but yet since you are desirous to know, I will read them +in my book. + +_Pli._ And do you think that the words of your book are certainly true? + +_Chr._ Yes, verily; for it was made by him that cannot lie. + +_Pit._ Well said; what things are they? + +_Chr._ There is an endless kingdom to be inhabited, and everlasting life +to be given us, that we may inhabit that kingdom forever. + +_Pli._ Well said; and what else? + +_Chr._ There are crowns of glory to be given us; and garments that will +make us shine like the sun in the firmament of heaven. + +_Pli._ This is excellent: and what else? + +_Chr._ There shall be no more crying nor sorrow, for he that is owner of +the place will wipe all tears from our eyes. + +_Pli._ And what company shall we have there? + +_Chr._ There we shall be with seraphims and cherubims; creatures that +will dazzle your eyes to look on them. There also you shall meet with +thousands and ten thousands that have gone before us to that holy place; +none of them are hurtful, but loving and holy; every one walking in the +sight of God, and standing in his presence with acceptance forever. In a +word, there we shall see the elders with their golden crowns; there we +shall see the holy virgins with their golden harps; there we shall see +men that by the world were cut in pieces, burned in flames, eaten of +beasts, drowned in the sea for the love they bare to the Lord of the +place; all well and clothed with immortality as with a garment. + +_Pli._ The hearing of this is enough to ravish one's heart. But are +these things to be enjoyed? How shall we get to be sharers thereof? + +_Chr._ The Lord, the governor of the country, hath recorded that in this +book; the substance of which is, If we be truly willing to have it, he +will bestow it upon us freely. + +_Pli._ Well, my good companion, glad am I to hear of these things: come +on, let us mend our pace. + +_Chr._ I cannot go so fast as I would, by reason of this burden that is +on my back. + +Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew +nigh to a very miry slough that was in the midst of the plain: and they, +being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the +slough was Despond. Here, therefore, they wallowed for a time, being +grievously bedaubed with dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that +was on his back, began to sink in the mire. + +_Pli._ Then said Pliable, Ah, neighbor Christian, where are you now? + +_Chr._ Truly, said Christian, I do not know. + +_Pli._ At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his +fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we +have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect between +this and our journey's end? May I get out again with my life, you shall +possess the brave country alone for me. And with that he gave a +desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the +slough which was next to his own house: so away he went, and Christian +saw him no more. + +Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone: +but still he endeavored to struggle to that side of the slough that was +furthest from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate; the which he +did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back: +but I beheld in my dream, that a man came to him, whose name was Help, +and asked him, "What he did there?" + +_Chr._ Sir, said Christian, I was bid to go this way by a man called +Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the +wrath to come. And as I was going thither I fell in here. + +_Help._ But why did not you look for the steps? + +_Chr._ Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in. + +_Help._ Then said he, Give me thine hand; so he gave him his hand, and +he drew him out, and he set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his +way. + +Then I stepped to him that plucked him out, and said, "Sir, wherefore, +since over this place is the way from the City of Destruction to yonder +gate, is it, that this plat is not mended, that poor travellers might go +thither with more security?" And he said unto me, "This miry slough is +such a place as cannot be mended: it is the descent whither the scum and +filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and +therefore it is called the Slough of Despond; for still as the sinner +is awakened about his lost condition, there arise in his soul many +fears and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get +together, and settle in this place: and this is the reason of the +badness of this ground. + +"It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so +bad. His laborers also have, by the direction of his Majesty's +surveyors, been for above these sixteen hundred years employed about +this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: yea, and to +my knowledge," said he, "here have been swallowed up at least twenty +thousand cart-loads, yea, millions, of wholesome instructions, that have +at all seasons been brought from all places of the King's dominions--and +they that can tell, say, they are the best materials to make good ground +of the place--if so be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough +of Despond still, and so will be when they have done what they can. + +"True, there are, by the direction of the Lawgiver, certain good and +substantial steps, placed even through the very midst of this slough; +but at such time as this place doth much spew out its filth, as it doth +against change of weather, these steps are hardly seen; or if they be, +men, through the dizziness of their heads, step beside, and then they +are bemired to purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there; but the +ground is good when they are once in at the gate." + +Now I saw in my dream, that by this time Pliable was got home to his +house. So his neighbors came to visit him; and some of them called him +wise man for coming back, and some called him fool for hazarding +himself with Christian; others again did mock at his cowardliness; +saying, "Surely, since you began to venture, I would not have been so +base to have given out for a few difficulties:" so Pliable sat sneaking +among them. But at last he got more confidence, and then they all turned +their tales, and began to deride poor Christian behind his back. And +thus much concerning Pliable. + +So, in the process of time, Christian got up to the gate. Now, over the +gate there was written, "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you." + +He knocked, therefore, more than once or twice, saying, + + May I now enter here? Will he within + Open to sorry me, though I have been + An undeserving rebel? Then shall I + Not fail to sing his lasting praise on high. + +At last there came a grave person to the gate, named Goodwill, who asked +who was there, and whence he came, and what he would have. + +_Chr._ Here is a poor burdened sinner. I come from the City of +Destruction, but am going to Mount Zion, that I may be delivered from +the wrath to come: I would, therefore, sir, since I am informed that by +this gate is the way thither, know if you are willing to let me in. + +_Good._ I am willing with all my heart, said he; and with that he opened +the gate. + +So when Christian was stepping in, the other gave him a pull. Then said +Christian, What means that? The other told him, A little distance from +this gate there is erected a strong castle, of which Beelzebub is the +captain; from thence both he and they that are with him shoot arrows at +those who come up to this gate, if haply they may die before they can +enter it. Then said Christian, I rejoice and tremble. + +Now I saw in my dream, that the highway which Christian was to go was +fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation. +Up this way therefore did burdened Christian run, but not without great +difficulty, because of the load on his back. + +He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending; and upon that +place stood a cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So +I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his +burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and +began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the +sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. + +Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, "He +hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death." Then he stood +still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him that +the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked +therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head +sent the waters down his cheeks. Now as he stood looking and weeping, +behold, three Shining Ones came to him, and saluted him with "Peace be +to thee." So the first said to him, "Thy sins be forgiven thee;" the +second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment; +the third also set a mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a +seal upon it, which he bid him look on as he ran, and that he should +give it in at the celestial gate; so they went their way. + +Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing: + + Thus far did I come laden with my sin; + Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in, + Till I came hither; what a place is this! + Must here be the beginning of my bliss? + Must here the burden fall from off my back? + Must here the strings that bound it to me crack? + Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be + The man that there was put to shame for me. + +I saw then in my dream, that he went on thus, even until he came at the +bottom, where he saw, a little out of the way, three men fast asleep, +with fetters upon their heels. The name of the one was Simple, of +another Sloth, and of the third Presumption. + +Christian then, seeing them lie in this case, went to them, if +peradventure he might awake them, and cried, You are like them that +sleep on the top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is under you, a gulf that +hath no bottom: awake, therefore, and come away; be willing also, and I +will help you off with your irons. He also told them, If he that goeth +about like a roaring lion, comes by, you will certainly become a prey to +his teeth. With that they looked upon him, and began to reply in this +sort: Simple said, I see no danger; Sloth said, Yet a little more +sleep; and Presumption said, Every tub must stand upon its own bottom. + +And so they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way. + +Yet was he troubled to think, that men in that danger should so little +esteem the kindness of him that so freely offered to help them, both by +awakening of them, counselling of them, and proffering to help them off +with their irons. And as he was troubled thereabout, he espied two men +come tumbling over the wall on the left hand of the narrow way; and they +made up apace to him. The name of the one was Formalist, and the name of +the other Hypocrisy. So, as I said, they drew up unto him, who thus +entered with him into discourse. + +_Chr._ Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither do you go? + +_Form._ and _Hyp._ We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and are +going for praise to Mount Zion. + +_Chr._ Why came you not in at the gate which standeth at the beginning +of the way? Know ye not that it is written, that "he that cometh not in +by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a +robber?" + +They said, that to go to the gate for entrance was by all their +countrymen counted too far about; and that therefore their usual way was +to make a short cut of it, and to climb over the wall as they had done. + +_Chr._ But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the +city, whither we are bound, thus to violate his revealed will? + +They told him, that as for that, he needed not to trouble his head +thereabout: for what they did they had custom for, and could produce, if +need were, testimony that would witness it, for more than a thousand +years. + +But, said Christian, will your practice stand a trial at law? + +They told him, that custom, it being of so long standing as above a +thousand years, would, doubtless, now be admitted as a thing legal by an +impartial judge. And besides, said they, if we get into the way, what +matter is it which way we get in? If we are in, we are in: thou art but +in the way, who, as we perceive, came in at the gate: and we also are in +the way, that came tumbling over the wall: wherein now is thy condition +better than ours? + +_Chr._ I walk by the rule of my Master: you walk by the rude working of +your fancies. You are counted thieves already by the Lord of the way: +therefore I doubt you will not be found true men at the end of the way. +You come in by yourselves, without his direction, and shall go out by +yourselves, without his mercy. + +To this they made him but little answer; only they bid him look to +himself. Then I saw that they went on every man in his way, without much +conference one with another; save that these two men told Christian, +that as to laws and ordinances, they doubted not but that they should as +conscientiously do them as he. Therefore, said they, we see not wherein +thou differest from us, but by the coat that is on thy back, which was, +as we trow, given thee by some of thy neighbors, to hide the shame of +thy nakedness. + +_Chr._ By laws and ordinances you will not be saved, since you came not +in by the door. And as for this coat that is on my back, it was given me +by the Lord of the place whither I go; and that, as you say, to cover my +nakedness with. And I take it as a token of his kindness to me; for I +had nothing but rags before. And, besides, thus I comfort myself as I +go. Surely, think I, when I come to the gate of the city, the Lord +thereof will know me for good, since I have his coat on my back; a coat +that he gave me freely in the day that he stripped me of my rags. I +have, moreover, a mark in my forehead, of which perhaps you have taken +no notice, which one of my lord's most intimate associates fixed there +in the day that my burden fell off my shoulders. I will tell you, +moreover, that I had then given me a roll sealed, to comfort me by +reading as I go in the way; I was also bid to give it in at the +celestial gate, in token of my certain going in after it; all which +things I doubt you want, and want them because you came not in at the +gate. + +To these things they gave him no answer; only they looked upon each +other, and laughed. Then I saw that they went on all, save that +Christian kept before, who had no more talk but with himself, and that +sometimes sighingly, and sometimes comfortably; also he would be often +reading in the roll that one of the Shining Ones gave him, by which he +was refreshed. + +I beheld, then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the +hill Difficulty, at the bottom of which there was a string. There were +also in the same place two other ways besides that which came straight +from the gate; one turned to the left hand and the other to the right, +at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up the hill, and +the name of the going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty. +Christian now went to the spring; and drank thereof to refresh himself, +and then began to go up the hill, saying: + + The hill, though high, I covet to ascend; + The difficulty will not me offend; + For I perceive the way to life lies here. + Come, pluck up heart, let's neither faint nor fear. + Better, though _difficult_, the right way to go, + Than wrong, though _easy_, where the end is woe. + +The other two also came to the foot of the hill. But when they saw the +hill was steep and high, and that there were two other ways to go; and +supposing also that these two ways might meet again with that up which +Christian went on the other side of the hill; therefore they were +resolved to go in those ways. Now the name of one of those ways was +Danger, and the name of the other Destruction. So the one took the way +which is called Danger, which led him into a great wood; and the other +took directly up the way to Destruction, which led him into a wide +field, full of dark mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no +more. + +I looked then after Christian, to see him go up the hill, where I +perceived he fell from running to going, and from going to clambering +upon his hands and his knees, because of the steepness of the place. Now +about midway to the top of the hill was a pleasant arbor, made by the +Lord of the hill for the refreshment of weary travellers. Thither, +therefore, Christian got, where also he sat down to rest him; then he +pulled his roll out of his bosom, and read therein to his comfort; he +also now began afresh to take a review of the coat or garment that was +given him as he stood by the cross. Thus pleasing himself awhile, he at +last fell into a slumber, and thence into a fast sleep, which detained +him in that place until it was almost night; and in his sleep his roll +fell out of his hand. Now as he was sleeping, there came one to him, and +awaked him, saying, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, +and be wise." And with that Christian suddenly started up, and sped him +on his way, and went apace till he came to the top of the hill. + +Now, when he was got up to the top of the hill, there came two men +running to meet him amain; the name of the one was Timorous, and of the +other Mistrust: to whom Christian said, Sirs, what's the matter? you run +the wrong way. Timorous answered, that they were going to the City of +Zion, and had got up that difficult place: but, said he, the further we +go the more danger we meet with; wherefore we turned, and are going back +again. + +Yes, said Mistrust, for just before us lie a couple of lions in the +way, whether sleeping or waking we know not, and we could not think, if +we came within reach, but they would presently pull us to pieces. + +_Chr._ Then said Christian, you make me afraid; but whither shall I fly +to be safe? If I go back to my own country, that is prepared for fire +and brimstone, and I shall certainly perish there; if I can get to the +Celestial City, I am sure to be in safety there: I must venture. To go +back is nothing but death; to go forward is fear of death and life +everlasting beyond it. I will yet go forward. So Mistrust and Timorous +run down the hill, and Christian went on his way. But thinking again of +what he heard from the man, he felt in his bosom for his roll, that he +might read therein and be comforted; but he felt and found it not. Then +was Christian in great distress, and knew not what to do; for he wanted +that which used to relieve him, and that which should have been his pass +into the Celestial City. Here, therefore, he began to be much perplexed, +and knew not what to do. At last he bethought himself that he had slept +in the arbor that is on the side of the hill; and falling down upon his +knees, he asked God forgiveness for that his foolish act, and then went +back to look for his roll. But all the way he went back, who can +sufficiently set forth the sorrow of Christian's heart? Sometimes he +sighed, sometimes he wept, and oftentimes he chid himself for being so +foolish to fall asleep in that place, which was erected only for a +little refreshment from his weariness. Thus, therefore, he went back, +carefully looking on this side and on that, all the way as he went, if +happily he might find his roll that had been his comfort so many times +in his journey. He went thus till he came within sight of the arbor +where he sat and slept; but that sight renewed his sorrow the more, by +bringing again even afresh, his evil of sleeping unto his mind. Thus, +therefore, he now went on, bewailing his sinful sleep, saying, Oh, +wretched man that I am, that I should sleep in the daytime! that I +should sleep in the midst of difficulty! that I should so indulge the +flesh as to use that rest for ease to my flesh which the Lord of the +hill hath erected only for the relief of the spirits of pilgrims! How +many steps have I taken in vain! Thus it happened to Israel: for their +sin they were sent back again by the way of the Red Sea; and I am made +to tread those steps with sorrow, which I might have trod with delight +had it not been for this sinful sleep. How far might I have been on my +way by this time! I am made to tread those steps thrice over, which I +needed not to have trod but once: yea, also now I am like to be +benighted, for the day is almost spent. Oh, that I had not slept! + +Now by this time he was come to arbor again, where for awhile he sat +down and wept; but at last as Christian would have it, looking +sorrowfully down under the settle, there he espied his roll, the which +he with trembling and haste catched up, and put it into his bosom. But +who can tell how joyful this man was when he had gotten his roll again? +For this roll was the assurance of his life, and acceptance at the +desired haven. Therefore he laid it up in his bosom, gave thanks to God +for directing his eye to the place where it lay, and with joy and tears +betook himself again to his journy. But oh, how nimbly now did he go up +the rest of the hill! Yet, before he got up, the sun went down upon +Christian; and this made him again recall the vanity of his sleeping to +his remembrance; and thus he again began to condole with himself: O thou +sinful sleep! how for thy sake am I like to be benighted in my journey! +I must walk without the sun, darkness must cover the path of my feet, +and I must hear the noise of the doleful creatures, because of my sinful +sleep! Now also he remembered the story that Mistrust and Timorous told +him, of how they were frighted with the sight of the lions. Then said +Christian to himself again, These beasts range in the night for their +prey, and if they should meet with me in the dark, how should I shift +them? how should I escape being by them torn in pieces? Thus he went on +his way. But while he was thus bewailing his unhappy miscarriage, he +lift up his eyes, and behold there was a very stately palace before him, +the name of which was Beautiful, and it stood just by the highway side. + +So I saw in my dream, that he made haste, and went forward, that if +possible he might get lodging there. Now before he had gone far he +entered into a very narrow passage, which was about a furlong off the +Porter's lodge; and looking very narrowly before him as he went, he +espied two lions in the way. Now, thought he, I see the dangers that +Mistrust and Timorous were driven back by. (The lions were chained, but +he saw not the chains.) Then he was afraid, and thought also himself to +go back after them; for he thought nothing but death was before him. But +the Porter at the lodge, whose name is Watchful, perceiving that +Christian made a halt, as if he would go back, cried unto him, saying, +Is thy strength so small? Fear not the lions, for they are chained, and +are placed there for trial of faith where it is, and for discovery of +those that have none; keep in the midst of the path and no hurt shall +come unto thee. + +Then I saw that he went on trembling for fear of the lions; but taking +good heed to the directions of the Porter, he heard them roar but they +did him no harm. Then he clapped his hands and went on till he came and +stood before the gate where the Porter was. Then said Christian to the +Porter, Sir, what house is this? and may I lodge here to-night? The +Porter answered, This house was built by the Lord of the hill, and he +built it for the relief and security of pilgrims. The Porter also asked +whence he was, and whither he was going. + +_Chr._ I am come from the City of Destruction, and am going to Mount +Zion; but because the sun is now set, I desire, if I may, to lodge here +to-night. + +_Port._ What is your name? + +_Chr._ My name is now Christian, but my name at the first was Graceless; +I came of the race of Japheth, whom God will persuade to dwell in the +tents of Shem. + +_Port._ But how doth it happen that you come so late? The sun is set. + +_Chr._ I had been here sooner, but that, wretched man as I am, I slept +in the arbor that stands on the hillside. Nay, I had, notwithstanding +that, been here much sooner, but that in my sleep I lost my evidence, +and came without it to the brow of the hill; and then feeling for it, +and finding it not, I was forced with sorrow of heart to go back to the +place where I slept my sleep, where I found it; and now I am come. + +_Port._ Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who +will, if she likes your talk, bring you in to the rest of the family, +according to the rules of the house. So Watchful, the Porter, rang a +bell, at the sound of which came out of the door of the house a grave +and beautiful damsel, named Discretion, and asked why she was called. + +The Porter answered, This man is on a journey from the City of +Destruction to Mount Zion, but being weary and benighted, he asked me if +he might lodge here to-night; so I told him I would call for thee, who, +after discourse had with him, mayest do as seemeth thee good, even +according to the law of the house. + +Then she asked him whence he was, and whither he was going; and he told +her. She asked him also how he got into the way; and he told her. Then +she asked him what he had seen and met with in the way, and he told her. +And at last she asked his name. So he said, It is Christian; and I have +so much the more a desire to lodge here to-night, because, by what I +perceive, this place was built by the Lord of the hill for the relief +and security of pilgrims. So she smiled, but the water stood in her +eyes; and after a little pause she said, I will call forth two or three +more of the family. So she ran to the door, and called out Prudence, +Piety, and Charity, who, after a little more discourse with him, had him +into the family; and many of them meeting him at the threshold of the +house, said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; this house was built by +the Lord of the hill on purpose to entertain such pilgrims in. Then he +bowed his head, and followed them into the house. So when he was come in +and sat down, they gave him something to drink, and consented together +that, until supper was ready, some of them should have some particular +discourse with Christian, for the best improvement of time; and they +appointed Piety, Prudence, and Charity, to discourse with him. + +Now I saw in my dream, that thus they sat talking together until supper +was ready. So when they had made ready they sat down to meat. Now the +table was furnished with fat things, and wine that was well refined; and +all their talk at the table was about the Lord of the hill; as namely, +what he had done, and wherefore he did what he did, and why he had +builded that house; and by what they said, I perceived that he had been +a great warrior, and had fought with and slain him that had the power of +death, but not without great danger to himself, which made me love him +the more. + +For, as they said, and as I believe, said Christian, he did it with the +loss of much blood. But that which put the glory of grace into all he +did, was, that he did it out of pure love to this country. And besides, +there was some of them of the household that said they had been and +spoke with him since he did die on the cross; and they have attested, +that they had it from his own lips, that he is such a lover of poor +pilgrims, that the like is not to be found from the east to the west. +They, moreover, gave an instance of what they affirmed, and that was, he +had stripped himself of his glory that he might do this for the poor; +and that they had heard him say and affirm, that he would not dwell in +the mountain of Zion alone. They said, moreover, that he had made many +pilgrims princes, though by nature they were beggars born, and their +original had been the dunghill. + +Thus they discoursed together till late at night: and after they had +committed themselves to their Lord for protection, they betook +themselves to rest. The pilgrim they laid in a large upper chamber, +whose window opened toward the sunrising. The name of the chamber was +Peace, where he slept till break of day, and then he awoke and sang: + + Where am I now? Is this the love and care + Of Jesus, for the men that pilgrims are, + Thus to provide that I should be forgiven, + And dwell already the next door to heaven? + +So in the morning they all got up; and after some more discourse, they +told him that he should not depart till they had showed him the +rarities of that place. And first they had him into the study, where +they showed him records of the greatest antiquity; in which, as I +remember my dream, they showed him the pedigree of the Lord of the hill, +that he was the Son of the Ancient of days, and came by that eternal +generation. Here also was more fully recorded the acts that he had done, +and the names of many hundreds that he had taken into his service; and +how he had placed them in such habitations, that could neither by length +of days, nor decays of nature, be dissolved. + +Then they read to him some of the worthy acts that some of his servants +had done; as how they had subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, +obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of +fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, +waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens. + +Then they read again another part of the records of the house, where it +was shown how willing their Lord was to receive into his favor any, even +any, though they in time past had offered great affronts to his person +and proceedings. Here also were several other histories of many other +famous things, of all which Christian had a view; as of things both +ancient and modern, together with prophecies and predictions of things +that have their certain accomplishment, both to the dread and amazement +of enemies, and the comfort and solace of pilgrims. + +The next day they took him, and had him into the armory, where they +showed him all manner of furniture which their Lord had provided for +pilgrims, as sword, shield, helmet, breastplate, all-prayer, and shoes +that would not wear out. And there was here enough of this to harness +out as many men for the service of their Lord as there be stars in +heaven for multitude. + +They also showed him some of the engines with which some of his servants +had done wonderful things. They showed him Moses' rod; the hammer and +nail with which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps, +too, with which Gideon put to flight the armies of Midian. Then they +showed him the ox's goad wherewith Shamgar slew six hundred men. They +showed him also the jaw-bone with which Samson did such mighty feats. +They showed him, moreover, the sling and stone with which David slew +Goliath of Gath, and the sword also with which their Lord will kill the +Man of Sin, in the day that he shall rise up to the prey. They showed +him besides many excellent things, with which Christian was much +delighted. This done, they went to their rest again. + +Then I saw in my dream, that on the morrow he got up to go forward, but +they desired him to stay till the next day also; and then, said they, we +will, if the day be clear, show you the Delectable Mountains; which, +they said, would yet further add to his comfort, because they were +nearer the desired haven than the place where at present he was; so he +consented and stayed. When the morning was up, they had him to the top +of the house, and bid him look south. So he did, and behold, at a great +distance, he saw a most pleasant, mountainous country, beautified with +woods, vineyards, fruit of all sorts, flowers also, with springs and +fountains, very delectable to behold. Then he asked the name of the +country. They said it was Immanuel's Land; and it is as common, said +they, as this hill is, to and for all the pilgrims. And when thou comest +there, from thence, said they, thou mayest see to the gate of the +Celestial City, as the shepherds that live there will make appear. + +Now he bethought himself of setting forward, and they were willing he +should. But first, said they, let us go again into the armory. So they +did, and when he came there they harnessed him from head to foot with +what was of proof, lest perhaps he should meet with assaults in the way. +He being therefore thus accoutred, walked out with his friends to the +gate; and there he asked the Porter if he saw any pilgrim pass by. Then +the Porter answered, Yes. + +_Chr._ Pray, did you know him? said he. + +_Port._ I asked his name, and he told me it was Faithful. + +_Chr._ Oh, said Christian, I know him; he is my townsman, my dear +neighbor; he comes from the place where I was born. How far do you think +he may be before? + +_Port._ He is got by this time below the hill. + +_Chr._ Well, said Christian, good Porter, the Lord be with thee, and add +to thy blessings much increase for the kindness thou hast shown to me. + +Then he began to go forward; but Discretion, Piety, Chanty, and +Prudence would accompany him down to the foot of the hill. So they went +on together, reiterating their former discourses, till they came to go +down the hill. Then said Christian, As it was difficult coming up, so, +so far as I can see, it is dangerous going down. Yes, said Prudence, so +it is; for it is a hard matter for a man to go down into the Valley of +Humiliation, as thou art now, and to catch no slip by the way; +therefore, said they, are we come out to accompany thee down the hill. +So he began to go down, but very warily; yet he caught a slip or two. + +Then I saw in my dream, that these good companions, when Christian was +got down to the bottom of the hill, gave him a loaf of bread, a bottle +of wine, and a cluster of raisins; and then he went his way. + +But now, in this Valley of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard put to +it; for he had gone but a little way before he espied a foul fiend +coming over the field to meet him: his name is Apollyon. Then did +Christian begin to be afraid, and to cast in his mind whether to go +back, or to stand his ground. But he considered again that he had no +armor for his back, and therefore thought that to turn the back to him +might give him greater advantage with ease to pierce him with his darts; +therefore he resolved to venture, and stand his ground; for, thought he, +had I no more in mine eye than the saving of my life, it would be the +best way to stand. + +So he went on, and Apollyon met him. Now the monster was hideous to +behold; he was clothed with scales like a fish, and they are his pride; +he had wings like a dragon, and feet like a bear, and out of his belly +came fire and smoke; and his mouth was as the mouth of a lion. When he +came up to Christian he beheld him with a disdainful countenance, and +thus began to question with him. + +_Apollyon._ Whence come you, and whither are you bound? + +_Chr._ I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the place of all +evil, and I am going to the city of Zion. + +_Apol._ By this I perceive that thou art one of my subjects; for all +that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is it, +then, that thou hast run away from thy king? Were it not that I hope +thou mayst do me more service, I would strike thee now at one blow to +the ground. + +_Chr._ I was, indeed, born in your dominions, but your service was hard, +and your wages such as a man could not live on: for the wages of sin is +death; therefore when I was come to years, I did, as other considerate +persons do, look out, if perhaps I might mend myself. + +_Apol._ There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects, +neither will I as yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy +service and wages, be content to go back, and what our country will +afford I do here promise to give thee. + +_Chr._ But I have let myself to another, even to the King of princes; +and how can I with fairness go back with thee? + +_Apol._ Thou hast done in this according to the proverb, "changed a bad +for worse"; but it is ordinary for those that have professed themselves +his servants, after awhile to give him the slip, and return again to me. +Do thou so too, and all shall be well. + +_Chr._ I have given him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to him; how +then can I go back from this, and not be hanged as a traitor? + +_Apol._ Thou didst the same to me, and yet I am willing to pass by all, +if now thou wilt yet turn again and go back. + +_Chr._ What I promised thee was in my nonage; and besides, I count that +the Prince, under whose banner now I stand, is able to absolve me, yea, +and to pardon also what I did as to my compliance with thee. And +besides, O thou destroying Apollyon, to speak truth, I like his service, +his wages, his servants, his government, his company, and country, +better than thine; therefore leave off to persuade me further; I am his +servant, and I will follow him. + +_Apol._ Consider again, when thou art in cool blood, what thou art like +to meet with in the way that thou goest. Thou knowest that for the most +part his servants come to an ill end, because they are transgressors +against me and my ways. How many of them have been put to shameful +deaths! And besides, thou countest est his service better than mine; +whereas he never came yet from the place where he is, to deliver any +that serve him out of my hands; but as for me, how many times, as all +the world very well knows, have I delivered, either by power or fraud, +those that have faithfully served me, from him and his, though taken by +them. And so I will deliver thee. + +_Chr._ His forbearing at present to deliver them, is on purpose to try +their love, whether they will cleave to him to the end; and as for the +ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious in their +account. For, for the present deliverance, they do not much expect it; +for they stay for their glory; and then they shall have it, when their +Prince comes in his, and the glory of the angels. + +_Apol._ Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to him; and how +dost thou think to receive wages of him. + +_Chr._ Wherein, O Apollyon, have I been unfaithful to him? + +_Apol._ Thou didst faint at the first setting out, when thou wast almost +choked in the Gulf of Despond. Thou didst attempt wrong ways to be rid +of thy burden, whereas thou shouldst have stayed till thy Prince had +taken it off. Thou didst sinfully sleep, and lose thy choice things. +Thou wast almost persuaded to go back at the sight of the lions. And +when thou talkest of thy journey, and of what thou hast seen and heard, +thou art inwardly desirous of vain-glory in all that thou sayest or +doest. + +_Chr._ All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out; but +the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful and ready to forgive. But +besides, these infirmities possessed me in thy country; for there I +sucked them in, and I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and +have obtained pardon of my Prince. + +_Apol._ Then Apollyon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, I am an +enemy to this Prince; I hate his person, his laws, and people; I am come +out on purpose to withstand thee. + +_Chr._ Apollyon, beware what you do, for I am in the king's highway, the +way of holiness; therefore take heed to yourself. + +Then Apollyon straddled quite over the whole breadth of the way, and +said, I am void of fear in this matter. Prepare thyself to die; for I +swear by my infernal den, that thou shalt go no further; here will I +spill thy soul. And with that he threw a naming dart at his breast: but +Christian had a shield in his hand, with which he caught it, and so +prevented the danger of that. + +Then did Christian draw, for he saw it was time to bestir him; and +Apollyon as fast made at him, throwing darts as thick as hail; by the +which, notwithstanding all that Christian could do to avoid it, Apollyon +wounded him in his head, his hand, and foot. This made Christian give a +little back: Apollyon, therefore, followed his work amain, and Christian +again took courage, and resisted as manfully as he could. This sore +combat lasted for about half a day, even till Christian was almost quite +spent. For you must know, that Christian, by reason of his wounds, must +needs grow weaker and weaker. + +Then, Apollyon, espying his opportunity, began to gather up close to +Christian, wrestling with him, gave him a dreadful fall; and with that +Christian's sword flew out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, I am sure of +thee now. And with that he had almost pressed him to death; so that +Christian began to despair of life. But, as God would have it, while +Apollyon was fetching his last blow, thereby to make a full end of this +good man, Christian nimbly reached out his hand for his sword, and +caught it, saying, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall I +shall arise; and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made him give +back, as one that had received his mortal wound. Christian perceiving +that, made at him again, saying, Nay, in all these things we are more +than conquerors through him that loved us. And with that Apollyon spread +forth his dragon's wings, and sped him away, that Christian saw him no +more. + +In this combat no man can imagine, unless he had seen and heard as I +did, what yelling and hideous roaring Apollyon made all the time of the +fight; he spake like a dragon: and on the other side, what sighs and +groans burst from Christian's heart. I never saw him all the while give +so much as one pleasant look, till he perceived he had wounded Apollyon +with his two-edged sword; then, indeed, he did smile, and look upward; +but it was the dreadfulest fight that I ever saw. + +So when the battle was over, Christian said, I will here give thanks to +him that hath delivered me out of the mouth of the lion; to him that did +help me against Apollyon. And so he did, saying: + + Great Beelzebub, the captain of this fiend, + Design'd my ruin; therefore to this end + He sent him harness'd out, and he with rage, + That hellish was, did fiercely me engage: + But blessed Michael helped me, and I, + By dint of sword, did quickly make him fly. + Therefore to him let me give lasting praise, + And thank and bless his holy name always. + +Then there came to him a hand, with some of the leaves of the tree of +life, the which Christian took and applied to the wounds that he had +received in the battle, and was healed immediately. He also sat down in +that place to eat bread, and to drink of the bottle that was given to +him a little before; so being refreshed, he addressed himself to his +journey, with his sword drawn in his hand; for, he said, I know not but +some other enemy may be at hand. But he met with no other affront from +Apollyon quite through the valley. + +Now at the end of this valley was another, called the Valley of the +Shadow of Death; and Christian must needs go through it, because the way +to the Celestial City lay through the midst of it. Now this valley is a +very solitary place; the prophet Jeremiah thus describes it: "A +wilderness, a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought, and of the +shadow of death, a land that no man" (but a Christian) "passeth through, +and where no man dwelt." + +Now here Christian was worse put to it than in his fight with Apollyon, +as by the sequel you shall see. + +I saw then in my dream, that when Christian was got to the borders of +the Shadow of Death, there met him two men, children of them that +brought up an evil report of the good land--making haste to go back--to +whom Christian spake as follows: + +_Chr._ Whither are you going? + +_Men._ They said, Back, back, and we would have you do so too, if either +life or peace is prized by you. + +Why, what's the matter? said Christian. + +_Men._ Matter? said they; we were going that way as you are going, and +went as far as we durst: and indeed we were almost past coming back; for +had we gone a little further, we had not been here to bring the news to +thee. + +But what have you met with? said Christian. + +_Men._ Why, we were almost in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, but +that by good hap we looked before us, and saw the danger before we came +to it. + +But what have you seen? said Christian. + +_Men._ Seen! why the valley itself, which is as dark as pitch: we also +saw there the hobgoblins, satyrs, and dragons of the pit; we heard also +in that valley a continual howling and yelling, as of a people under +unutterable misery, who there sat bound in affliction and irons; and +over that valley hangs the discouraging clouds of confusion: death also +doth always spread his wings over it. In a word, it is every whit +dreadful, being utterly without order. + +Then, said Christian, I perceive not yet, by what you have said, but +that this is my way to the desired haven. + +_Men._ Be it thy way, we will not choose it for ours. + +So they parted, and Christian went on his way, but still with his sword +drawn in his hand, for fear lest he should be assaulted. + +I saw then in my dream, so far as this valley reached, there was on the +right hand a very deep ditch; that ditch is it, into which the blind +have led the blind in all ages, and have both there miserably perished. +Again, behold, on the left hand there was a very dangerous quag, into +which, if even a good man falls, he finds no bottom for his foot to +stand on: into that quag King David once did fall, and had no doubt +therein been smothered, had not he that is able plucked him out. + +The pathway was here also exceeding narrow, and therefore good Christian +was the more put to it; for when he sought, in the dark, to shun the +ditch on the one hand, he was ready to tip over into the mire on the +other: also, when he sought to escape the mire, without great +carefulness he would be ready to fall into the ditch. Thus he went on, +and I heard him here sigh bitterly; for beside the danger mentioned +above, the pathway was here so dark, that ofttimes, when he lifted up +his foot to go forward, he knew not where or upon what he should set it +next. + +About the midst of this valley I perceived the mouth of hell to be, and +it stood also hard by the wayside. Now, thought Christian, what shall I +do? And ever and anon the flame and smoke would come out in such +abundance, with sparks and hideous noises (things that cared not for +Christian's sword, as did Apollyon before), that he was forced to put up +his sword, and betake himself to another weapon, called All-prayer; so +he cried, in my hearing, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Thus +he went on a great while, yet still the flames would be reaching toward +him; also he heard doleful voices, and rushings to and fro, so that +sometimes he thought he should be torn in pieces, or trodden down like +mire in the streets. This frightful sight was seen, and these dreadful +noises were heard by him for several miles together: and coming to a +place where he thought he heard a company of fiends coming forward to +meet him, he stopped, and began to muse what he had best to do. +Sometimes he had half a thought to go back; then, again, he thought he +might be half way through the valley. He remembered, also, how he had +already vanquished many a danger; and that the danger of going back +might be much more than for to go forward. So he resolved to go on: yet +the fiends seemed to come nearer and nearer. But when they were come +even almost at him, he cried out with a most vehement voice, I will walk +in the strength of the Lord God. So they gave back, and came no further. + +One thing I would not let slip. I took notice that now poor Christian +was so confounded that he did not know his own voice; and thus I +perceived it. Just when he was come over against the mouth of the +burning pit, one of the wicked ones got behind him, and stepped up +softly to him, and whisperingly suggested many grievous blasphemies to +him, which he verily thought had proceeded from his own mind. This put +Christian more to it than anything that he met with before, even to +think that he should now blaspheme him that he loved so much before. Yet +if he could have helped it, he would not have done it; but he had not +the discretion either to stop his ears, or to know from whence these +blasphemies came. + +When Christian had travelled in this disconsolate condition some +considerable time, he thought he heard the voice of a man, as going +before him, saying, Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of +Death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. + +Then was he glad, and that for these reasons: + +First, Because he gathered from thence, that some who feared God were in +this valley as well as himself. + +Secondly, For that he perceived God was with them, though in that dark +and dismal state. And why not, thought he, with me? though by reason of +the impediment that attends this place, I cannot perceive it. + +Thirdly, For that he hoped, could he overtake them, to have company by +and by. So he went on, and called to him that was before; but he knew +not what to answer, for that he also thought himself to be alone. And by +and by the day broke: then said Christian, "He hath turned the shadow of +death into the morning." + +Now morning being come, he looked back, not out of desire to return, +but to see, by the light of the day, what hazards he had gone through in +the dark. So he saw more perfectly the ditch that was on the one hand, +and the quag that was on the other; also how narrow the way was which +led between them both. Also now he saw the hobgoblins, and satyrs, and +dragons of the pit, but all afar off; for after break of day they came +not nigh, yet they were discovered to him according to that which is +written, "He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out +to light the shadow of death." + +Now was Christian much affected with this deliverance from all the +dangers of his solitary way; which dangers, though he feared them much +before, yet he saw them more clearly now, because the light of the day +made them conspicuous to him. And about this time the sun was rising, +and this was another mercy to Christian; for you must note, that though +the first part of the Valley of the Shadow of Death was dangerous, yet +this second part, which he was yet to go, was, if possible, far more +dangerous; for, from the place where he now stood, even to the end of +the valley, the way was all along set so full of snares, traps, gins, +and nets here, and so full of pits, pitfalls, deep holes, and shelvings +down there, that had it now been dark, as it was when he came the first +part of the way, had he had a thousand souls, they had in reason been +cast away; but, as I said, just now the sun was rising. Then said he, +"His candle shineth on my head, and by his light I go through darkness." + +In this light, therefore, he came to the end of the valley. Now I saw +in my dream, that at the end of the valley lay blood, bones, ashes, and +mangled bodies of men, even of pilgrims that had gone this way formerly; +and while I was musing what should be the reason, I espied a little +before me a cave, where two giants, Pope and Pagan, dwelt in old time; +by whose power and tyranny the men, whose bones, blood, ashes, etc., lay +there, were cruelly put to death. But by this place Christian went +without much danger, whereat I somewhat wondered; but I have learned +since, that Pagan has been dead many a day; and as for the other, though +he be yet alive, he is, by reason of age, and also of the many shrewd +brushes that he met with in his younger days, grown so crazy and stiff +in his joints, that he can now do little more than sit in his cave's +mouth, grinning at pilgrims as they go by, and biting his nails because +he cannot come at them. + +So I saw that Christian went on his way; yet, at the sight of the old +man that sat at the mouth of the cave, he could not tell what to think, +especially because he spoke to him, though he could not go after him, +saying, You will never mend till more of you be burned. But he held his +peace, and set a good face on it, and so went by, and catched no hurt. +Then sang Christian: + + Oh, world of wonders (I can say no less), + That I should be preserved in that distress + That I have met with here! Oh, blessed be + That hand that from it hath deliver'd me! + Dangers in darkness, heaven, hell, and sin, + Did compass me, while I this vale was in; + Yea, snares, and pits, and traps, and nets did lie + My path about, that worthless, silly I + Might have been catch'd, entangled, and cast down, + But since I live, let Jesus wear the crown. + +Now as Christian went on his way, he came to a little ascent, which was +cast up on purpose that pilgrims might see before them; up there, +therefore, Christian went; and looking forward, he saw Faithful before +him upon his journey. Then said Christian aloud, Ho, ho; so-ho; stay, +and I will be your companion. At that Faithful looked behind him; to +whom Christian cried again, Stay, stay, till I come up to you. But +Faithful answered, No, I am upon my life, and the avenger of blood is +behind me. + +At this Christian was somewhat moved, and putting to all his strength, +he quickly got up with Faithful, and did also overrun him; so the last +was first. Then did Christian vain-gloriously smile, because he had +gotten the start of his brother; but not taking good heed to his feet, +he suddenly stumbled and fell, and could not rise again until Faithful +came up to help him. + +Then I saw in my dream, they went very lovingly on together, and had +sweet discourse of all things that had happened to them in their +pilgrimage. + +Then I saw in my dream, that when they were got out of the wilderness, +they presently saw a town before them, and the name of that town is +Vanity; and at the town there is a fair kept, called Vanity Fair. It is +kept all the year long. It beareth the name of Vanity Fair because the +town where it is kept is lighter than vanity, and also, because all that +is there sold, or that cometh thither, is vanity; as is the saying of +the wise, "All that cometh is vanity." + +This fair is no new erected business, but a thing of ancient standing. I +will show you the original of it. + +Almost five thousand years ago there were pilgrims walking to the +Celestial City, as these two honest persons are; and Beelzebub, +Apollyon, and Legion, with their companions, perceiving by the path that +the pilgrims made, that their way to the city lay through this town of +Vanity, they contrived here to set up a fair; a fair wherein should be +sold all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all the year long. +Therefore at this fair are all such merchandise sold as houses, lands, +trades, places, honors, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, +pleasures; and delights of all sorts, such as harlots, wives, husbands, +children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, +pearls, precious stones, and what not. + +And moreover, at this fair there are at all times to be seen jugglings, +cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves, and rogues, and that of every +kind. + +Here are to be seen, too, and that for nothing, thefts, murders, +adulteries, false-swearers, and that of a blood-red color. + +And as, in other fairs of less moment, there are the several rows and +streets under their proper names, where such and such wares are vended: +so here likewise you have the proper places, rows, streets, namely, +countries and kingdoms, where the wares of this fair are soonest to be +found. Here is the Britain Row, the French Row, the Italian Row, the +Spanish Row, the German Row, where several sorts of vanities are to be +sold. But as in other fairs some one commodity is as the chief of all +the fair, so the ware of Rome and her merchandise is greatly promoted in +this fair; only our English nation, with some others, have taken a +dislike thereat. + +Now, as I said, the way to the Celestial City lies just through this +town where this lusty fair is kept; and he that would go to the city, +and yet not go through this town, "must needs go out of the world." The +Prince of princes himself, when here, went through this town to his own +country, and that upon a fair-day, too; yea, and as I think, it was +Beelzebub, the chief lord of this fair, that invited him to buy of his +vanities, yea, would have made him lord of the fair, would he but have +done him reverence as he went through the town. Yea, because he was such +a person of honor Beelzebub had him from street to street, and showed +him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time, that he might, if +possible, allure that Blessed One to cheapen and buy some of his +vanities; but he had no mind to the merchandise, and therefore left the +town without laying out so much as one farthing upon these vanities. +This fair, therefore, is an ancient thing of long standing, and a very +great fair. + +Now these pilgrims, as I said, must needs go through this fair. Well, so +they did; but, behold, even as they entered into the fair, all the +people in the fair were moved, and the town itself, as it were, in a +hubbub about them, and that for several reasons: For, + +First, The pilgrims were clothed with such kind of raiment as was +diverse from the raiment of any that traded in that fair. The people, +therefore, of the fair made a great gazing upon them; some said they +were fools; some they were bedlams; and some they were outlandish men. + +Secondly, And as they wondered at their apparel, so they did likewise at +their speech; for few could understand what they said. They naturally +spoke the language of Canaan; but they that kept the fair were the men +of this world. So that from one end of the fair to the other they seemed +barbarians each to the other. + +Thirdly, But that which did not a little amuse the merchandisers was, +that these pilgrims set very light by all their wares. They cared not so +much as to look upon them; and if they called upon them to buy, they +would put their fingers in their ears, and cry, "Turn away mine eyes +from beholding vanity," and look upward, signifying that their trade and +traffic was in heaven. + +One chanced mockingly, beholding the carriage of the men, to say unto +them, "What will ye buy?" But they looking gravely upon him, said, "We +buy the truth." At that, there was an occasion taken to despise the men +the more; some mocking, some taunting, some speaking reproachfully, and +some calling upon others to smite them. At last things came to a hubbub +and great stir in the fair, insomuch that all order was confounded. Now +was word presently brought to the great one of the fair, who quickly +came down, and deputed some of his most trusty friends to take those men +into examination about whom the fair was almost overturned. So the men +were brought to examination; and they that sat upon them asked whence +they came, whither they went, and what they did there in such an unusual +garb. The men told them that they were pilgrims and strangers in the +world, and that they were going to their own country, which was the +heavenly Jerusalem; and that they had given no occasion to the men of +the town, nor yet to the merchandisers, thus to abuse them, and to let +them in their journey, except it was for that when one asked them what +they would buy, they said they would buy the truth. But they that were +appointed to examine them did not believe them to be any other than +bedlams and mad, or else such as came to put all things into a confusion +in the fair. Therefore they took them and beat them, and besmeared them +with dirt, and then put them into the cage, that they might be made a +spectacle to all the men of the fair. There, therefore, they lay for +some time, and were made the objects of any man's sport, or malice, or +revenge; the great one of the fair laughing still at all that befell +them. But the men being patient, and "not rendering railing for railing, +but contrariwise blessing," and giving good words for bad, and kindness +for injuries done, some men in the fair that were more observing and +less prejudiced than the rest, began to check and blame the baser +sort for their continual abuses done by them to the men. They, +therefore, in angry manner, let fly at them again, counting them as bad +as the men in the cage, and telling them that they seemed confederates +and should be made partakers of their misfortunes. The others replied, +that, for aught they could see, the men were quiet and sober, and +intended nobody any harm; and that there were many that traded in their +fair that were more worthy to be put into the cage, yea, and pillory +too, than were the men that they had abused. Thus, after divers words +had passed on both sides--the men behaving themselves all the while very +wisely and soberly before them--they fell to some blows among +themselves, and did harm one to another. Then were these two poor men +brought before their examiners again, and there charged as being guilty +of the late hubbub that had been in the fair. So they beat them +pitifully, and hanged irons upon them, and led them in chains up and +down the fair, for an example and terror to others, lest any should +speak in their behalf, or join themselves unto them. But Christian and +Faithful behaved themselves yet more wisely, and received the ignominy +and shame that was cast upon them with so much meekness and patience, +that it won to their side--though but few in comparison of the +rest--several of the men in the fair. This put the other party yet into +a greater rage, insomuch that they concluded the death of these two men. +Wherefore they threatened that neither cage nor irons should serve their +turn, but that they should die for the abuse they had done, and for +deluding the men of the fair. + +Then were they remanded to the cage again until further order should be +taken with them. So they put them in, and made them fast in the stocks. + +Here, therefore, they called again to mind what they had heard from +their faithful friend Evangelist, and were the more confirmed in their +way and sufferings, by what he told them would happen to them. They also +now comforted each other, that whose lot it was to suffer, even he +should have the best of it; therefore each man secretly wished that he +might have that preferment. But committing themselves to the all-wise +disposal of him that ruleth all things, with much content they abode in +the condition in which they were until they should be otherwise disposed +of. + +Then a convenient time being appointed, they brought them forth to their +trial, in order to their condemnation. When the time was come, they were +brought before their enemies, and arraigned. The judge's name was Lord +Hate-good; their indictment was one and the same in substance, though +somewhat varying in form; the contents whereof was this: That they were +enemies to, and disturbers of, the trade; that they had made commotions +and divisions in the town, and had won a party to their own most +dangerous opinions, in contempt of the law of their prince. + +Then Faithful began to answer, that he had only set himself against that +which had set itself against Him that is higher than the highest. And, +said he, as for disturbance, I make none, being myself a man of peace: +the parties that were won to us, were won by beholding our truth and +innocence, and they are only turned from the worse to the better. And as +to the king you talk of, since he is Beelzebub, the enemy of our Lord, I +defy him and all his angels. + +Then proclamation was made, that they that had aught to say for their +lord the king against the prisoner at the bar, should forthwith appear, +and give in their evidence. So there came in three witnesses, to wit, +Envy, Superstition, and Pickthank. They were then asked, if they knew +the prisoner at the bar; and what they had to say for their lord the +king against him. + +Then stood forth Envy, and said to this effect: My lord, I have known +this man a long time, and will attest upon oath before this honorable +bench, that he is-- + +_Judge._ Hold--give him his oath. + +So they sware him. Then he said, My lord, this man, notwithstanding his +plausible name, is one of the vilest men in our country; he neither +regardeth prince nor people, law nor custom, but doeth all that he can +to possess all men with certain of his disloyal notions, which he in the +general calls principles of faith and holiness. And in particular, I +heard him once myself affirm, that Christianity and the customs of our +town of Vanity were diametrically opposite, and could not be reconciled. +By which saying, my lord, he doth at once not only condemn all our +laudable doings, but us in the doing of them. + +Then did the judge say to him, Hast thou any more to say? + +_Envy._ My lord, I could say much more, only I would not be tedious to +the court. Yet if need be, when the other gentlemen have given in their +evidence, rather than anything shall be wanting that will despatch him, +I will enlarge my testimony against him. So he was bid to stand by. + +Then they called Superstition, and bid him look upon the prisoner at the +bar. They also asked, what he could say for their lord the king against +him. Then they sware him; so he began: + +_Super._ My lord, I have no great acquaintance with this man, nor do I +desire to have further knowledge of him. However, this I know, that he +is a very pestilent fellow, from some discourse I had with him, the +other day, in this town; for then, talking with him, I heard him say, +that our religion was naught, and such by which a man could by no means +please God. Which saying of his, my lord, your lordship very well knows +what necessarily thence will follow, to wit, that we still do worship in +vain, are yet in our sins, and finally shall be damned: and this is that +which I have to say. + +Then was Pickthank sworn, and bid say what he knew in behalf of their +lord the king against the prisoner at the bar. + +_Pick._ My lord, and you gentlemen all, this fellow I have known of a +long time, and have heard him speak things that ought not to be spoken; +for he hath railed on our noble prince Beelzebub, and hath spoken +contemptibly of his honorable friends, whose names are, the Lord Old +Man, the Lord Carnal Delight, the Lord Luxurious, the Lord Desire of +Vain Glory, my old Lord Lechery, Sir Having Greedy, with all the rest of +our nobility; and he hath said, moreover, that if all men were of his +mind, if possible, there is not one of these noblemen should have any +longer a being in this town. Besides, he hath not been afraid to rail on +you, my lord, who are now appointed to be his judge, calling you an +ungodly villain, with many other suchlike vilifying terms, with which he +hath bespattered most of the gentry of our town. + +When this Pickthank had told his tale, the judge directed his speech to +the prisoner at the bar, saying, Thou runagate, heretic, and traitor, +hast thou heard what these honest gentlemen have witnessed against thee? + +_Faith._ May I speak a few words in my own defence? + +_Judge._ Sirrah, sirrah, thou deservest to live no longer, but to be +slain immediately upon the place; yet that all men may see our +gentleness toward thee, let us hear what thou hast to say. + +_Faith._ 1. I say, then, in answer to what Mr. Envy hath spoken, I never +said aught but this, that what rule, or laws, or customs, or people, +were flat against the word of God, are diametrically opposite to +Christianity. If I have said amiss in this, convince me of my error, +and I am ready here before you to make my recantation. + +2. As to the second, to wit, Mr. Superstition, and his charge against +me, I said only this, that in the worship of God there is required a +divine faith; but there can be no divine faith without a divine +revelation of the will of God. Therefore, whatever is thrust into the +worship of God, that is not agreeable to divine revelation, cannot be +done but by a human faith, which faith will not be profitable to eternal +life. + +3. As to what Mr. Pickthank has said, I say--avoiding terms, as that I +am said to rail, and the like--that the prince of this town, with all +the rabblement, his attendants, by this gentleman named, are more fit +for a being in hell than in this town and country. And so the Lord have +mercy upon me. + +Then the judge called to the jury--who all this while stood by to hear +and observe--Gentlemen of the jury, you see this man about whom so great +an uproar hath been made in this town; you have also heard what these +worthy gentlemen have witnessed against him; also you have heard his +reply and confession: it lieth now in your breast to hang him, or save +his life; but yet I think meet to instruct you in our law. + +There was an act made in the days of Pharaoh the Great, servant to our +prince, that, lest those of a contrary religion should multiply, and +grow too strong for him, their males should be thrown into the river. +There was also an act made in the day of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, +another of his servants, that whoever would not fall down and worship +his golden image, should be thrown into a fiery furnace. There was also +an act made in the days of Darius, that whoso for some time called upon +any God but him, should be cast into the lions' den. Now, the substance +of these laws this rebel has broken, not only in thought--which is not +to be borne--but also in word and deed; which must, therefore, needs be +intolerable. + +For that of Pharaoh, his law was made upon a supposition, to prevent +mischief, no crime being yet apparent; but here is a crime apparent. For +the second and third, you see he disputeth against our religion; and for +the treason that he hath confessed, he deserveth to die the death. + +Then went the jury out, whose names were Mr. Blindman, Mr. No-good, Mr. +Malice, Mr. Lovelust, Mr. Liveloose, Mr. Heady, Mr. High-mind, Mr. +Enmity, Mr. Liar, Mr. Cruelty, Mr. Hatelight, and Mr. Implacable; who +everyone gave in his private verdict against him among themselves, and +afterward unanimously concluded to bring him in guilty before the judge. +And first among themselves, Mr. Blindman, the foreman, said, I see +clearly that this man is a heretic. Then said Mr. No-good, Away with +such a fellow from the earth. Ay, said Mr. Malice, for I hate the very +looks of him. Then said Mr. Lovelust, I could never endure him. Nor I, +said Mr. Liveloose, for he would always be condemning my way. Hang him, +hang him, said Mr. Heady. A sorry scrub, said Mr. High-mind. My heart +riseth against him, said Mr. Enmity. He is a rogue, said Mr. Liar. +Hanging is too good for him, said Mr. Cruelty. Let us despatch him out +of the way, said Mr. Hatelight. Then said Mr. Implacable, Might I have +all the world given me, I could not be reconciled to him; therefore, let +us forthwith bring him in guilty of death. + +And so they did; therefore he was presently condemned to be had from the +place where he was, to the place from whence he came, and there to be +put to the most cruel death that could be invented. + +They, therefore, brought him out, to do with him according to their law: +and first they scourged him, then they buffeted him, then they lanced +his flesh with knives; after that they stoned him with stones; then +pricked him with their swords; and last of all, they burned him to ashes +at the stake. Thus came Faithful to his end. + +Now I saw that there stood behind the multitude a chariot and a couple +of horses, waiting for Faithful, who, so soon as his adversaries had +despatched him, was taken up into it, and straightway was carried up +through the clouds with sound of trumpet, the nearest way to the +celestial gate. + +But as for Christian, he had some respite, and was remanded back to +prison; so he there remained for a space. But he who overrules all +things, having the power of their rage in his own hand, so wrought it +about, that Christian for that time escaped them, and went his way. + +And as he went he sang, saying: + + Well, Faithful, thou hast faithfully profest + Unto thy Lord, with whom thou shall be blest, + When faithless ones, with all their vain delights, + Are crying out under their hellish plights; + Sing, Faithful, sing, and let thy name survive, + For though they killed thee, thou art yet alive. + +Now I saw in my dream that Christian went not forth alone; for there was +one whose name was Hopeful--being so made by the beholding of Christian +and Faithful in their words and behavior, in their sufferings at the +fair--who joined himself unto him, and entering into a brotherly +covenant, told him that he would be his companion. Thus one died to bear +testimony to the truth, and another rises out of his ashes to be a +companion with Christian in his pilgrimage. This Hopeful also told +Christian, that there were many more of the men in the fair that would +take their time and follow after. + +I saw then that they went on their way to a pleasant river, which David +the king called "the river of God," but John, "the river of the water of +life." Now their way lay just upon the bank of this river; here, +therefore, Christian and his companion walked with great delight; they +drank also of the water of the river, which was pleasant and enlivening +to their weary spirits. Besides, on the banks of this river, on either +side, were green trees, with all manner of fruit; and the leaves they +ate to prevent surfeits, and other diseases that are incident to those +who heat their blood by travel. On either side of the river was also a +meadow, curiously beautified with lilies; and it was green all the year +long. In this meadow they lay down and slept, for here they might lie +down safely. When they awoke, they gathered again of the fruit of the +trees, and drank again of the water of the river, and then lay down +again to sleep. Thus they did several days and nights. Then they sang: + + Behold ye how these crystal streams do glide, + To comfort pilgrims by the highway-side, + The meadows green, besides their fragrant smell, + Yield dainties for them; and he who can tell + What pleasant fruit, yea, leaves, these trees do yield, + Will soon sell all, that he may buy this field. + +So when they were disposed to go on--for they were not as yet at their +journey's end--they ate and drank, and departed. + +Now I beheld in my dream, that they had not journeyed far, but the river +and the way for a time parted, at which they were not a little sorry; +yet they durst not go out of the way. Now the way from the river was +rough, and their feet tender by reason of their travels; so the souls of +the pilgrims were much discouraged because of the way. Wherefore still +as they went on, they wished for a better way. Now a little before them, +there was on the left hand of the road a meadow, and a stile to go over +into it, and that meadow is called By-path Meadow. Then said Christian +to his fellow, If this meadow lieth along by our wayside, let's go over +into it. Then he went to the stile to see, and behold a path lay along +by the way on the other side of the fence. It is according to my wish, +said Christian; here is the easiest going; come, good Hopeful, and let +us go over. + +_Hope._ But, how if this path should lead us out of the way? + +That is not likely, said the other. Look, doth it not go along by the +wayside? So Hopeful, being persuaded by his fellow, went after him over +the stile. When they were gone over, and were got into the path, they +found it very easy for their feet; and withal, they looking before them, +espied a man walking as they did, and his name was Vain Confidence; so +they called after him, and asked him whither that way led. He said, To +the celestial gate. Look, said Christian, did not I tell you so? by this +you may see we are right. So they followed, and he went before them. But +behold the night came on, and it grew very dark; so that they that were +behind lost the sight of him that went before. + +He therefore that went before--Vain Confidence by name--not seeing the +way before him, fell into a deep pit, which was on purpose there made, +by the prince of those grounds, to catch vainglorious fools withal, and +was dashed in pieces with his fall. + +Now Christian and his fellow heard him fall. So they called to know the +matter, but there was none to answer, only they heard a groaning. Then +said Hopeful, Where are we now? Then was his fellow silent, as +mistrusting that he had led him out of the way; and now it began to +rain, and thunder and lighten in a most dreadful manner, and the water +rose amain. + +Then Hopeful groaned in himself, saying, Oh that I had kept on my way! + +_Chr._ Who could have thought that this path should have led us out of +the way? + +_Hope._ I was afraid on it at the very first, and therefore gave you +that gentle caution. I would have spoken plainer, but that you are older +than I. + +_Chr._ Good brother, be not offended; I am sorry I have brought thee out +of the way, and that I have put thee into such imminent danger. Pray, my +brother, forgive me; I did not do it of an evil intent. + +_Hope._ Be comforted, my brother, for I forgive thee; and believe, too, +that this shall be for our good. + +_Chr._ I am glad I have with me a merciful brother; but we must not +stand here; let us try to go back again. + +_Hope._ But, good brother, let me go before. + +_Chr_: No, if you please, let me go first, that if there be any danger, +I may be first therein, because by my means we are both gone out of the +way. + +No, said Hopeful, you shall not go first, for your mind being troubled +may lead you out of the way again. Then, for their encouragement, they +heard the voice of one saying, "Let thine heart be toward the highway, +even the way that thou wentest; turn again." But by this time the waters +were greatly risen, by reason of which the way of going back was very +dangerous. (Then I thought that it is easier going out of the way when +we are in, than going in when we are out.) Yet they adventured to go +back; but it was so dark, and the flood was so high, that in their going +back they had like to have drowned nine or ten times. + +Neither could they, with all the skill they had, get again to the stile +that night. Wherefore at last, lighting under a little shelter, they sat +down there until the day brake; but, being weary, they fell asleep. Now +there was, not far from the place they lay, a castle, called Doubting +Castle, the owner whereof was Giant Despair, and it was in his grounds +they now were sleeping: wherefore he, getting up in the morning early, +and walking up and down in his fields, caught Christian and Hopeful +asleep in his grounds. Then with a grim and surly voice he bid them +awake, and asked them whence they were, and what they did in his +grounds. They told him they were pilgrims, and that they had lost their +way. Then said the Giant, You have this night trespassed on me by +trampling in and lying on my grounds, and therefore you must go along +with me. So they were forced to go, because he was stronger than they. +They also had but little to say, for they knew themselves in a fault. +The Giant, therefore, drove them before him, and put them into his +castle, in a very dark dungeon, nasty, and stinking to the spirits of +these two men. Here, then, they lay from Wednesday morning till Saturday +night, without one bit of bread, drop of drink, or light, or any to ask +how they did; they were, therefore, here in evil case, and were far from +friends and acquaintance. Now in this place Christian had double sorrow, +because it was through his unadvised counsel that they were brought into +this distress. + +Now Giant Despair had a wife and her name was Diffidence: so when he +was gone to bed he told his wife what he had done, to wit, that he had +taken a couple of prisoners, and cast them into his dungeon for +trespassing on his grounds. Then he asked her also what he had best to +do further with them. So she asked him what they were, whence they came, +and whither they were bound, and he told her. Then she counselled him, +that when he arose in the morning he should beat them without mercy. So +when he arose, he getteth him a grievous crabtree cudgel, and goes down +into the dungeon to them, and there first falls to rating of them as if +they were dogs, although they never gave him a word of distaste. Then he +falls upon them, and beats them fearfully, in such sort that they were +not able to help themselves, or to turn them upon the floor. This done, +he withdraws and leaves them there to condole their misery, and to mourn +under their distress: so all that day they spent their time in nothing +but sighs and bitter lamentations. The next night she, talking with her +husband further about them, and understanding that they were yet alive, +did advise him to counsel them to make away with themselves. So when +morning was come, he goes to them in a surly manner, as before, and +perceiving them to be very sore with the stripes that he had given them +the day before, he told them, that since they were never like to come +out of that place, their only way would be forthwith to make an end of +themselves, either with a knife, halter, or poison: for why, said he, +should you choose to live, seeing it is attended with so much +bitterness? But they desired him to let them go. With that he looked +ugly upon them, and rushing to them, had doubtless made an end of them +himself, but that he fell into one of his fits--for he sometimes in +sunshiny weather fell into fits--and lost for a time the use of his +hands; wherefore he withdrew, and left them as before to consider what +to do. Then did the prisoners consult between themselves, whether it +were best to take his counsel or no; and thus they began to discourse. + +Brother, said Christian, what shall we do? The life that we now live is +miserable. For my part, I know not whether it is best to live thus, or +to die out of hand. My soul chooseth strangling rather than life, and +the grave is more easy for me than this dungeon. Shall we be ruled by +the Giant? + +_Hope._ Indeed our present condition is dreadful, and death would be far +more welcome to me than thus forever to abide; but yet let us consider, +the Lord of the country to which we are going hath said, "Thou shalt do +no murder," no, not to another man's person, much more then are we +forbidden to take his counsel to kill ourselves. Besides, he that kills +another, can but commit murder upon his body; but for one to kill +himself, is to kill body and soul at once. And, moreover, my brother, +thou talkest of ease in the grave, but hast thou forgotten the hell +whither for certain the murderers go? for "no murderer hath eternal +life," etc. And let us consider again, that all the law is not in the +hand of Giant Despair; others, so far as I can understand, have been +taken by him as well as we, and yet have escaped out of his hands. Who +knows but that God, who made the world, may cause that Giant Despair may +die; or that at some time or other he may forget to lock us in; or but +he may, in a short time, have another of his fits before us, and he may +lose the use of his limbs? And if ever that should come to pass again, +for my part, I am resolved to pluck up the heart of a man, and to try my +utmost to get from under his hand. I was a fool that I did not try to do +it before. But however, my brother, let us be patient, and endure +awhile; the time may come that may give us a happy release; but let us +not be our own murderers. With these words Hopeful at present did +moderate the mind of his brother; so they continued together in the dark +that day, in their sad and doleful condition. + +Well, toward evening the Giant goes down into the dungeon again, to see +if his prisoners had taken his counsel. But when he came there he found +them alive; and truly alive was all; for now, what for want of bread and +water, and by reason of the wounds they received when he beat them, they +could do little but breathe. But I say he found them alive; at which he +fell into a grievous rage, and told them, that seeing they had disobeyed +his counsel, it should be worse with them than if they had never been +born. + +At this they trembled greatly, and I think that Christian fell into a +swoon; but coming a little to himself again, they renewed their +discourse about the Giant's counsel, and whether yet they had best take +it or no. Now Christian again seemed for doing it; but Hopeful made his +second reply as followeth: + +My brother, said he, rememberest thou not how valiant thou hast been +heretofore? Apollyon could not crush thee, nor could all that thou didst +hear, or see, or feel, in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. What +hardship, terror, and amazement, hast thou already gone through! and +art thou now nothing but fears? Thou seest that I am in the dungeon with +thee, a far weaker man by nature than thou art. Also this Giant hath +wounded me as well as thee, and also cut off the bread and water from my +mouth, and with thee I mourn without the light. But let us exercise a +little more patience. Remember how thou playedst the man at Vanity Fair, +and wast neither afraid of the chain nor cage, nor yet of bloody death; +wherefore let us--at least to avoid the shame that it becomes not a +Christian to be found in--bear up with patience as well as we can. + +Now night being come again, and the Giant and his wife in bed, she asked +him concerning the prisoners, and if they had taken his counsel; to +which he replied, They are sturdy rogues; they choose rather to bear all +hardships than to make away with themselves. Then said she, Take them +into the castle-yard to-morrow, and show them the bones and skulls of +those that thou hast already despatched, and make them believe, ere a +week comes to an end, thou wilt tear them in pieces, as thou hast done +their fellows before them. + +So when the morning was come, the Giant goes to them again, and takes +them into the castle-yard, and shows them as his wife had bidden him. +These, said he, were pilgrims, as you are, once, and they trespassed on +my grounds as you have done; and when I thought fit I tore them in +pieces, and so within ten days I will do you; go, get you down to your +den again. And with that he beat them all the way thither. They lay, +therefore, all day on Saturday in a lamentable case, as before. Now when +night was come, and when Mrs. Diffidence and her husband, the Giant, +were got to bed, they began to renew their discourse of their prisoners; +and withal the old Giant wondered that he could neither by his blows nor +counsel bring them to an end. And with that his wife replied, I fear, +said she, that they live in hopes that some will come to relieve them; +or that they have picklocks about them, by the means of which they hope +to escape. And sayest thou so, my dear? said the Giant; I will therefore +search them in the morning. + +Well, on Saturday, about midnight, they began to pray, and continued in +prayer till almost break of day. + +Now, a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, +broke out into this passionate speech: What a fool, quoth he, am I, to +lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a +key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any +lock in Doubting Castle. Then said Hopeful, That's good news; good +brother, pluck it out of thy bosom, and try. + +Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the +dungeon door, whose bolt, as he turned the key, gave back, and the door +flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he +went to the outward door that leads into the castle-yard, and with his +key opened that door also. After that he went to the iron gate, for that +must be opened too, but that lock went desperately hard, yet the key did +open it. Then they thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed; +but that gate as it opened, made such a creaking that it waked Giant +Despair, who hastily rising to pursue his prisoners, felt his limbs to +fail; for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after +them. Then they went on, and came to the King's highway again, and so +were safe, because they were out of his jurisdiction. + +Now, when they were gone over the stile, they began to contrive with +themselves what they should do at that stile, to prevent those that +shall come after from falling into the hands of Giant Despair. So they +consented to erect there a pillar, and to engrave upon the side thereof +this sentence: "Over this stile is the way to Doubting Castle, which is +kept by Giant Despair, who despiseth the King of the Celestial Country, +and seeks to destroy, his holy pilgrims." Many, therefore, that followed +after, read what was written, and escaped the danger. This done, they +sang as follows: + + Out of the way we went, and then we found + What 'twas to tread upon forbidden ground; + And let them that come after have a care, + Lest they for trespassing, his pris'ners are, + Whose castle's Doubting, and whose name's Despair. + +They then went till they came to the Delectable Mountains, which +mountains belong to the Lord of that hill of which we have spoken +before. So they went up to the mountains, to behold the gardens and +orchards, the vineyards and fountains of water; where also they drank +and washed themselves, and did freely eat of the vineyards. Now there +were on the tops of these mountains shepherds feeding their flocks, and +they stood by the highway-side. The pilgrims, therefore, went to them, +and leaning upon their staffs--as is common with weary pilgrims when +they stand to talk with any by the way--they asked, Whose Delectable +Mountains are these, and whose be the sheep that feed upon them? + +_Shep._ These mountains are Immanuel's Land, and they are within sight +of his city; and the sheep also are his, and he laid down his life for +them. + +_Chr._ Is this the way to the Celestial City? + +_Shep._ You are just in your way. + +_Chr._ How far is it thither? + +_Shep._ Too far for any but those who shall get thither, indeed. + +_Chr._ Is the way safe, or dangerous? + +_Shep._ Safe for those for whom it is to be safe; but transgressors +shall fall therein. + +_Chr._ Is there in this place any relief for pilgrims that are weary and +faint in the way? + +_Shep._ The Lord of these mountains hath given us a charge not to be +forgetful to entertain strangers; therefore, the good of the place is +before you. + +I saw also in my dream, that when the Shepherds perceived that they +were wayfaring men, they also put questions to them, to which they made +answer as in other places, as, Whence came you? and, How got you into +the way? and, By what means have you persevered therein? for but few of +them that begin to come hither, do show their faces on these mountains. +But when the Shepherds heard their answers, being pleased therewith, +they looked very lovingly upon them, and said, Welcome to the Delectable +Mountains. + +The shepherds, I say, whose names were Knowledge, Experience, Watchful, +and Sincere, took them by the hand, and had them to their tents, and +made them partake of what was ready at present. They said, moreover, We +would that you should stay here awhile, to be acquainted with us, and +yet more to solace yourselves with the good of these Delectable +Mountains. They then told them that they were content to stay. So they +went to rest that night, because it was very late. + +Then I saw in my dream, that in the morning the Shepherds called up +Christian and Hopeful to walk with them upon the Mountains. So they went +forth with them, and walked awhile, having a pleasant prospect on every +side. Then said the Shepherds one to another, Shall we show these +pilgrims some wonders? So when they had concluded to do it, they had +them first to the top of a hill, called Error, which was very steep on +the furthest side, and bid them look down to the bottom. So Christian +and Hopeful looked down, and saw at the bottom several men dashed all +to pieces by a fall they had from the top. Then said Christian, What +meaneth this? The Shepherds answered, Have you not heard of them that +were made to err, by hearkening to Hymeneus and Philetus, as concerning +the faith of the resurrection of the body? They answered, Yes. Then said +the Shepherds, Those that you see dashed in pieces at the bottom of this +mountain are they; and they have continued to this day unburied, as you +see, for an example to others to take heed how they clamber too high, or +how they come too near the brink of this mountain. + +Then I saw that they had them to the top of another mountain, and the +name of that is Caution, and bid them look afar off; which, when they +did, they perceived, as they thought, several men walking up and down +among the tombs that were there; and they perceived that the men were +blind, because they stumbled sometimes upon the tombs, and because they +could not get out from among them. Then said Christian, What means this? + +The Shepherds then answered, Did you not see a little below these +mountains a stile that led into a meadow, on the left hand of this way? +They answered, Yes. Then said the Shepherds, From that stile there goes +a path that leads directly to Doubting Castle, which is kept by Giant +Despair; and these men, pointing to them among the tombs, came once on +pilgrimage, as you do now, even until they came to that same stile. And +because the right way was rough in that place, they chose to go out of +it into that meadow, and there were taken by Giant Despair, and cast +into Doubting Castle, where, after they had awhile been kept in the +dungeon, he at last did put out their eyes, and led them among those +tombs, where he has left them to wander to this very day, that the +saying of the wise man might be fulfilled, "He that wandereth out of the +way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead." Then +Christian and Hopeful looked one upon another, with tears gushing out, +but yet said nothing to the Shepherds. + +Then I saw in my dream, that the Shepherds had them to another place in +a bottom, where was a door on the side of a hill; and they opened the +door, and bid them look in. They looked in, therefore, and saw that +within it was very dark and smoky; they also thought that they heard +there a rumbling noise, as of fire, and a cry of some tormented, and +they smelled the scent of brimstone. Then said Christian, What means +this? The Shepherds told them, This is a by-way to hell, a way that +hypocrites go in at; namely, such as sell their birthright, with Esau; +such as sell their Master, with Judas; such as blaspheme the gospel, +with Alexander; and that lie and dissemble, with Ananias and Sapphira +his wife. + +Then said Hopeful to the Shepherds, I perceive that these had on them, +even every one, a show of pilgrimage, as we have now; had they not? + +_Shep._ Yes, and held it a long time too. + +_Hope._ How far might they go on in pilgrimage in their day, since they, +notwithstanding, were thus miserably cast away? + +_Shep._ Some further, and some not so far as these mountains. + +Then said the pilgrims one to another, We have need to cry to the Strong +for strength. + +_Shep._ Ay, and you will have need to use it, when you have it too. + +By this time the pilgrims had a desire to go forward, and the Shepherds +a desire they should; so they walked together toward the end of the +mountains. Then said the Shepherds one to another, Let us here show the +pilgrims the gate of the Celestial City, if they have skill to look +through our perspective-glass. The pilgrims then lovingly accepted the +motion; so they had them to the top of a high hill, called Clear, and +gave them the glass to look. + +Then they tried to look; but the remembrance of that last thing that the +Shepherds had shown them made their hands shake, by means of which +impediment they could not look steadily through the glass; yet they +thought they saw something like the gate, and also some of the glory of +the place. Thus they went away and sang: + + Thus by the Shepherds secrets are reveal'd + Which from all other men are kept conceal'd: + Come to the Shepherds, then, if you would see + Things deep, things hid, and that mysterious be. + +When they were about to depart, one of the Shepherds gave them a note of +the way. Another of them bid them beware of the Flatterer. The third bid +them take heed that they sleep not upon Enchanted Ground. And the fourth +bid them God speed. + +They went then till they came at a place where they saw a way put itself +into their way, and seeming withal to lie as straight as the way which +they should go; and here they knew not which of the two to take, for +both seemed straight before them; therefore, here they stood still to +consider. And as they were thinking about the way, behold, a man black +of flesh, but covered with a very light robe, vame to them, and asked +them why they stood there. They answered, they were going to the +Celestial City, but knew not which of these ways to take. Follow me, +said the man; it is thither that I am going. So they followed him in the +way that but now came into the road, which by degrees turned, and turned +them so from the city that they desired to go to, that in a little time +their faces were turned from it; yet they followed him. But by and by, +before they were aware, he led them both within the compass of a net, in +which they were both so entangled that they knew not what to do; and +with that the white robe fell off the black man's back. Then they saw +where they were. Wherefore there they lay crying some time, for they +could not get themselves out. + +Then said Christian to his fellow, Now do I see myself in an error. Did +not the Shepherds bid us beware of the Flatterer? As is the saying of +the wise man, so we have found it this day: "A man that flattereth his +neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet." + +_Hope._ They also gave us a note of directions about the way, for our +more sure finding thereof; but therein we have also forgotten to read, +and not kept ourselves from the paths of the destroyer. Here David was +wiser than we, for, saith he, "Concerning the works of men, by the word +of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." Thus they +lay bewailing themselves in the net. At last they espied a Shining One +coming toward them with a whip of small cords in his hand. When he was +come to the place where they were, he asked them whence they came, and +what they did there. They told him that they were poor pilgrims going to +Zion, but were led out of their way by a black man clothed in white, who +bid us, said they, follow him, for he was going thither too. Then said +he with a whip, It Flatterer, a false apostle, that hath transformed +himself into an angel of light. So he rent the net, and let the men out. +Then said he to them, Follow me, that I may set you in your way again. +So he led them back to the way which they had left to follow the +Flatterer. Then he asked them, saying, Where did you lie the last night? +They said, With the Shepherds upon the Delectable Mountains. He asked +them if they had not a note of directions for the way. They answered, +Yes. But did you not, said he, when you were at a stand, pluck out and +read your note? They answered, No. He asked them, Why? They said they +forgot. He asked, moreover, if the Shepherds did not bid them beware of +the Flatterer. They answered, Yes; but we did not imagine, said they, +this fine-spoken man had been he. + +Then I saw in my dream, that he commanded them to lie down; which when +they did, he chastised them sore, to teach them the good way wherein +they should walk; and as he chastised them, he said, "As many as I love +I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent." This done, he +bids them go on their way, and take good heed to the other directions of +the Shepherds. So they thanked him for all his kindness, and went softly +along the right way, singing: + + Come hither, you that walk along the way, + See how the pilgrims fare that go astray: + They catched are in an entangled net, + 'Cause they good counsel lightly did forget. + 'Tis true they rescued were; but yet, you see, + They're scourg'd to boot: let this your caution be. + +Now, after awhile, they perceived afar off one coming softly and alone, +all along the highway to meet them. Then said Christian to his fellow, +Yonder is a man with his back toward Zion, and he is coming to meet us. + +_Hope._ I see him; let us take heed to ourselves now lest he should +prove a flatterer also. So he drew nearer and nearer, and at last came +up to them. His name was Atheist, and he asked them whither they were +going. + +_Chr._ We are going to the Mount Zion. + +Then Atheist fell into a very great laughter. + +_Chr._ What's the meaning of your laughter? + +_Atheist._ I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are, to take upon +you so tedious a journey, and yet are like to have nothing but your +travel for your pains. + +_Chr._ Why man, do you think we shall not be received? + +_Atheist._ Received! There is no such place as you dream of in all this +world. + +_Chr._ But there is in the world to come. + +_Atheist._ When I was at home in my own country, I heard as you now +affirm, and from that hearing went out to see, and have been seeking +this city these twenty years, but find no more of it than I did the +first day I set out. + +_Chr._ We have both heard, and believe, that there is such a place to be +found. + +_Atheist._ Had not I, when at home, believed, I had not come thus far to +seek; but finding none--and yet I should had there been such a place to +be found, for I have gone to seek it further than you--I am going back +again, and will seek to refresh myself with the things that I then cast +away for hopes of that which I now see is not. + +Then said Christian to Hopeful his companion, Is it true which this man +hath said? + +_Hope._ Take heed, he is one of the flatterers. Remember what it hath +cost us once already for hearkening to such kind fellows. What? no Mount +Zion? Did we not see from the Delectable Mountains the gate of the city? +Also, are we not now to walk by faith? Let us go on, lest the man with +the whip overtake us again. You should have taught me that lesson, which +I will round you in the ears withal: "Cease, my son, to hear the +instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." I say, my +brother, cease to hear him, and let us believe to the saving of the +soul. + +_Chr._ My brother, I did not put the question to thee, for that I +doubted of the truth of our belief myself, but to prove thee, and to +fetch from thee a fruit of the honesty of thy heart. As for this man, I +know that he is blinded by the god of this world. Let thee and me go on, +knowing that we have belief of the truth, and no lie is of the truth. + +_Hope._ Now do I rejoice in hope of the glory of God. So they turned +away from the man, and he, laughing at them, went his way. + +I then saw in my dream that they went on until they came into a certain +country, whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy, if he came a +stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull, and heavy to +sleep; wherefore he said unto Christian: I do now begin to grow so +drowsy that I can scarcely hold open mine eyes; let us lie down and take +one nap. + +By no means, said the other, lest sleeping we never awake more. + +_Hope._ Why, my brother? sleep is sweet to the laboring man; we may be +refreshed if we take a nap. + +_Chr._ Do you not remember that one of the Shepherds bid us to beware of +the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that, that we should beware of +sleeping: wherefore, "let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch +and be sober." + +_Hope._ I acknowledge myself in a fault; and had I been here alone, I +had by sleeping run the danger of death. I see it is true that the wise +man saith, "Two are better than one." Hitherto hath thy company been my +mercy; and thou shalt have a good reward for thy labor. + +Now then, said Christian, to prevent drowsiness in this place, let us +fall into good discourse. + +With all my heart, said the other. + +Now I saw in my dream, that the pilgrims were got over the Enchanted +Ground, and entering into the country of Beulah; whose air was very +sweet and pleasant; the way lying directly through it, they solaced +themselves there for a season. Yea, here they heard continually the +singing of birds, and saw every day the flowers appear in the earth, and +heard the voice of the turtle in the land. In this country the sun +shineth night and day; wherefore this was beyond the Valley of the +Shadow of Death, and also out of the reach of Giant Despair; neither +could they from this place so much as see Doubting Castle. Here they +were within sight of the city they were going to; also here met them +some of the inhabitants thereof; for in this land the Shining Ones +commonly walked, because it was upon the borders of heaven. In this land +also the contract between the Bride and the Bridegroom was renewed; yea, +here, "as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so doth their God +rejoice over them." Here they had no want of corn and wine; for in this +place they met with abundance of what they had sought for in all their +pilgrimages. Here they heard voices from out of the city, loud voices, +saying, "Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh! +Behold, His reward is with him!" Here all the inhabitants of the +country called them "the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, sought +out," etc. + +Now, as they walked in this land, they had more rejoicing than in parts +more remote from the kingdom to which they are bound; and drawing near +to the city, they had yet a more perfect view thereof. It was builded of +pearls and precious stones, also the streets thereof were paved with +gold; so that, by reason of the natural glory of the city, and the +reflection of the sunbeams upon it, Christian with desire fell sick; +Hopeful also had a fit or two of the same disease: wherefore here they +lay by it awhile, crying out because of their pangs, "If you see my +Beloved, tell him that I am sick of love." + +But, being a little strengthened, and better able to bear their +sickness, they walked on their way, and came yet nearer and nearer, +where were orchards, vineyards, and gardens, and their gates opened into +the highway. Now, as they came up to these places behold the gardener +stood in the way; to whom the pilgrims said, Whose goodly vineyards and +gardens are these? He answered, They are the King's, and are planted +here for his own delights, and also for the solace of pilgrims. So the +gardener had them into the vineyards, and bid them refresh themselves +with the dainties. He also showed them there the King's walks and the +arbors where he delighteth to be: and here they tarried and slept. + +Now, I beheld in my dream that they talked more in their sleep at this +time than ever they did in all their journey, and being in a muse +thereabout, the gardener said even to me, Wherefore musest thou at the +matter: it is the nature of the fruit of the grapes of these vineyards +"to go down so sweetly as to cause the lips of them that are asleep to +speak." + +So I saw that when they awoke they addressed themselves to go up to the +city. But, as I said, the reflection of the sun upon the city--for the +city was pure gold--was so extremely glorious that they could not as yet +with open face behold it, but through an instrument made for that +purpose. So I saw, that as they went on, there met them two men in +raiment that shone like gold, also their faces shone as the light. + +These men asked the pilgrims whence they came; and they told them. They +also asked them where they had lodged, what difficulties and dangers, +what comforts and pleasures, they had met in the way; and they told +them. Then said the men that met them, You have but two difficulties +more to meet with, and then you are in the city. + +Christian then and his companion asked the men to go along with them: so +they told them that they would: But, said they, you must obtain it by +your own faith. So I saw in my dream that they went on together till +they came in sight of the gate. + +Now I further saw, that between them and the gate was a river: but there +was no bridge to go over; and the river was very deep. At the sight +therefore of this river the pilgrims were much stunned; but the men that +went with them said, You must go through or you cannot come at the +gate. + +The pilgrims then began to inquire if there was no other way to the +gate. To which they answered, Yes; but there hath not any, save two, to +wit, Enoch and Elijah, been permitted to tread that path since the +foundation of the world, nor shall until the last trumpet shall sound. +The pilgrims then, especially Christian, began to despond in their +minds, and looked this way and that, but no way could be found by them +by which they might escape the river. Then they asked the men if the +waters were all of a depth. They said, No; yet they could not help them +in that case; for, said they, you shall find it deeper or shallower as +you believe in the King of the place. + +They then addressed themselves to the water, and entering, Christian +began to sink, and crying out to his good friend Hopeful, he said, I +sink in deep waters; the billows go over my head, all his waves go over +me. + +Then said the other, Be of good cheer, my brother: I feel the bottom, +and it is good. Then said Christian, Ah, my friend, "the sorrows of +death have compassed me about," I shall not see the land that flows with +milk and honey. And with that a great darkness and horror fell upon +Christian, so that he could not see before him. Also here he in a great +measure lost his senses, so that he could neither remember nor orderly +talk of any of those sweet refreshments that he had met with in the way +of his pilgrimage. But all the words that he spoke still tended to +discover that he had horror of mind, and heart-fears that he should die +in that river, and never obtain entrance in at the gate. Here also, as +they that stood by perceived, he was much in the troublesome thoughts of +the sins that he had committed, both since and before he began to be a +pilgrim. It was also observed, that he was troubled with apparitions of +hobgoblins and evil spirits; for ever and anon he would intimate so much +by words. + +Hopeful therefore here had much ado to keep his brother's head above +water; yea, sometimes he would be quite gone down, and then, ere awhile, +he would rise up again half dead. Hopeful also would endeavor to comfort +him, saying, Brother, I see the gate, and men standing by to receive us; +but Christian would answer, It is you, it is you they wait for; you have +been hopeful ever since I knew you. And so have you, said he to +Christian. Ah, brother! said he, surely if I was right, he would now +arise to help me; but for my sins he hath brought me into the snare, and +hath left me. Then said Hopeful, My brother, you have quite forgot the +text where it is said of the wicked, "There are no bands in their death, +but their strength is firm; they are not troubled as other men, neither +are they plagued like other men." These troubles and distresses that you +go through in these waters, are no sign that God hath forsaken you; but +are sent to try you, whether you will call to mind that which heretofore +you have received of his goodness, and live upon him in your distresses. + +Then I saw in my dream, that Christian was in a muse awhile. To whom +also Hopeful added these words, Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh +thee whole. And with that Christian brake out with a loud voice, Oh, I +see him again; and he tells me "When thou passest through the waters, I +shall be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow +thee." Then they both took courage, and the enemy was, after that, as +still as a stone, until they were gone over. Christian, therefore, +presently found ground to stand upon, and so it followed that the rest +of the river was but shallow. Thus they got over. + +Now upon the bank of the river, on the other side, they saw the two +shining men again, who there waited for them. Wherefore being come out +of the river, they saluted them, saying, We are ministering spirits, +sent forth to minister for those that shall be heirs of salvation. Thus +they went along toward the gate. + +Now you must note, that the city stood upon a mighty hill; but the +pilgrims went up that hill with ease, because they had these two men to +lead them up by the arms: they had likewise left their mortal garments +behind them in the river; for though they went in with them, they came +out without them. They therefore went up here with much agility and +speed, though the foundation upon which the city was framed was higher +than the clouds; they therefore went up through the regions of the air, +sweetly talking as they went, being comforted because they safely got +over the river, and had such glorious companions to attend them. + +The talk that they had with the Shining Ones was about the glory of the +place; who told them that the beauty and glory of it was inexpressible. +There, said they, is "the Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the +innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made +perfect." You are going now, said they, to the paradise of God, where +you shall see the tree of life, and eat of the never fading fruits +thereof: and when you come there you shall have white robes given you, +and your walk and talk shall be every day with the King, even all the +days of eternity. There you shall not see again such things as you saw +when you were in the lower region upon the earth; to wit, sorrow, +sickness, affliction, and death; "For the former things are passed +away." You are going now to Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob, and to the +prophets, men that God hath taken away from the evil to come, and that +are now "resting upon their beds, each one walking in his +righteousness." The men then asked, What must we do in the holy place? +To whom it was answered, You must there receive the comfort of all your +toil, and have joy for all your sorrow; you must reap what you have +sown, even the fruit of all your prayers, and tears, and sufferings for +the King by the way. In that place you must wear crowns of gold, and +enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of the Holy One; for "there you +shall see him as he is." There also you shall serve him continually with +praise, with shouting and thanksgiving, whom you desired to serve in the +world, though with much difficulty, because of the infirmity of your +flesh. There your eyes shall be delighted with seeing, and your ears +with hearing the pleasant voice of the Mighty One. There you shall enjoy +your friends again that are gone hither before you; and there you shall +with joy receive even every one that follows into the holy place after +you. There also you shall be clothed with glory and majesty, and put in +an equipage fit to ride out with the King of Glory. When he shall come +with sound of trumpet in the clouds, as upon the wings of the wind, you +shall come with him; and when he shall sit upon the throne of judgment, +you shall sit by him; yea, and when he shall pass sentence upon all the +workers of iniquity, let them be angels or men, you also shall have a +voice in that judgment, because they were his and your enemies. Also, +when he shall again return to the city, you shall go too with sound of +trumpet, and be ever with him. + +Now, while they were thus drawing toward the gate, behold a company of +the heavenly host came out to meet them; to whom it was said by the +other two Shining Ones, These are the men that have loved our Lord, when +they were in the world, and that have left all for his holy name; and he +has sent us to fetch them, and we have brought them thus far on their +desired journey, that they may go in and look their Redeemer in the face +with joy. Then the heavenly host gave a great shout, saying, "Blessed +are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." There came +out also at this time to meet them several of the King's trumpeters, +clothed in white and shining raiment, who with melodious voices and +loud, made even the heavens to echo with their sound. These trumpeters +saluted Christian and his fellow with ten thousand welcomes from the +world; and this they did with shouting and sound of trumpet. + +This done, they compassed them round on every side; some went before, +some behind, and some on the right hand, and some on the left--as it +were to guard them through the upper regions--continually sounding as +they went, with melodious noise, in notes on high; so that the very +sight was to them that could behold it as if heaven itself was come down +to meet them. Thus therefore they walked on together; and, as they +walked, ever and anon these trumpeters, even with joyful sound, would, +by mixing their music with looks and gestures, still signify to +Christian, and his brother, how welcome they were into their company, +and with what gladness they came to meet them. And now were these two +men, as it were, in heaven, before they came at it, being swallowed up +with the sight of angels, and with hearing of their melodious notes. +Here also they had the city itself in view; and thought they heard all +the bells therein to ring, to welcome them thereto. But, above all, the +warm and joyful thoughts that they had about their own dwelling there +with such company, and that for ever and ever, oh, by what tongue or pen +can their glorious joy be expressed!--Thus they came up to the gate. + +Now when they were come up to the gate, there was written over it in +letters of gold, "BLESSED ARE THEY THAT DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, THAT THEY +MAY HAVE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE, AND MAY ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES +INTO THE CITY." + +Then I saw in my dream that the shining men bid them call at the gate: +the which when they did, some from above looked over the gate, to wit, +Enoch, Moses, and Elijah, etc., to whom it was said, These pilgrims are +come from the City of Destruction, for the love that they bear to the +King of this place: and then the pilgrims gave in unto them each man his +certificate, which they had received in the beginning; those, therefore, +were carried in to the King, who, when he had read them, said, Where are +the men? To whom it was answered, They are standing without the gate. +The King then commanded to open the gate, "That the righteous nation," +said he, "that keepeth truth may enter in." + +Now I saw in my dream that these two men went in at the gate; and lo! as +they entered, they were transfigured; and they had raiment put on that +shone like gold. There were also that met them with harps and crowns, +and gave them to them: the harps to praise withal, and the crowns in +token of honor. Then I heard in my dream that all the bells in the city +rang again for joy, and that it was said unto them, "ENTER YE INTO THE +JOY OF OUR LORD." I also heard the men themselves, that they sang with a +loud voice, saying, "BLESSING, AND HONOR, AND GLORY, AND POWER, BE UNTO +HIM THAT SITTETH UPON THE THRONE, AND UNTO THE LAMB, FOR EVER AND EVER." + +Now, just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after +them, and behold the city shone like the sun; the streets also were +paved with gold; and in them walked many men, with crowns on their +heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps, to sing praises withal. + +They were also of them that had wings, and they answered one another +without intermission, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord." And after +that they shut up the gates: which, when I had seen, I wished myself +among them. + +Now while I was gazing upon all these things, I turned my head to look +back, and saw Ignorance come up to the river side; but he soon got over, +and that without half the difficulty which the other two men met with. +For it happened that there was then in the place one Vain-hope, a +ferry-man, that with his boat helped him over; so he, as the others I +saw, did ascend the hill, to come up to the gate; only he came alone; +neither did any meet him with the least encouragement. When he was come +up to the gate, he looked up to the writing that was above, and then +began to knock, supposing that entrance should have been quickly +administered to him; but he was asked by the men that looked over the +top of the gate, Whence came you? and what would you have? He answered, +I have ate and drank in the presence of the King, and he has taught in +our streets. Then they asked him for his certificate, that they might go +in and show it to the King: so he fumbled in his bosom for one, and +found none. Then said they, Have you none? but the man answered never a +word. So they told the King, but he would not come down to see him, but +commanded the two Shining Ones, that conducted Christian and Hopeful to +the city, to go out, and take Ignorance, and bind him, hand and foot, +and have him away. Then they took him up, and carried him through the +air, to the door that I saw in the side of the hill, and put him in +there. Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gate of +heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction. So I awoke, and behold +it was a dream. + + + + +THE PILGRIM + + +Who would true valor see + Let him come hither! +One here will constant be, + Come wind, come weather; +There's no discouragement + Shall make him once relent +His first-avow'd intent + To be a Pilgrim. + +Whoso beset him round + With dismal stories, +Do but themselves confound; + His strength the more is. +No lion can him fright; + He'll with a giant fight; +But he will have a right + To be a Pilgrim. + +Nor enemy, nor fiend, + Can daunt his spirit; +He knows he at the end + Shall Life inherit:-- +Then, fancies, fly away; + He'll not fear what men say; +He'll labor, night and day, + To be a Pilgrim. + +_--J. Bunyan_ + + + + +THE GREAT STONE FACE + +By Nathaniel Hawthorne + + +One afternoon, when the sun was going down, a mother and her little boy +sat at the door of their cottage, talking about the Great Stone Face. +They had but to lift their eyes, and there it was plainly to be seen, +though miles away, with the sunshine brightening all its features. + +And what was the Great Stone Face? + +Embosomed among a family of lofty mountains, there was a valley so +spacious that it contained many thousand inhabitants. Some of these good +people dwelt in log huts, with the black forest all around them, on the +steep and difficult hillsides. Others had their homes in comfortable +farmhouses, and cultivated the rich soil on the gentle slopes or level +surfaces of the valley. Others, again, were congregated into populous +villages, where some wild, highland rivulet, tumbling down from its +birthplace in the upper mountain region, had been caught and tamed by +human cunning, and compelled to turn the machinery of cotton factories. +The inhabitants of this valley, in short, were numerous, and of many +modes of life. But all of them, grown people and children, had a kind of +familiarity with the Great Stone Face, although some possessed the gift +of distinguishing this grand natural phenomenon more perfectly than many +of their neighbors. + +The Great Stone Face, then, was a work of Nature in her mood of majestic +playfulness, formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some +immense rocks, which had been thrown together in such a position as, +when viewed at a proper distance, precisely to resemble the features of +the human countenance. It seemed as if an enormous giant, or a Titan, +had sculptured his own likeness on the precipice. There was the broad +arch of the forehead, a hundred feet in height; the nose, with its long +bridge; and the vast lips, which, if they could have spoken, would have +rolled their thunder accents from one end of the valley to the other. +True it is, that if the spectator approached too near, he lost the +outline of the gigantic visage, and could discern only a heap of +ponderous and gigantic rocks, piled in chaotic ruin one upon another. +Retracing his steps, however, the wondrous features would again be seen; +and the further he withdrew from them, the more like a human face, with +all its original divinity intact, did they appear; until, as it grew dim +in the distance, with the clouds and glorified vapor of the mountains +clustering about it, the Great Stone Face seemed positively to be alive. + +It was a happy lot for children to grow up to manhood or womanhood with +the Great Stone Face before their eyes, for all the features were noble, +and the expression was at once grand and sweet, as if it were the glow +of a vast, warm heart, that embraced all mankind in its affections, and +had room for more. It was an education only to look at it. According to +the belief of many people, the valley owed much of its fertility to this +benign aspect that was continually beaming over it, illuminating the +clouds, and infusing its tenderness into the sunshine. + +As we began with saying, a mother and her little boy sat at their +cottage-door, gazing at the Great Stone Face, and talking about it. The +child's name was Ernest. + +"Mother," said he, while the Titanic visage smiled on him, "I wish that +it could speak, for it looks so very kindly that its voice must needs be +pleasant. If I were to see a man with such a face, I should love him +dearly." + +"If an old prophecy should come to pass," answered his mother, "we may +see a man, some time or other, with exactly such a face as that." + +"What prophecy do you mean, dear mother?" eagerly inquired Ernest. "Pray +tell me all about it!" + +So his mother told him a story that her own mother had told to her, when +she herself was younger than little Ernest; a story, not of things that +were past, but of what was yet to come; a story, nevertheless, so very +old, that even the Indians, who formerly inhabited this valley, had +heard it from their forefathers, to whom, as they affirmed, it had been +murmured by the mountain streams, and whispered by the wind among the +tree-tops. The purport was, that, at some future day, a child should be +born hereabouts, who was destined to become the greatest and noblest +personage of his time, and whose countenance, in manhood, should bear an +exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face. Not a few old-fashioned +people, and young ones likewise, in the ardor of their hopes, still +cherished an enduring faith in this old prophecy. But others, who had +seen more of the world, had watched and waited till they were weary, and +had beheld no man with such a face, nor any man that proved to be much +greater or nobler than his neighbors, concluded it to be nothing but an +idle tale. At all events, the great man of the prophecy had not yet +appeared. + +"O mother, dear mother!" cried Ernest, clapping his hands above his +head, "I do hope that I shall live to see him!" + +His mother was an affectionate and thoughtful woman, and felt that it +was wisest not to discourage the generous hopes of her little boy. So +she only said to him, "Perhaps you may." + +And Ernest never forgot the story that his mother told him. It was +always in his mind, whenever he looked upon the Great Stone Face. He +spent his childhood in the log-cottage where he was born, and was +dutiful to his mother, and helpful to her in many things, assisting her +much with his little hands, and more with his loving heart. In this +manner, from a happy yet often pensive child, he grew up to be a mild, +quiet, unobtrusive boy, and sun-browned with labor in the fields, but +with more intelligence brightening his aspect than is seen in many lads +who have been taught at famous schools. Yet Ernest had had no teacher, +save only that the Great Stone Face became one to him. When the toil of +the day was over, he would gaze at it for hours, until he began to +imagine that those vast features recognized him, and gave him a smile of +kindness and encouragement, responsive to his own look of veneration. We +must not take upon us to affirm that this was a mistake, although the +Face may have looked no more kindly at Ernest than at all the world +besides. But the secret was, that the boy's tender and confiding +simplicity discerned what other people could not see; and thus the love, +which was meant for all, became his peculiar portion. + +About this time, there went a rumor throughout the valley, that the +great man, foretold from ages ago, who was to bear a resemblance to the +Great Stone Face, had appeared at last. It seems that, many years +before, a young man had migrated from the valley and settled at a +distant seaport, where, after getting together a little money, he had +set up as a shopkeeper. His name--but I could never learn whether it was +his real one, or a nickname that had grown out of his habits and success +in life--was Gathergold. Being shrewd and active, and endowed by +Providence with that inscrutable faculty which develops itself in what +the world calls luck, he became an exceedingly rich merchant, and owner +of a whole fleet of bulky-bottomed ships. All the countries of the globe +appeared to join hands for the mere purpose of adding heap after heap +to the mountainous accumulation of this one man's wealth. The cold +regions of the north, almost within the gloom and shadow of the Arctic +Circle, sent him their tribute in the shape of furs; hot Africa sifted +for him the golden sands of her rivers, and gathered up the ivory tusks +of her great elephants out of the forests; the East came bringing him +the rich shawls, and spices, and teas, and the effulgence of diamonds, +and the gleaming purity of large pearls. The ocean, not to be behindhand +with the earth, yielded up her mighty whales, that Mr. Gathergold might +sell their oil, and make a profit on it. Be the original commodity what +it might, it was gold within his grasp. It might be said of him, as of +Midas in the fable, that whatever he touched with his finger immediately +glistened, and grew yellow, and was changed at once into sterling metal, +or, which suited him still better, into piles of coin. And, when Mr. +Gathergold had become so very rich that it would have taken him a +hundred years only to count his wealth, he bethought himself of his +native valley, and resolved to go back thither, and end his days where +he was born. With this purpose in view, he sent a skilful architect to +build him such a palace as should be fit for a man of his vast wealth to +live in. + +As I have said above, it had already been rumored in the valley that Mr. +Gathergold had turned out to be the prophetic personage so long and +vainly looked for, and that his visage was the perfect and undeniable +similitude of the Great Stone Face. People were the more ready to +believe that this must needs be the fact, when they beheld the splendid +edifice that rose, as if by enchantment, on the site of his father's old +weather-beaten farmhouse. The exterior was of marble, so dazzingly white +that it seemed as though the whole structure might melt away in the +sunshine, like those humbler ones which Mr. Gathergold, in his young +play-days, before his fingers were gifted with the touch of +transmutation, had been accustomed to build of snow. It had a richly +ornamented portico, supported by tall pillars, beneath which was a lofty +door, studded with silver knobs, and made of a kind of variegated wood +that had been brought from beyond the sea. The windows, from the floor +to the ceiling of each stately apartment, were composed, respectively, +of but one enormous pane of glass, so transparently pure that it was +said to be a finer medium than even the vacant atmosphere. Hardly +anybody had been permitted to see the interior of this palace; but it +was reported, and with good semblance of truth, to be far more gorgeous +than the outside, insomuch that whatever was iron or brass in other +houses was silver or gold in this; and Mr. Gathergold's bedchamber, +especially, made such a glittering appearance that no ordinary man would +have been able to close his eyes there. But, on the other hand, Mr. +Gathergold was now so inured to wealth, that perhaps he could not have +closed his eyes unless where the gleam of it was certain to find its way +beneath his eyelids. + +In due time, the mansion was finished; next came the upholsterers, with +magnificent furniture; then, a whole troop of black and white servants, +the harbingers of Mr. Gathergold, who, in his own majestic person, was +expected to arrive at sunset. Our friend Ernest, meanwhile, had been +deeply stirred by the idea that the great man, the noble man, the man of +prophecy, after so many ages of delay, was at length to be made manifest +to his native valley. He knew, boy as he was, that there were a thousand +ways in which Mr. Gathergold, with his vast wealth, might transform +himself into an angel of beneficence, and assume a control over human +affairs as wide and benignant as the smile of the Great Stone Face. Full +of faith and hope, Ernest doubted not that what the people said was +true, and that now he was to behold the living likeness of those +wondrous features on the mountain side. While the boy was still gazing +up the valley, and fancying, as he always did, that the Great Stone Face +returned his gaze and looked kindly at him, the rumbling of wheels was +heard, approaching swiftly along the winding road. + +"Here he comes!" cried a group of people who were assembled to witness +the arrival. "Here comes the great Mr. Gathergold!" + +A carriage, drawn by four horses, dashed round the turn of the road. +Within it, thrust partly out of the window, appeared the physiognomy of +a little old man, with a skin as yellow as if his own Midas-hand had +transmuted it. He had a low forehead, small, sharp eyes, puckered about +with innumerable wrinkles, and very thin lips, which he made still +thinner by pressing them forcibly together. + +"The very image of the Great Stone Face!" shouted the people. "Sure +enough, the old prophecy is true; and here we have the great man come, +at last!" + +And, what greatly perplexed Ernest, they seemed actually to believe that +here was the likeness which they spoke of. By the roadside there chanced +to be an old beggar-woman and two little beggar-children, stragglers +from some far-off region, who, as the carriage rolled onward, held out +their hands and lifted up their doleful voices, most piteously +beseeching charity. A yellow claw--the very same that had clawed +together so much wealth--poked itself out of the coach window, and +dropped some copper coins upon the ground; so that, though the great +man's name seems to have been Gathergold, he might just as suitably have +been nicknamed Scattercopper. Still, nevertheless, with an earnest +shout, and evidently with as much good faith as ever, the people +bellowed-- + +"He is the very image of the Great Stone Face!" + +But Ernest turned sadly from the wrinkled shrewdness of that sordid +visage, and gazed up the valley, where, amid a gathering mist, gilded by +the last sunbeams, he could still distinguish those glorious features +which had impressed themselves into his soul. Their aspect cheered him. +What did the benign lips seem to say? + +"He will come! Fear not, Ernest; the man will come!" + +The years went on, and Ernest ceased to be a boy. He had grown to be a +young man now. He attracted little notice from the other inhabitants of +the valley; for they saw nothing remarkable in his way of life, save +that, when the labor of the day was over, he still loved to go apart and +gaze and meditate upon the Great Stone Face. According to their idea of +the matter, it was a folly, indeed, but pardonable, inasmuch as Ernest +was industrious, kind, and neighborly, and neglected no duty for the +sake of indulging this idle habit. They knew not that the Great Stone +Face had become a teacher to him, and that the sentiment which was +expressed in it would enlarge the young man's heart, and fill it with +wider and deeper sympathies than other hearts. They knew not that thence +would come a better wisdom than could be learned from books, and a +better life than could be molded on the defaced example of other human +lives. Neither did Ernest know that the thoughts and affections which +came to him so naturally, in the fields and at the fireside, and +wherever he communed with himself, were of a higher tone than those +which all men shared with him. A simple soul--simple as when his mother +first taught him the old prophecy--he beheld the marvellous features +beaming adown the valley, and still wondered that their human +counterpart was so long in making his appearance. + +By this time poor Mr. Gathergold was dead and buried; and the oddest +part of the matter was, that his wealth, which was the body and spirit +of his existence, had disappeared before his death, leaving nothing of +him but a living skeleton, covered over with a wrinkled, yellow skin. +Since the melting away of his gold, it had been very generally conceded +that there was no such striking resemblance, after all, between the +ignoble features of the ruined merchant and that majestic face upon the +mountain-side. So the people ceased to honor him during his lifetime, +and quietly consigned him to forgetfulness after his decease. Once in a +while, it is true, his memory was brought up in connection with the +magnificent palace which he had built, and which had long ago been +turned into a hotel for the accommodation of strangers, multitudes of +whom came, every summer, to visit that famous natural curiosity, the +Great Stone Face. Thus, Mr, Gathergold being discredited and thrown into +the shade, the man of prophecy was yet to come. + +It so happened that a native-born son of the valley, many years before, +had enlisted as a soldier, and, after a great deal of hard fighting, had +now become an illustrious commander. Whatever he may be called in +history, he was known in camps and on the battle-field under the +nickname of Old Blood-and-Thunder. This war-worn veteran, being now +infirm with age and wounds, and weary of the turmoil of a military life, +and of the roll of the drum and the clangor of the trumpet, that had so +long been ringing in his ears, had lately signified a purpose of +returning to his native valley, hoping to find repose where he +remembered to have left it. The inhabitants, his old neighbors and their +grown-up children, were resolved to welcome the renowned warrior with a +salute of cannon and a public dinner; and all the more enthusiastically, +it being affirmed that now, at last, the likeness of the Great Stone +Face had actually appeared. An aid-de-camp of Old Blood-and-Thunder, +travelling through the valley, was said to have been struck with the +resemblance. Moreover the schoolmates and early acquaintances of the +general were ready to testify, on oath, that, to the best of their +recollection, the aforesaid general had been exceedingly like the +majestic image, even when a boy, only that the idea had never occurred +to them at that period. Great, therefore, was the excitement throughout +the valley; and many people, who had never once thought of glancing at +the Great Stone Face for years before, now spent their time in gazing at +it, for the sake of knowing exactly how General Blood-and-Thunder +looked. + +On the day of the great festival, Ernest, with all the other people of +the valley, left their work, and proceeded to the spot where the sylvan +banquet was prepared. As he approached, the loud voice of the Rev. Dr. +Battleblast was heard, beseeching a blessing on the good things set +before them, and on the distinguished friend of peace in whose honor +they were assembled. The tables were arranged in a cleared space of the +woods, shut in by the surrounding trees, except where a vista opened +eastward, and afforded a distant view of the Great Stone Face. Over the +general's chair, which was a relic from the home of Washington, there +was an arch of verdant boughs, with the laurel profusely intermixed, and +surmounted by his country's banner, beneath which he had won his +victories. Our friend Ernest raised himself on his tiptoes, in hopes to +get a glimpse of the celebrated guest; but there was a mighty crowd +about the tables anxious to hear the toasts and speeches, and to catch +any word that might fall from the general in reply; and a volunteer +company, doing duty as a guard, pricked ruthlessly with their bayonets +at any particularly quiet person among the throng. So Ernest, being of +an unobtrusive character, was thrust quite into the background, where he +could see no more of Old Blood-and-Thunder's physiognomy than if it had +been still blazing on the battle-field. To console himself, he turned +toward the Great Stone Face, which, like a faithful and long-remembered +friend, looked back and smiled upon him through the vista of the forest. +Meantime, however, he could overhear the remarks of various individuals, +who were comparing the features of the hero with the face on the distant +mountain-side. + +"'Tis the same face, to a hair!" cried one man, cutting a caper for joy. + +"Wonderfully like, that's a fact!" responded another. + +"Like! why, I call it Old Blood-and-Thunder himself, in a monstrous +looking-glass!" cried a third. "And why not? He's the greatest man of +this or any other age, beyond a doubt." + +And then all three of the speakers gave a great shout, which +communicated electricity to the crowd, and called forth a roar from a +thousand voices, that went reverberating for miles among the mountains, +until you might have supposed that the Great Stone Face had poured its +thunder-breath into the cry. All these comments, and this vast +enthusiasm, served the more to interest our friend; nor did he think of +questioning that now, at length, the mountain-visage had found its human +counterpart. It is true, Ernest had imagined that this long-looked-for +personage would appear in the character of a man of peace, uttering +wisdom, and doing good, and making people happy. But, taking an habitual +breadth of view, with all his simplicity, he contended that Providence +should choose its own method of blessing mankind, and could conceive +that this great end might be effected even by a warrior and a bloody +sword, should inscrutable wisdom see fit to order matters so. + +"The general! the general!" was now the cry. "Hush! silence! Old +Blood-and-Thunder's going to make a speech." + +Even so; for, the cloth being removed, the general's health had been +drunk amid shouts of applause, and he now stood upon his feet to thank +the company. Ernest saw him. There he was, over the shoulders of the +crowd, from the two glittering epaulets and embroidered collar upward, +beneath the arch of green boughs with intertwined laurel, and the banner +drooping as if to shade his brow! And there, too, visible in the same +glance, through the vista of the forest, appeared the Great Stone Face! +And was there, indeed, such a resemblance as the crowd had testified? +Alas, Ernest could not recognize it! He beheld a war-worn and +weather-beaten countenance, full of energy, and expressive of an iron +will; but the gentle wisdom, the deep, broad, tender sympathies, were +altogether wanting in Old Blood-and Thunder's visage; and even if the +Great Stone Face had assumed his look of stern command, the milder +traits would still have tempered it. + +"This is not the man of prophecy," sighed Ernest, to himself, as he made +his way out of the throng. "And must the world wait longer yet?" + +The mists had congregated about the distant mountain-side, and there +were seen the grand and awful features of the Great Stone Face, awful +but benignant, as if a mighty angel were sitting among the hills, and +enrobing himself in a cloud-vesture of gold and purple. As he looked, +Ernest could hardly believe but that a smile beamed over the whole +visage, with a radiance still brightening, although without motion of +the lips. It was probably the effect of the western sunshine, melting +through the thinly diffused vapors that had swept between him and the +object that he gazed at. But--as it always did--the aspect of his +marvellous friend made Ernest as hopeful as if he had never hoped in +vain. + +"Fear not, Ernest," said his heart, even as if the Great Face were +whispering him--"fear not, Ernest; he will come." + +More years sped swiftly and tranquilly away. Ernest still dwelt in his +native valley, and was now a man of middle age. By imperceptible +degrees, he had become known among the people. Now, as heretofore, he +labored for his bread, and was the same simple-hearted man that he had +always been. But he had thought and felt so much, he had given so many +of the best hours of his life to unworldly hopes for some great good to +mankind, that it seemed as though he had been talking with the angels, +and had imbibed a portion of their wisdom unawares. It was visible in +the calm and well-considered beneficence of his daily life, the quiet +stream of which had made a wide green margin all along its course. Not a +day passed by, that the world was not the better because this man, +humble as he was, had lived. He never stepped aside from his own path, +yet would always reach a blessing to his neighbor. Almost involuntarily, +too, he had become a preacher. The pure and high simplicity of his +thought, which, as one of its manifestations, took shape in the good +deeds that dropped silently from his hand, flowed also forth in speech. +He uttered truths that wrought upon and molded the lives of those who +heard him. His auditors, it may be, never suspected that Ernest, their +own neighbor and familiar friend, was more than an ordinary man; least +of all did Ernest himself suspect it; but, inevitably as the murmur of a +rivulet, came thoughts out of his mouth that no other human lips had +spoken. + +When the people's minds had had a little time to cool, they were ready +enough to acknowledge their mistake in imagining a similarity between +General Blood-and-Thunder's truculent physiognomy and the benign visage +on the mountain-side. But now, again, there were reports and many +paragraphs in the newspapers, affirming that the likeness of the Great +Stone Face had appeared upon the broad shoulders of a certain eminent +statesman. He, like Mr. Gathergold and Old Blood-and-Thunder, was a +native of the valley, but had left it in his early days, and taken up +the trades of law and politics. Instead of the rich man's wealth and the +warrior's sword, he had but a tongue, and it was mightier than both +together. So wonderfully eloquent was he, that whatever he might choose +to say, his auditors had no choice but to believe him; wrong looked like +right, and right like wrong; for when it pleased him, he could make a +kind of illuminated fog with his mere breath, and obscure the natural +daylight with it. His tongue, indeed, was a magic instrument: sometimes +it rumbled like the thunder; sometimes it warbled like the sweetest +music. It was the blast of war--the song of peace; and it seemed to have +a heart in it, when there was no such matter. In good truth, he was a +wondrous man; and when his tongue had acquired him all other imaginable +success,--when it had been heard in halls of state, and in the courts of +princes and potentates--after it had made him known all over the world, +even as a voice crying from shore to shore--it finally persuaded his +countrymen to select him for the Presidency. Before this time--indeed, +as soon as he began to grow celebrated--his admirers had found out the +resemblance between him and the Great Stone Face; and so much were they +struck by it, that throughout the country this distinguished gentleman +was known by the name of Old Stony Phiz. The phrase was considered as +giving a highly favorable aspect to his political prospects; for, as is +likewise the case with the Popedom, nobody ever becomes President +without taking a name other than his own. + +While his friends were doing their best to make him President, Old Stony +Phiz, as he was called, set out on a visit to the valley where he was +born. Of course, he had no other object than to shake hands with his +fellow-citizens, and neither thought nor cared about any effect which +his progress through the country might have upon the election. +Magnificent preparations were made to receive the illustrious statesman; +a cavalcade of horsemen set forth to meet him at the boundary line of +the State, and all the people left their business and gathered along the +wayside to see him pass. Among these was Ernest. Though more than once +disappointed, as we have seen, he had such a hopeful and confiding +nature, that he was always ready to believe in whatever seemed beautiful +and good. He kept his heart continually open, and thus was sure to catch +the blessing from on high, when it should come. So now again, as +buoyantly as ever, he went forth to behold the likeness of the Great +Stone Face. + +The cavalcade came prancing along the road, with a great clattering of +hoofs and a mighty cloud of dust, which rose up so dense and high that +the visage of the mountain-side was completely hidden from Ernest's +eyes. All the great men of the neighborhood were there on horseback: +militia officers, in uniform; the member of Congress; the sheriff of the +county; the editors of newspapers; and many a farmer, too, had mounted +his patient steed, with his Sunday coat upon his back. It really was a +very brilliant spectacle, especially as there were numerous banners +flaunting over the cavalcade, on some of which were gorgeous portraits +of the illustrious statesman and the Great Stone Face, smiling +familiarly at one another, like two brothers. If the pictures were to be +trusted, the mutual resemblance, it must be confessed, was marvellous. +We must not forget to mention that there was a band of music, which made +the echoes of the mountains ring and reverberate with the loud triumph +of its strains; so that airy and soul-thrilling melodies broke out among +all the heights and hollows, as if every nook of his native valley had +found a voice, to welcome the distinguished guest. But the grandest +effect was when the far-off mountain precipice flung back the music; for +then the Great Stone Face itself seemed to be swelling the triumphant +chorus, in acknowledgment that, at length, the man of prophecy was come. + +All this while the people were throwing up their hats and shouting, with +enthusiasm so contagious that the heart of Ernest kindled up, and he +likewise threw up his hat, and shouted, as loudly as the loudest, "Huzza +for the great man! Huzza for Old Stony Phiz!" But as yet he had not seen +him. + +"Here he is, now!" cried those who stood near Ernest. "There! There! +Look at Old Stony Phiz and then at the Old Man of the Mountain, and see +if they are not as like as two twin-brothers!" + +In the midst of all this gallant array, came an open barouche, drawn by +four white horses; and in the barouche, with his massive head uncovered, +sat the illustrious statesman, Old Stony Phiz himself. + +"Confess it," said one of Ernest's neighbors to him, "the Great Stone +Face has met its match at last!" + +Now, it must be owned that, at his first glimpse of the countenance +which was bowing and smiling from the barouche, Ernest did fancy that +there was a resemblance between it and the old familiar face upon the +mountain-side. The brow, with its massive depth and loftiness, and all +the other features, indeed, were boldly and strongly hewn, as if in +emulation of a more than heroic, of a Titanic model. But the sublimity +and stateliness, the grand expression of a divine sympathy, that +illuminated the mountain visage, and etherealized its ponderous granite +substance into spirit, might here be sought in vain. Something had been +originally left out, or had departed. And therefore the marvellously +gifted statesman had always a weary gloom in the deep caverns of his +eyes, as of a child that has outgrown its playthings, or a man of mighty +faculties and little aims, whose life, with all its high performances, +was vague and empty, because no high purpose had endowed it with +reality. + +Still, Ernest's neighbor was thrusting his elbow into his side, and +pressing him for an answer. + +"Confess! confess! Is not he the very picture of your Old Man of the +Mountain?" + +"No!" said Ernest, bluntly, "I see little or no likeness." + +"Then so much the worse for the Great Stone Face!" answered his +neighbor; and again he set up a shout for Old Stony Phiz. + +But Ernest turned away, melancholy, and almost despondent: for this was +the saddest of his disappointments, to behold a man who might have +fulfilled the prophecy, and had not willed to do so. Meantime, the +cavalcade, the banners, the music, and the barouches swept past him, +with the vociferous crowd in the rear, leaving the dust to settle down, +and the Great Stone Face to be revealed again, with the grandeur that it +had worn for untold centuries. + +"Lo, here I am, Ernest!" the benign lips seemed to say. "I have waited +longer than thou, and am not yet weary. Fear not; the man will come." + +The years hurried onward, treading in their haste on one another's +heels. And now they began to bring white hairs, and scatter them over +the head of Ernest; they made reverend wrinkles across his forehead, and +furrows in his cheeks. He was an aged man. But not in vain had he grown +old: more than the white hairs on his head were the sage thoughts in his +mind; his wrinkles and furrows were inscriptions that Time had graved, +and in which he had written legends of wisdom that had been tested by +the tenor of a life. And Ernest had ceased to be obscure. Unsought for, +undesired, had come the fame which so many seek, and made him known in +the great world, beyond the limits of the valiey in which he had dwelt +so quietly. College professors, and even the active men of cities, came +from far to see and converse with Ernest; for the report had gone abroad +that this simple husbandman had ideas unlike those of other men, not +gained from books, but of a higher tone--a tranquil and familiar +majesty, as if he had been talking with the angels as his daily friends. +Whether it were sage, statesman, or philanthropist, Ernest received +these visitors with the gentle sincerity that had characterized him from +boyhood, and spoke freely with them of whatever came uppermost, or lay +deepest in his heart or their own. While they talked together, his face +would kindle, unawares, and shine upon them, as with a mild evening +light. Pensive with the fulness of such discourse, his guests took leave +and went their way; and passing up the valley, paused to look at the +Great Stone Face, imagining that they had seen its likeness in a human +countenance, but could not remember where. + +While Ernest had been growing up and growing old, a bountiful Providence +had granted a new poet to this earth. He, likewise, was a native of the +valley, but had spent the greater part of his life at a distance from +that romantic region, pouring out his sweet music amid the bustle and +din of cities. Often, however, did the mountains which had been +familiar to him in his childhood lift their snowy peaks into the clear +atmosphere of his poetry. Neither was the Great Stone Face forgotten, +for the poet had celebrated it in an ode, which was grand enough to have +been uttered by its own majestic lips. This man of genius, we may say, +had come down from heaven with wonderful endowments. If he sang of a +mountain, the eyes of all mankind beheld a mightier grandeur reposing on +its breast, or soaring to its summit, than had before been seen there. +If his theme were a lovely lake, a celestial smile had now been thrown +over it, to gleam forever on its surface. If it were the vast old sea, +even the deep immensity of its dread bosom seemed to swell the higher, +as if moved by the emotions of the song. Thus the world assumed another +and a better aspect from the hour that the poet blessed it with his +happy eyes. The Creator had bestowed him, as the last best touch to his +own handiwork. Creation was not finished till the poet came to +interpret, and so complete it. + +The effect was no less high and beautiful, when his human brethren were +the subject of his verse. The man or woman, sordid with the common dust +of life, who crossed his daily path, and the little child who played in +it, were glorified if he beheld them in his mood of poetic faith. He +showed the golden links of the great chain that intertwined them with an +angelic kindred; he brought out the hidden traits of a celestial birth +that made them worthy of such kin. Some, indeed, there were, who +thought to show the soundness of their judgment by affirming that all +the beauty and dignity of the natural world existed only in the poet's +fancy. Let such men speak for themselves, who undoubtedly appear to have +been spawned forth by Nature with a contemptuous bitterness; she having +plastered them up out of her refuse stuff, after all the swine were +made. As respects all things else, the poet's ideal was the truest +truth. + +The songs of this poet found their way to Ernest. He read them after his +customary toil, seated on the bench before his cottage-door, where for +such a length of time he had filled his repose with thought, by gazing +at the Great Stone Face. And now as he read stanzas that caused the soul +to thrill within him, he lifted his eyes to the vast countenance beaming +on him so benignantly. + +"O majestic friend," he murmured, addressing the Great Stone Face, "is +not this man worthy to resemble thee?" + +The Face seemed to smile, but answered not a word. + +Now it happened that the poet, though he dwelt so far away, had not only +heard of Ernest, but had meditated much upon his character, until he +deemed nothing so desirable as to meet this man, whose untaught wisdom +walked hand in hand with the noble simplicity of his life. One summer +morning, therefore, he took passage by the railroad, and, in the decline +of the afternoon, alighted from the cars at no great distance from +Ernest's cottage. The great hotel, which had formerly been the palace of +Mr. Gathergold, was close at hand, but the poet, with his carpet-bag on +his arm, inquired at once where Ernest dwelt, and was resolved to be +accepted as his guest. + +Approaching the door, he there found the good old man, holding a volume +in his hand, which alternately he read, and then, with a finger between +the leaves, looked lovingly at the Great Stone Face. + +"Good evening," said the poet. "Can you give a traveller a night's +lodging?" + +"Willingly," answered Ernest; and then he added, smiling, "Methinks I +never saw the Great Stone Face look so hospitably at a stranger." + +The poet sat down on the bench beside him, and he and Ernest talked +together. Often had the poet held intercourse with the wittiest and the +wisest, but never before with a man like Ernest, whose thoughts and +feelings gushed up with such a natural freedom, and who made great +truths so familiar by his simple utterance of them. Angels, as had been +so often said, seemed to have wrought with him at his labor in the +fields; angels seemed to have sat with him by the fireside; and, +dwelling with angels as friend with friends, he had imbibed the +sublimity of their ideas, and imbued it with the sweet and lowly charm +of household words. So thought the poet. And Ernest, on the other hand, +was moved and agitated by the living images which the poet flung out of +his mind, and which peopled all the air about the cottage-door with +shapes of beauty, both gay and pensive. The sympathies of these two men +instructed them with a profounder sense than either could have attained +alone. Their minds accorded into one strain, and made delightful music +which neither of them could have claimed as all his own, nor +distinguished his own share from the other's. They led one another, as +it were, into a high pavilion of their thoughts, so remote, and hitherto +so dim, that they had never entered it before, and so beautiful that +they desired to be there always. + +As Ernest listened to the poet, he imagined that the Great Stone Face +was bending forward to listen too. He gazed earnestly into the poet's +glowing eyes. + +"Who are you, my strangely gifted guest?" he said. + +The poet laid his finger on the volume that Ernest had been reading. + +"You have read these poems," said he. "You know me, then--for I wrote +them." + +Again, and still more earnestly than before, Ernest examined the poet's +features; then turned toward the Great Stone Face; then back, with an +uncertain aspect, to his guest. But his countenance fell; he shook his +head, and sighed. + +"Wherefore are you sad?" inquired the poet. + +"Because," replied Ernest, "all through life I have awaited the +fulfilment of a prophecy; and, when I read these poems, I hoped that it +might be fulfilled in you." + +"You hoped," answered the poet, faintly smiling, "to find in me the +likeness of the Great Stone Face. And you are disappointed, as formerly +with Mr. Gathergold, and Old Blood-and-Thunder, and Old Stony Phiz. +Yes, Ernest, it is my doom. You must add my name to the illustrious +three, and record another failure of your hopes. For--in shame and +sadness do I speak it, Ernest--I am not worthy to be typified by yonder +benign and majestic image." + +"And why?" asked Ernest. He pointed to the volume. "Are not those +thoughts divine?" + +"They have a strain of the Divinity," replied the poet. "You can hear in +them the far-off echo of a heavenly song. But my life, dear Ernest, has +not corresponded with my thought. I have had grand dreams, but they have +been only dreams, because I have lived--and that, too, by my own +choice--among poor and mean realities. Sometimes even--shall I dare to +say it?--I lack faith in the grandeur, the beauty, and the goodness, +which my own works are said to have made more evident in nature and in +human life. Why, then, pure seeker of the good and true, shouldst thou +hope to find me, in yonder image of the divine?" + +The poet spoke sadly, and his eyes were dim with tears. So, likewise, +were those of Ernest. + +At the hour of sunset, as had long been his frequent custom, Ernest was +to discourse to an assemblage of the neighboring inhabitants in the open +air. He and the poet, arm in arm, still talking together as they went +along, proceeded to the spot. It was a small nook among the hills, with +a gray precipice behind, the stern front of which was relieved by the +pleasant foliage of many creeping plants, that made a tapestry for the +naked rock, by hanging their festoons from all its rugged angles. At a +small elevation above the ground, set in a rich framework of verdure, +there appeared a niche, spacious enough to admit a human figure, with +freedom for such gestures as spontaneously ascompany earnest thought and +genuine emotion. Into this natural pulpit Ernest ascended, and threw a +look of familiar kindness around upon his audience. They stood, or sat, +or reclined upon the grass, as seemed good to each, with the departing +sunshine falling obliquely over them, and mingling its subdued +cheerfulness with the solemnity of a grove of ancient trees, beneath and +amid the boughs of which the golden rays were constrained to pass. In +another direction was seen the Great Stone Face, with the same cheer, +combined with the same solemnity, in its benignant aspect. + +Ernest began to speak, giving to the people of what was in his heart and +mind. His words had power, because they accorded with his thoughts; and +his thoughts had reality and depth, because they harmonized with the +life which he had always lived. It was not mere breath that this +preacher uttered; they were the words of life, because a life of good +deeds and holy love was melted into them. Pearls, pure and rich, had +been dissolved into this precious draught. The poet, as he listened, +felt that the being and character of Ernest were a nobler strain of +poetry than he had ever written. His eyes glistening with tears, he +gazed reverentially at the venerable man, and said within himself that +never was there an aspect so worthy of a prophet and a sage as that +mild, sweet, thoughtful countenance, with the glory of white hair +diffused about it. At a distance, but distinctly to be seen, high up in +the golden light of the setting sun, appeared the Great Stone Face, with +hoary mists around it, like the white hairs around the brow of Ernest. +Its look of grand beneficence seemed to embrace the world. + +At that moment, in sympathy with a thought which he was about to utter, +the face of Ernest assumed a grandeur of expression, so imbued with +benevolence, that the poet, by an irresistible impulse, threw his arms +aloft, and shouted: + +"Behold! Behold! Ernest is himself the likeness of the Great Stone +Face!" + +Then all the people looked, and saw that what the deep-sighted poet said +was true. The prophecy was fulfilled. But Ernest, having finished what +he had to say, took the poet's arm, and walked slowly homeward, still +hoping that some wiser and better man than himself would by and by +appear, bearing a resemblance to the GREAT STONE FACE. + + + + +THE GENTLE BOY + +By NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE + + +In the course of the year 1656, several of the people called Quakers, +led, as they professed, by the inward movement of the spirit, made their +appearance in New England. Their reputation, as holders of mystic and +pernicious principles, having spread before them, the Puritans early +endeavored to banish, and to prevent the further intrusion of the rising +sect. But the measures by which it was intended to purge the land of +heresy, though more than sufficiently vigorous, were entirely +unsuccessful. The Quakers, esteeming persecution as a divine call to the +post of danger, laid claim to a holy courage, unknown to the Puritans +themselves, who had shunned the cross, by providing for the peaceable +exercise of their religion in a distant wilderness. Though it was the +singular fact, that every nation of the earth rejected the wandering +enthusiasts who practiced peace toward all men, the place of greatest +uneasiness and peril, and therefore, in their eyes, the most eligible, +was the province of Massachusetts Bay. + +The fines, imprisonments, and stripes, liberally distributed by our +pious forefathers, the popular antipathy, so strong that it endured +nearly a hundred years after actual persecution had ceased, were +attractions as powerful for the Quakers as peace, honor, and reward +would have been for the wordly-minded. Every European vessel brought new +cargoes of the sect, eager to testify against the oppression which they +hoped to share; and, when shipmasters were restrained by heavy fines +from affording them passage, they made long and circuitous journeys +through the Indian country, and appeared in the province as if conveyed +by a supernatural power. Their enthusiasm, heightened almost to madness +by the treatment which they received, produced actions contrary to the +rules of decency, as well as of rational religion, and presented a +singular contrast to the calm and staid deportment of their sectarian +successors of the present day. The command of the spirit, inaudible +except to the soul, and not to be controverted on grounds of human +wisdom, was made a plea for most indecorous exhibitions, which, +abstractedly considered, well deserved the moderate chastisement of the +rod. These extravagances, and the persecution which was at once their +cause and consequence, continued to increase, till, in the year 1659, +the government of Massachusetts Bay indulged two members of the Quaker +sect with the crown of martyrdom. + +An indelible stain of blood is upon the hands of all who consented to +this act, but a large share of the awful responsibility must rest upon +the person then at the head of the government. He was a man of narrow +mind and imperfect education, and his uncompromising bigotry was made +hot and mischievous by violent and hasty passions; he exerted his +influence indecorously and unjustifiably to compass the death of the +enthusiasts; and his whole conduct, in respect to them, was marked by +brutal cruelty. + +The Quakers, whose revengeful feelings were not less deep because they +were inactive, remembered this man and his associates, in after times. +The historian of the sect affirms that, by the wrath of Heaven, a blight +fell upon the land in the vicinity of the "bloody town" of Boston, so +that no wheat would grow there; and he takes his stand, as it were, +among the graves of the ancient persecutors, and triumphantly recounts +the judgments that overtook them, in old age or at the parting hour. He +tells us that they died suddenly, and violently, and in madness; but +nothing can exceed the bitter mockery with which he records the +loathsome disease, and "death by rottenness," of the fierce and cruel +governor. + +On the evening of the autumn day, that had witnessed the martyrdom of +two men of the Quaker persuasion, a Puritan settler was returning from +the metropolis to the neighboring country town in which he resided. The +air was cool, the sky clear, and the lingering twilight was made +brighter by the rays of a young moon, which had now nearly reached the +verge of the horizon. The traveller, a man of middle age, wrapped in a +gray frieze cloak, quickened his pace when he had reached the outskirts +of the town, for a gloomy extent of nearly four miles lay between him +and his home. The low, straw-thatched houses were scattered at +considerable intervals along the road, and the country having been +settled but about thirty years, the tracts of original forest still bore +no small proportion to the cultivated ground. The autumn wind wandered +among the branches, whirling away the leaves from all except the +pine-trees, and moaning as if it lamented the desolation of which it was +the instrument. The road had penetrated the mass of woods that lay +nearest to the town, and was just emerging into an open space, when the +traveller's ears were saluted by a sound more mournful than even that of +the wind. It was like the wailing of some one in distress, and it seemed +to proceed from beneath a tall and lonely fir-tree, in the centre of a +cleared, but uninclosed and uncultivated field. The Puritan could not +but remember that this was the very spot which had been made accursed a +few hours before by the execution of the Quakers, whose bodies had been +thrown together into one hasty grave, beneath the tree on which they +suffered. He struggled, however, against the superstitious fears which +belonged to the age, and compelled himself to pause and listen. + +"The voice is most likely mortal, nor have I cause to tremble if it be +otherwise," thought he, straining his eyes through the dim moonlight. +"Methinks it is like the wailing of a child; some infant, it may be, +which has strayed from its mother, and chanced upon this place of death. +For the ease of mine own conscience, I must search this matter out." + +He therefore left the path, and walked somewhat fearfully across the +field. Though now so desolate, its soil was pressed down and trampled by +the thousand footsteps of those who had witnessed the spectacle of that +day, all of whom had now retired, leaving the dead to their loneliness. +The traveller at length reached the fir-tree, which from the middle +upward was covered with living branches, although a scaffold had been +erected beneath, and other preparations made for the work of death. +Under this unhappy tree, which in after times was believed to drop +poison with its dew, sat the one solitary mourner for innocent blood. It +was a slender and light-clad little boy, who leaned his face upon a +hillock of fresh-turned and half-frozen earth, and wailed bitterly, yet +in a suppressed tone, as if his grief might receive the punishment of +crime. The Puritan, whose approach had been unperceived, laid his hand +upon the child's shoulder, and addressed him compassionately. + +"You have chosen a dreary lodging, my poor boy, and no wonder that you +weep," said he. "But dry your eyes, and tell me where your mother +dwells. I promise you if the journey be not too far, I will leave you in +her arms to-night." + +The boy had hushed his wailing at once, and turned his face upward to +the stranger. It was a pale, bright-eyed countenance, certainly not more +than six years old, but sorrow, fear, and want had destroyed much of its +infantile expression. The Puritan, seeing the boy's frightened gaze, and +feeling that he trembled under his hand, endeavored to reassure him. + +"Nay, if I intended to do you harm, little lad, the readiest way were +to leave you here. What! you do not fear to sit beneath the gallows on a +new-made grave, and yet you tremble at a friend's touch. Take heart, +child, and tell me what is your name, and where is your home!" + +"Friend," replied the little boy, in a sweet, though faltering voice, +"they call me Ilbrahim, and my home is here." + +The pale, spiritual face, the eyes that seemed to mingle with the +moonlight, the sweet airy voice, and the outlandish name almost made the +Puritan believe that the boy was in truth a being which had sprung up +out of the grave on which he sat. But perceiving that the apparition +stood the test of a short mental prayer, and remembering that the arm +which he had touched was life-like, he adopted a more rational +supposition. "The poor child is stricken in his intellect," thought he, +"but verily his words are fearful, in a place like this." He then spoke +soothingly, intending to humor the boy's fantasy. + +"Your home will scarce be comfortable, Ilbrahim, this cold autumn night, +and I fear you are ill provided with food. I am hastening to a warm +supper and bed, and if you will go with me, you shall share them!" + +"I thank thee, friend, but though I be hungry, and shivering with cold, +thou wilt not give me food nor lodging," replied the boy, in the quiet +tone which despair had taught him, even so young. "My father was of the +people whom all men hate. They have laid him under this heap of earth, +and here is my home." + +The Puritan, who had laid hold of little Ilbrahim's hand, relinquished +it as if he were touching a loathsome reptile. But he possessed a +compassionate heart, which not even religious prejudice could harden +into stone. + +"God forbid that I should leave this child to perish, though he comes of +the accursed sect," said he to himself. "Do we not all spring from an +evil root? Are we not all in darkness till the light doth shine upon us? +He shall not perish, neither in body, nor, if prayer and instruction may +avail for him, in soul." He then spoke aloud and kindly to Ilbrahim, who +had again hid his face in the cold earth of the grave. "Was every door +in the land shut against you, my child, that you have wandered to this +unhallowed spot?" + +"They drove me forth from the prison when they took my father thence," +said the boy, "and I stood afar off, watching the crowd of people; and +when they were gone, I came hither, and found only this grave. I knew +that my father was sleeping here, and I said, This shall be my home." + +"No, child, no; not while I have a roof over my head, or a morsel to +share with you!" exclaimed the Puritan, whose sympathies were now fully +excited. "Rise up and come with me, and fear not any harm." + +The boy wept afresh, and clung to the heap of earth, as if the cold +heart beneath it were warmer to him than any in a living breast. The +traveller, however, continued to entreat him tenderly, and seeming to +acquire some degree of confidence, he at length arose. But his slender +limbs tottered with weakness, his little head grew dizzy, and he leaned +against the tree of death for support. + +"My poor boy, are you so feeble?" said the Puritan. "When did you taste +food last?" + +"I ate of bread and water with my father in the prison," replied +Ilbrahim, "but they brought him none neither yesterday nor to-day, +saying that he had eaten enough to bear him to his journey's end. +Trouble not thyself for my hunger, kind friend, for I have lacked food +many times ere now." + +The traveller took the child in his arms and wrapped his cloak about +him, while his heart stirred with shame and anger against the gratuitous +cruelty of the instruments in this persecution. In the awakened warmth +of his feelings, he resolved that, at whatever risk, he would not +forsake the poor little defenceless being whom Heaven had confided to +his care. With this determination, he left the accursed field, and +resumed the homeward path from which the wailing of the boy had called +him. The light and motionless burden scarcely impeded his progress, and +he soon beheld the fire rays from the windows of the cottage which he, a +native of a distant clime, had built in the Western wilderness. It was +surrounded by a considerable extent of cultivated ground, and the +dwelling was situated in the nook of a wood-covered hill, whither it +seemed to have crept for protection. + +"Look up, child," said the Puritan to Ilbrahim, whose faint head had +sunk upon his shoulder, "there is our home." + +At the word "home," a thrill passed through the child's frame, but he +continued silent. A few moments brought them to the cottage-door, at +which the owner knocked; for at that early period, when savages were +wandering everywhere among the settlers, bolt and bar were indispensable +to the security of a dwelling. The summons was answered by a +bond-servant, a coarse-clad and dull-featured piece of humanity, who, +after ascertaining that his master was the applicant, undid the door, +and held a flaring pine-knot torch to light him in. Further back in the +passageway, the red blaze discovered a matronly woman, but no little +crowd of children came bounding forth to greet their father's return. As +the Puritan entered, he thrust aside his cloak, and displayed Ilbrahim's +face to the female. + +"Dorothy, here is a little outcast whom Providence hath put into our +hands," observed he. "Be kind to him, even as if he were of those dear +ones who have departed from us." + +"What pale and bright-eyed little boy is this, Tobias?" she inquired. +"Is he one whom the wilderness folk have ravished from some Christian +mother?" + +"No, Dorothy, this poor child is no captive from the wilderness," he +replied. "The heathen savage would have given him to eat of his scanty +morsel, and to drink of his birchen cup; but Christian men, alas! had +cast him out to die." + +Then he told her how he had found him beneath the gallows, upon his +father's grave; and how his heart had prompted him, like the speaking of +an inward voice, to take the little outcast home, and be kind unto him. +He acknowledged his resolution to feed and clothe him, as if he were his +own child, and to afford him the instruction which should counteract the +pernicious errors hitherto instilled into his infant mind. Dorothy was +gifted with even a quicker tenderness than her husband, and she approved +of all his doings and intentions. + +"Have you a mother, dear child?" she inquired. + +The tears burst forth from his full heart, as he attempted to reply; but +Dorothy at length understood that he had a mother, who, like the rest of +her sect, was a persecuted wanderer. She had been taken from the prison +a short time before, carried into the uninhabited wilderness, and left +to perish there by hunger or wild beasts. This was no uncommon method of +disposing of the Quakers, and they were accustomed to boast, that the +inhabitants of the desert were more hospitable to them than civilized +man. + +"Fear not, little boy, you shall not need a mother, and a kind one," +said Dorothy, when she had gathered this information. "Dry your tears, +Ilbrahim, and be my child, as I will be your mother." + +The good woman prepared the little bed, from which her own children had +successively been borne to another resting-place. Before Ilbrahim would +consent to occupy it, he knelt down, and as Dorothy listened to his +simple and affecting prayer, she marvelled how the parents that had +taught it to him could have been judged worthy of death. When the boy +had fallen asleep, she bent over his pale and spiritual countenance, +pressed a kiss upon his white brow, drew the bedclothes up about his +neck, and went away with a pensive gladness in her heart. + +Tobias Pearson was not among the earliest emigrants from the old +country. He had remained in England during the first years of the civil +war, in which he had borne some share as a cornet of dragoons, under +Cromwell. But when the ambitious designs of his leader began to develop +themselves, he quitted the army of the Parliament, and sought a refuge +from the strife, which was no longer holy, among the people of his +persuasion in the colony of Massachusetts. A more worldly consideration +had perhaps an influence in drawing him thither; for New England offered +advantages to men of unprosperous fortunes, as well as to dissatisfied +religionists, and Pearson had hitherto found it difficult to provide for +a wife and increasing family. To this supposed impurity of motive, the +more bigoted Puritans were inclined to impute the removal by death of +all the children, for whose earthly good the father had been +over-thoughtful. They had left their native country blooming like roses, +and like roses they had perished in a foreign soil. Those expounders of +the ways of Providence, who had thus judged their brother, and +attributed his domestic sorrows to his sin, were not more charitable +when they saw him and Dorothy endeavoring to fill up the void in their +hearts by the adoption of an infant of the accursed sect. Nor did they +fail to communicate their disapprobation to Tobias; but the latter, in +reply, merely pointed at the little, quiet, lovely boy, whose appearance +and deportment were indeed as powerful arguments as could possibly have +been adduced in his own favor. Even his beauty, however, and his winning +manners, sometimes produced an effect ultimately unfavorable; for the +bigots, when the outer surfaces of their iron hearts had been softened +and again grew hard, affirmed that no merely natural cause could have so +worked upon them. + +Their antipathy to the poor infant was also increased by the ill success +of divers theological discussions, in which it was attempted to convince +him of the errors of his sect. Ilbrahim, it is true, was not a skilful +controversialist; but the feeling of his religion was strong as instinct +in him, and he could neither be enticed nor driven from the faith which +his father had died for. The odium of this stubbornness was shared in a +great measure by the child's protectors, insomuch that Tobias and +Dorothy very shortly began to experience a most bitter species of +persecution, in the cold regards of many a friend whom they had valued. +The common people manifested their opinions more openly. Pearson was a +man of some consideration, being a representative to the General Court, +and an approved lieutenant in the trainbands; yet within a week after +his adoption of Ilbrahim, he had been both hissed and hooted. Once, +also, when walking through a solitary piece of woods, he heard a loud +voice from some invisible speaker; and it cried, "What shall be done to +the backslider? Lo! the scourge is knotted for him, even the whip of +nine cords, and every cord three knots!" These insults irritated +Pearson's temper for the moment; they entered also into his heart, and +became imperceptible but powerful workers toward an end which his most +secret thought had not yet whispered. + + * * * * * + +On the second Sabbath after Ilbrahim became a member of their family, +Pearson and his wife deemed it proper that he should appear with them at +public worship. They had anticipated some opposition to this measure +from the boy, but he prepared himself in silence, and at the appointed +hour was clad in the new mourning suit which Dorothy had wrought for +him. As the parish was then, and during many subsequent years, +unprovided with a bell, the signal for the commencement of religious +exercises was the beat of a drum. At the first sound of that martial +call to the place of holy and quiet thoughts, Tobias and Dorothy set +forth, each holding a hand of little Ilbrahim, like two parents linked +together by the infant of their love. On their path through the leafless +woods, they were overtaken by many persons of their acquaintance, all of +whom avoided them, and passed by on the other side; but a severer trial +awaited their constancy when they had descended the hill, and drew near +the pine-built and undecorated house of prayer. Around the door, from +which the drummer still sent forth his thundering summons, was drawn up +a formidable phalanx, including several of the oldest members of the +congregation, many of the middle aged, and nearly all the younger males. +Pearson found it difficult to sustain their united and disapproving +gaze; but Dorothy, whose mind was differently circumstanced, merely drew +the boy closer to her, and faltered not in her approach. As they entered +the door, they overheard the muttered sentiments of the assemblage, and +when the reviling voices of the little children smote Ilbrahim's ear, he +wept. + +The interior aspect of the meeting-house was rude. The low ceiling, the +unplastered walls, the naked woodwork, and the undraperied pulpit +offered nothing to excite the devotion, which, without such external +aids, often remains latent in the heart. The floor of the building was +occupied by rows of long, cushionless benches, supplying the place of +pews, and the broad aisle formed a sexual division, impassable except by +children beneath a certain age. + +Pearson and Dorothy separated at the door of the meeting-house, and +Ilbrahim, being within the years of infancy, was retained under the care +of the latter. The wrinkled beldams involved themselves in their rusty +cloaks as he passed by; even the mild-featured maidens seemed to dread +contamination; and many a stern old man arose, and turned his repulsive +and unheavenly countenance upon the gentle boy, as if the sanctuary +were polluted by his presence. He was a sweet infant of the skies, that +had strayed away from his home, and all the inhabitants of this +miserable world closed up their impure hearts against him, drew back +their earth-soiled garments from his touch, and said, "We are holier +than thou." + +Ilbrahim, seated by the side of his adopted mother, and retaining fast +hold of her hand, assumed a grave and decorous demeanor, such as might +befit a person of matured taste and understanding, who should find +himself in a temple dedicated to some worship which he did not +recognize, but felt himself bound to respect. The exercises had not yet +commenced, however, when the boy's attention was arrested by an event, +apparently of trifling interest. A woman, having her face muffled in a +hood, and a cloak drawn completely about her form, advanced slowly up +the broad aisle, and took a place upon the foremost bench. Ilbrahim's +faint color varied, his nerves fluttered, he was unable to turn his eyes +from the muffled female. + +When the preliminary prayer and hymn were over, the minister arose, and +having turned the hour-glass which stood by the great Bible, commenced +his discourse. He was now well stricken in years, a man of pale, thin +countenance, and his gray hairs were closely covered by a black velvet +skull cap. In his younger days he had practically learned the meaning of +persecution from Archbishop Laud, and he was not now disposed to forget +the lesson against which he had murmured then. Introducing the +often-discussed subject of the Quakers, he gave a history of that sect, +and a description of their tenets, in which error predominated, and +prejudice distorted the aspect of what was true. He adverted to the +recent measures in the province, and cautioned his hearers of weaker +parts against calling in question the just severity which God-fearing +magistrates had at length been compelled to exercise. He spoke of the +danger of pity, in some cases a commendable and Christian virtue, but +inapplicable to this pernicious sect. He observed that such was their +devilish obstinacy in error, that even the little children, the sucking +babes, were hardened and desperate heretics. He affirmed that no man, +without Heaven's especial warrant, should attempt their conversion, lest +while he lent his hand to draw them from the slough, he should himself +be precipitated into its lowest depths. + +The sands of the second hour were principally in the lower half of the +glass when the sermon concluded. An approving murmur followed, and the +clergyman, having given out a hymn, took his seat with much +self-congratulation, and endeavored to read the effect of his eloquence +in the visages of the people. But while voices from all parts of the +house were tuning themselves to sing, a scene occurred, which, though +not very unusual at that period in the province, happened to be without +precedent in this parish. + +The muffled female, who had hitherto sat motionless in the front rank +of the audience, now arose, and with slow, stately, and unwavering step +ascended the pulpit stairs. The quiverings of incipient harmony were +hushed, and the divine sat in speechless and almost terrified +astonishment, while she undid the door, and stood up in the sacred desk +from which his maledictions had just been thundered. She then divested +herself of the cloak and hood, and appeared in a most singular array. A +shapeless robe of sackcloth was girded about her waist with a knotted +cord; her raven hair fell down upon her shoulders, and its blackness was +defiled by pale streaks of ashes, which she had strewn upon her head. +Her eyebrows, dark and strongly defined, added to the deathly whiteness +of a countenance, which, emaciated with want, and wild with enthusiasm +and strange sorrows, retained no trace of earlier beauty. This figure +stood gazing earnestly on the audience, and there was no sound, nor any +movement, except a faint shuddering which every man observed in his +neighbor, but was scarcely conscious of in himself. At length, when her +fit of inspiration came, she spoke, for the first few moments in a low +voice and not invariably distinct utterance. Her discourse gave evidence +of an imagination hopelessly entangled with her reason; it was a vague +and incomprehensible rhapsody, which, however, seemed to spread its own +atmosphere round the hearer's soul, and to move his feelings by some +influence unconnected with the words. As she proceeded, beautiful but +shadowy images would sometimes be seen, like bright things moving in a +turbid river; or a strong and singularly shaped idea leaped forth, and +seized at once on the understanding or the heart. But the course of her +unearthly eloquence soon led her to the persecutions of her sect, and +from thence the step was short to her own peculiar sorrows. She was +naturally a woman of mighty passions, and hatred and revenge now wrapped +themselves in the garb of piety; the character of her speech was +changed, her images became distinct though wild, and her denunciations +had an almost hellish bitterness. + +"The governor and his mighty men," she said, "have gathered together, +taking counsel among themselves and saying, 'What shall we do unto this +people--even unto the people that have come into this land to put our +iniquity to the blush?' And lo! the Devil entereth into the +council-chamber, like a lame man of low stature and gravely apparelled, +with a dark and twisted countenance, and a bright, downcast eye. And he +standeth up among the rulers; yea, he goeth to and fro, whispering to +each; and every man lends his ear, for his word is, 'Slay, slay!' But I +say unto ye, Woe to them that slay! Woe to them that shed the blood of +saints! Woe to them that have slain the husband, and cast forth the +child, the tender infant, to wander homeless, and hungry, and cold, till +he die; and have saved the mother alive, in the cruelty of their tender +mercies! Woe to them in their lifetime, cursed are they in the delight +and pleasure of their hearts! Woe to them in their death-hour, whether +it come swiftly with blood and violence, or after long and lingering +pain! Woe, in the dark house, in the rottenness of the grave, when the +children's children shall revile the ashes of the fathers! Woe, woe, +woe, at the judgment, when all the persecuted and all the slain in this +bloody land, and the father, the mother, and the child shall await them +in a day that they cannot escape! Seed of the faith, seed of the faith, +ye whose hearts are moving with a power that ye know not, arise, wash +your hands of this innocent blood! Lift your voices, chosen ones, cry +aloud, and call down a woe and a judgment with me!" + +Having thus given vent to the flood of malignity which she mistook for +inspiration, the speaker was silent. Her voice was succeeded by the +hysteric shrieks of several women, but the feelings of the audience +generally had not been drawn onward in the current with her own. They +remained stupefied, stranded as it were, in the midst of a torrent, +which deafened them by its roaring, but might not move them by its +violence. The clergyman, who could not hitherto have ejected the usurper +of his pulpit otherwise than by bodily force, now addressed her in the +tone of just indignation and legitimate authority. + +"Get you down, woman, from the holy place which you profane," he said. +"Is it to the Lord's house that you came to pour forth the foulness of +your heart, and the inspiration of the Devil? Get you down, and remember +that the sentence of death is on you, yea, and shall be executed, were +it but for this day's work!" + +"I go, friend, I go, for the voice hath had its utterance," replied +she, in a depressed and even mild tone. "I have done my mission unto +thee and to thy people. Reward me with stripes, imprisonment, or death, +as ye shall be permitted." + +The weakness of exhausted passion caused her steps to totter as she +descended the pulpit stairs. The people, in the meanwhile, were stirring +to and fro on the floor of the house, whispering among themselves, and +glancing toward the intruder. Many of them now recognized her as the +woman who had assaulted the governor with frightful language, as he +passed by the window of her prison; they knew, also, that she was +adjudged to suffer death, and had been preserved only by an involuntary +banishment into the wilderness. The new outrage, by which she had +provoked her fate, seemed to render further lenity impossible; and a +gentleman in military dress, with a stout man of inferior rank, drew +toward the door of the meeting-house, and awaited her approach. Scarcely +did her feet press the floor, however, when an unexpected scene +occurred. In that moment of her peril, when every eye frowned with +death, a little timid boy pressed forth, and threw his arms round his +mother. + +"I am here, mother, it is I, and I will go with thee to prison," he +exclaimed. + +She gazed at him with a doubtful and almost frightened expression, for +she knew that the boy had been cast out to perish, and she had not hoped +to see his face again. She feared, perhaps, that it was but one of the +happy visions, with which her excited fancy had often deceived her, in +the solitude of the desert or in prison. But when she felt his hand warm +within her own, and heard his little eloquence of childish love, she +began to know that she was yet a mother. + +"Blessed art thou, my son," she sobbed. "My heart was withered; yea, +dead with thee and with thy father; and now it leaps as in the first +moment when I pressed thee to my bosom." + +She kneeled down and embraced him again and again, while the joy that +could find no words expressed itself in broken accents, like the bubbles +gushing up to vanish at the surface of a deep fountain. The sorrows of +past years, and the darker peril that was nigh, cast not a shadow on the +brightness of that fleeting moment. Soon, however, the spectators saw a +change upon her face, as the consciousness of her sad estate returned, +and grief supplied the fount of tears which joy had opened. By the words +she uttered, it would seem that the indulgence of natural love had given +her mind a momentary sense of its errors, and made her know how far she +had strayed from duty, in following the dictates of a wild fanaticism. + +"In a doleful hour art thou returned to me, poor boy," she said, "for +thy mother's path has gone darkening onward, till now the end is death. +Son, son, I have borne thee in my arms when my limbs were tottering, and +I have fed thee with the food that I was fainting for; yet I have ill +performed a mother's part by thee in life, and now I leave thee no +inheritance but woe and shame. Thou wilt go seeking through the world, +and find all hearts closed against thee, and their sweet affections +turned to bitterness for my sake. My child, my child, how many a pang +awaits thy gentle spirit and I the cause of all!" + +She hid her face on Ilbrahim's head, and her long raven hair, discolored +with the ashes of her mourning, fell down about him like a veil. A low +and interrupted moan was the voice of her heart's anguish, and it did +not fail to move the sympathies of many who mistook their involuntary +virtue for a sin. Sobs were audible in the female section of the house, +and every man who was a father drew his hand across his eyes. Tobias +Pearson was agitated and uneasy, but a certain feeling like the +consciousness of guilt oppressed him, so that he could not go forth and +offer himself as the protector of the child. Dorothy, however, had +watched her husband's eye. Her mind was free from the influence that had +begun to work on his, and she drew near the Quaker woman, and addressed +her in the hearing of all the congregation. + +"Stranger, trust this boy to me, and I will be his mother," she said, +taking Ilbrahim's hand. "Providence has signally marked out my husband +to protect him, and he has fed at our table and lodged under our roof, +now many days, till our hearts have grown very strongly unto him. Leave +the tender child with us, and be at ease concerning his welfare." + +The Quaker rose from the ground, but drew the boy closer to her, while +she gazed earnestly in Dorothy's face. Her mild, but saddened features, +and neat matronly attire harmonized together, and were like a verse of +fireside poetry. Her very aspect proved that she was blameless, so far +as mortal could be so, in respect to God and man; while the enthusiast, +in her robe of sackcloth and girdle of knotted cord, had as evidently +violated the duties of the present life and the future, by fixing her +attention wholly on the latter. The two females, as they held each a +hand of Ilbrahim, formed a practical allegory; it was rational piety and +unbridled fanaticism contending for the empire of a young heart. + +"Thou art not of our people," said the Quaker, mournfully. + +"No, we are not of your people," replied Dorothy, with mildness, "but we +are Christians, looking upward to the same Heaven with you. Doubt not +that your boy shall meet you there, if there be a blessing on our tender +and prayerful guidance of him. Thither, I trust, my own children have +gone before me, for I also have been a mother; I am no longer so," she +added, in a faltering tone, "and your son will have all my care." + +"But will ye lead him in the path which his parents have trodden?" +demanded the Quaker. "Can ye teach him the enlightened faith which his +father has died for, and for which I, even I, am soon to become an +unworthy martyr? The boy has been baptized in blood; will ye keep the +mark fresh and ruddy upon his forehead?" + +"I will not deceive you," answered Dorothy. "If your child become our +child, we must breed him up in the instruction which Heaven has imparted +to us; we must pray for him the prayers of our own faith; we must do +toward him according to the dictates of our own consciences, and not of +yours. Were we to act otherwise, we should abuse your trust, even in +complying with your wishes." + +The mother looked down upon her boy with a troubled countenance, and +then turned her eyes upward to Heaven. She seemed to pray internally, +and the contention of her soul was evident. + +"Friend," she said at length to Dorothy, "I doubt not that my son shall +receive all earthly tenderness at thy hands. Nay, I will believe that +even thy imperfect lights may guide him to a better world; for surely +thou art on the path thither. But thou hast spoken of a husband. Doth he +stand here among this multitude of people? Let him come forth, for I +must know to whom I commit this most precious trust." + +She turned her face upon the male auditors, and after a momentary delay, +Tobias Pearson came forth from among them. The Quaker saw the dress +which marked his military rank, and shook her head; but then she noted +the hesitating air, the eyes that struggled with her own, and were +vanquished; the color that went and came, and could find no +resting-place. As she gazed, an unmirthful smile spread over her +features, like sunshine that grows melancholy in some desolate spot. +Her lips moved inaudibly, but at length she spake. + +"I hear it, I hear it. The voice speaketh within me and saith, 'Leave +thy child, Catharine, for his place is here, and go hence, for I have +other work for thee. Break the bonds of natural affection, martyr thy +love, and know that in all these things eternal wisdom hath its ends.' I +go, friends, I go. Take ye my boy, my precious jewel. I go hence, +trusting that all shall be well, and that even for his infant hands +there is a labor in the vineyard." + +She knelt down and whispered to Ilbrahim, who at first struggled and +clung to his mother, with sobs and tears, but remained passive when she +had kissed his cheek and arisen from the ground. Having held her hands +over his head in mental prayer, she was ready to depart. + +"Farewell, friends in mine extremity," she said to Pearson and his wife; +"the good deed ye have done me is a treasure laid up in Heaven, to be +returned a thousand-fold hereafter. And farewell ye, mine enemies, to +whom it is not permitted to harm so much as a hair of my head, nor to +stay my footsteps even for a moment. The day is coming when ye shall +call upon me to witness for ye to this one sin uncommitted, and I will +rise up and answer." + +She turned her steps toward the door, and the men, who had stationed +themselves to guard it, withdrew, and suffered her to pass. A general +sentiment of pity overcame the virulence of religious hatred. +Sanctified by her love and her affliction, she went forth, and all the +people gazed after her till she had journeyed up the hill, and was lost +behind its brow. She went, the apostle of her own unquiet heart, to +renew the wanderings of past years. For her voice had been already heard +in many lands of Christendom; and she had pined in the cells of a +Catholic Inquisition before she felt the lash and lay in the dungeons of +the Puritans. Her mission had extended also to the followers of the +Prophet, and from them she had received the courtesy and kindness which +all the contending sects of our purer religion united to deny her. Her +husband and herself had resided many months in Turkey, where even the +Sultan's countenance was gracious to them; in that pagan land, too, was +Ilbrahim's birthplace, and his Oriental name was a mark of gratitude for +the good deeds of an unbeliever. + + * * * * * + +When Pearson and his wife had thus acquired all the rights over Ilbrahim +that could be delegated, their affection for him became, like the memory +of their native land, or their mild sorrow for the dead, a piece of the +immovable furniture of their hearts. The boy, also, after a week or two +of mental disquiet, began to gratify his protectors, by many inadvertent +proofs that he considered them as parents, and their house as home. +Before the winter snows were melted, the persecuted infant, the little +wanderer from a remote and heathen country, seemed native in the New +England cottage, and inseparable from the warmth and security of its +hearth. Under the influence of kind treatment, and in the consciousness +that he was loved, Ilbrahim's demeanor lost a premature manliness which +had resulted from his earlier situation; he became more childlike, and +his natural character displayed itself with freedom. It was in many +respects a beautiful one, yet the disordered imaginations of both his +father and mother had perhaps propagated a certain unhealthiness in the +mind of the boy. In his general state, Ilbrahim would derive enjoyment +from the most trifling events, and from every object about him; he +seemed to discover rich treasures of happiness, by a faculty analogous +to that of the witch-hazel, which points to hidden gold where all is +barren to the eye. His airy gayety, coming to him from a thousand +sources, communicated itself to the family, and Ilbrahim was like a +domesticated sunbeam, brightening moody countenances, and chasing away +the gloom from the dark corners of the cottage. + +On the other hand, as the susceptibility of pleasure is also that of +pain, the exuberant cheerfulness of the boy's prevailing temper +sometimes yielded to moments of deep depression. His sorrows could not +always be followed up to their original source, but most frequently they +appeared to flow, though Ilbrahim was young to be sad for such a cause, +from wounded love. The flightiness of his mirth rendered him often +guilty of offences against the decorum of a Puritan household, and on +these occasions he did not invariably escape rebuke. But the slightest +word of real bitterness, which he was infallible in distinguishing from +pretended anger, seemed to sink into his heart and poison all his +enjoyments, till he became sensible that he was entirely forgiven. Of +the malice which generally accompanies a superfluity of sensitiveness, +Ilbrahim was altogether destitute; when trodden upon, he would not turn; +when wounded, he could but die. His mind was wanting in the stamina for +self-support; it was a plant that would twine beautifully round +something stronger than itself, but if repulsed, or torn away, it had no +choice but to wither on the ground. Dorothy's acuteness taught her that +severity would crush the spirit of the child, and she nurtured him with +the gentle care of one who handles a butterfly. Her husband manifested +an equal affection, although it grew daily less productive of familiar +caresses. + +The feelings of the neighboring people, in regard to the Quaker infant +and his protectors, had not undergone a favorable change, in spite of +the momentary triumph which the desolate mother had obtained over their +sympathies. The scorn and bitterness, of which he was the object, were +very grievous to Ilbrahim, especially when any circumstance made him +sensible that the children, his equals in age, partook of the enmity of +their parents. His tender and social nature had already overflowed in +attachments to everything about him, and still there was a residue of +unappropriated love, which he yearned to bestow upon the little ones who +were taught to hate him. As the warm days of spring came on, Ilbrahim +was accustomed to remain for hours silent and inactive within hearing +of the children's voices at their play; yet, with his usual delicacy of +feeling, he avoided their notice, and would flee and hide himself from +the smallest individual among them. Chance, however, at length seemed to +open a medium of communication between his heart and theirs; it was by +means of a boy about two years older than Ilbrahim, who was injured by a +fall from a tree in the vicinity of Pearson's habitation. As the +sufferer's own home was at some distance, Dorothy willingly received him +under her roof, and became his tender and careful nurse. + +Ilbrahim was the unconscious possessor of much skill in physiognomy, and +it would have deterred him, in other circumstances, from attempting to +make a friend of this boy. The countenance of the latter immediately +impressed a beholder disagreeably, but it required some examination to +discover that the cause was a very slight distortion of the mouth, and +the irregular, broken line and near approach of the eyebrows. Analogous, +perhaps, to these trifling deformities was an almost imperceptible twist +of every joint, and the uneven prominence of the breast; forming a body, +regular in its general outline, but faulty in almost all its details. +The disposition of the boy was sullen and reserved, and the village +schoolmaster stigmatized him as obtuse in intellect; although, at a +later period of life, he evinced ambition and very peculiar talents. But +whatever might be his personal or moral irregularities, Ilbrahim's heart +seized upon, and clung to him, from the moment that he was brought +wounded into the cottage; the child of persecution seemed to compare +his own fate with that of the sufferer, and to feel that even different +modes of misfortune had created a sort of relationship between them. +Food, rest, and the fresh air, for which he languished, were neglected; +he nestled continually by the bedside of the little stranger, and, with +a fond jealousy, endeavored to be the medium of all the cares that were +bestowed upon him. As the boy became convalescent, Ilbrahim contrived +games suitable to his situation, or amused him by a faculty which he had +perhaps breathed in with the air of his barbaric birthplace. It was that +of reciting imaginary adventures, on the spur of the moment, and +apparently in inexhaustible succession. His tales were of course +monstrous, disjointed, and without aim; but they were curious on account +of a vein of human tenderness which ran through them all, and was like a +sweet, familiar face, encountered in the midst of wild and unearthly +scenery. The auditor paid much attention to these romances, and +sometimes interrupted them by brief remarks upon the incidents, +displaying shrewdness above his years, mingled with a moral obliquity +which grated very harshly against Ilbrahim's instinctive rectitude. +Nothing, however, could arrest the progress of the latter's affection, +and there were many proofs that it met with a response from the dark and +stubborn nature on which it was lavished. The boy's parents at length +removed him, to complete his cure under their own roof. + +Ilbrahim did not visit his new friend after his departure; but he made +anxious and continual inquiries respecting him, and informed himself of +the day when he was to reappear among his playmates. On a pleasant +summer afternoon, the children of the neighborhood had assembled in the +little forest-crowned amphitheatre behind the meeting-house, and the +recovering invalid was there, leaning on a staff. The glee of a score of +untainted bosoms was heard in light and airy voices, which danced among +the trees like sunshine become audible; the grown men of this weary +world, as they journeyed by the spot, marvelled why life, beginning in +such brightness, should proceed in gloom; and their hearts, or their +imaginations, answered them and said, that the bliss of childhood gushes +from its innocence. But it happened that an unexpected addition was made +to the heavenly little band. It was Ilbrahim, who came toward the +children with a look of sweet confidence on his fair and spiritual face, +as if, having manifested his love to one of them, he had no longer to +fear a repulse from their society. A hush came over their mirth the +moment they beheld him, and they stood whispering to each other while he +drew nigh; but, all at once, the devil of their fathers entered into the +unbreeched fanatics, and sending up a fierce, shrill cry, they rushed +upon the poor Quaker child. In an instant, he was the centre of a brood +of baby-fiends, who lifted sticks against him, pelted him with stones, +and displayed an instinct of destruction far more loathsome than the +blood-thirstiness of manhood. + +The invalid, in the meanwhile, stood apart from the tumult, crying out +with a loud voice, "Fear not, Ilbrahim, come hither and take my hand"; +and his unhappy friend endeavored to obey him. After watching the +victim's struggling approach with a calm smile and unabashed eye, the +foul-hearted little villain lifted his staff, and struck Ilbrahim on the +mouth, so forcibly that the blood issued in a stream. The poor child's +arms had been raised to guard his head from the storm of blows; but now +he dropped them at once. His persecutors beat him down, trampled upon +him, dragged him by his long, fair locks, and Ilbrahim was on the point +of becoming as veritable a martyr as ever entered bleeding into heaven. +The uproar, however, attracted the notice of a few neighbors, who put +themselves to the trouble of rescuing the little heretic, and of +conveying him to Pearson's door. + +Ilbrahim's bodily harm was severe, but long and careful nursing +accomplished his recovery; the injury done to his sensitive spirit was +more serious, though not so visible. Its signs were principally of a +negative character, and to be discovered only by those who had +previously known him. His gait was thenceforth slow, even, and unvaried +by the sudden bursts of sprightlier motion, which had once corresponded +to his overflowing gladness; his countenance was heavier, and its former +play of expression, the dance of sunshine reflected from moving water, +was destroyed by the cloud over his existence; his notice was attracted +in a far less degree by passing events, and he appeared to find greater +difficulty in comprehending what was new to him, than at a happier +period. A stranger, founding his judgment upon these circumstances, +would have said that the dulness of the child's intellect widely +contradicted the promise of his features; but the secret was in the +direction of Ilbrahim's thoughts, which were brooding within him when +they should naturally have been wandering abroad. An attempt of Dorothy +to revive his former sportiveness was the single occasion on which his +quiet demeanor yielded to a violent display of grief; he burst into +passionate weeping, and ran and hid himself, for his heart had become so +miserably sore that even the hand of kindness tortured it like fire. +Sometimes, at night and probably in his dreams, he was heard to cry, +"Mother! mother!" as if her place, which a stranger had supplied while +Ilbrahim was happy, admitted of no substitute in his extreme affliction. +Perhaps, among the many life-weary wretches then upon the earth, there +was not one who combined innocence and misery like this poor, +broken-hearted infant, so soon the victim of his own heavenly nature. + +While this melancholy change had taken place in Ilbrahim, one of an +earlier origin and of different character had come to its perfection in +his adopted father. The incident with which this tale commences found +Pearson in a state of religious dulness, yet mentally disquieted, and +longing for a more fervid faith than he possessed. The first effect of +his kindness to Ilbrahim was to produce a softened feeling, and +incipient love for the child's whole sect; but joined to this, and +resulting perhaps from self-suspicion, was a proud and ostentatious +contempt of their tenets and practical extravagances. In the course of +much thought, however, for the subject struggled irresistibly into his +mind, the foolishness of the doctrine began to be less evident, and the +points which had particularly offended his reason assumed another +aspect, or vanished entirely away. The work within him appeared to go on +even while he slept, and that which had been a doubt, when he laid down +to rest, would often hold the place of a truth, confirmed by some +forgotten demonstration, when he recalled his thoughts in the morning. +But while he was thus becoming assimilated to the enthusiasts, his +contempt, in no wise decreasing toward them, grew very fierce against +himself; he imagined, also, that every face of his acquaintance wore a +sneer, and that every word addressed to him was a gibe. Such was his +state of mind at the period of Ilbrahim's misfortune; and the emotions +consequent upon that event completed the change, of which the child had +been the original instrument. + +In the meantime, neither the fierceness of the persecutors, nor the +infatuation of their victims, had decreased. The dungeons were never +empty; the streets of almost every village echoed daily with a lash; the +life of a woman, whose mild and Christian spirit no cruelty could +imbitter, had been sacrificed; and more innocent blood was yet to +pollute the hands that were so often raised in prayer. Early after the +Restoration, the English Quakers represented to Charles II. that a "vein +of blood was open in his dominions"; but though the displeasure of the +voluptuous king was roused, his interference was not prompt. And now the +tale must stride forward over many months, leaving Pearson to encounter +ignominy and misfortune; his wife to a firm endurance of a thousand +sorrows; poor Ilbrahim to pine and droop like a cankered rosebud; his +mother to wander on a mistaken errand, neglectful of the holiest trust +which can be committed to a woman. + + * * * * * + +A winter evening, a night of storm, had darkened over Pearson's +habitation, and there were no cheerful faces to drive the gloom from his +broad hearth. The fire, it is true, sent forth a glowing heat and a +ruddy light, and large logs, dripping with half-melted snow, lay ready +to be cast upon the embers. But the apartment was saddened in its aspect +by the absence of much of the homely wealth which had once adorned it; +for the exaction of repeated fines, and his own neglect of temporal +affairs, had greatly impoverished the owner. And with the furniture of +peace, the implements of war had likewise disappeared; the sword was +broken, the helm and cuirass were cast away forever; the soldier had +done with battles, and might not lift so much as his naked hand to guard +his head. But the Holy Book remained, and the table on which it rested +was drawn before the fire, while two of the persecuted sect sought +comfort from its pages. + +He who listened, while the other read, was the master of the house, now +emaciated in form, and altered as to the expression and healthiness of +his countenance; for his mind had dwelt too long among visionary +thoughts, and his body had been worn by imprisonment and stripes. The +hale and weather-beaten old man, who sat beside him, had sustained less +injury from a far longer course of the same mode of life. In person he +was tall and dignified, and, which alone would have made him hateful to +the Puritans, his gray locks fell from beneath the broad-brimmed hat, +and rested on his shoulders. As the old man read the sacred page, the +snow drifted against the windows, or eddied in at the crevices of the +door, while a blast kept laughing in the chimney, and the blaze leaped +fiercely up to seek it. And sometimes, when the wind struck the hill at +a certain angle, and swept down by the cottage across the wintry plain, +its voice was the most doleful that can be conceived; it came as if the +Past were speaking, as if the Dead had contributed each a whisper, as if +the Desolation of Ages were breathed in that one lamenting sound. + +The Quaker at length closed the book, retaining however his hand between +the pages which he had been reading, while he looked steadfastly at +Pearson. The attitude and features of the latter might have indicated +the endurance of bodily pain; he leaned his forehead on his hands, his +teeth were firmly closed, and his frame was tremulous at intervals with +a nervous agitation. + +"Friend Tobias," inquired the old man, compassionately, "hast thou found +no comfort in these many blessed passages of Scripture?" + +"Thy voice has fallen on my ear like a sound afar off and indistinct," +replied Pearson, without lifting his eyes. "Yea, and when I have +hearkened carefully, the words seemed cold and lifeless, and intended +for another and a lesser grief than mine. Remove the book," he added, in +a tone of sullen bitterness. "I have no part in its consolations, and +they do but fret my sorrow the more." + +"Nay, feeble brother, be not as one who hath never known the light," +said the elder Quaker, earnestly, but with mildness. "Art thou he that +wouldst be content to give all, and endure all, for conscience' sake; +desiring even peculiar trials, that thy faith might be purified, and thy +heart weaned from worldly desires? And wilt thou sink beneath an +affliction which happens alike to them that have their portion here +below, and to them that lay up treasure in heaven? Faint not, for thy +burden is yet light." + +"It is heavy! It is heavier than I can bear!" exclaimed Pearson, with +the impatience of a variable spirit. "From my youth upward I have been a +man marked out for wrath; and year by year, yea, day after day, I have +endured sorrows, such as others know not in their lifetime. And now I +speak not of the love that has been turned to hatred, the honor to +ignominy, the ease and plentifulness of all things to danger, want, and +nakedness. All this I could have borne, and counted myself blessed. But +when my heart was desolate with many losses, I fixed it upon the child +of a stranger, and he became dearer to me than all my buried ones; and +now he too must die, as if my love were poison. Verily, I am an +accursed man, and I will lay me down in the dust, and lift up my head no +more." + +"Thou sinnest, brother, but it is not for me to rebuke thee; for I also +have had my hours of darkness, wherein I have murmured against the +cross," said the old Quaker. He continued, perhaps in the hope of +distracting his companion's thoughts from his own sorrows. "Even of late +was the light obscured within me, when the men of blood had banished me +on pain of death, and the constables led me onward from village to +village, toward the wilderness. A strong and cruel hand was wielding the +knotted cords; they sunk deep into the flesh, and thou mightst have +tracked every reel and totter of my footsteps by the blood that +followed. As we went on--" + +"Have I not borne all this; and have I murmured?" interrupted Pearson, +impatiently. + +"Nay, friend, but hear me," continued the other. "As we journeyed on, +night darkened on our path, so that no man could see the rage of the +persecutors, or the constancy of my endurance, though Heaven forbid that +I should glory therein. The lights began to glimmer in the cottage +windows, and I could discern the inmates as they gathered in comfort and +security, every man with his wife and children by their own evening +hearth. At length we came to a tract of fertile land; in the dim light, +the forest was not visible around it; and behold! there was a +straw-thatched dwelling, which bore the very aspect of my home, far over +the wild ocean, far in our own England. Then came bitter thoughts upon +me; yea, remembrances that were like death to my soul. The happiness of +my early days was painted to me; the disquiet of my manhood, the altered +faith of my declining years. I remembered how I had been moved to go +forth a wanderer, when my daughter, the youngest, the dearest of my +flock, lay on her dying bed, and--" + +"Couldst thou obey the command at such a moment?" exclaimed Pearson, +shuddering. + +"Yea, yea," replied the old man, hurriedly. "I was kneeling by her +bedside when the voice spoke loud within me; but immediately I rose, and +took my staff, and gat me gone. O, that it were permitted me to forget +her woful look, when I thus withdrew my arm, and left her journeying +through the dark valley alone! for her soul was faint, and she had +leaned upon my prayers. Now in that night of horror I was assailed by +the thought that I had been an erring Christian, and a cruel parent; +yea, even my daughter, with her pale, dying features, seemed to stand by +me and whisper, 'Father, you are deceived; go home and shelter your gray +head.' O Thou, to whom I have looked in my furthest wanderings," +continued the Quaker, raising his agitated eyes to Heaven, "inflict not +upon the bloodiest of our persecutors the unmitigated agony of my soul, +when I believed that all I had done and suffered for thee was at the +instigation of a mocking fiend! But I yielded not; I knelt down and +wrestled with the tempter, while the scourge bit more fiercely into the +flesh. My prayer was heard, and I went on in peace and joy toward the +wilderness." + +The old man, though his fanaticism had generally all the calmness of +reason, was deeply moved while reciting this tale; and his unwonted +emotion seemed to rebuke and keep down that of his companion. They sat +in silence, with their faces to the fire, imagining perhaps, in its red +embers, new scenes of persecution yet to be encountered. The snow still +drifted hard against the windows, and sometimes, as the blaze of the +logs had gradually sunk, came down the spacious chimney and hissed upon +the hearth. A cautious footstep might now and then be heard in a +neighboring apartment, and the sound invariably drew the eyes of both +Quakers to the door which led thither. When a fierce and riotous gust of +wind had led his thoughts, by a natural association, to homeless +travellers on such a night, Pearson resumed the conversation. + +"I have well-nigh sunk under my own share of this trial," observed he, +sighing heavily; "yet I would that it might be doubled to me, if so the +child's mother could be spared. Her wounds have been deep and many, but +this will be the sorest of all." + +"Fear not for Catharine," replied the old Quaker, "for I know that +valiant woman, and have seen how she can bear the cross. A mother's +heart, indeed, is strong in her, and may seem to contend mightily with +her faith; but soon she will stand up and give thanks that her son has +been thus early an accepted sacrifice. The boy hath done his work, and +she will feel that he is taken hence in kindness both to him and her. +Blessed, blessed are they that with so little suffering can enter into +peace!" + +The fitful rush of the wind was now disturbed by a portentous sound; it +was a quick and heavy knocking at the outer door. Pearson's wan +countenance grew paler, for many a visit of persecution had taught him +what to dread; the old man, on the other hand, stood up erect, and his +glance was firm as that of the tried soldier who awaits his enemy. + +"The men of blood have come to seek me," he observed, with calmness. +"They have heard how I was moved to return from banishment; and now am I +to be led to prison, and thence to death. It is an end I have long +looked for. I will open unto them, lest they say, 'Lo, he feareth!'" + +"Nay, I will present myself before them," said Pearson, with recovered +fortitude. "It may be that they seek me alone, and know not that thou +abidest with me." + +"Let us go boldly, both one and the other," rejoined his companion. "It +is not fitting that thou or I should shrink." + +They therefore proceeded through the entry to the door, which they +opened, bidding the applicant, "Come in, in God's name!" A furious blast +of wind drove the storm into their faces, and extinguished the lamp; +they had barely time to discern a figure, so white from head to foot +with the drifted snow, that it seemed like Winter's self, come in human +shape to seek refuge from its own desolation. + +"Enter, friend, and do thy errand, be it what it may," said Pearson. "It +must needs be pressing, since thou comest on such a bitter night." + +"Peace be with this household," said the stranger, when they stood on +the floor of the inner apartment. + +Pearson started, the elder Quaker stirred the slumbering embers of the +fire, till they sent up a clear and lofty blaze; it was a female voice +that had spoken; it was a female form that shone out, cold and wintry, +in that comfortable light. + +"Catharine, blessed woman," exclaimed the old man, "art thou come to +this darkened land again? art thou come to bear a valiant testimony as +in former years? The scourge hath not prevailed against thee, and from +the dungeon hast thou come forth triumphant; but strengthen, strengthen +now thy heart, Catharine, for Heaven will prove thee yet this once, ere +thou go to thy reward." + +"Rejoice, friends!" she replied. "Thou who hast long been of our people, +and thou whom a little child hath led to us, rejoice! Lo! I come, the +messenger of glad tidings, for the day of persecution is overpast. The +heart of the king, even Charles, hath been moved in gentleness toward +us, and he hath sent forth his letters to stay the hands of the men of +blood. A ship's company of our friends hath arrived at yonder town, and +I also sailed joyfully among them." + +As Catharine spoke, her eyes were roaming about the room, in search of +him for whose sake security was dear to her. Pearson made a silent +appeal to the old man, nor did the latter shrink from the painful task +assigned him. + +"Sister," he began, in a softened yet perfectly calm tone, "thou tellest +us of His love, manifested in temporal good; and now must we speak to +thee of that selfsame love, displayed in chastenings. Hitherto, +Catharine, thou hast been as one journeying in a darksome and difficult +path, and leading an infant by the hand; fain wouldst thou have looked +heavenward continually, but still the cares of that little child have +drawn thine eyes and thy affections to the earth. Sister! go on +rejoicing, for his tottering footsteps shall impede thine own no more." + +But the unhappy mother was not thus to be consoled; she shook like a +leaf, she turned white as the very snow that hung drifted into her hair. +The firm old man extended his hand and held her up, keeping his eye upon +hers, as if to repress any outbreak of passion. + +"I am a woman, I am but a woman; will He try me above my strength?" said +Catharine very quickly, and almost in a whisper. "I have been wounded +sore; I have suffered much; many things in the body, many in the mind; +crucified in myself, and in them that were dearest to me. Surely," added +she, with a long shudder, "He hath spared me in this one thing." She +broke forth with sudden and irrepressible violence, "Tell me, man of +cold heart, what has God done to me? Hath he cast me down, never to rise +again? Hath he crushed my very heart in his hand? And thou, to whom I +committed my child, how hast thou fulfilled thy trust? Give me back the +boy, well, sound, alive, alive; or earth and Heaven shall avenge me!" + +The agonized shriek of Catharine was answered by the faint, the very +faint voice of a child. + +On this day it had become evident to Pearson, to his aged guest, and to +Dorothy that Ilbrahim's brief and troubled pilgrimage drew near its +close. The two former would willingly have remained by him, to make use +of the prayers and pious discourses which they deemed appropriate to the +time, and which, if they be impotent as to the departing traveller's +reception in the world whither it goes, may at least sustain him in +bidding adieu to earth. But though Ilbrahim uttered no complaint, he was +disturbed by the faces that looked upon him; so that Dorothy's +entreaties, and their own conviction that the child's feet might tread +heaven's pavement and not soil it, had induced the two Quakers to +remove. Ilbrahim then closed his eyes and grew calm, and, except for now +and then a kind and low word to his nurse, might have been thought to +slumber. As nightfall came on, however, and the storm began to rise, +something seemed to trouble the repose of the boy's mind, and to render +his sense of hearing active and acute. If a passing wind lingered to +shake the casement, he strove to turn his head toward it; if the door +jarred to and fro upon its hinges, he looked long and anxiously +thitherward; if the heavy voice of the old man, as he read the +Scriptures, rose but a little higher, the child almost held his dying +breath to listen; if a snowdrift swept by the cottage, with a sound like +the trailing of a garment, Ilbrahim seemed to watch that some visitant +should enter. + +But, after a little time, he relinquished whatever secret hope had +agitated him, and, with one low, complaining whisper, turned his cheek +upon the pillow. He then addressed Dorothy with his usual sweetness, and +besought her to draw near him; she did so, and Ilbrahim took her hand in +both of his, grasping it with a gentle pressure, as if to assure himself +that he retained it. At intervals, and without disturbing the repose of +his countenance, a very faint trembling passed over him from head to +foot, as if a mild but somewhat cool wind had breathed upon him, and +made him shiver. As the boy thus led her by the hand, in his quiet +progress over the borders of eternity, Dorothy almost imagined that she +could discern the near, though dim delightfulness of the home he was +about to reach; she would not have enticed the little wanderer back, +though she bemoaned herself that she must leave him and return. But just +when Ilbrahim's feet were pressing on the soil of Paradise, he heard a +voice behind him, and it recalled him a few, few paces of the weary path +which he had travelled. As Dorothy looked upon his features, she +perceived that their placid expression was again disturbed; her own +thoughts had been so wrapped in him, that all sounds of the storm, and +of human speech, were lost to her; but when Catharine's shriek pierced +through the room, the boy strove to raise himself. + +"Friend, she is come! Open unto her!" cried he. + +In a moment, his mother was kneeling by the bedside; she drew Ilbrahim +to her bosom, and he nestled there, with no violence of joy, but +contentedly, as if he were hushing himself to sleep. He looked into her +face, and, reading its agony, said, with feeble earnestness, "Mourn not, +dearest mother. I am happy now." And with these words, the gentle boy +was dead. + + * * * * * + +The king's mandate to stay the New England persecutors was effectual in +preventing further martyrdoms; but the colonial authorities, trusting in +the remoteness of their situation, and perhaps in the supposed +instability of the royal government, shortly renewed their severities in +all other respects. Catharine's fanaticism had become wilder by the +sundering of all human ties; and wherever a scourge was lifted, there +was she to receive the blow; and whenever a dungeon was unbarred, +thither she came, to cast herself upon the floor. But in process of +time, a more Christian spirit--a spirit of forbearance, though not of +cordiality or approbation--began to pervade the land in regard to the +persecuted sect. And then, when the rigid old Pilgrims eyed her rather +in pity than in wrath; when the matrons fed her with the fragments of +their children's food, and offered her a lodging on a hard and lowly +bed; when no little crowd of schoolboys left their sports to cast stones +after the roving enthusiast--then did Catharine return to Pearson's +dwelling, and made that her home. + +As if Ilbrahim's sweetness yet lingered round his ashes, as if his +gentle spirit came down from heaven to teach his parent a true religion, +her fierce and vindictive nature was softened by the same griefs which +had once irritated it. When the course of years had made the features of +the unobtrusive mourner familiar in the settlement, she became a subject +of not deep, but general interest; a being on whom the otherwise +superfluous sympathies of all might be bestowed. Every one spoke of her +with that degree of pity which it is pleasant to experience, every one +was ready to do her the little kindnesses, which are not costly, yet +manifest good-will; and when at last she died, a long train of her once +bitter persecutors followed her, with decent sadness and tears that were +not painful, to her place by Ilbrahim's green and sunken grave. + + + + +THE ANGEL + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +Whenever a good child dies, an angel from heaven comes down to earth, +and takes the dead child in his arms, spreads out his great white wings, +and flies away over all the places the child has loved, and picks quite +a handful of flowers, which he carries up to the Almighty, that they may +bloom in heaven more brightly than on earth. And the Father presses all +the flowers to His heart; but He kisses the flower that pleases him +best, and the flower is then endowed with a voice, and can join in the +great chorus of praise! + +"See"--this is what an angel said, as he carried a dead child up to +heaven, and the child heard, as if in a dream, and they went on over the +regions of home where the little child had played, and they came through +gardens with beautiful flowers--"which of these shall we take with us to +plant in heaven?" asked the angel. + +Now there stood near them a slender, beautiful rose bush; but a wicked +hand had broken the stem, so that all the branches, covered with +half-opened buds, were hanging drooping around, quite withered. + +"The poor rose bush!" said the child. "Take it, that it may bloom up +yonder." + +And the angel took it, and kissed the child, and the little one half +opened his eyes. They plucked some of the rich flowers, but also took +with them the despised buttercup and the wild pansy. + +"Now we have flowers," said the child. + +And the angel nodded, but he did not yet fly upward to heaven. It was +night and quite silent. They remained in the great city; they floated +about there in a small street, where lay whole heaps of straw, ashes, +and sweepings, for it had been removal-day. There lay fragments of +plates, bits of plaster, rags, and old hats, and all this did not look +well. And the angel pointed amid all this confusion to a few fragments +of a flower-pot, and to a lump of earth which had fallen out, and which +was kept together by the roots of a great dried field flower, which was +of no use, and had therefore been thrown out into the street. + +"We will take that with us," said the angel. "I will tell you why, as we +fly onward. + +"Down yonder in the narrow lane, in the low cellar, lived a poor sick +boy; from his childhood he had been bedridden. When he was at his best +he could go up and down the room a few times, leaning on crutches; that +was the utmost he could do. For a few days in summer the sunbeams would +penetrate for a few hours to the ground of the cellar, and when the poor +boy sat there and the sun shone on him, and he looked at the red blood +in his three fingers, as he held them up before his face, he would say, +'Yes, to-day he has been out.' He knew the forest with its beautiful +vernal green only from the fact that the neighbor's son brought him the +first green branch of a beech-tree, and he held that up over his head, +and dreamed he was in the beech wood where the sun shone and the birds +sang. On a spring day the neighbor's boy also brought him field flowers, +and among these was, by chance, one to which the root was hanging; and +so it was planted in a flower-pot, and placed by the bed, close to the +window. And the flower had been planted by a fortunate hand; and it +grew, threw out new shoots, and bore flowers every year. It became as a +splendid flower-garden to the sickly boy--his little treasure here on +earth. He watered it, and tended it, and took care that it had the +benefit of every ray of sunlight, down to the last that struggled in +through the narrow window; and the flower itself was woven into his +dreams, for it grew for him and gladdened his eyes, and spread its +fragrance about him; and toward it he turned in death when the Father +called him. He has now been with the Almighty for a year; for a year the +flower has stood forgotten in the window, and is withered; and thus, at +the removal, it has been thrown out into the dust of the street. And +this is the flower, the poor withered flower, which we have taken into +our nosegay; for this flower has given more joy than the richest flower +in a Queen's garden!" + +"But how do you know all this?" asked the child which the angel was +carrying to heaven. + +"I know it," said the angel, "for I myself was that little boy who +walked on crutches! I know my flower well!" + +And the child opened his eyes and looked into the glorious, happy face +of the angel; and at the same moment they entered the regions where +there is peace and joy. And the Father pressed the dead child to His +bosom, and then it received wings like the angel, and flew hand in hand +with him. And the Almighty pressed all the flowers to His heart; but He +kissed the dry withered field flower, and it received a voice and sang +with all the angels hovering around--some near, and some in wider +circles, and some in infinite distance, but all equally happy. And they +all sang, little and great, the good happy child, and the poor field +flower that had lain there withered, thrown among the dust, in the +rubbish of the removal-day, in the narrow, dark lane. + + + + +THE RED SHOES + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +There once was a little girl; a very nice pretty little girl. But in +summer she had to go barefoot, because she was poor, and in winter she +wore thick wooden shoes, so that her little instep became quite red, +altogether red. + +In the middle of the village lived an old shoemaker's wife; she sat, and +sewed, as well as she could, a pair of little shoes, of old strips of +red cloth; they were clumsy enough, but well meant, and the little girl +was to have them. The little girl's name was Karen. + +On the day when her mother was buried she received the red shoes and +wore them for the first time. They were certainly not suited for +mourning; but she had no others, and therefore thrust her little bare +feet into them and walked behind the plain deal coffin. + +Suddenly a great carriage came by, and in the carriage sat an old lady; +she looked at the little girl and felt pity for her and said to the +clergyman: + +"Give me the little girl and I will provide for her." + +Karen thought this was for the sake of the shoes; but the old lady +declared they were hideous; and they were burned. But Karen herself was +clothed neatly and properly: she was taught to read and to sew, and the +people said she was agreeable. But her mirror said, "You are much more +than agreeable; you are beautiful." + +Once the Queen travelled through the country, and had her little +daughter with her; and the daughter was a Princess. And the people +flocked toward the castle, and Karen too was among them; and the little +Princess stood in a fine white dress at a window, and let herself be +gazed at. She had neither train nor golden crown, but she wore splendid +red morocco shoes; they were certainly far handsomer than those the +shoemaker's wife had made for little Karen. Nothing in the world can +compare with red shoes! + +Now Karen was old enough to be confirmed: new clothes were made for her, +and she was to have new shoes. The rich shoemaker in the town took the +measure of her little feet; this was done in his own house, in his +little room, and there stood great glass cases with neat shoes and +shining boots. It had quite a charming appearance, but the old lady +could not see well, and therefore took no pleasure in it. Among the +shoes stood a red pair, just like those which the princess had worn. How +beautiful they were! The shoemaker also said they had been made for a +Count's child, but they had not fitted. + +"That must be patent leather," observed the old lady, "the shoes shine +so!" + +"Yes, they shine!" replied Karen; and they fitted her, and were bought. +But the old lady did not know that they were red; for she would never +have allowed Karen to go to the confirmation in red shoes; and that is +what Karen did. + +Every one was looking at her shoes. And when she went across the church +porch, toward the door of the choir, it seemed to her as if the old +pictures on the tombstones, the portraits of clergymen and clergymen's +wives, in their stiff collars and long black garments, fixed their eyes +upon her red shoes. And she thought of her shoes only, when the priest +laid his hand upon her head and spoke holy words. And the organ pealed +solemnly, the children sang with their fresh sweet voices, and the old +preceptor sang too; but Karen thought only of her red shoes. + +In the afternoon the old lady was informed by everyone that the shoes +were red; and she said it was naughty and unsuitable, and that when +Karen went to church in future, she should always go in black shoes, +even if they were old. + +Next Sunday was sacrament Sunday. And Karen looked at the black shoes, +and looked at the red ones--looked at them again--and put on the red +ones. + +The sun shone gloriously; Karen and the old lady went along the footpath +through the fields, and it was rather dusty. + +By the church door stood an old invalid soldier with a crutch and a long +beard; the beard was rather red than white, for it was red altogether; +and he bowed down almost to the ground, and asked the old lady if he +might dust her shoes. And Karen also stretched out her little foot. + +"Look, what pretty dancing shoes!" said the old soldier. "Fit so +tightly when you dance!" + +And he tapped the soles with his hand. And the old lady gave the soldier +an alms, and went into the church with Karen. + +And every one in the church looked at Karen's red shoes, and all the +pictures looked at them. And while Karen knelt in the church she only +thought of her red shoes; and she forgot to sing her psalm, and forgot +to say her prayer. + +Now all the people went out of church, and the old lady stepped into her +carriage. Karen lifted up her foot to step in too; then the old soldier +said: + +"Look, what beautiful dancing shoes!" + +And Karen could not resist: she was obliged to dance a few steps; and +when she once began, her legs went on dancing. It was just as though the +shoes had obtained power over her. She danced round the corner of the +church--she could not help it; the coachman was obliged to run behind +her and seize her; he lifted her into the carriage, but her feet went on +dancing, so that she kicked the good old lady violently. At last they +took off her shoes, and her legs became quiet. + +At home the shoes were put away in a cupboard; but Karen could not +resist looking at them. + +Now the old lady became very ill, and it was said she would not recover. +She had to be nursed, and waited on: and this was no one's duty so much +as Karen's. But there was to be a great ball in the town, and Karen was +invited. She looked at the old lady who could not recover; she looked +at the red shoes, and thought there would be no harm in it. She put on +the shoes, and that she might very well do; but they went to the ball +and began to dance. + +But when she wished to go to the right hand, the shoes danced to the +left, and when she wanted to go upstairs the shoes danced downward, down +into the street and out at the town gate. She danced, and was obliged to +dance, till she danced straight out into the dark wood. + +There was something glistening up among the trees, and she thought it +was the moon, for she saw a face. But it was the old soldier with the +red beard: he sat and nodded, and said: + +"Look, what beautiful dancing-shoes!" + +Then she was frightened, and wanted to throw away the red shoes; but +they clung fast to her. And she tore off her stockings; but the shoes +had grown fast to her feet. And she danced and was compelled to go +dancing over field and meadow, in rain and sunshine, by night and by +day; but it was most dreadful at night. + +She danced out into the open churchyard; but the dead there do not +dance; they have far better things to do. She wished to sit down on the +poor man's grave, where the bitter fern grows; but there was no peace +nor rest for her. And when she danced toward the open church door, she +saw there an angel in long white garments, with wings that reached from +his shoulders to his feet; his countenance was serious and stern, and +in his hand he held a sword that was broad and gleaming. + +"Thou shalt dance!" he said--"dance on thy red shoes, till thou art pale +and cold, and till thy body shrivels to a skeleton. Thou shalt dance +from door to door, and where proud, haughty children dwell, shalt thou +knock, that they may hear thee, and be afraid of thee! Thou shalt dance, +dance!" + +"Mercy!" cried Karen. + +But she did not hear what the angel answered, for the shoes carried her +away--carried her through the door on to the field, over stock and +stone, and she was always obliged to dance. + +One morning she danced past a door which she knew well. There was a +sound of psalm-singing within, and a coffin was carried out, adorned +with flowers. Then she knew that the old lady was dead, and she felt +that she was deserted by all, and condemned by the angel of heaven. + +She danced, and was compelled to dance--to dance in the dark night. The +shoes carried her on over thorn and brier; she scratched herself till +she bled; she danced away across the heath to a little lonely house. +Here she knew the executioner dwelt; and she tapped with her fingers on +the panes, and called: + +"Come out, come out! I cannot come in for I must dance!" + +And the executioner said: + +"You probably don't know who I am? I cut off the bad people's heads +with my axe, and mark how my axe rings!" + +"Do not strike off my head," said Karen, "for if you do I cannot repent +of my sin. But strike off my feet with the red shoes!" + +And then she confessed all her sin, and the executioner cut off her feet +with the red shoes; but the shoes danced away with the little feet over +the fields and into the deep forest. + +And he cut her a pair of wooden feet, with crutches, and taught her a +psalm, which the criminals always sing; and she kissed the hand that had +held the axe, and went away across the heath. + +"Now I have suffered pain enough for the red shoes," said she. "Now I +will go into the church, that they may see me." + +And she went quickly toward the church door, but when she came there the +red shoes danced before her, so that she was frightened, and turned +back. + +The whole week through she was sorrowful, and wept many bitter tears; +but when Sunday came she said: + +"Now I have suffered and striven enough! I think that I am just as good +as many of those who sit in the church and carry their heads high." + +And then she went boldly on; but she did not get further than the +churchyard gate before she saw the red shoes dancing along before her; +then she was seized with terror, and turned back, and repented of her +sin right heartily. + +And she went to the parsonage, and begged to be taken there as a +servant. She promised to be industrious, and to do all she could; she +did not care for wages, and only wished to be under a roof and with good +people. The clergyman's wife pitied her, and took her into her service. +And she was industrious and thoughtful. Silently she sat and listened +when in the evening the pastor read the Bible aloud. All the little ones +were very fond of her; but when they spoke of dress and splendor and +beauty, she would shake her head. + +Next Sunday they all went to church, and she was asked if she wished to +go too, but she looked sadly, with tears in her eyes, at her crutches. +And then the others went to hear God's word; but she went alone into her +little room, which was only large enough to contain her bed and a chair. +And here she sat with her hymn-book; and as she read it with a pious +mind, the wind bore the notes of the organ over to her from the church; +and she lifted up her face, wet with tears, and said: + +"O Lord, help me!" + +Then the sun shone so brightly; and before her stood the angel in the +white garments, the same as she had seen that night at the church door. +But he no longer grasped the sharp sword; he held a green branch covered +with roses; and he touched the ceiling, and it rose up high, and +wherever he touched it a golden star gleamed forth; and he touched the +walls, and they spread forth widely, and she saw the organ which was +pealing its rich sounds; and she saw the old pictures of clergymen and +their wives; and the congregation sat in the decorated seats, and sang +from their hymn-books. The church had come to the poor girl in her +narrow room, or her chamber had become a church. She sat in the chair +with the rest of the clergyman's people; and when they had finished the +psalm, and looked up, they nodded and said: + +"That was right that you came here, Karen." + +"It was mercy!" said she. + +And the organ sounded its glorious notes; and the children's voices +singing in the chorus sounded sweet and lovely; the clear sunshine +streamed so warm through the window upon the chair in which Karen sat; +and her heart became so filled with sunshine, peace, and joy, that it +broke. Her soul flew on the sunbeams to heaven; and there was nobody who +asked after the RED SHOES. + + + + +THE LOVLIEST ROSE IN THE WORLD + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +Once there reigned a Queen, in whose garden were found the most glorious +flowers at all seasons and from all the lands in the world; but +especially she loved roses, and therefore she possessed the most various +kinds of this flower, from the wild dog-rose, with the apple-scented +green leaves, to the most splendid Provence rose. They grew against the +earth walls, wound themselves round pillars and window-frames, into the +passages, and all along the ceiling in all the halls. And the roses were +various in fragrance, form, and color. + +But care and sorrow dwelt in these halls: the Queen lay upon a sick-bed, +and the doctors declared that she must die. + +"There is still one thing that can serve her," said the wisest of them. +"Bring her the loveliest rose in the world, the one which is the +expression of the brightest and purest love; for if that is brought +before her eyes ere they close, she will not die." + +And young and old came from every side with roses, the loveliest that +bloomed in each garden; but they were not the right sort. The flower was +to be brought out of the garden of Love; but what rose was it there that +expressed the highest and purest love? + +And the poets sang of the loveliest rose in the world, and each one +named his own; and intelligence was sent far round the land to every +heart that beat with love, to every class and condition, and to every +age. + +"No one has till now named the flower," said the wise man. "No one has +pointed out the place where it bloomed in its splendor. They are not the +roses from the coffin of Romeo and Juliet, or from the Walburg's grave, +though these roses will be ever fragrant in song. They are not the roses +that sprouted forth from Winkelried's blood-stained lances, from the +blood that flows in a sacred cause from the breast of the hero who dies +for his country; though no death is sweeter than this, and no rose +redder than the blood that flows then. Nor is it that wondrous flower, +to cherish which man devotes, in a quiet chamber, many a sleepless +night, and much of his fresh life--the magic flower of science." + +"I know where it blooms," said a happy mother, who came with her pretty +child to the bedside of the Queen. "I know where the loveliest rose of +the world is found! The rose that is the expression of the highest and +purest love springs from the blooming cheeks of my sweet child when, +strengthened by sleep, it opens its eyes and smiles at me with all its +affection!" + +"Lovely is this rose; but there is still a lovelier," said the wise man. + +"Yes, a far lovelier one," said one of the women. "I have seen it, and a +loftier, purer rose does not bloom. I saw it on the cheeks of the +Queen. She had taken off her golden crown, and in the long dreary night +she was carrying her sick child in her arms: she wept, kissed it, and +prayed for her child as a mother prays in the hour of her anguish." + +"Holy and wonderful in its might is the white rose of grief; but it is +not the one we seek." + +"No, the loveliest rose of the world I saw at the altar of the Lord," +said the good old Bishop. "I saw it shine as if an angel's face had +appeared. The young maidens went to the Lord's Table, and renewed the +promise made at their baptism, and roses were blushing, and pale roses +shining on their fresh cheeks. A young girl stood there; she looked with +all the purity and love of her young spirit up to heaven: that was the +expression of the highest and purest love." + +"May she be blessed," said the wise man; "but not one of you has yet +named to me the loveliest rose of the world." + +Then there came into the room a child, the Queen's little son. Tears +stood in his eyes and glistened on his cheeks; he carried a great open +book, and the binding was of velvet, with great silver clasps. + +"Mother!" cried the boy, "only hear what I have read." + +And the child sat by the bedside, and read from the book of Him who +suffered death on the cross to save men, and even those who were not yet +born. + +"Greater love there is not"-- + +And a roseate hue spread over the cheeks of the Queen, and her eyes +gleamed, for she saw that from the leaves of the book there bloomed the +loveliest rose, that sprang from the blood of Christ shed on the cross. + +"I see it!" she said: "he who beholds this, the loveliest rose on earth, +shall never die." + + + + +A VISION OF THE LAST DAY + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +Of all the days of our life the greatest and most solemn is the day on +which we die. Hast thou ever tried to realize that most sure, most +portentous hour, the last hour we shall spend on earth? + +There was a certain man, an upholder of truth and justice, a Christian +man and orthodox, so the world esteemed him. And, in sooth, it may be +that some good thing was found in him, since in sleep, amid the visions +of the night, it pleased the Father of spirits to reveal him to himself, +making manifest to him what he was in truth, namely, one of those who +trust in themselves that they are righteous and despise others. + +He went to rest, secure that his accounts were right with all men, that +he had paid his dues and wrought good works that day; of the secret +pride of his heart, of the harsh words that had passed his lips, he took +no account at all. And so he slept, and in his sleep Death stood by his +bedside, a glorious Angel, strong, spotless, beautiful, but unlike every +other angel, stern, unsmiling, pitiless of aspect. + +"Thine hour is come, and thou must follow me!" spake Death. And Death's +cold finger touched the man's feet, whereupon they became like ice, then +touched his forehead, then his heart. And the chain that bound the +immortal soul to clay was riven asunder, and the soul was free to follow +the Angel of Death. + +But during those brief seconds, while yet that awful touch thrilled +through feet, and head, and heart, there passed over the dying man, as +in great, heaving, ocean waves, the recollection of all that he had +wrought and felt in his whole life; just as one shuddering glance into a +whirlpool suffices to reveal in thought rapid as lightning, the entire +unfathomable depth; just as in one momentary glance at the starry +heavens we can conceive the infinite multitude of that glorious host of +unknown orbs. + +In such a retrospect the terrified sinner shrinks back into himself, and +finding there no stay by which to cling, must feel shrinking into +infinite nothingness; while the devout soul raises its thoughts to the +Almighty, yielding itself up to Him in childlike trust, and praying, +"Thy will be done in me!" + +But this man had not the childlike mind, neither did he tremble like the +sinner; his thoughts were still the self-praising thoughts in which he +had fallen asleep. His path, he believed, must lead straight heavenward, +and Mercy, the promised Mercy, would open to him the gates. + +And, in his dream, the Soul followed the Angel of Death, though not +without first casting one wistful glance at the couch where lay, in its +white shroud, the lifeless image of clay, still, as it were, bearing the +impress of the soul's own individuality. And now they hovered through +the air, now glided along the ground. Was it a vast decorated hall they +were passing through, or a forest? It seemed hard to tell; Nature, it +appeared, was formally set out for show, as in the artificial old French +gardens, and amid its strange, carefully arranged scenes, passed and +repassed troops of men and women, all clad as for a masquerade. + +"Such is human life!" said the Angel of Death. + +The figures seemed more or less disguised; those who swept by in the +glories of velvet and gold were not all among the noblest or most +dignified-looking, neither were all those who wore the garb of poverty +insignificant or vulgar. It was a strange masquerade! But most strange +it was to see how one and all carefully concealed under their clothing +something they would not have others perceive, but in vain, for each was +bent upon discovering his neighbor's secret, and they tore and snatched +at one another till, now here, now there, some part of an animal was +revealed. In one was found the grinning head of an ape, in another the +cloven foot of a goat, in a third the poison-fang of a snake, in a +fourth the clammy fin of a fish. + +All had in them some token of the animal--the animal which is fast +rooted in human nature, and which here was seen struggling to burst +forth. And, however closely a man might hold his garment over it, the +others would never rest till they had rent the hiding veil, and all kept +crying out, "Look here! look now! here he is! there she is!"--and every +one mockingly laid bare his fellow's shame. + +"And what was the animal in me?" inquired the disembodied Soul; and the +Angel of Death pointed to a haughty form, around whose head shone a +bright, widespread glory of rainbow-colored rays, but at whose heart +might be seen lurking, half-hidden, the feet of the peacock; the glory +was, in fact, merely the peacock's gaudy tail. + +And as they passed on, large, foul-looking birds shrieked out from the +boughs of the trees; with clear, intelligible, though harsh, human +voices they shrieked, "Thou that walkest with Death, dost remember me?" +All the evil thoughts and desires that had nestled within him from his +birth until his death now called after him, "Rememberest thou me?" + +And the Soul shuddered, recognizing the voices; it could not deny +knowledge of the evil thoughts and desires that were now rising up in +witness against it. + +"In our flesh, in our evil nature, dwelleth no good thing," cried the +Soul; "but, at least, thoughts never with me ripened into actions; the +world has not seen the evil fruit." And the Soul hurried on to get free +from the accusing voices; but the great black fowls swept in circles +round, and screamed out their scandalous words louder and louder, as +though they would be heard all over the world. And the Soul fled from +them like the hunted stag, and at every step stumbled against sharp +flint stones that lay in the path. "How came these sharp stones here? +They look like mere withered leaves lying on the ground." + +"Every stone is for some incautious word thou hast spoken, which lay as +a stumbling-block in thy neighbor's path, which wounded thy neighbor's +heart far more sorely and deeply than these sharp flints now wound thy +feet." + +"Alas! I never once thought of that," sighed the Soul. + +And those words of the gospel rang through the air, "Judge not, that ye +be not judged." + +"We have all sinned," said the Soul, recovering from its momentary +self-abasement. "I have kept the Law and the Gospel, I have done what I +could, I am not as others are!" + +And in his dream this man now stood at the gates of heaven, and the +Angel who guarded the entrance inquired, "Who art thou? Tell me thy +faith, and show it to me in thy works." + +"I have faithfully kept the Commandments, I have humbled myself in the +eyes of the world, I have preserved myself free from the pollution of +intercourse with sinners, I have hated and persecuted evil, and those +who practice it, and I would do so still, yea, with fire and sword, had +I the power." + +"Then thou art one of Mohammed's followers?" said the Angel. + +"I? a Mohammedan?--never!" + +"'He who strikes with the sword shall perish by the sword,' thus spake +the Son; His religion thou knowest not. It may be that thou art one of +the children of Israel, whose maxim is, 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for +a tooth'--art thou such?" + +"I am a Christian." + +"I see it not in thy faith or in thine actions. The law of Christ is the +law of forgiveness, love, and mercy." + +"Mercy!" The gracious echo of that sweet word thrilled through infinite +space, the gates of heaven opened, and the Soul hovered toward the +realms of endless bliss. + +But the flood of light that streamed forth from within was so dazzlingly +bright, so transcendently white and pure, that the Soul shrank back as +from a two-edged sword, and the hymns and harp-tones of Angels mingled +in such exquisite celestial harmony as the earthly mind has not power +either to conceive or to endure. And the Soul trembled and bowed itself +deeper and deeper, and the heavenly light penetrated it through and +through, and it felt to the quick, as it had never truly felt before, +the burden of its own pride, cruelty, and sin. + +"What I have done of good in the world, that did I because I could not +otherwise, but the evil that I did--that was of myself!" + +The confession was wrung from him; more and more the man felt dazzled +and overpowered by the pure light of heaven; he seemed falling into a +measureless abyss, the abyss of his own nakedness and unworthiness. +Shrunk into himself, humbled, cast out, unripe for the kingdom of +heaven, shuddering at the thought of the just and holy God--hardly dared +he to gasp out, "Mercy!" + +And the face of the Angel at the portal was turned toward him in +softening pity. "Mercy is for them who implore it, not claim it; there +is Mercy also for thee. Turn thee, child of man, turn thee back the way +thou camest to thy clayey tabernacle; in pity is it given thee to dwell +in dust yet a little while. Be no longer righteous in thine own eyes, +copy Him who with patience endured the contradiction of sinners, strive +and pray that thou mayest become poor in spirit, and so mayest thou yet +inherit the Kingdom." + +"Holy, loving, glorious forever shalt thou be, O, erring human +spirit!"--thus rang the chorus of Angels. And again overpowered by those +transcendent melodies, dazzled and blinded by that excess of purest +light, the Soul again shrank back into itself. It seemed to be falling +an infinite depth; the celestial music grew fainter and fainter, till +common earthly sights and sounds dispelled the vision. The rays of the +early morning sun falling full on his face, the cheerful crow of the +vigilant cock, called the sleeper up to pray. + +Inexpressibly humbled, yet thankful, he arose and knelt beside his bed. +"Thou, who hast shown me to myself, help me now, that I may not only do +justly, but love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. Thou, who hast +convicted me of sin, now purify me, strengthen me, that, though ever +unworthy of Thy presence, I may yet, supported by Thy Love, dare to +ascend into Thine ever lasting light!" + +The Vision was his; be the lesson, the prayer, also ours. + + + + +THE OLD GRAVESTONE + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +In one of our small trading towns, at that time of year when folk say +"The evenings grow long," a whole family was assembled together. The air +was still mild and warm; the lamp was lighted, the long curtains hung +down before the windows, and bright moonlight prevailed without. They +were talking about a big old stone that lay down in the yard, close by +the kitchen door, where the servants often placed the kitchen utensils, +after they had been cleaned, to dry in the sun, and where the children +were fond of playing; it was, in fact, an old gravestone. + +"Yes," said the master of the house, "I believe it comes from the old +ruined convent chapel; pulpit and gravestones, with all their epitaphs, +were sold; my late father bought several of these; the others were +broken into paving-stones, but this one was left unused, lying in the +yard." + +"It is easy to know it for a gravestone," said the eldest of the +children. "You can still see on it an mountain-sides and a piece of an +angel, but the inscription is almost quite worn out, except the name +'Preben,' and a capital 'S' a little further on, and underneath it +'Martha,' but it is impossible to make out any more, and that you can +only read after if has been raining, or when we have washed it." + +"Why, then, it must be the gravestone of Preben Swan and his wife!" +exclaimed an old man, who by his age might appear the grandfather of +everybody in the room. "To be sure, they were among the last that were +buried in the old convent churchyard--the grand old couple! Everybody +knew them, everybody loved them; they were like king and queen in the +town. Folk said they had more than a barrelful of gold, and yet they +went about simply clad, in the coarsest cloth, only their linen was +always of dazzling whiteness. Yes, that was a charming old pair, Preben +and Martha. One was always so glad to see them, sitting together on the +bench at the top of their stone staircase, under the old lime-tree's +shade. They were so good to the poor! they feasted them, clothed them, +and there was good sense and a true Christian spirit in all their +benevolence. + +"The wife died first; I remember the day quite well; I was then a little +boy, and went with my father to see old Preben: the old man was so +grieved, he cried like a child. The corpse still lay in her bedroom, +close to the chamber where we sat; she looked as if she had just fallen +asleep. And the old man told my father how he should now be so lonely, +and how many years, they had spent together, and how they had first made +acquaintance and came to love each other. As I said before, I was a +child, but it moved me strangely to listen to the old man, and watch how +he grew more animated as he went on speaking, a faint color coming into +his cheeks as he talked of their youthful days, how pretty she had been, +how many little innocent tricks he had played, in order to meet her. And +when he spoke of his wedding-day his eyes quite sparkled; he seemed to +be living his happy time over again--and all the while she was lying +dead in the next chamber, an old lady, and he was an old man--ah, how +time passes! I was a child then, and now I am as old as Preben Swan. +Yes, time and change come to all. I remember as well as possible the +funeral-day, and Preben Swan following the coffin. They had had their +gravestone carved with names and inscriptions, all except the dates of +their death, some years before; that same evening the stone was taken to +the grave, and put into its place. The next year the grave had to be +reopened, and old Preben rejoined his wife. They did not turn out to be +so rich as people had fancied, and what they did leave went to distant +relations very far off. The old wooden house, with the bench at the top +of the high stone staircase under the lime-tree, was ordered to be +pulled down, for it was too ruinous to stand any longer. And afterward, +when the convent chapel and cemetery were destroyed, the gravestone of +Preben and Martha was sold, like others, to whomsoever chose to buy it. +And so now it lies in the yard for the little ones to roll over, and to +make a shelf for the kitchen pots and pans. And the paved street now +covers the resting-place of old Preben and his wife, and nobody thinks +of them any more." + +And the old man who related all this shook his head sadly. "Forgotten! +All things are forgotten!" + +And the rest began to speak of other matters; but the youngest boy, a +child with large, grave eyes, crept up on a chair behind the curtains, +and looked out into the yard, where the moon shone brightly on the big +stone that before had seemed to him flat and uninteresting enough, but +now had become to him like a page of a large-sized story-book. For all +that the boy had heard concerning Preben and his wife, the stone seemed +to contain within it; and he looked first at the stone, and then at the +brilliant moon, which looked to him like a bright kind face looking down +through the pure still air upon the earth. + +"Forgotten! all shall be forgotten!" these words came to his ears from +the room; but at that very moment an invisible angel kissed the boy's +forehead and softly whispered, "Keep the seed carefully, keep it till +the time for ripening. Through thee, child as thou art, shall the +half-erased inscription, the crumbling gravestone, stand out in clear, +legible characters for generations to come! Through thee shall the old +couple again walk arm-in-arm through the ancient gateways, and sit with +smiling faces on the bench under the lime tree, greeting rich and poor. +The good and the beautiful perish never; they live eternally in tale and +song." + + + + +"GOOD-FOR-NOTHING" + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +The sheriff stood at the open window; he wore ruffles, and a dainty +breastpin decorated the front of his shirt; he was neatly shaven, and a +tiny little strip of sticking-plaster covered the little cut he had +given himself during the process. "Well, my little man?" quoth he. + +The "little man" was no other than the laundress's son, who respectfully +took off his cap in passing. His cap was broken in the rim, and adapted +to be put into the pocket on occasion; his clothes were poor, but clean, +and very neatly mended, and he wore heavy wooden shoes. He stood still +when the sheriff spoke, as respectfully as though he stood before the +king. + +"Ah, you're a good boy, a well-behaved boy!" said the sheriff. "And so +your mother is washing down at the river; _she_ isn't good for much. And +you're going to her, I see. Ah, poor child!--well, you may go." + +And the boy passed on, still holding his cap in his hand, while the wind +tossed to and fro his waves of yellow hair. He went through the street, +down a little alley to the brook, where his mother stood in the water, +at her washing-stool, beating the heavy linen. The water-mill's sluices +were opened, and the current was strong; the washing-stool was nearly +carried away by it, and the laundress had hard work to strive against +it. + +"I am very near taking a voyage," she said, "and it is so cold out in +the water; for six hours have I been standing here. Have you anything +for me?"--and the boy drew forth a phial, which his mother put to her +lips. "Ah, that is as good as warm meat, and it is not so dear. O, the +water is so cold--but if my strength will but last me out to bring you +up honestly, my sweet child!" + +At that moment approached an elderly woman, poorly clad, blind of one +eye, lame on one leg, and with her hair brushed into one large curl to +hide the blind eye--but in vain, the defect was only the more +conspicuous. This was "Lame Maren," as the neighbors called her, a +friend of the washerwoman's. "Poor thing, slaving and toiling away in +the cold water! it is hard that you should be called names"--for Maren +had overheard the sheriff speaking to the child about his own mother-- +"hard that your boy should be told you are good-for-nothing." + +"What! did the sheriff really say so, child?" said the Laundress, and +her lips quivered. "So you have a mother who is good-for-nothing! +Perhaps he is right, only he should not say so to the child--but I must +not complain, for good things have come to me from that house." + +"Why yes, you were in service there once, when the sheriff's parents +were alive, many years since. There is a grand dinner at the sheriff's +to-day," went on Maren; "it would have been put off, though, had not +everything been prepared. I heard it from the porter. News came in a +letter, an hour ago, that the sheriff's younger brother, at Copenhagen, +is dead." + +"Dead!" repeated the Laundress, and she turned as white as a corpse. + +"What do you care about it?" said Maren. "To be sure, you must have +known him, since you served in the house." + +"Is he dead? he was the best, the kindest of creatures! indeed, there +are not many like him," and the tears rolled down her cheeks. "O, the +world is turning round, I feel so ill!" and she clung to the +washing-stool for support. + +"You are ill, indeed!" cried Maren. "Take care, the stool will overturn. +I had better get you home at once." + +"But the linen?" + +"I will look after that--only lean on me. The boy can stay here and +watch it till I come back and wash what is left; it is not much." + +The poor laundress's limbs trembled under her. "I have stood too long in +the cold water; I have had no food since yesterday. O, my poor child!" +and she wept. + +The boy cried too, as he sat alone beside the brook, watching the wet +linen. Slowly the two women made their way up the little alley and +through the street, past the sheriff's house. Just as she reached her +humble home, the laundress fell down on the paving-stones, fainting. +She was carried upstairs and put to bed. Kind Maren hastened to prepare +a cup of warm ale--that was the best medicine in this case, she +thought--and then went back to the brook and did the best she could with +the linen. + +In the evening she was again in the laundress's miserable room. She had +begged from the sheriff's cook a few roasted potatoes and a little bit +of bacon, for the sick woman. Maren and the boy feasted upon these, but +the patient was satisfied with the smell of them--that, she declared, +was very nourishing. + +Supper over, the boy went to bed, lying crosswise at his mother's feet, +with a coverlet made of old carpet-ends, blue and red, sewed together. + +The Laundress now felt a little better; the warm ale had strengthened +her, the smell of the meat had done her good. + +"Now, you good soul," said she to Maren, "I will tell you all about it, +while the boy is asleep. That he is already; look at him, how sweetly he +looks with his eyes closed; he little thinks how his mother has +suffered. May he never feel the like! Well, I was in service with the +sheriff's parents when their youngest son, the student, came home; I was +a wild young thing then, but honest--that I must say for myself. And the +student was so pleasant and merry, a better youth never lived. He was a +son of the house, I only a servant, but we became sweethearts--all in +honor and honesty--and he told his mother that he loved me; she was like +an angel in his eyes, so wise, kind, and loving! And he went away, but +his gold ring of betrothal was on my finger. When he was really gone, my +mistress called me in to speak to her; so grave, yet so kind she looked, +so wisely she spoke, like an angel, indeed. She showed me what a gulf of +difference in tastes, habits, arid mind lay between her son and me. 'He +sees you now to be good-hearted and pretty, but will you always be the +same in his eyes? You have not been educated as he has been; +intellectually you cannot rise to his level. I honor the poor,' she +continued, 'and I know that in the kingdom of heaven many a poor man +will sit in a higher seat than the rich; but that is no reason for +breaking the ranks in this world, and you two, left to yourselves, would +drive your carriage full tilt against all obstacles till it toppled over +with you both. I know that a good honest handicraftsman, Erik, the +glove-maker, has been your suitor; he is a widower without children, he +is well off; think whether you cannot be content with him.' Every word +my mistress spoke went like a knife through my heart, but I knew she was +right; I kissed her hand, and shed such bitter tears! But bitterer tears +still came when I went into my chamber and lay upon my bed. O, the long, +dreary night that followed! Our Lord alone knows what I suffered. Not +till I went to church on Sunday did a light break upon my darkness. It +seemed providential that as I came out of church I met Erik the +glove-maker. There were no more doubts in my mind; he was a good man, +and of my own rank. I went straight to him, took his hand, and asked, +'Art thou still in the same mind toward me?'--'Yes, and I shall never be +otherwise minded,' he replied.--'Dost thou care to have a girl who likes +and honors thee, but does not love thee?'--'I believe love will come,' +he said, and so he took my hand. I went home to my mistress; the gold +ring that her son had given to me, that I wore all day next my heart, +and on my finger at night in bed, I now drew forth; I kissed it till my +mouth bled, I gave it to my mistress, and said that next week the bans +would be read for me and the glove-maker. My mistress took me in her +arms and kissed me; she did not tell me I was good-for-nothing; I was +good for something then, it seems, before I had known so much trouble. +The wedding was at Candlemastide, and our first year all went well; my +husband had apprentices, and you, Maren, helped me in the housework." + +"O, and you were such a good mistress!" exclaimed Maren. "Never shall I +forget how kind you and your husband were to me." + +"Ah, you were with us during our good times! We had no children then. +The student I never saw again--yes, once I saw him, but he did not see +me. He came to his mother's funeral; I saw him standing by her grave, +looking so sad, so ashy pale--but all for his mother's sake. When +afterward his father died, he was abroad and did not come to the +funeral. Nor has he been here since; he is a lawyer, that I know, and he +has never married. But he thought no more of me, and had he seen me, he +would certainly have never recognized me, so ugly as I am now. And it is +right it should be so." + +Then she went on to speak of the bitter days of adversity, when troubles +had come upon them in a flood. They had five hundred rix-dollars, and as +in their street a house could be bought for two hundred, it was +considered a good investment to buy it, take it down, and build it anew. +The house was bought; masons and carpenters made an estimate that one +thousand and twenty rix-dollars more would be required. Erik arranged to +borrow this sum from Copenhagen, but the ship that was to bring him the +money was lost, and the money with it. "It was just then that my sweet +boy, who lies sleeping here, was born. Then his father fell sick; for +three-quarters of a year I had to dress and undress him every day. We +went on borrowing and borrowing; all our things had to be sold, one by +one; at last Erik died. Since then I have toiled and moiled for the +boy's sake, have gone out cleaning and washing, done coarse work or +fine, whichever I could get; but I do everything worse and worse; my +strength will never return any more; it is our Lord's will! He will take +me away, and find better provision for my boy." + +She fell asleep. In the morning she seemed better, and fancied she was +strong enough to go to her work again. But no sooner did she feel the +cold water than a shivering seized her, she felt about convulsively with +her hands, tried to step forward, and fell down. Her head lay on the +dry bank, but her feet were in the water of the brook, her wooden shoes +were carried away by the stream. Here she was found by Maren. + +A message had been taken to her lodging that the sheriff wanted her, had +something to say to her. It was too late; the poor washerwoman was dead. +The letter that had brought the sheriff news of his brother's death also +gave an abstract of his will; among other bequests he had left six +hundred rix-dollars to the glove-maker's widow, who had formerly served +his parents. "There was some love-nonsense between my brother and her," +quoth the sheriff. "It is all as well she is out of the way; now it will +all come to the boy, and I shall apprentice him to honest folk who will +make him a good workman." For whatever the sheriff might do, were it +ever so kind an action, he always spoke harshly and unkindly. So he now +called the boy to him, promised to provide for him, and told him it was +a good thing his mother was dead; she was good-for-nothing! + +She was buried in the paupers' churchyard. Maren planted a little +rose-tree over the grave; the boy stood by her side the while. + +"My darling mother!" he sighed, as the tears streamed down from his +eyes. "It was not true that she was good-for-nothing!" + +"No, indeed!" cried her old friend, looking up to heaven. "Let the world +say she was good-for-nothing; our Lord in his heavenly kingdom will not +say so." + + + + +"IN THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE SEA" + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +Some large ships were sent up toward the North Pole, for the purpose of +discovering the boundaries of land and sea, and of trying how far men +could make their way. + +A year and a day had elapsed; amid mist and ice had they, with great +difficulty, steered further and further; the winter had now begun; the +sun had set, one long night would continue during many, many weeks. One +unbroken plain of ice spread around them; the ships were all fast moored +to it; the snow lay about in heaps, and had even shaped itself into +cubiform houses, some as big as our barrows, some only just large enough +for two or three men to find shelter within. Darkness they could not +complain of, for the Northern Lights--Nature's fireworks--now red, now +blue, flashed unceasingly, and the snow glistened so brightly. + +At times when it was brightest came troops of the natives, +strange-looking figures, clad in hairy skins, and with sledges made out +of hard fragments of ice; they brought skins to exchange, which the +sailors were only too glad to use as warm carpets inside their snow +houses, and as beds whereon they could rest under their snowy tents, +while outside prevailed an intensity of cold such as we never experience +during our severest winters. But the sailors remembered that at home it +was still autumn; and they thought of the warm sunbeams and the leaves +still clinging to the trees in varied glories of crimson and gold. Their +watches told them it was evening, and time for rest, and in one of the +snow houses two sailors had already lain down to sleep; the youngest of +these two had with him his best home-treasure, the Bible that his +grandmother had given him at parting. Every night it lay under his +pillow; he had known its contents from childhood, and every day he read +a portion; and often as he lay on his couch, he recalled to mind those +holy words of comfort, "If I should take the wings of the morning, and +remain in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there should Thy hand +lead me, and Thy right hand should hold me." + +These sublime words of faith were on his lips as he closed his eyes, +when sleep came to him, and dreams with sleep--busy, swift-winged +dreams, proving that though the body may rest, the soul must ever be +awake. First he seemed to hear the melodies of songs dear to him in his +home; a mild summer breeze seemed to breathe upon him, and a light shone +upon his couch, as though the snowy dome above him had become +transparent; he lifted his head, and behold! the dazzling white light +was not the white of a snow wall, it came from the large wings of an +angel stooping over him, an angel with eyes beaming with love. The +angel's form seemed to spring from the pages of the Bible, as from the +pitcher of a lily-blossom; he extended his arms, and lo! the narrow +walls of the snow-hut sank back like a mist melting before the daylight. +Once again the green meadows and autumnal-tinted woods of the sailor's +home lay around him, bathed in quiet sunshine; the stork's nest was +empty, but the apples still clung to the wild apple-tree; though leaves +had fallen, the red hips glistened, and the blackbird whistled in the +little green cage that hung in the lowly window of his childhood's home; +the blackbird whistled the tune he had taught him, and the old +grandmother wound chickweed about the bars of the cage, as her grandson +had been wont to do. And the smith's pretty young daughter stood drawing +water from the well, and as she nodded to the grandmother, the latter +beckoned to her, and held up a letter to show her, a letter that had +come that morning from the cold northern lands, from the North Pole +itself, where the old woman's grandson now was--safe under God's +protecting hand. And the two women, old and young, laughed and wept by +turns--and he the while, the young sailor whose body was sleeping amid +ice and snow, his spirit roaming in the world of dreams, under the +angel's wings, saw and heard it all, and laughed and wept with them. And +from the letter these words were read aloud, "Even in the uttermost +parts of the sea, His right hand shall hold me fast": and a sweet, +solemn music was wafted round him, and the angel drooped his wings; like +a soft protecting veil they fell closer over the sleeper. + +The dream was ended; all was darkness in the little snow-hut, but the +Bible lay under the sailor's head, faith and hope abode in his heart. +God was with him, and his home was with him, "even in the uttermost +parts of the sea." + + + + +"SOMETHING" + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +"I will be Something," declared the eldest of five brothers; "I will be +of use in the world; be it ever so humble a position that I may hold, +let me be but useful, and that will be Something. I will make bricks; +folk cannot do without them, so I shall at least do Something." + +"Something very little, though," replied the second brother. "Why, it is +as good as nothing! it is work that might be done by a machine. Better +be a mason, as I intend to be. Then one belongs to a guild, becomes a +citizen, has a banner of one's own. Nay, if all things go well, I may +become a master, and have apprentices and workmen under me. That will be +Something!" + +"It will be nothing at all then, I can tell you that!" rejoined the +third. "Think how many different ranks there are in a town far above +that of a master-mason. You may be an honest sort of a man, but you will +never be a gentleman; gentle and simple; those are the two grand +divisions, and you will always be one of the 'simple.' Well, I know +better than that. I will be an architect; I will be one of the thinkers, +the artists; I will raise myself to the aristocracy of intellect. I may +have to begin from the very lowest grade; I may begin as a carpenter's +boy, and run about with a paper-cap on my head, to fetch ale for the +workmen; I may not enjoy it, but I shall try to imagine it is only a +masquerade. 'To-morrow,' I shall say, 'I will go my own way, and others +shall not come near me.' Yes, I shall go to the Academy, learn to draw, +and be called an architect. That will be Something! I may get a title, +perhaps; and I shall build and build, as others before me have done. +Yes, that will be Something!" + +"But it is Something that I care nothing about," said the fourth. "I +should not care to go on, on, in the beaten track, to be a mere copyist; +I will be a genius, cleverer than all of you put together; I will create +a new style, provide ideas for buildings suited to the climate and +materials of our country, suited to our national character, and the +requirements of the age." + +"But supposing the climate and the materials don't agree," suggested the +fifth, "how will you get on then, if they won't co-operate? As for our +national character, to be following out that in architecture will be +sheer affectation, and the requirements of modern civilization will +drive you perfectly mad. I see you will none of you ever be anything, +though of course you won't believe me. But do as you please, I shall not +be like you. I shall reason over what you execute; there is something +ridiculous in everything; I shall find it out, show you yeur +faults--that will be Something!" + +And he kept his word; and folk said of this fifth brother, "There is +something in him, certainly; he has plenty of brains! but he does +nothing." But he was content, he was Something. + +But what became of the five brothers? We will hear the whole. + +The eldest brother, the brickmaker, found that every brick he turned out +whole yielded him a tiny copper coin--only copper--but a great many of +these small coins, added together, could be converted into a bright +silver dollar, and through the power of this, wheresoever he knocked, +whether at baker's, butcher's, or tailor's, the door flew open, and he +received what he wanted. Such was the virtue of his bricks; some, of +course, got broken before they were finished, but a use was found even +for these. For up by the trench would poor Mother Margaret fain build +herself a little house, if she might; she took all the broken bricks, +ay, and she got a few whole ones besides, for a good heart had the +eldest brother, though only a brickmaker. The poor thing built her house +with her own hands; it was very narrow, its one window was all on one +side, the door was too low, and the thatch on the roof might have been +laid on better, but it gave her shelter and a home, and could be seen +far over the sea, which sometimes burst over the trench in its might, +and sprinkled a salt shower over the little house, which kept its place +there years after he who made the bricks was dead and gone. + +As for the second brother, he learned to build after another fashion, as +he had resolved. When he was out of his apprenticeship, he buckled on +his knapsack and started, singing as he went, on his travels. He came +home again, and became a master in his native town; he built, house +after house, a whole street of houses; there they stood, looked well, +and were a credit to the town; and these houses soon built him a little +house for himself. How? Ask the houses, and they will give you no +answer; but the people will answer you and say, "Why, of course, the +street built him his house!" It was small enough, and had only a clay +floor, but when he and his bride danced over it, the floor grew as +smooth as if it had been polished, and from every stone in the wall +sprung a flower, that looked as gay as the costliest tapestry. It was a +pretty house and a happy wedded pair. The banner of the Masons' Guild +waved outside, and workmen and apprentices shouted "Hurra!" Yes, that +was Something! and at last he died--that, too, was Something! + +Next comes the architect, the third brother. He began as a carpenter's +apprentice, and ran about the town on errands, wearing a paper-cap; but +he studied industriously at the Academy, and rose steadily upward. If +the street full of houses had built a house for his brother the mason, +the street took its name from the architect; the handsomest house in the +whole street was his--that was Something, and he was Something! His +children were gentlemen, and could boast of their "birth"; and when he +died, his widow was a widow of condition--that is Something--and his +name stood on the corner of the street, and was in everybody's +lips--that is Something, too! + +Now for the genius, the fourth brother, who wanted to invent something +new, something original. Somehow the ground gave way beneath his feet; +he fell and broke his neck. But he had a splendid funeral, with music +and banners, and flowery paragraphs in the newspapers; and three +eulogiums were pronounced over him, each longer than the last, and this +would have pleased him mightily, for he loved speechifying of all +things. A monument was erected over his grave, only one story high--but +that is Something! + +So now he was dead, as well as his three elder brothers; the youngest, +the critic, outlived them all, and that was as it should be, for thus he +had the last word, which to him was a matter of the greatest importance. +"He had plenty of brains," folk said. Now his hour had struck, he died, +and his soul sought the gates of heaven. There it stood side by side +with another soul--old Mother Margaret from the trenches. + +"It is for the sake of contrast, I suppose, that I and this miserable +soul should wait here together," thought the critic. "Well now, who are +you, my good woman?" he inquired. + +And the old woman replied, with as much respect as though St. Peter +himself were addressing her--in fact, she took him for St. Peter, he +gave himself such grand airs--"I am a poor old soul, I have no family, I +am only old Margaret from the house near the trenches." + +"Well, and what have you done down below?" + +"I have done as good as nothing in the world! nothing whatever! It will +be mercy, indeed, if such as I am suffered to pass through this gate." + +"And how did you leave the world?" inquired the critic, carelessly. He +must talk about something; it wearied him to stand there, waiting. + +"Well, I can hardly tell how I left it; I have been sickly enough during +these last few years, and could not well bear to creep out of bed at all +during the cold weather. It has been a severe winter, but now that is +all past. For a few days, as your highness must know, the wind was quite +still, but it was bitterly cold; the ice lay over the water as far as +one could see. All the people in the town were out on the ice; there was +dancing, and music, and feasting, and sledge-racing, I fancy; I could +hear something of it all as I lay in my poor little chamber. And when it +was getting toward evening, the moon was up, but was not yet very +bright; I looked from my bed through the window, and I saw how there +rose up over the sea a strange white cloud; I lay and watched it, +watched the black dot in it, which grew bigger and bigger, and then I +knew what it foreboded; that sign is not often seen, but I am old and +experienced. I knew it, and I shivered with horror. Twice before in my +life have I seen that sign, and I knew that there would be a terrible +storm and a spring flood; it would burst over the poor things on the +ice, who were drinking and dancing and merry-making. Young and old, the +whole town was out on the ice; who was to warn them, if no one saw it, +or no one knew what I knew? I felt so terrified, I felt all alive, as I +had not felt for years! I got out of bed, forced the window open; I +could see the folk running and dancing over the ice; I could see the +gay-colored flags, I could hear the boys shout 'Hurra!' and the girls +and lads a-singing. All were so merry; and all the time the white cloud +with its black speck rose higher and higher! I screamed as loud as I +could; but no one heard me, I was too far off. Soon would the storm +break loose, the ice would break in pieces, and all that crowd would +sink and drown. Hear me they could not; get out to them I could not; +what was to be done? Then our Lord sent me a good thought; I could set +fire to my bed; better let my house be burned to the ground than that so +many should miserably perish. So I kindled a light; I saw the red flame +mount up; I got out at the door, but then I fell down; I lay there, I +could not get up again. But the flames burst out through the window and +over the roof; they saw it down below, and they all ran as fast as they +could to help me; the poor old crone they believed would be burned; +there was not one who did not come to help me. I heard them come, and I +heard, too, such a rustling in the air, and then a thundering as of +heavy cannon-shots, for the spring-flood was loosening the ice, and it +all broke up. But the folk were all come off it to the trenches, where +the sparks were flying about me; I had them all safe. But I could not +bear the cold and the fright, and that is how I have come up here. Can +the gates of heaven be opened to such a poor old creature as I? I have +no house now at the trenches; where can I go, if they refuse me here?" + +Then the gates opened, and the Angel bade poor Margaret enter. As she +passed the threshold, she dropped a blade of straw--straw from her +bed--that bed which she had set alight to save the people on the ice, +and lo! it had changed into gold! dazzling gold! yet flexible withal, +and twisting into various forms. + +"Look, that was what yonder poor woman brought," said the Angel. "But +what dost thou bring? Truly, I know well that thou hast done nothing, +not even made bricks. It is a pity thou canst not go back again to fetch +at least one brick--not that it is good for anything when it is made, +no, but because anything, the very least, done with a good will, is +Something. But thou mayst not go back, and I can do nothing for thee." + +Then poor Margaret pleaded for him thus: "His brother gave me all the +bricks and broken bits wherewith I built my poor little house--that was +a great kindness toward a poor old soul like me! May not all those bits +and fragments, put together, be reckoned as one brick for him? It will +be an act of mercy; he needs it, and this is the home of mercy." + +"To thy brother, whom thou didst despise," said the Angel, "to him whose +calling, in respect of worldly honor, was the lowest, shalt thou owe +this mite of heavenly coin. Thou shalt not be sent away; thou shalt +have leave to stand here without, and think over thy manner of life +down below. But within thou canst not enter, until thou hast done +something that is good--Something!" + +"I fancy I could have expressed that better," thought the critic; but he +did not say it aloud, and that was already--Something! + + + + +THE JEWISH GIRL + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +There was in the charity-school among the other children a little Jewish +girl, so clever and good; the best, in fact, of them all; but one of the +lessons she could not attend--the one when religion was taught, for this +was a Christian school. + +Then she held her geography book before her to learn from it, or she did +her sum; but the lesson was quickly learned, the sum was soon done; the +book might be there open before her, but she did not read, she was +listening; and the teacher soon noticed that she was attending more +intently, even, than any of the rest. + +"Read your book," the teacher urged, mildly and earnestly; but she +looked at him with her black sparkling eyes, and when he put questions +to her also, she knew more than all the others. She had listened, +understood, and kept his words. + +Her father was a poor honest man, and when first he brought her to the +school, he had made the stipulation that she should not be taught the +Christian faith. To let her go away during the Scripture lesson might, +however, have given offence, and raised thoughts of various kinds in the +minds of the other children, and so she stayed; but this could not go on +any longer. + +The teacher went to her father, and told him that either he must take +his daughter away from the school, or consent to her becoming a +Christian. + +"I cannot bear to see those burning eyes, that yearning, that thirst of +the soul, as it were, after the words of the gospel," said the teacher. + +And the father burst into tears. "I know but little myself of our own +religion, but her mother was a daughter of Israel, of strong and firm +faith, and on her dying bed I made a vow that our child should never +receive Christian baptism; that vow I must keep; it is to me as a +convenant with God." + +And the little Jewish girl was taken away from the school of the +Christians. + +Years rolled by. + +In one of the smallest towns of Jutland served as maid in a plain +burgher's house a poor girl of the Mosaic faith; this was Sarah. Her +hair was black as ebony, her eyes dark, and yet brilliant and full of +light, such as you see among the daughters of the East; and the +expression in the countenance of the grown-up girl was still that of the +child who sat on the school-room bench, listening with thoughtful and +wistful eye. + +Each Sunday sounded from the church the pealing of the organ to the song +of the congregation, and the tones floated over the street, into the +house, where the Jewish girl attended to her work, diligent and faithful +in her calling. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," this was her +law; but her Sabbath was a day of labor to the Christians, and only in +her heart could she keep it holy; and that was not enough for her. But +when the thought arose in her soul, "What matters it before God about +days and hours?" and on the Sunday of the Christians her hour of +devotion remained undisturbed. If, then, the organ's peal and the +psalm-tunes reached over to her, where she stood in the kitchen, even +this became a quiet and consecrated spot. She would read then the +treasure and peculiar property of her people, the Old Testament, and +this alone; for she kept deep in her heart what her father had told the +teacher and herself when she was taken from the school--the vow made to +her dying mother, "that Sarah should not be baptized, not forsake the +faith of her fathers." The New Testament was, and should remain forever, +a sealed book to her; and yet she knew much of it; it shone to her +through the recollections of childhood. + +One evening she sat in a corner of the parlor, and heard her master +reading aloud. She might listen, she thought, for this was not the +gospel; nay! 'twas out of an old story-book he read: she might stay. And +he read of a Hungarian knight, taken captive by a Turkish pasha, who had +him yoked with oxen to the plow; and he was driven with lashes, and had +to suffer pain and ignominy beyond endurance. + +But at home the knight's wife sold all her jewels, and mortgaged castle +and lands, and his friends contributed large sums, for enormous was the +ransom demanded; still it was raised, and he was delivered out of +thraldom and disgrace. Sick and suffering, he came to his home. But +soon resounded far and near the summons to war against the foe of +Christianity. The sick man heard the call, and had neither peace nor +rest any longer; he was placed on his charger; the blood came again to +his cheeks, his strength seemed to return, and he rode forth to victory. +The very pasha who had him yoked to the plow, and made him suffer pain +and scorn, became his captive. He was carried home to the castle +dungeon, but before his first hour there had elapsed the knight came, +and asked the prisoner, "What dost thou think awaiteth thee?" + +"I know," said the Turk; "retribution." + +"Yes, the Christian's retribution," said the knight. "Christ taught us +to forgive our enemies, to love our fellow-men. God is love! Depart in +peace to thy home and thy dear ones, and be gentle and good to those who +suffer." + +Then the prisoner burst into tears. + +"How could I believe such a thing could be possible? Torments and +sufferings I looked forward to as a certainty, and I took poison, which +must kill me; within a few hours I shall die. There is no remedy. But +before I die make known to me the faith that embraces such an amount of +love and mercy; it is great and divine! In it let me die; let me die a +Christian!" and his prayer was granted. + +This was the legend, the history which was read; they all listened to it +with attention, but deepest sank it into the heart of her who sat alone +in the corner--the servant maid--Sarah, the Jewess. Heavy tears stood in +her black sparkling eyes while she sat here, as once on the +school-bench, and felt the greatness of the gospel. The tears rolled +down her cheeks. + +"Let not my child become a Christian!" were the mother's last words on +her dying bed, and they rang through her soul with those of the law, +"Honor thy father and thy mother!" + +"Still I have not been baptized! they call me 'the Jewess'; the +neighbors' boys did so, hooting at me last Sunday as I stood outside the +open church door, and looked in where the altar-lights burned and the +congregation sang. Ever since my school-days, up to this hour--even +though I have tried to close my eyes against it--a power from +Christianity has like a sunbeam shone into my heart. But, my mother, I +will not give thee sorrow in thy grave! I will not betray the vow my +father made to thee; I will not read the Christian's Bible. Have not I +the God of my fathers? On Him let me rest my head!" + +And years rolled by. + +The husband died, the wife was left behind in hard plight. Now she could +no longer afford to have a maid; but Sarah did not forsake the widow; +she became her help in distress, and kept the household together; she +worked till late in the night, and got bread for the house by the labor +of her hands. There were no near relatives to help a family where the +mother grew weaker each day, lingering for months on a bed of sickness. +Sarah, gentle and pious, watched, nursed, and worked, and became the +blessing of the poor home. + +"There lies the Bible," said the invalid; "read to me this wearisome +evening; I sadly want to hear God's word." + +And Sarah bowed her head; she folded her hands round the Bible, which +she opened, and read aloud to the sick woman; now and again the tears +welled forth, but her eyes shone clearer, even as the darkness cleared +from her soul. "Mother, thy child shall not receive the baptism of the +Christians, shall not be named in their communion; in this we will be +united here on earth, but above this there is--is a greater unity--even +in God. 'He goes with us beyond the grave'; 'It is He who pours water +upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.' I understand +it! I do not know myself how I came to it! through Him it is--in +Him--Christ!" + +And she trembled as she named the holy name; a baptism of fire streamed +through her, stronger than her frame could bear, and she bent down, more +powerless even than she by whom she watched. + +"Poor Sarah!" they said; "she is worn out with labor and watching." + +They took her to the hospital for the poor; there she died; thence she +was borne to her grave; not to the Christians' graveyard; that was not +the place for the Jewish girl: no, outside, by the wall, her grave was +dug. + +And God's sun, which shone upon the graves of the Christians, shines +also upon that of the Jewish girl; and the hymns which are sung by the +graves of the Christians resound by her grave beyond the wall; thither, +too, reaches the promise: "There is resurrection in Christ, in Him, the +Saviour, who said to his disciples, 'John truly baptized with water; but +ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.'" + + + + +THE STORY OF A MOTHER + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +A mother sat by her little child: she was very sorrowful, and feared +that it would die. Its little face was pale, and its eyes were closed. +The child drew its breath with difficulty, and sometimes so deeply as if +it were sighing; and then the mother looked more sorrowfully than before +on the little creature. + +Then there was a knock at the door, and a poor old man came in, wrapped +up in something that looked like a great horse-cloth, for that keeps +warm; and he required it, for it was cold winter. Without, everything +was covered with ice and snow, and the wind blew so sharply that it cut +one's face. + +And as the old man trembled with cold, and the child was quiet for a +moment, the mother went and put some beer on the stove in a little pot, +to warm it for him. The old man sat down and rocked the cradle, and the +mother seated herself on an old chair by him, looked at her sick child +that drew its breath so painfully, and seized the little hand. + +"You think I shall keep it, do you not?" she asked. "The good God will +not take it from me!" + +And the old man--he was _Death_--nodded in such a strange way, that it +might just as well mean _yes_ as _no_. And the mother cast down her +eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Her head became heavy: for three +days and three nights she had not closed her eyes; and now she slept, +but only for a minute; then she started up and shivered with cold. + +"What is that?" she asked, and looked round on all sides; but the old +man was gone, and her little child was gone; he had taken it with him. +And there in the corner the old clock was humming and whirring; the +heavy leaden weight ran down to the floor--plump!--and the clock +stopped. + +But the poor mother rushed out of the house crying for her child. + +Out in the snow sat a woman in long black garments, and she said, "Death +has been with you in your room; I saw him hasten away with your child: +he strides faster than the wind, and never brings back what he has taken +away." + +"Only tell me which way he has gone," said the mother. "Tell me the way, +and I will find him." + +"I know him," said the woman in the black garments; "but before I tell +you, you must sing me all the songs that you have sung to your child. I +love those songs; I have heard them before. I am Night, and I saw your +tears when you sang them." + +"I will sing them all, all!" said the mother. "But do not detain me, +that I may overtake him, and find my child." + +But Night sat dumb and still. Then the mother wrung her hands, and sang +and wept. And there were many songs, but yet more tears, and then Night +said, "Go to the right into the dark fir wood; for I saw Death take that +path with your little child." + +Deep in the forest there was a cross road, and she did not know which +way to take. There stood a Blackthorn Bush, with not a leaf nor a +blossom upon it; for it was in the cold winter time, and icicles hung +from the twigs. + +"Have you not seen Death go by, with my little child?" + +"Yes," replied the Bush, "but I shall not tell you which way he went +unless you warm me on your bosom. I'm freezing to death here; I'm +turning to ice." + +And she pressed the Blackthorn Bush to her bosom, quite close, that it +might be well warmed. And the thorns pierced into her flesh, and her +blood oozed out in great drops. But the Blackthorn shot out fresh green +leaves, and blossomed in the dark winter night: so warm is the heart of +a sorrowing mother! And the Blackthorn Bush told her the way that she +should go. + +Then she came to a great Lake, on which there were neither ships nor +boat. The Lake was not frozen enough to carry her, nor sufficiently open +to allow her to wade through, and yet she must cross it if she was to +find her child. Then she laid herself down to drink the Lake; and that +was impossible for any one to do. But the sorrowing mother thought that +perhaps a miracle might be wrought. + +"No, that can never succeed," said the Lake. "Let us rather see how we +can agree. I'm fond of collecting pearls, and your eyes are the two +clearest I have ever seen: if you will weep them out into me I will +carry you over into the great greenhouse, where Death lives and +cultivates flowers and trees; each of these is a human life." + +"Oh, what would I not give to get my child!" said the afflicted mother; +and she wept yet more, and her eyes fell into the depths of the Lake, +and became two costly pearls. But the Lake lifted her up, as if she sat +in a swing, and she was wafted to the opposite shore, where stood a +wonderful house, miles in length. One could not tell if it was a +mountain containing forests and caves, or a place that had been built. +But the poor mother could not see it, for she had wept her eyes out. + +"Where shall I find Death, who went away with my little child?" she +asked. + +"He has not arrived here yet," said an old gray-haired Woman, who was +going about and watching the hothouse of Death. "How have you found your +way here, and who helped you?" + +"The good God has helped me," she replied. "He is merciful, and you will +be merciful too. Where shall I find my little child?" + +"I do not know it," said the old Woman, "and you cannot see. Many +flowers and trees have faded this night, and Death will soon come and +transplant them. You know very well that every human being has his tree +of life, or his flower of life, just as each is arranged. They look +like other plants, but their hearts beat. Children's hearts can beat +too. Think of this. Perhaps you may recognize the beating of your +child's heart. But what will you give me if I tell you what more you +must do?" + +"I have nothing more to give," said the afflicted mother. "But I will go +for you to the ends of the earth." + +"I have nothing for you to do there," said the old Woman, "but you can +give me your long black hair. You must know yourself that it is +beautiful, and it pleases me. You can take my white hair for it, and +that is always something." + +"Do you ask for nothing more?" asked she. "I will give you that gladly." +And she gave her beautiful hair, and received in exchange the old +Woman's white hair. + +And then they went into the great hothouse of Death, where flowers and +trees were growing marvellously intertwined. There stood the fine +hyacinths under glass bells, some quite fresh, others somewhat sickly; +water snakes were twining about them, and black crabs clung tightly to +the stalks. There stood gallant palm-trees, oaks, and plantains, and +parsley and blooming thyme. Each tree and flower had its name; each was +a human life: the people were still alive, one in China, another in +Greenland, scattered about in the world. There were great trees thrust +into little pots, so that they stood quite crowded, and were nearly +bursting the pots; there was also many a little weakly flower in rich +earth, with moss round about it, cared for and tended. But the sorrowful +mother bent down over all the smallest plants, and heard the human heart +beating in each, and out of millions she recognized that of her child. + +"That is it!" she cried, and stretched out her hands over a little +crocus flower, which hung down quite sick and pale. + +"Do not touch the flower," said the old dame; "but place yourself here; +and when Death comes--I expect him every minute--then don't let him pull +up the plant, but threaten him that you will do the same to the other +plants; then he'll be frightened. He has to account for them all; not +one may be pulled up till he receives commission from Heaven." + +And all at once there was an icy cold rush through the hall, and the +blind mother felt that Death was arriving. + +"How did you find your way hither?" said he. "How have you been able to +come quicker than I?" + +"I am a mother," she answered. + +And Death stretched out his long hands toward the little delicate +flower; but she kept her hands tight about it, and held it fast; and yet +she was full of anxious care lest he should touch one of the leaves. +Then Death breathed upon her hands, and she felt that his breath was +colder than the icy wind; and her hands sank down powerless. + +"You can do nothing against me," said Death. + +"But the merciful God can," she replied. + +"I only do what He commands," said Death. "I am his gardener. I take all +his trees and flowers, and transplant them into the great Paradise +gardens, in the unknown land. But how they will flourish there, and how +it is there, I may not tell you." + +"Give me back my child," said the mother; and she implored and wept. All +at once she grasped two pretty flowers with her two hands, and called to +Death, "I'll tear off all your flowers, for I am in despair." + +"Do not touch them," said Death. "You say you are so unhappy, and now +you would make another mother just as unhappy!" + +"Another mother?" said the poor woman; and she let the flowers go. + +"There are your eyes for you," said Death. "I have fished them up out of +the Lake; they gleamed up quite brightly. I did not know that they were +yours. Take them back--they are clearer now than before--and then look +down into the deep well close by. I will tell you the names of the two +flowers you wanted to pull up, and you will see what you were about to +frustrate and destroy." + +And she looked down into the well, and it was a happiness to see how one +of them became a blessing to the world, how much joy and gladness she +diffused around her. And the woman looked at the life of the other, and +it was made up of care and poverty, misery and woe. + +"Both are the will of God," said Death. + +"Which of them is the flower of misfortune, and which the blessed one?" +she asked. + +"That I may not tell you," answered Death; "but this much you shall +hear, that one of these two flowers is that of your child. It was the +fate of your child that you saw--the future of your own child." + +Then the mother screamed aloud for terror. + +"Which of them belongs to my child? Tell me that. Release the innocent +child! Let my child free from all that misery! Rather carry it away! +Carry it into God's kingdom! Forget my tears, forget my entreaties, and +all that I have done!" + +"I do not understand you," said Death. "Will you have your child back, +or shall I carry it to that place that you know not?" + +Then the mother wrung her hands, and fell on her knees, and prayed to +the good God. + +"Hear me not when I pray against Thy will, which is at all times the +best! Hear me not! hear me not!" And she let her head sink down on her +bosom. + +And Death went away with her child into the unknown land. + + + + +THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +It was terribly cold; it snowed and was already almost dark, and evening +came on, the last evening of the year. In the cold and gloom a poor +little girl, bareheaded and barefoot, was walking through the streets. +When she left her own house she certainly had had slippers on; but of +what use were they? They were very big slippers, and her mother had used +them till then, so big were they. The little maid lost them as she +slipped across the road, where two carriages were rattling by terribly +fast. One slipper was not to be found again, and a boy had seized the +other, and run away with it. He thought he could use it very well as a +cradle, some day when he had children of his own. So now the little girl +went with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the +cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and a bundle of +them in her hand. No one had bought anything of her all day, and no one +had given her a farthing. + +Shivering with cold and hunger she crept along, a picture of misery, +poor little girl! The snowflakes covered her long fair hair, which fell +in pretty curls over her neck; but she did not think of that now. In all +the windows lights were shining, and there was a glorious smell of +roast goose, for it was New Year's Eve. Yes, she thought of that! + +In a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected beyond the +other, she sat down, cowering. She had drawn up her little feet, but she +was still colder, and she did not dare to go home, for she had sold no +matches, and did not bring a farthing of money. From her father she +would certainly receive a beating, and besides, it was cold at home, for +they had nothing over them but a roof through which the wind whistled, +though the largest rents had been stopped with straw and rags. + +Her little hands were almost benumbed with the cold. Ah, a match might +do her good, if she could only draw one from the bundle, and rub it +against the wall, and warm her hands at it. She drew one out. R-r-atch! +how it spluttered and burned! It was a warm bright flame, like a little +candle, when she held her hands over it; it was a wonderful little +light! It really seemed to the little girl as if she sat before a great +polished stove, with bright brass feet and a brass cover. How the fire +burned! how comfortable it was! but the little flame went out, the stove +vanished, and she had only the remains of the burned match in her hand. + +A second was rubbed against the wall. It burned up, and when the light +fell upon the wall it became transparent like a thin veil, and she could +see through it into the room. On the table a snow-white cloth was +spread; upon it stood a shining dinner service; the roast goose smoked +gloriously, stuffed with apples and dried plums. And what was still more +splendid to behold, the goose hopped down from the dish, and waddled +along the floor, with a knife and fork in its breast, to the little +girl. Then the match went out, and only the thick, damp, cold wall was +before her. She lighted another match. Then she was sitting under a +beautiful Christmas tree; it was greater and more ornamented than the +one she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant's. +Thousands of candles burned upon the green branches, and colored +pictures like those in the print shops looked down upon them. The little +girl stretched forth her hand toward them; then the match went out. The +Christmas lights mounted higher. She saw them now as stars in the sky: +one of them fell down, forming a long line of fire. + +"Now some one is dying," thought the little girl, for her old +grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now dead, +had told her that when a star fell down a soul mounted up to God. + +She rubbed another match against the wall; it became bright again, and +in the brightness the old grandmother stood clear and shining, mild and +lovely. + +"Grandmother!" cried the child, "O! take me with you! I know you will go +when the match is burned out. You will vanish like the warm fire, the +warm food, and the great, glorious Christmas tree!" + +And she hastily rubbed the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to +hold her grandmother fast. And the matches burned with such a glow that +it became brighter than in the middle of the day; grandmother had never +been so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and +both flew in brightness and joy above the earth, very, very high, and up +there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor care--they were with God. + +But in the corner, leaning against the wall, sat the poor girl with red +cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death on the last evening of the Old +Year. The New Year's sun rose upon a little corpse! The child sat there, +stiff and cold, with the matches, of which one bundle was burned. "She +wanted to warm herself," the people said. No one imagined what a +beautiful thing she had seen, and in what glory she had gone in with her +grandmother to the New Year's Day. + + + + +FLOWERS WITHOUT FRUIT + + +Prune thou thy words; the thoughts control + That o'er thee swell and throng:-- +They will condense within thy soul, + And change to purpose strong. + +But he who lets his feelings run + In soft luxurious flow, +Shrinks when hard service must be done, + And faints at every woe. + +Faith's meanest deed more favor bears, + Where hearts and wills are weigh'd, +Than brightest transports, choicest prayers, + Which bloom their hour, and fade. + +_--J. H. Newman_ + + + + +CONTENTMENT + + +My mind to me a kingdom is; + Such perfect joy therein I find, +As far exceeds all earthly bliss + That world affords, or grows by kind: +Though much I want what most men have, +Yet doth my mind forbid me crave. + +Content I live--this is my stay; + I seek no more than may suffice: +I press to bear no haughty sway; + Look--what I lack, my mind supplies! +Lo! thus I triumph like a king, +Content with that my mind doth bring. + +I see how plenty surfeits oft, + And hasty climbers soonest fall; +I see how those that sit aloft + Mishap doth threaten most of all; +These get with toil, and keep with fear: +Such cares my mind could never bear. + +I laugh not at another's loss; + I grudge not at another's gain; +No worldly wave my mind can toss; + I brook that is another's pain. +I fear no foe: I scorn no friend: +I dread no death: I fear no end. + +Some have too much, yet still they crave; + I little have, yet seek no more: +They are but poor, though much they have, + And I am rich, with little store. +They poor, I rich: they beg, I give: +They lack, I lend: they pine, I live. + +I wish but what I have at will: + I wander not to seek for more: +I like the plain; I climb no hill: + In greatest storm I sit on shore, +And laugh at those that toil in vain, +To get what must be lost again. +--This is my choice; for why?--I find +No wealth is like a quiet mind. + +_--Unknown_ + + + + +THE SEARCH FOR PEACE + + +Sweet Peace, where dost thou dwell? I humbly crave, + Let me once know. + I sought thee in a secret cave, + And ask'd, if Peace were there? +A hollow wind did seem to answer, "No:-- + Go seek elsewhere." + +I did; and going did a rainbow note: + Surely, thought I, + This is the lace of Peace's coat: + I will search out the matter. +But while I look'd, the clouds immediately + Did break and scatter. + +Then went I to a garden, and did spy + A gallant flower, + The Crown Imperial: Sure, said I, + Peace at the root must dwell. +But when I digg'd, I saw a worm devour + What show'd so well. + +At length I met a reverend good old man: + Whom when for Peace + I did demand, he thus began: + "There was a Prince of old +At Salem dwelt, who lived with good increase + Of flock and fold. + +"He sweetly lived; yet sweetness did not save + His life from foes. + But after death, out of his grave + There sprang twelve stalks of wheat: +Which many wondering at, got some of those + To plant and set. + +"It prosper'd strangely, and did soon disperse + Through all the earth: + For they that taste it do rehearse, + That virtue lies therein; +A secret virtue, bringing peace and mirth + By flight of sin. + +"Take of this grain, which in my garden grows, + And grows for you; + Make bread of it:--and that repose + And peace, which everywhere +With so much earnestness you do pursue, + Is only there." + +_--G. Herbert_ + + + + +A SONG OF PRAISE + + +To God, ye choir above, begin + A hymn so loud and strong +That all the universe may hear + And join the grateful song. + +Praise Him, thou sun, Who dwells unseen + Amidst transcendent light, +Where thy refulgent orb would seem + A spot, as dark as night. + +Thou silver moon, 'ye host of stars, + The universal song +Through the serene and silent night + To listening worlds prolong. + +Sing Him, ye distant worlds and suns, + From whence no travelling ray +Hath yet to us, through ages past, + Had time to make its way. + +Assist, ye raging storms, and bear + On rapid wings His praise, +From north to south, from east to west, + Through heaven, and earth, and seas. + +Exert your voice, ye furious fires + That rend the watery cloud, +And thunder to this nether world + Your Maker's words aloud. + +Ye works of God, that dwell unknown + Beneath the rolling main; +Ye birds, that sing among the groves, + And sweep the azure plain; + +Ye stately hills, that rear your heads, + And towering pierce the sky; +Ye clouds, that with an awful pace + Majestic roll on high; + +Ye insects small, to which one leaf + Within its narrow sides +A vast extended world displays, + And spacious realms provides; + +Ye race, still less than these, with which + The stagnant water teems, +To which one drop, however small, + A boundless ocean seems; + +Whate'er ye are, where'er ye dwell, + Ye creatures great or small, +Adore the wisdom, praise the power, + That made and governs all. + +_--P. Skelton_ + + + + +THE TRAVELLER + + +How are thy servants blest, O Lord! + How sure is their defence! +Eternal wisdom is their guide, + Their help, Omnipotence. + +In foreign realms, and lands remote, + Supported by Thy care, +Through burning climes I pass'd unhurt, + And breathed in tainted air. + +Thy mercy sweeten'd every soil, + Made every region please; +The hoary Alpine hills it warm'd, + And smoothed the Tyrrhene seas. + +Think, O my soul, devoutly think, + How, with affrighted eyes, +Thou saw'st the wide-extended deep + In all its horrors rise. + +Confusion dwelt in every face, + And fear in every heart; +When waves on waves, and gulfs on gulfs, + O'ercame the pilot's art. + +Yet then from all my griefs, O Lord, + Thy mercy set me free; +Whilst, in the confidence of prayer, + My soul took hold on Thee. + +For though in dreadful whirls we hung + High on the broken wave, +I knew Thou wert not slow to hear, + Nor impotent to save. + +--The storm was laid; the winds retired, + Obedient to Thy will; +The sea that roar'd at Thy command, + At Thy command was still. + +_--J. Addison_ + + + + +TRUE GREATNESS + + +The fairest action of our human life + Is scorning to revenge an injury: +For who forgives without a further strife + His adversary's heart to him doth tie: +And 'tis a firmer conquest truly said + To win the heart, than overthrow the head. + +If we a worthy enemy do find, + To yield to worth, it must be nobly done:-- +But if of baser metal be his mind, + In base revenge there is no honor won. +Who would a worthy courage overthrow? + And who would wrestle with a worthless foe? + +We say our hearts are great, and cannot yield; + Because they cannot yield, it proves them poor: +Great hearts are task'd beyond their power but seld: + The weakest lion will the loudest roar. +Truth's school for certain does this same allow, + High-heartedness doth sometimes teach to bow. + +_--Lady E. Carew_ + + + + +CHARACTER OF A HAPPY LIFE + + +How happy is he born and taught + That serveth not another's will; +Whose armor is his honest thought, + And simple truth his utmost skill! + +Whose passions not his masters are, + Whose soul is still prepared for death, +Not tied unto the world with care + Of public fame, or private breath; + +Who envies none that chance doth raise + Or vice; who never understood +How deepest wounds are given by praise; + Nor rules of state, but rules of good; + +Who hath his life from rumors freed; + Whose conscience is his strong retreat; +Whose state can neither flatterers feed, + Nor ruin make accusers great; + +Who God doth late and early pray + More of His grace than gifts to lend; +And entertains the harmless day + With a well-chosen book or friend; + +--This man is freed from servile bands + Of hope to rise, or fear to fall; +Lord of himself, though not of lands; + And having nothing, yet hath all. + +_--Sir H. Wotton_ + + + + +A THANKSGIVING TO GOD, FOR HIS HOUSE + + +Lord, thou hast given me a cell, + Wherein to dwell; +A little house, whose humble roof + Is weather-proof; +Under the spars of which I lie + Both soft and dry; +Where thou, my chamber for to ward, + Hast set a guard +Of harmless thoughts, to watch and keep + Me, while I sleep. +Low is my porch, as is my fate: + Both void of state; +And yet the threshold of my door + Is worn by th' poor, +Who thither come, and freely get + Good words, or meat. +Like as my parlor, so my hall + And kitchen's small; +A little buttery, and therein + A little bin, +Which keeps my little loaf of bread + Unchipt, unflead; +Some brittle sticks of thorn or briar + Make me a fire, +Close by whose living coal I sit, + And glow like it. +Lord, I confess too, when I dine, + The pulse is thine, +And all those other bits that be + There placed by thee; +The worts, the purslain, and the mess + Of water-cress, +Which of thy kindness thou hast sent; + And my content +Makes those, and my beloved beet, + To be more sweet. +'Tis thou that crown'st my glittering hearth + With guiltless mirth, +And giv'st me wassail-bowls to drink, + Spiced to the brink. +Lord, 'tis thy plenty-dropping hand + That soils my land, +And giv'st me, for my bushel sown, + Twice ten for one; +Thou mak'st my teeming hen to lay + Her egg each day; +Besides my healthful ewes to bear + Me twins each year; +The while the conduits of my kine + Run cream, for wine: +All these, and better, thou dost send + Me--to this end, +That I should render, for my part, + A thankful heart. + +_--R. Herrick_ + + + + +FRIENDS DEPARTED + + +They are all gone into the world of light! + And I alone sit lingering here! +Their very memory is fair and bright, + And my sad thoughts doth clear. + +It glows and glitters in my cloudy breast + Like stars upon some gloomy grove, +Or those faint beams in which this hill is drest + After the Sun's remove. + +I see them walking in an air of glory, + Whose light doth trample on my days; +My days, which are at best but dull and hoary, + Mere glimmerings and decays. + +O holy hope! and high humility! + High as the Heavens above! +These are your walks, and you have show'd them me, + To kindle my cold love. + +Dear, beauteous Death; the jewel of the just! + Shining nowhere but in the dark; +What mysteries do lie beyond thy dust, + Could man outlook that mark! + +He that hath found some fledged birdes nest may know + At first sight if the bird be flown; +But what fair dell or grove he sings in now, + That is to him unknown. + +And yet, as Angels in some brighter dreams + Call to the soul when man doth sleep, +So some strange thoughts transcend our wonted themes, + And into glory peep. + +_--H. Vaughan_ + + + + +THE LAND OF DREAMS + + +"Awake, awake, my little boy! +Thou wast thy mother's only joy; +Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep? +O wake! thy father does thee keep." + +--"O what land is the Land of Dreams? +What are its mountains, and what are its streams? +O father! I saw my mother there +Among the lilies by waters fair. + +"Among the lambs, clothed in white, +She walk'd with her Thomas in sweet delight: +I wept for joy; like a dove I mourn:-- +O when shall I again return!" + +--"Dear child! I also by pleasant streams +Have wander'd all night in the Land of Dreams:-- +But, though calm and warm the waters wide, +I could not get to the other side." + +--"Father, O father! what do we here, +In this land of unbelief and fear?-- +The Land of Dreams is better far, +Above the light of the morning star." + +_--W. Blake_ + + + + +ADORATION + + +Sweet is the dew that falls betimes, +And drops upon the leafy limes; + Sweet Hermon's fragrant air: +Sweet is the lily's silver bell, +And sweet the wakeful tapers smell + That watch for early prayer. + +Sweet the young nurse, with love intense, +Which smiles o'er sleeping innocence; + Sweet when the lost arrive; +Sweet the musician's ardor beats, +While his vague mind's in quest of sweets, + The choicest flowers to hive. + +Strong is the horse upon his speed; +Strong in pursuit the rapid glede, + Which makes at once his game: +Strong the tall ostrich on the ground; +Strong through the turbulent profound + Shoots xiphias to his aim. + +Strong is the lion--like a coal +His eyeball--like a bastion's mole + His chest against the foes: +Strong the gier-eagle on his sail; +Strong against tide the enormous whale + Emerges as he goes. + +But stronger still, in earth and air, +And in sea, the man of prayer, + And far beneath the tide: +And in the seat to Faith assign'd, +Where ask is, have; where seek is, find; + Where knock is, open wide. + +_--C. Smart_ + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Bible Stories and Religious Classics +by Philip P. Wells + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIBLE STORIES *** + +***** This file should be named 10380-8.txt or 10380-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/3/8/10380/ + +Produced by Kevin Handy, Dave Maddock, and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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For +example an eBook of filename 10234 would be found at: + + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/0/2/3/10234 + +or filename 24689 would be found at: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/6/8/24689 + +An alternative method of locating eBooks: + https://www.gutenberg.org/GUTINDEX.ALL + + diff --git a/old/10380-8.zip b/old/10380-8.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..83dd11c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10380-8.zip diff --git a/old/10380.txt b/old/10380.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6a0ca9a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10380.txt @@ -0,0 +1,15770 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Bible Stories and Religious Classics, by Philip P. Wells + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Bible Stories and Religious Classics + +Author: Philip P. Wells + +Release Date: December 4, 2003 [EBook #10380] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIBLE STORIES *** + + + + +Produced by Kevin Handy, Dave Maddock, and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team. + + + + + +BIBLE STORIES AND RELIGIOUS CLASSICS + +WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ANSON PHELPS STOKES, JR. + + +_ILLUSTRATED BY_ BEATRICE STEVENS + + + +1903 + + + + +INTRODUCTION + +There never was a time when the demand for books for young people was so +great as it is to-day or when so much was being done to meet the demand. +"Children's Counter," "Boys' Books," are signs which, especially at the +Christmas season, attract the eye in every large book shop. Tales of +adventure, manuals about various branches of nature study, historical +romances, lives of heroes--in fact, almost every kind of book--is to be +found in abundance, beautifully illustrated, attractively bound, well +printed, all designed and written especially for the youth of our land. +It is indeed an encouraging sign. It means that the child of to-day is +being introduced to the world's best in literature and science and +history and art in simple and gradual ways. + +In the Middle Ages stories of the martyrs and legends of the Church, +along with some simple form of catechetical instruction, formed the +basis of a child's mental and religious training. Later, during and +after the Crusades, the stories of war and the mysteries of the East +increased the stock in trade for the homes of Europe; but still the +horizon remained a narrow one. Even the invention of printing did not +bring to the young as many direct advantages as would naturally be +expected. To-day, when Christian missionaries set up a printing press in +some distant island of the sea, the first books which they print in the +vernacular are almost invariably those parts of the Bible, such as the +Gospels and the stories of Genesis, which most appeal to the young, and, +what is of special importance, they have the young directly and mainly +in mind in their publishing work. This was not true a few centuries ago. +The presses were, perhaps naturally and inevitably, almost exclusively +occupied with books for the learned world. To be sure, the Legenda +Aurea, of which I shall speak later, although not intended primarily for +children, proved a great boon to them. So did the Chap Books of England. +But it was not until the middle of the eighteenth century, when John +Newbery set up his book shop at St. Paul's Churchyard, London, that any +special attention was given by printers to the publication, in +attractive form, of juvenile books. Newbery's children's books made him +famous in his day, but the world seems to have forgotten him. Yet he +deserves a monument along with AEsop, and La Fontaine, and Kate +Greenaway, and Andersen, and Scott and Henty, and all the other greater +and lesser lights who have done so much to gladden the heart and enlarge +the mind of childhood and youth. + +But from Newbery's day to this year of our Lord nineteen hundred and +three is a very long jump in what we may call the evolution of juvenile +literature, for the preparation of reading matter for young people seems +now almost to have reached its climax. There is one field, however, and +that the one which this volume tries to cover, which strangely enough +seems to have been almost neglected. Of "goody-goody" Sunday School +library books of an old-fashioned type, which are insipid and lacking +both in virility of thought and literary form, there are, alas, already +too many. What we need is something to take their place, something which +will furnish real literature, and yet which from subject matter and +manner of handling is specially adapted to what I still like to call +Sunday reading, a phrase which unfortunately seems to mean little to +most people to-day. Bearing this in mind, it is the purpose of this book +to gather together, in attractive form, such religious classics as are +specially fitted to interest and uplift young people. + +There is a wide variety in so far as _subject matter_, _source_ and +_form_ are concerned, but a certain unity is given to the contents of +the volume by the religious note, which, whether brought prominently +forward or not, is found alike in all the selections. + +The Bible has furnished directly or indirectly most of the _subject +matter_ here used. The biographies of various Scripture characters +appear in large numbers. Adam and Noah head the list, and Peter and +Paul bring up the end of a procession of worthies whose heroic deeds as +the servants of Jehovah will always appeal to the imagination of +youthful minds. But it is not with Bible characters only that this book +deals. The lives of Christian saints who entered upon their inheritance, +such as Christopher and Sylvester and Francis of Assisi, also have their +place, while yet more prominent are stories and poems based on some +Bible incidents. Even selections such as Hawthorne's Great Stone Face or +Wordsworth's Ode to Duty have their roots deep in the Bible, for they +can be understood and explained only by those who know the Revelation it +contains. In so far, then, as the subject matter of the volume is +concerned, either it or its inspiration can always be traced back to the +Bible. + +When we turn from the Bible material which, as we have seen, supplies +both subject and inspiration, to the _source_ from which the selections +in their literary form as here given are derived, we find that the old +foundations have sufficed for many kinds of structure. Probably the +source from which the editor has drawn most largely is the Golden +Legend. This work, which was translated into English and printed by +Caxton in 1483, although little heard of now, was for several centuries +a household word in Christendom. It was the creation of a Genoese +Archbishop, Jacobus de Voragine, and dates from about the middle of the +thirteenth century. The good Archbishop, using the Bible and the Lives +of the Saints as a basis, and as a sharer of the superstitions of the +time having unbounded faith in every legend of the Church, put together +in simple form for the edification of his flock the various stories +about Jewish and Christian worthies which compose the original Legenda +Aurea. This was translated into French by one Jean de Vignay in the +fourteenth century, and the English version was in turn mainly made from +this translation. In the simple, sturdy language of Caxton the book +became a most popular one, being often read aloud in the Parish Churches +of England, where it helped to familiarize the people, especially the +young, with sacred story as represented by the heroes of the Old +Testament and the saints of the Church. In Caxton's introduction there +is a quaint sentence regarding the name of the book. After mentioning +the Latin title, he adds "that is to say in Englyshe the golden legende +for lyke as passeth golde in vallwe al other metallys, soo thys legende +exedeth all other bokes." Whether the good printer's judgment be +justified or no, it is not for us to say. It is true, however, that +after the passing of over six centuries since its original production, +the editor of this volume in looking for religious classics for young +people has made more use of it than of any other collection. All honor, +then, to the old Archbishop of Genoa and to William Caxton, who made +his work accessible to the youth of England. + +The only other work which deserves any special mention as a source for +the contents of this volume, is the Stories and Tales of Hans Christian +Andersen. If ever there was any one who deserved the title of the +Children's Friend, surely this son of a poor Danish shoemaker is the +man. His Tales have been translated into many languages, and because of +their true imagination and their simplicity of expression they have +appealed to all children. Ten or more of them appear in this volume. +They are charming and wholesome reading, and their continued popularity +makes us realize the truth of these closing lines in Andersen's The Old +Grave Stones: "The good and the beautiful perish never; they live +eternally in tale and song." + +The other sources from which this collection has been made up are so +varied as to require no mention aside from that given with each title. +The Master Poets of English Literature have been freely drawn upon: +Byron to tell of the Destruction of Sennacherib, Milton to sing of +Christ's Nativity, Wordsworth to meditate aloud on Duty, and other great +writers to emphasize various deep truths of life. + + * * * * * + +As we turn from subject matter and source to _form_, we again find great +variety. Almost every kind of literature is represented. The early +lengends of the Jewish people, told by the author of the Legenda Aurea +almost in the words of Scripture, bring to young and old alike the same +lessons about God and Duty. The fact that they are legends, rather than +exact history, does not in any way lessen their religious value. Then, +too, the book contains allegories, such as that of the Pilgrim's +Progress, Christendom's greatest religious classic next to the Bible +itself, and those of some of Andersen's Tales. Poetry also is well +represented, the selections being in large part suggested by Scripture. +There are in addition many stories in the ordinary sense of the +word--tales which are entirely the fabric of the imagination, but which, +like the selections from Hawthorne, have some great lesson to teach. In +fact, the literary forms represented in this volume are almost as +numerous as those of the Bible itself. The latter used to be looked upon +merely as a storehouse of historic facts and devotional songs; now we +see in it Legend, Oratory, Poetry, Allegory, History, Proverb and +Prophecy; and we find that all of these forms are used by God's servants +to teach His truth to men. + + * * * * * + +Sufficient has been said, I think, to show the purpose and scope of this +volume and to introduce the reader to its contents. It is my hope and +belief that the effort of my friend, Mr. Philip P. Wells, to make this a +collection of religious classics in the full meaning of these words may +prove successful. My highest wish, however, is that those who read +these selections, with their great variety of source and form, may mark +the inspiration of thought or incident common to them all, and may find +an interest in refreshing what may be an old acquaintance with that Book +of Books which gives with classic truth the fundamental subject matter +for all deep thought and high aspiration. + +ANSON PHELPS STOKES, JR. + + + + +CONTENTS + +THE LIFE OF ADAM + +HERE BEGINNETH THE HISTORY OF NOAH + +THE RAINBOW + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM + +HERE BEGINNETH THE LIFE OF ISAAC, WITH THE HISTORY OF ESAU AND OF JACOB + +HERE BEGINNETH THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN + +HERE NEXT FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF MOSES + +THE BURIAL OF MOSES + +THE HISTORY OF JOSHUA + +THE HISTORY OF SAUL + +THE HISTORY OF DAVID + +THE SONG OF DAVID + +THE STORY OF A CUP OF WATER + +THE HISTORY OF SOLOMON + +THE HISTORY OF REHOBOAM + +A LITTLE MAID + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF JOB + +THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF TOBIT + +HERE BEGINNETH THE STORY OF JUDITH + +THE VISION OF BELSHAZZAR + +A CHRISTMAS CAROL + +ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY + +THE BURNING BABE + +A CRADLE SONG + +EASTER + +THE LIFE OF ST. PETER THE APOSTLE + +THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE + +THE LIFE OF ST. CHRISTOPHER + +THE SEVEN SLEEPERS + +THE LIFE OF ST. SILVESTER + +OF ST. AUSTIN THAT BROUGHT CHRISTENDOM TO ENGLAND + +EDWIN AND PAULINUS + +THE LIFE OF ST. GEORGE, MARTYR + +THE LIFE OF ST. PATRICK + +OF ST. FRANCIS + +SONG OF THE EMIGRANTS IN BERMUDA + +LANDING OF THE PILGRIM FATHERS IN NEW ENGLAND + +THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS + +THE PILGRIM + +THE GREAT STONE FACE + +THE GENTLE BOY + +THE ANGEL + +THE RED SHOES + +THE LOVELIEST ROSE IN THE WORLD + +A VISION OF THE LAST DAY + +THE OLD GRAVESTONE + +GOOD-FOR-NOTHING + +IN THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE SEA + +SOMETHING + +THE JEWISH GIRL + +THE STORY OF A MOTHER + +THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL + +FLOWERS WITHOUT FRUIT + +CONTENTMENT + +THE SEARCH FOR PEACE + +A SONG OF PRAISE + +THE TRAVELLER + +TRUE GREATNESS + +CHARACTER OF A HAPPY LIFE + +A THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR HIS HOUSE + +FRIENDS DEPARTED + +THE LAND OF DREAMS + +ADORATION + + + + +BIBLE STORIES AND RELIGIOUS CLASSICS + + + + +THE LIFE OF ADAM + +_The Sunday of Septuagesima beginneth the story of the Bible, in which +is read the legend and story of Adam which followeth_ + + +In the beginning God made and created heaven and earth. The earth was +idle and void and covered with darkness. And the spirit of God was borne +on the waters, and God said: Be made light, and anon light was made. And +God saw that light was good, and divided the light from darkness, and +called the light day and darkness night. + +And thus was made light with heaven and earth first, and even and +morning was made one day. The second day he made the firmament, and +divided the waters that were under the firmament from them that were +above, and called the firmament heaven. The third day were made on the +earth herbs and fruits in their kind. The fourth day God made the sun +and moon and stars, etc. The fifth day he made the fishes in the water +and birds in the air. The sixth day God made the beasts on the earth, +every one in his kind and gender. And God saw that all these works were +good and said: Make we man unto our similitude and image. Here spake the +Father to the Son and Holy Ghost, or else as it were the common voice of +three persons, when it was said make we, and to our, in plural number. +Man was made to the image of God in his soul. Here it is to be noted +that he made not only the soul with the body, but he made both body and +soul. As to the body he made male and female. God gave to man the +lordship and power upon living beasts. Thus in six days was heaven and +earth made and all the ornation of them. And then he made the seventh +day on which he rested, not for that he was weary, but ceased his +operation, and showed the seventh day which he blessed. Thus he shortly +showed the generations of heaven and earth, for here he determined the +works of the six days and the seventh day he sanctified and made holy. +God had planted in the beginning Paradise a place of desire and delices. +And man was made in the field of Damascus; he was made of the slime of +the earth. Paradise was made the third day of creation, and was beset +with herbs, plants and trees, and is a place of most mirth and joy. In +the midst whereof be set two trees, that is the tree of life, and that +other the tree of knowing good and evil. And there is a well, which +casteth out water for to water the trees and herbs of Paradise. This +well is the mother of all waters, which well is divided into four parts. +One part is called Phison. This goeth about Inde. The second is called +Gijon, otherwise Nilus, and that runneth about Ethiopia, the other two +be called Tigris and Euphrates. Tigris runneth toward Assyria, and +Euphrates is called fruitful, which runneth in Chaldea. These four +floods come and spring out of the same well, and depart, and yet in some +place some of them meet again. + +Then God took man from the place of his creation and brought him into +Paradise, for to work there, not to labor needily, but in delighting and +recreating him, and that he should keep Paradise. For like as Paradise +should refresh him, so should he labor to serve God, and there God gave +him a commandment. Every commandment standeth in two things, in doing or +forbidding, in doing he commanded him to eat of all the trees of +Paradise, in forbidding he commanded that he should not eat of the tree +of the knowledge of good and evil. This commandment was given to the +man, and by the man it went to the woman. For when the woman was made it +was commanded to them both, and hereto he set a pain, saying: Whatsoever +day thou eatest thereof thou shalt die by death. + +God said: It is not good a man to be alone, make we to him an helper +like to himself for to bring forth children. Adam supposed that some +helper to him had been among the beasts which had been like to him. +Therefore God brought to Adam all living beasts of the earth and air, in +which he understood them of the water also, which with one commandment +all came tofore him. They were brought for two causes, one was because +man should give to each of them a name, by which they should know that +he should dominate over them, and the second cause was because Adam +should know that there was none of them like to him. And he named them +in the Hebrew tongue, which was only the language and none other at the +beginning. And so none being found like unto him, God sent in Adam a +lust to sleep, which was no dream, but as is supposed in an extasy or in +a trance; in which was showed to him the celestial court. Wherefore when +he awoke he prophesied of the conjunction of Christ to his church, and +of the flood that was to come, and of the doom and destruction of the +world by fire he knew, which afterward he told to his children. + +Whiles that Adam slept, God took one of his ribs, both flesh and bone, +and made that a woman, and set her tofore Adam. Which then said: This is +now a bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; and Adam gave her a name +like as her lord, and said she should be called virago, which is as much +as to say as made of a man, and is a name taken of a man. And anon, the +name giving, he prophesied, saying: Because she is taken of the side of +a man, therefore a man shall forsake and leave father and mother and +abide and be adherent unto his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh; +and though they be two persons, yet in matrimony and wedlock they be but +one flesh, and in other things twain. For why, neither of them had power +of his own flesh. They were both naked and were not ashamed, for they +stood both in the state of innocence. Then the serpent which was hotter +than any beast of the earth and naturally deceivable, for he was full +of the devil Lucifer, which was deject and cast out of heaven, had great +envy to man that was bodily in Paradise, and knew well, if he might make +him to trespass and break God's commandments, that he should be cast out +also. + +Yet he was afeard to be taken or espied of the man, he went to the +woman, not so prudent and more prone to slide and bow. And in the form +of the serpent, for then the serpent was erect as a man. Bede saith that +he chose a serpent having a maiden's cheer [face], for like oft apply to +like, and spake by the tongue of the serpent to Eve, and said: Why +commanded you God that ye should not eat of all the trees of Paradise? +This he said to find occasion to say that he was come for. Then the +woman answered and said: Ne forte moriamur, lest haply we die, which she +said doubting, for lightly she was flexible to every part. Whereunto +anon he answered: Nay in no wise ye shall die, but God would not that ye +should be like him in science, and knowing that when ye eat of this tree +ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil, he as envious forbade you. +And anon the woman, elate in pride and willing to be like to God, +accorded thereto and believed him. The woman saw that the tree was fair +to look on, and clean and sweet of savor, took and ate thereof, and gave +unto Adam of the same, happily desiring him by fair words. But Adam anon +agreed, for when he saw the woman not dead he supposed that God had said +that they should die to fear them with, and then ate of the fruit +forbidden. And anon their sight was opened that they saw their +nakedness, and then anon they understood that they had trespassed. And +thus they knew that they were naked, and they took fig leaves and sewed +them together for to cover their members in manner of breeches. + +And anon after, they heard the voice of our Lord God walking, and anon +they hied him. Our Lord called the man and said: Adam, where art thou? +Calling him in blaming him and not as knowing where he was, but as who +said: Adam, see in what misery thou art. Which answered: I have hid me, +Lord, for I am naked. Our Lord said: Who told thee that thou wert naked, +but that thou hast eaten of the tree forbidden? He then not meekly +confessing his trespass, but laid the fault on his wife, and on him as +giver of the woman to him, and said: The woman that thou gavest to me as +a fellow, gave to me of the tree, and I ate thereof. And then our Lord +said to the woman: Why didst thou so? Neither she accused herself, but +laid the sin on the serpent, and privily she laid the fault on the maker +of him. The serpent was not demanded, for he did it not of himself, but +the devil by him. + +And our Lord, cursing them, began at the serpent, keeping an order and +congruous number of curses. The serpent was the first and sinned most, +for he sinned in three things. The woman next and sinned less than he, +but more than the man, for she sinned in two things. The man sinned last +and least, for he sinned but in one. The serpent had envy, he lied, and +deceived, for these three he had three curses. Because he had envy at +the excellence of man, it was said to him: Thou shalt go and creep on +thy breast; because he lied he is punished in his mouth, when it was +said: Thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life. Also he took away +his voice and put venom in his mouth. And because he deceived, it was +said: I shall put enmity between thee and woman, and thy seed and her +seed. She shall break thy head, etc. In two things the woman sinned, in +pride and eating the fruit. Because she sinned in pride, he meeked her, +saying: Thou shalt be under the power of man, and he shall have lordship +over thee, and he shall put thee to affliction. Now is she subject to a +man by condition and dread, which before was but subject by love; and +because she sinned in the fruit, she is punished in her fruit, when it +was said to her: Thou shalt bring forth children in sorrow; in the pain +of sorrow standeth the curse, but in bringing forth of children is a +blessing. And so, in punishing, God forgat not to have mercy. And +because Adam sinned but only in eating of the fruit, therefore he was +punished in seeking his meat, as it is said to him: Accursed be the +earth in thy work, that is to say for thy work of thy sin, for which is +made that the earth that brought forth good and wholesome fruits +plenteously, from henceforth shall bring forth but seldom, and also none +without man's labor, and also sometime weeds, briars, and thorns shall +grow. And he added: Thereto shalt thou eat herbs of the earth, as who +saith thou shalt be like a beast or jument. He cursed the earth because +the trespass was of the fruit of the earth and not of the water. He +added thereto to him of labor: In the sweat of thy cheer [face] thou +shalt eat thy bread unto the time thou return again into the earth; that +is to say till thou die, for thou art earth, and into earth thou shalt +go again. + +Then Adam, wailing and sorrowing the misery that was to come of his +posterity, named his wife Eve, which is to say, mother of all living +folk. Then God made to Adam and Eve two leathern coats of the skins of +dead beasts, to the end that they bare with them the sign of mortality, +and said: Lo, Adam is made as one of us, knowing good and evil, now lest +he put his hand and take of the tree of life and live ever, as who +saith: beware and cast him out, lest he take and eat of the tree of +life. And so he was cast out of Paradise, and set in the field of +Damascus where as he was made and taken from, for to work and labor +there. And our Lord set Cherubim to keep Paradise of delight with a +burning sword and pliant, to the end that none should enter there ne +come to the tree of life. + +After then that Adam was cast out of Paradise and set in the world, he +engendered Cain, the fifteenth year after he was made, and his sister +Calmana; but after another fifteen years was Abel born, and his sister +Delbora. + +When Adam was an hundred and thirty years of age, Cain slew Abel his +brother. Truth it is, after many days Cain and Abel offered sacrifice +and gifts unto God. It is to be believed that Adam taught his sons to +offer to God their tithes and first fruits. Cain offered fruits, for he +was a ploughman and tiller of earth, and Abel offered milk and the first +of the lambs, Moses saith, of the fattest of the flock. And God beheld +the gifts of Abel, for he and his sacrifices were acceptable to our +Lord; and as to Cain his sacrifices, God beheld them not, for they were +not to him acceptable, he offered withies and thorns. And as some +doctors say, fire came from heaven and lighted the sacrifice of Abel, +and the gifts of Cain pleased not our Lord, for the sacrifice would not +belight nor burn clear in the light of God. Whereof Cain had great envy +unto his brother Abel, which arose against him and slew him. And our +Lord said to him: Where is Abel thy brother? He answered and said: I wot +never, am I keeper of my brother? Then our Lord said: What hast thou +done? The voice of the blood of thy brother crieth to thee from the +earth, wherefore thou art cursed, and accursed be the earth that +received the blood of thy brother by his mouth of thy hands. When thou +shalt work and labor the earth it shall bring forth no fruit, but thou +shalt be fugitive, vagabond, and void on the earth. This Cain deserved +well to be cursed, knowing the pain of the first trespass of Adam, yet +he added thereto murder and slaughter of his brother. + +Then Cain, dreading that beasts should devour him, or if he went forth +he should be slain of the men, or if he dwelt with them, they would slay +him for his sin, damned himself, and in despair said: My wickedness is +more than I can deserve to have forgiveness, whoso find me shall slay +me. This he said of dread, or else wishing, as who said, would God he +would slay me. Then our Lord said: Nay not so, thou shalt die, but not +soon, for whosoever slayeth Cain shall be punished seven sithes more, +for he should deliver him from dread, from labor and misery, and added +that he should be punished personally sevenfold more. This punition +shall endure to him in pain unto the seventh, Lameth, whosomever shall +slay Cain shall loose seven vengeances. Some hold that his pain endured +unto the seventh generation, for he committed seven sins. He departed +not truly, he had envy to his brother, he wrought guilefully, he slew +his brother falsely, he denied it, he despaired and damned, he did no +penance. And after he went into the east, fugitive and vagabond. Cain +knew his wife which bare Enoch, and he made a city and named it Enoch +after the name of his son Enoch. Here it showeth well that this time +were many men, though their generation be not said, whom Cain called to +his city, by whose help he made it, whom he induced to theft and +robbery. + +He was the first that walled or made cities; dreading them that he +hurted, for surety he brought his people into the towns. Then Enoch gat +Irad, and Irad Mehujael, and he gat Methusael, and he gat Lameth, which +was the seventh from Adam and worst, for he brought in first bigamy. +This Lameth took two wives, Adah and Zilla; of Adah he gat Jabal which +found first the craft to make folds for shepherds and to change their +pasture, and ordained flocks of sheep, and departed the sheep from the +goats after the quality, the lambs by themselves, and the older by +themselves, and understood the feeding of them after the season of the +year. The name of his brother was Jubal, father of singers in the harp +and organs, not of the instruments, for they were found long after, but +he was the finder of music, that is to say of consonants of accord, such +as shepherds use in their delights and sports. And forasmuch as he heard +Adam prophesy of two judgments by the fire and water, that all things +should be destroyed thereby, and that his craft new found should not +perish, he did do write it in two pillars or columns, one of marble, +another of clay of the earth, to the end that one should endure against +the water, and that other against the fire. Josephus saith that the +pillar of marble is yet in the land of Syria. Of Zilla he begat +Tubal-cain, which found first the craft of smithery and working of iron, +and made things for war, and sculptures and gravings in metal to the +pleasure of the eyes, which he so working, Tubal, tofore said, had +delight in the sound of his hammers, of which he made the consonants and +tunes of accord in his song. Noema, sister of Tubal-cain, found first +the craft of diverse texture. + +Lameth was a shooter, and used to shoot at wild beasts, for none use of +the meat of them, but only for to have the skins for their clothing, and +lived so long that he was blind and had a child to lead him. And on a +time by adventure he slew Cain. For Cain was always afeard and hid him +among bushes and briars, and the child that led Lameth had supposed it +had been some wild beast and directed Lameth to shoot thereat, and so, +weening to shoot at a beast, slew Cain. And when he knew that he had +slain Cain, he with his bow slew the child, and thus he slew them both +to his damnation; therefore as the sin of Cain was punished seven +sithes, so was the sin of Lameth seventy sithes and seven. That is to +say, seventy-seven souls that came of Lameth were perished in the deluge +and Noah's flood; also his wife did him much sorrow, and evil-entreated +him. And he being wroth said that he suffered that for his double +homicide and manslaughter, yet nevertheless he feared him by pain, +saying: Why will ye slay me? he shall be more and sorer punished that +slayeth me, than he that slew Cain. + +Josephus said that when Abel was slain and Cain fled away, Adam when he +was one hundred and thirty years old engendered Seth like to his +similitude, and he to the image of God. This Seth was a good man, and he +gat Enos, and Enos Cainan, and Cainan begot Malaleel, and Malaleel +Jared, and Jared Enoch, and Enoch Methuselah, and Methuselah Lamech, and +Lamech Noah. And like as in the generation of Cain the seventh was the +worst, so in the generation of Seth the seventh was the best, that was +Enoch whom God took and brought him into Paradise, unto the time that he +shall come with Elias for to convert the hearts of the fathers into the +sons. And Adam lived after he had begotten Seth eight hundred years, and +engendered sons and daughters. Some hold opinion thirty sons and thirty +daughters, and some fifty of that one and fifty of that other. We find +no certainty of them in the Bible. But all the days of Adam living here +in earth amount to the sum of nine hundred and thirty years. And in the +end of his life when he should die, it is said, but of none authority, +that he sent Seth his son into Paradise for to fetch the oil of mercy, +where he received certain grains of the fruit of the tree of mercy by an +angel. And when he came again he found his father Adam yet alive and +told him what he had done. And then Adam laughed first and then died. +And then he laid the grains or kernels under his father's tongue and +buried him in the vale of Hebron; and out of his mouth grew three trees +of the three grains, of which trees the cross that our Lord suffered his +passion on was made, by virtue of which he gat very mercy, and was +brought out of darkness into very light of Heaven. To the which he bring +us that liveth and reigneth God, world without end. + + + + +HERE BEGINNETH THE HISTORY OF NOAH + +_The First Sunday in Sexagesima_ + + +After that Adam was dead, died Eve and was buried by him. At the +beginning, in the first age, the people lived long. Adam lived nine +hundred and thirty years, and Methuselah lived nine hundred and +sixty-nine years. S. Jerome saith that he died the same year that the +flood was. Then Noah was the tenth from Adam in the generation of Seth, +in whom the first age was ended. The seventy interpreters say that this +first age dured two thousand two hundred and forty-four years. S. Jerome +saith not fully two thousand, and Methodius full two thousand, etc. + +Noah then was a man perfect and righteous and kept God's commandment. +And when he was five hundred years old, he gat Shem, Ham, and Japhet. +This time men began to multiply on the earth, and the children of God, +that is to say of Seth, as religious, saw the daughters of men, that is +to say of Cain, and took them to their wives. This time was so much sin +on the earth, wherefore God was displeased and determined in his +prescience to destroy man that he had made, and said: I shall put man +away that I have made, and my spirit shall not abide in man for ever, +for he is flesh. As who said, I shall not punish man perpetually as I +do the devil, for man is frail, and yet ere I shall destroy him I shall +give him space and time of repentance and to amend him, if he will. The +time of repentance shall be one hundred and twenty years. Then Noah, +righteous and perfect, walked with God, that is in his laws, and the +earth was corrupt by sin and filled. + +When God saw the earth to be corrupt, and that every man was corrupt by +sin upon the earth, he said to Noah: The end of all people is come +tofore me except them that shall be saved, and the earth is replenished +with their wickedness. I shall destroy them with the earth, id est [that +is], with the fertility of the earth. Make to thee an ark of tree, hewn, +polished, and squared. And make there divers places, and lime it with +clay and pitch within and without, that is to wit with glue which is so +fervent, that the timber may not be loosed. And thou shalt make it three +hundred cubits of length, fifty in breadth, and thirty of height. And +make therein divers distinctions of places and chambers and of +wardrobes. And the ark had a door for to enter in and come out, and a +window was made thereon, which that the Hebrews say was of crystal. This +ark was on making, from the beginning that God commanded first to make +it, one hundred and twenty years. In which time Noah oft desired the +people to leave their sin, and how he had spoken with God, and that he +was commanded to make the ship, for God should destroy them for their +sin, but if they left it. And they mocked him and said that he raved +and was a fool, and gave no faith to his saying and continued in their +sin and wickedness. Then, when the ark was perfectly made, God bade him +to take into it of all the beasts of the earth, and also of the fowls of +the air, of each two, male and female, that they may live. And also of +all the meats of the earth that be comestible, that they may serve and +feed thee and them. And Noah did all that our Lord commanded him. Then +said our Lord to Noah: Enter thou and all thy household into the ark, +that is to say thou and thy wife and thy three sons and their three +wives. I have seen that thou art rightful in this generation. Of all +beasts that be clean thou shalt take seven, and of unclean beasts but +only two. And of the birds seven and seven, male and female, that they +may be saved on the face of the earth. Yet after seven days I shall rain +upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and shall destroy all the +substance that I made on the earth. And Noah did all things that our +Lord commanded him. + +He was six hundred years old when the flood began on the earth. And then +Noah entered in and his sons, his wife, and the wives of his sons, all +into the ark to eschew the waters of the flood. Of all the beasts and +the fowls, and of all that moved and had life on earth, male and female, +Noah took in to him as our Lord had bidden. And seven days after they +were entered, the water began to increase. The wells of the abysms were +broken, and the cataracts of heaven were opened, that is to say the +clouds, and it rained on the earth forty days and forty nights. And the +ark was elevate and borne upon the waters on height above the mountains +and hills, for the water was grown higher fifteen cubits above all the +mountains, that it should purge and wash the filth of the air. Then was +consumed all that was on the earth living, man, woman, and beast and +birds. And all that ever bare life, so that nothing abode upon the +earth, for the water was fifteen cubits above the highest mountain of +the earth. And when Noah was entered he shut the door fast without +forth, and limed it with glue. + +And so the waters abode elevate in height an hundred and fifty days from +the day that Noah entered in. And our Lord then remembered Noah and all +them that were in the ark with him, and also on the beasts and fowls, +and ceased the waters. And the wells and cataracts were closed, and the +rains were prohibited, and forbidden to rain no more. The seventh month, +the twenty-seventh day of the month, the ark rested on the hills of +Armenia. The tenth month, of the first day of the month, the tops of the +hills appeared first. After these forty days after the lessing of the +waters, Noah opened the window and desired sore to have tidings of +ceasing of the flood. And sent out a raven for to have tidings, and when +he was gone he returned no more again, for peradventure she found some +dead carrion of a beast swimming on the water, and lighted thereon to +feed her and was left there. After this he sent out a dove which flew +out, and when she could find no place to rest ne set her foot on, she +returned unto Noah and he took her in. Yet then were not the tops of +the hills bare. And seven days after he sent her out again, which at +even returned, bearing a branch of an olive tree, burgeoning, in her +mouth. And after other seven days he sent her again, which came no more +again. + +Then in the year of Noah six hundred and one, the first day of the +month, Noah opened the covering of the ark and saw that the earth was +dry, but he durst not go out, but abode the commandment of our Lord. The +second month, the twenty-seventh day of the month, our Lord said to +Noah: Go out of the ark, thou and thy wife, thy sons and the wives of +thy sons. He commanded them to go conjointly out which disjointly +entered, and let go out with them all the beasts and fowls living, and +all the reptiles, every each after his kind and gender, to whom our Lord +said: Grow ye and multiply upon the earth. Then Noah issued out and his +wife, and his sons with their wives, and all the beasts, the same day a +year after they entered in, every one after his gender. Noah then +edified an altar to our Lord and took of all the beasts that were clean +and offered sacrifice unto our Lord; and our Lord smelled the sweetness +of the sacrifice and said to Noah: From henceforth I shall not curse the +earth for man, for he is prone and ready to fall from the beginning of +his youth. I shall no more destroy man by such vengeance. And then our +Lord blessed them and said: Grow ye and multiply the earth and be ye +lords of all the beasts of the earth, of the fowls of the air, and of +the fishes. I have given all things to you, but eat no flesh with the +blood. I command you to slay no man, nor to shed no man's blood. I have +made man after mine image. Whosomever sheddeth his brother's blood, his +blood shall be shed. Go ye forth and grow and multiply and fill the +earth. This said our Lord to Noah and his sons: Lo! I have made a +covenant with you and with them that shall come after you, that I shall +no more bring such a flood to slay all people, and in token thereof I +have set my rainbow in the clouds of heaven, for who that trespasseth I +shall do justice otherwise on him. Noah lived after the flood three +hundred and fifty years. From the time of Adam until after Noah's flood, +the time and season was alway green and tempered; and all that time men +ate no flesh, for the herbs and fruits were then of great strength and +effect, they were pure and nourishing. But after the flood the earth was +weaker and brought not forth so good fruit, wherefore flesh was ordained +to be eaten. And then Noah began to labor for his livelihood with his +sons, and began to till the earth, to destroy briars and thorns and to +plant vines. And so on a time Noah had drunk so much of the wine that he +was drunk, and lay and slept. Ham, his middlest son, laughed and scorned +his father, and called his brethren to see, which rebuked Ham of his +folly and sin. And Noah awoke, and when he understood how Ham his son +had scorned him, he cursed him and also his son Canaan, and blessed Shem +and Japhet. All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years and +then he died. And after his death his sons dealed all the world between +them, Shem had all Asia, Ham Africa, and Japhet all Europe. Thus was it +departed. Asia is the best part and is as much as the other two, and +that is in the east. Africa is the south part, and therein is Carthage +and many rich countries, therein be blue and black men. Ham had that to +his part Africa. The third part is Europe which is in the north and +west, therein is Greece, Rome, and Germany. In Europe reigneth now most +the christian law and faith, wherein is many a rich realm. And so was +the world departed to the three sons of Noah. + + + + +THE RAINBOW + + +Triumphal arch, that fill'st the sky + When storms prepare to part, +I ask not proud Philosophy + To teach me what thou art. + +Still seem, as to my childhood's sight, + A midway station given, +For happy spirits to alight, + Betwixt the earth and heaven. + +Can all that optics teach, unfold + Thy form to please me so, +As when I dreamt of gems and gold + Hid in thy radiant bow? + +When science from creation's face + Enchantment's veil withdraws, +What lovely visions yield their place + To cold material laws! + +And yet, fair bow, no fabling dreams, + But words of the Most High, +Have told why first thy robe of beams + Was woven in the sky. + +When o'er the green undeluged earth + Heaven's covenant thou didst shine, +How came the world's gray fathers forth + To watch thy sacred sign! + +And when its yellow lustre smiled + O'er mountains yet untrod, +Each mother held aloft her child + To bless the bow of God. + +The earth to thee her incense yields, + The lark thy welcome sings, +When, glittering in the freshen'd fields, + The snowy mushroom springs. + +How glorious is thy girdle, cast + O'er mountain, tower, and town, +Or mirror'd in the ocean vast + A thousand fathoms down! + +As fresh in yon horizon dark, + As young thy beauties seem, +As when the eagle from the ark + First sported in thy beam. + +For, faithful to its sacred page, + Heaven still rebuilds thy span; +Nor lets the type grow pale with age + That first spoke peace to man. + +T. CAMPBELL. + + + + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM + + +The Sunday called Quinquagesima is read in the church the history of the +holy patriarch Abraham which was the son of Terah. This Terah was the +tenth from Noah in the generation of Shem. Japhet had seven sons and Ham +four sons. Out of the generation of Ham Nimrod came, which was a wicked +man and cursed in his works, and began to make the tower of Babel which +was great and high. And at the making of this tower, God changed the +languages, in such wise that no man understood other. For tofore the +building of that tower was but one manner speech in all the world, and +there were made seventy-two speeches. The tower was great, it was ten +miles about and five thousand and eighty-four steps of height. This +Nimrod was the first man that found mawmetry and idolatry, which endured +long and yet doth. Then I turn again to Terah which had three sons, +which was Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Of Nahor came Us, Bus, and Batuel. Of +Us came Job, of Bus came Balaam, and of Batuel Rebekah and Laban. Of +Haran came Lot and two daughters, Melcha and Sara. + +Now I shall speak of Abram of whom our blessed lady came. He wedded +Sara, daughter of his brother Haran. Abram was ever faithful and true, +he was sixty-five years old when his father died, for whom he mourned +till our Lord comforted him, which said to Abram: Abram, make thee ready +and go out of thy land and kindred, and also from the house of thy +father, and come into the land that I shall show to thee. I shall make +thee grow into much people; I shall bless thee and magnify thy name, and +thou shalt be blessed, and I shall bless them that bless thee, and curse +them that curse thee, and in thee shall be blessed all the kindreds of +the earth. + +Abram was seventy years old when he departed from the land of Haran, and +he took with him Sara his wife, and Lot the son of his brother, and +their meiny [company], and his cattle and his substance, and came into +the land of Canaan, and came into the vale of Sichem, in which were ill +people which were the people of Canaan. And our Lord said to Abram: I +shall give to thee this land and to thine heirs. Then Abram did raise an +altar on which he did sacrifice, and blessed and thanked our Lord. Abram +beheld all the land toward the south, and saw the beauty thereof, and +found it like as our Lord told him. But he had not been long in the land +but that there fell great hunger therein, wherefore he left that country +and went into Egypt and took with him Sara his wife. And as they went by +the way Abram said to his wife: I fear and dread sore that when we come +to this people, which be lawless, that they shall take thee for thy +beauty and slay me, because they would use thee. Wherefore say thou art +my sister, and I thy brother, and she agreed thereto. And when they +were come in to that country the people saw that she was so fair, and +anon they told the king, which anon commanded that she should be brought +into his presence. And when she was come, God of his good grace so +purveyed for her, that no man had power to do her villany. Wherefore the +king was feared that God would have taken vengeance on him for her, and +sent for Abram and said to him that he should take his wife, and that he +had evil done to say, that she was his sister, and so delivered her +again, and gave him gold and silver, and bade that men should worship +him in all his land, and he should freely at his pleasure depart with +all his goods. Then after this Abram took his wife Sara and went home +again, and came unto Bethel, and set there an altar of stone, and there +he adored and worshipped the name of God. His store and beasts began to +multiply, and Lot with his meiny was also there. And their beasts began +so sore to increase and multiply, that unnethe [hardly] the country +might suffice to their pasture, in so much that rumor and grudging began +to sourde and arise between the herdmen of Abram and the herdmen of Lot. +Then Abram said to Lot: Lo! this country is great and wide, I pray thee +to choose on which hand thou wilt go, and take it for thy meiny and thy +beasts. And let no strife be between me and thee, ne between my herdmen +ne thy herdmen. Lo! behold all the country is tofore thee, take which +thou wilt; if thou go on the right side, I shall go on the left side, +and if thou take the left, I will go on the right side. Then Lot beheld +the country and saw a fair plain toward flom Jordan, which was pleasant, +and the flood ran toward Sodom and Gomorrah, which was like a paradise, +and took that part for him. And Abram took toward the west, which was +beside the people of Canaan at the foot of mount Mamre. And Lot dwelled +in Sodom. The people of Sodom were worst of all people. + +Our Lord said to Abram: Lift up thine eyes and see directly from the +place that thou art now in, from the north to the south, and from the +east to the west. All this land that thou seest I shall give thee, and +to thy seed for evermore. I shall make thy seed as powder or dust of the +earth, who that may number the dust of the earth shall number thy seed. +Arise therefore and walk the land in length and in breadth, for I shall +give it to thee. Abram moved then his tabernacle and dwelled in the +valley of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and set there his tabernacle. It +happened soon after that there was a war in that land, that four kings +warred again other five kings, which were of Sodom, Gomorrah and other. +And the four kings overthrew the five and slew them, and spoiled and +took all the substance of the country and took also with them Lot and +all his goods. And a man gat away from them and came to Abram, and told +him how that Lot was taken and led away. And then anon Abram did do +gather his people together, the number of three hundred and eighteen. +And followed after, and departed his people in two parties because they +should not escape. And Abram smote in among them, and slew the kings, +and rescued Lot and all his goods, and delivered the men of Sodom that +were taken and the women. And they of Sodom came against him, and +Melchisedech came and met with him, and offered to him bread and wine. +This Melchisedech was king and priest of Jerusalem and all the country, +and blessed Abram. And there Abram gave to him the tythes of all he had. +And the king of Sodom would that Abram should have had such prey as he +took, but he would not have as much as the latchet of a shoe, and thus +gat Abram much love of all the people. + +After this our Lord appeared to Abram in a vision and said: Abram, dread +thee nothing, I am thy protector, and thy reward and meed shall be +great. Abram answered: Lord God, what wilt thou give me? Thou wottest +well I have no children, and sith I have none I will well that Eleazar +the son of my bailiff be my heir. Nay, said our Lord, he shall not be +thine heir, but he that shall issue and come of thy seed shall be thine +heir. Our Lord led him out and bade him behold the heaven, and number +the stars if thou mayst, and said to him, so shall thy offspringing and +seed be. And Abram believed it and gave faith to our Lord's words, and +it was reputed to him to justice. And our Lord said to him, I am the +Lord that led thee out of the land of Ur of the Chaldees for to give to +thee this land into thy possession. And Abram said: Lord, how shall I +know that I shall possess it? A voice said to Abram: Thy seed shall be +exiled into Egypt by the space of four hundred years, and shall be +there in servitude, and after, I shall bring them hither again in the +fourth generation. Thou shalt abide here unto thy good age, and shalt be +buried here, and go with thy fathers in peace. Sara was yet without +child, and she had a handmaid named Hagar, an Egyptian, and she on a day +said to Abram her husband: Thou seest I may bear no child, wherefore I +would thou took Hagar my maid, that thou might get a child which I might +keep and hold for mine. And ten year after that Abram had dwelled in +that land, he took Hagar, and anon she despised her mistress. Then Sara +said to Abram: Thou dost evil. My servant now hath me in despite, God +judge this between thee and me. To whom Abram answered: Thine handmaid +is in thine hands, chastise her as it pleaseth thee. After this Sara +chastised Hagar and put her to so great affliction that she went away; +and as she went an angel met with her in the wilderness by a well, and +said: Hagar, whence comest and whither goest thou? She answered: I flee +away from the face of my lady Sara. To whom the angel said, return again +and submit thee by humbleness unto thy lady, and I shall multiply thy +seed, and so much people shall come of it that it cannot be numbered for +multitude. And he said furthermore: Thou shalt bear a child and shalt +call him Ishmael. He shall be a fierce man, he shall be against all men, +and all men against him. Then Hagar returned home and served her lady, +and soon after this she was delivered of Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six +years old when Ishmael was born. + +When Abram was ninety-nine years, our Lord appeared to him and said: +Abram, lo! I am the Lord Almighty, walk thou before me and be perfect, +and I shall keep covenant between me and thee and shall multiply thy +seed greatly. And Abram fell down lowting low to the earth and thanked +him. Then our Lord said I AM, and my covenant I shall keep to thee, thou +shalt be father of much people. Thou shalt no more be called Abram, but +Abraham, for I have ordained thee father of much people. I shall make +thee to increase most abundantly; kings and princes shall come of thee, +and shall stablish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed in thy +generations. I shall give to thee and to thy seed after thee the land of +thy pilgrimage, all the land of Canaan, into their possession and I +shall be their God. Yet said God to Abraham: And thou shalt keep thy +covenant to me, and thine heirs after thee in their generations, and +this shall be the covenant that ye shall keep and thine heirs after +thee. Every child masculine that shall be born shall be circumcised when +he is eight days old. And see that the men in your generation be +circumcised, begin at thyself and thy children. And all that dwell in +thy kindred, who of you that shall not be circumcised shall be cast and +put out for ever from my people, because he obeyeth not my statute and +ordinance. And thy wife Sara shall be called no more Sara but she shall +be called Sarah, and I shall bless her, and shall give to thee a son of +her, whom I shall bless also. I shall him increase into nations, and +kings of peoples shall come of him. Abraham fell down on his face +toward the earth and laughed in his heart, saying: May it be that a +woman of ninety years may bear a child? I beseech thee, Lord, that +Ishmael may live before thee. Our Lord said to Abraham, Sarah shall +bring forth a son whom thou shalt name Isaac, and I shall keep my +covenant to him for evermore, and to his heirs after him. And I have +heard thy request for Ishmael also. I shall bless him and increase, and +shall multiply his seed into much people, twelve dukes shall come of +him. I shall keep my covenant to Isaac, whom Sarah shall bring forth the +next year. + +After this on a time, as Abraham sat beside his house in the vale of +Mamre in the heat of the day, and as he lift up his eyes, he saw three +young men coming to him, and anon as he saw these three standing by him +he ran to them and worshipped one alone; he saw three and worshipped but +one. That betokeneth the Trinity, and prayed them to be harboured with +him, and took water and washed their feet: and prayed them to tarry +under the tree, and he would bring bread to them for to comfort them. +And they bade him do as he had said, he went and bade Sarah to make +three ashy cakes and sent his child for a tender fat calf, which was +sodden and boiled. And he served them with butter and milk, and the +calf, and set it tofore them. He stood by them, and when they had eaten +they demanded him: Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said: Yonder in the +tabernacle. And he said, I shall go and come again, and Sarah thy wife +shall have a child. And she stood behind the door and heard it and +laughed, and said softly to herself: How may it be that I should bear a +child? She thought it impossible. Then said our Lord to Abraham: Why +laugheth Sarah thy wife, saying in scorn, Shall I bear a child? but as I +said to thee before, I shall return and come again, and she shall have a +child in that time. And he asked Sarah why she smiled in scorn, and she +said she smiled ne laughed not, and our Lord said, It is not so, for +thou laughedst. + +When they had rested Abraham conveyed them on the way. And our Lord said +to Abraham: I have not hid from thee what I purpose to do. The cry of +Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied and their sin is much grievous. I shall +descend and see if the sin be so great, the stench thereof cometh to +heaven, I shall take vengeance and destroy them. Then Abraham said: I +hope, Lord, thou wilt not destroy the just and righteous man with the +wicked sinner. I beseech thee, Lord, to spare them. Our Lord said: If +there be fifty good and righteous men among them, I shall spare them. +And Abraham said: Good Lord, if there be found forty, I pray thee to +spare them. Our Lord said: If there be forty, I shall spare them, and so +from forty to thirty and from thirty to twenty and from twenty to ten, +and our Lord said: If there be found ten good men among them, I shall +not destroy them. And then our Lord went from Abraham, and he returned +home again. That same eventide came two angels into Sodom, and Lot sat +at his gate, and when he saw them he went and worshipped them and +prayed them to come and rest in his house, and abide there and wash +their feet. And they said: Nay, we shall abide here in the street, and +Lot constrained them and brought them into his house and made a feast to +them. Then said the angels to Lot: If thou have here of thy kindred, +sons or daughters, all them that long to thee, lead out of this city, we +shall destroy this place, for the cry thereof is come to our Lord, which +hath sent us for to destroy them. Lot went unto his kinsmen and said: +Arise and take your children, and go out of this city, for our Lord +shall destroy it. And they supposed that he had raved or japed [jested]. +And as soon as it was day the angels said to Lot: Arise, and take thy +wife and thy two daughters, and go out of this town lest ye perish with +them. Yet he dissimuling, they took him by the hand and his wife and two +daughters, because that God should spare them, and led them out of the +city. And there they said to him: Save thy soul and look not behind thee +lest thou perish also, but save thee in the mountain. Lot said to them: +I beseech thee, my Lord, forasmuch as thy servant hath found grace +before thee, and that thou hast showed thy mercy to me, and that +peradventure I might take harm on the hill, that I may go into the +little city hereby and may be saved there. He said to Lot: I have heard +thy prayers, and for thy sake I shall not subvert this town for which +thou hast prayed, hie thee and save thyself there, for I may do nothing +till thou be therein. Therefore that town is called Zoar. So Lot went +in to Zoar; and the sun arose, and our Lord rained from heaven upon +Sodom and Gomorrah sulphur and fire, and subverted the cities and all +the dwellers of the towns about that region, and all that was there +growing and burgeoning. Lot's wife turned her and looked toward the +cities, and anon she was turned into a statue or image of salt, which +abideth so unto this day. Abraham arose in the morning early, and looked +toward the cities, and saw the smoke ascending from the places, like as +it had been the light of a furnace. What time our Lord subverted these +cities he remembered Abraham, and delivered Lot from the vengeance of +the cities in which he dwelled. Then Lot ascended from Zoar and dwelled +in the mountain, and his two daughters with him. He dreaded to abide any +longer in the town, but dwelled in a cave, he and his two daughters with +him. + +Abraham departed from thence and went southward and dwelled between +Kadesh and Shur, and went a pilgrimage to Gerar. He said that his wife +was his sister. Abimelech the king of Gerar sent for her and took her. +God came to Abimelech in his sleep and said: Thou shalt be dead for the +woman that thou hast taken, she hath an husband. Abimelech said: Lord, +wilt thou slay a man ignorant and rightful? She said that she was his +sister, in the simpleness of my heart and cleanness of my hands I did +this. And God said to him: I know well that with a simple heart thou +didst it, and therefore I have kept thee from her, now yield the woman +to her husband, and he shall pray for thee, he is a prophet and thou +shalt live. And if thou deliver her not, thou shalt die, and all they +that be in thy house. Abimelech arose up the same night and called all +his servants, and told them all these words. All they dreaded sore. Also +Abimelech called Abraham and said to him: What hast thou done to us, +that we have trespassed to thee? Thou hast caused me and my realm to sin +greatly. Thou hast done that thou shouldst not have done. What sawest +thou for to do so? Abraham said: I thought that the dread of God was not +in this place, and that ye would slay me for my wife; and certainly +otherwise she is also my sister, the daughter of my father but not of my +mother, and I have wedded her. And after that I went from the house of +my father, I said to her: Wheresomever we go say thou art my sister. + +Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and servants and maidens, and gave to +Abraham, and delivered to him Sarah his wife, and said: Lo! the land is +here tofore thee, wheresoever thou wilt, dwell and abide. And he said to +Sarah: Lo! I have given to thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, this +shall be to thee a veil of thine eyes, and wheresomever thou go, +remember that thou wert taken. Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his +meiny [company] and God healed him, his wife and all his servants. Our +Lord then visited Sarah, and she brought forth a son in her old age, +that same time that God had promised. Abraham called his son that she +had borne, Isaac, and when he was eight days old he circumcised him as +God had commanded, and Abraham was then an hundred years old. Then said +Sarah: Who would have supposed that I should give suck to my child, +being so old? I laughed when I heard our Lord say so, and all they that +shall hear of it may well laugh. The child grew and was weaned, and +Abraham made a great feast at the day of his weaning. After this, on a +day when Sarah saw the son of Hagar her handmaid play with her son +Isaac, she said to Abraham: Cast out this handmaid with her son, the son +of the handmaid shall not be heir with my son Isaac. Abraham took this +word hard and grievously for his son. Then said God to him: Let it not +be hard to thee for thy son and handmaid, whatsomever Sarah say to thee +hear her voice, for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Yet shall I make +the son of the handmaid grow into great people, for he is of thy seed. +Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, +and laid it on her shoulder, and gave to her the child and let her go, +which, when she was departed, erred in the wilderness of Beersheba. And +when the water was consumed that was in the bottle, she left the child +under a tree that was there and went thence as far as a bow shot and sat +her down, and said: I shall not see my son die, and there she wept. Our +Lord heard the voice of the child, and an angel called Hagar saying, +What doest thou, Hagar? Be not afeard, our Lord hath heard the voice of +the child from the place which he is now in. Arise and take the child +and hold him by the hand, for I shall make him to increase into much +people. God opened her eyes and she saw a pit of water, and anon she +went and filled the bottle, and gave the child to drink, and abode with +him, which grew and dwelled in the wilderness, and became there a young +man and an archer, and dwelled also in the desert of Paran. And his +mother took to him a wife of the land of Egypt. + +That same time said Abimelech, and Phicol the prince of his host, unto +Abraham: Our Lord is with thee in all things that thou doest. Swear thou +by the Lord that thou grieve not me, ne them that shall come after me, +ne my kindred, but after the mercy that I have showed to thee, so do to +me and to my land in which thou hast dwelled as a stranger. And Abraham +said, I shall swear. And he blamed Abimelech for the pit of water which +his servants had taken away by strength. Abimelech answered: I know not +who hath done this thing, and thou toldest me not thereof, and I never +heard thereof till this day. And then after this they made covenant +together, and promised each to other to be friends together. + +After all these things God tempted Abraham, and said to him: Abraham, +Abraham. He answered and said: I am here, and he said to him: Take thou +thine only son that thou lovest, Isaac, and go into the land of Vision +and offer him in sacrifice to me upon one of the hills that I shall show +to thee. Then Abraham arose in the night, and made ready his ass, and +took with him two young men and Isaac his son. And when they had hewn +and gathered the wood together to make sacrifice, they went to the +place that God commanded him. The third day after, he lift up his eyes +and saw from afar the place, and he said to his children: Abide ye here +with the ass, I and my son shall go to yonder place, and when we have +worshipped there we shall return to you. Then he took the wood of the +sacrifice and laid it on his son Isaac, and he bare in his hands fire +and the sword. And as they went both together, Isaac said to his father: +Father mine. What wilt thou, my son? said Abraham, and he said: Lo! here +is fire and wood, where is the sacrifice that shall be offered? Abraham +answered: My son, God shall provide for him a sacrifice well enough. +They went forth and came to the place that God had ordained, and there +made an altar, and laid the wood thereon, and took Isaac and set him on +the wood on the altar, and took his sword and would have offered him up +to God. And lo! the angel of God cried to him from heaven saying: +Abraham, Abraham, which answered: I am here, and he said to him: Extend +not thy hand upon my child, and do nothing to him, now I know that thou +dreadest God, and hast not spared thine only son for me. Abraham looked +behind him, and saw among the briars a ram fast by the horns, which he +took, and offered him in sacrifice for his son. He called that place: +The Lord seeth. The angel called Abraham the second time saying: I have +sworn by myself, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing, and +hast not spared thine only son for me, I shall bless thee and shall +multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and like the gravel that is +on the seaside, thy seed shall possess the gates of their enemies, and +in thy seed shall be blessed all the people of the earth, for thou +obeyedst to me. Abraham then returned to his servants, and went into +Beersheba and dwelled there. Sarah lived an hundred and twenty-seven +years and died in the city of Arba, which is Hebron in the land of +Canaan; for whom Abraham made sorrow and wept, and bought of the +children of Heth a field, and buried her worshipfully in a double +spelunke. + +Abraham was an old man, and God blessed him in all his things. He said +to the eldest and upperest servant in all his house: I charge and +conjure thee by the name of God of heaven and of earth that thou suffer +not my son Isaac to take no wife of the daughters of Canaan amongst whom +I dwell, but go into the country where my kindred is, and take of them a +wife to my son. And the servant answered: If no woman there will come +with me into this country, shall I bring thy son into that country from +whence thou earnest? Abraham said: Beware that thou lead not my son +thither. The Lord of heaven and of earth, that took me from the house of +my father and from the place of my nativity, hath said and sworn to me, +saying: To thy seed I shall give this land. He shall send his angel +tofore thee, and thou shalt take there a wife for my son. If no woman +will come with thee thou shalt not be bounden by thine oath, but in no +wise lead my son thither. His servant then swore and promised to him +that he would so do. + +He took ten camels of the flock of his lord, and of all his goods bare +with him, and went in to Mesopotamia unto the town of Nahor. And he made +the camels to tarry without the town by a pit side at such time as the +women be wont to come out for to draw water. And there he prayed our +Lord, saying: Lord God of my lord Abraham, I beseech thee to help me +this day, and do mercy unto my lord Abraham. Lo! I stand here nigh by +the well of water, and the daughters of the dwellers of this town come +hither for to draw water, therefore the maid to whom I say: Set down thy +pot that I may drink, and then she set down her pot and say: I will give +to thee drink, and to the camels, that I may understand thereby that she +be the maid that thou hast ordained to thy servant Isaac, and thou +showest thy mercy to my lord Abraham. He had not fully finished these +words with himself, but that Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah +wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham, came out of the town, having a pot on +her shoulder, which was a right fair maid, and much beauteous and +unknown to the man. She went down to the well and filled her pot with +water and returned. The servant of Abraham ran to her and said: I pray +thee to give me a little of the water in thy pot for to drink. Which +said: Drink, my lord, and lightly took the pot from her shoulder, and +held it, and gave him drink. And when he had drunk she said: Yet I shall +give to thy camels drink, and draw water for them till all have drunken; +and she poured out the water into a vessel that was there for beasts to +drink, and ran to the pit and drew water that every one drank his +draught. He then thought in himself secretly that God had made him to +have a prosperous journey. + +After they had drunk, he gave her two rings to hang on her ears weighing +two shekels, and as many armlets weighing ten shekels, and asked her +whose daughter she was, and if there were any room in her father's house +to be lodged. And she answered: I am daughter to Bethuel, Nahor's son, +and in my father's house is place enough to lodge thee and thy camels, +and plenty of chaff and hay for them. And the man inclined down to the +ground and worshipped God saying: Blessed be the Lord God of my lord +Abraham, which hath not taken away his mercy ne his truth from my lord, +and hath brought me in my journey right into the house of my lord's +brother. The maid Rebekah ran and told at home all that she had heard. +Rebekah had a brother named Laban, which hastily went out to the man +where as he was when he had seen the rings in his sister's ears and her +poinettes or armlets on her hands; and had heard her say all that the +man said. He came to the man that stood by the well yet, and said to +him: Come in, thou blessed of God, why standest thou without? I have +made ready the house for thee, and have ordained place for thy camels. +And brought him in, and strawed his camels, and gave them chaff and hay, +and water to wash the camels' feet, and the men's feet that came with +him. + +And they set forth bread tofore him, which said: I shall not eat till I +have done mine errand and said wherefore I am come. And it was answered +to him, say on, and he said: I am servant of Abraham, and God hath +blessed and magnified him greatly and hath given to him oxen and sheep, +silver and gold, servants men and women, camels and asses. And Sarah his +wife hath brought him forth a son in her old age, and he hath given to +him all that he had. And my lord hath charged and adjured me saying: In +no wise let my son Isaac have no wife of the daughters of Canaan in +whose land he dwelleth, but go unto the house of my father and of my +kindred, and of them thou shall take a wife to my son, wherefore I am +come hither. And told all how he prayed God of some token, and how +Rebekah did to him, and in conclusion desired to have Rebekah for his +lord Isaac; and if he would not, that he might depart and go into some +other place, on the right side or on the left, to seek a wife for his +lord's son. Then Bethuel and Laban said to him: This word is come of +God, against his will we may nothing do. Lo! Rebekah standeth tofore +thee, take her and go forth that she may be wife unto the son of thy +lord, as our Lord hath said. Which words when Abraham's servant had +heard, he fell down to the ground and thanked our Lord, and anon took +forth silver vessels and of gold and good clothes and gave them to +Rebekah for a gift. And to her brethren and mother he gave also gifts, +and anon they made a feast, and ate and were joyful together. On the +morn betimes, the servant of Abraham arose, and desired to depart and +take Rebekah with him and go to his lord. Then the mother and her +brethren said: Let the maid abide with us but only ten days, and then +take her and go thy way. I pray you, said he, retain ne let [hinder] me +not, our Lord hath addressed my way and achieved my errand, wherefore +let me go to my lord. And they said: We shall call the maid and know her +will; and when she was demanded if she would go with that man, she said: +Yea, I shall go with him. Then they let her go, and her nurse with her, +and so she departed, and they said to her: Thou art our sister, we pray +God that thou mayst increase into a thousand thousand, and that thy seed +may possess the gates of their enemies. Then Rebekah and her maidens +ascended upon the camels, and followed the servant of Abraham which +hastily returned unto his lord. + +That same time, when they were come, Isaac walked by the way without +forth and looked up and saw the camels coming from far. Rebekah espied +him and demanded of the servant who that he was that came in the field +against them. He answered and said: That is my lord Isaac, and anon she +took her pall or mantle and covered her. The servant anon told unto his +lord Isaac all that he had done; which received her and led her into the +tabernacle of Sarah his mother and wedded her, and took her in to his +wife, and so much loved her, that the love attempered the sorrow that he +had for his mother. Abraham after this wedded another wife, by whom he +had divers children. Abraham gave to Isaac all his possessions, and to +his other children he gave movable goods, and departed the sons of his +concubines from his son Isaac whilst he yet lived. And all the days of +the life of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five years, and then +died in good mind and age, and Isaac and Ishmael buried him by his wife +Sarah in a double spelunke [cave]. + + + + +HERE BEGINNETH THE LIFE OF ISAAC + +WITH THE HISTORY OF ESAU AND OF JACOB + +_Which is read in the Church the Second Sunday in Lent_ + + +Isaac was forty years old when he wedded Rebekah and she bare him no +children. Wherefore he besought our Lord that she might bring forth +fruit. Our Lord heard his prayer, and she had twain sons at once. The +first was rough from the head to the foot, and he was named Esau; and +the other was named Jacob. Isaac the father was sixty years old when +these children were born. And after this, when they were grown to +reasonable age, Esau became a ploughman, and a tiller of the earth, and +an hunter. And Jacob was simple and dwelled at home with his mother. +Isaac the father loved well Esau, because he ate oft of the venison that +Esau took, and Rebekah the mother loved Jacob. + +Jacob on a time had made a good pottage, and Esau his brother had been +an hunting all day and came home sore an hungred, and found Jacob having +good pottage, and prayed him to give him some, for he was weary and much +hungry. To whom Jacob said: If thou wilt sell to me thy patrimony and +heritage I shall give thee some pottage. And Esau answered, Lo! I die +for hunger, what shall avail me mine inheritance if I die, and what +shall profit me my patrimony? I am content that thou take it for this +pottage. Jacob then said: Swear that to me thou shalt never claim it, +and that thou art content I shall enjoy it, and Esau sware it, and so +sold away his patrimony, and took the pottage and ate it, and went his +way, setting nothing thereby that he had sold his patrimony. This +aforesaid is to bring in my matter of the history that is read, for now +followeth the legend as it is read in the church. + +Isaac began to wax old and his eyes failed and dimmed that he might not +clearly see. And on a time he called Esau his oldest son and said to +him: Son mine, which answered: Father, I am here ready, to whom the +father said: Behold that I wax old and know not the day that I shall die +and depart out of this world, wherefore take thine harness, thy bow and +quiver with tackles, and go forth an hunting, and when thou hast taken +any venison, make to me thereof such manner meat as thou knowest that I +am wont to eat, and bring it to me that I may eat it, and that my soul +may bless thee ere I die. Which all these words Rebekah heard. And Esau +went forth for to accomplish the commandment of his father, and she said +then to Jacob: I have heard thy father say to Esau, thy brother: Bring +to me of thy venison, and make thereof meat that I may eat, and that I +may bless thee tofore our Lord ere I die. Now my son, take heed to my +counsel, and go forth to the flock, and bring to me two the best kids +that thou canst find, and I shall make of them meat such as thy father +shall gladly eat, which when thou hast brought to him and hast eaten he +may bless thee ere he die: To whom Jacob answered: Knowest thou not that +my brother is rough and hairy and I am smooth? If my father take me to +him and taste me and feel, I dread me that he shall think that I mock +him, and shall give me his curse for the blessing. The mother then said +to him: In me, said she, be this curse, my son, nevertheless hear me; go +to the flock and do that I have said to thee. He went and fetched the +kids and delivered them to his mother, and she went and ordained them +into such meat as she knew well that his father loved, and took the best +clothes that Esau had, and did them on Jacob. And the skins of the kid +she did about his neck and hands there as he was bare, and delivered to +him bread and the pulment that she had boiled. And he went to his father +and said: Father mine, and he answered: I am here; who art thou, my son? +Jacob said: I am Esau, thy first begotten son, I have done as thou +commandedst me, arise, sit and eat of the venison of my hunting that thy +soul may bless me. Then said Isaac again to his son: How mightest thou, +said he, so soon find and take it, my son? To whom he answered: It was +the will of God that such thing as I desired came soon to my hand. Isaac +said to him: Come hither to me, my son, that I may touch and handle +thee, that I may prove whether thou be my son Esau or not. He came to +his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said: The voice truly is the +voice of Jacob, but the hands be the hands of Esau. And he knew him not, +for his hands expressed the likeness and similitude of the more +brother. Therefore blessing him, he said to him: Thou art then my son +Esau? He answered and said: I am he. Then said Isaac: Bring to the meat +of thine hunting, my son, that my soul may bless thee; which he offered +and gave to his father, and also wine. And when he had eaten and drunken +a good draught of the wine, he said to Jacob: Come hither to me, my son, +and kiss me; and he went to him and kissed him. Anon as he felt the +sweet savour and smell of his clothes, blessing him he said: Lo! the +sweet odour of my son is as the odour of a field full of flowers, whom +our Lord bless. God give to thee of the dew of heaven, and of the +fatness of the earth, abundance of wheat, wine, and oil, and the people +serve thee, and the tribes worship thee. Be thou lord of thy brethren, +and the sons of thy mother shall bow down and kneel to thee. Whosomever +curseth thee, be he accursed, and who that blesseth thee, with blessings +be he fulfilled. + +Unnethe [hardly] had Isaac fulfilled these words and Jacob gone out, +when that Esau came with his meat that he had gotten with hunting, +entered in, and offered to his father saying: Arise, father mine, and +eat of the venison that thy son hath ordained for thee, that thy soul +may bless me. Isaac said to him: Who art thou? To whom he answered, I am +thy first begotten son Esau. Isaac then was greatly abashed and +astonied, and marvelled more than can be thought credible. And then he +was in a trance, as the master of histories saith, in which he had +knowledge that God would that Jacob should have the blessing. And said +to Esau: Who then was he that right now a little tofore thy coming +brought to me venison? And I have eaten of all that he brought to me ere +thou camest. I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. When Esau +heard these words of his father, he cried with a great cry, and was sore +astonied and said: Father, I pray thee bless me also. To whom he said: +Thy brother germain is come fraudulently, and hath received thy +blessing. Then said Esau: Certainly and justly may his name be called +well Jacob, for on another time tofore this he supplanted me of my +patrimony, and now secondly he hath undernome from me my blessing. And +yet then he said to his father: Hast thou not reserved to me one +blessing? Isaac answered: I have ordained him to be thy lord, I have +subdued all his brethren to his servitude. I have stablished him in +wheat, wine and oil. And after this what shall I do to thee, my son? To +whom Esau said: Hast thou not, father, yet one blessing? I beseech thee +to bless me. Then with a great sighing and weeping Isaac moved said to +him: In the fatness of the earth and in the dew of heaven shall be thy +blessing, thou shalt live in thy sword, and shalt serve thy brother. +Then was Esau woebegone, and hated Jacob for supplanting him of his +blessing that his father had blessed him with, and said in his heart: +The days of sorrow shall come to my father, for I shall slay my brother +Jacob. This was told to Rebekah, which anon sent for Jacob her son, and +said to him: Lo! Esau thy brother threateneth to slay thee, therefore +now my son hear my voice and do as I shall counsel. Make thee ready and +go to my brother in Aran, and dwell there with him unto the time that +his anger and fury be overpast, and his indignation ceased, and that he +forget such things that thou hast done to him, and then after that I +shall send for thee, and bring thee hither again. And Rebekah went to +Isaac her husband and said: I am weary of my life because of the +daughters of Heth, if Jacob take to him a wife of that kindred, I will +no longer live. Isaac then called Jacob and blessed him and commanded to +him saying: I charge thee in no wise to take a wife of the kindred of +Canaan, but go and walk into Mesopotamia of Syria, unto the house of +Bethuel, father of thy mother, and take to thee there a wife of the +daughters of Laban thine uncle. God Almighty bless thee, and make thee +grow and multiply, that thou mayst be increased into tourbes of people, +and give to thee the blessings of Abraham, and to thy seed after thee, +that thou mayst possess and own the land of thy pilgrimage which he +granted to thy grandsire. When Isaac had thus said, and given him leave +to go, he departed anon, and went into Mesopotamia of Syria to Laban, +son of Bethuel, brother of Rebekah his mother. Esau seeing that his +father had blessed Jacob and sent him into Mesopotamia of Syria to wed a +wife there, and that after his blessing commanded to him saying: Take +thou no wife of the daughters of Canaan; and he obeying his father went +into Syria, proving thereby that his father saw not gladly the daughters +of Canaan, he went to Ishmael, and took him a wife beside them that he +had taken tofore, that was Melech, daughter of Ishmael, son of Abraham. + +Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went forth on his journey toward +Aran. When he came to a certain place after going down of the sun and +would rest there all night, he took of the stones that were there and +laid under his head and slept in the same place. And there he saw in his +sleep a ladder standing on the earth, and the upper end thereof touched +heaven, and angels of God ascending and descending upon it, and our Lord +in the midst of the ladder saying to him: I am the Lord God of Abraham +thy father, and of Isaac; the land on which thou sleepest I shall give +to thee and to thy seed, and thy seed shall be as dust of the earth; +thou shalt spread abroad unto the east and unto the west, and north and +south, and all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed in thee and in +thy seed. And I shall be thy keeper wheresoever thou shalt go, and shall +bring thee again into this land, and I shall not leave till I have +accomplished all that I have said. When Jacob was awaked from his sleep +and dreaming, he said: Verily God is in this place, and I wist not of +it. And he said dreadingly: How terrible is this place, none other thing +is here but the house of God and the gate of heaven. Then Jacob arose +early and took the stone that lay under his head, and raised it for +witness, pouring oil thereon, and called the name of the place Bethel +which tofore was called Luza. And there he made a vow to our Lord, +saying: If God be with me and keep me in the way that I walk, and give +me bread to eat, and clothes to cover me, and I may return prosperously +into the house of my father, the Lord shall be my God, and this stone +that I have raised in witness, this shall be called the house of God. +And the good of all things that thou givest to me, I shall offer to thee +the tithes and tenth part. Then Jacob went forth into the east, and saw +a pit in a field and three flocks of sheep lying by it, for of that pit +were the beasts watered. And the mouth thereof was shut and closed with +a great stone, for the custom was when all the sheep were gathered, they +rolled away the stone, and when they had drunken they laid the stone +again at the pit mouth. And then he said to the shepherds: Brethren, +whence are ye? Which answered: Of Aran. Then he asking them said: Know +ye not Laban, son of Nahor? They said: We know him well. How fareth he, +said he, is he all whole? He fareth well, said they; and lo! Rachel his +daughter cometh there with her flock. Then said Jacob: It is yet far to +even, it is yet time that the flocks be led to drink, and after be +driven to pasture, which answered: We may not so do till all the beasts +be gathered, and then we remove the stone from the mouth of the pit and +water our beasts. And as they talked, Rachel came with the flock of her +father, for she kept that time the beasts. And when Jacob saw her and +knew that she was his erne's [uncle's] daughter, and that they were his +erne's sheep, he removed the stone from the pit's mouth, and when her +sheep had drunken, he kissed her, and weeping he told her that he was +brother to her father and son of Rebekah. Then she hied her and told it +to her father, which when he understood that Jacob, his sister's son, +was come, he ran against him and, embracing, kissed him, and led him +into his house. And when he had heard the cause of his journey he said: +Thou art my mouth and my flesh. + +And when he had been there the space of a month, he demanded Jacob if he +would gladly serve him because he was his cousin, and what hire and +reward he would have. He had two daughters, the more was named Leah, and +the less was called Rachel, but Leah was blear-eyed, and Rachel was fair +of visage and well-favored, whom Jacob loved, and said: I shall serve +thee for Rachel thy younger daughter seven years. Laban answered: It is +better that I give her to thee than to a strange man; dwell and abide +with me, and thou shalt have her. And so Jacob served him for Rachel +seven years, and him thought it but a little while, because of the great +love that he had to her. And at the end of seven years, Jacob said to +Laban: Give to me my wife, for the time is come that I should have her. +Then Laban called all his friends and made a feast for the wedding, and +at night he brought in Leah, the more daughter, and delivered to her an +handmaid named Zilpah. Then Jacob, when the morning came, saw that it +was Leah. He said to Laban her father: What hast thou done? Have I not +served thee for Rachel, why hast thou brought Leah to me? Laban +answered: It is not the usage ne custom of our country to give the +younger first to be wedded, but fulfil and make an end of this marriage +this week, and then shall I give to thee Rachel my daughter for other +seven years that thou shalt serve to me. Jacob agreed gladly, and when +that week was passed, he wedded Rachel to his wife. To whom Laban her +father gave an handmaid named Bilhah. Nevertheless when the wedding of +the younger was finished, because of the great love that he had to her, +him thought that the other seven years were but short. + +[And Jacob while he served Laban had these sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, +Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph.] When +Joseph was born, Jacob said to Laban his wives' father: Give me leave to +depart that I may go in to my country and my land; give to me my wives +and children for whom I have served thee that I may go hence. Thou +knowest what service I have served thee. Laban said to him: I have +founden grace in thy sight; I know it by experience that God hath +blessed me for thee; I have ordained the reward that I shall give to +thee. Then Jacob answered: Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how +much thy possession was in my hands. Thou hadst but little when I came +to thee, and now thou art rich, God hath blessed thee at mine entry; it +is now right that I provide somewhat toward mine house. Laban said: What +shall I give to thee? Jacob answered: I will nothing but that thou do +that I demand. I shall yet feed and keep thy beasts, and depart asunder +all the sheep of divers colors. And all that ever shall be of divers +colors and spotty, as well in sheep as in goats, let me have them for my +reward and meed, and Laban granted thereto. Then at time of departing, +Laban took them of two colors, and Jacob them that were of one color. +Thus was Jacob made much rich out of measure, and had many flocks, and +servants both men and women, camels and asses. + +After that Jacob had heard Laban's sons say: Jacob hath taken all that +was our father's from him, and of his faculty is made rich, he was +abashed and understood well by Laban's looking that he was not so +friendly to himward as he had been tofore. And also our Lord said to him +that he should return into the land of his fathers and to his +generation, and that he would be with him. He then called Rachel and +Leah into the field whereas he fed his flocks, and said to them: I see +well by your father's visage that he is not toward me as he was +yesterday or that other day; forsooth the God of my father was with me, +and ye know well how I have served your father with all my might and +strength, but he hath deceived me, and hath changed mine hire and meed +ten times, and yet our Lord hath not suffered him to grieve me. When he +said the beasts of party color should be mine, then all the ewes brought +forth lambs of variable colors. And when he said the contrary they +brought forth all white. God hath taken the substance of your father and +hath given it to me. And now God hath commanded me to depart, wherefore +make you ready and let us depart hence. Then answered Rachel and Leah: +Shall we have nothing else of our father's faculty and of the heritage +of his house? Shall he repute us as strangers, and he hath eaten and +sold our goods? Sith God hath taken the goods of our father and hath +given it to us and to our children, wherefore all that God commanded to +thee, do it. + +Jacob arose and set his children and his wives upon his camels, and went +his way and took all his substance, and flocks, and all that he had +gotten in Mesopotamia and went toward his father Isaac into the land of +Canaan. That time was Laban gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole +away the idols of her father. Jacob would not let Laban know of his +departing, and when he was departed with all that longed to him of +right, he came to the mount of Gilead. It was told to Laban, the third +day after, that Jacob was fled and gone, who anon took his brethren and +pursued him by the space of seven days and overtook him in the mount of +Gilead. He saw our Lord in his sleep saying to him: Beware that thou +speak not angrily ne hard words to Jacob. That time Jacob had set his +tabernacle in the hill, and when he came thither with his brethren, he +said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus to me to take away my daughters +as prisoners taken by sword? Why fleddest thou from me and wouldst not +let me have knowledge thereof? Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons +and daughters, thou hast done follily. Now may I do thee harm and evil, +but the God of thy father said to me yesterday: Beware that thou speak +no hard words against Jacob. Thou desirest to go to the house of thy +father, why hast thou stolen my gods? Jacob answered: That I departed +thee not knowing, I dreaded that violently thou wouldst have taken from +me thy daughters. And where thou reprovest me of theft, whosoever have +stolen thy gods let him be slain tofore our brethren. Seek and what thou +findest that is thine, take with thee. + +He, saying this, knew not that Rachel had stolen her father's gods. Then +Laban entered the tabernacle of Jacob and Leah, and sought and found +nothing. And when he came into the tabernacle of Rachel, she hied her +and hid the idols under the litter of her camel and sat upon it. And he +sought and found nought. Then said Rachel: Let not my lord be wroth for +I may not arise to thee, for sickness is fallen to me, and so she +deceived her father. Then Jacob, being angry and grudging, said to +Laban: What is my trespass and what have I sinned to thee that thou hast +pursued me, and hast searched everything? What hast thou now founden of +all the substance of thy house? Lay it forth tofore my brethren and thy +brethren, that they judge between me and thee. I have served thee twenty +years and have been with thee, thy sheep and thy goats were never +barren. I have eaten no wethers of thy flock, nor beast hath destroyed +none. I shall make all good what was stolen. I prayed therefore day and +night, I labored both in heat and in cold, sleep fled from mine eyes. +Thus I served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters +and six for thy flocks. Thou hast changed mine hire and reward ten +times. But if the God of my father Abraham and the dread of Isaac had +been with me, haply thou wouldst now have left me naked. Our Lord God +hath beholden mine affliction and the labor of mine hands and reproved +thee yesterday. Laban answered to him: My daughters and sons, and thy +flocks, and all that thou beholdest are thine, what may I do to my sons +and nephews? Let us now be friends, and make we a fast league and +confederacy together. Then Jacob raised a stone, and raised it in token +of friendship and peace, and so they ate together in friendship, and +sware each to other to abide in love ever after. And after this Laban +arose in the night, and kissed his daughters and sons, and blessed them, +and returned into his country. + +Jacob went forth in his journey that he had taken. Angels of God met +him, which when he saw, he said: These be the castles of God, and called +that place Mahanaim. He sent messengers tofore him to Esau his brother +in the land of Seir, in the land of Edom, and bade them say thus to +Esau: This saith thy brother Jacob: I have dwelled with Laban unto this +day, I have oxen and asses, servants both men and women. I send now a +legation unto my lord that I may find grace in his sight. These +messengers returned to Jacob and said: We came to Esau thy brother, and +lo! he cometh for to meet thee with four hundred men. Jacob was sore +afraid then, and divided his company into twain turmes [two troops], +saying: If Esau come to that one and destroy that, that other shall yet +be saved. Then said Jacob: O God of my father Abraham, and God of my +father Isaac, O Lord that saidst to me, return into thy land and place +of thy nativity, and saidst I shall do well to thee, I am the least in +all thy mercies, and in thy truth that thou hast granted to thy servant, +with my staff I have gone this river of Jordan, and now I return with +two turmes. I beseech the Lord keep me from the hands of my brother +Esau, for I fear him greatly lest he come and smite down the mother with +the sons. Thou hast said that thou shouldest do well to me and shouldest +spread my seed like unto the gravel of the sea, and that it may not be +numbered for multitude. Then when he had slept that night, he ordained +gifts for to send to his brother, goats two hundred, kids twenty, sheep +two hundred, and rams twenty; forty kine and twenty bulls, twenty asses +and ten foals of them. And he sent by his servants all these beasts; and +bade them say that Jacob his servant sent to him this present and that +he followeth after. And Jacob thought to please him with gifts. + +The night following, him thought a man wrestled with him all that night +till the morning, and when he saw he might not overcome him, he hurted +the sinew of his thigh that he halted thereof, and said to him: Let me +go and leave me, for it is in the morning. Then Jacob answered: I shall +not leave thee but if thou bless me. He said to him: What is thy name? +he answered: Jacob. Then he said: Nay, said he, thy name shall no more +be called Jacob, but Israel, for if thou hast been strong against God, +how much more shalt thou prevail against men? Then Jacob said to him: +What is thy name? tell me. He answered, Why demandest thou my name, +which is marvellous? And he blessed him in the same place. Jacob called +the name of that same place Penuel, saying: I have seen our Lord face to +face, and my soul is made safe. And anon as he was past Penuel the sun +arose. He halted on his foot, and therefore the children of Israel eat +no sinews because it dried in the thigh of Jacob. Then Jacob lifting up +his eyes saw Esau coming and four hundred men with him, and divided the +sons of Leah and of Rachel, and of both their handmaidens, and set each +handmaid and their children tofore in the first place, Leah and her sons +in the second, and Rachel and Joseph all behind. And he going tofore +kneeled down to ground and, worshipping his brother, approached him. +Esau ran for to meet with his brother, and embraced him, straining his +neck, and weeping kissed him, and he looked forth and saw the women and +their children, and said: What been these and to whom longen they? Jacob +answered: They be children which God hath given to me thy servant and +his handmaidens, and their children approached and kneeled down, and +Leah with her children also worshipped him, and last of all Joseph and +Rachel worshipped him. Then said Esau: Whose been these turmes [troops] +which I have met? Jacob answered: I have sent them to thee, my lord, +unto the end that I may stand in thy grace. Esau said: I have many +myself, keep these and let them be thine. Nay, said Jacob, I pray thee +to take this gift which God hath sent me that I may find grace in thy +sight, for meseemeth I see thy visage like the visage of God; and +therefore be thou to me merciful, and take this blessing of me. Unnethe +[hardly] by compelling he taking it, said: Let us go together, I shall +accompany thee and be fellow of thy journey. Then said Jacob: Thou +knowest well, my lord, that I have young children and tender, and sheep +and oxen, which, if I over-labored, should die all in a day, wherefore +please it you, my lord, to go tofore, and I shall follow as I may with +my children and beasts. Esau answered: I pray thee then let my fellows +abide and accompany thee, whatsoever need thou have. Jacob said: It is +no need, I need no more but one, that I may stand in thy favor, my lord. +And Esau returned then the same way and journey that he came into Seir. +And Jacob came to Succoth and builded there an house, and from thence he +went in to Shalem, the town of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan, +and bought there a part of a field, in which he fixed his tabernacles, +of the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for an hundred lambs. And there +he raised an altar, and worshipped upon it the strongest God of Israel. + +After this our Lord appeared to Jacob and said: Arise and go up to +Bethel and dwell there, and make there an altar to the Lord that +appeared to thee in the way when thou fleddest from thy brother Esau. +Jacob then called all them of his house and said: Cast away from you all +your strange gods that be among you, and make you clean and change your +clothes; arise and let us go into Bethel, and make we there an altar to +our Lord that heard me in the day of my tribulation, and was fellow of +my journey. Then they gave to him all their strange gods, and the gold +that hung on their ears, and he dalf a pit behind the city of Shechem +and threw them therein. And when they departed, all the countries +thereabout were afraid and durst not pursue them. Then Jacob came to a +place called Luz which is in the land of Canaan, and all the people with +him, which otherwise is called Bethel. He edified there an altar to our +Lord, and named that place the House of God. Our Lord appeared to him in +that place when he fled from his brother Esau. That same time died +Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, and was buried at the root of Bethel +under an oak. Our Lord appeared again to Jacob after that he was +returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and was come into Bethel, and +blessed him saying: Thou shalt no more be called Jacob but Israel shall +be thy name, and called him Israel, and said to him: I am God Almighty, +grow and multiply, folks and peoples of nations shall come of thee, +kings shall come of thy loins. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac +I shall give to thee and thy seed; and vanished from him. + +He then raised a stone for a remembrance in the place where God spake to +him, and anointed it with oil, calling the name of the place Bethel. He +went thence and came in veer time unto the land that goeth to Ephrath, +in which place Rachel bare a son. And the death drawing near, she named +him Benoni, which is as much to say as the son of my sorrow. The father +called him Benjamin, that is to say the son of the right hand. There +Rachel died and was buried in the way toward Ephrath, that is Bethlehem. +Jacob raised a title upon her tomb; this is the title of the monument of +Rachel unto this present day. Jacob went thence and came to Isaac his +father into Mamre the city of Arbah, that is Hebron, in which dwelled +Abraham and Isaac. And all the days of Isaac were complete, which were +an hundred and fourscore years, and he consumed and died in good mind, +and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him. + +Thus endeth the history of Isaac and his two sons Esau and Jacob. + + + + +HERE BEGINNETH THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN + +_Which is read the Third Sunday in Lent_ + + +Joseph when he was sixteen years old began to keep and feed the flock +with his brethren, he being yet a child, and was accompanied with the +sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, wives of his father. Joseph complained on his +brethren, and accused them to their father of the most evil sin. Israel +loved Joseph above all his sons for as much as he had gotten him in his +old age, and made for him a motley coat. His brethren then seeing that +he was beloved of his father more than they were, hated him and might +not speak to him a peaceable word. It happed on a time that Joseph +dreamed, and saw a sweven [dream], and told it to his brethren, which +caused them to hate him yet more. Joseph said to his brethren: Hear ye +my dream that I had; methought that we bound sheaves in the field, and +my sheaf stood up and yours standing round about and worshipped my +sheaf. His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king and shall we be +subject and obey thy commandment? Therefore this cause of dreams and of +these words ministered the more fume of hate and envy. Joseph saw +another sweven and told to his father and brethren: Methought I saw in +my sleep the sun, the moon, and eleven stars worship me. Which when his +father and his brethren had heard, the father blamed him, and said: What +may betoken this dream that thou sawest? Trowest thou that I, thy mother +and thy brethren, shall worship thee upon the earth? His brethren had +great envy hereat. + +The father thought and considered a thing secretly in himself. On a time +when his brethren kept their flocks of sheep in Shechem, Israel said to +Joseph: Thy brethren feed their sheep in Shechem, come and I shall send +thee to them, which answered: I am ready, and he said: Go and see if all +things be well and prosperous at thy brethren and beasts, and come again +and tell me what they do. He went from the vale of Hebron and came unto +Shechem. There a man found him erring in the field, and asked him what +he sought, and he answered: I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed +their flocks. The man said to him: They been departed from this place, I +heard them say Let us go in to Dothan. Which then when his brethren saw +him come from far, tofore he approached to them they thought to slay +him, and spake together saying: Lo! see the dreamer cometh. Come and let +us slay him and put him into this old cistern. And we shall say that +some wild evil beast hath devoured him, and then shall appear what his +dreams shall profit him. Reuben hearing this, thought for to deliver him +from their hands, and said: Let us not slay him ne shed his blood, but +keep your hands undefouled. This he said, willing to keep him from their +hands and render him again to his father. Anon then as he came they +took off his motley coat, and set him into an old cistern that had no +water. As they sat for to eat bread they saw Ishmaelites coming from +Gilead, and their camels bringing spices and raisins into Egypt. Then +said Judah to his brethren: What should it profit us if we slew our +brother and shed his blood? It is better that he be sold to Ishmaelites +and our hands be not defouled, he is our own brother and our flesh. His +brethren agreed to his words, and drew him out of the cistern, and sold +him to the Midianitish merchants passing forth by to Ishmaelites for +thirty pieces of silver, which led him into Egypt. At this time when he +was sold Reuben was not there, but was in another field with his beasts. +And when he returned and came unto the cistern and found not Joseph, he +tare his clothes for sorrow, and came to his brethren and said: The +child is not yonder, whither shall I go to seek him? He had supposed his +brethren had slain him in his absence. They told him what they had done, +and took his coat, and besprinkled it with the blood of a kid which they +slew, and sent it to their father saying: See whether this be the coat +of thy son or not, this we have found. Which anon as the father saw it +said: This is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath devoured him, some +beast hath eaten him; and rent his clothes and did on him a sackcloth, +bewailing and sorrowing his son a long time. All his sons gathered them, +together for to comfort their father and assuage his sorrow, but he +would take no comfort, but said: I shall descend to my son into hell for +to bewail him there. And thus, he abiding in sorrow, the Midianites +carried Joseph into Egypt, and sold him to Potiphar, eunuch of Pharaoh, +master of his knights. + +Thus was Joseph led into Egypt, and Potiphar, prince of the host of +Pharaoh, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of Ishmaelites. Our Lord +God was always with Joseph, and he was wise, ready, and prosperous in +all manner of things. He dwelled in his lord's house and pleased so well +his lord, that he stood in his grace that he made him upperest and above +all other, and betook him the rule and governance of all his house, +which well and wisely governed the household and all that he had charge +of. Our Lord blessed the house of Egypt for Joseph's sake, and +multiplied as well in beasts as in fields all his substance. Joseph was +fair of visage and well favored. + +After many days the lady, his master's wife, beheld and cast her eyes on +Joseph, and tempted him to sin. He refused that, and would not attend ne +listen to her words, ne would not consent to so sinful a work, and said +to her: Lo! hath not my lord delivered to me all that he hath in his +house? and he knoweth not what he hath, and there is nothing therein but +that it is in my power and at my commandment except thee, which art his +wife. How may I do this evil and sin to my lord? Such manner, or +semblable words, he said daily to her, and the woman was the more +desirous and grievous to the young man, and he always forsook and +refused the sin. And when the lady saw that she was refused, she cried +and called the men of the house and accused Joseph falsely. When the +lord heard this, anon he gave faith and believed his wife, and being +sore wroth, set Joseph in prison where the prisoners of the king were +kept and he was there fast set in. Our Lord God was with Joseph, and had +mercy on him, and made him in the favor and grace of the chief keeper of +the prison, in so much that he delivered to Joseph the keeping of all +the prisoners, and what he did was done, and the chief jailer was +pleased with all. Our Lord was with him and directed all his works. + +After this it fell so that two officers of the king's trespassed unto +their lord, wherefore he was wroth with them and commanded them to the +prison whereas Joseph was. That one of them was the butler, and that +other the baker; and the keeper betook them to Joseph to keep, and he +served them. After a while that they had been in prison they both saw on +one night a dream of which they were astoned and abashed, and when +Joseph was come in to serve them, and saw them heavy, he demanded them +why they were heavier than they were wont to be, which answered: We have +dreamed and there is none to interpret it to us. Joseph said to them: +Suppose ye that God may not give me grace to interpret it? Tell to me +what ye saw in your sleep. Then the butler told first and said: +Methought I saw a vine had three branches, and after they had flowered +the grapes were ripe, and then I took the cup of Pharaoh in my hand, and +took the grapes and wrang out of them wine into the cup that I held, +and presented it to Pharaoh to drink. Joseph answered: The three +branches be yet three days, after which Pharaoh shall remember thy +service and shall restore thee into thy foremost office and gree, for to +serve him as thou wert wont to do. Then I pray thee to remember me when +thou art at thine above, and be to me so merciful to sue unto Pharaoh +that he take me out of this prison, for I was stolen out of the land of +Hebrews and am innocently set here in prison. Then the master baker saw +that he had wisely interpreted the butler's dream; he said: Methought +that I had three baskets of meat upon my head, and in that one basket +that was highest methought I bare all the meat of the bakehouse and +birds came and ate of it. Joseph answered: This is the interpretation of +the dream; the three baskets be three days yet to come, after which +Pharaoh shall smite off thy head and shall hang thee on the cross, and +the birds shall tear thy flesh. And the third day after this Pharaoh +made a great feast unto his children, and remembered him, among the +meals, on the master butler and the master baker. He restored his butler +unto his office, and to serve him of the cup, and that other was hanged, +that the truth of the interpreter was believed and proved. +Notwithstanding the master butler in his wealth forgat Joseph his +interpreter. + +Two years after Pharaoh saw in his sleep a dream. Him thought he stood +upon the river, from which he saw seven oxen ascend to the land which +were fair and right fat, and were fed in a fat pasture; he saw other +seven come out of the river, poor and lean, and were fed in places +plenteous and burgeoning. These devoured the other that were so fat and +fair. Herewith he started out of his sleep, and after slept again, and +saw another dream. He saw seven ears of corn standing on one stalk, full +and fair of corns, and as many other ears void and smitten with drought, +which devoured the beauty of the first seven. In the morning Pharaoh +awoke and was greatly afeard of these dreams, and sent for all +conjectors and diviners of Egypt, and wise men; and when they were +gathered he told to them his dream, and there was none that could +interpret it. Then at last the master butler, remembering Joseph, said: +I knowledge my sin, on a time the king being wroth with his servants, +sent me and the master of the bakers into prison, where we in one night +dreamed both prodigies of things coming. And there was a child of the +Hebrews, servant to the jailer, to whom we told our dreams and he +expounded them to us and said what should happen; I am restored to mine +office and that other is hanged on the cross. + +Anon, by the king's commandment, Joseph was taken out of prison and +shaved, bathed, and changed his clothes, and brought tofore Pharaoh, to +whom he said: I saw a dream which I have showed unto wise men, and there +is none that can tell me the interpretation thereof. To whom Joseph +answered: God shall answer by me things prosperous to Pharaoh. Then +Pharaoh told to him his dreams, like as is tofore written, of the seven +fat oxen and seven lean, and how the lean devoured the fat, and in +likewise of the ears. Joseph answered: The king's dreams are one thing +which God hath showed to Pharaoh. The seven fat oxen and the seven ears +full, betoken seven years to come of great plenty and commodious, and +the seven lean oxen, and the seven void ears smitten with drought, +betoken seven years after them of great hunger and scarcity. Lo! there +shall come first seven years of great fertility and plenty in all the +land of Egypt, after whom shall follow other seven years of so great +sterility, barrenness, and scarcity, that the abundance of the first +shall be all forgotten. The great hunger of these latter years shall +consume all the plenty of the first years. The latter dream pertaineth +to the same, because God would that it should be fulfilled. Now +therefore let the king provide for a man that is wise and witty, that +may command and ordain provosts and officers in all places of the realm, +that they gather into garners and barns the fifth part of all the corn +and fruits that shall grow these first seven plenteous years that be to +come, and that all this wheat may be kept in barns and garners in towns +and villages, that it may be made ready against the coming of the seven +scarce years that shall oppress by hunger all Egypt, to the end that the +people be not enfamined. This counsel pleased much to Pharaoh and to all +his ministers. Then Pharaoh said to his servants: Where should we find +such a man as this is, which is fulfilled with the spirit of God? And +then he said to Joseph: Forasmuch as God hath showed to thee all that +thou hast spoken, trowest thou that we might find any wiser than thou +or like to thee? Thou shalt be upperest of my house, and to the +commandment of thy mouth all people shall obey. I only shall go tofore +thee and sit but one seat above thee. Yet said Pharaoh to Joseph: Lo! I +have ordained thee above and master upon all the land of Egypt. He took +a ring from his hand and gave it into his hand, and clad him with a +double stole furred with bise; and a golden collar he put about his +neck, and made him to ascend upon his chair; the second trumpet crying +that all men should kneel tofore him, and that they should know him +upperest provost of all the land of Egypt. Then said the king of Egypt +to Joseph: I am Pharaoh, without thy commandment shall no man move hand +nor foot in all the land of Egypt. He changed his name and called him in +the tongue of Egypt: The saviour of the world. He gave to him a wife +named Asenath, daughter of Poti-phera, priest of Eliopoleos. + +Joseph went forth then into the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years +old when he stood in the favor and grace of Pharaoh. And he went round +about all the region of Egypt. The plenteousness and fertility of the +seven years came, and sheaves and shocks of corn were brought in to the +barns; all the abundance of fruits was laid in every town. There was so +great plenty of wheat that it might be compared to the gravel of the +sea, and the plenty thereof exceedeth measure. Joseph had two sons by +his wife ere the famine and hunger came, which Asenath the priest's +daughter brought forth, of whom he called the name of the first +Manasseh, saying: God hath made me to forget all my labors, and the +house of my father hath forgotten me. He called the name of the second +son Ephraim, saying: God hath made me to grow in the land of my poverty. + +Then passed the seven years of plenty and fertility that were in Egypt, +and the seven years of scarcity and hunger began to come, which Joseph +had spoken of tofore, and hunger began to wax and grow in the universal +world; also in all the land of Egypt was hunger and scarcity. And when +the people hungered they cried to Pharaoh asking meat, to whom he +answered: Go ye to Joseph, and whatsoever he saith to you do ye. Daily +grew and increased the hunger in all the land. Then Joseph opened the +barns and garners, and sold corn to the Egyptians, for the hunger +oppressed them sore. All provinces came into Egypt for to buy meat to +them, and to eschew the hunger. + +Jacob, father unto Joseph, heard tell that corn and victuals were sold +in Egypt, and said to his sons: Why be ye negligent? I have heard say +that corn is sold in Egypt; go ye thither and buy for us that is +necessary and behoveful, that we may live, and consume not for need. +Then the ten brethren of Joseph descended into Egypt for to buy wheat, +and Benjamin was left at home with the father, because whatsoever happed +to the brethren in their journey. Then they entered into the land of +Egypt with others for to buy corn. There was great famine in the land of +Canaan, and Joseph was prince in the land of Egypt, also by his +commandment wheat was sold unto the people. Then when his brethren were +come and had adored and worshipped him, he anon knew them, and spake to +them, as to strangers, hard words, demanding them saying: Whence be ye? +Which answered: Of the land of Canaan, and come hither to buy that is +necessary for us. And though he knew his brethren, yet was he unknown of +them. He remembered the dreams that he sometime had seen, and told them +and said: Ye be spies and be come hither for to espy the weakest places +of this land, which said to him: It is not so, my lord, but we thy +servants be come for to buy victuals. We be all sons to one man, we come +peaceably, ne we thy servants think ne imagine none evil. To whom he +answered: It is all otherwise, ye be come for to espy and consider the +secretest places of this realm. Then they said: We are twelve brethren, +thy servants, sons of one man in the land of Canaan, the youngest is at +home with our father, and that other is dead. That is, said he, that I +said; ye be spies. Now I have of you the experience. I swear to you by +the health of Pharaoh ye shall not depart till that your youngest +brother come. Send ye one of you for him to bring him hither. Ye shall +abide in fetters in prison till the truth be proved whether the things +that ye have said be true or false, else, by the health of Pharaoh, ye +be spies. And delivered them to be kept three days. The third day they +were brought out of prison, to whom he said: I dread God, if ye be +peaceable as ye say, do as ye have said, and ye shall live. Let one +brother be bounden in prison, and go ye your way, and lead home the +wheat that ye have bought into your houses, and bring to me with you +your youngest brother, that I may prove your words, that ye die not. +They did as he said, and spake together: We be worthy and well deserved +to suffer this, for we have sinned in our brother, seeing his anguish +when he prayed us and we heard him not, therefore this tribulation is +fallen upon us. Of whom Reuben said: Said not I to you, in no wise sin +not ye in the child, and ye would not hear me? Now his blood is wroken. +They knew not that Joseph understood them, forasmuch as he spake alway +to them by an interpreter. Then Joseph turned him a little and wept. +After he returned to them, and took Simeon in their presence and bound +him, and sent him to prison, and commanded to his ministers to fill +their sacks with wheat, and to put each man's money in their sacks, and +above that to give them meat to spend in their way; which did so. And +they took their wheat and laid it on their asses and departed on their +way. After, one of them, on the way, opened his sack for to give his +beast meat, and found his money in the mouth of his sack and said to his +brethren: My money is given to me again, lo! I have found it in my sack. +And they were all astonied: What is this that God hath done to us? Then +they came home to their father in the land of Canaan and told to him all +things that was fallen to them, saying: The lord of the country hath +spoken hard to us and had supposed that we been spies of that province, +to whom we answered that, we were peaceable people ne were no such +spies, and that we were twelve sons gotten of one father, one is dead +and the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan. Which then +said to us: Now shall I prove whether ye be peaceable or no. Ye shall +leave here one brother with me, and lead home that is necessary for you, +and go your way and see that ye bring with you your youngest brother +that I may know that ye be none espies and that ye may receive this +brother that I hold in prison, and then forthon what that ye will buy ye +shall have license. And this said, each of them poured out the wheat, +and every man found his money bounden in the mouth of every sack. Then +said Jacob their father: Ye have made me without children. Joseph is +gone and lost, Simeon is bounden in prison, and Benjamin ye will take +away from me, on me come all these evils. To Reuben answered: Slay my +two sons if I bring him not again to thee; deliver him to me in my hand, +and I shall restore him again to thee. The father said: My son shall not +go with you, his brother is dead and he is left now alone, if any +adversity should hap to him in the way that ye go into, ye shall lead my +old hairs with sorrow to hell. + +In the meanwhile famine and hunger oppressed all the land greatly. And +when the corn that they brought from Egypt was consumed, Jacob said to +his sons: Return ye into Egypt and buy for us some meat, that we may +live. Judah answered: That man said to us, under swearing of great +oaths, that: Ye shall not see my face ne come into my presence, but if +ye bring your youngest brother with you. Therefore if thou wilt send him +with us, we shall go together and shall buy for us that shall be +necessary, and if thou wilt not we shall not go. The man said as we oft +have said to thee, that if we bring him not we shall not see his visage. +Israel said to them: This have ye done into my misery, that ye told to +him that ye had another brother. And they answered: The man demanded of +us by order our progeny, if our father lived, if we had any brother. And +we answered him consequently after that he demanded, we wist not what he +would say, ne that he said bring your brother with you. Send the child +with us that we may go forth and live, and that we ne our children die +not for hunger. I shall receive thy son, and require him of my hand. If +I lead him not thither and bring him again, I shall be guilty to thee of +the sin ever after. If there had been no delay of this, we had been +there and come again by this time. + +Then Israel their father said to them: If it be so necessary as ye say, +do ye as ye will; take with you of the best fruits of this land in your +vessels, and give ye and present to that man gifts, a little raisins, +and honey, storax, stacten, terebinthe, and dates, and bear with you +double money, and also the same money that ye found in your sacks, lest +there be any error therefore; and take with you Benjamin, your brother. +My God, that is almighty, make him pleasant unto you, and that ye may +return in safety with this your brother and him also that he holdeth in +prison; I shall be as a man barren therewhiles, without children. Then +the brethren took the gifts and double money and Benjamin, and went +forth into Egypt, and came and stood tofore Joseph; whom when he had +seen, and Benjamin, he commanded to the steward of his house that he +should do slay sheep and calves and make a feast, for these brethren +shall dine with me this day. He did as he was commanded and brought the +men unto his lord's house. + +Then were they all afeard and said softly together: Because of the money +that we had in our sacks we be brought in that he take us with the +default, and shall by violence bring us and our asses into servitude. +Wherefore they said to the steward of the house, in the gate of the +house ere they entered, saying: We pray thee to hear us: the last time +that we came to buy victual, which when we had bought and departed, and +were on our way, for to give our beasts meat we opened our sacks, and we +found in the mouth of our sacks our money that we had paid, which we now +bring again of the same weight, and we have more other for to buy to us +that shall be necessary. It is not in our conscience to have it, we weet +never who put it in our sacks. He answered to him: Peace be among you, +fear ye nothing, the God of your father hath given to you the treasure +that ye found in your sacks, for the money that ye paid to me I have it +ready. And then he brought in Simeon to them, and brought them into the +house, and washed their feet, and gave meat to their asses. They made +ready and ordained their gifts and presents against the coming of +Joseph. They heard say that they should dine and eat there. + +Then Joseph entered into the house, and they offered to him the gifts, +holding them in their hands, and worshipped him falling down to the +ground. And he debonairly saluted them and demanded them, saying: Is +your father in good health of whom ye told me, liveth he yet? They +answered: Thy servant our father is in good health and liveth yet, and +kneeled down and worshipped him. Then, said he, casting his eyes on his +brother Benjamin that was of one mother, and said: Is this your young +brother of whom ye told me? And also said, God be merciful to thee, my +son; he hied him from themward, for he was moved in all his spirits and +wept on his brother, and went into his bedchamber. After this he washed +his visage and came out making good countenance and commanded to set +bread on the board, and after that he set his brethren in order, each +after their age, and ate together, and Joseph sat and ate with the +Egyptians. For it was not lawful to the Egyptians to eat with the +Hebrews. And each of them were well served, but Benjamin had the best +part, and they ate and drank so much that they were drunken. + +Then Joseph commanded the steward of his house to fill their sacks with +wheat as much as they might receive, and the money of the wheat put it +into every man's sack, and take my cup of silver, and the money of the +youngest, and put that in his sack. And all this was done. And on the +morn betimes they were suffered to depart with their asses. And when +they were gone out of the town and a little on their way, then Joseph +said to his steward: Make thee ready and ride after, and say to them: +Why have ye done evil for good? The cup that my lord is accustomed to +drink in, ye have stolen, ye might not do a worse thing. He did as +Joseph had commanded and overtook them, and said to them all by order +like as he had charge, which answered: Why saith your lord so, and doth +to us his servants such letting? The money that we found in our sacks we +brought again to thee from the land of Canaan, and how may it follow +that we should steal any gold or silver from the house of thy lord? +Look! at whom it be found of us all thy servants, let him die. Which +said to them: Be it after your sentence, at whom that it ever be found +he shall be my servant and the others shall go free and be not guilty. +Then he hied and set down all their sacks, beginning at the oldest unto +the youngest, and at last found the cup in the mouth of the sack of +Benjamin. Then they all for sorrow cut and rent their clothes, and laded +their asses again, and returned all into the town again. Then Judah +entered first with his brethren unto Joseph and all they together fell +down platte to the ground. To whom Joseph said: Why have ye done thus? +Know not ye that there is no man like to me in the science of knowledge? +To whom Judah answered: What shall we answer to thee, my lord; or what +shall we speak or rightfully desire? God hath found and remembered the +iniquity of us thy servants, for we be all thy servants, yea, we and he +at whom the cup was found. Joseph answered: God forbid that I should so +do, whosoever stole the cup shall be my servant, and go ye your way, for +ye shall be free and go to your father. Then Judah approached near him +and spake with a hardy cheer to him and said: I beseech thee my lord to +hear me thy servant that I may say to thine audience a word, and that +thou wilt not be wroth to thy servant. Thou art next to Pharaoh; my +lord, thou demandedst first of us thy servants: Have ye a father or +brother? And we answered to thee, my lord: Our father is an old man and +we have a brother a young child which was born to him in his old age, +whose brother of the same mother is dead, and he is an only son whom the +father loveth tenderly. Thou saidst to us thy servants: Bring him hither +to me that I may see. We told to thee my lord for truth: our father may +not forego the child, if he forego him certainly he shall die. And thou +saidst to us, thy servants: But if ye bring him not with you, ye shall +no more see my visage. Then when we came to our father and told him all +these things, and our father bade us to return and buy more corn. To +whom we said: We may not go thither but if our youngest brother go with +us, for if he be absent we dare not approach, ne come to the presence of +the man; and he answered to us: Ye know well that my wife brought to me +forth but two sons, that one went out, and ye said that wild beasts had +devoured him, and yet I heard never of him ne he appeared not. If now +ye should take this my son and anything happened to him in the way ye +should bring my hoar hair with sorrow to hell. Therefore if I should +come home to my father and bring not the child with me, sith the soul +and health of my father dependeth of this child, and see that he is not +come with us, he shall die and we thy servants should lead his old age +with wailing and sorrow to hell. I myself shall be thy proper servant +which have received him upon my faith and have promised for him, saying +to my father: If I bring him not again I shall be guilty of the sin to +my father ever after. I shall abide and continue thy servant for the +child in the ministry and service of thee my lord. I may not depart, the +child being absent, lest I be witness of the sorrow that my father shall +take. Wherefore I beseech thee to suffer this child to go to his father +and receive me into thy service. Thus said Judah, with much more; as +Josephus, Antiquitatum, rehearseth more piteously, and saith moreover +that the cause why he did do hide the cup in Benjamin's sack, was to +know whether they loved Benjamin or hated him as they did him, what time +they sold him to the Ishmaelites. + +Then this request made, Joseph might no longer forbear, but commanded +them that stood by to withdraw them, and when all men were gone out sauf +he and his brethren, he began to say to them weeping: I am Joseph your +brother, liveth yet my father? The brethren were so afeard that they +could not speak ne answer to him. Then he debonairly said to them: Come +hither to me; and when they came near him he said: I am Joseph your +brother that ye sold into Egypt; be ye not afeard nor think not hard +unto you that ye sold me into these regions. God hath sent me tofore you +into Egypt for your health. It is two years since the famine began, and +yet been five years to come in which men may not ear, sow, ne reap. God +hath sent me tofore you that ye should be reserved on the earth, and +that ye may have meat to live by. It is not by your counsel that I was +sent hither, but by the will of God, which hath ordained me father of +Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and prince in all the land of Egypt. +Hie you, and go to my father, and say ye to him: This word sendeth thee +thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of the universal land of Egypt, +come to me lest thou die, and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen. +Thou shalt be next me, thou and thy sons and the sons of thy sons, and I +shall feed thy sheep, thy beasts and all that thou hast in possession. +Yet rest five year to come of famine, therefore come lest thou perish, +thy house, and all that thou owest. Lo! your eyes and the eyes of my +brother Benjamin see that my mouth speaketh these words to you. Show ye +to my father all my glory and all that ye have seen in Egypt. Hie ye and +bring him to me. This said, he embraced his brother Benjamin about his +neck and wept upon each of them. After this they durst better speak to +him. Anon it was told and known all about in the King's hall that +Joseph's brethren were come. And Pharaoh was joyful and glad thereof and +all his household. And Pharaoh said to Joseph that he should say to his +brethren: Lade ye your beasts and go into the land of Canaan, and bring +from thence your father and kindred, and come to me, and I shall give +you all the goods of Egypt, that ye may eat the marrow of the earth. +Command ye also that they take carriages of this land of Egypt, for the +carriage of their children and wives, and say to them: Take your father +and come as soon as ye may, and leave nothing behind you, for all the +best things shall be yours. The sons of Israel did as they were +commanded. To whom Joseph gave carriages after the commandment of +Pharaoh, and meat to eat by the way. He commanded to give to every each +two garments. To Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, with +five garments of the best, and also he sent clothing to his father, +adding to them ten asses which were laden with all riches of Egypt, and +as many asses laden and bearing bread and victual to spend by the way. +And thus he let his brethren depart from him saying: Be ye not wroth in +the way. Then they thus departing came into the land of Canaan to their +father, and showed all this to their father, and said: Joseph thy son +liveth and he lordeth in all the land of Egypt. + +When Jacob heard this he awoke as a man had been awaked suddenly out of +his sleep, yet nevertheless he believed them not, and they told to him +all the order of the matter. When he saw the carriage and all that he +had sent, his spirit revived and said: It sufficeth to me if Joseph my +son yet live, I shall go and see him ere I die. Then Israel went forth +with all that he had and came to the pit where tofore he had sworn to +God; and slew there beasts to make sacrifices to the God of Isaac his +father. He heard God by a vision that same night saying to him: Jacob, +Jacob, to whom he answered: I am here all ready. God said to him: I am +strongest God of thy father Isaac, dread thee not, but descend down into +Egypt. I shall make thee to grow there into great people. I shall +descend with thee thither, and I shall bring thee again when thou +returnest. Joseph soothly shall put his hands upon thine eyes. Jacob +then arose on the morn early, and his sons took him with their children +and wives and set them on the carriages that Pharaoh had sent to bring +him and all that he had into the land of Canaan. And so came into Egypt +with all his progeny, sons and children, etc. + +These be the names of the sons of Israel that entered with him into +Egypt. The first begotten Reuben with his children four. Simeon with his +seven sons. Levi with his three sons. Judah and his sons three. Issachar +and his four sons. Zebulon and his sons three. These were sons of Leah +that Jacob gat in Mesopotamia, and Dinah his daughter. All these sons +and daughters were thirty-three. Gad also entered with his children +seven. Asher with his children five and of his children's children two. +These were sons of Zilpah, in number sixteen. The sons of Rachel were +Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph had two sons in the land of Egypt by his +wife Asenath, Manasseh and Ephraim. The sons of Benjamin were ten. All +these children that came of Rachel were in number fourteen. Dan entered +with one son, and Naphtali with four sons. These were the children of +Bilhah; they were in number seven. All the souls that were issued of his +seed that entered into Egypt with him, without the wives of his sons, +were sixty-six. The sons of Joseph that were born in Egypt twain. Summa +of all the souls of the house of Jacob that entered into Egypt were in +all seventy. + +Jacob sent them tofore him Judah unto Joseph, to show to him his coming. +And he came to Joseph in Goshen, and anon Joseph ascended his chariot +and went for to meet his father, and when he saw him, he embraced him +meekly and wept. And his father received him joyously and embraced also +him. Then said the father to Joseph: Now shall I die joyously because I +have seen thy visage. Then said Joseph to his brethren and to all the +house of his father: I shall go and ascend to Pharaoh and shall say to +him, that my brethren and the house of my father that were in the land +of Canaan be come to me, and be men keeping sheep, and can the manner +well for to keep the flocks of sheep, and that they have brought with +them their beasts, and all that ever they had. When he shall call you +and ask you of what occupation ye be, ye shall say: We be shepherds, thy +servants, from our childhood unto now, and our fathers also. This shall +ye say that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen, for the Egyptians have +spite unto herdmen of sheep. Then Joseph entered tofore Pharaoh and said +to him: My father, my brethren, their sheep and beasts be come from the +land of Canaan, and be in the land of Goshen. And he brought five of his +brethren tofore the king, whom he demanded of what occupation they were +of. They answered: We be keepers of sheep, thy servants, we and our +fathers, we be come to dwell in thy land, for there is no grass for the +flocks of sheep of us thy servants, the famine is so great in the land +of Canaan. We beseech thee that thou command us thy servants to dwell in +the land of Goshen. Then said the king to Joseph: Thy father and thy +brethren be come to thee, the land of Egypt is at thy commandment, make +thou them to dwell in the best place, and deliver to them the land of +Goshen. And if thou know them for conning, ordain they to be masters of +my beasts. After this Joseph brought his father in, and made him stand +tofore the king which blessed him, and was demanded of the king how old +he was. He answered: The days of the pilgrimage of my life be an hundred +and thirty years, small and evil, and yet I am not come unto the days of +my fathers that they have lived. And he blessed the king and went out. +Then Joseph gave to his father and brethren possession in Egypt in the +best soil of Rameses like as Pharaoh had commanded, and there fed them, +giving to each of them victual. + +In all the world was scarcity of bread, and hunger and famine oppressed +specially and most, the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan. Of which +lands Joseph gat all the money for selling of wheat, and brought it into +the king's treasury. When all people lacked money, all Egypt came to +Joseph saying: Give us bread, why die we to the lacking money. To whom +he answered: Bring to me your beasts and I shall give you for them +victuals, if ye have no money: which when they brought, he gave to them +victuals and food for horses, sheep, oxen and asses, and sustained them +one year for changing of their beasts. Then came they again the second +year and said: We hide not from thee our lord that our money is failed +and also our beasts be gone, and there is nothing left but our bodies +and our land. Why then shall we die in thy sight? And we ourselves and +also our land shall be thine, buy us into bondship and servitude of the +king, and give us seed to sow lest the earth turn into wilderness. Then +Joseph bought all the land of Egypt, every man selling his possessions +for the vehement hunger that they had. He subdued all unto Pharaoh, and +all his people from the last terms of Egypt unto the utterest ends of +the same, except the land longing to the priests, which was given to +them by the king, to whom were given victuals openly out of all the +barns and garners, and therefore they were not compelled to sell their +possessions. Then said Joseph to all the peoples: Lo, now ye see and +know that Pharaoh oweth and is in possession of you and of your land. +Take to you seed and sow ye the fields that ye may have fruit. The fifth +part thereof ye shall give to the king and four parts I promise to you +to sow, and for meat to your servants and to your children. Which +answered: Our health is in thine hand, let our lord only behold us and +we shall gladly serve the king. From that time unto this present day, in +all the land of Egypt the fifth part is paid to the king; and it is +holden for a law, except the land longing to the priests which is free +from this condition. + +Then Israel dwelled in Egypt in the land of Goshen, and was in +possession thereof. He increased and multiplied greatly, and lived +therein seventeen years. And all the years of his life were an hundred +and seven and forty years. When he understood that the day of his death +approached, he called to him his son Joseph and said to him: If I may +find so much grace in thy sight, do to me so much mercy as thou promise +and swear that thou bury me not in Egypt, but that I may rest with my +fathers, and take and carry me from this land, and lay me in the +sepulchre of my forefathers. To whom Joseph answered: I shall do that +thou hast commanded. Then said he: Swear to me, and so he swore. And +then Israel adored and worshipped our Lord, and turned him toward his +bed's head. Then this done, anon after it was told to Joseph that his +father was sick and feeble; who anon took his sons Manasseh and Ephraim +and came to his father. Anon it was told to the father: Lo thy son +Joseph cometh to thee, which then was comforted, and sat up in his bed. +And Joseph entered in, and Jacob said: Almighty God appeared to me in +Luz which is in the land of Canaan, and he blessed me and said: I shall +increase thee and multiply thee into tourbes of peoples, I shall give to +thee this land and to thy seed after thee in sempiternal possession, +therefore thy two sons that be born to thee in this land of Egypt tofore +I came hither to thee, shall be my sons Ephraim and Manasseh, they shall +be reputed to me as Simeon and Reuben. The other that thou shalt get +after them shall be thine, and shall be called in the name of their +brethren in their possessions. Then he, seeing Joseph's sons, said to +him: Who be these children? Joseph answered: They be my sons which God +hath given to me in this place. Bring them hither, said he, to me that I +may bless them. Israel's eyes were dimmed and might not see clearly for +great age. He took them to him and kissed them and said to Joseph: I am +not defrauded from the sight of thee, and furthermore God hath showed to +me thy seed. Then when Joseph took them from his father's lap, he +worshipped him kneeling low to the earth, and set Ephraim on his right +side, and on the left side of Israel, and Manasseh on the right side of +his father Israel, which took his right hand and laid it on the head of +Ephraim the younger brother, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh +which was first born. Then Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph and said: +God, in whose sight walked my fathers Abraham and Isaac, God that hath +fed me from my youth unto this present day, the angel that hath kept me +from all evil bless these children, and my name be called on them, and +the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and grow they into multitude +upon earth. Then Joseph seeing that his father set his right hand upon +the head of Ephraim the younger brother took it heavily, and took his +father's hand and would have laid it on the head of Manasseh, and said +to his father; Nay father, it is not convenient, that ye do, this is the +first begotten son, set thy right hand on his head. Which renied that +and would not do so, but said: I wot, my son, I wot what I do, and this +son shall increase into peoples and multiply, but his younger brother +shall be greater than he, and his seed shall grow into gentiles, and +blessed them, saying that same time: In thee shall be blessed Israel, +and shall be said: God make thee like to Ephraim and Manasseh. And he +said to Joseph his son: Lo! now I die and God shall be with you, and +shall reduce and bring you again into the land of your fathers; and I +give to thee one part above thy brethren, which I gat and won from the +hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow. Then Jacob called his sons +tofore him and said to them: + +Gather ye altogether tofore me, that I may show to you things that be to +come, and hear your father Israel. And there he told to each of them his +condition singularly. And when he had blessed his twelve sons he +commanded them to bury him with his fathers in a double spelunke which +is in the field of Ephron the Hittite against Mamre in the land of +Canaan which Abraham bought. And this said he gathered to him his feet +and died. Which anon as Joseph saw, he fell on his visage and kissed +him. He commanded to his masters of physic and medicines, which were his +servants, that they should embalm the body of his father with sweet +spices aromatic; which was all done, and then went they sorrowing him +forty days. The Egyptians wailed him seventy days, and when the wailing +was past, Joseph did say to Pharaoh how he had sworn and promised to +bury him in the land of Canaan. To whom Pharaoh said: Go and bury thy +father like as thou hast sworn. Which then took his father's body and +went, and with him were accompanied all the aged men of Pharaoh's house, +and the noblest men of birth of all the land of Egypt, the house of +Joseph with his brethren, without the young children, flocks and beasts, +which they left in the land of Goshen. He had in his fellowship +chariots, carts and horsemen, and was a great tourbe and company, and +came over Jordan where as they hallowed the exequies by great wailing +seven days long. And when they of the country saw this plaint and +sorrowing they said: This is a great sorrow to the Egyptians. And that +same place is named yet the bewailing of Egypt. The children of Israel +did as they were commanded, and bare him into the land of Canaan, and +buried him in the double spelunke which Abraham had bought. Then when +Jacob the father was buried, Joseph with all his fellowship returned +into Egypt. Then his brethren after the death of their father spake +together privily, and dreading that Joseph would avenge the wrong and +evil that they had done to him, came to him and said: Thy father +commanded us ere he died that we should say thus to thee: We pray thee +that thou wilt forget, and not remember the sin and trespass of thy +brethren, ne the malice that they executed in thee. We beseech thee +that thou wilt forgive to thy father, servant of God, this wickedness. +Which when Joseph heard he wept bitterly, and his brethren came to him +kneeling low to the ground and worshipped him, and said, We be thy +servants. To whom he answered: Be ye nothing afeard ne dread you not, +ween ye that ye may resist God's will? Ye thought to have done to me +evil, but God hath turned it into good, and hath exalted me as ye see +and know, that he should save much people. Be ye nothing afeard, I shall +feed you and your children. And comforted them with fair words, and +spake friendly and joyously to them. And he abode and dwelled still in +Egypt with all the house of his father, and lived an hundred and ten +years, and saw the sons of Ephraim in to the third generation. After +these things he said to his brethren: After my death, God shall visit +you and shall do you depart from this land unto the land that he +promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When that time shall come, take +my bones and lead them with you from this place, and then died. Whose +body was embalmed with sweet spices and aromatics and laid in a chest in +Egypt. + + + + +HERE NEXT FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF MOSES + +_Which is read in-the Church on Mid-lent Sunday_ + + +These be the names of the children of Israel that entered into Egypt +with Jacob, and each entered with their household and meiny. Reuben, +Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, +and Asher; they were all in number that entered seventy. Joseph was +tofore in Egypt. And when he was dead and all his brethren and kindred, +the children of Israel grew and multiplied greatly, and filled the +earth. Then was there a new king upon Egypt which knew nothing of +Joseph, and said to his people: Lo! and see the people of Israel is +great, and stronger than we be, come and let us wisely oppress them, +lest they multiply and give us battle and fight with us and drive us out +of our land. Then he ordained provosts and masters over them to set them +awork and put them to affliction of burdens. They builded to Pharaoh two +towns, Pithom and Raamses. How much more they oppressed them, so much +the more they increased and multiplied. The Egyptians hated the children +of Israel and put them to affliction, scorning and having envy at them, +and oppressed bitterly their life with hard work and sore labors of +tile and clay, and grieved all them in such works. Then Pharaoh +commanded to his people saying: Whatsomever is born of males cast ye +into the river, and what of women keep ye them and let ye them live. + +After this was a man of the house of Levi went out and took a wife of +his kindred, which conceived and brought forth a son, and he saw him +elegant and fair, and hid him three months, and when he might no longer +hide him, took a little crib of rushes and wickers and pitched it with +glue and pitch, and put therein the child, and set it on the river, and +let it drive down in the stream, and the sister of the child standing +afar, considering what should fall thereof. And it happed that same +time, the daughter of king Pharaoh descended down to the river for to +wash her in the water, and her maidens went by the brink, which then, +when she saw the little crib or fiscelle she sent one of her maidens to +fetch and take it up, which so fetched and brought to her, and she saw +therein lying a fair child; and she having pity on it said: This is one +of the children of the Hebrews. To whom anon spake the sister of the +child: Wilt thou, said she, that I go and call thee a woman of the +Hebrews that shall and may nourish this child? She answered: Go thy way. +The maid went and called his mother, to whom Pharaoh's daughter said: +Take this child and nourish him to me, and I shall give to thee thy meed +and reward. The mother took her child and nourished it, and when it was +weaned and could go she delivered it to the daughter of king Pharaoh, +whom she received and adopted instead of a son and named him Moses, +saying that I took him out of the water. And he there grew and waxed a +pretty child. And as Josephus, Antiquitatum, saith: This daughter of +Pharaoh, which was named Termuthe, loved well Moses and reputed him as +her son by adoption, and on a day brought him to her father, who for his +beauty took him in his arms and made much of him, and set his diadem on +his head, wherein was his idol. And Moses anon took it, and cast it +under his feet and trod on it, wherefore the king was wroth, and +demanded of the great doctors and magicians what should fall of this +child. And they kalked on his nativity and said: This is he that shall +destroy thy reign and put it under foot, and shall rule and govern the +Hebrews. Wherefore the king anon decreed that he should be put to death. +But others said that Moses did it of childhood and ought not to die +therefore, and counselled to make thereof a proof, and so they did. + +They set tofore him a platter full of coals burning, and a platter full +of cherries, and bade him eat, and he took and put the hot coals in his +mouth and burned his tongue, which letted his speech ever after; and +thus he escaped the death. Josephus saith that when Pharaoh would have +slain him, Termuthe, his daughter, plucked him away and saved him. Then +on a time as Moses was full grown, he went to his brethren, and saw the +affliction of them, and a man of Egypt smiting one of the Hebrews, his +brethren. And he looked hither and thither and saw no man. He smote the +Egyptian and slew him and hid him in the sand. And another day he went +out and found two of the Hebrews brawling and fighting together; then he +said to him that did wrong: Why smitest thou thy neighbor? which +answered: Who hath ordained thee prince and judge upon us? wilt thou +slay me as thou slewest that other day an Egyptian? Moses was afeard and +said to himself: How is this deed known and made open? Pharaoh heard +hereof and sought Moses for to slay him, which then fled from his sight +and dwelled in the land of Midian, and sat there by a pit side. The +priest of Midian had seven daughters which came thither for to draw +water, and to fill the vessels for to give drink to the flocks of the +sheep of their father. Then came on them the herdmen and put them from +it. Then rose Moses and defended the maidens and let them water their +sheep, which then returned to their father Jethro. And he said to them: +Why come ye now earlier than ye were wont to do? They said that a man of +Egypt hath delivered us from the hand of the herdmen, and also he drew +water for us and gave to the sheep drink. Where is he, said he, why left +ye the man after you? go call him that he may eat some bread with us. +Then Moses sware that he would dwell with him. And he took Zipporah one +of his daughters aad wedded her to his wife, which conceived and bare +him a son whom he called Gershom, saying: I was a stranger in a strange +land. She brought to him forth another son whom he named Eleazar, +saying: The God of my father is my helper and hath kept me from the +hand of Pharaoh. + +Long time after this died the king of Egypt, and the children of Israel, +wailing, made great sorrow for the oppression of their labor, and cried +unto God for help. Their cry came unto God of their works, and God heard +their wailing, and remembered the promise he made with Abraham, Isaac, +and Jacob, and our Lord beheld the children of Israel and knew them. + +Moses fed the sheep of Jethro his wife's father. When he had brought the +sheep into the innermost part of the desert he came unto the mount of +God, Oreb. Our Lord appeared to him in flame of fire in the midst of a +bush, and he saw the fire in the bush, and the bush burned not. Then +said Moses, I shall go and see this great vision why the bush burneth +not. Our Lord then beholding that he went for to see it, called him, +being in the bush, and said: Moses, Moses, which answered: I am here. +Then said our Lord: Approach no nearer hitherward. Take off thy shoon +from thy feet, the place that thou standest on is holy ground. And said +also: I am God of thy fathers, God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and God +of Jacob. Moses then hid his face, and durst not look toward God. To +whom God said: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I +have heard their cry of the hardness that they suffer in their works, +and I knowing the sorrow of them am descended to deliver them from the +hand of the Egyptians, and shall lead them from this land into a good +land and spacious, into a land that floweth milk and honey, unto the +places of Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and +Jebusites. The cry of the children of Israel is come to me, I have seen +their affliction, how they be oppressed of the Egyptians. But come to me +and I shall send thee unto Pharaoh that thou shalt lead the children of +Israel out of Egypt. Then Moses said to him: Who am I that shall go to +Pharaoh and lead the children out of Egypt? To whom God said: I shall be +with thee, and this shall be the sign that I send thee. When thou shalt +have led out my people of Egypt, thou shalt offer to God upon this hill. +Moses said unto God: Lo! if I go to the children of Israel and say to +them: God of your fathers hath sent me to you; if they say: What is his +name? what shall I say? Our Lord said to Moses: I am that I am. He said: +Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: He that is, sent me to +you, and yet shalt thou say to them: The Lord God of your fathers, God +of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, hath appeared to me saying: +This is my name for evermore, and this is my memorial from generation to +generation. Go and gather together the seniors and aged men of Israel, +and say to them: The Lord God of your fathers hath appeared to me, God +of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, saying: Visiting I have +visited you, and have seen all that is fallen in Egypt, and I shall lead +you out of the affliction of Egypt into the land of Canaan, Ethei, etc., +unto the land flowing milk and honey, and they shall hear thy voice. +Thou shalt go and take with thee the seniors of Israel to the king of +Egypt, and shalt say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews hath called us; +we shall go the journey of three days in wilderness that we may offer to +our Lord God. But I know well that the king of Egypt shall not suffer +you to go but by strong hand. I shall stretch out my hand and shall +smite Egypt in all my marvels that I shall do amid among them. After +that he shall let you go. I shall then give my grace to this people +tofore the Egyptians, and when ye shall go out ye shall not depart void, +nor with nought, but every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of +her hostess, vessels of silver and of gold, and clothes, and them shall +ye lay on your sons, and on your daughters, and ye shall rob Egypt. Then +Moses answered and said: They shall not believe me ne hear my voice, but +shall say: God hath not appeared to thee. + +God said then to him: What is that thou holdest in thine hand? He +answered: A rod. Our Lord said: Cast it on the ground. He threw it down +and it turned into a serpent, whereof Moses was afeard and would have +fled. Our Lord said to him: Put forth thy hand and hold him by the tail; +he stretched forth his hand and held him, and it turned again into a +rod. To this, that they believe thee, that I have appeared to thee. And +yet our Lord said to him: Put thy hand into thy bosom, which, when he +hath put in, and drawn out again, it was like a leper's hand. Our Lord +bade him to withdraw it into his bosom again, and he drew it out and it +was then like that other flesh. If they hear not thee, and believe by +the first sign and token, they shall believe thee by the second. If they +believe none of the two ne hear thy voice, then take water of the river +and pour on the dry ground, and whatsoever thou takest and drawest shall +turn into blood. Then Moses said: I pray the Lord send some other, for I +am not eloquent, but have a letting in my speech. Our Lord said to him: +Who made the mouth of a man, or who hath made a man dumb or deaf, seeing +or blind, not I? Go, therefore, I shall be in thy mouth and shall teach +thee what thou shalt say. Then said Moses: I beseech thee Lord, said he, +send some other whom thou wilt. Our Lord was wroth on Moses and said: +Aaron thy brother deacon, I know that he is eloquent, lo! he shall come +and meet with thee, and seeing thee he shall be glad in his heart. Speak +thou to him and put my words in his mouth, and I shall be in thy mouth +and in his mouth, and I shall show to you what ye ought to do, and he +shall speak for the people, and shall be thy mouth, and thou shalt be in +such things as pertain to God. Take with thee this rod in thine hand, by +which thou shalt do signs and marvels. Then Moses went to Jethro his +wife's father, and said to him, I shall go and return to my brethren +into Egypt, and see if they yet live. To whom Jethro said: Go in God's +name and place. Then said our Lord to Moses: Go and return into Egypt, +all they be now dead that sought for to slay thee. Then Moses took his +wife and his sons and set them upon an ass and returned in to Egypt, +bearing the rod of God in his hand. Then our Lord said to Aaron: Go +against Moses and meet with him in desert; which went for to meet with +him unto the mount of God, and there kissed him. + +And Moses told unto Aaron all that our Lord had said to him for which he +sent him, and all the tokens and signs that he bade him do. They came +both together and gathered and assembled all the seniors and aged men of +the children of Israel. And Aaron told to them all that God had said to +Moses, and made the signs and tokens tofore the people and the people +believed it. They heard well that our Lord had visited the children of +Israel, and that he had beholden the affliction of them, wherefore they +fell down low to the ground and worshipped our Lord. + +After this Moses and Aaron went unto Pharaoh and said: This saith the +Lord God of Israel: Suffer my people to depart that they may sacrifice +to me in desert. Then said Pharaoh: Who is that Lord that I may hear his +voice and leave Israel? I know not that Lord, nor I will not leave +Israel. They said to him: God of the Hebrews hath called us that we go +the journey of three days in the wilderness and sacrifice unto our Lord +God, lest peradventure pestilence or war fall to us. The king of Egypt +said to them: Why solicit ye, Moses and Aaron, the people from their +works and labor? Go ye unto your work. Pharaoh also said: The people is +much, see how they grow and multiply, and yet much more shall do if they +rested from their labor. Therefore he commanded the same day to the +prefects and masters of their works saying: In no wise give no more +chaff to the people for to make loam and clay, but let them go and +gather stubble, and make them do as much labor as they did tofore, and +lessen it nothing. They do now but cry: Let us go and make sacrifice to +our God, let them be oppressed by labor and exercised that they attend +not to leasings. Then the prefects and masters of their work said to +them that Pharaoh had commanded to give them no chaff, but they should +go and gather such as they might find, and that their work should not +therefore be minished. Then the children were disperpled for to gather +chaff, and their masters awaited on them and bade them: Make an end of +your work as ye were wont to do when that chaff was delivered to you. +And thus they were put to more affliction, and would make them to make +as many tiles as they did tofore. Then the upperest of the children of +Israel came to Pharaoh and complained saying: Why puttest thou thy +servants to such affliction? He said to them: Ye be so idle that ye say +ye will go and sacrifice to your God; ye shall have no chaff given to +you, yet ye shall work your customable work and gather your chaff also. + +Then the eldest and the upperest among the Hebrews went to Moses and +Aaron and said: What have ye done? ye have so done that ye have made our +odor to stink in the sight of Pharaoh, and have encouraged him to slay +us. Then Moses counselled with our Lord how he should do, and said: +Lord, why hast thou sent me hither? For, sith I have spoken to Pharaoh +in thy name, he hath put thy people to more affliction than they had +tofore, and thou hast not delivered them. Our Lord said to Moses: Now +thou shalt see what I shall do to Pharaoh. By strong hand he shall let +you go, and in a boistous he shall cast you from his land. + +Yet said our Lord to Moses: I am the Lord God that appeared to Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob in my might, and my name is Adonai, I showed to them +not that. I promised and made covenant with them that I should give to +them the land of Canaan in which they dwelled. I now have heard the +wailing and the tribulations that the Egyptians oppress them with, for +which I shall deliver and bring them from the servitude of the +Egyptians. Moses told all these things to the children of Israel, and +they believed him not for the anguish of their spirits that they were +in, and hard labor. Then said our Lord to Moses: Go and enter in to +Pharaoh and bid him deliver my people of Israel out of his land. Moses +answered: How should Pharaoh hear me when the children of Israel believe +me not? Then our Lord said to Moses and Aaron that they both should go +to Pharaoh and give him in commandment to let the children of Israel to +depart. And he said to Moses: Lo! I have ordained thee to be God of +Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt say to +him all that I say to thee, and he shall say to Pharaoh that he suffer +the children of Israel to depart from his land. But I shall enhard his +heart, and shall multiply my signs and tokens in the land of Egypt, and +he shall not hear ne believe you. And I shall lead the children of +Israel my people. And shall show mine hand, and such wonders on Egypt, +that Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. Moses and Aaron did as our +Lord commanded them. Moses was eighty years old when he came and stood +tofore Pharaoh, and Aaron eighty-three years when they spake to Pharaoh. +Then when they were tofore Pharaoh, Aaron cast the rod down, tofore +Pharaoh, and anon the rod turned into a serpent. Then Pharaoh called his +magicians and jugglers and bade them do the same. And they made their +witchcraft and invocations and cast down their rods, which turned in +likewise into serpents, but the rod of Aaron devoured their rods. Yet +was the heart of Pharaoh hard and so indurate that he would not do as +God bade. Then said our Lord to Moses: The heart of Pharaoh is grieved +and will not deliver my people. Go to him to-morn in the morning and he +shall come out, and thou shalt stand when he cometh on the bank of the +river, and take in thine hand the rod that was turned into the serpent, +and say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews sendeth me to thee saying: +Deliver my people that they may offer and make sacrifice to me in +desert, yet thou hast no will to hear me. Therefore our Lord said: In +this shalt thou know that I am the Lord: Lo! I shall smite with the rod +that is in my hand the water of the flood, and it shall turn into blood; +the fishes that be in the water shall die, and the Egyptians shall be +put to affliction drinking of it. Then said our Lord to Moses: Say thou +to Aaron: Take this rod and stretch thine hand upon all the waters of +Egypt, upon the floods, rivers, ponds, and upon all the lakes where any +water is, in that they turn to blood, that it may be a vengeance in all +the land of Egypt, as well in treen vessels as in vessels of earth and +stone. + +Moses and Aaron did as God had commanded them, and smote the flood with +the rod tofore Pharaoh and his servants, which turned into blood, and +the fishes that were in the river died, and the water was corrupt. And +the Egyptians might not drink the water, and all the water of Egypt was +turned into blood. And in likewise did the enchanters with their +witchcraft, and the heart of Pharaoh was so indurate that he would not +let the people depart as our Lord had commanded, but he returned home +for this time. The Egyptians went and dolven pits for water all about by +the river, and they found no water to drink but all was blood. And this +plague endured seven days, and whatsomever water the children of Israel +took in this while was fair and good water. This was the first plague +and vengeance. The second was that God sent frogs so many, that all the +land was full, the rivers, the houses, chambers, beds, that they were +woebegone, and these frogs entered into their meat, so many that they +covered all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh prayed Moses and Aaron that +God would take away these frogs, and that he would go suffer the people +to do sacrifice; and then Moses asked when he would deliver them if the +frogs were voided, and Pharaoh said: In the morn. And then Moses prayed, +and they voided all. And when Pharaoh saw that he was quit of them, he +kept not his promise and would not let them depart. The third vengeance +that God sent to them was a great multitude of hungry horse-flies, as +many as the dust of the earth, which were on men, and bit them and +beasts. And then enchanters said then to Pharaoh: This is the finger of +God. Yet would not Pharaoh let them depart. The fourth vengeance was +that God sent all manner kind of flies and lice in such wise that the +universal land of Egypt was full of all manner flies and lice, but in +the land of Goshen were none. Yet was he so indurate that he would not +let them go, but would that they should make their sacrifice to God in +that land. But Moses would not so, but would go three days' journey in +desert, and sacrifice to God there. Pharaoh said: I will that ye go into +desert, but not far, and come soon again, and pray ye for me. And Moses +prayed for him to our Lord, and the flies voided that there was not one +left. And when they were gone Pharaoh would not keep his promise. Then +the fifth plague was that God showed his hand upon the fields and upon +the horses, asses, camels, sheep and oxen, and was a great pestilence on +all the beasts. And God showed a wonder miracle between the possessions +of the Egyptians and the possessions of his people of Israel, for of the +beasts of the children of Israel there was not one that perished. Yet +was Pharaoh so hard-hearted that he would not suffer the people to +depart. The sixth plague was that Moses took ashes out of the chimney +and cast on the land. And anon all the people of Egypt, as well men as +beasts, were full of blotches, boils, and blains and wounds, and +swellings in such wise that the enchanters could ne might not stand for +pain tofore Pharaoh. Yet would not Pharaoh hear them, nor do as God had +commanded. The seventh plague was a hail so great that there was never +none like tofore, and thunder and fire that it destroyed all the grass +and herbs of Egypt and smote down all that was in the field, men and +beasts. But in the land of Goshen was none heard ne harm done. Yet would +not Pharaoh deliver them. The eighth our Lord sent to them locusts, +which is a manner great fly, called in some place an adder-bolte, which +bit them and ate up all the corn and herbs that was left, in such wise +that the people came to Pharaoh and desired him to deliver, saying that +the land perished. Then Pharaoh gave to the men license to go and make +their sacrifice, and leave their wives and children there still, till +they came again, but Moses and Aaron said they must go all, wherefore he +would not let them depart. The ninth plague and vengeance was that God +sent so great darkness upon all the land of Egypt that the darkness was +so great and horrible that they were palpable, and it endured three days +and three nights. Wheresoever the children of Israel went it was light. + +Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said to them: Go ye and make +your sacrifice unto your Lord God, and let your sheep and beasts only +abide. To whom Moses said: We shall take with us such hosties and +sacrifices as we shall offer to our Lord God. All our flocks and beasts +shall go with us, there shall not remain as much as a nail that shall be +necessary in the honor of our Lord God, for we know not what we shall +offer till we come to the place. Pharaoh was so indurate and +hard-hearted that he would not let them go, and bade Moses that he +should no more come in his sight. For when thou comest thou shalt die. +Moses answered: Be it as thou hast said: I shall no more come to thy +presence. And then our Lord said to Moses: There resteth now but one +plague and vengeance, and after that he shall let you go. But first say +to all the people that every man borrow of his friend, and woman of her +neighbor, vessels of gold and silver, and clothes; our Lord shall give +to his people grace and favor to borrow of the Egyptians; and then gave +to them a commandment how they should depart. And our Lord said to +Moses: At midnight I shall enter into Egypt and the first-begotten child +and heir of all Egypt shall die, from the first-begotten son of Pharaoh +that sitteth in his throne unto the first-begotten son of the handmaid +that sitteth at the mill, and all the first-begotten of the beasts. +There shall be a great cry and clamor in all the land of Egypt in such +wise that there was never none like, ne never shall be after, and among +all the children there shall not an hound be hurt, ne woman, ne beast, +whereby ye shall know by what miracle God divideth the Egyptian and +Israel. Moses and Aaron showed all these signs and plagues tofore +Pharaoh, and his heart was so indurate that he would not let them +depart. Then when Moses had said to the children how they should do, +they departed, and ate their paschal lamb, and all other ceremonies as +be expressed in the Bible, for a law to endure ever among them, which +the children of Israel obeyed and accomplished, it was so that at +midnight our Lord smote and slew every first-begotten son throughout all +the land of Egypt, beginning at the first son and heir of Pharaoh unto +the son of the caitiff that lay in prison, and also the first-begotten +of the beasts. Pharaoh arose in the night and all his servants and all +Egypt, and there was a great clamor and sorrowful noise and cry, for +there was not a house in all Egypt but there lay therein one that was +dead. Then Pharaoh did do call Moses and Aaron in the night, and said: +Arise ye and go your way from my people, ye and the children of Israel, +as ye say ye will, take your sheep and beasts with you like as ye +desired, and at your departing bless ye me. The Egyptians constrained +the children to depart and go their way hastily, saying: We all shall +die. The children of Israel took their meal, and put it on their +shoulders as they were commanded, and borrowed vessels of silver and of +gold, and much clothing. Our Lord gave to them such favor tofore the +Egyptians that the Egyptians lent to them all that they desired, and +they spoiled and robbed Egypt. + +And so the children of Israel departed, nigh the number of six hundred +thousand footmen, besides women and children which were innumerable, and +an huge great multitude of beasts of divers kinds. The time that the +children of Israel had dwelt in Egypt was four hundred years. And so +they departed out of Egypt, and went not the right way by the +Philistines, but our Lord led them by the way of desert which is by the +Red Sea. And the children descended out of Egypt armed. Moses took with +him the bones of Joseph for he charged them so to do when he died. They +went in the extreme ends of the wilderness, and our Lord went tofore +them by day in a column of a cloud, and by night in a column of fire and +was their leader and duke; the pillar of the cloud failed never by day, +nor the pillar of fire by night tofore the people. Our Lord said to +Moses, I shall make his heart so hard that he shall follow and pursue +you, and I shall be glorified in Pharaoh, and in all his host, the +Egyptians shall know that I am Lord. And anon it was told to Pharaoh +that the children of Israel fled, and anon his heart was changed, and +also the heart of his servants, and said: What shall we do, shall we +suffer the children to depart and no more to serve us? Forthwith he took +his chariot and all his people with him. He took with him six hundred +chosen chariots, and all the chariots and wains of Egypt, and the dukes +of all his hosts and he pursued the children of Israel and followed them +in great pride. And when he approached, that the children of Israel saw +him come, they were sore afraid and cried to our Lord God, and said to +Moses: Was there not sepulchre enough for us in Egypt but that we must +now die in wilderness? Said we not to thee: Go from us and let us serve +the Egyptians: It had been much better for us to have served the +Egyptians than to die here in wilderness. And Moses said to the people: +Be ye not afraid, stand and see ye the great wonders that our Lord shall +do for you this day. The Egyptians that ye now see, ye shall never see +them after this day. God shall fight for you, and be ye still. Our Lord +said then to Moses: What criest thou to me? Say to the children of +Israel that they go forth. Take thou and raise the rod, and stretch thy +hand upon the sea, and depart it that the children of Israel may go dry +through the middle of it. I shall so indurate the heart of Pharaoh that +he shall follow you, and all the Egyptians, and I shall be glorified in +Pharaoh, and in all his host, his carts and horsemen. And the Egyptians +shall know that I am Lord when I shall so be glorified. The angel of God +went tofore the castles of Israel, and another came after in the cloud +which stood between them of Egypt and the children of Israel. And the +cloud was dark that the host of Israel might not come to them of all the +night. Then Moses stretched his hand upon the sea, and there came a wind +blowing in such wise that it waxed dry, and the children of Israel went +in through the midst of the Red Sea all dry foot; for the water stood up +as a wall on the right side and on the left side. The Egyptians then +pursuing them followed and entered after them, and all the carts, +chariots and horsemen, through the middle of the sea. And then our Lord +beheld that the children of Israel were passed over and were on the dry +land, on that other side. Anon turned the water on them, and the wheels +on their carts turned up so down, and drowned all the host of Pharaoh, +and sank down into the deep of the sea. Then said the Egyptians: Let us +flee Israel; the Lord fighteth for them against us. And our Lord said to +Moses: Stretch out thine hand upon the sea, and let the water return +upon the Egyptians, and upon their chariots and horsemen. And so Moses +stretched out his hand and the sea returned in to his first place. And +then the Egyptians would have fled, but the water came and overflowed +them in the midst of the flood, and it covered the chariots and +horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh, and there was not one saved of +them. And the children of Israel had passed through the middle of the +dry sea and came a-land. + +Thus delivered our Lord the children of Israel from the hand of the +Egyptians, and they saw the Egyptians lying dead upon the brinks of the +sea. And the people then dreaded our Lord and believed in him, and to +Moses his servant. Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song +to our Lord: Cantemus domino magnificatus est, Let us sing to our Lord, +he is magnified, he hath overthrown the horsemen and carmen in the sea. +And Miriam the sister of Aaron, a prophetess, took a timpane in her +hand, and all the women followed her with timpanes and chords, and she +went tofore singing Cantemus domino. Then Moses brought the children of +Israel from the sea into the desert of Sur, and walked with them three +days and three nights and found no water, and came into Marah, and the +waters there were so bitter that they might not drink thereof. Then the +people grudged against Moses, saying: What shall we drink? And he cried +unto our Lord which showed to him a tree which he took and put into the +waters, and anon they were turned into sweetness. There our Lord +ordained commandments and judgments, and there he tempted him saying: If +thou hearest the voice of thy Lord-God, and that thou do is rightful +before him, and obeyest his commandments, and keep his precepts, I shall +not bring none of the languors ne sorrows upon thee that I did in Egypt. +I am Lord thy saviour. Then the children of Israel came in to Elim, +where as were twelve fountains of water, and seventy palm trees, and +they abode by the waters. Then from thence went all the multitude of the +children of Israel into the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and +Sinai, and grudged against Moses and Aaron in that wilderness, and said: +Would God we had dwelled still in Egypt, whereas we sat and had plenty +of bread and flesh; why have ye brought us into the desert for to slay +all this multitude by hunger? Our Lord said then to Moses: I shall rain +bread to you from heaven, let the people go out and gather every day +that I may prove them whether they walk in my law or not; the sixth day +let them gather double as much as they gather in one day of the other. +Then said Moses and Aaron to all the children of Israel: At even ye +shall know that God hath brought you from the land of Egypt, and to-morn +ye shall see the glory of our Lord. I have well heard your murmur +against our Lord, what have ye mused against us? what be we? and yet +said Moses; Our Lord shall give you at even flesh for to eat and to-morn +bread unto your fill, for as much as ye have murmured against him; what +be we? Your murmur is not against us but against our Lord. As Aaron +spake to all the company of the children of Israel they beheld toward +the wilderness, and our Lord spake to Moses in a cloud and said: I have +heard the grudgings of the children of Israel; say to them: At even ye +shall eat flesh and to-morn ye shall be filled with bread, and ye shall +know that I am your Lord God. And when the even was come there came so +many curlews that it covered all their lodgings, and on the morn there +lay like dew all about in their circuit. Which when they saw and came +for to gather, it was small and white like to coriander. And they +wondered on it and said: Mahun, that is as much to say, what is this? To +whom Moses said: This is the bread that God hath sent you to eat, and +God commandeth that every man should gather as much for every head as is +the measure of gomor, and let nothing be left till on the morn. And the +sixth day gather ye double so much, that is two measures of gomor, and +keep that one measure for the Sabbath, which God hath sanctified and +commanded you to hallow it. Yet some of them brake God's commandment, +and gathered more than they ate and kept it till on the morn, and then +it began to putrify and be full of worms. And that they kept for the +Sabbath day was good and putrified not. And thus our Lord fed the +children of Israel forty years in the desert. And it was called Manna. +Moses took one gomor thereof and put it in the tabernacle for to be kept +for a perpetual memory and remembrance. + +Then went they forth all the multitude of the children of Israel, in the +desert of Sin in their mansions and came, to Rephidim, where as they had +no water. Then all grudging they said to Moses, Give us water for to +drink. To whom Moses answered: What grudge ye against me, why tempt ye +our Lord? The people thirsted sore for lack and penury of water saying: +Why hast thou brought us out of Egypt for to slay us and our children +and beasts? Then Moses cried unto our Lord saying: What shall I do to +this people? I trow within a while they shall stone me to death. Then +our Lord said to Moses: Go before the people and take with thee the +older men and seniors of Israel, and take the rod that thou smotest with +the flood in thy hand, and I shall stand tofore upon the stone of Oreb, +and smite thou the stone with the rod and the waters shall come out +thereof that the people may drink. Moses did so tofore the seniors of +Israel and called that place Temptation, because of the grudge of the +children of Israel, and said: Is God with us or not? Then came Amalek +and fought against the children of Israel in Rephidim. Moses said then +to Joshua: Choose to thee men, and go out and fight against Amalek +to-morrow. I shall stand on the top of the hill having the rod of God in +my hand: Joshua did as Moses commanded him, and fought against Amalek. +Moses, Aaron, and Hur ascended into the hill, and when Moses held up +his hands, Israel won and overcame their enemies, and when he laid them +down then Amalek had the better. The hands of Moses were heavy; Aaron +and Hur took then a stone and put it under them, and they sustained his +hands on either side, and so his hands were not weary until the going +down of the sun. And so Joshua made Amalek to flee, and his people, by +strength of his sword. Our Lord said to Moses: Write this for a +remembrance in a book and deliver it to the ears of Joshua; I shall +destroy and put away the memory of Amalek under heaven. Moses then +edified an altar unto our Lord, and called there on the name of our +Lord, saying: The Lord is mine exaltation, for this is the hand only of +God, and the battle and God shall be against Amalek from generation to +generation. + +When Jethro the priest of Midian, which was cousin of Moses, heard say +what our Lord had done to Moses and to the children of Israel his +people, he took Zipporah the wife of Moses, and his two sons, Gershom +and Eleazar and came with them to him into desert, whom Moses received +with worship and kissed him. And when they were together Moses told him +all what our Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel, +and all the labor that they endured and how our Lord had delivered them. +Jethro was glad for all these things, that God had so saved them from +the hands of the Egyptians and said: Blessed be the Lord that hath +delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and hath +saved his people; now I know that he is a great Lord above all gods, +because they did so proudly against them. And Jethro offered sacrifices +and offerings to our Lord. Aaron and all the seniors of Israel came and +eat with him tofore our Lord. The next day Moses sat and judged and +deemed the people from morning unto evening, which, when his cousin saw, +he said to him: What doest thou? Why sittest thou alone and all the +people tarry from the morning until evening? To whom Moses answered: The +people came to me demanding sentence and the doom of God; when there is +any debate or difference among them they come to me to judge them, and +to show to them the precepts and the laws of God. Then said Jethro: Thou +dost not well nor wisely, for by folly thou consumest thy self, and the +people with thee; thou dost above thy might, thou mayst not alone +sustain it, but hear me and do there after, and our Lord shall be with +thee. Be thou unto the people in those things that appertain to God, +that thou tell to them what they should do, and the ceremonies and rites +to worship God, and the way by which they should go, and what work they +shall do. Provide of all people wise men and dreading God, in whom is +truth, and them that hate avarice and covetise, and ordain of them +tribunes and centurions and deans that may in all times judge the +people. And if there be of a great charge and weight, let it be referred +to thee, and let them judge the small things; it shall be the easier to +thee to bear the charge when it is so parted. If thou do so, thou shalt +fulfil the commandment of God, and sustain his precepts, and the people +shall go home to their places in peace. Which things when Moses had +heard and understood, he did all that he had counselled him, and chose +out the strongest and wisest people of all Israel and ordained them +princes of the people, tribunes, centurions, quinquagenaries, and deans, +which at all times should judge and deem the people. And all the great +and weighty matters they referred to him, deeming and judging the small +causes. And then his cousin departed and went into his country. + +The third month after the children of Israel departed out of Egypt, that +same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai, and there about the +region of the mount they fixed their tents. Moses ascended into the hill +unto God. God called him on the hill and said: This shalt thou say to +the house of Jacob and to the children of Israel. Ye yourselves have +seen what I have done to the Egyptians, and how I have borne you on the +wings of eagles and have taken you to me. If ye therefore hear my voice +and keep my covenant, ye shall be to me in the reign of priesthood and +holy people. These be the words that thou shalt say to the children of +Israel. Moses came down and gathered all the most of birth, and +expounded in them all the words that our Lord had commanded him. All the +people answered: All that ever our Lord hath said we shall do, + +When Moses had showed the people the words of our Lord, our Lord said to +him: Now I shall come to thee in a cloud that the people may hear me +speaking to thee, that they believe thee ever after. Moses went and told +this to the people, and our Lord bade them to sanctify the people this +day and to-morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready the +third day. The third day our Lord shall descend tofore all the people on +the mount of Sinai. And ordain to the people the marks and terms in the +circuit. And say to them: Beware that ye ascend not on the hill ne touch +the ends of it. Whosoever touched the hill shall die by death, there +shall no hand touch him, but with stones he shall be oppressed and with +casting of them on him he shall be tolben; whether it be man or beast, +he shall not live. When thou hearest the trump blown then ascend to the +hill. Moses went down to the people and sanctified and hallowed them, +and when they had washen their clothes he said to them: Be ye ready at +the third day and approach not your wives; When the third day came, and +the morning waxed clear, they heard thunder and lightning and saw a +great cloud cover the mount, and the cry of the trump was so shrill that +the people were sore afraid. When Moses had brought them forth unto the +root of the hill they stood there. All the mount of Sinai smoked, for so +much as our Lord descended on it in fire, and the smoke ascended from +the hill as it had been from a furnace. The mount was terrible and +dreadful, and the sound of the trump grew a little more and continued +longer. Moses spake and our Lord answered him. Our Lord descended upon +the top of the mount of Sinai, even on the top of it, and called Moses +to him, which when he came said to him: Go down and charge the people +that they come not to the terms of the hill for to see the Lord, for if +they do, much multitude shall perish of them. The priests that shall +come let them be sanctified lest they be smitten down. And thou and +Aaron shall ascend the hill. All the people and priests let them not +pass their bounds lest God smite them. Then Moses descended and told to +the people all that our Lord hath said. After this our Lord called Moses +and said: I am the Lord God that brought you out of Egypt and of +thraldom. And gave him the Commandment first by speaking and many +ceremonies as be rehearsed in the Bible, which is not requisite to be +written here, but the ten commandments every man is bounden to know. And +ere Moses received them written, he went up into the mount of Sinai, and +fasted there forty days and forty nights ere he received them. In which +time he commanded him to make many things, and to ordain the laws and +ceremonies which now be not had in the new law. And also as doctors say, +Moses learned that time all the histories tofore written of the making +of heaven and earth, of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and of Joseph +with his brethren. And at last delivered to him two tables of stone, +both written with the hand of God, which follow. + + +The first commandment that God commanded is this. Thou shalt not worship +no strange ne diverse gods. + +The second commandment is this, that thou shalt not take the name of +God in vain, that is to say, thou shalt not swear by him for nothing. + +The third commandment is that thou have mind and remember that thou +hallow and keep holy thy Sabbath day or Sunday. These three commandments +be written in the first table and appertain only to God. + +The fourth commandment is that thou shalt honor and worship thy father +and mother, for thou shalt live the longer on earth. + +The fifth commandment is that thou shalt slay no man. + +The sixth commandment is, thou shalt not do adultery. + +The seventh commandment is that thou shalt do no theft. + +The eighth commandment is that thou shalt not bear false witness against +thy neighbor. + +The ninth commandment is that thou shalt not desire the wife of thy +neighbor, nor shalt not covet her in thine heart. + +The tenth commandment is that thou shalt not covet nothing that is, or +longeth to, thy neighbor. + + +These be the ten commandments of our Lord, of which the three first +belong to God, and the seven other be ordained for our neighbors. Every +person that hath wit and understanding in himself, and age, is bound to +know them and to obey and keep these ten commandments aforesaid or else +he sinneth deadly. + +Thus Moses abode in the hill forty days and forty nights and received +of Almighty God the tables with the commandments written with the hand +of God; and also received and learned many ceremonies and statutes that +God ordained, by which the children of Israel should be ruled and +judged. And whiles that Moses was thus with our Lord on the mount, the +children of Israel saw that he tarried and descended not, and some of +them said that he was dead or gone away, and would not return again, and +some said nay; but in conclusion they gathered them together against +Aaron, and said to him: Make to us some gods that may go tofore us, we +know not what is befallen to Moses. Then Aaron said: Take the gold that +hangeth in the ears of your wives and your children, and bring it to me. +The people did as he bade, and brought the gold to Aaron, which he took +and molt it and made thereof a calf. Then they said: These be thy gods, +Israel, that brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Then the people made +an altar tofore it, and made great joy and mirth, and danced and played +tofore the calf, and offered and made sacrifices thereto. Our Lord spake +to Moses, saying: Go hence and descend down, thy people have sinned whom +thou hast brought forth from the land of Egypt. They have soon forsaken +and left the way which thou hast showed to them. They have made to them +a calf blown, and they have worshipped it, and offered sacrifices +thereto, saying: These be thy gods, Israel, that have brought thee out +of the land of Egypt, Yet said our Lord to Moses: I see well that this +people is of evil disposition, suffer me that I may wreak my wrath on +them, and I shall destroy them. I shall make thee governor of great +people. + +Moses then prayed our Lord God saying: Why art thou wroth, Lord, against +thy people that thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt in a great +strength and a boisterous hand? I beseech thee, Lord, let not the +Egyptians say that their God hath locked them out for to slay them in +the mountains. I pray thee Lord that thy wrath may assuage, and be thou +pleased and benign upon the wickedness of thy people. Remember Abraham, +Isaac, and Jacob thy servants, to whom thou promisedst and swaredst by +thyself saying: I shall multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and +the universal, land of which I have spoken I shall give to your seed, +and ye shall possess and have it ever. And with these words our Lord was +pleased that he would do no harm as he had said unto his people; and +Moses returned from the mount, bearing two tables of stone, written both +with the hand of God. And the scripture that was in the tables were the +ten commandments as fore be written. Joshua hearing the great noise of +the children of Israel said to Moses: I trow they fight beneath, which +answered and said: It is no cry of exhorting men to fight, ne noise to +compel me to flee, but I hear the noise of singing. When he approached +to them he saw the calf and the instruments of mirth, and he was so +wroth that he threw down the tables and brake them at the foot of the +hill, and ran and caught down the calf that they had made, and burnt +and smote it all to powder, which he cast into water and gave it to +drink to the children of Israel. Then said Moses to Aaron: What hath +this people done to thee that thou hast made to sin grievously? To whom +he answered: Let not my lord take none indignation at me, thou knowest +well that this people is prone and ready to sin. They said to me: Make +us gods that may go tofore us; we know not what is fallen to this Moses +that led us out of Egypt. To whom I said: Who of you that hath gold give +it me; they took and gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and +thereof came out this calf. And then said Moses: All they that be of +God's part and have not sinned in this calf let them join to me; and the +children of Levi joined to him, and he bade each man take a sword on his +side and take vengeance and slay every each his brother, friend, and his +neighbor that have trespassed. And so the children of Levi went and slew +thirty-three thousand of the children of Israel. And then said Moses: Ye +have hallowed this day your hands unto our Lord, and ye shall be +therefore blessed. The second day Moses spake to the people and said: Ye +have committed and done the greatest sin that may be. I shall ascend +unto our Lord again, and shall pray him for your sin. Then Moses +ascended again, and received afterward two tables again, which our Lord +bade him make. And therein our Lord wrote the commandments. And after, +our Lord commanded him to make an ark and a tabernacle: in which ark was +kept three things. First the rod with which he did marvels, a pot full +of manna, and the two tables with commandments. And then after Moses +taught them the law; how each man should behave him against other and +what he should do, and what he should not do, and departed them into +twelve tribes, and commanded that every man should bring a rod into the +Tabernacle. And Moses wrote each name on the rod, and Moses shut fast +the tabernacle. And on the morn there was found one of the rods that +burgeoned and bare leaves and fruit, and was of an almond tree. That rod +fell to Aaron. + +And after this, long time, the children desired to eat flesh and +remembered of the flesh that they ate in Egypt, and grudged against +Moses, and would have ordained to them a duke for to have returned into +Egypt. Wherefore Moses was so woe that he desired of our Lord to deliver +him from this life, because he saw them so unkind against God. Then God +sent to them so great plenty of curlews that two days and one night they +flew so thick by the ground that they took great number, for they flew +but the height of two cubits. And they had so many that they dried them +hanging on their tabernacles and tents. Yet were they not content, but +ever grudging, wherefore God smote them and took vengeance on them by a +great plague and many died and were buried there. And then from thence +they went into Hazeroth and dwelt. After this Miriam and Aaron, brother +and sister of Moses, began to speak against Moses, because of his wife +which was of Ethiopia, and said: God hath not spoken only by Moses, +hath he not also spoken to us? Wherefore our Lord was wroth. Moses was +the humblest and the meekest man that was in all the world. Anon then, +our Lord said to him, and to Aaron and to Miriam: Go ye three only unto +the tabernacle; and there our Lord said that there was none like to +Moses, to whom he had spoken mouth to mouth, and reproved Aaron and +Miriam because they spake so to Moses, and being wroth, departed from +them, and anon, Miriam was smitten and made leper and white like snow. +And when Aaron beheld her and saw her smitten with leprosy, he said to +Moses: I beseech the Lord that thou set not the sin on us which we have +committed follily, and let not this our sister be as a dead woman, or as +born out of time and cast away from her mother, behold and see, half her +flesh is devoured of the leprosy. Then Moses cried unto our Lord, +saying: I beseech thee Lord that thou heal her; to whom our Lord said: +If her father had spit in her face should she not be put to shame and +rebuke seven days? Let her depart out of the castles seven days, and +after she shall be called in again. So Miriam was shut out of the +castles seven days, and the people removed not from the place till she +was called again. + +After this our Lord commanded Moses to send men into the land of Canaan +that he should give them charge for to see and consider the goodness +thereof, and that of every tribe he should send some. Moses did as our +Lord had commanded, which went in and brought of the fruits with them, +and they brought a branch with one cluster of grapes as much as two men +might bear between them upon a colestaff. When they had seen the country +and considered by the space of forty days they returned and told the +commodities of the land, but some said that the people were strong, and +many kings and giants, in such wise that they said it was impregnable +and that the people were much stronger than they were. Wherefore the +people anon were afeard, and murmured against Moses and would return +again into Egypt. Then Joshua and Caleb, which were two of them that had +considered the land, said to the people: Why grudge ye and wherefore be +ye afraid? We have well seen the country, and it is good to win. The +country floweth full of milk and honey, be not rebel against God, he +shall give it us, be ye not afeard. Then all the people cried against +them, and when they would have taken stones and stoned them, our Lord in +his glory appeared in a cloud upon the covering of the tabernacle, and +said to Moses: This people believeth not the signs and wonders that I +have showed and done to them. I shall destroy them all by pestilence, +and I shall make thee a prince upon people greater and stronger than +this is. Then prayed Moses to our Lord for the people, that he would +have pity on them and not destroy them, but to have mercy on them after +the magnitude of his mercy. And our Lord at his request forgave them. +Nevertheless our Lord said that all the men that had seen his majesty, +and the signs and marvels that he did in Egypt, and in desert, and have +tempted him ten times, and not obeyed unto his voice, shall not see ne +come into the country and land that I have promised to their fathers, +but Joshua and Caleb, my servants, shall enter into the land, and their +seed shall possess it. Moses told all this unto the children and they +wailed and sorrowed greatly therefore. + +After this the people removed from thence and came into the desert of +Sin; and then Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron, died, and was buried in +the same place. Then the people lacked water and came and grudged +against Moses, and yet wished they had abided in Egypt. Then Moses and +Aaron entered into the Tabernacle and fell down to the ground low, and +prayed unto our Lord, saying: Lord God, hear the clamor of thy people, +and open to them thy treasure, a fountain of living water, that they may +drink and the murmuration of them may cease. Our Lord said to him then: +Take the rod in thy hand, and thou and Aaron thy brother, assemble and +gather the people and speak ye to the stone, and it shall give out +water. And when the water cometh let all the multitude drink and their +beasts. Moses then took the rod as our Lord bade, and gathered all the +people tofore the stone and said to them: Hear ye rebels and out of +belief; trow ye not that we may give you water out of this stone? And he +lift up his hand and smote between the stone, and water came and flowed +out in the most largest wise, in such wise that the people and beasts +drank their fill. Then said God to Moses and Aaron: Because ye have not +believed me and sanctified my name tofore the children of Israel, and +given to me the laud, but have done this in your name, ye shall not +bring this people into the land that I shall give to them. And therefore +this water was called the water of contradiction, where the children +grudged against God. + +Anon after this, by God's commandment, Moses took Aaron upon the hill, +and despoiled him of his vesture, and clothed therewith his son Eleazar, +and made him upperest bishop for his father Aaron. And there Aaron died +in the top of the hill, and Moses descended with Eleazar. And when all +the multitude of people saw that Aaron was dead, they wept and wailed on +him thirty days in every tribe and family. + +After this the people went about the land of Edom, and began to wax +weary, and grudged against our Lord and Moses, and said yet: Why hast +thou led us out of the Land of Egypt for to slay us in this desert and +wilderness? Bread faileth us, there is no water, and our souls abhor and +loathe this light meat. For which cause God sent among them +fiery-serpents, which bit and wounded many of them and slew also. Then +they that were hurt came in to Moses and said: We have sinned, for we +have spoken against our Lord and thee; pray for us unto God that he +deliver from us these serpents. Then Moses prayed our Lord for the +people. And our Lord said to him: Make a serpent of brass and set it up +for a sign, and whosomever be hurt, and looketh thereon and beholdeth +it, shall live and be whole. Then Moses made a serpent of brass, and set +it up for a sign, and when they that were hurt beheld it they were made +whole. + +After this when Moses had showed to them all the laws of our Lord, and +ceremonies, and had governed them forty years, and that he was an +hundred and twenty years old, he ascended from the fields of Moab upon +the mountain of Nebo into the top of Pisgah against Jericho, and there +our Lord showed to him all the land of Gilead unto Dan, and the land of +promise from that one end unto that other. And then our Lord said to +him: This is the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, +saying: I shall give it to thy seed. Now thou hast seen it with thine +eyes, and shalt not enter ne come therein. And there in that place died +Moses, servant of our Lord, as God commanded, and was buried in the vale +of the land of Moab against Beth-peor. And yet never man knew his +sepulchre unto this day. Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when +he died, his eyes never dimmed, ne his teeth were never moved. The +children of Israel wept and mourned for him thirty days in the fields of +Moab. Joshua the son of Nun was replenished with the spirit of wisdom; +for Moses set on him his hands, and the children obeyed him as our Lord +had commanded to Moses. And there was never after a prophet in Israel +like unto Moses, which knew and spake to God face to face in all signs +and tokens that God did and showed by him in the land of Egypt to +Pharaoh and all his servants. + + + + +THE BURIAL OF MOSES + + +By Nebo's lonely mountain, + On this side Jordan's wave, +In a vale in the land of Moab + There lies a lonely grave. +And no man knows that sepulchre, + And no man saw it e'er, +For the angels of God upturned the sod, + And laid the dead man there. + +That was the grandest funeral + That ever passed on earth; +But no man heard the trampling, + Or saw the train go forth-- +Noiselessly as the daylight + Comes back when night is done, +And the crimson streak on ocean's cheek + Grows into the great sun. + +Noiselessly as the springtime + Her crown of verdure weaves, +And all the trees on all the hills + Open their thousand leaves; +So without sound of music, + Or voice of them that wept, +Silently down from the mountain's crown + The great procession swept. + +Perchance the bald old eagle, + On gray Beth-peor's height, +Out of his lonely eyrie + Looked on the wondrous sight; +Perchance the lion stalking, + Still shuns that hallowed spot, +For beast and bird have seen and heard + That which man knoweth not. + +But when the warrior dieth, + His comrades in the war, +With arms reversed and muffled drum, + Follow his funeral car; +They show the banners taken, + They tell his battles won, +And after him lead his masterless steed, + While peals the minute gun. + +Amid the noblest of the land + We lay the sage to rest, +And give the bard an honored place + With costly marble drest, +In the great minster transept, + Where lights like glories fall, +And the organ rings, and the sweet choir sings, + Along the emblazoned wall. + +This was the truest warrior + That ever buckled sword; +This the most gifted poet + That ever breathed a word. +And never earth's philosopher + Traced with his golden pen +On the deathless page truths half so sage + As he wrote down for men. + +And had he not high honor?-- + The hillside for a pall, +To lie in state, while angels wait, + With stars for tapers tall; +And the dark rock-pines, like tossing plumes, + Over his bier to wave, +And God's own hand in that lonely land + To lay him in the grave,-- + +In that strange grave without a name, + Whence his uncoffined clay +Shall break again, O wondrous thought! + Before the judgment day, +And stand with glory wrapt around + On the hills he never trod; +And speak of the strife, that won our life, + With the incarnate son of God. + +O lonely grave in Moab's land! + O dark Beth-peor's hill! +Speak to these curious hearts of ours, + And teach them to be still. +God hath his mysteries of grace, + Ways that we cannot tell; +He hides them deep, like the hidden sleep + Of him He loved so well. + +_--Cecil Frances Alexander._ + + + + +THE HISTORY OF JOSHUA + + +After Moses, Joshua was duke and leader of the children of Israel, and +brought them into the land of behest, and did many great battles. For +whom God showed many great marvels and in especial one; that was that +the sun stood still at his request, till he had overcome his enemies, by +the space of a day. And our Lord, when he fought, sent down such +hail-stones that slew more of his enemies with the stones than with +man's hand. + +Joshua was a noble man and governed well Israel, and divided the land +unto the twelve tribes by lot. And when he was an hundred and ten years +old he died. And divers dukes after him judged and deemed Israel, of +whom be noble histories, as of Jephthah, Gideon, and Samson, which I +pass over unto the histories of the kings, which is read in holy church +from the first Sunday after Trinity Sunday, unto the first Sunday of +August. + + + + +THE HISTORY OF SAUL + +_The first Sunday after Trinity Sunday unto the first Sunday of the +month of August is read the Book of Kings_. + + +This history maketh mention that there was a man named Elkanah which had +two wives, that one was named Hannah, and the name of the second +Peninnah. Peninnah had children and Hannah had none but was barren. The +good man at such days as he was bounden, went to his city for to make +his sacrifice and worship God. In this time Hophni and Phineas sons of +Eli, the great priest, were priests of our Lord. This Elkanah gave to +Peninnah at such times as he offered, to her sons and daughters, certain +parts, and unto Hannah he gave but one part. Peninnah did much sorrow +and reproof to Hannah because she had had no children, and thus did +every year, and provoked her to wrath, but she wept for sorrow and ate +no meat. To whom Elkanah her husband said: Hannah, why weepest thou? and +wherefore eatest thou not? Why is thine heart put to affliction? Am I +not better to thee than ten sons? Then Hannah arose after she had eaten +and drunk in Shilo and went to pray unto our Lord, making to him a vow +if that she might have a son she should offer him to our Lord. Eli that +time sat tofore the posts of the house of our Lord. And Hannah besought +and prayed our Lord, making to him a vow, if that she might have a son +she should offer him to our Lord. And it was so that she prayed so +heartily in her thought and mind, that her lips moved not, wherefore Eli +bare her on hand that she was drunk. And she said: Nay, my lord, I am a +sorrowful woman, I have drunken no wine ne drink that may cause me to be +drunken, but I have made my prayers, and cast my soul in the sight of +Almighty God. Repute me not as one of the daughters of Belial, for the +prayer that I have made and spoken yet is of the multitude of the +heaviness and sorrow of my heart. Then Eli the priest said to her: Go in +peace, the God of Israel give to thee the petition of thy heart for that +thou hast prayed him. And she said: Would God that thy handservant might +find grace in thy sight. And so she departed, and on the morn they went +home again in to Ramatha. + +After this our Lord remembered her, and she bare a fair son and named +him Samuel for so much as she asked him of our Lord. Wherefore Elkanah, +her husband, went and offered a solemn sacrifice and his vow +accomplished, but Hannah ascended not with him. She said to her husband +that she would not go till her child were weaned and taken from the pap. +And after when Samuel was weaned, and was an infant, the mother took +him, and three calves and three measures of meal, and a bottle of wine, +and brought him unto the house of our Lord in Shilo and sacrificed that +calf and offered the child to Eli, and told to Eli that she was the +woman that prayed our Lord for that child. And there Hannah worshipped +our Lord and thanked him, and there made this psalm which is one of the +canticles: My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and so forth, all the +remnant of that psalm. And then Elkanah with his wife returned home to +his house. After this our Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived three +sons, and two daughters, which she brought forth. And Samuel abode in +the house of our Lord and was minister in the sight of Eli. But the two +sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were children of Belial, not knowing +our Lord, but did great sins against the commandments of God. And our +Lord sent a prophet to Eli because he corrected not his sons, and said +he would take the office from him and from his house, and that there +should not be an old man in his house and kindred, but should die ere +they came to man's estate, and that God should raise a priest that +should be faithful and after his heart. + +Samuel served and ministered our Lord in a surplice before Eli. And on a +time as Eli lay in his bed his eyes were so dimmed that he might not see +the lantern of God till it was quenched and put out. Samuel slept in the +temple of our Lord whereas the ark of God was, and our Lord called +Samuel, which answered: I am ready, and ran to Eli and said: I am ready, +thou callest me. Which said: I called thee not my son, return and sleep, +and he returned and slept. And our Lord called him the second time, and +he arose and went to Eli and said: Lo! I am here, thou calledst me, +which answered: I called thee not, go thy way, and sleep. Samuel knew +not the calling of our Lord yet, ne there was never revelation showed +him tofore. And our Lord called Samuel the third time, which arose and +came to Eli and said: I am here, for thou calledst me. Then Eli +understood that our Lord had called him, and said to Samuel: Go and +sleep, and if thou be called again thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for thy +servant heareth thee. Samuel returned and slept in his place, and our +Lord came and called him: Samuel! Samuel! and Samuel said: Say, Lord, +what it pleaseth, for thy servant heareth. And then our Lord said to +Samuel: Lo! I make my word to be known in Israel that whoso heareth, his +ears shall ring and sound thereof. In that day I shall raise against Eli +that I have said upon his house. I shall begin and accomplish it. I have +given him in knowledge that I shall judge his house for wickedness, +forasmuch as he knoweth his sons to do wickedly, and hath not corrected +them. Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the wickedness of +his house shall not be made clean with sacrifices ne gifts never. + +Samuel slept till on the morn, and then he rose and opened the doors of +the house of our Lord in his surplice; and Samuel was afeard to show +this vision unto Eli. Eli called him and asked what our Lord hath said +to him and charged him to tell him all: and Samuel told to him all that +our Lord had said, and hid nothing from him. And he said: He is our +Lord, what it pleaseth him, let him do. Samuel grew, and our Lord was +with him in all his works. And it was known to all Israel from Dan to +Beersheba that Samuel was the true prophet of our Lord. After this it +was so that the Philistines warred against the children of Israel, +against whom there was a battle, and the children of Israel overthrown +and put to flight. Wherefore they assembled again, and took with them +the ark of God which Hophni and Phineas, sons of Eli, bare, and when +they came with a great multitude with the ark, the Philistines were +afraid. Notwithstanding they fought against them manly and slew thirty +thousand footmen of the children of Israel and took the ark of God. And +the two sons of Eli were slain, Hophni and Phineas. And a man of the +tribe of Benjamin ran for to tell this unto Eli which sat abiding some +tidings of the battle. This man, as soon as he entered into the town, +told how the field was lost, the people slain, and how the ark was +taken. And there was a great sorrow and cry. + +And when Eli heard this cry and wailing he demanded what this noise was +and meant, and wherefore they so sorrowed. Then the man hied and came +and told to Eli. Eli was at that tide ninety-eight years old, and his +eyes were waxen blind and might not see, and he said: I am he that came +from the battle, and fled this day from the host. To whom Eli said: What +is there done, my son? He answered: The host of Israel is overthrown and +fled tofore the Philistines, and a great ruin is made among the people, +thy two sons be slain and the ark of God is taken. And when Eli heard +him name the ark of God he fell down backward by the door and brake his +neck and there died. He was an old man and had judged Israel forty +years. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and set it in their +temple of Dagon, by their god Dagon, in Ashdod. On the morn, the next +day early, when they of Ashdod came into their temple, they saw their +god Dagon lie on the ground tofore the ark of God upon his face, and the +head and the two hands of Dagon were cut off. And there abode no more +but the trunk only in the place. And God showed many vengeances to them +of the country as long as the ark was with them, for God smote them with +sickness, and wells boiled in towns and fields of that region, and there +grew among them so many mice, that they suffered great persecution and +confusion in that city. + +The people seeing this vengeance and plague said: Let not the ark of the +God of Israel abide longer with us, for his hand is hard on us and on +Dagon our god, and sent for the great masters and governors of the +Philistines, and when they were gathered they said: What shall we do +with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered: Let it be led all +about the cities, and so it was, and a great vengeance and death was had +upon all the cities, and smote every man with plague from the most to +the least. And then they sent the ark of God into Acheron and when they +of Acheron saw the ark, they cried saying: They have brought the ark of +the God of Israel to us, for to slay us and our people. They cried that +the ark should be sent home again, for much people were dead by the +vengeance that was taken on them, and a great howling and wailing was +among them. The ark was in the region of the Philistines seven months. +After this they counselled with their priests what they should do with +the ark, and it was concluded it should be sent home again, but the +priests said: If ye send it home, send it not void, but what ye owe pay +for your trespass and sin, and then ye shall be healed and cured of your +sicknesses. And so they ordained after the number of the five provinces +of the Philistines, five pieces of gold and five mice of gold, and led +to a wain and put in it two wild kine, which never bear yoke, and said, +Leave their calves at home and take the ark and set it on the wain, and +also the vessels and pieces of gold that ye have paid for your trespass, +set them at the side of the ark and let them go where they will, and +thus they sent the ark of God unto the children of Israel. + +Samuel then governed Israel long, and when he was old he set his sons +judges on Israel, whose names were Joel and Abiah. And these two his +sons walked not in his ways, but declined after covetise and took gifts +and perverted justice and doom. Then assembled and gathered together all +the greatest of birth of the children of Israel, and came to Samuel and +said: Lo! thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways, wherefore +ordain to us a king that may judge and rule us like as all other nations +have. This displeased much to Samuel when they said, Ordain on us a +king. Then Samuel counselled on this matter with our Lord, to whom God +said: Hear the voice of the people that speak to thee: they have not +cast only thee away, but me, that I should not reign on them, for they +do now like as they ever have done sith I brought them out of Egypt unto +this day; that is that they have served false gods and strange, and so +do they to thee. Notwithstanding hear them, and tell to them tofore, the +right of the king, and how he shall oppress them. + +Samuel told all this to the people that demanded to have a king, and +said: This shall be the right of a king that shall reign on you. He +shall take your sons and make them his men of war, and set them in his +chariots and shall make them his carters and riders of his horse in his +chariots and carts, and shall ordain of them tribunes and centurions, +earers and tillers of his fields, and mowers and reapers of his corn, +and he shall make them smiths, and armorers of harness and cars, and he +shall also take your daughters and make them his unguentaries [makers of +perfumes], and ready at his will and pleasure; he shall also take from +you your fields and vineyards and the best olives and give them to his +servants, and he shall task and dime [tithe] your corn and sheaves, and +the rents of your vineyards he shall value for to give to his officers +and servants, and shall take from you your servants, both men and women, +and set them to his works. And your asses and beasts he also shall take +to his labor, your flocks of sheep he shall task and take the tenth or +what shall please him, and ye shall be to him thrall and servants. And +ye shall cry then wishing to flee from the face of yaur king, and our +Lord shall not hear you nor deliver you because ye have asked for you a +king. Yet for all this the people would not hear Samuel, but said: Give +to us a king, for a king shall reign on us, and we shall be as all other +people be. And our king shall judge us and go before us, and he shall +fight our battles for us. + +And Samuel heard all and counselled with our Lord. To whom God commanded +to ordain to them a king, and so he did, for he took a man of the tribe +of Benjamin whose name was Saul, a good man and chosen, and there was +not a better among all the children of Israel, and he was higher of +stature from the shoulder upward than any other of all the people. And +Samuel anointed him king upon Israel, and said to him: Our Lord God hath +anointed thee upon his heritage and ordained thee a prince, and thou +shalt deliver his people from the hands of his enemies that be in the +circuit and countries about, and so departed from him. And Samuel after +this gathered the people together and said: Our Lord saith that he hath +brought you from the land of Egypt, and saved you from the hands of all +the kings that were your enemies and pursued you, and ye have forsaken +our Lord God that hath only delivered you from all your evil and +tribulations, and have said: Ordain upon us a king. Wherefore now stand +every each in his tribe, and we shall lot who shall be our king. And the +lot fell on the tribe of Benjamin, and in that tribe the lot fell upon +Saul the son of Kish. And they sought him and could not find him, and it +was told him that he was hid in his house at home, and the people ran +thither and fetched him and set him amidst all the people. And he was +higher than any of all the people from the shoulder upward. Then Samuel +said to the people, Now ye see and behold whom our Lord hath chosen, for +there is none like him of all the people. And then all the people cried: +Vivat Rex, live the king. Samuel wrote the law of the realm to the +people in a book, and put it tofore our Lord. Thus was Saul made the +first king in Israel, and anon had much war, for on all sides men warred +on the children of Israel, and he defended them, and Saul had divers +battles and had victory. + +Samuel came on a time to Saul and said God commanded him to fight +against Amalek and that he should slay and destroy man, woman, and +child, ox, cow, camel and ass and sheep, and spare nothing. Then Saul +assembled his people and had two hundred thousand footmen and twenty +thousand men of the tribe of Judah, and went forth and fought against +Amalek and slew them, sauf he saved Agag the King of Amalek alive, and +all other he slew, but he spared the best flocks of sheep and of other +beasts, and also good clothes, and wethers, and all that was good he +spared, and whatsomever was foul he destroyed. And this was showed to +Samuel by our Lord, saying: Me forthinketh that I have ordained Saul +king upon Israel, for he hath forsaken me, and not fulfilled my +commandments. Samuel was sorry herefor, and wailed all the night. On the +morn he rose and came to Saul, and Saul offered sacrifice to our Lord of +the pillage that he had taken. And Samuel demanded of Saul what noise +that was he heard of sheep and beasts, and he said that they were of the +beasts that the people had brought from Amalek to offer unto our Lord, +and the residue were slain. They have spared the best and fattest for to +do sacrifice with unto thy Lord God. Then said Samuel to Saul: +Rememberest thou not that whereas thou wert least among the tribes of +Israel thou wert made upperest? And our Lord anointed thee, and made +thee king. And he said to thee: Go and slay the sinners of Amalek and +leave none alive, man ne beast; why hast thou not obeyed the commandment +of our Lord? And hast run to robbery and done evil in the sight of God? +And then said Saul to Samuel: I have taken Agag, king of the Amalekites, +and brought him with me, but I have slain Amalek. The people have taken +of the sheep and beasts of the best for to offer unto our Lord God. And +then said Samuel: Trowest thou that our Lord would rather have sacrifice +and offerings than not to obey his commandments? Better is obedience +than sacrifice, and better it is to take heed to do after thy Lord than +to offer the fat kidneys of the wethers. For it is a sin to withstand +and to repugn against his Lord like the sin of idolatry. And because +thou hast not obeyed our Lord, and cast away his word, our Lord hath +cast thee away that thou shalt not be king. Then said Saul to Samuel: I +have sinned for I have not obeyed the word of God and thy words, but +have dreaded the people and obeyed to their request, but I pray thee to +bear my sin and trespass and return with me that I may worship our +Lord. And Samuel answered, I shall not return with thee. And so Samuel +departed, and yet ere he departed, he did do slay [caused to be slain] +Agag the king. And Samuel saw never Saul after unto his death. + +Then our Lord bade Samuel to go and anoint one of the sons of Isai, +otherwise called Jesse, to be king of Israel. And so he came into +Bethlehem unto Jesse and bade him bring his sons tofore him. This Jesse +had eight sons, be brought tofore Samuel seven of them, and Samuel said +there was not he that he would have. Then he said that there was no +more, save one which was youngest and yet a child, and kept sheep in the +field. And Samuel said: Send for him, for I shall eat no bread till he +come. And so he was sent for and brought. He was ruddy and fair of +visage and well favored, and Samuel arose, and took an horn with oil and +anointed him in the middle of his brethren. And forthwith the spirit of +our Lord came directly in him that same day and ever after. Then Samuel +departed and came into Ramah. And the spirit of our Lord went away from +Saul and an evil spirit oft vexed him. Then his servants said to him: +Thou oft art vexed with an evil spirit, it were good to have one that +could harp, to be with thee when the spirit vexeth thee, thou shalt bear +it the lighter. And he said to his servants: Provide ye to me such one. +And then one said: I saw one of Jesse's sons play on a harp, a fair +child and strong, wise in his talking and our Lord is with him. Then +Saul sent messages to Jesse for David, and Jesse sent David his son +with a present of bread, wine, and a kid, to Saul. And always when the +evil spirit vexed Saul, David harped tofore him and anon he was eased, +and the evil spirit went his way. + +After this the Philistines gathered them into great hosts to make war +against Saul and the children of Israel, and Saul gathered the children +of Israel together and came against them in the vale of Terebinthe. The +Philistines stood upon the hill on that other part, and the valley was +between them. And there came out of the host of the Philistines a great +giant named Goliath of Gath; he was six cubits high and a palm, and a +helmet of brass on his head, and was clad in a habergeon. The weight of +his habergeon was of five thousand shekels of weight of metal. He had +boots of brass on his calves, and his shoulders were covered with plates +of brass. His glaive was as a great colestaff, and there was thereon six +shekels of iron, and his squire went tofore him and cried against them +of Israel, and said they should choose a man to fight a singular battle +against Goliath, and if he were overcome the Philistines should be +servants to Israel, and if he prevailed and overcame his enemy, they of +Israel should serve the Philistines, and thus he did cry forty days +long. Saul and the children of Israel were sore afraid. David was at +this time in Bethlehem with his father, and kept sheep, and three of his +brethren were in the host with Saul. To whom Jesse said: David, take +this pottage, ten loaves of bread, and ten cheeses, and go run unto the +host to thy brethren, and see how they do, and learn how they be +arrayed. David delivered his sheep to one to keep them, and bare these +things unto the host. And when he came thither he heard a great cry, and +he demanded after his brethren. And that same time came forth that giant +Goliath and said, as he had done tofore, and David heard him speak. All +they of Israel fled for fear of him, and David demanded what he was, and +it was told him that he was come to destroy Israel, and also that what +man that might slay him, the king should enrich him with great riches, +and should give to him his daughter, and shall make the house of his +father without tribute. And David said: What is this uncircumcised that +hath despised the host of the God of Israel? And what reward shall he +have that shall slay him? And the people said as afore is said. And when +his oldest brother heard him speak to the people he was wroth with him, +and said: Wherefore art thou come hither and hast left the few sheep in +desert. I know well thy pride, thou art come for to see the battle. And +David said: What have I done? Is it not as the people said? I dare fight +well with this giant; and declined from his brother to other of the +people. And all this was showed to Saul, and David was brought to him, +and said to Saul: I, thy servant, shall fight against this giant if thou +wilt. And Saul said to him: Thou mayst not withstand this Philistine nor +fight against him, for thou art but a child; this giant hath been a +fighter from his childhood. David said to Saul: I thy servant kept my +father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear and took away a wether +from the middle of my flock, and I pursued after, and took it again from +their mouths, and they arose and would have devoured me, and I caught +them by the jaws and slew them. I thy servant slew the lion and the +bear, therefore this Philistine uncircumcised shall be as one of them. I +shall now go and deliver Israel from this opprobrium and shame. How is +this Philistine uncircumcised so hardy as to curse the host of the +living God? And yet said David: The Lord that kept me from the might of +the lion and from the strength of the bear, he will deliver me from the +power of the Philistine. Saul said then to David: Go, and our Lord be +with thee. + +Saul did do arm him with his armor, and girded his sword about him. And +when he was armed, David said: I may not ne cannot fight thus, for I am +not accustomed ne used, and unarmed him, and took his staff that he had +in his hand, and chose to him five good round stones from the brook and +put them in his bag, and took a sling in his hand, and went forth +against the giant. And when Goliath saw him come, he despised him and +said: Weenest thou that I am a hound that comest with thy staff to me? +And he cursed David by his gods, and said to David: Come hither and I +shall give thy flesh to the fowls of heaven and to the beasts of the +earth. David said unto Goliath: Thou comest to me with thy sword and +glaive, and I come to thee in the name of the Lord God of the host of +Israel which thou hast this day despised; and that Lord shall give thee +in my hand, and I shall slay thee and smite off thy head. And I shall +give this day the bodies of the men of war of the Philistines to the +fowls of heaven, and to the beasts of the earth. Then Goliath rose and +hied toward David, and David on that other side hied, and took a stone +and laid it in his sling, and threw it at the giant, and smote him in +the forehead in such wise that the stone was fixed there, in that he +fell down on his visage. Thus prevailed David against the Philistine +with his sling and stone, and smote him and slew him. And he had no +sword but he went and took Goliath's own sword and therewith smote off +his head. And then the Philistines seeing this giant thus slain, fled, +and the Israelites after followed, and slew many of them, and returned +again and came into the tents, pavilions and lodgings of the +Philistines, and took all the pillage. + +David took the head of Goliath and brought it into Jerusalem, and his +arms he brought into his tabernacle. And Abner brought David, having the +head of Goliath in his hand, tofore Saul. And Saul demanded of him of +what kindred that he was, and he said that he was son of Jesse of +Bethlehem, and forthwith that same time Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved +David as his own soul. Saul then would not give him license to return to +his father, and Jonathan and he were confederate and swore each of them +to be true to other, for Jonathan gave his coat that he was clad withal, +and all his other garments, unto his sword and spear, unto David. And +David did all that ever Saul bade him do wisely and prudently. And when +he returned from the battle, and Goliath was slain, the women came out +from every town singing with choirs and timpanes against the coming of +Saul with great joy and gladness, saying: Saul hath slain a thousand and +David hath slain ten thousand. And this saying displeased much to Saul, +which said: They have given to David ten thousand and to me one +thousand; what may he more have save the realm, and to be king? For this +cause Saul never loved David after that day, ne never looked on him +friendly but ever sought means afterward to destroy David, for he +dreaded that David should be lord with him, and put him from him. And +David was wise and kept him well from him. And after this he wedded +Michal, daughter of Saul, and Jonathan made oft times peace between Saul +and David, yet Saul kept no promise, but ever lay in wait to slay David. +And Jonathan warned David thereof. And David gat him a company of men of +war to the number of four hundred, and kept him in the mountains. + +And on a time David was at home with his wife Michal, and Saul sent +thither men of war to slay him in his house in the morning; and when +Michal heard thereof, she said to David: But if thou save thyself this +night, to-morn thou shalt die, and she let him out by a window by which +he escaped and saved himself. Michal took an image and laid in his bed, +and a rough skin of a goat on the head of the image, and covered it with +clothes. And on the morn Saul sent spies for David, and it was answered +to them that he lay sick in his bed. Then after this sent Saul +messengers for to see David, and said to them: Bring him to me in his +bed that he may be slain. And when the messengers came they found a +simulachre or an image in his bed, and goats' skins on the head. Then +said Saul to Michal his daughter: Why hast thou mocked me so, and hast +suffered mine enemy to flee? And Michal answered to Saul and said: He +said to me: Let me go or I shall slay thee. + +David went to Samuel in Rama and told him all that Saul had done to him. +And it was told to Saul that David was with Samuel, and he sent thither +messengers to take him. And when they came they found them with the +company of prophets, and they sat and prophesied with them. And he sent +more. And they did also so. And the third time he sent more messengers. +And they also prophesied. And then Saul being wroth asked where Samuel +and David were, and went to them, and he prophesied when he came also, +and took off his clothes and was naked all that day and night before +Samuel. David then fled from thence and came to Jonathan and complained +to him saying: What have I offended that thy father seeketh to slay me? +Jonathan was sorry therefore, for he loved well David. After this Saul +ever sought for to slay David. And on a time Saul went into a cave, and +David was within the cave, to whom his squire said: Now hath God brought +thine enemy into thine hand; now go and slay him. And David said: God +forbid that I should lay any hand on him, he is anointed. I shall never +hurt ne grieve him, let God do his pleasure. And he went to Saul and cut +off a gobet [a small piece] of his mantle and kept it. And when Saul was +gone out, soon after issued David out and cried to Saul saying: Lo! +Saul, God hath brought thee into my hands. I might have slain thee if I +had would, but God forbade that I should lay hand on thee, my lord +anointed of God. And what have I offended that thou seekest to slay me? +Who art thou? said Saul. Art thou not David my son? Yes, said David, I +am thy servant, and kneeled down and worshipped him. Then said Saul: I +have sinned, and wept and also said: Thou art rightfuller than I am, +thou hast done to me good, and I have done to thee evil. And thou hast +well showed to me this day that God had brought me into thine hand, and +thou hast not slain me. God reward thee for this, that thou hast done to +me; now know I well that thou shalt reign in Israel. I pray thee to be +friendly to my seed, and destroy not my house, and swear and promise me +that thou take not away my name from the house of my father; and David +sware and promised to Saul. And then Saul departed and went home, and +David and his people went in to surer places. + +Anon after this Samuel died, and was buried in his house in Rama. And +all Israel bewailed him greatly. Then there was a rich man in the mount +of Carmel that hight Nabal, and on a time he sheared and clipped his +sheep, to whom David sent certain men, and bade them say that David +greeted him well, and whereas aforetimes his shepherds kept his sheep +in desert, he never was grevious to them, ne they lost not much as a +sheep as long as they were with us, and that he might ask his servants +for they could tell, and that he would now in their need send them what +it pleased him. Nabal answered to the children of David: Who is that +David? Trow ye that I shall send the meat that I have made ready for +them that shear my sheep and send it to men that I know not? The men +returned and told to David all that he had said. Then said David to his +men: Let every man take his sword and gird him withal, and David took +his sword and girt him. And David went and four hundred men followed +him, and he left two hundred behind him. One of the servants of Nabal +told to Abigail, Nabal's wife, how that David had sent messengers from +the desert unto his lord, and how wroth and wayward he was, and also he +said that those men were good enough to them when they were in desert, +ne never perished beast of yours as long as they were there. They were a +wall and a shield for us both day and night all the time that we kept +our flocks there, wherefore consider what is to be done. They purpose to +do harm to him and to his house, for he is the son of Belial in such +wise that no man may speak with him. Then Abigail hied her and took two +hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bottles of wine, five wethers +sodden, and five measures of pottage, and one hundred bonds of grapes +dried, and two hundred masses of caricares, and laid all this upon +asses, and said to her servants: Go ye tofore, and I shall follow +after. She told hereof nothing to her husband Nabal. + +Then she took an ass and rode after, and when she came to the foot of +the hill, David and his men descended; to whom she ran, and David said: +I have for naught saved all the beasts of this Nabal in desert, and +there perished nothing of his that pertained to him, and he hath yielded +evil for good. By the living God I shall not leave as much as his alive +as one man. As soon as Abigail saw David she descended from her ass, and +fell down tofore David, upon her visage and worshipped him on the earth, +and fell down to his feet and said: In me, said she, my lord, be this +wickedness, I beseech thee that I thine handmaiden may speak to thine +ears, and that thou wilt hear the words of me thy servant. I pray and +require thee my lord, let not thy heart be set against this wicked man +Nabal, for according to his name he is a fool, and folly is with him. I +thine handmaid saw not thy children that thou sendedst. Now, therefore, +my lord, for the love of God and of thy soul, suffer not thy hand to +shed no blood, and I beseech God that thine enemies may be like Nabal +and they that would thee harm; and I beseech thee to receive this +blessing and present which I thine handmaid have brought to thee, my +lord, and give it to thy men that follow thee, my lord. Take away the +wickedness from me thy servant, and I beseech God to make to thee, my +lord, a house of truth, for thou, my lord, shall fight the battles of +our Lord God; and let no malice be found in thee, never in all the days +of thy life. If ever any man arise against thee or would pursue or would +hurt thee, I beseech God to keep thee. And when our Lord God hath +accomplished to thee, my lord, all that he hath spoken good of thee, and +hath constituted thee duke upon Israel, let this not be in thy thought, +ne scruple in thy heart that thou shouldest shed blood not guilty, ne be +thou not now avenged. And when our Lord God hath done well to thee, my +lord, have thou remembrance on me thine handmaid, and do well to me. + +And David said to Abigail: Blessed be God of Israel that sent thee this +day to meet me, and blessed be thy speech, and blessed be thou that hast +withdrawn me from bloodshedding, and that I avenged me not on mine enemy +with mine hand, else by the living God of Israel, if thou hadst not come +unto me, there should not have blyven [been left] unto Nabal to-morn in +the morning one man. Then David received all that she brought and said +to her: Go peaceably into thine house, lo! I have heard thy voice and I +have honored thy visage; and so Abigail came unto Nabal, and David +returned into the place he came from. Nabal made a great feast in his +house, like the feast of a king, and the heart of Nabal was jocund; he +was drunken, and Abigail his wife told to him no word till on the morn, +little ne much. On the morn when Nabal had digested the wine, his wife +told him all these words. And his heart was mortified within him, and he +was dead like a stone, for the tenth day after, our Lord smote him and +he died. And when David heard that he was dead, he said: Blessed be the +good Lord that hath judged the cause of mine opprobrium from the hand of +Nabal, and hath kept me his servant from harm, and our Lord hath yielded +the malice of Nabal on his own head. Then David sent to Abigail for to +have her to his wife, and she humbled herself and said she his handmaid +was ready to wash the feet of his servants. And she arose and took with +her five maidens which went afoot by her, and she rode upon an ass, and +followed the messengers, and was made wife to David. And David also took +another wife called Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both two were his wives. + +After this Saul always sought David for to slay him. And the people +called Zyphites told to Saul that David was hid in the hill of Hachilah +which was on the after part of the wilderness, and Saul took with him +three thousand chosen men and followed and sought David. David when he +heard of the coming of Saul went into the place whereas Saul was, and +when he was asleep he took one with him and went into the tent where +Saul slept, and Abner with him and all his people. Then said Abishai to +David: God hath put thine enemy this day in thine hands, now I shall go +and smite him through with my spear, and then after that we shall have +no need to dread him. And David said to Abishai: Slay him not; who may +extend his hand into the anointed king of God and be innocent? And David +said yet more: By the living God, but if God smite him or the days come +that he shall die or perish in battle, God be merciful to me, as I +shall not lay my hand on him that is anointed of our Lord. Now take the +spear that standeth at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go. +David took the spear and the cup and departed thence and there was not +one that saw them ne awaked, for they slept all. Then when David was on +the hill far from them, David cried to the people and to Abner, saying: +Abner, shalt not thou answer? And Abner answered: Who art thou that +cryest and wakest the king? And David said to Abner: Art thou not a man +and there is none like thee in Israel? why hast thou not therefore kept +thy lord the king? There is one of the people gone in to slay the king +thy lord; by the living Lord it is not good that ye do, but be ye worthy +to die because ye have not kept your lord anointed of our Lord. Now look +and see where the king's spear is, and the cup of water that stood at +his head. Saul knew the voice of David and said: Is not this thy voice, +my son David? And David said: It is my voice, my lord king. For what +cause dost thou, my lord, pursue me thy servant? what thing have I done +and what evil have I committed with my hand? Thou seest well I might +have slain thee if I would; God judge between thee and me. And Saul +said: I have sinned, return, my son; I shall never hereafter do thee +harm ne evil, for thy soul is precious in my sight this day. It +appeareth now that I have done follily, and am ignorant in many things. +Then said David: Lo! here is the spear of the king, let a child come +fetch it, our Lord shall reward to every man after his justice and +faith. Our Lord hath this day brought thee into my hands, and yet I +would not lay mine hand on him that is anointed of our Lord. And like as +thy soul is magnified this day in my sight, so be my soul magnified in +the sight of God and deliver me from all anguish. Saul said then to +David: Blessed be thou, my son David. And David went then his way, and +Saul returned home again. + +And David said in his heart: Sometime it might hap to me to fall and +come into the hands of Saul, it is better I flee from him and save me in +the land of the Philistines. And he went thence with six hundred men and +came to Achish king of Gath and dwelled there. And when Saul understood +that he was with Achish he ceased to seek him. And Achish delivered to +David a town to dwell in named Ziklag. + +After this the Philistines gathered and assembled much people against +Israel. And Saul assembled all Israel and came upon Gilboa; and when +Saul saw all the host of the Philistines, his heart dreaded and fainted +sore, he cried for to have counsel of our Lord. And our Lord answered +him not, ne by swevens ne by priests, ne by prophets. Then said Saul to +his servants: Fetch to me a woman having a phiton, otherwise called a +phitoness or a witch. And they said that there was such a woman in +Endor. Saul then changed his habit and clothing, and did on other +clothing, and went, and two men with him, and came to the woman by +night, and made her by her craft to raise Samuel. And Samuel said to +Saul: Why hast thou put me from my rest, for to arise? And Saul said: I +am coarted [constrained] thereto, for the Philistines fight against me, +and God is gone from me, and will not hear me, neither by prophets, ne +by swevens [dreams]. And Samuel said: What askest thou of me when God is +gone from thee and gone unto David? God shall do to thee as he hath said +to thee by me, and shall cut thy realm from thine hand, and shall give +it thy neighbor David. For thou hast not obeyed his voice, ne hast not +done his commandment in Amalek; therefore thou shalt lose the battle and +Israel shall be overthrown. To-morrow thou and thy children shall be +with me, and our Lord shall suffer the children of Israel to fall in the +hands of the Philistines. Anon then Saul fell down to the earth. The +words of Samuel made him afeard and there was no strength in him, for he +had eaten no bread of all that day, he was greatly troubled. Then the +phitoness desired him to eat, and she slew a paschal lamb that she had, +and dighted and set it tofore him, and bread. And when he had eaten he +walked with his servants all that night. And on the morn the Philistines +assailed Saul and them of Israel, and fought a great battle, and the men +of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and many of them were +slain in the mount of Gilboa. The Philistines smote in against Saul and +his sons, and slew Jonathan and Abinadab, and Melchi-shua, sons of Saul. +And all the burden of the battle was turned on Saul, and the archers +followed him and wounded him sore. Then said Saul to his squire: Pluck +out thy sword and slay me, that these men uncircumcised come not and, +scorning, slay me; and his squire would not for he was greatly afeard. +Then Saul took his sword and slew himself, which thing when his squire +saw, that is that Saul was dead, he took his sword and fell on it and +was dead with him. Thus was Saul dead, and his three sons and his +squire, and all his men that day together. Then the children of Israel +that were thereabouts, and on that other side of Jordan, seeing that the +men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his three sons were dead, left +their cities and fled. The Philistines came and dwelled there, and the +next day the Philistines went for to rifle and pillage them that were +dead, and they found Saul and his three sons lying in the hill of +Gilboa. And they cut off the head of Saul, and robbed him of his armor, +and sent it into the land of the Philistines all about, that it might be +showed in the temple of their idols, and unto the people; and set up his +arms in the temple of Ashtaroth, and hung his body on the wall of +Bethshan. And when the men that dwelt in Jabesh-Gilead saw what the +Philistines had done unto Saul, all the strongest men of them arose and +went all that night and took down the bodies of Saul and of his sons +from the wall of Bethshan and burned them, and took the bones and buried +them in the wood of Jabesh-Gilead and fasted seven days. + +_Thus endeth the life of Saul which was first king upon Israel, and for +disobedience of God's commandment was slain, and his heirs never reigned +long after._ + + + + +THE HISTORY OF DAVID + +_Here followeth how David reigned after Saul, and governed Israel. +Shortly taken out of the Bible, the most historical matters and but +little touched._ + + +After the death of Saul David returned from the journey that he had +against Amalek. For whilst David had been out with Achish the king, they +of Amalek had been in Ziklag and taken all that was therein prisoners, +and robbed and carried away with them the two wives of David, and had +set fire and burned the town. And when David came again home and saw the +town burned he pursued after, and by the conveying of one of them of +Amalek that was left by the way sick, for to have his life he brought +David upon the host of Amalek whereas they sat and ate and drank. And +David smote on them with his meiny [company] and slew down all that he +found, and rescued his wives and all the good that they had taken, and +took much more of them. And when he was come to Ziklag, the third day +after there came one from the host of Saul, and told to David how that +Israel had lost the battle, and how they were fled, and how Saul the +king and Jonathan his son were slain. David said to the young man that +brought these tidings: How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan be dead? +And he answered it was so by adventure that I came upon the mount of +Gilboa, and Saul rested upon his spear, and the horsemen and the +chariots of the Philistines approached to himward, and he looked behind +him and saw me, and called me, and said to me: Who art thou? And I said +I am an Amalekite, and then he said: Stand upon me and slay me, for I am +full of anguish, and yet my soul is in me. And I then standing on him +slew him, knowing well that he might not live after the ruin. And I took +the diadem from his head, and the armylle from his arm, which I have +brought hither to thee, my lord. David took and rent his vestment, and +all the men that were with him, and wailed and sorrowed much the death +of Saul and Jonathan and of all the men of Israel, and fasted that day +till even. And David said to the young man: Of whence art thou? And he +said: I am the son of an Amalekite. And David said to him: Why dreadedst +thou not to put thy hand forth to slay him that is anointed of God? +David called one of his men, and bade him slay him. And he smote him and +slew him. And David said: Thy blood be on thy head! thine own mouth hath +spoken against thee, saying: I have slain Saul which was king anointed +of our Lord. + +David sorrowed and bewailed much the death of Saul and of Jonathan. +After this David counselled with our Lord and demanded if he should go +in to one of the cities of Judah. And our Lord bade him go, and he asked +whither, and our Lord said: Into Hebron. Then David took his two wives +and all the men that were with him, every each with his household, and +dwelled in the towns of Hebron. And thither came the men of Judah and +anointed David king to reign upon the tribe of Judah. And Abner prince +of the host of Saul, and other servants of Saul, took Ishbosheth the son +of Saul, and led him about, and made him king over Israel, except the +tribe of Judah. Ishbosheth was forty years when he began to reign, and +he reigned two years. The house of Judah only followed David. After this +it happed that Abner, prince of the host of Ishbosheth, with certain +men, went out of the castles, and Joab with certain men of David went +also out and ran by the piscine [pool] of Gibeon. One party was on that +one side, and that other on the other. And Abner said to Joab: Let our +young men play and skirmish together, and Joab agreed. And there rose +twelve of Benjamin, of the party of Ishbosheth, and twelve of the +children of David; and when they met together each took other by the +head, and roof their swords into each other's sides and were all there +slain. And there arose a great battle, and Abner and his fellowship were +put to flight by the men of David. + +And among all other there was Asahel one of the brethren of Joab and was +the swiftest runner that might be, and pursued Abner, and Abner looked +behind him, and bade him decline on the right side or on the left side, +and take one of the young men and his harness, and come not at me. +Asahel would not leave him; yet Abner said to him: Go from me and follow +not me lest I be compelled to slay thee, and then I may not make my +peace with Joab thy brother. Which would not hear Abner, but despised +him, and Abner then turned and slew him in the same place, and anon the +sun went down and they withdrew. There were slain of the children of +David nineteen men and of them of Benjamin three hundred and sixty were +slain, and thus there was long strife and contention between the house +of David and the house of Ishbosheth. After this Abner took a concubine +of Saul and held her, wherefore Ishbosheth reproved him of it and Abner +was wroth greatly thereof; and came to David and made friendship with +him. Joab was not there when Abner made his peace with David; but when +he knew it he came to Abner with a fair semblant and spake fair to him +by dissimulation, and slew him for to avenge the death of Asahel his +brother. And when David heard how Joab had slain Abner he cursed him, +and bewailed greatly the death of Abner, and did do bury him [caused him +to be buried] honorably, and David followed the bier himself. And when +Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner was dead, he was all +abashed and all Israel sore troubled. There were two princes of thieves +with Ishbosheth named Baanah and Rechab, which came on a day in to +Ishbosheth where he lay and slept, and there they slew him, and took +privily his head and brought it in to David in Hebron and said: Lo, here +is the head of thine enemy Ishbosheth, that sought to slay thee; this +day God hath given to thee my lord vengeance of Saul and of his seed. +David answered to them: By the living God that hath delivered me from +all anguish, him that told me that he had slain Saul, and had thought +to have had a reward of me, I did do slay, how much more ye that be so +wicked to slay him that is not guilty, in his house and upon his bed? +Shall I not ask his blood of your hands, and throw you out of this +world? Yes, certainly. And David commanded to his servants to slay them, +and so they were slain, and cut off their hands and feet, and hung them +on the piscine [pool] in Hebron, and took the head of Ishbosheth and +buried it in the sepulchre of Abner. And then came all the tribes of +Israel to David in Hebron, saying: We be thy mouth and thy flesh, when +Saul lived and was king on us and reigned, thou wert coming and going; +and because God hath said thou shalt reign upon my people and be their +governor, therefore we shall obey thee. And all the seniors of Israel +came and did homage to David in Hebron, and anointed him king over them. + +David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned forty +years. He reigned in Hebron upon Judah seven years and six months, and +in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years upon all Israel and Judah. +David then made him a dwelling-place in the hill of Sion in Jerusalem. +And after this the Philistines made war against him, but he oft +overthrew them and slew many of them, and made them tributary to him, +and after brought the ark of God in Jerusalem, and set it in his house. +After this yet the Philistines made war again unto him and other kings +were aiding and helping them against David, whom David overcame and slew +and put under. + +And on a time when Joab was out with his men of war lying at a siege +tofore a city, David was at home, and walked in his chamber, and as he +looked out at a window he saw a fair woman wash her and bain her in her +chamber, which stood against his house, and demanded of his servants who +she was, and they said she was Uriah's wife. And David sent letters to +Joab and bade him to send home to him Uriah; and Joab sent Uriah to +David, and David demanded how the host was ruled, and after bade him go +home to his house and wash his feet. And Uriah went thence, and the king +sent to him his dish with meat. Uriah would not go home, but lay before +the gate of the king's house with other servants of the king's. And it +was told to the king that Uriah went not home, and then David said to +Uriah: Thou comest from a far way, why goest thou not home? And Uriah +said to David: The ark of God and Israel and Judah be in the pavilions, +and my lord Joab and the servants of thee, my lord, lie on the ground, +and would ye that I should go to my house? By thy health and by the +health of my soul I shall not do so. Then David said to Uriah, Abide +here then this night, and to-morrow I shall deliver thee. Uriah abode +there that day and the next, and David made him eat tofore him and made +him drunk, yet for all that he would not go home, but lay with the +servants of David. Then on the morn David wrote a letter to Joab, that +he should set Uriah in the weakest place of the battle and where most +jeopardy was, and that he should be left there that he might be slain. +And Uriah bare this letter to Joab, and it was so done as David had +written, and Uriah was slain in the battle. And Joab sent word to David +how they had fought, and how Uriah was slain and dead. When Uriah's wife +heard that her husband was dead, she mourned and wailed him; and after +the mourning David sent for her and wedded her, and she bare him a son. +And this that David had committed on Uriah displeased greatly our Lord. + +Then our Lord sent Nathan the prophet unto David, which, when he came, +said to him: There were two men dwelling in a city, that one rich and +that other poor. The rich man had sheep and oxen right many, but the +poor man had but one little sheep, which he bought and nourished and +grew with his children, eating of his bread and drinking of his cup, and +slept in his bosom. She was to him as a daughter. And on a time when a +certain pilgrim came to the rich man, he, sparing his own sheep and oxen +to make a feast to the pilgrim that was come to him, took the only sheep +of the poor man and made meat thereof to his guest. David was wroth and +said to Nathan: By the living God, the man that hath so done is the +child of death, the man that hath so done shall yield therefor four +times double. Then said Nathan to David: Thou art the same man that hath +done this thing. This said the Lord God of Israel: I have anointed thee +king upon Israel, and kept thee from the hand of Saul, and I have given +to thee an house to keep in thine household and wives in thy bosom. I +have given to thee the house of Israel and the house of Judah, and if +these be small things I shall add and give to thee much more and +greater. Why hast thou therefore despised the word of God and hast done +evil in the sight of our Lord? Thou hast slain Uriah with a sword, and +his wife hast thou taken unto thy wife, and thou hast slain him with the +sword of the sons of Ammon. Therefore the sword shall not go from thy +house, world without end, forasmuch as thou hast despised me and hast +taken Uriah's wife unto thy wife. This said our Lord: I shall raise evil +against thee, and shall take thy wives in thy sight and give them to thy +neighbor. Thou hast done it privily, but I shall make this to be done +and open in the sight of all Israel. And then said David to Nathan: +Peccavi! I have sinned against our Lord. Nathan said: Our Lord hath +taken away thy sin, thou shalt not die, but forasmuch as thou hast made +the enemy to blaspheme the name of God, therefore the son that is born +to thee shall die by death. And Nathan returned to his house. And for +this sin David made this psalm: Miserere mei deus [Have pity on me, O +God!], which is a psalm of mercy, for David did great penance for these +sins of adultery and also of homicide. + +Therefore God took away this sin, and forgave it him, but the son that +she brought forth died. And after this Bathsheba, that had been Uriah's +wife, brought forth another son named Solomon, which was well-beloved of +God, and after David, Solomon was king. + +After this David had much war and trouble and anger, insomuch that on a +time Amnon, oldest son of David, loved Thamar his sister. David knew +hereof, and was right sorry for it, but he would not rebuke his son +Amnon for it, for he loved him because he was his first begotten son. +Absalom hated Amnon ever after, and when Absalom on a time did do shear +his sheep he prayed all his brethren to come eat with him, and made them +a feast like a king's feast. At which feast he did do slay his brother +Amnon; and anon it was told to the King David that Absalom had slain all +the king's sons. Wherefore the king was in great heaviness and sorrow, +but anon after it was told him that there was no more slain but Amnon, +and the other sons came home. And Absalom fled into Geshur, and was +there three years, and durst not come home. And after by the moyen of +Joab he was sent for, and came into Jerusalem, but yet he might not come +in his father the king's presence, and dwelled there two years, and +might not see the King his father. This Absalom was the fairest man that +ever was, for from the sole of his foot unto his head there was not a +spot; he had so much hair on his head that it grieved him to bear, +wherefore it was shorn off once a year, it weighed two hundred shekels +of good weight. Then when he abode so long that he might not come to his +father's presence he sent for Joab to come speak with him, and he would +not come. He sent again for him and he came not. Then Absalom said to +his servants: Know ye Joab's field that lieth by my field? They said +yea. Go ye, said he, and set fire in the barley that is therein, and +burn it. And Joab's servants came and told to Joab that Absalom had set +fire on his corn. Then Joab came to Absalom and said: Why hast thou set +fire on my corn! And he said, I have sent twice to thee, praying thee to +come to me that I might send thee to the king, and that thou shouldst +say to him why I came from Geshur; it had been better for me for to have +abiden there. I pray thee that I may come to his presence and see his +visage, and if he remember my wickedness let him slay me. Joab went in +to the King and told to him all these words. Then was Absalom called, +and entered in to the king, and he fell down and worshipped the king, +and the king kissed him. After this Absalom did do make for himself +chariots and horsemen and fifty men for to go before him, and walked +among the tribes of Israel; and greeted and saluted them, taking them by +the hand, and kissed them, by which he gat to him the hearts of the +people; and said to his father that he had avowed to make sacrifice to +God in Hebron, and his father gave him leave. And when he was there he +gathered people to him, and made himself king, and did do cry that all +men should obey and wait on him as king of Israel. When David heard this +he was sore abashed and was fain to flee out of Jerusalem. And Absalom +came with his people and entered into Jerusalem into his father's house, +and after pursued his father to depose him. And David ordained his +people and battle against him, and sent Joab, prince of his host, +against Absalom, and divided his host into three parts, and would have +gone with them, but Joab counselled that he should not go to the battle +whatsomever happed, and then David bade them to save his son Absalom. + +And they went forth and fought, and Absalom with his host was overthrown +and put to flight. And as Absalom fled upon his mule he came under an +oak, and his hair flew about a bough of the tree and held so fast that +Absalom hung by his hair, and the mule ran forth. There came one to Joab +and told him how that Absalom hung by his hair on a bough of an oak, and +Joab said: Why hast thou not slain him? The man said: God forbid that I +should set hand on the king's son; I heard the king say: keep my son +Absalom alive and slay him not. Then Joab went and took three spears, +and fixed them in the heart of Absalom as he hung on the tree by his +hair, and yet after this ten young men, squires of Joab, ran and slew +him. Then Joab trumped and blew the retreat, and retained the people +that they should not pursue the people flying. And they took the body of +Absalom and cast it in a great pit, and laid on him a great stone. And +when David knew that his son was slain, he made great sorrow and said: O +my son Absalom, my son Absalom, who shall grant to me that I may die for +thee, my son Absalom, Absalom my son! It was told to Joab that the king +wept and sorrowed the death of his son Absalom, and all their victory +was turned into sorrow and wailing, insomuch that the people eschewed to +enter into the city. Then Joab entered in to the king and said: Thou +hast this day discouraged the cheer of all thy servants because they +have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and daughters, of thy +wives and of thy concubines, thou lovest them that hate thee, and hatest +them that love thee, and showest well this day that thou settest little +by thy dukes and servants; and truly I know now well that if Absalom had +lived and all we thy servants had been slain, thou haddest been pleased. +Therefore, arise now and come forth and satisfy the people; or else I +swear to thee by the good lord that there shall not one of thy servants +abide with thee till to-morrow, and that shall be worse to thee than all +the harms and evils that ever yet fell to thee. Then David the king +arose and sat in the gate, and anon it was shown to all the people that +the king sat in the gate. And then all the people came in tofore the +king, and they of Israel that had beerv with Absalom fled into their +tabernacles, and after came again unto David when they knew that Absalom +was dead. + +And after, one Sheba, a cursed man, rebelled and gathered people against +David. Against whom Joab with the host of David pursued, and drove him +unto a city which he besieged, and by the means of a woman of the same +city Sheba's head was smitten off and delivered to Joab over the wall, +and so the city was saved, and Joab pleased. After this David called +Joab, and bade him number the people of Israel, and so Joab walked +through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and over Jordan +and all the country, and there were founden in Israel eight hundred +thousand strong men that were able to fight and to draw sword, and of +the tribe of Judah fifty thousand fighting men. And after that the +people was numbered, the heart of David was smitten by our Lord and was +heavy, and said: I have sinned greatly in this deed, but I pray the Lord +to take away the wickedness of thy servant, for I have done follily. +David rose on the morn early, and the word of our Lord came to Gad the +prophet saying: that he should go to David and bid him choose one of +three things that he should say to him. When Gad came to David he said +that he should choose whether he would have seven years hunger in his +land, or three months he should flee his adversaries and enemies, or to +have three days' pestilence. Of these three God biddeth thee choose +which thou wilt; now advise thee and conclude what I shall answer to our +Lord. David said to Gad: I am constrained to a great thing, but it is +better for me to put me in the hands of our Lord, for his mercy is much +more than in men, and so he chose pestilence. + +Then our Lord sent pestilence the time constitute, and there died of the +people from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men. And when the angel +extended his hand upon Jerusalem for to destroy it, our Lord was +merciful upon the affliction, and said to the angel so smiting: It +sufficeth now, withdraw thy hand. David said to our Lord when he saw the +angel smiting the people: I am he that have sinned and done wickedly, +what have these sheep done? I beseech thee that thy hand turn upon me +and upon the house of my father. Then came Gad to David and bade him +make an altar in the same place where he saw the angel; and he bought +the place, and made the altar, and offered sacrifices unto our Lord, and +our Lord was merciful, and the plague ceased in Israel. + +David was old and feeble and saw that his death approached, and ordained +that his son Solomon should reign and be king after him. Howbeit that +Adonijah his son took on him to be king during David's life. For which +cause Bathsheba and Nathan came to David, and tofore them he said that +Solomon should be king, and ordained that he should be set on his mule +by his prophets Nathan, Zadok the priest and Benaiah, and brought in to +Sion. And there Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him +king upon Israel and blew in a trump and said: Live the King Solomon. +And from thence they brought him into Jerusalem and set him upon his +father's seat in his father's throne, and David worshipped him in his +bed, and said: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath suffered me +to see my son in my throne and seat And then Adonijah and all they that +were with him were afeared, and dreading Solomon ran away, and so ceased +Adonijah. The days of David approached fast that he should die, and did +do call Solomon before him, and there he commanded him to keep the +commandments of our Lord and walk in his ways, and to observe his +ceremonies, his precepts and his judgments, as it is written in the law +of Moses, and said: Our Lord confirm thee in thy reign, and send to thee +wisdom to rule it well. And when David had thus counselled and +commanded him to do justice and keep God's law, he blessed him and died, +and was buried with his fathers. This David was an holy man and made the +holy psalter, which is an holy book and is contained therein the old law +and the new law. He was a great prophet, for he prophesied the coming of +Christ, his nativity, his passion, and resurrection, and also his +ascension, and was great with God, yet God would not suffer him to build +a temple for him, for he had shed man's blood. But God said to him, his +son that should reign after him should be a man peaceable, and he should +build the temple to God. And when David had reigned forty years king of +Jerusalem, over Judah and Israel, he died in good mind, and was buried +with his fathers in the city of David. + + + + +THE SONG OF DAVID + + +He sang of God, the mighty source +Of all things, the stupendous force + On which all strength depends; +From whose right arm, beneath whose eyes, +All period, power, and enterprise + Commences, reigns, and ends. + +The world, the clustering spheres he made, +The glorious light, the soothing shade, + Dale, champaign, grove, and hill: +The multitudinous abyss, +Where secrecy remains in bliss, + And wisdom hides her skill. + +Tell them, I AM, Jehovah said +To Moses: while Earth heard in dread, + And, smitten to the heart, +At once, above, beneath, around, +All Nature, without voice or sound, + Replied, "O Lord, THOU ART." + +_--C. Smart_ + + + + +THE STORY OF A CUP OF WATER + +BY THEODORE T. MUNGER + +[From "Lamps and Paths," by courtesy of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.] + +Be noble! and the nobleness that lies +In other men, sleeping, but never dead, +Will rise in majesty to meet thine own. + +--James Russell Lowell: _Sonnet IV_ + +Restore to God his due in tithe and time: + A tithe purloined cankers the whole estate. +Sundays observe: think, when the bells do chime, + 'Tis angels' music; therefore come not late. +God there deals blessings. If a king did so, +Who would not haste, nay give, to see the show? + +--George Herbert + + O Lord, that lends me life, +Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness! + +_--King Henry VI.,_ Part II.; i. I + +_"And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the +water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate! And the three brake +through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of +Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David: +but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord, and +said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink +the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with +the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not +drink it."_--I Chronicles xi. 17-19 + + +If any of my young friends ask why I have read this long-time-ago +Bible-story as a text for a sermon to-day, I will not only answer, but +thank them for the question; for nothing helps a speaker at the start so +much as a straight, intelligent question. I have read this story from +the Chronicles, because I want to connect this beautiful occasion with +some beautiful thing in the Bible; for beautiful things go together. + +My main object and desire in this service is to have everything +beautiful and pure and high. For I know how well you will remember this +day in after years; I know how every feature and incident is imprinting +itself upon your minds; I know how, twenty and forty years hence, when +we older ones will be dead and gone, and you will be scattered far and +wide, some in the great cities--New York, Chicago, St. Louis--some in +California, and some further off still--I know how, on quiet June +Sundays years hence, you will recall this Festival of Flowers in North +Adams. You may be in some of the great cities, or on the broad prairies, +or among the park-like forests of the Sierra, or in Puget Sound, but you +will never forget this day. These familiar walls; this pulpit and font +and chancel decked with flowers; this service, made _for_ you and in +part _by_ you--you will never forget it. And because you will always +remember it, I want to have it throughout just as beautiful, just as +pure and inspiring, as possible. The flowers will do their part; they +never fail to speak sweet, pure words to us. Your Superintendent always +does his part well, and I hope you will all thank him in your hearts, if +not in words, for his faithful and laborious interest in you. And your +teachers and others who have brought together this wealth of beauty, +this glory of color and perfume, this tribute of sweetness from +mountain-side and field and garden--they have done well; and you will +remember it all years hence, and when far away, and perhaps some tears +will start for "the days that are no more." + +But this occasion would not be complete to my mind if there were not +linked with it some noble and inspiring trutn. I want to make all these +flowers and this music the setting of a truth, like a diamond set round +with emeralds, or an opal with pearls. _You_ have brought the pearls and +the emeralds; _I_ must bring a diamond or an opal to set in the midst of +them. I am very sure that I have one in this old story--a diamond very +brilliant if we brush away the old Hebrew dust, and cut away the sides +and let in a little more light upon it. I am not sure, however, but I +ought to call it a pearl rather than a diamond; for there is a chaste +and gentle modesty about it that reminds one of the soft lustre of a +pearl rather than of the flashing splendor of a diamond. St. John, in +naming the precious stones that make the foundation of the heavenly +city, omits the diamond--and for some good reason, I suspect--while the +twelve gates were all pearls. Now, I think David stood very near one of +those gates of pearl at the time of this story. To my mind, it is nearly +the most beautiful in all this Book; and I know you will listen while I +tell it more fully. + +I have this impression of David--that if you had seen him when he was +young, you would have thought him the most glorious human being you had +ever looked on. He was one of those persons who fascinate all who come +near them. He bound everybody to him in a wonderful way. They not only +_liked_ him, but they became absorbed in him, and were ready to obey +him, and serve him, and to give themselves up to him in every way +possible. I am not at all surprised that Saul's son and daughter and +Saul himself fell in love with, and could hardly live without, him. It +was so all along; and even after he became an old man everybody was +fascinated by him--even his old uncles--and stood ready to do his +bidding and consult his wishes. + +It was somewhat so with Richard Coeur de Lion and Napoleon and Mary +Stuart and Alexander and Julius Caesar; but the personal fascination of +none of these persons was so great as that of David. In some respects he +was no greater than some of these; but he had a broader and more lovable +nature than any of them, for he had what not one of them had in anything +like the same degree--a great and noble generosity. David deserved all +the love that was lavished upon him, because--let men love him ever so +much--he loved more in return. + +There was not apparently, at this early time of his life, one grain of +selfishness about him. You know that the word _chivalry_ was not used +till about a thousand years back, while David lived almost three times +as long ago; but he was one of the most _chivalrous_ men that ever +lived. By chivalry I mean a union of honor, purity, religion, nobleness, +bravery, and devotion to a cause or person. David excited this chivalric +devotion in others because he had so much of it in himself. And here I +will stop a moment just to say that if you want to awaken any feeling +in another toward yourself, you must first have it in yourself. I think +there is a very general notion that in order to awaken admiration and +love and regard in others one must have a fine appearance. There is a +great deal of misplaced faith in fine clothes and bright eyes and clear +complexions and pretty features; but I have yet to learn that these ever +win genuine love and admiration. And so far as I have observed, a true +sentiment only grows out of a corresponding sentiment; feeling comes +from feeling; in short, others come at last to feel toward us just about +as we feel toward them. And I never knew a person, young or old, to show +a kind, generous, hearty disposition to others who was not surrounded by +friends. And I have seen--I know not how many--selfish and unobliging +and unsympathetic persons go friendless all their days in spite of +wealth and fine appearance. Now, put this away in your memory to think +of hereafter. + +It was David's great-heartedness that bound others to him. At the time +of this story he was a sort of outlaw, driven without any good reason +from the court of Saul. But he was a man of too much spirit to allow +himself to be tamely killed, and he loved Saul and his family too well +to actually make war upon him, and he was too good a patriot to give +trouble to his country--a pretty hard place he had to fill, I can assure +you. But he was equal to it, and simply bided his time, drawing off into +the wild and rocky regions where he could hide and also protect himself. +But he was not a man whom people would leave alone. The magnetic power +that was in him drew kindred spirits, and some that were not kindred who +found it pleasanter to follow a chief in the wilds than to live in the +dull quiet of their homes. But the greater part of them were brave, +generous, devoted souls, who had come to the conclusion that to live +with David and fight his battles and share his fortunes was more +enjoyable than to plod along under Saul and his petty tyrannies. There +were, in particular, eleven men of the tribe of Gad--mountaineers--fierce +as lions and swift as roes, terrible men in battle, and full of devotion +to David. In this way he got together quite a little army, which he used +to defend the borders from the Philistines, who were a thieving set, and +also to defend himself in case Saul troubled him. It was not exactly the +best sort of a life for a man to live; and had not David been a person +of very high principles, his followers would have been a band of robbers +living on the country. But David prevented that, and made them as useful +as was possible. His headquarters were at the cave of Adullam, or what +is now called Engedi. While here, the Philistines came on a foraging +expedition as far as Bethlehem, and with so large a force that David and +his few followers were shut up in their fortress--for how long we do not +know--probably for some days. It was very dull and wearisome business, +imprisoned in a rocky defile and unable to do anything, while the +Philistines were stealing the harvests that grew on the very spot where +he had spent his boyhood. + +It was then that what has always seemed to me a very touching and +beautiful trait of David's character showed itself, and that is--_a +feeling of homesickness_. Now, there is very little respect to be had +for a person who is not capable of homesickness. To give up to it may be +weak, but to be incapable of it is a bad sign. But in David it took a +very poetic form. Close by was the home where he was born. There, in +Bethlehem, he had passed the dreamy years of his childhood and youth +amid the love of his parents and brothers, whom he now had with him; +there he fed his sheep and sang to his harp; and there, morning and +evening, he gathered with others about the well--the meeting-place of +his companions--loved with all the passionate energy of his nature, and +still loved in spite of the troublous times that had come upon him. As +David broods over these memories, he longs with a yearning, homesick +feeling for Bethlehem and its well. And, like a poet as he was, he +conceives that if he could but drink of its water, it would relieve this +feverish unrest and longing for the past. It was a very natural feeling. +You are too young to know what it means; but we who are older think of +these little things in a strange, yearning way. It is the little things +of childhood that we long for--to lie under the roof on which we heard +the rain patter years and years ago; to gather fruit in the old orchard; +to fish in the same streams; to sit on the same rock, or under the same +elm or maple, and see the sun go down behind the same old hills; to +drink from the same spring that refreshed us in summer days that will +not come again--_you_ are too young for this, but we who are older know +well how David felt. He was not a man to hide his feelings, and so he +uttered his longing for the water of the well by the gate of Bethlehem. +His words are overheard; and three of these terrible followers of +his--fierce as lions and fleet as deer--took their swords and fought +their way through the Philistines, slaying we know not how many, and +brought back some of the water. It was enough for _them_ that David +wanted it. + +Now, some people would say that it was very foolish and sentimental of +David to be indulging in such a whim, and still more foolish in these +men to gratify it at the risk of their lives; but I think there is a +better way of looking at it. If David had _required_ them to procure the +water at the risk of their lives, it would have been very wrong; but the +whole thing was unknown to him till the water was brought. I prefer to +regard it as an act of splendid heroism, prompted by chivalric devotion, +and I will not stop to consider whether or not it was sensible and +prudent. And I want to say to you that whenever you see or hear of an +action that has these qualities of heroism and generosity and devotion, +it is well to admire and praise it, whether it will bear the test of +cold reason or not. I hope your hearts will never get to be so dry and +hard that they will not beat responsive to brave and noble deeds, even +if they are not exactly prudent. + +But David took even a higher view of this brave and tender act of his +lion-faced, deer-footed followers. It awoke his religious feelings; for +our sense of what is noble and generous and brave lies very close to +our religious sensibilities. The whole event passes, in David's mind, +into the field of religion; and so what does he do? Drink the water, and +praise his three mighty warriors, and bid them never again run such +risks to gratify his chance wishes? No. David looks a great deal further +into the matter than this. The act seemed to him to have a religious +character; its devotion was so complete and unselfish that it became +sacred. He felt what I have just said--that a brave and devoted act that +incurs danger is almost if not quite a religious act. And so he treats +it in a religious way. He is anxious to separate it from himself, +although done for him, and get it into a service done for God; and he +may have thought that he had himself been a little selfish. To his mind +it would have been a mean and low repayment to these men to drink their +water with loud praises of their valor. They had done a Godlike deed, +and so he will transfer it to God, and make it an act as between them +and God. I do not know that those lion-faced, deer-footed warriors +understood or appreciated his treatment of their act; but David himself +very well knew what he was about, and you can see that he acted in a +very high and true way. He will not drink the water, but pours it out +unto the Lord, and lets it sink into the ground unused, and, because +unused, a sort of sacrifice and offering to God. Water got with such +valor and risk was not for man, but for God. Much less was it right to +use it to gratify a dreamy whim that had in it perhaps just a touch of +selfishness. The bravery and danger had made the water sacred, and so +he will make a sacred use of it. + +If any one thinks that David was carried away by sentimentality, or that +he was overscrupulous, one has only to recall how, when _actually_ in +want, he took the consecrated bread from the Tabernacle at Nob, and ate +it and gave it to his followers. His strong common-sense told him that +even consecrated bread was not too good for hungry men; but that same +fine common-sense told him that water procured at the risk of life, when +not actually wanted, had become sacred, and had better be turned into a +sort of prayer and offering to God than wantonly drunk. + +And now, having the story well in mind, I will close by drawing out from +it one or two lessons that seem to me very practical. + +Suppose we were to ask, Who acted in the noblest way--the three strong +men who got the water, or David, who made a sacrifice or libation of it? +It does not take us long to answer. The real greatness of the whole +affair was with the three men, though David put a beautiful meaning upon +it, and exalted it to its true place. Their act was very brave and +lofty; but David crowned it with its highest grace by carrying it on +into religion--that is, by setting it before God. + +I see a great many people who are living worthy lives, doing a great +many kind acts and rendering beautiful services, but do not take God +into their thoughts, nor render their services as unto Him. I think +everybody must see that this act of these lion-faced men was more +complete when David took it before God than as rendered for himself. +Why, it might take long to tell; but, briefly, it was because the +nameless grace of religion has been added to it, and because it was +connected with that great, dear Name that hallows everything brought +under it. + +Many of you have brought here offerings of flowers, sweet and fit for +this day and place and purpose. Some may have brought them simply with +the thought of helping out the occasion, or to please your teacher, or +because it is beautiful in itself to heap up beauty in this large way; +but if, as you worked here yesterday, or brought your flowers to-day, +your thoughts silently rose to God, saying, "These are for _Thy_ +altars--this glory of tint and perfume is not for us, but for +_Thee_"--then, I think, every poet, every person of fine feeling, every +true thinker, would say that the latter is more beautiful than the +former. I hate to see a life that does not take hold of God; I hate to +see fine acts and brave lives and noble dispositions and generous +emotions that do not reach up into a sense of God; I hate to see +persons--and I see a great many such nowadays--striving after beautiful +lives and true sentiments and large thoughts without ever a word of +prayer, or thought of God, or anything to show they love and venerate +Christ. I hate to see it, both because they might rise so much higher +and because at last it fails; for God must enter into every thought and +sentiment and purpose in order to make it genuine, and truly beautiful, +and altogether right. That God may be in your thoughts; that you may +learn to confess Him in all your ways, to serve and fear and know and +love him--this is the wish with which I greet you to-day, and the prayer +that I offer in your behalf. + +I found, the other day, some lines by Faber--a Catholic poet--so +beautifully giving this last thought of our sermon that I will read them +to you: + +"Oh God! who wert my childhood's love, + My boyhood's pure delight, +A presence felt the livelong day, + A welcome fear at night, + +"I know not what I thought of Thee; + What picture I had made +Of that Eternal Majesty + To whom my childhood prayed. + +"With age Thou grewest more divine, + More glorious than before; +I feared Thee with a deeper fear, + Because I loved Thee more. + +"Thou broadenest out with every year + Each breath of life to meet. +I scarce can think Thou art the same, + Thou art so much more sweet. + +"Father! what hast Thou grown to now? + A joy all joys above, +Something more sacred than a fear, + More tender than a love. + +"With gentle swiftness lead me on, + Dear God! to see Thy face; +And meanwhile in my narrow heart, + Oh, make Thyself more space." + + + + +THE HISTORY OF SOLOMON + + +After David, reigned Solomon his son, which was in the beginning a good +man and walked in the ways and laws of God. And all the kings about him +made peace with him and was king confirmed, obeyed and peaceable in his +possession, and according to his father's commandment did justice. First +on Joab that had been prince of his father's host, because he slew two +good men by treason and guile, that was Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa +the son of Ithra. And Joab was afeard and dreaded Solomon, and fled into +the Tabernacle of our Lord and held the end of the altar. And Solomon +sent Benaiah and slew him there, and after buried him in his house in +desert. And after this on a night as he lay in his bed after he had +sacrificed to our Lord in Gibeon, our Lord appeared to him in his sleep +saying to him: Ask and demand what thou wilt that I may give to thee. +And Solomon said: Lord, thou hast done to my father great mercy; because +he walked in thy ways in truth, justice, and a rightful heart, thou hast +always kept for him thy great mercy, and hast given to him a son sitting +upon this throne as it is this day. And now Lord thou hast made me thy +servant to reign for my father David. I am a little child and know not +my going out and entering in, and I thy servant am set in the middle of +the people that thou hast chosen which be infinite, and may not be +numbered for multitude; therefore Lord give to me thy servant a heart +docile and taught in wisdom that may judge thy people, and discern +between good and evil. Who may judge this people, thy people that be so +many? This request and demand pleased much unto God that Solomon had +asked such a thing. And God said to Solomon: Because thou hast required +and asked this and hast not asked long life, ne riches, ne the souls of +thine enemies, but hast asked sapience and wisdom to discern doom and +judgment, I have given to thee after thy desire and request, and I have +given to thee a wise heart and understanding insomuch that there was +never none such tofore, ne never after shall be. And also those things +that thou hast not asked I have given also to thee, that is to say +riches and glory, that no man shall be like to thee among all the kings +that shall be after thy days. If thou walk in my ways and keep my +precepts and observe my commandments as thy father walked, I shall make +thy days long. After this Solomon awoke and came to Jerusalem, and stood +tofore the Ark of our Lord and offered sacrifices and victims unto our +Lord, and made a great feast unto all his servants and household. Then +came tofore him two women, of which that one said: I beseech thee my +lord hear me; this woman and I dwelled together in one house, and I was +delivered of a child in my cubicle [sleeping room], and the third day +after she bare a child, and was also delivered, and we were together +and none other in the house but we twain, and it was so that this +woman's son was dead in the night; for she sleeping, overlaid and +oppressed him, and she arose in the darkest of the night privily, and +took my son from the side of me thy servant and laid him by her, and her +son that was dead she laid by me. When I arose in the morning for to +give milk to my son it appeared dead, whom I took beholding him +diligently in the clear light, understood well anon that it was not my +son that I had borne. The other woman answered and said: It was not so +as thou sayest, but my son liveth and thine is dead. And contrary that +other said: Thou liest: my son liveth and thine is dead. Thus in this +wise they strove tofore the king. Then the king said: This woman saith +my son liveth and thine is dead, and this answereth Nay, but thy son is +dead, and mine liveth. Then the king said: Bring to me here a sword. +When they had brought forth a sword the king said: Divide ye, said he, +the living child in two parts, and give that one half to that one, and +that other half to that other. Then said the woman that was mother of +the living child to the king, for all her members and bowels were moved +upon her son: I beseech and pray thee, my lord, give to her the child +alive, and slay him not, and contrary said that other woman: Let it not +be given to me ne to thee, but let it be divided. The king then answered +and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be slain; +this is verily the mother. All Israel heard how wisely the king had +given this sentence and dreaded him, seeing that the wisdom of God was +in him in deeming of rightful dooms. + +After this Solomon sent his messengers to divers kings for cedar trees +and for workmen, for to make and build a temple unto our Lord. Solomon +was rich and glorious, and all the realms from the river of the ends of +the Philistines unto the end of Egypt were accorded with him, and +offered to him gifts and to serve him all the days of his life. Solomon +had daily for the meat of his household thirty measures, named chores, +of corn, and sixty of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen of pasture and +an hundred wethers, without venison that was taken, as harts, goats, +bubals, and other flying fowls and birds. He obtained all the region +that was from Tiphsa unto Azza, and had peace with all the kings of all +the realms that were in every part round about him. In that time Israel +and Judah dwelled without fear and dread, every each under his vine and +fig tree from Dan unto Beersheba. + +Solomon had forty thousand racks for the horses of his carts, chariots +and cars, and twelve thousand for horses to ride on, by which prefects +brought necessary things for the table of King Solomon, with great +diligence in their time. God gave to Solomon much wisdom and prudence in +his heart, like to the gravel that is in the sea-side, and the sapience +and wisdom of Solomon passed and went tofore the sapience of all them of +the Orient and of Egypt, and he was the wisest of all men, and so he was +named. He spake three thousand parables, and five thousand songs, and +disputed upon all manner trees and virtue of them, from the cedar that +is in Lebanon unto the hissop that groweth on the wall, and discerned +the properties of beasts, fowls, reptiles and fishes, and there came +people from all regions of the world for to hear the wisdom of Solomon, + +And Solomon sent letters to Hiram, king of Tyre, for to have his men to +cut cedar trees with his servants, and he would yield to them their hire +and meed, and let him wit how that he would build and edify a temple to +our Lord. And Hiram sent to him that he should have all that he desired, +and sent to him cedar trees and other wood. And Solomon sent to him corn +in great number, and Solomon and Hiram confederated them together in +love and friendship. Solomon chose out workmen of all Israel the number +of thirty thousand men of whom he sent to Lebanon ten thousand every +month, and when ten thousand went the others came home, and so two +months were they at home, and Adonias was overseer and commander on +them. Solomon had seventy thousand men that did nothing but bear stone +and mortar and other things to the edifying of the temple, and were +bearers of burdens only, and he had eighty thousand of hewers of stone +and masons in the mountain, without the prefects and masters, which were +three thousand three hundred that did nothing but command and oversee +them that wrought. Solomon commanded the workmen to make square stones, +great and precious, for to lay in the foundament, which the masons of +Israel and masons of Hiram hewed, and the carpenters made ready the +timber. + +Then began Solomon the temple to our Lord, in the fourth year of his +reign he began to build the temple. The house that he builded had +seventy cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and thirty in +height, and the porch tofore the temple was twenty cubits long after the +measure of the breadth of the temple, and had ten cubits of breadth +tofore the face of the temple, and for to write the curiosity and work +of the temple, and the necessaries, the tables and cost that was done in +gold, silver and latten, it passeth my cunning to express and English +them. Ye that be clerks may see it in the Second Book of Kings and the +Second Book of Paralipomenon. It is wonder to hear the costs and +expenses that was made in that temple, but I pass over. It was on making +seven years, and his palace was thirteen years ere it was finished. He +made in the temple an altar of pure gold, and a table to set on the +loaves of proposition of gold, five candlesticks of gold on the right +side and five on the left side, and many other things, and took all the +vessels of gold and silver that his father David had sanctified and +hallowed, and brought them into the treasury of the house of our Lord. +After this he assembled all the noblest and greatest of birth of them of +Israel, with the princes of the tribes and dukes of the families, for to +bring the Ark of God from the city of David, Sion, into the temple. And +the priests and Levites took the Ark and bare it and all the vessels of +the sanctuary that were in the tabernacle. King Solomon, with all the +multitude of the children that were there, went tofore the Ark and +offered sheep and oxen without estimation and number. + +And the priests set the Ark in the house of our Lord in the oracle of +the temple, in sancta sanctorum, under the wings of cherubim. In the ark +was nothing but the two tables of Moses of stone which Moses had put in. +And then Solomon blessed our Lord tofore all the people, and thanked him +that he had suffered him to make an house unto his name, and besought +our Lord that he whosomever prayed our Lord for any petition in that +temple, that he of his mercy would hear him and be merciful to him. And +our Lord appeared to him when the edifice was accomplished perfectly, +and said to Solomon: I have heard thy prayer and thine oration that thou +hast prayed tofore me. I have sanctified and hallowed this house that +thou hast edified for to put my name therein for evermore, and my eyes +and heart shall be thereon always. And if thou walk before me like as +thy father walked in the simplicity of heart and in equity, and wilt do +all that I have commanded thee, and keep my judgments and laws, I shall +set the throne of thy reign upon Israel evermore, like as I have said to +thy father David, saying: There shall not be taken away a man of thy +generation from the reign and seat of Israel. If ye avert and turn from +me, ye and your sons, not following ne keeping my commandments and +ceremonies that I have showed tofore you, but go and worship strange +gods, and honor them, I shall cast away Israel from the face of the +earth that I have given to them, and the temple that I have hallowed to +my name, I shall cast it away from my sight. And it shall be a fable and +proverb, and thy house an example shall be to all people; every man that +shall go thereby shall be abashed and astonied, and shall say: Why hath +God done thus to this land and to thy house? And they shall answer: For +they have forsaken their Lord God that brought them out of the land of +Egypt, and have followed strange gods, and them adored and worshipped, +and therefore God hath brought on them all this evil: here may every man +take ensample how perilous and dreadful it is to break the commandment +of God. + +Twenty years after that Solomon had edified the temple of God and his +house, and finished it perfectly, Hiram the king of Tyre went for to see +towns that Solomon had given to him, and they pleased him not. Hiram had +sent to King Solomon an hundred and twenty besants of gold, which he had +spent on the temple and his house, and on the wall of Jerusalem and +other towns and places that he had made. Solomon was rich and glorious +that the fame ran, of his sapience and wisdom and of his building and +dispense in his house, through the world, insomuch that the queen of +Sheba came from far countries to see him and to tempt him in demands and +questions. And she came into Jerusalem with much people and riches, with +camels charged with aromatics and gold infinite. And she came and spake +to King Solomon all that ever she had in her heart. And Solomon taught +her in all that ever she purposed tofore him. She could say nothing but +that the king answered to her, there was nothing hid from him. The queen +of Sheba then seeing all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had +builded, and the meat and service of his table, the habitacles of his +servants, the order of the ministers, their clothing and array, his +butlers and officers, and the sacrifices that he offered in the house of +our Lord, when she saw all these things, she had no spirit to answer, +but she said to King Solomon: The word is true that I heard in my land, +of thy words and thy wisdom, and I believed not them that told it to me, +unto the time that I myself came and have seen it with mine eyes, and I +have now well seen and proved that the half was not told to me. Thy +sapience is more, and thy works also, than the tidings that I heard. +Blessed be thy servants, and blessed be these that stand always tofore +thee and hear thy sapience and wisdom, and thy Lord God be blessed whom +thou hast pleased, and hath set thee upon the throne of Israel, for so +much as God of Israel loveth thee and hath ordained thee a king for to +do righteousness and justice. She gave then to the king an hundred and +twenty besants of gold, many aromatics, and gems precious. There were +never seen tofore so many aromatics ne so sweet odors smelling as the +queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. + +King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that ever she desired and +demanded of him, and after returned into her country and land. The +weight of pure gold that was offered every year to Solomon was six +hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, except that that the merchants +offered, and all they that sold, and all the kings of Arabia and dukes +of that land. Solomon made two hundred shields of the purest gold and +set them in the house of Lebanon; he made him also a throne of ivory +which was great and was clad with gold, which had six grees or steps, +which was richly wrought with two lions of gold holding the seat above, +and twelve small lions standing upon the steps, on every each twain, +here and there. There was never such a work in no realm. And all the +vessels that King Solomon drank of were of gold, and the ceiling of the +house of Lebanon in which his shields of gold were in was of the most +pure gold. Silver was of no price in the days of King Solomon, for the +navy of the king, with the navy of Hiram, went in three years once into +Tarsis and brought them thence gold and silver, teeth of elephants and +great riches. The King Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the +world in riches and wisdom, and all the world desired to see the cheer +and visage of Solomon, and to hear his wisdom that God had given to him. +Every man brought to him gifts, vessels of gold and silver, clothes and +armor for war, aromatics, horses and mules every year. Solomon gathered +together chariots and horsemen; he had a thousand four hundred chariots +and cars, and twelve thousand horsemen, and were lodged in small cities +and towns about Jerusalem by the king. There was as great abundance and +plenty of gold and silver in those days in Jerusalem as stones or +sycamores that grow in the field, and horses were brought to him from +Egypt and Chao. What shall I all day write of the riches, glory and +magnificence of King Solomon? It was so great that it cannot be +expressed, for there was never none like to him, ne never shall none +come after him like unto him. He made the book of the parables +containing thirty-one chapters, the book of the Canticles, the book of +Ecclesiastes, containing twelve chapters, and the book of Sapience +containing nineteen chapters. This King Solomon loved overmuch women, +and specially strange women of other sects; as King Pharaoh's daughters +and many other of the gentiles. He had seven hundred wives which were as +queens, and three hundred concubines, and these women turned his heart. +For when he was old he so doted and loved them that they made him honor +their strange gods, and worshipped Ashtareth, Chemosh and Moloch, idols +of Zidonia, of Moabites, and Ammonites, and made to them Tabernacles for +to please his wives and concubines, wherefore God was wroth with him, +and said to him: Because thou hast not observed my precepts and my +commandments that I commanded thee, I shall cut thy kingdom and divide +it and give it to thy servant but not in thy day, I shall not do it for +love that I had to David thy father; but from the hand of thy son I +shall cut it but not all, I shall reserve to him one tribe for David's +love, and Jerusalem that I have chosen. And after this divers kings +became adversaries to Solomon, and was never in peace after. + +It is said, but I find it not in the Bible, that Solomon repented him +much of this sin of idolatry and did much penance therefor, for he let +him be drawn through Jerusalem and beat himself with rods and scourges, +that the blood flowed in the sight of all the people. He reigned upon +all Israel in Jerusalem forty years, and died and was buried with his +fathers in the city of David, and Rehoboam his son reigned after him. + + + + +THE HISTORY OF REHOBOAM + + +After Solomon, reigned his son Rehoboam. He came to Sichem and thither +came all the people for to ordain him king. Jeroboam and all the +multitude of Israel spake to Rehoboam, and said: Thy father set on us an +hard yoke and great impositions, now thou hast not so much need, +therefore less it and minish it, and ease us of the great and hard +burden and we shall serve thee. Rehoboam answered and said: Go ye and +come again the third day and ye shall have an answer. When the people +was departed, Rehoboam made a counsel of the seniors and old men that +had assisted his father Solomon whiles he lived, and said to them: What +say ye? and counsel me that I may answer to the people, which said to +Rohoboam: If thou wilt obey and agree to this people, and agree to their +petition, and speak fair and friendly to them, they shall serve thee +always. But Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, and called the +young men that were of his age, and asked of them counsel. And the young +men that had been nourished with him bade him say to the people in this +wise: Is not my finger greater than the back of my father? If my father +hath laid on you a heavy burden, I shall add and put more to your +burden; my father beat you with scourges, and I shall beat you with +scorpions. The third day after, Jeroboam and all the people came to +Rehoboam to have their answer, and Rehoboam left the counsel of the old +men, and said to them like as the young men had counselled him. And anon +the people of Israel forsook Rehoboam, and of twelve tribes, there abode +with him no more but the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. And the other ten +tribes departed and made Jeroboam their king, and never returned unto +the house of David after unto this day. And thus for sin of Solomon, and +because Rehoboam would not do after the counsel of the old men, but was +counselled by young men, the ten tribes of Israel forsook him, and +departed from Jerusalem, and served Jeroboam, and ordained him king upon +Israel. Anon after this, Jeroboam fell to idolatry and great division +was ever after between the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel. And +so reigned divers kings each after other in Jerusalem after Rehoboam, +and in Israel after Jeroboam. And here I leave all the history and make +an end of the book of Kings for this time, etc. For ye that list to know +how every king reigned after other, ye may find it in the first chapter +of Saint Matthew which is read on Christmas day in the morning before Te +Deum, which is the genealogy of our Lady. + + + + +A LITTLE MAID + +BY THEODORE T. MUNGER + +[From "Lamps and Paths," by courtesy of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.] + +In old days we read of angels who came and took men by the hand, and led +them away from the city of Destruction. We see no white-robed angels +now; yet men are led away from threatening destruction: a hand is put +into theirs, and they are gently guided toward a bright and calm land, +so that they look no more backward; and the hand may be that of a little +child.--GEORGE ELIOT + +As aromatic plants bestow +No spicy fragrance while they grow, +But crushed, or trodden to the ground, +Diffuse their balmy sweets around. + +--GOLDSMITH: _The Captivity_ + +_"Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man +with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given +deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a +leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away +captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on +Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress. Would God my lord were +with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his +leprosy."_--2 KINGS v. 1-3 + + +I think upon the whole that old stories are better than new ones; I +mean, stories of old times. It is perhaps because only the very best are +remembered while the poorer ones are forgotten, so that those which have +come down to us through past ages are the choice ones selected from a +great number that pleased people for a while, but not well nor long +enough to get fixed in their minds. + +Of all old stories, I hardly know a better one than this of Naaman and +the little maid from Samaria. It is full of human nature; that is, it +shows that people acted and felt three thousand years ago just as they +do now: they were kind and sympathetic, and proud and grateful and +covetous and deceitful, just as people are nowadays. And the story has a +fine romantic setting; that is, its incidents take hold of our fancy and +charm us;--a little girl stolen in war and carried to a foreign country +and put into the house of a great general, who falls very ill and is +cured in a wonderful way, and so on. I think it will please us all to +hear it over again. + +Syria and Israel stood to each other very much like Germany and +Switzerland. One was a great, rich country, with fine rivers like the +Rhine and Danube, and a capital city so beautiful that it was called +"the eye of the East"; while Israel was a small country, full of +mountains, and with only one small river that ran nearly dry in summer. +To tell the truth, Syria looked down on Israel, and--what is +worse--often made war on it. In those days war was even more cruel and +senseless than it is now; for it was not confined to the armies that +fought and captured one another, but extended to women and children, who +were often seized, carried away from their homes into the country of the +enemy, and made slaves. It is bad and senseless enough for men to stand +up and stab one another as they used to in old times, or shoot one +another as they do now; but to carry a mother away from her children, or +take a little girl away from her home and playmates and make a slave of +her, is something worse. But it was often done in those ancient days, as +you will learn when you read history, and the story of the siege of +Troy, which sprang out of stealing a beautiful woman. + +There were frequent wars between Syria and Israel. Israel had once +conquered Syria, and Syria had broken away, and so it went on back and +forth, year after year. When our story begins, Naaman, a great general, +had delivered his country from Israel, and brought home with him a +little Hebrew girl, who was so beautiful and sweet in her ways that he +gave her to his wife on his return from the war. A strange present, you +say, but it proved a very valuable one. It seems to us very cruel. One +would think that if Naaman and his wife loved this little girl--and I am +sure they did--they would have sent her back to her home, for she must +have had a heartbreaking time of it at first; but people were not kind +in that way in those days. Yes, I am sure they loved her and were kind +to her, for the simple reason that she evidently loved them; and I am +also sure that the reason they loved her was that they could not help +it, as we shall see further on. + +Not long after the war, Naaman was attacked with a disease so dreadful +and repulsive that I cannot describe it to you. Let us be thankful that +leprosy is unknown here. It is not only incurable, but as it goes on it +becomes so terrible that one cannot stay at home with his family, but +must go out and live alone, or with other lepers, and wait for death, +which often does not happen for years. It was a sad time for the great +Naaman when he discovered that it had seized him. He felt well and +strong, but the fearful signs made it sure. It was a sadder time when he +told his wife; for both knew that the day would soon come when they +could no longer stay together at home, and that he must leave beautiful +Damascus, and give up his place in the army, and go off into the +mountains and live alone, or with others like himself. The saddest +feature of all was that there was no hope: all this was sure to take +place. If you have ever been in a house where some one is very ill and +likely to die, or some terrible accident has occurred, you have felt +what a gloom overhangs it, and have been glad to escape from it and get +out under the open sky. But our little Hebrew girl could not escape. She +must stay through it all, and wait on Naaman's wife, and see her weep +and Naaman's strong face grow sadder every day. Now I think we shall +begin to see what a rare, noble, sweet child this was that we are +talking about. What a pity that we do not know her name--for she is a +nameless child! I would like to call her Anna if I had any right to +leave off the _H_ that the Hebrews put before and after this beautiful +name. And I should not change it by turning the _a_ at the close into +_ie_, as so many young people--and older ones, too, who ought to know +better--are in the habit of doing; for I never could understand why +girls with so noble names as Anna and Mary and Helen and Margaret and +Caroline should change them into the weak and silly forms that we hear +every day. This change, which usually shortens the name and ends it with +an _ie_, is called a _diminutive_, which, according to Worcester, means +"a thing little of its kind," and so may well enough be used in the +nursery; but that grown women should use it seems to me foolish and even +ignoble, and I often fear it may indicate a lack of fine sentiment. We +do not know the name of our little maiden, but we can safely imagine her +appearance for two reasons: we know her circumstances and her character. +Is it not quite sure that when Naaman selected from his captives a +little girl to wait on his wife, he would take the most beautiful one? +When we make presents to those we love, we always get the best we can. +Now we can go a step further, and ask what made her beautiful _in such a +way_ that Naaman thought she would please his wife. It must have been +her sweet and amiable expression; and that came from her character, for +nothing else can make beauty of this sort. And so we picture her with +black, wavy hair and soft, dark eyes, with red cheeks glowing through an +olive-colored skin, lips like a pomegranate, a sweet, patient, loving +expression, and a voice "gentle and low" and full of sympathy and +readiness. I am very sure about her voice and expression, because I know +her character. I never have seen any one with a loving and helpful +spirit who had not a gentle voice and a sweet expression. I think she +must have been about twelve years old; for if she had been younger she +would not have known all about Elisha, and if older she would not have +been called "a _little_ maid." + +When the trouble came upon Naaman's family, she felt it grievously, and +was more attentive and gentle in her services than ever. Just here she +showed the beauty of her character. She had been cruelly wronged--stolen +away from her country and home, and made a slave without hope of ever +seeing them again--and so might naturally feel revengeful, and say that +Naaman's leprosy was a punishment for the wrong he had done her. But +instead she pitied him, and in her sympathy with his sufferings forgot +her own. So, as she brooded on the trouble, she happened to remember one +day that Elisha had cured people who were very ill, and done many +wonderful things, and she said to her mistress, "Would God my lord were +with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his +leprosy." Probably Naaman's wife questioned her closely about Elisha, +and got at all she knew about him, and so heard about the child that +fell sick among the reapers, and the poor widow whose two sons were to +be sold as slaves, and the mantle of Elijah, that Elisha had caught upon +the banks of the Jordan, with which he smote the waters. At any rate, +she heard enough to awaken some hope, and so told her husband what our +little maid had said. When people are hopelessly ill, they are willing +to try anything; a drowning man will catch at a straw, and Naaman caught +at this little straw of hope that the wind of war had blown across his +path. He thought it over and said to himself, "It is my only chance; no +one here can do anything for me. I will go down to Samaria and find +Elisha. I have often heard that the prophets there did wonderful things; +if what the little maid says of the boy among the reapers is true, +perhaps Elisha can cure me." And so he went; but it was very +humiliating. He thought of Israel and the little city of Samaria and the +Jordan in a scornful way, comparing them with his splendid Damascus, and +its green, beautiful plain, thirty miles wide, and the great river +Abana, that gushed from the side of the mountain, and flowed through and +all about the city, making the whole country one vast garden. He +despised, too, the people of Israel. They were rude and poor and +ignorant, while his own people were rich and cultivated. Perhaps he had +borne himself proudly when he was at war there; and now to go back and +ask favors--to ask for himself what he could not get at home--was +humiliating indeed. But he made the best of it; and to cover his pride +and make it seem as though he were not asking favors, he took with him +an immense amount of silver and gold, and ten suits of raiment--perhaps +of linen _damask_, that was first made in Damascus. + +I shall not follow the story further, except to say that because Naaman +went in such a proud spirit, Elisha used every means to make him humble. +He seemed to be anxious to send Naaman home, not only a well, but a +better man, and to teach him that there were other things to be thought +of than great rivers, and fine cities, and temples of Rimmon. +Especially he wanted to teach him that the one, true God could make a +small, rough nation greater and stronger than one that worshipped idols. +Naaman went home cured of his leprosy, with some earth to make an altar +of, and all his gold and silver and fine garments, except what the +foolish Gehazi got from him by lying. How Naaman proposed to act when he +should get home and be forced to go with the king into the temple of +Rimmon, you will find discussed in the second chapter of the second part +of "School Days at Rugby." My opinion is that Elisha told him he must +settle that matter with his own conscience; but I can imagine that when +he had worshipped God before the altar built of the earth brought from +the Jordan, and then went into the temple of Rimmon and did what the +king did, his conscience must have troubled him. + +But I care a great deal more for our little maid than for Naaman. I +wonder what became of her. If Naaman did what he ought, he sent her back +to her home, and gave her all the gold and silver he had offered to +Elisha. I am quite inclined to believe this for several reasons. Naaman +was a _reasonable_ man. When he was told to "go and wash himself seven +times in Jordan," he was surprised and angry, because it was so +different from what he had expected, and because he thought it was an +insult to his own great rivers. But when his servants reminded him that +it was just as easy to do a little thing as a great thing, he saw the +wisdom of it, and let good sense triumph over pride. He was also a +_generous_ man, as the gifts he offered to Elisha show. And he was +_conscientious_, or he would not have asked Elisha about bowing down in +the temple of Rimmon as a part of his duty to the king. All through he +showed himself _grateful_. Yes; I think he went back to Syria not only +with "the flesh of a little child," but with a child's heart. And +because he was reasonable and generous and conscientious and grateful, +he did not forget the little maid who was at the bottom of the whole +affair. He owed quite as much to her as to Elisha; for people who start +good enterprises deserve more praise and reward than those who carry +them out. So, when he reached home and met his wife and children--why, +it was almost like coming back from the dead!--his first thought must +have been of the little maid. We can imagine the great Naaman taking her +in his arms with tears, and saying, "What can I do for you, my little +maid? Tell me what you most want, and I will give it to you, even if it +is the half of my possessions." We know that Eastern princes often said +such things when their fancy or their gratitude was deeply stirred; they +gave full course to all their feelings, good and bad. Perhaps she had +become fond of Naaman's wife, and would like to stay with her. Perhaps +they told her they would adopt her, and clothe her with rich damask and +jewels of gold and silver. But I doubt if she was a child who cared more +for such things than for her parents and her home. And as she heard the +story of Naaman's cure, and of Elisha and the Jordan, her mind went back +to her native land and to her home, and a great longing filled her +heart to see it again, and to live the old life with her parents and +brothers and sisters. The Jews do not easily forget their country nor +their families; and this little maid was a true Jewess. It might be a +fine thing to live in a palace and wear jewels, but she would rather go +home, and tend the sheep and goats, and pick the grapes, and go to the +fountain for water. Perhaps she had lived on the slope of Hermon, where +the dew fell heavily every night, and the brooks ran full all summer; +for Naaman's march home led near it. + +We found her in Damascus a slave; but we will leave her at home among +the vines and flowers and kids, with father and mother and mates, for +sh'e was a child who lived in her affections rather than in her +ambitions. + +The chief thing she teaches us is the beauty and blessedness of +returning good for evil. Long before Christ's day she was Christ's own +child; for she loved her enemies, and prayed for those who had +persecuted her. + + + + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF JOB + +_Read on the first Sunday of September_ + + +There was a man in the land of Uz named Job, and this man was simple, +rightful and dreading God, and going from all evil. He had seven sons +and three daughters, and his possession was seven thousand sheep, three +thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred asses, and his +family and household passing much and great. He was a great man and rich +among all the men of the orient. And his sons went daily each to other +house making great feasts, ever each one as his day came, and they sent +for their three sisters for to eat and drink with them. When they had +thus feasted each other, Job sent to them and blessed and sanctified +them, and rising every day early, he offered sacrifices for them all, +saying: Lest my children sin and bless not God in their hearts. And thus +did Job every day. + +On a day when the sons of God were tofore our Lord, Satan came and was +among them, to whom our Lord said: Whence comest thou? Which answered, I +have gone round about the earth and through walked it. Our Lord said to +him: Hast thou not considered my servant Job, that there is none like +unto him in the earth, a man simple, rightful, dreading God, and going +from evil? To whom Satan answered: Doth Job dread God idly? If so were +that thou overthrewest him, his house and all his substance round about, +he should soon forsake thee. Thou hast blest the work of his hands, and +his possession is increased much in the earth, but stretch out thy hand +a little, and touch all that he hath in possession, and he shall soon +grudge and not bless thee. Then said our Lord to Satan: Lo! all that +which he owneth and hath in possession, I will it be in thy hand and +power, but on his person ne body set not thy hand. Satan departed and +went from the face of our Lord. On a day as his sons and daughters ate, +and drank wine, in the house of the oldest brother, there came a +messenger to Job which said: The oxen eared in the plough and the ass +pastured in the pasture by them, and the men of Sabea ran on them, and +smote thy servants, and slew them with sword, and I only escaped for to +come and to show it to thee. And whiles he spake came another and said: +The fire of God fell down from heaven and hath burned thy sheep and +servants and consumed them, and I only escaped for to come and show it +to thee. And yet whiles he spake came another and said: The Chaldees +made three hosts and have enveigled thy camels and taken them, and have +slain thy servants with sword, and I only escaped for to bring thee +word. And yet he speaking another entered in and said: Thy sons and +daughters, drinking wine in the house of thy first begotten son, +suddenly came a vehement wind from the region of desert and smote the +four corners of the house, which falling oppressed thy children, and +they be all dead, and I only fled for to tell it to thee. Then Job +arose, and cut his coat, and did do shave his head, and falling down to +the ground, worshipped and adored God, saying: I am come out naked from +the womb of my mother and naked shall return again thereto. Our Lord +hath given and our Lord hath taken away, as it hath pleased our Lord, so +it is done, the name of our Lord be blessed. In all these things Job +sinned not with his lips, ne spake nothing follily against our Lord, but +took it all patiently. + +After this it was so that on a certain day when the children of God +stood tofore our Lord, Satan came and stood among them, and God said to +him: Whence comest thou? To whom Satan answered: I have gone round the +earth, and walked through it. And God said to Satan, Hast thou not +considered my servant Job that there is no man like him in the earth, a +man simple, rightful, dreading God, and going from evil, and yet +retaining his innocency? Thou hast moved me against him that I should +put him to affliction without cause. To whom Satan said: Skin for skin, +and all that ever a man hath he shall give for his soul. Nevertheless, +stretch thine hand and touch his mouth and his flesh, and thou shalt see +that he shall not bless thee. Then said God to Satan: I will well that +his body be in thine hand, but save his soul and his life. Then Satan +departed from the face of our Lord and smote Job with the worst blotches +and blains from the plant of his foot, unto the top of his head, which +was made like a lazar [leper] and was cast out and sat on the dunghill. +Then came his wife to him and said: Yet thou abidest in thy simpleness, +forsake thy God and bless him no more, and go die. Then Job said to her: +Thou hast spoken like a foolish woman; if we have received and taken +good things of the hand of our Lord, why shall we not sustain and suffer +evil things? In all these things Job sinned not with his lips. Then +three men that were friends of Job, hearing what harm was happed and +come to Job, came ever each one from his place to him, that one was +named Eliphas the Temanite, another Bildad the Shuhite, and the third, +Zophar Naamathite. And when they saw him from far they knew him not, and +crying they wept. They came for to comfort him, and when they considered +his misery they tare their clothes and cast dust on their heads, and sat +by him seven days and seven nights, and no man spake to him a word, +seeing his sorrow. Then after that Job and they talked and spake +together of his sorrow and misery, of which S. Gregory hath made a great +book called: The morals of S. Gregory, which is a noble book and a great +work. + +But I pass over all the matters and return unto the end, how God +restored Job again to prosperity. It was so that when these three +friends of Job had been long with Job, and had said many things each of +them to Job, and Job again to them, our Lord was wroth with these three +men and said to them: Ye have not spoken rightfully, as my servant Job +hath spoken. Take ye therefore seven bulls and seven wethers and go to +my servant Job and offer ye sacrifice for you. Job my servant shall pray +for you. I shall receive his prayer and shall take his visage. They went +forth and did as our Lord commanded them. And our Lord beheld the visage +of Job, and saw his penance when he prayed for his friends. And our Lord +added to Job double of all that Job had possessed. All his brethren came +to him, and all his sisters, and all they that tofore had known him, and +ate with him in his house, and moved their heads upon him, and comforted +him upon all the evil that God had sent to him. And each of them gave +him a sheep and a gold ring for his ears. Our Lord blessed more Job in +his last days than he did in the beginning. And he had then after +fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, +one thousand asses. And he had seven sons and three daughters. And the +first daughter's name was Jemima, the second Kezia, and the third +Keren-happuch. There was nowhere found in the world so fair women as +were the daughters of Job. Their father Job gave to them heritage among +their brethren, and thus Job by his patience gat so much love of God, +that he was restored double of all his losses. And Job lived after, one +hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and the sons of his sons unto +the fourth generation, and died an old man, and full of days. + + + + +THE DESTRUCTION OF SENNACHERIB + + +The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, +And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold, +And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, +When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. + +Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green, +That host with their banners at sunset were seen; +Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown, +That host on the morrow lay wither'd and strown. + +For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, +And breathed in the face of the foe as he pass'd; +And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill, +And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still. + +And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide, +But through it there roll'd not the breath of his pride: +And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf, +And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf. + +And there lay the rider, distorted and pale, +With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail; +And the tents were all silent, the banners alone, +The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown. + +And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail, +And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal, +And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, +Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord! + +_--Lord Byron_ + + + + +HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF TOBIT + +_Which is read the third Sunday of September_ + + +Tobit of the tribe and of the city of Nephthali, which is in the +overparts of Galilee upon Aser, after the way that leadeth men westward, +having on his left side the city of Sepheth, was taken in the days of +Salmanazar, King of the Assyrians, and put in captivity, yet he forsook +not the way of truth, but all that he had or could get he departed daily +with his brethren of his kindred which were prisoners with him. And +howbeit that he was youngest in all the tribe of Nephthali yet did he +nothing childishly. Also when all other went unto the golden calves that +Jeroboam, King of Israel, had made, this Tobit only fled the fellowship +of them all, and went to Jerusalem into the temple of our Lord. And +there he adored and worshipped the Lord God of Israel, offering truly +his first fruits and tithes insomuch that in the third year he +ministered unto proselytes and strangers all the tithe. Such things and +other like to these he observed while he was a child, and when he came +to age and was a man he took a wife named Anna, of his tribe, and begat +on her a son, naming after his own name Tobias, whom from his childhood +he taught to dread God and abstain him from all sin. Then after when he +was brought by captiviy with his wife and his son into the city of +Nineveh with all his tribe, and when all ate of the meats of the +Gentiles and Paynims, this Tobit kept his soul clean and was never +defouled in the meats of them. And because he remembered our Lord in all +his heart, God gave him grace to be in the favor of Salmanazar the king +which gave to him power to go where he would. Having liberty to do what +he would, he went then to all them in captivity and gave to them +warnings of health. When he came on a time in Rages, city of the Jews, +he had such gifts as he had been honored with of the king, ten besants +of silver. And when he saw one Gabael being needy which was of his +tribe, he lent him the said weight of silver upon his obligation. Long +time after this when Salmanazar the king was dead, Sennacherib his son +reigned for him, and hated, and loved not, the children of Israel. And +Tobit went unto all his kindred and comforted them, and divided to every +each of them as he might of his faculties and goods. + +He fed the hungry and gave to the naked clothes, and diligently he +buried the dead men and them that were slain. After this when +Sennacherib returned, fleeing the plague from the Jewry, that God had +sent him for his blasphemy, and he, being wroth, slew many of the +children of Israel, and Tobit always buried the bodies of them, which +was told to the king, which commanded to slay him, and took away all his +substance. Tobit then with his wife and his son hid him and fled away +all naked, for many loved him well. After this, forty-five days, the +sons of the king slew the king, and then returned Tobit unto his house, +and all his faculties and goods were restored to him again. After this +on a high festival day of our Lord when that Tobit had a good dinner in +his house, he said to his son: Go and fetch to us some of our tribe +dreading God, that they may come and eat with us. And he went forth and +anon he returned telling to his father that one of the children of +Israel was slain and lay dead in the street. And anon he leapt out of +his house, leaving his meat, and fasting came to the, body, took it and +bare it in to his house privily, that he might secretly bury it when the +sun went down. And when he had hid the corpse, he ate his meat with +wailing and dread, remembering that word that our Lord said by Amos the +prophet: The day of your feast shall be turned into lamentation and +wailing. And when the sun was gone down he went and buried him. All his +neighbors reproved and chid him, saying for this cause they were +commanded to be slain, and unnethe [hardly] thou escapedst the +commandment of death, and yet thou buriest dead men. But Tobit, more +dreading God than the king, took up the bodies of dead men and hid them +in his house, and at midnight he buried them. + +It happed on a day after this that when he was weary of burying dead +men, he came home and laid him down by a wall and slept. And he became +blind. This temptation suffered God to fall to him, that it should be an +example to them that shall come after him of his patience, like as it +was of holy Job. For from his infancy he dreaded ever God and kept his +precepts and was not grudging against God for his blindness, but he +abode immovable in the dread of God, giving and rendering thankings to +God all the days of his life. For like as Job was assailed so was Tobit +assailed of his kinsmen, scorning him and saying to him: Where is now +thy hope and reward for which thou gavest thy alms and madest +sepulchres? Tobit blamed them for such words, saying to them: In no wise +say ye not so, for we be the sons of holy men, and we abide that life +that God shall give to them that never shall change their faith from +him. Anna his wife went daily to the work of weaving, and got by the +labor of her hands their livelihood as much as she might. Whereof on a +day she gat a kid and brought it home. When Tobit heard the voice of the +kid bleating, he said: See that it be not stolen, yield it again to the +owner, for it is not lawful for us to eat ne touch anything that is +stolen. To that his wife all angry answered: Now manifestly and openly +is thine hope made vain, and thy alms lost. And thus with such and like +words she chid him. Then Tobit began to sigh and began to pray our Lord +with tears saying: O Lord, thou art rightful, and all thy dooms be true, +and all thy ways be mercy, truth, and righteousness. And now, Lord, +remember me, and take now no vengeance of my sins, ne remember not my +trespasses, ne the sins of my fathers. For'we have not obeyed thy +commandments, therefore we be betaken in to direption, captivity, death, +fables, and into reproof and shame to all nations in which thou hast +dispersed us. And now, Lord, great be thy judgments, for we have not +done according to thy precepts, ne have not walked well tofore thee. And +now, Lord, do to me after thy will, and command my spirit to be received +in peace, it is more expedient to me to die than to live. + +The same day it happed that Sara, daughter of Raguel in the city of +Medes, that she was rebuked and heard reproof of one of the handmaidens +of her father. For she had been given to seven men, and a devil named +Asmodeus slew them as soon as they would have gone to her; therefore the +maid reproved her saying: We shall never see son ne daughter of thee on +the earth, thou slayer of thy husbands. Wilt thou slay me as thou hast +slain seven men? With this voice and rebuke she went up in the upperest +cubicle of the house. And three days and three nights she ate not, ne +drank not, but was continually in prayers beseeching God for to deliver +her from this reproof and shame. And on the third day, when she had +accomplished her prayer, blessing our Lord she said: Blessed be thy +name, God of our fathers, for when thou art wroth thou shalt do mercy +and in a time of tribulation thou forgivest sins to them that call to +thee. Unto thee, Lord, I convert my visage, and unto thee I address mine +eyes. I ask and require thee that thou assoil me from the bond of the +reproof and shame, or certainly upon the earth keep me. Thou knowest +well, Lord, that I never desired man, but I have kept clean my soul. I +never meddled me with players, ne never had part of them that walk in +lightness. I consented for to take an husband with thy dread. Or I was +unworthy to them or haply they were unworthy to me, or haply thou hast +conserved and kept me for some other man. Thy counsel is not in man's +power. This knoweth every man that worshippeth thee, for the life of him +if it be in probation shall be crowned, and if it be in tribulation it +shall be delivered, and if it be in correction, it shall be lawful to +come to mercy. Thou hast none delectation in our perdition, for after +tempest thou makest tranquillity, and after weeping and shedding of +tears thou bringest in exultation and joy. Thy name, God of Israel, be +blessed, world without end. + +In that same time were the prayers of them both heard in the sight of +the glory of the high God. And the holy angel of God, Raphael, was sent +to heal them both. Of whom in one time were the prayers recited in the +sight of our Lord God. Then when Tobit supposed his prayers to be heard +that he might die, he called to him his son Tobias, and said to him: +Hear, my son, the words of my mouth, and set them in thy heart as a +fundament. When God shall take away my soul, bury my body, and thou +shalt worship thy mother all the days of her life, thou owest to +remember what and how many perils she hath suffered for thee in her +womb. When she shall have accomplished the time of her life, bury her by +me. All the days of thy life have God in thy mind, and beware that thou +never consent to sin, ne to disobey ne break the commandments of God. Of +thy substance do alms, and turn never thy face from any poor man, so do +that God turn not his face from thee. As much as thou mayst, be +merciful, if thou have much good give abundantly, if thou have but +little, yet study to give and to depart thereof gladly, for thou makest +to thee thereof good treasure and meed in the day of necessity, for alms +delivereth a man from all sin and from death, and suffereth not his soul +to go in to darkness. Alms is a great sikerness [surety] tofore the high +God unto all them that do it. Beware, my son, keep thee from all +uncleanness, and suffer not thyself to know that sin; and suffer never +pride to have domination in thy wit, ne in thy word, that sin was the +beginning of all perdition. Whosomever work to thee any thing, anon +yield to him his meed and hire, let never the hire of thy servant ne +meed of thy mercenary remain in no wise with thee. That thou hatest to +be done to thee of other, see that thou never do to an other. Eat thy +bread with the hungry and needy, and cover the naked with thy clothes. +Ordain thy bread and wine upon the sepulture of a righteous man, but eat +it not ne drink it with sinners. Ask and demand counsel of a wise man. +Always and in every time bless God and desire of him that he address thy +ways, and let all thy counsels abide in him. I tell to thee, my son, +that when thou wert a little child I lent to Gabael ten besants of +silver, dwelling in Rages the city of Medes, upon an obligation, which I +have by me. And therefore spere [search] and ask how thou mayst go to +him, and thou shalt receive of him the said weight of silver and restore +to him his obligation. Dread thou not, my son; though we lead a poor +life, we shall have much good if we dread God and go from sin and do +well. Then young Tobias answered to his father: All that thou hast +commanded me I shall do, father; but how I shall get this money I wot +never; he knoweth not me, ne I know not him; what token shall I give +him? And also I know not the way thither. Then his father answered to +him and said: I have his obligation by me, which when thou shewest him, +anon he shall pay thee. But go now first and seek for thee some true +man, that for his hire shall go with thee whiles I live, that thou mayst +receive it. + +Then Tobias went forth and found a fair young man girt up and ready for +to walk, and not knowing that it was the angel of God, saluted him and +said: From whence have we thee, good young man? And he answered: Of the +children of Israel. And Tobias said to him: Knowest thou the way that +leadeth one into the region of Medes? To whom he answered: I know it +well, and all the journeys I have oft walked and have dwelled with +Gabael our brother which dwelled in Rages the city of Medes, which +standeth in the hill of Ecbathanis. To whom Tobias said: I pray thee +tary here a while till I have told this to my father. Then Tobias went +in to his father and told to him all these things, whereon his father +marvelled and prayed him that he should bring him in. Then the angel +came in and saluted the old Tobit and said: Joy be to thee always. And +Tobit said: What joy shall be to me that sit in darkness, and see not +the light of heaven. To whom the youngling said: Be of strong belief; it +shall not be long but of God thou shalt be cured and healed. Then said +Tobit to him: Mayst thou lead my son unto Gabael in Rages city of Medes, +and when thou comest again I shall restore to thee thy meed. And the +angel said: I shall lead him thither and bring him again to thee. To +whom Tobit said: I pray thee to tell me of what house or of what kindred +art thou. To whom Raphael the angel said: Thou needest not to ask the +kindred of him that shall go with thy son, but lest haply I should not +deliver him to thee again: I am Azarias son of great Ananias. Tobit +answered: Thou art of a great kindred, but I pray thee be not wroth, +though I would know thy kindred. The angel said to him: I shall safely +lead thy son thither, and safely bring him and render him to thee again. +Tobit then answered saying: Well mote ye walk, and our Lord be in your +journey, and his angel fellowship with you. Then, when all was ready +that they should have with them by the way, young Tobias took leave of +his father and mother, and bade them farewell. When they should depart +the mother began to weep and say: Thou has taken away and sent from us +the staff of our old age, would God that thilke [that] money had never +been for which thou hast sent him, our poverty sufficeth enough to us +that we might have seen our son. Tobit said to her: Weep not, our son +shall come safely again and thine eyes shall see him. I believe that the +good angel of God hath fellowship with him, and shall dispose all +things that shall be needful to him, and that he shall return again to +us with joy. With this the mother ceased of her weeping and was still. + +Then young Tobias went forth and an hound followed him. And the first +mansion [stay] that they made was by the river of Tigris, and Tobias +went out for to wash his feet, and there came a great fish for to devour +him, whom Tobias fearing cried out with a great voice: Lord, he cometh +on me, and the angel said to him: Take him by the fin and draw him to +thee. And so he did and drew him out of the water to the dry land. Then +said the angel to him: Open the fish and take to thee the heart, the +gall, and the milt, and keep them by thee; they be profitable and +necessary for medicines. And when he had done so he roasted of the fish, +and took it with them for to eat by the way, and the remnant they +salted, that it might suffice them till they came into the city of +Rages. Then Tobias demanded of the angel and said: I pray thee, Azarias, +brother, to tell me whereto these be good that thou hast bidden me keep. +And the angel answered and said: If thou take a little of his heart and +put it on the coals, the smoke and fume thereof driveth away all manner +kind of devils, be it from man or from woman, in such wise that he shall +no more come to them. And Tobias said: Where wilt thou that we shall +abide? And he answered and said: Hereby is a man named Raguel, a man +nigh to thy kindred and tribe, and he hath a daughter named Sara, he +hath neither son ne daughter more than her. Thou shalt owe all his +substance, for thee behoveth to take her to thy wife. Then Toby answered +and said: I have heard say that she hath been given to seven men, and +they be dead, and I have heard that a devil slayeth them. I dread +therefore that it might hap so to me, and I that am an only son to my +father and mother, I should depose their old age with heaviness and +sorrow to hell. Then Raphael the angel said to him: Hear me, and I shall +show thee wherewith thou mayst prevail against that devil; these that +took their wedlock in such wise that they exclude God from them and +their mind, the devil hath power upon them. Thou therefore when thou +shalt take a wife, and enterest into her cubicle, be thou continent by +the space of three days from her, and thou shalt do nothing but be in +prayers with her: and that same night put the heart of the fish on the +fire, and that shall put away the devil, and after the third night thou +shalt take the virgin with dread of God, that thou mayst follow the +blessing of Abraham in his seed. Then they went and entered into +Raguel's house, and Raguel received them joyously, and Raguel, beholding +well Tobias, said to Anna his wife: How like is this young man unto my +cousin! And when he had so said he asked them: Whence be ye, young men +my brethren? And they said: Of the tribe of Nephthalim, of the captivity +of Nineveh. Raguel said to them: Know ye Tobit my brother? Which said: +We know him well. When Raguel had spoken much good of him, the angel +said to Raguel: Tobit of whom thou demandest is father of this young +man. And then went Raguel, and with weeping eyes kissed him, and weeping +upon his neck said: The blessing of God be to thee, my son, for thou art +son of a blessed and good man. And Anna his wife and Sara his daughter +wept also. + +And after they had spoken, Raguel commanded to slay a wether, and make +ready a feast. When he then should bid them sit down to dinner, Tobias +said: I shall not eat here this day ne drink but if thou first grant to +me my petition, and promise to me to give me Sara thy daughter. Which +when Raguel heard he was astonied and abashed, knowing what had fallen +to seven men that tofore had wedded her, and dreaded lest it might +happen to this young man in likewise. And when he held his peace and +would give him none answer the angel said to him: Be not afeard to give +thy daughter to this man dreading God, for to him thy daughter is +ordained to be his wife, therefore none other may have her. Then said +Raguel: I doubt not God hath admitted my prayers and tears in his sight, +and I believe that therefore he hath made you to come to me that these +may be joined in one kindred after the law of Moses, and now have no +doubt but I shall give her to thee. And he taking the right hand of his +daughter delivered it to Tobias saying: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, +and God of Jacob be with you, and he conjoin you together and fulfil his +blessing in you. And took a charter and wrote the conscription of the +wedlock. And after this they ate, blessing our Lord God. Raguel called +to him Anna his wife and bade her to make ready another cubicle. And she +brought Sara her daughter therein, and she wept, to whom her mother +said: Be thou strong of heart, my daughter, our Lord of heaven give to +thee joy for the heaviness that thou hast suffered. After they had +supped, they led the young man to her. Tobias remembered the words of +the angel, and took out of his bag part of the heart of the fish, and +laid it on burning coals. Then Raphael the angel took the devil and +bound him in the upperest desert of Egypt. Then Tobias exhorted the +virgin and said to her: Arise, Sara, and let us pray to God this day, +and to-morrow, and after to-morrow, for these three nights we be joined +to God. And after the third night we shall be in our wedlock. We be +soothly the children of saints, and we may not so join together as +people do that know not God. Then they both arising prayed together +instantly that health might be given to them. Tobias said: Lord God of +our fathers, heaven and earth, sea, wells, and floods, and all creatures +that be in them, bless thee. Thou madest Adam of the slime of the earth, +and gavest to him for an help Eve, and now, Lord, thou knowest that I +take my sister to wife, only for the love of posterity, in which thy +name be blessed world without end. Then said Sara: Have mercy on us, +Lord, have mercy, and let us wax old both together in health. And after +this the cocks began to crow, at which time Raguel commanded his +servants to come to him, and they together went for to make and delve a +sepulchre. He said: Lest haply it happen to him as it hath happed to +the seven men that wedded her. When they had made ready the foss and +pit, Raguel returned to his wife and said to her: Send one of thy +handmaidens, and let her see if he be dead, that he may be buried ere it +be light day. And she sent forth one of her servants, which entered into +the cubicle and found them both safe and whole, and sleeping together, +and she returned and brought good tidings. And Raguel and Anna blessed +our Lord God and said: We bless thee, Lord God of Israel, that it hath +not happed to us as we supposed; thou hast done to us thy mercy, and +thou hast excluded from us our enemy pursuing us, thou hast done mercy +on two only children. Make them, Lord, to bless thee to full, and to +offer to thee sacrifice of praising and of their health, that the +university of peoples may know that thou art God only in the universal +earth. + +Anon then Raguel commanded his servants to fill again the pit that they +had made ere it waxed light, and bade his wife to ordain a feast, and +make all ready that were necessary to meat. He did do slay two fat kine +and four wethers, and to ordain meat for all his neighbors and friends, +and Raguel desired and adjured Tobias that he should abide with him two +weeks. Of all that ever Raguel had in possession of goods he gave half +part to Tobias, and made to him a writing that the other half part he +should have after the death of him and his wife. Then Tobias called the +angel to him, which he trowed had been a man, and said to him: Azarias, +brother, I pray thee to take heed to my words; if I make myself servant +to thee I shall not be worthy to satisfy thy providence. Nevertheless I +pray thee to take to thee the beasts and servants and go to Gabael in +Rages the city of Medes, and render to him his obligation, and receive +of them the money and pray him to come to my wedding. Thou knowest +thyself that my father numbereth the days of my being out, and if I +tarry more his soul shall be heavy, and certainly thou seest how Raguel +hath adjured me, whose desire I may not despise. Then Raphael, taking +four of the servants of Raguel and two camels, went to Rages the city of +Medes, and there finding Gabael, gave to him his obligation and received +all the money, and told to him of Tobias, son of Tobit, all that was +done, and made him come with him to the wedding. When then he entered +the house of Raguel, he found Tobias sitting at meat, and came to him +and kissed him, and Gabael wept and blessed God saying: God of Israel +bless thee, for thou art son of the best man and just, dreading God and +doing alms, and the blessing be said upon thy wife and your parents, and +that you may see the sons of your sons unto the third and fourth +generation, and your seed be blessed of the God of Israel, which +reigneth in secula seculorum [forever]. And when all had said Amen, they +went to the feast. And with the dread of God they exercised the feast of +their weddings. Whiles that Tobias tarried because of his marriage, his +father Tobit began to be heavy saying: Trowest thou wherefore my son +tarrieth and why he is holden there? Trowest thou that Gabael be dead, +and no man is there that shall give him his money? + +He began to be sorry and heavy greatly, both he and Anna his wife with +him, and began both to weep because at the day set he came not home. His +mother therefore wept with unmeasurable tears, and said: Alas, my son, +wherefore sent we thee to go this pilgrimage? The light of our eyes, the +staff of our age, the solace of our life, the hope of our posterity, all +these only having in thee, we ought not to have let thee go from us. To +whom Tobit said: Be still and trouble thee not, our son is safe enough, +the man is true and faithful enough with whom we sent him. She might in +no wise be comforted, but every day she went and looked and espied the +way that he should come if she might see him come from far. Then Raguel +said to Tobias his son-in-law: Abide here with me, and I shall send +messengers of thy health and welfare to Tobit thy father. To whom Tobias +said: I know well that my father and my mother accompt the days, and the +spirit is in great pain within them. Raguel prayed him with many words, +but Tobias would in no wise grant him. Then he delivered to him Sara his +daughter, and half part of all his substance in servants, men and women, +in beasts, camels, in kine and much money. And safe and joyful he let +him depart from him, saying: The angel of God that is holy be in your +journey, and bring you home whole and sound, and that ye may find all +things well and rightful about your father and mother, and that mine +eyes may see your sons ere I die. And the father and mother taking +their daughter kissed her and let her depart, warning her to worship her +husband's father and mother, love her husband, to rule well the meiny +[retinue], to govern the house and to keep herself irreprehensible, that +is to say, without reproof. + +When they thus returned and departed, they came to Charram, which is the +half way to Nineveh, the thirteenth day. Then said the angel to Tobias: +Tobias, brother, thou knowest how thou hast left thy father, if it +please thee we will go tofore and let thy family come softly after, with +thy wife and with thy beasts. This pleased well to Tobias; and then said +Raphael to Tobias: Take with thee of the gall of the fish, it shall be +necessary. Tobias took of the gall and went forth tofore. Anna his +mother sat every day by the way in the top of the hill, from whence she +might see him come from far, and whilst she sat there and looked after +his coming, she saw afar and knew her son coming, and running home she +told to her husband saying: Lo! thy son cometh. Raphael then said to +young Tobias: Anon as thou enterest in to the house adore thy Lord God, +and giving to him thankings, go to thy father and kiss him. And anon +then anoint his eyes with the gall of the fish that thou bearest with +thee, thou shalt well know that his eyes shall be opened, and thy father +shall see the light of heaven and shall joy in thy sight. Then ran the +dog that followed him and had been with him in the way, and came home as +a messenger, fawning and making joy with his tail. And the blind father +arose and began offending his feet to run to meet his son, giving to him +his hand, and so taking, kissed him with his wife, and began to weep for +joy. When then they had worshipped God and thanked him, they sat down +together. Then Tobias taking the gall of the fish anointed his father's +eyes, and abode as it had been half an hour, and the slime of his eyes +began to fall away like as it had been the white of an egg, which Tobias +took and drew from his father's eyes, and anon he received sight. And +they glorified God, that is to wit he and his wife and all they that +knew him. + +Then said Tobit the father: I bless thee, Lord God of Israel, for thou +hast chastised me, and thou hast saved me, and, lo! I see Tobias my son. +After these seven days Sara the wife of his son came and entered in with +all the family, and the beasts whole and sound, camels and much money of +his wife's, and also the money that he had received of Gabael. And he +told to his father and mother all the benefits of God that was done to +him by the man that led him. Then came Achiacharus and Nasbas, cousins +of Tobias, joying and thanking God of all the goods that God had showed +to him. And seven days they ate together making feast, and were glad +with great joy. Then old Tobit call his son Tobias to him, and said: +What may we give to this holy man that cometh with thee? Then Tobias +answering said to his father: Father, what meed may we give to him, or +what may be worthy to him for his benefits? He led me out and hath +brought me whole again, he received the money of Gabael; he did me have +my wife and he put away the devil from her; he hath made joy to my +parents, and saved myself from devouring of the fish, and hath made thee +see the light of heaven, and by him we be replenished with all goods; +what may we then worthily give to him? Wherefore I pray thee, father, +that thou pray him if he vouchsafe to take the half of all that I have. +Then the father and the son calling him took him apart and began to pray +him that he would vouchsafe to take half the part of all the goods that +they had brought. Then said he to them privily: Bless ye God of heaven +and before all living people knowledge ye him, for he hath done to you +his mercy. Forsooth to hide the sacrament of the king it is good, but +for to show the works of God and to knowledge them it is worshipful. +Oration and prayer is good, with fasting and alms, and more than to set +up treasures of gold. For alms delivereth from death, and it is she that +purgeth sins and maketh a man to find everlasting life. Who that do sin +and wickedness they be enemies of his soul. I show to you therefore the +truth and I shall not hide from you the secret word. When thou prayedst +with tears and didst bury the dead men and leftest thy dinner and +hiddest dead men by the day in thine house, and in the night thou +buriedst them, I offered thy prayer unto God. And forasmuch as thou wert +accepted tofore God, it was necessary, thou being tempted, that he +should prove thee. And now hath our Lord sent me for to cure thee, and +Sara the wife of thy son I have delivered from the devil. I am soothly +Raphael the angel, one of the seven which stand tofore our Lord God. +When they heard this they were troubled, and trembling fell down on +their faces upon the ground. The angel said to them: Peace be to you, +dread you not. Forsooth I was with you by the will of God, him alway +bless ye and sing ye to him, I was seen of you to eat and drink, but I +use meat and drink invisible, which of men may not be seen. It is now +therefore time that I return to him which sent me. Ye alway bless God +and tell ye all his marvels. And when he had said this he was taken away +from the sight of them, and after that they might no more see him. Then +they fell down flat on their faces by the space of three hours and +blessed God, and arising up they told all the marvels of him. + +Then the older Tobit opening his mouth blessed our Lord and said: Great +art thou, Lord, evermore, and thy reign is in to all worlds, for thou +scourgest and savest, thou leadest to hell and bringest again, and there +is none that may flee thy hand. Knowledge and confess you to the Lord, +ye children of Israel, and in the sight of Gentiles praise ye him. +Therefore he hath disperpled [scattered] you among Gentiles that know +him not, that ye tell his marvels, and make them to be known. For there +is none other God Almighty but he; he hath chastised us for our +wickedness and he shall save us for his mercy. Take heed and see +therefore what he hath done to us, and with fear and dread, knowledge ye +to him, and exalt him king of all worlds in your works. I soothly in the +land of my captivity shall knowledge to him, for he hath showed his +majesty into the sinful people. Confess ye therefore sinners, and do ye +justice tofore our Lord by believing that he shall do to you his mercy, +aye soothly, and my soul shall be glad in him. All ye chosen of God, +bless ye him and make ye days of gladness and knowledge ye to him. +Jerusalem city of God, our Lord hath chastised thee in the works of his +hands, confess thou to our Lord in his good things and bless thou the +God of worlds that he may re-edify in thee his tabernacle, and that he +may call again to thee all prisoners and them that be in captivity and +that thou joy in omnia secula seculorum. Thou shalt shine with a bright +light, and all the ends of the earth shall worship thee. Nations shall +come to thee from far, and bringing gifts shall worship in thee our +Lord, and shall have thy land into sanctification. They shall call in +thee a great name, they shall be cursed that shall despise thee, and +they all shall be condemned that blaspheme thee. Blessed be they that +edify thee, thou shalt be joyful in thy sons, for all shall be blessed, +and shall be gathered together unto our Lord. Blessed be they that love +thee and that joy upon thy peace. My soul, bless thou our Lord, for he +hath delivered Jerusalem his city. I shall be blessed if there be left +of my seed for to see the clearness of Jerusalem. The gates of Jerusalem +shall be edified of sapphire and emerald, and all the circuit of his +walls of precious stone; all the streets thereof shall be paved with +white stone and clean; and Alleluia shall be sung by the ways thereof. +Blessed be the Lord that hath exalted it that it may be his kingdom in +secula seculorum, Amen. And thus Tobit finished these words. And Tobit +lived after he had received his sight forty-two years, and saw the sons +of his nephews, that is, the sons of the sons of his son young Tobias. +And when he had lived one hundred and two years he died, and was +honorably buried in the city of Nineveh. + +He was fifty-six years old when he lost his sight, and when he was sixty +years old he received his sight again. The residue of his life was in +joy, and with good profit of the dread of God he departed in peace. In +the hour of his death he called to him Tobias his son, and seven of his +young sons, his nephews, and said to them: The destruction of Nineveh is +nigh, the word of God shall not pass, and our brethren that be +disperpled [scattered] from the land of Israel shall return thither +again. All the land thereof shall be fulfilled with desert, and the +house that is burnt therein shall be re-edified, and thither shall +return all people dreading God. And Gentiles shall leave their idols and +shall come in Jerusalem and shall dwell, therein, and all the kings of +the earth shall joy in her, worshipping the king of Israel. Hear ye +therefore, my sons, me your father, serve ye God in truth and seek ye +that ye do that may be pleasing to him, and command ye to your sons that +they do righteousness and alms, that they may remember God and bless him +in all time in truth and in all their virtue. Now therefore, my sons, +hear me and dwell ye no longer here, but whensoever your mother shall +die, bury her by me and from then forthon dress ye your steps that ye +go hence, I see well that wickedness shall make an end of it. It was so +then after the death of his mother, Tobias went from Nineveh with his +wife and his sons, and the sons of his sons, and returned unto his +wife's father and mother, whom they found in good health and good age, +and took the cure and charge of them, and were with them unto their +death, and closed their eyes. And Tobias received all the heritage of +the house of Raguel and saw the sons of his sons unto the fifth +generation. And when he had complished ninety-nine years he died in the +dread of God, and with joy they buried him. All his cognation [kindred] +and all his generation [offspring] abode in good life and in holy +conversation, and in such wise as they were acceptable as well to God as +to men, and to all dwelling on the earth. + + + + +HERE BEGINNETH THE STORY OF JUDITH + +_Which is read the last Sunday of October_ + + +Arpaxhad, king of the Medes, subdued into his empire many peoples and +edified a mighty city, which he named Ecbatane, and made it with stones +squared, and polished them. The walls thereof were of height seventy +cubits, and of breadth thirty cubits, and the towers thereof were an +hundred cubits high. And he glorified himself as he that was mighty in +puissance and in the glory of his host and of his chariots. +Nebuchadnezzar then in the twelfth year of his reign, which was king of +the Assyrians, and reigned in the city of Nineveh, fought against +Arphaxad and took him in the field, whereof Nebuchadnezzar was exalted +and enhanced himself, and sent unto all regions about and unto Jerusalem +till the Mounts of Ethiopia, for to obey and hold of him. Which all +gainsaid him with one will, and without worship sent home his messengers +void, and set nought by him. Then Nebuchadnezzar, having them at great +indignation, swore by his reign and by his throne that he would avenge +him on them all, and thereupon called all his dukes, princes, and men of +war, and held a counsel in which was decreed that he should subdue all +the world unto his empire. And thereupon he ordained Holofernes prince +of his knighthood, and bade him go forth, and in especial against them +that had despised his empire; and bade him spare no realm ne town but +subdue all to him. Then Holofernes assembled dukes and masters of the +strength of Nebuchadnezzar, and numbered one hundred and twenty thousand +footmen, and horsemen shooters twelve thousand. And tofore them he +commanded to go a multitude of innumerable camels laden with such things +as were needful to the host, as victual, gold and silver, much that was +taken out of the treasury of the kings. And so went to many realms which +he subdued; and occupied a great part of the orient till he came +approaching the land of Israel. And when the children of Israel heard +thereof they dreaded sore lest he should come among them into Jerusalem +and destroy the temple, for Nebuchadnezzar had commanded that he should +extinct all the gods of the earth, and that no god should be named ne +worshipped but he himself, of all the nations that Holofernes should +subdue. + +Eliachim, then priest in Israel, wrote unto all them in the mountains +that they should keep the strait ways of the mountains, and so the +children of Israel did as the priest had ordained. Then Eliachim, the +priest, went about all Israel and said to them: Know ye that God hath +heard your prayers, if ye abide and continue in your prayers and +fastings in the sight of God. Remember ye of Moses, the servant of God, +which overthrew Amalek trusting in his strength, and in his power, in +his host, in his helmets, in his chariots, and in his horsemen; not +fighting with iron, but with praying of holy prayers. In like wise shall +it be with all the enemies of Israel if ye persevere in this work that +ye have begun. With this exhortation they continued praying God. They +persevered in the sight of God, and also they that offered to our Lord +were clad with sackcloth, and had ashes on their heads, and with all +their heart they prayed God to visit his people Israel. It was told to +Holofernes prince of the knighthood of the Assyrians that the children +of Israel made them ready to resist him, and had closed the ways of the +mountains, and he was burned in overmuch fury in great ire. He called +all the princes of Moab and dukes of Ammon and said to them: Say ye to +me, what people is this that besiege the mountains, or what or how many +cities have they? And what is their virtue, and what multitude is of +them? Or who is king of their knighthood? Then Achior, duke of all of +them of Ammon, answering said: If thou deignest to hear me I shall tell +thee truth of this people that dwelleth in the mountains, and there +shall not issue out of my mouth one false word. This people dwelled +first in Mesopotamia, and was of the progeny of the Chaldees, but would +not dwell there for they would not follow the gods of their fathers that +were in the land of Chaldees, and going and leaving the ceremonies of +their fathers, which was in the multitude of many gods, they honored +one, God of heaven, which commanded them to go thence that they should +dwell in Canaan. Then after was there much hunger, that they descended +into Egypt, and there abode four hundred years, and multiplied that +they might not be numbered. When the king of Egypt grieved them in his +buildings, bearing clay tiles, and subdued them, they cried to their +Lord, and he smote the land of Egypt with divers plagues. When they of +Egypt had cast them out from them, the plagues ceased from them and then +they would have taken them again and would have called them to their +service, and they fleeing, their God opened the sea to them that they +went through dry-foot, in which the innumerable host of the Egyptians +pursuing them were drowned, that there was not one of them saved for to +tell to them that came after them. They passed thus the Red Sea, and he +fed them with manna forty years, and made bitter waters sweet, and gave +them water out of a stone. And wheresoever this people entered without +bow or arrow, shield or sword, their God fought for them, and there is +no man may prevail against this people but when they departed from the +culture and honor of their God. And as oft as they have departed from +their God and worshipped other strange gods, so oft have they been +overcome with their enemies. And when they repent and come to the +knowledge of their sin, and cry their God mercy, they be restored again, +and their God giveth to them virtue to resist their enemies. They have +overthrown Cananeum the king, Jebusee, Pheresee, Eneum, Etheum and +Amoreum, and all the mighty men in Esebon, and have taken their lands +and cities and possess them, and shall, as long as they please their +God. Their God hateth wickedness, for tofore this time when they went +from the laws that their God gave to them, he suffered them to be taken +of many nations into captivity, and were disperpled. And now late they +be come again and possess Jerusalem wherein is sancta sanctorum, and be +come over these mountains whereas some of them dwell. Now therefore, my +lord, see and search if there be any wickedness of them in the sight of +their God, and then let us go to them, for their God shall give them +into thy hands and they shall be subdued under the yoke of thy power. + +And when Achior had said thus, all the great men about Holofernes were +angry and had thought for to have slain him, saying each to other: Who +is this that may make the children of Israel resist the king +Nebuchadnezzar and his army and host? Men cowards and without might and +without any wisdom of war. Therefore that Achior may know that he saith +not true, let us ascend the mountains, and when the mighty men of them +be taken let him be slain with them, that all men may know that +Nebuchadnezzar is god of the earth, and that there is none other but he. +Then when they ceased to speak, Holofernes having indignation said to +Achior: Because thou hast prophesied to us of the children of Israel +saying, that their God defend them, I shall show to thee that there is +no god but Nebuchadnezzar, for whom we have overcome them all and slain +them as one man, then shalt thou die with them by the sword of the +Assyrians, and all Israel shall be put into ruin and perdition, and then +shall be known that Nebuchadnezzar is lord of all the earth, and the +sword of my knighthood shall pass through thy sides. And thou shalt +depart hence and go to them, and shalt not die unto the time that I have +them and thee. And when I have slain them with my sword thou shalt in +like wise be slain with like vengeance. After this Holofernes commanded +his servants to take Achior, and lead him to Bethulia and to put him in +the hands of them of Israel. And so they took Achior and ascended the +mountains, against whom came out men of war. Then the servants of +Holofernes turned aside and bound Achior to a tree hands and feet with +cords, and left him and so returned to their lord. Then the sons of +Israel coming down from Bethulia loosed and unbound him, and brought him +to Bethulia, and he being set amid the people was demanded what he was, +and why he was so sore there bounden. And he told to them all the matter +like as it is aforesaid, and how Holofernes had commanded him to be +delivered unto them of Israel. Then all the people fell down on to their +faces worshipping God, and with great lamentation and weeping, with one +will made their prayers unto our Lord God of heaven, and that he would +behold the pride of them, and to the meekness of them of Israel, and to +take heed to the faces of his hallows and show to them his grace and not +forsake them, and prayed God to have mercy on them and defend them from +their enemies. And on that other side, Holofernes commanded his hosts to +go up and assail Bethulia, and so went up, of footmen one hundred and +twenty thousand, and twelve thousand horsemen, and besieged the town, +and took their water from them, insomuch that they that were in the town +were in great penury of water, for in all the town was not water enough +for one day, and such as they had was given to the people by measure. +Then all the people young and old came to Ozias which was their prince, +with Charmis and Gothoniel, all with one voice crying: God the Lord deem +between us and thee, for thou hast done to us evil what thou spakest not +peaceably with Assyrians, for now we shall be delivered into the hands +of them. It is better for us to live in captivity under Holofernes and +live, than to die here for thirst, and see our wives and children die +before our eyes. And when they had made this piteous crying and yelling, +they went all to their church, and there a long while prayed and cried +unto God knowledging their sins and wickedness, meekly beseeching him to +show his grace and pity on them. Then at last Ozias arose up, and said +to the people: Let us abide yet five days, and if God send us no rescue +ne help us not in that time that we may give glory to his name, else we +shall do as ye have said. And when that Judith heard thereof, which was +a widow and a blessed woman, and was left widow three years and six +months. + +After that Manasses her husband died, anon she went into the overest +part of her house in which she made a privy bed, which she and her +servants closed, and having on her body a hair [hair cloth], had fasted +all the days of her life save Sabbaths and new moons, and the feasts of +the house of Israel. She was a fair woman and her husband had left her +much riches, with plentiful meiny, and possessions of droves of oxen and +flocks of sheep, and she was a famous woman and dreaded God greatly. And +when she had heard that Ozias had said, that the fifth day the city +should be given over if God helped them not, she sent for the priests +Chambris and Charmis and said to them: What is this word in which Ozias +hath consented that the city should be delivered to the Assyrians if +within five days there come no help to us? And who be ye that tempt the +Lord God? This word is not to stir God to mercy but rather to arouse +wrath and woodness. Ye have set a time of mercy doing by God, and in +your doom ye have ordained a day to him. O good Lord, how patient is he, +let us ask him for forgiveness with weeping tears; he shall not threaten +as a man, ne inflame in wrath as a son of a man, therefore meek we our +souls to him and in a contrite spirit and meeked, serve we to him, and +say we weeping to God, that after his will he show to us his mercy, and +as our heart is troubled in the pride of them, so also of our humbleness +and meekness let us be joyful. For we have not followed the sin of our +fathers that forsook their God and worshipped strange gods, wherefore +they were given and be taken into hideous and great vengeance, into +sword, ravin, and into confusion to their enemies; we forsooth know no +other god but him. Abide we meekly the comfort of him, and he shall keep +us from our enemies and he shall make all gentiles that arise against +him, and shall make them without worship the Lord our God. And now ye +brethren, ye that be priests, on whom hangeth the life of the people of +God, pray ye unto Almighty God that he make me steadfast in the purpose +that I have proposed. Ye shall stand at the gate and I shall go out with +my handmaid. And pray ye the Lord that he steadfast make my soul, and do +ye nothing till I come again. + +And then Judith went into her oratory, and arrayed her with her precious +clothing and adornments, and took unto her handmaid certain victuals +such as she might lawfully eat, and when she had made her prayers unto +God she departed in her most noble array toward the gate, whereas Ozias +and the priests abode her, and when they saw her they marvelled of her +beauty. Notwithstanding they let her go, saying: God of our fathers give +thee grace and strengthen all the counsel of thine heart with his virtue +and glory to Jerusalem, and be thy name in the number of saints and of +righteous men. And they all that were there said: Amen, and, fiat! fiat! +[let it be done]. Then she praising god passed through the gate, and her +handmaid with her. And when she came down the hill, about the springing +of the day, anon the spies of the Assyrians took her saying: Whence +comest thou, or whither goest thou? The which answered: I am a daughter +of the Hebrews and flee from them, knowing that they shall be taken by +you, and come to Holofernes for to tell him their privities, and I shall +show him by what entry he may win them, in such wise as one man of his +host shall not perish. And the men that heard these words beheld her +visage and wondered of her beauty, saying to her: Thou hast saved thy +life because thou hast founden such counsel, come therefore to our Lord, +for when thou shalt stand in his sight he shall accept thee. And they +led her to the tabernacle of Holofernes. And when she came before him +anon Holofernes was caught by his eyes, and his tyrant knights said to +him: Who despised the people of Jews that have so fair women, that not +for them of right we ought to fight against them? And so Judith seeing +Holofernes sitting in his canape that was of purple, of gold, smaragdos +and precious stones within woven, and when she had seen his face she +honored him, falling down herself unto the earth. And the servants of +Holofernes took her up, he so commanding. Then Holofernes said to her: +Be thou not afeard ne dread thee not. I never grieved ne noyed man that +would serve Nebuchadnezzar. Thy people soothly, if they had not despised +me, I had not raised my people ne strength against them. Now tell to me +the cause why thou wentest from them, and that it hath pleased thee to +come to us. And Judith said: Take the words of thine handmaid, and if +thou follow them, a perfect thing God shall do with thee. Forsooth +Nebuchadnezzar is the living king of the earth, and thou hast his power +for to chastise all people, for men only serve not him, but also the +beasts of the field obey to him, his might is known over all. And the +children of Israel shall be yielded to thee, for their God is angry with +them for their wickedness. They be enfamined and lack bread and water, +they be constrained to eat their horse and beasts, and to take such holy +things as be forbidden in their law, as wheat, wine, and oil, all these +things God hath showed to me. And they purpose to waste such things as +they ought not touch, and therefore and for their sins they shall be put +in the hands of their enemies, and our Lord hath showed me these things +to tell thee. And I thine handmaid shall worship God, and shall go out +and pray him, and come in and tell thee what he shall say to me, in such +wise that I shall bring thee through the middle of Jerusalem, and thou +shalt have all the people of Israel under thee, as the sheep be under +the shepherd, insomuch there shall not an hound burk against thee. And +because these things be said to me by the providence of God, and that +God is wroth with them, I am sent to tell thee these things. + +Forsooth, all these words pleased much to Holofernes, and to his people, +and they marvelled of the wisdom of her. And one said to another. There +is not such a woman upon earth in sight, in fairness, and in wit of +words. And Holofernes said to her: God hath done well that he hath sent +thee hither for to let me have knowledge, and if thy God do to me these +things he shall be my God, and thou and thy name shall be great in the +house of Nebuchadnezzar. Then commanded Holofernes her to go in where +his treasure lay, and to abide there, and to give to her meat from his +feast, to whom she said that she might not eat of his meat, but that she +had brought meat with her for to eat. Then Holofernes said: When that +meat faileth what shall we give to thee to eat? And Judith said that she +should not spend all till God shall do in my hands those things that I +have thought. And the servants led her into his tabernacle, and she +desired that she might go out in the night and before day to pray, and +come in again. And the lord commanded his cubiculers that she should go +and come at her pleasure three days during. And she went out into the +valley of Bethulia and baptized her in the water of the well. And she +stretched her hands up to the God of Israel, praying the good Lord that +he would govern her way for to deliver his people; and thus she did unto +the fourth day. Then Holofernes made a great feast, and sent a man of +his, named Bagoas, for to entreat Judith to come eat and drink with him. +And Judith said: What am I that should gainsay my lord's desire. I am at +his commandment, whatsomever he will that I do, I shall do, and please +him all the days of my life. And she rose and adorned herself with her +rich and precious clothes, and went in and stood before Holofernes, and +Holofernes' heart was pierced with her beauty, and he said to her: Sit +down and drink in joy, for thou hast found grace before me. Judith said: +I shall drink my lord, for my life is magnified this day before all the +days of my life. And she ate and drank such as her handmaid had ordained +for her. And Holofernes was merry and drank so much wine that he never +drank so much in one day in all his life, and was drunken. And at even, +when it was night, Holofernes went into his bed, and Bagoas brought +Judith in to his chamber and closed the door. And when Judith was alone +in the chamber, and Holofernes lay and slept in overmuch drunkenness, +Judith said to her handmaid that she should stand without forth before +the door of the privy chamber and wait about, and Judith stood before +the bed praying with tears and with moving of her lips secretly, saying: +O Lord God of Israel, conform me in this hour to the works of my hands, +that thou raise up the city of Jerusalem as thou hast promised, and that +I may perform this that I have thought to do. And when she had thus +said, she went to the pillar that was at his bed's head, and took his +sword and loosed it, and when she had drawn it out, she took his hair in +her hand and said: Confirm me God of Israel in this hour, and smote +twice in the neck and cut off his head, and left the body lie still, and +took the head and wrapped it in the canape and delivered it to her maid, +and bade her to put it in her scrip, and they two went out after their +usage to pray. And they passed the tents, and going about the valley +came to the gate of the city, and Judith said to the keepers of the +walls: Open the gates, for God is with us that hath done great virtue in +Israel. And anon when they heard her call, they called the priests of +the city, and they came running for they had supposed no more to have +seen her, and lighting lights all went about her. + +She then entered in and stood up in a high place and commanded silence, +and said: Praise ye the Lord God that forsaketh not men hoping in him; +and in me his handwoman, hath fulfilled his mercy that he promised to +the house of Israel, and hath slain in my hand the enemy of his people +this night. And then she brought forth the head of Holofernes and showed +it to them, saying: Lo! here the head of Holofernes, prince of the +chivalry of Assyrians, and lo! the canape of him in which he lay in his +drunkenhood, where our Lord hath smitten him by the hand of a woman. +Forsooth God liveth, for his angel kept me hence going, there abiding, +and from thence hither returning, and the Lord hath not suffered me, his +handwoman, to be defouled, but without pollution of sin hath called me +again to you joying in his victory, in my escaping and in your +deliverance. Knowledge ye him all for good, for his mercy is +everlasting, world without end. And all they, honoring our Lord, said to +her: The Lord bless thee in his virtue, for by thee he hath brought our +enemies to naught. Then Ozias, the prince of the people, said to her: +Blessed be thou of the high God before all women upon earth, and blessed +be the Lord that made heaven and earth, that hath addressed thee in the +wounds of the head of the prince of our enemies. After this Judith bade +that the head should be hanged up on the walls, and at the sun rising +every man in his arms issue out upon your enemies, and when their spies +shall see you, they shall run into the tent of their prince, to raise +him and to make him ready to fight, and when his lords shall see him +dead, they shall be smitten with so great dread and fear that they shall +flee, whom ye then shall pursue, and God shall bring them and tread +them under your feet. Then Achior seeing the virtue of the God of +Israel, left his old heathen's customs and believed in God, and put +himself to the people of Israel, and all the succession of his kindred +unto this day. Then at the springing of the day they hung the head of +Holofernes on the walls, and every man took his arms and went out with +great noise, which thing seeing, the spies ran together to the +tabernacle of Holofernes, and came making noise for to make him to +arise, and that he should awake, but no man was so hardy to knock or +enter into his privy chamber. But when the dukes and leaders of +thousands came, and other, they said to the privy chamberlains: Go and +awake your lord, for the mice be gone out of their caves and be ready to +call us to battle. Then Bagoas went into his privy chamber and stood +before the curtain, and clapped his hands together. And when he +perceived no moving of him, he drew the curtain and seeing the dead body +of Holofernes, without head, lying in his blood, cried with great voice, +weeping and rending his clothes, and went in to the tabernacle of Judith +and found her not, and started out to the people and said: A woman of +the Hebrews hath made confusion in the house of Nebuchadnezzar, she hath +slain Holofernes, and he is dead, and she hath his head with her. + +And when the princes and captains of the Assyrians heard this, anon they +rent their clothes, and intolerable dread fell on them, and were sore +troubled in their wits and made a horrible cry in their tents. And when +all the host had heard how Holofernes was beheaded, counsel and mind +flew from them, and with great trembling for succor began to flee, in +such wise that none would speak with other, but with their heads bowed +down fled for to escape from the Hebrews, whom they saw armed coming +upon them, and departed fleeing by fields and ways of hills and valleys. +And the sons of Israel, seeing them fleeing, following them, crying with +trumps and shouting after them, and slew and smote down all them that +they overtook. And Ozias sent forth unto all the cities and regions of +Israel, and they sent after all the young men and valiant to pursue them +by sword, and so they did unto the uttermost coasts of Israel. The other +men soothly, that were in Bethulia, went in to the tents of the +Assyrians, and took all the prey that the Assyrians had left, and when +the men had pursued them were returned, they took all their beasts and +all the movable goods and things that they had left, so much that every +man from the most to the least were made rich by the prey that they +took. Then Joachim the high bishop of Jerusalem came unto Bethulia, with +all the priests, for to see Judith, and when she came tofore them all, +they blessed her with one voice, saying: Thou glory of Jerusalem, thou +gladness of Israel, thou the worship doing of our people, thou didst +manly, and thy heart is comforted because thou lovedst chastity and +knewest no man after the death of thy husband, and therefore the hand of +God hath comforted thee. And therefore thou shalt be blessed world +without end, and all the people said: Fiat! fiat! be it done, be it +done. Certainly the spoils of the Assyrians were unnethe gathered and +assembled together in thirty days, of the people of Israel, but all the +proper riches that were appertaining to Holofernes and could be found +that had been his, they were given to Judith as well gold, silver, gems, +clothes, as all other appurtenances to household; and all was delivered +to her of the people, and the folks, with women and maidens, joyed in +organs and harps. Then Judith sang this song unto God saying: Begin ye +in timbrels, sing ye to the Lord in cymbals, mannerly sing to him a new +psalm. Fully joy ye, and inwardly call ye his name, and so forth. And +for this great miracle and victory all the people came to Jerusalem for +to give laud, honor, and worship unto our Lord God. And after they were +purified they offered sacrifices, vows, and behests unto God, and the +joy of this victory was solemnized during three months, and after that, +each went home again into his own city and house, and Judith returned +into Bethulia, and was made more great and clear to all men of the land +of Israel. She was joined to the virtue of chastity, so that she knew no +man all the days of her life after the death of Manasses, her husband, +and dwelled in the house of her husband an hundred and five years, and +she left her demoiselle free. After this she died and is buried in +Bethulia and all the people bewailed her seven days. During her life +after this journey was no trouble among the Jews, and the day of this +victory of the Hebrews was accepted for a feastful day, and hallowed of +the Jews and numbered among their feasts unto this day. + + + + +THE VISION OF BELSHAZZAR + + +The King was on his throne, + The Satraps throng'd the hall; +A thousand bright lamps shone + O'er that high festival. +A thousand cups of gold, + In Judah deem'd divine-- +Jehovah's vessels hold + The godless Heathen's wine. + +In that same hour and hall + The fingers of a Hand +Came forth against the wall, + And wrote as if on sand: +The fingers of a man;-- + A solitary hand +Along the letters ran, + And traced them like a wand. + +The monarch saw, and shook, + And bade no more rejoice; +All bloodless wax'd his look, + And tremulous his voice:-- +"Let the men of lore appear, + The wisest of the earth, +And expound the words of fear, + Which mar our royal mirth." + +Chaldea's seers are good, + But here they have no skill; +And the unknown letters stood + Untold and awful still. +And Babel's men of age + Are wise and deep in lore; +But now they were not sage, + They saw--but knew no more. + +A Captive in the land, + A stranger and a youth, +He heard the king's command, + He saw that writing's truth; +The lamps around were bright, + The prophecy in view; +He read it on that night,-- + The morrow proved it true! + +"Belshazzar's grave is made, + His kingdom pass'd away, +He, in the balance weigh'd, + Is light and worthless clay; +The shroud, his robe of state; + His canopy, the stone: +The Mede is at his gate! + The Persian on his throne!" + +_--Lord Byron_ + + + + +A CHRISTMAS CAROL + + +As Joseph was a-walking, + He heard an angel sing, +"This night shall be the birth-time + Of Christ, the heavenly king. + +"He neither shall be born + In housen nor in hall, +Nor in the place of paradise, + But in an ox's stall. + +"He neither shall be clothed + In purple nor in pall, +But in the fair white linen + That usen babies all. + +"He neither shall be rocked + In silver nor in gold, +But in a wooden manger + That resteth on the mould." + +As Joseph was a-walking, + There did an angel sing, +And Mary's child at midnight + Was born to be our king. + +Then be ye glad, good people, + This night of all the year, +And light ye up your candles, + For his star it shineth clear. + + + + +ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY + + +This is the month, and this the happy morn +Wherein the Son of heav'n's eternal king +Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born, +Our great redemption from above did bring; +For so the holy sages once did sing, +That He our deadly forfeit should release, +And with His Father work us a perpetual peace. + +That glorious Form, that Light unsufferable, +And that far-beaming blaze of Majesty +Wherewith He wont at Heav'n's high council-table +To sit the midst of Trinal Unity, +He laid aside; and here with us to be, +Forsook the courts of everlasting day, +And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay. + +Say, heav'nly Muse, shall not thy sacred vein +Afford a present to the Infant God? +Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain, +To welcome Him to this His new abode, +Now while the heav'n by the sun's team untrod, +Hath took no print of the approaching light, +And all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons bright? + +See how from far, upon the eastern road +The star-led wizards haste with odors sweet: +O run, prevent them with thy humble ode, +And lay it lowly at His blessed feet; +Have thou the honor first thy Lord to greet, +And join thy voice unto the angel quire, +From out His secret altar touch'd with hallow'd fire. + + +THE HYMN + +It was the winter wild +While the heav'n-born Child +All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies; +Nature in awe to Him +Had doff'd her gaudy trim, +With her great Master so to sympathize: +It was no season then for her +To wanton with the sun, her lusty paramour. + +Only with speeches fair +She woos the gentle air +To hide her guilty front with innocent snow, +And on her naked shame, +Pollute with sinful blame, +The saintly veil of maiden white to throw, +Confounded that her Maker's eyes +Should look so near upon her foul deformities. + +But He, her fears to cease, +Sent down the meek-ey'd Peace; +She crown'd with olive-green, came softly sliding +Down through the turning sphere, +His ready harbinger, +With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing; +And waving wide her myrtle wand, +She strikes a universal peace through sea and land. + +No war, or battle's sound +Was heard the world around: +The idle spear and shield were high up hung, +The hooked chariot stood +Unstain'd with hostile blood, +The trumpet spake not to the armed throng, +And kings sat still with awful eye, +As if they surely knew their sov'reign Lord was by. + +But peaceful was the night, +Wherein the Prince of Light +His reign of peace upon the earth began: +The winds, with wonder whist, +Smoothly the waters kist, +Whispering new joys to the mild ocean, +Who now hath quite forgot to rave, +While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave. + +The stars with deep amaze, +Stand fix'd in steadfast gaze, +Bending one way their precious influence, +And will not take their flight, +For all the morning light, +Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence; +But in their glimmering orbs did glow, +Until their Lord Himself bespake, and bid them go, + +And though the shady gloom +Had given day her room, +The sun himself withheld his wonted speed, +And hid his head for shame, +As his inferior flame +The new-enlighten'd world no more should need; +He saw a greater Sun appear +Than his bright throne, or burning axle-tree, could bear. + +The shepherds on the lawn, +Or ere the point of dawn, +Sate simply chatting in a rustic row; +Full little thought they then +That the mighty Pan +Was kindly come to live with them below; +Perhaps their loves, or else their sheep, +Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. + +When such music sweet +Their hearts and ears did greet, +As never was by mortal finger strook, +Divinely warbled voice +Answering the stringed noise, +As all their souls in blissful rapture took: +The air, such pleasure loth to lose, +With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly close. + +Nature that heard such sound, +Beneath the hollow round +Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling, +Now was almost won +To think her part was done, +And that her reign had here its last fulfilling; +She knew such harmony alone +Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union. + +At last surrounds their sight +A globe of circular light, +That with long beams the shamefac'd night array'd; +The helmed Cherubim, +And sworded Seraphim, +Are seen in glittering ranks with wings display'd, +Harping in loud and solemn quire, +With unexpressive notes to Heaven's new-born Heir. + +Such music (as 'tis said) +Before was never made, +But when of old the Sons of Morning sung, +While the Creator great +His constellations set, +And the well-balanc'd world on hinges hung, +And cast the dark foundations deep, +And bid the welt'ring waves their oozy channel keep. + +Ring out, ye crystal spheres, +Once bless our human ears, +If ye have power to touch our senses so; +And let your silver chime +Move in melodious time, +And let the bass of Heav'n's deep organ blow; +And with your ninefold harmony +Make up full consort to th' angelic symphony. + +For if such holy song +Inwrap our fancy long, +Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold, +And speckled Vanity +Will sicken soon and die, +And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mould +And Hell itself will pass away, +And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day. + +Yea, Truth and Justice then +Will down return to men, +Orb'd in a rainbow; and, like glories wearing, +Mercy will set between, +Throned in celestial sheen, +With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steering: +And Heav'n, as at some festival, +Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall. + +But wisest Fate says, No. +This must not yet be so, +The Babe yet lies in smiling infancy, +That on the bitter cross +Must redeem our loss; +So both himself and us to glorify; +Yet first to those ychain'd in sleep, +The wakeful trump of doom must thunder through the deep, + +With such a horrid clang +As on Mount Sinai rang, +While the red fire and smouldering clouds out-brake: +The aged Earth aghast, +With terror of that blast, +Shall from the surface to the centre shake; +When at the world's last session, +The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread his throne. + +And then at last our bliss +Full and perfect is, +But now begins; for from this happy day +The old Dragon under ground +In straiter limits bound, +Not half so far casts his usurped sway, +And wroth to see his kingdom fail, +Swinges the scaly horror of his folded tail. + +The oracles are dumb, +No voice or hideous hum +Runs thro' the arched roof in words deceiving. +Apollo from his shrine +Can no more divine, +With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving. +No nightly trance or breathed spell +Inspires the pale-ey'd priest from the prophetic cell. + +The lonely mountains o'er, +And the resounding shore, +A voice of weeping heard, and loud lament; +From haunted spring and dale +Edg'd with poplar pale, +The parting Genius is with sighing sent; +With flow'r-inwoven tresses torn +The Nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn. + +In consecrated earth, +And on the holy hearth, +The Lars, and Lemures moan with midnight plaint; +In urns, and altars round, +A drear and dying sound +Affrights the Flamens at their service quaint; +And the chill marble seems to sweat, +While each peculiar Power forgoes his wonted seat. + +Peor and Baaelim +Forsake their temples dim, +With that twice-batter'd god of Palestine; +And mooned Ashtaroth, +Heaven's queen and mother both, +Now sits not girt with tapers' holy shine; +The Lybic Hammon shrinks his horn. +In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded Thammuz mourn. + +And sullen Moloch fled, +Hath left in shadows dread +His burning idol all of blackest hue; +In vain with cymbals' ring +They call the grisly king, +In dismal dance about the furnace blue: +The brutish gods of Nile as fast, +Isis and Orus, and the dog Anubis haste. + +Nor is Osiris seen +In Memphian grove or green, +Trampling the unshow'r'd grass with lowings loud: +Nor can he be at rest +Within his sacred chest, +Naught but profoundest hell can be his shroud; +In vain with timbrell'd anthems dark +The sable-stoled sorcerers bear his worship'd ark. + +He feels from Juda's land +The dreaded infant's hand, +The rays of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn; +Not all the gods beside, +Longer dare abide, +Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine: +Our Babe, to show his Godhead true, +Can in his swaddling bands control the damned crew. + +So, when the sun in bed +Curtain'd with cloudy red +Pillows his chin upon an orient wave, +The flocking shadows pale +Troop to the infernal jail, +Each fetter'd ghost slips to his several grave; +And the yellow-skirted fays +Fly after the night-steeds, leaving their moon-loved maze. + +But see, the Virgin blest +Hath laid her Babe to rest; +Time is, our tedious song should here have ending: +Heaven's youngest-teemed star +Hath fix'd her polish'd car, +Her sleeping Lord with handmaid lamp attending: +And all about the courtly stable +Bright-harness'd angels sit in order serviceable. + +_--J. Milton_ + + + + +THE BURNING BABE + + +As I in hoary winter's night stood shivering in the snow, +Surprised I was with sudden heat, which made my heart to glow; +And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near, +A pretty babe, all burning bright, did in the air appear; +Who, scorched with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed, +As though his floods should quench his flames which with his + tears were fed:-- +"Alas!" quoth He, "but newly born, in fiery heats I fry, +Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I! +My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns; +Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns; +The fuel Justice layeth on, and Mercy blows the coals, +The metal in this furnace wrought are men's defiled souls, +For which, as now on fire I am, to work them to their good, +So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood."-- +With this He vanish'd out of sight, and swiftly shrunk away; +And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmasday. + +_--R. Southwell_ + + + + +A CRADLE SONG. + + +Hush! my dear, lie still and slumber; +Holy angels guard thy bed! +Heavenly blessings without number +Gently falling on thy head. + +Sleep, my babe; thy food and raiment, +House and home, thy friends provide, +All without thy care or payment +All thy wants are well supplied. + +How much better thou'rt attended +Than the Son of God could be, +When from heaven He descended, +And became a child like thee! + +Soft and easy is thy cradle; +Coarse and hard thy Saviour lay: +When his birthplace was a stable, +And his softest bed was hay. + +See the kindly shepherds round him, +Telling wonders from the sky! +Where they sought him, there they found him, +With his Virgin-Mother by. + +See the lovely babe a-dressing: +Lovely infant, how he smiled! +When he wept, the mother's blessing +Soothed and hush'd the holy child. + +Lo, he slumbers in his manger, +Where the horned oxen fed; +--Peace, my darling! here's no danger! +Here's no ox a-near thy bed! + +--May'st thou live to know and fear him, +Trust and love him all thy days: +Then go dwell forever near him; +See his face, and sing his praise. + +I could give thee thousand kisses, +Hoping what I most desire: +Not a mother's fondest wishes +Can to greater joys aspire. + +_--I. Watts_ + + + + +EASTER + + +I got me flowers to straw Thy way, +I got me boughs off many a tree; +But Thou wast up by break of day, +And brought'st Thy sweets along with Thee. + +The sun arising in the East, +Though he give light, and th' East perfume, +If they should offer to contest +With Thy arising, they presume. + +Can there be any day but this, +Though many suns to shine endeavor? +We count three hundred, but we miss: +There is but one, and that one ever. + +_--George Herbert_ + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. PETER THE APOSTLE + + +St. Peter the apostle among all other, and above all other, was of most +fervent and burning love, for he would have known the traitor that +should betray our Lord Jesu Christ, as St. Austin saith: If he had known +him he would have torn him with his teeth, and therefore our Lord would +not name him to him, for as Chrysostom, saith: If he had named him, +Peter had arisen and all to-torn him. Peter went upon the sea; he was +chosen of God to be at his transfiguration, and raised a maid from death +to life; he found the stater or piece of money in the fish's mouth; he +received of our Lord the keys of the kingdom of heaven; he took the +charge to feed the sheep of Jesu Christ. He converted at a Whitsuntide +three thousand men, he healed Claude with John, and then converted five +thousand men; he said to Ananias and Saphira their death before; he +healed AEneas of the palsy; he raised Tabitha; he baptized Cornelia; with +the shadow of his body he healed sick men; he was put in prison by +Herod, but by the angel of our Lord he was delivered. What his meat was +and his clothing, the book of St. Clement witnesseth, for he said: Bread +only with olives, and seldom with worts, is mine usage, and I have such +clothing as thou seest, a coat and a mantle, and when I have that, I +demand no more. It is said for certain that he bare always a sudary in +his bosom, with which he wiped the tears that ran from his eyes; for +when he remembered the sweet presence of our Lord, for the great love +that he had to him he might not forbear weeping. And also when he +remembered that he had renied him, he wept abundantly great plenty of +tears, in such wise that he was so accustomed to weep that his face was +burned with tears as it seemed, like as Clement saith. And saith also +that in the night when he heard the cock crow he would weep customably. +And after that it is read in Historia Ecclesiastica that, when St. +Peter's wife was led to her passion, he had great joy and called her by +her proper name, and said to her: My wife, remember thee of our Lord. + +On a time when St. Peter had sent two of his disciples for to preach the +faith of Jesu Christ, and when they had gone twenty days' journey, one +of them died, and that other then returned to St. Peter and told him +what had happened, some say that it was St. Marcial that so died, and +some say it was St. Maternus, and others say that it was St. Frank. Then +St. Peter gave to him his staff and commanded that he should return to +his fellow, and lay it upon him, which he so did, then he which had been +forty days dead, anon arose all living. + +That time Simon the enchanter was in Jerusalem, and he said he was first +truth, and affirmed that who that would believe in him he would make +them perpetual. And he also said that nothing to him was impossible. It +is read in the book of St. Clement that he said that he should be +worshipped of all men as God, and that he might do all that he would. +And he said yet more: When my mother Rachel commanded me that I should +go reap corn in the field, and saw the sickle ready to reap with, I +commanded the sickle to reap by itself alone, and it reaped ten times +more than any other. And yet he added hereto more, after Jerome, and +said: I am the Word of God, I am the Holy Ghost, I am Almighty, I am all +that is of God. He made serpents of brass to move, and made the images +of iron and of stone to laugh, and dogs to sing, and as St. Linus saith, +he would dispute with St. Peter and show, at a day assigned, that he was +God. And Peter came to the place where the strife should be, and said to +them that were there: Peace to you brethren that love truth. To whom +Simon said: We have none need of thy peace, for if peace and concord +were made, we should not profit to find the truth, for thieves have +peace among them. And therefore desire no peace but battle, for when two +men fight and one is overcome then is it peace. Then said Peter: Why +dreadest thou to hear of peace? Of sins grow battles, where is no sin +there is peace; in disputing is truth found, and in works righteousness. +Then said Simon: It is not as thou sayest, but I shall show to thee the +power of my dignity, that anon thou shalt adore me; I am first truth, +and may flee by the air; I can make new trees and turn stones into +bread; endure in the fire without hurting; and all that I will I may do. +St. Peter disputed against all these, and disclosed all his malefices. +Then Simon Magus, seeing that he might not resist Peter, cast all his +books into the sea, lest St. Peter should prove him a magician, by his +books, and went to Rome where he was had and reputed as a god. And when +Peter knew that, he followed and came to Rome. The fourth year of +Claudius the emperor, Peter came to Rome, and sat there twenty-five +years, and ordained two bishops as his helpers, Linus and Cletus, one +within the walls, and that other without. He entended much to preaching +of the Word of God, by which he converted much people to the faith of +Christ, and healed many sick men, and in his preaching always he praised +and preferred chastity. He converted four concubines, of Agrippa the +provost, so that they would no more come to him, wherefore the provost +sought occasion against Peter. + +After this, our Lord appeared to St. Peter, saying to him: Simon Magus +and Nero purpose against thee, dread thee not, for I am with thee, and +shall give to thee the solace of my servant Paul, which to-morn shall +come in to Rome. Then Peter, knowing that he should not long abide here, +assembled all his brethren, and took Clement by the hand and ordained +him a bishop, and made him to sit in his own seat. After this, as our +Lord had said tofore, Paul came to Rome, and with Peter began to preach +the faith of Christ. + +Simon Magus was so much beloved of Nero that he weened that he had been +the keeper of his life, of his health, and of all the city. On a day, as +Leo the pope saith, as he stood tofore Nero, suddenly his visage +changed, now old and now young, which, when Nero saw, he supposed that +he had been the son of God. Then said Simon Magus to Nero: Because that +thou shalt know me to be the very son of God, command my head to be +smitten off and I shall arise again the third day. Then Nero commanded +to his brother to smite off his head, and when he supposed to have +beheaded Simon, he beheaded a ram. Simon, by his art magic went away +unhurt, and gathered together the members of the ram, and hid him three +days. The blood of the ram abode and congealed. The third day he came +and showed him to Nero, saying: Command my blood to be washed away, for +lo I am he that was beheaded, and as I promised I have risen again the +third day. Whom Nero seeing, was abashed and trowed verily that he had +been the son of God. All this saith Leo. Sometime also, when he was with +Nero secretly within his conclave, the devil in his likeness spake +without to the people. Then the Romans had him in such worship that they +made to him an image, and wrote above, this title: To Simon the holy +God. Peter and Paul entered to Nero and discovered all the enchantments +and malefices of Simon Magus, and Peter added thereto, seeing that like +as in Christ be two substances that is of God and man, so are in this +magician two substances, that is of man and of the devil. Then said +Simon Magus, as St. Marcelle and Leo witness, lest I should suffer any +longer this enemy, I shall command my angels that they shall avenge me +on him. To whom Peter said: I dread nothing thine angels, but they +dread me. Nero said: Dreadest thou not Simon, that by certain things +affirmeth his godhead? To whom Peter said: If dignity or godhead be in +him let him tell now what I think or what I do, which thought I shall +first tell to thee, that he shall not mow lie what I think. To whom Nero +said: Come hither and say what thou thinkest. Then Peter went to him and +said to him secretly: Command some man to bring to me a barley-loaf, and +deliver it to me privily. When it was taken to him, he blessed it, and +hid it under his sleeve, and then said he: Now Simon say what I think, +and have said and done. Simon answered: Let Peter say what I think. +Peter answered: What Simon thinketh that I know, I shall do it when he +hath thought. Then Simon having indignation, cried aloud: I command that +dogs come and devour him. And suddenly there appeared great dogs and +made an assault against Peter. He gave to them of the bread that he had +blessed, and suddenly he made them to flee. Then said Peter to Nero: Lo! +I have showed you what he thought against me, not in words but in deeds, +for where he promised angels to come against me he brought dogs, thereby +he showeth that he hath none angels but dogs. Then said Simon: Hear ye, +Peter and Paul; if I may not grieve you here, ye shall come where me it +shall behove to judge you. I shall spare you here. Haec Leo. Then Simon +Magus, as Hegesippus and Linus say, elate in pride avaunted him that he +can raise dead men to life. And it happed that there was a young man +dead, and then Nero let call Peter and Simon, and all gave sentence by +the will of Simon that he should be slain that might not arise the dead +man to life. Simon then, as he made his incantations upon the dead body, +he was seen move his head of them that stood by; then all they cried for +to stone Peter. Peter unnethe getting silence said: If the dead body +live, let him arise, walk and speak, else know ye that it is a fantasy +that the head of the dead man moveth. Let Simon be taken from the bed. +And the body abode immovable. Peter standing afar making his prayer +cried to the dead body, saying: Young man, arise in the name of Jesu +Christ of Nazareth crucified, and anon, he arose living, and walked. +Then, when the people would have stoned Simon Magus, Peter said: He is +in pain enough, knowing him to be overcome in his heart; our master hath +taught us for to do good for evil. Then said Simon to Peter and Paul: +Yet is it not come to you that ye desire, for ye be not worthy to have +martyrdom, the which answered: That is, that we desire to have, to thee +shall never be well, for thou liest all that thou sayest. + +Then as Marcel saith: Simon went to the house of Marcel and bound there +a great black dog at the door of the house, and said: Now I shall see if +Peter, which is accustomed to come hither, shall come, and if he come +this dog shall strangle him. And a little after that, Peter and Paul +went thither, and anon Peter made the sign of the cross and unbound the +hound, and the hound was as tame and meek as a lamb, and pursued none +but Simon, and went to him and took and cast him to the ground under +him, and would have strangled him. And then ran Peter to him and cried +upon the hound that he should not do him any harm. And anon the hound +left and touched not his body, but he all torent and tare his gown in +such wise that he was almost naked. Then all the people, and especially +children, ran with the hound upon him and hunted and chased him out of +the town as he had been a wolf. Then for the reproof and shame he durst +not come in to the town of all a whole year after. Then Marcel that was +disciple of Simon Magus, seeing these great miracles, came to Peter, and +was from then forthon his disciple. + +And after, at the end of the year, Simon returned and was received again +into the amity of Nero. And then, as Leo saith, this Simon Magus +assembled the people and showed to them how he had been angered of the +Galileans, and therefore he said that he would leave the city which he +was wont to defend and keep, and set a day in which he would ascend into +heaven, for he deigned no more to dwell in the earth. Then on the day +that he had stablished, like as he had said, he went up to an high +tower, which was on the capitol, and there being crowned with laurel, +threw himself out from place to place, and began to fly in the air. Then +said St. Paul to St. Peter: It appertaineth to me to pray, and to thee +for to command. Then said Nero: This man is very God, and ye be two +traitors. Then said St. Peter to St. Paul: Paul, brother, lift up thine +head and see how Simon flyeth. Then St. Paul said to St. Peter when he +saw him fly so high: Peter, why tarriest thou? perform that thou hast +begun, God now calleth us. Then said Peter: I charge and conjure you +angels of Sathanas, which bear him in the air, by the name of our Lord +Jesu Christ, that ye bear ne sustain him no more, but let him fall to +the earth. And anon they let him fall to the ground and brake his neck +and head, and he died there forthwith. And when Nero heard say that +Simon was dead, and that he had lost such a man, he was sorrowful, and +said to the apostles: Ye have done this in despite of me, and therefore +I shall destroy you by right evil example. Haec Leo. Then he delivered +them to Paulin, which was a much noble man, and Paulin delivered them to +Mamertin under the keeping of two knights, Processe and Martinian, whom +St. Peter converted to the faith. And they then opened the prison and +let them all go out that would go, wherefore, after the passion of the +apostles, Paulin, when he knew that they were Christian, beheaded both +Processe and Martinian. + +The brethren then, when the prison was opened, prayed Peter to go +thence, and he would not, but at the last he being overcome by their +prayers went away. And when he came to the gate, as, Leo witnesseth, +which is called Sancta Maria ad passus, he met Jesu Christ coming +against him, and Peter said to him: Lord, whither goest thou? And he +said to him: I go to Rome for to be crucified again, and Peter demanded +him: Lord, shalt thou be crucified again? And he said: Yea, and Peter +said then: Lord, I shall return again then for to be crucified with +thee. This said, our Lord ascended into heaven, Peter beholding it, +which wept sore. And when Peter understood that our Lord had said to him +of his passion, he returned, and when he came to his brethren, he told +to them what our Lord had said. And anon he was taken of the ministers +of Nero and was delivered to the provost Agrippa, then was his face as +clear as the sun, as it is said. Then Agrippa said to him: Thou art he +that glorifiest in the people, and in women, that thou departest from +the bed of their husbands. Whom the apostle blamed, and said to him that +he glorified in the cross of the Lord Jesu Christ. Then Peter was +commanded to be crucified as a stranger, and because that Paul was a +citizen of Rome it was commanded that his head should be smitten off. +And of this sentence given against them, St. Dionysius in an epistle to +Timothy saith in this wise: O my brother Timothy, if thou hadst seen the +agonies of the end of them thou shouldst have failed for heaviness and +sorrow. Who should not weep that hour when the commandment of the +sentence was given against them, that Peter should be crucified and Paul +be beheaded? Thou shouldst then have seen the turbes of the Jews and of +the paynims that smote them and spit in their visages. And when the +horrible time came of their end that they were departed that one from +that other, they bound the pillars of the world, but that was not +without wailing and weeping of the brethren. Then said St. Paul to St. +Peter: Peace be with thee that are foundement of the church and pastor +of the sheep and lambs of our Lord. Peter then said to Paul: Go thou in +peace, preacher of good manners, mediator, leader, and solace of +rightful people. And when they were withdrawn far from other I followed +my master. They were not both slain in one street. This saith St. +Dionysius, and as Leo the pope and Marcel witness, when Peter came to +the cross, he said: When my Lord descended from heaven to the earth he +was put on the cross right up, but me whom it pleaseth him to call from +the earth to heaven, my cross shall show my head to the earth and +address my feet to heaven, for I am not worthy to be put on the cross +like as my Lord was, therefore turn my cross and crucify me my head +downward. Then they turned the cross, and fastened his feet upward and +the head downward. Then the people were angry against Nero and the +provost, and would have slain them because they made St. Peter so to +die; but he required them that they should not let his passion, and as +Leo witnesseth, our Lord opened the eyes of them that were there, and +wept so that, they saw the angels with crowns of roses and of lilies +standing by Peter that was on the cross with the angels. + +And then Peter received a book of our Lord, wherein he learned the words +that he said. Then as Hegesippus saith: Peter said thus: Lord, I have +desired much to follow thee, but to be crucified upright I have not +usurped, thou art always rightful, high and sovereign, and we be sons of +the first man which have the head inclined to the earth, of whom the +fall signifieth the form of the generation human. Also we be born that +we be seen inclined to the earth by effect, and the condition is changed +for the world weeneth that such thing is good, which is evil and bad. +Lord, thou art all things to me, and nothing is to me but thou only, I +yield to thee thankings with all the spirit of which I live, by which I +understand, and by whom I call thee. And when St. Peter saw that the +good Christian men saw his glory, in yielding thankings to God and +commending good people to him, he rendered up his spirit. Then Marcel +and Apuleius his brother, that were his disciples, took off the body +from the cross when he was dead, and anointed it with much precious +ointment, and buried him honorably. Isidore saith in the book of the +nativity and death of saints thus: Peter, after that he had governed +Antioch, he founded a church under Claudius the emperor, he went to Rome +against Simon Magus, there he preached the gospel twenty-five years and +held the bishopric, and thirty-six years after the passion of our Lord +he was crucified by Nero turned the head downward, for he would be so +crucified: Haec Isidorus. + +That same day Peter and Paul appeared to St. Dionysius, as he saith in +his foresaid epistle in these words: Understand the miracle and see the +prodigy, my brother Timothy, of the day of the martyrdom of them, for I +was ready in the time of departing of them. After their death I saw +them together, hand in hand, entering the gates of the city, and clad +with clothes of light, and arrayed with crowns of clearness and light. +Haec Dionysius. + +Nero was not unpunished for their death and other great sins and +tyrannies that he committed, for he slew himself with his own hand, +which tyrannies were overlong to tell, but shortly I shall rehearse here +some. He slew his master Seneca because he was afraid of him when he +went to school. Also Nero slew his mother. Then for his pleasure he set +Rome afire, which burned seven days and seven nights, and was in a high +tower and enjoyed him to see so great a flame of fire, and sang merrily. +He slew the senators of Rome to see what sorrow and lamentation their +wives would make. He fished with nets of gold thread, and the garment +that he had worn one day he would never wear it ne see it after. Then +the Romans seeing his woodness [madness], assailed him and pursued him +unto without the city, and when he saw he might not escape them, he took +a stake and sharped it with his teeth, and therewith stuck himself +through the body and so slew himself. In another place it is read that +he was devoured of wolves. Then the Romans returned and found the frog, +and threw it out of the city and there burned it. + +In the time of St. Cornelius the pope, Greeks stole away the bodies of +the apostles Peter and Paul, but the devils that were in the idols were +constrained by the divine virtue of God, and cried and said: Ye men of +Rome, succor hastily your gods which be stolen from you; for which thing +the good Christian people understood that they were the bodies of Peter +and Paul. And the Paynims had supposed that it had been their gods. Then +assembled great number of Christian men and of Paynims also, and pursued +so long the Greeks that they doubted to have been slain, and threw the +bodies in a pit at the catacombs, but afterward they were drawn out by +Christian men. St. Gregory saith that the great force of thunder and +lightning that came from heaven made them so afraid that they departed +each from other, and so left the bodies of the apostles at the catacombs +in a pit, but they doubted which bones were Peter's and which Paul's, +wherefore the good Christian men put them to prayers and fastings, and +it was answered them from heaven that the great bones longed to the +preacher, and the less to the fisher, and so were departed, and the +bones were put in the church of him that it was dedicate of. And others +say that Silvester the pope would hallow the churches and took all the +bones together, and departed them by weight, great and small, and put +that one-half in one church, and that other half in that other. + +And St. Gregory recounteth in his dialogues that, in the church of St. +Peter, where his bones rest, was a man of great holiness and of meekness +named Gentian, and there came a maid into the church which was cripple, +and drew her body and legs after her with her hands, and when she had +long required and prayed St. Peter for health, he appeared to her in a +vision, and said to her: Go to Gentian, my servant, and he shall restore +thy health. Then began she to creep here and there through the church, +and inquired who was Gentian, and suddenly it happed that he came to her +that him sought, and she said to him: The holy apostle St. Peter sent me +to thee that thou shouldest make me whole and deliver me from my +disease, and he answered: If thou be sent to me from him, arise thou +anon and go on thy feet. And he took her by the hand and anon she was +all whole, in such wise as she felt nothing of her grief nor malady, and +then she thanked God and St. Peter. + +And in the same book St. Gregory saith when that a holy priest was come +to the end of his life, he began to cry in great gladness: Ye be +welcome, my lords, ye be welcome that ye vouchsafe to come to so little +and poor a servant, and he said: I shall come and thank you. Then they +that stood by demanded who they were that he spake to, and he said to +them wondering: Have ye not seen the blessed apostles Peter and Paul? +and as he cried again, his blessed soul departed from the flesh. + +Some have doubt whether Peter and Paul suffered death in one day, for +some say it was the same one day, but one a year after the other. And +Jerome and all the Saints that treat of this matter accord that it was +on one day and one year, and so is it contained in an epistle of Denis, +and Leo the pope saith the same in a sermon, saying: We suppose but that +it was not done without cause that they suffered in one day and in one +place the sentence of the tyrant, and they suffered death in one time, +to the end that they should go together to Jesu Christ, and both under +one persecutor to the end that equal cruelty should strain that one and +that other. The day for their merit, the place for their glory, and the +persecution overcome by virtue. + +Though they suffered both death in one day and in one hour, yet it was +not in one place but in diverse within Rome, and hereof saith a +versifier in this wise: Ense coronatus Paulus, cruce Petrus, eodem--Sub +duce, luce, loco, dux Nero, Roma locus. That is to say, Paul crowned +with the sword, and Peter had the cross reversed, the place was the city +of Rome. And howbeit that they suffered death in one day, yet St. +Gregory ordained that that day specially should be the solemnity of St. +Peter, and the next day commemoration of St. Paul, for the church of St. +Peter was hallowed that same day, and also forasmuch as he was more in +dignity, and first in conversion, and held the principality at Rome. + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE + + +St. Paul the apostle, after his conversion, suffered many persecutions, +the which the blessed Hilary rehearseth shortly, saying: Paul the +Apostle was beaten with rods at Philippi, he was put in prison, and by +the feet fast set in stocks, he was stoned in Lystra. In Iconia and +Thessalonica he was pursued of wicked people. In Ephesus he was +delivered to wild beasts. In Damascus he was let by a lepe down of the +wall. In Jerusalem he was arrested, beaten, bound, and awaited to be +slain. In Caesarea he was inclosed and defamed. Sailing toward Italy he +was in peril of death, and from thence he came to Rome and was judged +under Nero, and there finished his life. This saith St. Hilary: Paul +took upon him to be apostle among the Gentiles. In Lystra was a contract +which he lost and redressed. A young man that fell out of a window and +died, he raised to life, and did many other miracles. At the Isle of +Melita a serpent bit his hand, and hurted him not, and he threw it into +the fire. It is said that all they that came of the progeny and lineage +of that man that then harbored Paul may in no wise be hurt of no +venemous beasts, wherefore when their children be born they put serpents +in their cradles for to prove if they be verily their children or no. In +some place it is said that Paul is less than Peter, otherwhile more, +and sometimes equal and like, for in dignity he is less, in preaching +greater, and in holiness they be equal. Haymo saith that Paul, from the +cock-crow until the hour of five, he labored with his hands, and after +entended to preaching, and that endured almost to night, the residue of +the time was for to eat, sleep, and for prayer, which was necessary. He +came to Rome when Nero was not fully confirmed in the empire, and Nero +hearing that there was disputing and questions made between Paul and the +Jews, he, recking not much thereof, suffered Paul to go where he would, +and preach freely. Jeronimus saith in his book, De viris illustribus, +that the thirty-sixth year after the Passion of our Lord, the second +year of Nero, St. Paul was sent to Rome bound, and two years he was in +free keeping and disputed against the Jews, and after, he was let go by +Nero, and preached the gospel in the west parts. And the fourteenth year +of Nero, the same year and day that Peter was crucified, his head was +smitten off. Haec Jeronimus. The wisdom and religion of him was published +over all, and was reputed marvellous. He gat to him many friends in the +emperor's house and converted them to the faith of Christ, and some of +his writings were recited and read tofore the emperor, and of all men +marvellously commended, and the senate understood of him by things of +authority. + +It happed on a day that Paul preached about evensong time in a loft, a +young man named Patroclus, butler of Nero, and with him well-beloved, +went for to see the multitude of people, and the better for to hear +Paul he went up into a window, and there sleeping, fell down and died, +which when Nero heard he was much sorry and heavy therefor, and anon +ordered another in his office. Paul knowing hereof by the Holy Ghost, +said to them standing by him that they should go and bring to him +Patroclus, which was dead, and that the emperor loved so much. Whom when +he was brought, he raised to life and sent him with his fellows to the +emperor, whom the emperor knew for dead, and, while he made lamentation +for him, it was told to the emperor that Patroclus was come to the gate. +And when he heard that Patroclus was alive he much marvelled, and +commanded that he should come in. To whom Nero said: Patroclus, livest +thou? And he said: Yea, emperor, I live; and Nero said: Who hath made +thee to live again? And he said: The Lord Jesu Christ, king of all +worlds. Then Nero being wroth said: Then shall he reign ever and resolve +all the royaumes of the world? To whom Patroclus said: Yea, certainly, +emperor; then Nero gave to him a buffet, saying: Therefore thou servest +him, and he said: Yea, verily, I serve him that hath raised me from +death to life. Then five of the ministers of Nero, that assisted him, +said to him: O emperor, why smitest thou this young man, truly and +wisely answering to thee? Trust verily we serve that same King Almighty. +And when Nero heard that he put them in prison, for strongly to torment +them, whom he much had loved. Then he made to inquire and to take all +Christian men, and without examination made them to be tormented with +overgreat torments. Then was Paul among others bound and brought tofore +Nero, to whom Nero said: O thou man, servant of the great King, bound +tofore me, why withdrawest thou my knights and drawest them to thee? To +whom Paul said: Not only from thy corner I have gathered knights, but +also I gather from the universal world to my Lord, to whom our king +giveth such gifts that never shall fail, and granteth that they shall be +excluded from all indigence and need; and if thou wilt be to him +subject, thou shalt be safe, for he is of so great power that he shall +come and judge all the world, and destroy the figure thereof by fire. +And when Nero heard that he should destroy the figure of the world by +fire, he commanded that all the Christian men should be burned by fire, +and Paul to be beheaded, as he that is guilty against his majesty. And +so great a multitude of Christian people were slain then, that the +people of Rome brake up his palace and cried and moved sedition against +him, saying: Caesar, amend thy manners and attemper thy commandments, for +these be our people that thou destroyest, and defend the empire of Rome. +The emperor then dreading the noise of the people, changed his decree +and edict that no man should touch ne hurt no Christian man till the +emperor had otherwise ordained, wherefore Paul was brought again tofore +Nero, whom as soon as Nero saw, he cried and said: Take away this wicked +man and behead him, and suffer him no longer to live upon the earth. To +whom Paul said: Nero, I shall suffer a little while, but I shall live +eternally with my Lord Jesu Christ. Nero said: Smite off his head, that +he may understand me stronger than his king, that when he is overcome we +may see whether he may live after. To whom Paul said: To the end that +thou know me to live everlastingly, when my head shall be smitten off, I +shall appear to thee living, and then thou mayst know that Christ is God +of life and of death. And when he had said this he was led to the place +of his martyrdom, and as he was led, the three knights that led him said +to him: Tell to us, Paul, who is he your king that ye love so much that +for his love ye had liefer die than live, and what reward shall ye have +therefor? Then Paul preached to them of the kingdom of heaven and of the +pain of hell, in such wise that he converted them to the faith, and they +prayed him to go freely whither he would. God forbid, brethren, said he, +that I should flee, I am not fugitive, but the lawful knight of Christ. +I know well that from this transitory life I shall go to everlasting +life. As soon as I shall be beheaded, true men shall take away my body; +mark ye well the place, and come thither to-morrow, and ye shall find by +my sepulchre two men, Luke and Titus, praying. To whom when ye shall +tell for what cause I have sent you to them, they shall baptize you and +make you heirs of the kingdom of heaven. + +And whiles they thus spake together, Nero sent two knights to look if he +were slain and beheaded or no, and when thus St. Paul would have +converted them, they said: When thou art dead and risest again, then we +shall believe, now come forth and receive that thou hast deserved. And +as he was led to the place of his passion in the gate of Hostence, a +noble woman named Plautilla, a disciple of Paul, who after another name +was called Lemobia, for haply she had two names, met there with Paul, +which weeping, commended her to his prayers. To whom Paul said: +Farewell, Plautilla, daughter of everlasting health, lend to me thy veil +or keverchief with which thou coverest thy head, that I may bind mine +eyes therewith, and afterward I shall restore it to thee again. And when +she had delivered it to him, the butchers scorned her, saying: Why hast +thou delivered to this enchanter so precious a cloth for to lose it? +Then, when he came to the place of his passion, he turned him toward the +east, holding his hands up to heaven right long, with tears praying in +his own language and thanking our Lord; and after that bade his brethren +farewell, and bound his eyes himself with the keverchief of Plautilla, +and kneeling down on both knees, stretched forth his neck, and so was +beheaded. And as soon as the head was from the body, it said: Jesus +Christus! which had been to him so sweet in his life. It is said that he +named Jesus or Christus, or both, fifty times. From his wound sprang out +milk into the clothes of the knight, and afterward flowed out blood. In +the air was a great shining light, and from the body came a much sweet +odor. + +Dionysius, in an epistle to Timothy, saith of the death of Paul thus: In +that hour full of heaviness, my well-beloved brother, the butcher, +saying: Paul, make ready thy neck; then blessed Paul looked up into +heaven marking his forehead and his breast with the sign of the cross, +and then said anon: My Lord Jesus Christ, into thy hands I commend my +spirit, etc. And then without heaviness and compulsion he stretched +forth his neck and received the crown of martyrdom, the butcher so +smiting off his head. The blessed martyr Paul took the keverchief, and +unbound his eyes, and gathered up his own blood, and put it therein and +delivered to the woman, Then the butcher returned, and Plautilla met him +and demanded him, saying: Where hast thou left my master? The knight +answered: He lieth without the town with one of his fellows, and his +visage is covered with thy keverchief, and she answered and said: I have +now seen Peter and Paul enter into the city clad with right noble +vestments, and also they had right fair crowns upon their heads, more +clear and more shining than the sun, and hath brought again my +keverchief all bloody which he hath delivered me. For which thing and +work many believed in our Lord and were baptized. And this is that St. +Dionysius saith. And when Nero heard say this thing he doubted him, and +began to speak of all these things with his philosophers and with his +friends; and as they spake together of this matter, Paul came in, and +the gates shut, and stood tofore Caesar and said: Caesar, here is tofore +thee Paul the knight of the king perdurable, and not vanquished. Now +believe then certainly that I am not dead but alive, but thou, caitiff, +thou shalt die of an evil death, because thou hast slain the servants +of God. And when he had said thus he vanished away. And Nero, what for +dread and what for anger, he was nigh out of his wit, and wist not what +to do. Then by the counsel of his friends he unbound Patroclus and +Barnabas and let them go where they would. + +And the other knights, Longinus, master of the knights, and Accestus, +came on the morn to the sepulchre of Paul, and there they found two men +praying, that were Luke and Titus, and between them was Paul. And when +Luke and Titus saw them they were abashed and began to flee, and anon +Paul vanished away, and the knights cried after them and said: We come +not to grieve you, but know ye for truth that we come for to be baptized +of you, like as Paul hath said whom we saw now praying with you. When +they heard that they returned and baptized them with great joy. The head +of St. Paul was cast in a valley, and for the multitude of other heads +of men that were slain and thrown there, it could not be known which it +was. + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. CHRISTOPHER + + +Christopher tofore his baptism was named Reprobus, but afterward he was +named Christopher, which is as much to say as bearing Christ. +Christopher was of the lineage of the Canaanites, and he was of a right +great stature, and had a terrible and fearful cheer and countenance. And +he was twelve cubits of length, and as it is read in some histories +that, when he served and dwelled with the king of Canaan, it came in his +mind that he would seek the greatest prince that was in the world, and +him would he serve and obey. And so far he went that he came to a right +great king, of whom the renomee generally was that he was the greatest +of the world. And when the king saw him, he received him into his +service, and made him to dwell in his court. Upon a time a minstrel sang +tofore him a song in which he named oft the devil, and the king, which +was a Christian man, when he heard him name the devil, made anon the +sign of the cross in his visage. And when Christopher saw that, he had +great marvel what sign it was, and wherefore the king made it, and he +demanded of him. And because the king would not say, he said: If thou +tell me not, I shall no longer dwell with thee, and then the king told +to him, saying: Alway when I hear the devil named, I fear that he +should have power over me, and I garnish me with this sign that he +grieve not ne annoy me. Then Christopher said to him: Doubtest thou the +devil that he hurt thee not? Then is the devil more mighty and greater +than thou art. I am then deceived of my hope and purpose, for I had +supposed I had found the most mighty and the most greatest Lord of the +world, but I commend thee to God, for I will go seek him for to be my +Lord, and I his servant. And then departed from this king, and hasted +him for to seek the devil. + +And as he went by a great desert, he saw a great company of knights, of +which a knight cruel and horrible came to him and demanded whither he +went, and Christopher answered to him and said: I go seek the devil for +to be my master. And he said: I am he that thou seekest. And then +Christopher was glad, and bound him to be his servant perpetual, and +took him for his master and Lord. And as they went together by a common +way, they found there a cross, erect and standing. And anon as the devil +saw the cross he was afeard and fled, and left the right way, and +brought Christopher about by a sharp desert. And after, when they were +past the cross, he brought him to the highway that they had left. And +when Christopher saw that, he marvelled, and demanded whereof he +doubted, and had left the high and fair way, and had gone so far about +by so aspre a desert. And the devil would not tell him in no wise. Then +Christopher said to him: If thou wilt not tell me, I shall anon depart +from thee, and shall serve thee no more. Wherefor the devil was +constrained to tell him, and said: There was a man called Christ which +was hanged on the cross, and when I see his sign I am sore afraid, and +flee from it wheresoever I see it. To whom Christopher said: Then he is +greater, and more mightier than thou, when thou art afraid of his sign, +and I see well that I have labored in vain, when I have not founden the +greatest Lord of the world. And I will serve thee no longer, go thy way +then, for I will go seek Christ. And when he had long sought and +demanded where he should find Christ, at last he came into a great +desert, to an hermit that dwelt there, and this hermit preached to him +of Jesu Christ and informed him in the faith diligently, and said to +him: This king whom thou desirest to serve, requireth the service that +thou must oft fast. And Christopher said to him: Require of me some +other thing, and I shall do it, for that which thou requirest I may not +do. And the hermit said: Thou must then wake and make many prayers. And +Christopher said to him: I wot not what it is; I may do no such thing. +And then the hermit said to him: Knowest thou such a river, in which +many be perished and lost? To whom Christopher said: I know it well. +Then said the hermit: Because thou art noble and high of stature and +strong in thy members, thou shalt be resident by that river, and thou +shalt bear over all them that shall pass there, which shall be a thing +right convenable to our Lord Jesu Christ whom thou desirest to serve, +and I hope he shall show himself to thee. Then said Christopher: +Certes, this service may I well do, and I promise to him for to do it. +Then went Christopher to this river, and made there his habitacle for +him, and bare a great pole in his hand instead of a staff, by which he +sustained him in the water, and bare over all manner of people without +ceasing. And there he abode, thus doing, many days. And in a time, as he +slept in his lodge, he heard the voice of a child which called him and +said: Christopher, come out and bear me over. Then he awoke and went +out, but he found no man. And when he was again in his house, he heard +the same voice and he ran Out and found nobody. The third time he was +called and came thither, and found a child beside the rivage of the +river, which prayed him goodly to bear him over the water. And then +Christopher lift up the child on his shoulders, and took his staff, and +entered into the river for to pass. And the water of the river arose and +swelled more and more: and the child was heavy as lead, and alway as he +went further the water increased and grew more, and the child more and +more waxed heavy, insomuch that Christopher had great anguish and was +afeard to be drowned. And when he was escaped with great pain, and +passed the water, and set the child aground, he said to the child: +Child, thou hast put me in great peril; thou weighest almost as I had +all the world upon me, I might bear no greater burden. And the child +answered: Christopher, marvel thee nothing, for thou hast not only borne +all the world upon thee, but thou hast borne him that created and made +all the world, upon thy shoulders. I am Jesu Christ the king, to whom +thou servest in this work. And because that thou know that I say to be +the truth, set thy staff in the earth by thy house, and thou shalt see +to-morn that it shall bear flowers and fruit, and anon he vanished from +his eyes. And then Christopher set his staff in the earth, and when he +arose on the morn, he found his staff like a palmier bearing flowers, +leaves and dates. + +And then Christopher went into the city of Lycia, and understood not +their language. Then he prayed our Lord that he might understand them, +and so he did. And as he was in this prayer, the judges supposed that he +had been a fool, and left him there. And then when Christopher +understood the language, he covered his visage and went to the place +where they martyred Christian men, and comforted them in our Lord. And +then the judges smote him in the face, and Christopher said to them: If +I were not Christian I should avenge mine injury. And then Christopher +pitched his rod in the earth, and prayed to our Lord that for to convert +the people it might bear flowers and fruit, and anon it did so. And then +he converted eight thousand men. And then the king sent two knights for +to fetch him to the king, and they found him praying, and durst not tell +to him so. And anon after, the king sent as many more, and they anon set +them down for to pray with him. And when Christopher arose, he said to +them: What seek ye? And when they saw him in the visage they said to +him: The king hath sent us, that we should lead thee bound unto him. +And Christopher said to them: If I would, ye should not lead me to him, +bound ne unbound. And they said to him: If thou wilt go thy way, go +quit, where thou wilt. And we shall say to the king that we have not +found thee. It shall not be so, said he, but I shall go with you. And +then he converted them in the faith, and commanded them that they should +bind his hands behind his back, and lead him so bound to the king. And +when the king saw him he was afeard and fell down off the seat, and his +servants lifted him up and releved him again. And then the king inquired +his name and his country; and Christopher said to him: Tofore or I was +baptized I was named Reprobus, and after, I am Christopher; tofore +baptism, a Canaanite, now, a Christian man. To whom the king said: Thou +hast a foolish name, that is to wit of Christ crucified, which could not +help himself, ne may not profit to thee. How therefore, thou cursed +Canaanite, why wilt thou not do sacrifice to our gods? To whom +Christopher said: Thou art rightfully called Dagnus, for thou art the +death of the world, and fellow of the devil, and thy gods be made with +the hands of men. And the king said to him: Thou wert nourished among +wild beasts, and therefore thou mayst not say but wild language, and +words unknown to men. And if thou wilt now do sacrifice to the gods I +shall give to thee great gifts and great honors, and if not, I shall +destroy thee and consume thee by great pains and torments. But, for all +this, he would in no wise do sacrifice, wherefore he was sent in to +prison, and the king did do behead the other knights that he had sent +for him, whom he had converted. + +After this Christopher was brought tofore the king, and the king +commanded that he should be beaten with rods of iron, and that there +should be set upon his head a cross of iron red hot and burning, and +then after, he did do make a siege or a stool of iron, and made +Christopher to be bounden thereon, and after, to set fire under it, and +cast therein pitch. But the siege or settle melted like wax, and +Christopher issued out without any harm or hurt. And when the king saw +that, he commanded that he should be bound to a strong stake, and that +he should be through-shotten with arrows with forty knights archers. But +none of the knights might attain him, for the arrows hung in the air +about, nigh him, without touching. Then the king weened that he had been +through-shotten with the arrows of the knights, and addressed him for to +go to him. And one of the arrows returned suddenly from the air and +smote him in the eye, and blinded him. To whom Christopher said: Tyrant, +I shall die to-morn, make a little clay, with my blood tempered, and +anoint therewith thine eye, and thou shalt receive health. Then by the +commandment of the king he was led for to be beheaded, and then, there +made he his orison, and his head was smitten off, and so suffered +martyrdom. And the king then took a little of his blood and laid it on +his eye, and said: In the name of God and of St. Christopher! and was +anon healed. Then the king believed in God, and gave commandment that +if any person blamed God or St. Christopher, he should anon be slain +with the sword. + +Ambrose saith in his preface thus, of this holy martyr: Lord, thou hast +given to Christopher so great plenty of virtues, and such grace of +doctrine, that he called from the error of Paynims forty-eight thousand +men, to the honor of Christian faith, by his shining miracles. And with +this, he being strained and bounden in a seat of iron, and great fire +put under, doubted nothing the heat. And all a whole day during, stood +bounden to a stake, yet might not be through-pierced with arrows of all +the knights. And with that, one of the arrows smote out the eye of the +tyrant, to whom the blood of the holy martyr re-established his sight, +and enlumined him in taking away the blindness of his body, and gat of +the Christian mind and pardon, and he also gat of thee by prayer power +to put away sickness and sores from them that remember his passion and +figure. Then let us pray to St. Christopher that he pray for us, etc. + + + + +THE SEVEN SLEEPERS + + +The seven sleepers were born in the city of Ephesus. And when Decius the +emperor came into Ephesus for the persecution of Christian men, he +commanded to edify the temples in the middle of the city, so that all +should come with him to do sacrifice to the idols, and did do seek all +the Christian people, and bind them for to make them to do sacrifice, or +else to put them to death; in such wise that every man was afeard of the +pains that he promised, that the friend forsook his friend, and the son +renied his father, and the father the son. And then in this city were +founden seven Christian men, that is to wit, Maximian, Malchus, +Marcianus, Denis, John, Serapion, and Constantine. And when they saw +this, they had much sorrow, and because they were the first in the +palace that despised the sacrifices, they hid them in their houses, and +were in fastings and in prayers. And then they were accused tofore +Decius, and came thither, and were found very Christian men. Then was +given to them space for to repent them, unto the coming again of Decius. +And in the meanwhile they dispended their patrimony in alms to the poor +people; and assembled them together, and took counsel, and went to the +mount of Celion, and there ordained to be more secretly, and there hid +them long time. And one of them administered and served them always. +And when he went into the city, he clothed him in the habit of a beggar. + +When Decius was come again, he commanded that they should be fetched, +and then Malchus, which was their servant and ministered to them meat +and drink, returned in great dread to his fellows, and told and showed +to them the great fury and woodness of them, and then were they sore +afraid. And Malchus set tofore them the loaves of bread that he had +brought, so that they were comforted of the meat, and were more strong +for to suffer torments. And when they had taken their refection and sat +in weeping and wailings, suddenly, as God would, they slept, and when it +came on the morn they were sought and could not be found. Wherefore +Decius was sorrowful because he had lost such young men. And then they +were accused that they were hid in the mount of Celion, and had given +their goods to poor men, and yet abode in their purpose. And then +commanded Decius that their kindred should come to him, and menaced them +to the death if they said not of them all that they knew. And they +accused them, and complained that they had dispended all their riches. +Then Decius thought what he should do with them, and, as our Lord would, +he inclosed the mouth of the cave wherein they were with stones, to the +end that they should die therein for hunger and fault of meat. Then the +ministers and two Christian men, Theodorus and Rufinus, wrote their +martyrdom and laid it subtlely among the stones. And when Decius was +dead, and all that generation, three hundred and sixty-two years after, +and the thirtieth year of Theodosius the emperor, when the heresy was of +them that denied the resurrection of dead bodies, and began to grow; +Theodosius, then the most Christian emperor, being sorrowful that the +faith of our Lord was so felonously demened, for anger and heaviness he +clad him in hair and wept every day in a secret place, and led a full +holy life, which God, merciful and piteous, seeing, would comfort them +that were sorrowful and weeping, and give to them esperance and hope of +the resurrection of dead men, and opened the precious treasure of his +pity, and raised the foresaid martyrs in this manner following. + +He put in the will of a burgess of Ephesus that he would make in that +mountain, which was desert and aspre, a stable for his pasturers and +herdmen. And it happed that of adventure the masons, that made the said +stable, opened this cave. And then these holy saints, that were within, +awoke and were raised and intersalued each other, and had supposed +verily that they had slept but one night only, and remembered of the +heaviness that they had the day tofore. And then Malchus, which +ministered to them, said what Decius had ordained of them, for he said: +We have been sought, like as I said to you yesterday, for to do +sacrifice to the idols, that is it that the emperor desireth of us. And +then Maximian answered: God our Lord knoweth that we shall never +sacrifice, and comforted his fellows. He commanded to Malchus to go and +buy bread in the city, and bade him bring more that he did yesterday, +and also to inquire and demand what the emperor had commanded to do. And +then Malchus took five shillings, and issued out of the cave, and when +he saw the masons and the stones tofore the cave, he began to bless him, +and was much amarvelled. But he thought little on the stones, for he +thought on other things. Then came he all doubtful to the gates of the +city, and was all amarvelled. For he saw the sign of the cross about the +gate, and then, without tarrying, he went to that other gate of the +city, and found there also the sign of the cross thereon, and then he +had great marvel, for upon every gate he saw set up the sign of the +cross; and therewith the city was garnished. And then he blessed him and +returned to the first gate, and weened he had dreamed; and after he +advised and comforted himself and covered his visage and entered into +the city. And when he came to the sellers of bread, and heard the men +speak of God, yet then was he more abashed, and said: What is this, that +no man yesterday durst name Jesu Christ, and now every man confesseth +him to be Christian? I trow this is not the city of Ephesus, for it is +all otherwise builded. It is some other city, I wot not what. + +And when he demanded and heard verily that it was Ephesus, he supposed +that he had erred, and thought verily to go again to his fellows, and +then went to them that sold bread. And when he showed his money the +sellers marvelled, and said that one to that other, that this young man +had found some old treasure. And when Malchus saw them talk together, +he doubted not that they would lead him to the emperor, and was sore +afeard, and prayed them to let him go, and keep both money and bread, +but they held him, and said to him: Of whence art thou? For thou hast +found treasure of old emperors, show it to us, and we shall be fellows +with thee and keep it secret. And Malchus was so afeard that he wist not +what to say to them for dread. And when they saw that he spake not they +put a cord about his neck, and drew him through the city unto the middle +thereof. And tidings were had all about in the city that a young man had +found ancient treasure, in such wise that all they of the city assembled +about him, and he confessed there that he had found no treasure. And he +beheld them all, but he could know no man there of his kindred ne +lineage, which he had verily supposed that they had lived, but found +none, wherefore he stood as he had been from himself, in the middle of +the city. And when St. Martin the bishop, and Antipater the consul, +which were new come into this city, heard of this thing they sent for +him, that they should bring him wisely to them, and his money with him. +And when he was brought to the church he weened well he should have been +led to the Emperor Decius. And then the bishop and the consul marvelled +of the money, and they demanded him where he had found this treasure +unknown. And he answered that he had nothing founden, but it was come to +him of his kindred and patrimony, and they demanded of him of what city +he was. I wot well that I am of this city, if this be the city of +Ephesus. And the judge said to him: Let thy kindred come and witness for +thee. And he named them, but none knew them. And they said that he +feigned, for to escape from them in some manner. And then said the +judge: How may we believe thee that this money is come to thee of thy +friends, when it appeareth in the scripture that it is more than three +hundred and seventy-two years sith it was made and forged, and is of the +first days of Decius the emperor, and it resembleth nothing to our +money; and how may it come from thy lineage so long since, and thou art +young, and wouldst deceive the wise and ancient men of this city of +Ephesus? And therefore I command that thou be demened after the law till +thou hast confessed where thou hast found this money. Then Malchus +kneeled down tofore them and said: For God's sake, lords, say ye to me +that I shall demand you, and I shall tell to you all that I have in my +heart. Decius the emperor that was in this city, where is he? And the +bishop said to him there is no such at this day in the world that is +named Decius, he was emperor many years since. And Malchus said: Sire, +hereof I am greatly abashed and no man believeth me, for I wot well that +we fled for fear of Decius the emperor, and I saw him, that yesterday he +entered into this city, if this be the city of Ephesus. Then the bishop +thought in himself, and said to the judge that, this is a vision that +our Lord will have showed by this young man. Then said the young man: +Follow ye me, and I shall show to you my fellows which be in the mount +of Celion, and believe ye them. This know I well, that we fled from the +face of the Emperor Decius. And then they went with him, and a great +multitude of the people of the city with them. And Malchus entered first +into the cave to his fellows, and the bishop next after him. And there +found they among the stones the letters sealed with two seals of silver. +And then the bishop called them that were come thither, and read them +tofore them all, so that they that heard it were all abashed and +amarvelled. And they saw the saints sitting in the cave, and their +visages like unto roses flowering, and they, kneeling down, glorified +God. And anon the bishop and the judge sent to Theodosius the emperor, +praying him that he would come anon for to see the marvels of our Lord +that he had late showed. And anon he arose up from the ground, and took +off the sack in which he wept, and glorified our Lord. And came from +Constantinople to Ephesus, and all they came against him, and ascended +in to the mountain with him together, unto the saints in to the cave. + +And as soon as the blessed saints of our Lord saw the emperor come, +their visages shone like to the sun. And the emperor entered then, and +glorified our Lord and embraced them, weeping upon each of them, and +said: I see you now like as I should see our Lord raising Lazarus. And +then Maximian said to him: Believe us, for forsooth our Lord hath raised +us tofore the day of the great resurrection. And to the end that thou +believe firmly the resurrection of the dead people, verily we be raised +as ye here see, and live. And in like wise as the child is in the womb +of his mother without feeling harm or hurt, in the same wise we have +been living and sleeping in lying here without feeling of anything. And +when they had said all this, they inclined their heads to the earth, and +rendered their spirits at the command of our Lord Jesu Christ, and so +died. Then the emperor arose, and fell on them, weeping strongly, and +embraced them, and kissed them debonairly. And then he commanded to make +precious sepulchres of gold and silver, and to bury their bodies +therein. And in the same night they appeared to the emperor, and said to +him that he should suffer them to lie on the earth like as they had lain +tofore till that time that our Lord had raised them, unto the time that +they should rise again. Then commanded the emperor that the place should +be adorned nobly and richly with precious stones, and all the bishops +that would confess the resurrection should be assoiled. It is in doubt +of that which is said that they slept three hundred and sixty-two years, +for they were raised the year of our Lord four hundred and +seventy-eight, and Decius reigned but one year and three months, and +that was in the year of our Lord two hundred and seventy, and so they +slept but two hundred and eight years. + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. SILVESTER. + + +Silvester was son of one Justa and was learned and taught of a priest +named Cyrinus, which did marvellously great alms and made hospitalities. +It happed that he received a Christian man into his house named Timothy, +who no man would receive for the persecution of tyrants, wherefore the +said Timothy suffered death and passion after that year while he +preached justly the faith of Jesu Christ. It was so that the prefect +Tarquinius supposed that Timothy had had great plenty of riches, which +he demanded of Silvester, threatening him to the death but if he +delivered them to him. And when he found certainly that Timothy had no +great riches, he commanded to St. Silvester to make sacrifice to the +idols, and if he did not he would make him suffer divers torments. St. +Silvester answered: False, evil man, thou shalt die this night, and +shalt have torments that ever shall endure, and thou shalt know, whether +thou wilt or not, that he whom we worship is very God. Then St. +Silvester was put in prison, and the provost went to dinner. Now it +happed that as he ate, a bone of a fish turned in his throat and stuck +fast, so that he could neither have it down ne up, and at midnight died +like as St. Silvester had said, and then St. Silvester was delivered out +of prison. He was so gracious that all Christian men and Paynims loved +him, for he was fair like an angel to look on, a fair speaker, whole of +body, holy in work, good in counsel, patient and charitable, and firmly +established in the faith. He had in writing the names of all the widows +and orphans that were poor, and to them he administered their necessity. +He had a custom to fast all Fridays and Saturdays. And it was so that +Melchiades, the bishop of Rome, died, and all the people chose St. +Silvester for to be the high Bishop of Rome, which sore against his will +was made pope. He instituted for to be fasted Wednesday, Friday, and +Saturday, and the Thursday for to be hallowed as Sunday. + +Now it happed that the Emperor Constantine did do slay all the Christian +men over all where he could find them, and for this cause St. Silvester +fled out of the town with his clerks, and hid him in a mountain. And for +the cruelty of Constantine God sent him such a sickness that he became +lazar and measel, and by the counsel of his physicians he got three +thousand young children for to have cut their throats, for to have their +blood in a bath all hot, and thereby he might be healed of his measelry. +And when he should ascend into his chariot for to go to the place where +he should be bathed, the mothers of the children came crying and braying +for sorrow of their children, and when he understood that they were +mothers of the children, he had great pity on them and said to his +knights and them that were about him: The dignity of the empire of Rome +is brought forth of the fountain of pity, the which hath stablished by +decree that who that slayeth a child in battle shall have his head +smitten off, then should it be great cruelty to us for to do to ours +such thing as we defend to strange nations, for so should cruelty +surmount us. It is better that we leave cruelty and that pity surmount +us, and therefore me seemeth better to save the lives of these +innocents, than by their death I should have again my health, of the +which we be not yet certain. Ne we may recover nothing for to slay them, +for if so were that I should thereby have health, that should be a cruel +health that should be bought with the death of so many innocents. Then +he commanded to render and deliver again to the mothers their children, +and gave to every each of them a good gift, and thus made them return to +their houses with great joy, from whence they departed with great +sorrow, and he himself returned again in his chariot unto his palace. +Now it happed that the night after St. Peter and St. Paul appeared to +this Emperor Constantine, saying to him: Because thou hast had horror to +shed and spill the blood of innocents, our Lord Jesu Christ hath had +pity on thee, and commandeth thee to send unto such a mountain where +Silvester is hid with his clerks, and say to him that thou comest for to +be baptized of him and thou shalt be healed of thy malady. And when he +was awaked he did do call his knights and commanded them to go to that +mountain and bring the Pope Silvester to him courteously and fair, for +to speak with him. When St. Silvester saw from far the knights come to +him, he supposed they sought him for to be martyred, and began to say +to his clerks that they should be firm and stable in the faith for to +suffer martyrdom. When the knights came to him they said to him much +courteously that Constantine sent for him, and prayed him that he would +come and speak with him. And forthwith he came, and when they had +intersaluted each other, Constantine told to him his vision. And when +Silvester demanded of him what men they were that so appeared to him, +the emperor wist not ne could not name them. St. Silvester opened a book +wherein the images of St. Peter and St. Paul were portrayed, and +demanded of him if they were like unto them. Then Constantine anon knew +them and said that he had seen them in his sleep. Then St. Silvester +preached to him the faith of Jesu Christ, and baptized him; and when he +was baptized, a great light descended upon him so that he said that he +had seen Jesu Christ, and was healed forthwith of his measelry. And then +he ordained seven laws unto holy church, the first was that all the city +should worship Jesu Christ as very God, the second thing was that +whosoever should say any villany of Jesu Christ he should be punished, +the third, whosomever should do villany to Christian men, he should lose +half his goods. The fourth, that the Bishop of Rome should be chief of +all holy church, like as the emperor is chief of all the world. The +fifth, that who that had done or should do trespass and fled to the +church, that he should be kept there free from all injury. The sixth, +that no man should edify any churches without license of holy church and +consent of the bishop. The seventh, that the dime and tenth part of the +possessions should be given to the church. + +After this the emperor came to St. Peter's church and confessed meekly +all his sins tofore all people, and what wrong he had done to Christian +men, and made to dig and cast out to make the foundements for the +churches, and bare on his shoulders twelve hods or baskets full of +earth. When Helen, the mother of Constantine, dwelling in Bethany, heard +say that the emperor was become Christian, she sent to him a letter, in +which she praised much her son of this that he had renounced the false +idols, but she blamed him much that he had renounced the law of the +Jews, and worshipped a man crucified. Then Constantine remanded to his +mother that she should assemble the greatest masters of the Jews, and he +should assemble the greatest masters of the Christian men, to the end +that they might dispute and know which was the truest law. Then Helen +assembled twelve masters which she brought with her, which were the +wisest that they might find in that law, and St. Silvester and his +clerks were of that other party. Then the emperor ordained two Paynims, +Gentiles, to be their judges, of whom that one was named Crato, and that +other Zenophilus, which were proved wise and expert, and they to give +the sentence, and be judge of the disputation. Then began one of the +masters of the Jews for to maintain and dispute his law, and St. +Silvester and his clerks answered to his disputation, and to them all, +always concluding them by Scripture. The judges which were true and +just, held more of the party of St. Silvester than of the Jews. Then +said one of the masters of the Jews named Zambry, I marvel, said he, +that ye be so wise and incline you to their words, let us leave all +these words and go we to the effect of the deeds. Then he did do come +[caused to come] a cruel bull, and said a word in his ear, and anon the +bull died. Then the people were all against Silvester. Then said +Silvester, believe not thou that he hath named in the ear the name of +Jesu Christ, but the name of some devil, know ye verily it is no great +strength to slay a bull, for a man, or a lion, or a serpent may well +slay him, but it is great virtue to raise him again to life, then if he +may not raise him it is by the devil. And if he may raise him again to +life, I shall believe that he is dead by the power of God. And when the +judges heard this, they said to Zambry, that had slain the bull, that he +should raise him again. Then he answered that if Silvester might raise +him in the name of Jesus of Galilee his master, then he would believe in +him, and thereto bound them all the Jews that were there. And St. +Silvester first made his orisons and prayers to our Lord, and sith came +to the bull and said to him in his ear: Thou cursed creature that art +entered into this bull and hast slain him, go out in the name of Jesu +Christ, in whose name I command thee bull, arise thou up and go thou +with the other beasts debonairly, and anon the bull arose and went forth +softly. Then the queen and the judges, which were Paynims, were +converted to the faith. + +In this time it happed that there was at Rome a dragon in a pit, which +every day slew with his breath more than three hundred men. Then came +the bishops of the idols unto the emperor and said unto him: O thou most +holy emperor, sith the time that thou hast received Christian faith the +dragon which is in yonder foss or pit slayeth every day with his breath +more than three hundred men. Then sent the emperor for St. Silvester and +asked counsel of him of this matter. St. Silvester answered that by the +might of God he promised to make him cease of his hurt and blessure of +this people. Then St. Silvester put himself to prayer, and St. Peter +appeared to him and said: Go surely to the dragon and the two priests +that be with thee take in thy company, and when thou shalt come to him +thou shalt say to him in this manner: Our Lord Jesu Christ which was +born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, buried and arose, and now sitteth on +the right side of the Father, this is he that shall come to deem and +judge the living and the dead, I command thee Sathanas that thou abide +him in this place till he come. Then thou shalt bind his mouth with a +thread, and seal it with thy seal, wherein is the imprint of the cross. +Then thou and the two priests shall come to me whole and safe, and such +bread as I shall make ready for you ye shall eat. Thus as St. Peter had +said, St. Silvester did. And when he came to the pit, he descended down +one hundred and fifty steps, bearing with him two lanterns, and found +the dragon, and said the words that St. Peter had said to him, and bound +his mouth with the thread, and sealed it, and after returned, and as he +came upward again he met with two enchanters which followed him for to +see if he descended, which were almost dead of the stench of the dragon, +whom he brought with him whole and sound, which anon were baptized, with +a great multitude of people with them. Thus was the city of Rome +delivered from double death, that was from the culture and worshipping +of false idols, and from the venom of the dragon. At the last when St. +Silvester approached toward his death, he called to him the clergy and +admonished them to have charity, and that they should diligently govern +their churches, and keep their flock from the wolves. And after the year +of the incarnation of our Lord three hundred and twenty, he departed out +of this world and slept in our Lord, etc. + + + + +OF ST. AUSTIN THAT BROUGHT CHRISTENDOM TO ENGLAND + + +St. Austin was a holy monk and sent in to England, to preach the faith +of our Lord Jesu Christ, by St. Gregory, then being pope of Rome. The +which had a great zeal and love unto England, as is rehearsed all along +in his legend, how that he saw children of England in the market of Rome +for to be sold, which were fair of visage, for which cause he demanded +license and obtained to go into England for to convert the people +thereof to Christian faith. And he being on the way the pope died and he +was chosen pope, and was countermanded and came again to Rome. And +after, when he was sacred into the papacy, he remembered the realm of +England, and sent St. Austin, as head and chief, and other holy monks +and priests with him, to the number of forty persons, unto the realm of +England. And as they came toward England they came in the province of +Anjou, purposing to have rested all night at a place called Pounte, say +a mile from the city and river of Ligerim, but the women scorned and +were so noyous to them that they drove them out of the town, and they +came unto a fair broad elm, and purposed to have rested there that +night, but one of the women which was more cruel than the other purposed +to drive them thence, and came so nigh them that they might not rest +there that night. And then St. Austin took his staff for to remove from +that place, and suddenly his staff sprang out of his hand with a great +violence, the space of three furlongs thence, and there sticked fast in +the earth. And when St. Austin came to his staff and pulled it out of +the earth, incontinent by the might of our Lord, sourded and sprang +there a fair well or fountain of clear water which refreshed him well +and all his fellowship. And about that well they rested all that night, +and they that dwelled thereby saw all that night over that place a great +light coming from heaven which covered all that place where these holy +men lay. And on the morn St. Austin wrote in the earth with his staff +beside the well these words following: Here had Austin, the servant of +the servants of God, hospitality, whom St. Gregory the pope hath sent to +convert England. + +On the morn when the holy men were departed, the dwellers of the coasts +thereby which saw the light in the night tofore, came thither and found +there a fair well, of the which they marvelled greatly. And when they +saw the scripture written in the earth they were greatly abashed because +of their unkindness, and repented them full sore of that they had mocked +them the day before. And after, they edified there a fair church in the +same place in the worship of St. Austin, the which the bishop of Anjou +hallowed. And to the hallowing thereof came so great multitude of people +that they trod the corn in the fields down all plain, like unto a floor +clean swept, for there was no sparing of it. Notwithstanding, at the +time of reaping, that ground so trodden bare more corn and better than +any other fields beside, not trodden, did. And the high altar of that +church standeth over the place where St. Austin wrote with his staff by +the well, and yet unto this day may no woman come in to that church. But +there was a noble woman that said that she was not guilty in offending +St. Austin, and took a taper in her hand and went for to offer it in the +said church; but the sentence of Almighty God may not be revoked, for as +soon as she entered the church her bowels and sinews began to shrink and +she fell down dead in ensample of all other women; whereby we may +understand that injury done against a saint displeaseth greatly Almighty +God. + +And from thence St. Austin and his fellowship came into England and +arrived in the isle of Thanet in East Kent, and king Ethelbert reigned +that time in Kent, which was a noble man and a mighty. To whom St. +Austin sent, showing the intent of his coming from the court of Rome, +and said that he had brought to him right joyful and pleasant tidings, +and said that if he would obey and do after his preaching that he should +have everlasting joy in the bliss of heaven, and should reign with +Almighty God in his kingdom. And then King Ethelbert hearing this, +commanded that they should abide and tarry in the same isle, and that +all things should be ministered to them that were necessary, unto the +time that he were otherwise advised. And soon after, the king came to +them in the same isle, and he being in the field, St. Austin with his +fellowship came and spake with him, having tofore them the sign of the +cross, singing by the way the litany, beseeching God devoutly to +strengthen them and help. And the king received him and his fellowship, +and in the same place St. Austin preached a glorious sermon, and +declared to the king the Christian faith openly and the great merit and +avail that should come thereof in time coming. And when he had ended his +sermon the king said to him: Your promises be full fair that ye bring, +but because they be new and have not been heard here before, we may not +yet give consent thereto; nevertheless, because ye be come as pilgrims +from far countries, we will not be grevious ne hard to you, but we will +receive you meekly and minister to you such things as be necessary, +neither we will forbid you, but as many as ye can convert to your faith +and religion by your preaching ye shall have license to baptize them, +and to accompany them to your law. And then the king gave to them a +mansion in the city of Dorobernence, which now is called Canterbury. And +when they drew nigh the city they came in with a cross of silver, and +with procession singing the litany, praying Almighty God of succor and +help that he would take away his wrath from the city and to inflame the +hearts of the people to receive his doctrine. And then St. Austin and +his fellowship began to preach there the word of God, and about there in +the province, and such people as were well disposed anon were converted, +and followed this holy man. And by the holy conversation and miracles +that they did much people were converted and great fame arose in the +country. And when it came to the king's ear, anon he came to the +presence of St. Austin and desired him to preach again, and then the +word of God so inflamed him, that incontinent, as soon as the sermon was +ended, the king fell down to the feet of St. Austin and said +sorrowfully: Alas! woe is me, that I have erred so long and know not of +him that thou speakest of, thy promises be so delectable that I think it +all too long till I be christened, wherefore, holy father, I require +thee to minister to me the sacrament of baptism. And then St. Austin, +seeing the great meekness and obedience of the king that he had to be +christened, he took him up with weeping tears and baptized him with all +his household and meiny, and informed them diligently in the Christian +faith with great joy and gladness. And when all this was done St. +Austin, desiring the health of the people of England, went forth on foot +to York; and when he came nigh to the city there met him a blind man +which said to him: O thou holy Austin, help me that am full needy. To +whom St. Austin said: I have no silver, but such as I have I give thee; +in the name of Jesu Christ arise and be all whole, and with that word he +received his sight and believed in our Lord and was baptized. And upon +Christmas day he baptized, in the river named Swale, ten thousand men +without women and children, and there was a great multitude of people +resorting to the said river, which was so deep that no man might pass +over on foot, and yet by miracle of our Lord there was neither man, +woman, ne child drowned, but they that were sick were made whole both in +body and in soul. And in the same place they builded a church in the +worship of God and St. Austin. And when St. Austin had preached the +faith to the people and had confirmed them steadfastly therein, he +returned again from York, and by the way he met a leper asking help, and +when St. Austin had said these words to him: In the name of Jesu Christ +be thou cleansed from all thy leprosy, anon all his filth fell away, and +a fair new skin appeared on his body so that he seemed all a new man. + +Also as St. Austin came into Oxfordshire to a town that is called +Compton to preach the word of God, to whom the curate said: Holy father, +the lord of this lordship hath been ofttimes warned of me to pay his +tithes to God, and yet he withholdeth them, and therefore I have cursed +him, and I find him the more obstinate. To whom St. Austin said: Son, +why payest thou not thy tithes to God and to the church? Knowest thou +not that the tithes be not thine but belong to God? And then the knight +said to him: I know well that I till the ground, wherefore I ought as +well to have the tenth sheaf as the ninth, and when St. Austin could not +turn the knight's entent, then he departed from him and went to mass. +And ere he began he charged that all they that were accursed should go +out of the church, and then rose a dead body and went out in to the +churchyard with a white cloth on his head, and stood still there till +the mass was done. And then St. Austin went to him and demanded him +what he was, and he answered and said: I was sometime lord of this town, +and because I would not pay my tithes to my curate he accursed me, and +so I died and went to hell. And then St. Austin bade bring him to the +place where his curate was buried, and then the carrion brought him +thither to the grave, and because that all men should know that life and +death be in the power of God, St. Austin said: I command thee in the +name of God to arise, for we have need of thee, and then he arose anon, +and stood before all the people. To whom St. Austin said: Thou knowest +well that our Lord is merciful, and I demand thee, brother, if thou +knowest this man? and he said: Yea, would God that I had never known +him, for he was a withholder of his tithes, and in all his life an, evil +doer, thou knowest that our Lord is merciful, and as long as the pains +of hell endure let us also be merciful to all Christians. And then St. +Austin delivered to the curate a rod, and there the knight kneeling on +his knees was assoiled, and then he commanded him to go again to his +grave, and there to abide till the day of doom; and he entered anon into +his grave and forthwith fell to ashes and powder. And then St. Austin +said to the priest: How long hast thou lain here? and he said a hundred +and fifty years; and then he asked how it stood with him, and he said: +Well, holy father, for I am in everlasting bliss; and then said St. +Austin: Wilt thou that I pray to Almighty God that thou abide here with +us to confirm the hearts of men in very belief? And then he said: Nay, +holy father, for I am in a place of rest; and then said St. Austin: Go +in peace, and pray for me and for all holy church, and he then entered +again into his grave, and anon the body was turned to earth. Of this +sight the lord was sore afeard, and came all quaking to St. Austin and +to his curate, and demanded forgiveness of his trespass, and promised to +make amends and ever after to pay his tithes and to follow the doctrine +of St. Austin. + +After this St. Austin entered into Dorsetshire, and came in to a town +whereas were wicked people who refused his doctrine and preaching +utterly and drove him out of the town, casting on him the tails of +thornbacks, or like fishes, wherefore he besought Almighty God to show +his judgment on them, and God sent to them a shameful token, for the +children that were born after in that place had tails, as it is said, +till they had repented them. It is said commonly that this fell at +Strood in Kent, but blessed be God at this day is no such deformity. +Item in another place there were certain people which would in no wise +give faith to his preaching ne his doctrine, but scorned and mocked him, +wherefore God took such vengeance that they burned with fire invisible, +so that their skin was red as blood, and suffered so great pain that +they were constrained to come and ask forgiveness of St. Austin, and +then he prayed God for them that they might be acceptable to him and +receive baptism and that he would release their pain, and then he +christened them and that burning heat was quenched and they were made +perfectly whole, and felt never after more thereof. On a time, as St. +Austin was in his prayers, our Lord appeared to him, and comforting him +with a gentle and familiar speech, said: O thou my good servant and +true, be thou comforted and do manly, for I thy Lord God am with thee in +all thine affection, and mine ears be open to thy prayers, and for whom +thou demandest any petition thou shalt have thy desire, and the gate of +everlasting life is open to thee, where thou shalt joy with me without +end. And in that same place where our Lord said these words he fixed his +staff into the ground, and a well of clear water sourded and sprang up +in that same place, the which well is called Cerne, and it is in the +country of Dorset, whereas now is builded a fair abbey, and is named +Cerne after the well. And the church is builded in the same place +whereas our Lord appeared to St. Austin. Also in the same country was a +young man that was lame, dumb, and deaf, and by the prayers of St. +Austin he was made whole, and then soon after he was dissolute and +wanton, and noyed and grieved the people with jangling and talking in +the church. And then God sent to him his old infirmity again, because of +his misguiding, and at the last he fell to repentance, and asked God +forgiveness and St. Austin. And St. Austin prayed for him and he was +made whole again the second time, and after that he continued in good +and virtuous living to his life's end. + +And after this St. Austin, full of virtues, departed out of this world +unto our Lord God, and lieth buried at Canterbury in the abbey that he +founded there in the worship and rule, whereas our Lord God showeth yet +daily many miracles. And the third day before the nativity of our Lady +is hallowed the translation of St. Austin. In which night a citizen of +Canterbury, being that time at Winchester, saw heaven open over the +church of St. Austin, and a burning ladder shining full bright, and +angels coming down to the same church. And then him thought that the +church had burned of the great light and brightness that came down on +the ladder, and marvelled greatly what this should mean, for he knew +nothing of the translation of St. Austin; and when he knew the truth, +that on that time the body of the glorious saint was translated, he gave +laud and thankings to almighty God, and we may verily know by that +evident vision that it is an holy and devout place; and as it is said +that of old time, ancient holy men that used to come thither would at +the entry of it do off their hosen and shoes and durst not presume to go +into that holy monastery but barefoot, because so many holy saints be +there shrined and buried. And God hath showed so many miracles in that +holy place for his blessed saint, St. Austin, that if I should write +them here it should occupy a great book. + + + + +EDWIN AND PAULINUS + +_The Conversion of Northumbria_ + + +The black-hair'd gaunt Paulinus + By ruddy Edwin stood:-- +"Bow down, O king of Deira, + Before the blessed Rood! +Cast out thy heathen idols, + And worship Christ our Lord." +--But Edwin look'd and ponder'd, + And answer'd not a word. + +Again the gaunt Paulinus + To ruddy Edwin spake: +"God offers life immortal + For his dear Son's own sake! +Wilt thou not hear his message, + Who bears the keys and sword?" +--But Edwin look'd and ponder'd, + And answer'd not a word. + +Rose then a sage old warrior; + Was five-score winters old; +Whose beard from chin to girdle + Like one long snow-wreath roll'd:-- +"At Yule-time in our chamber + We sit in warmth and light, +While cold and howling round us + Lies the black land of Night. + +"Athwart the room a sparrow + Darts from the open door: +Within the happy hearth-light + One red flash--and no more! +We see it come from darkness, + And into darkness go:-- +So is our life, King Edwin! + Alas, that it is so! + +"But if this pale Paulinus + Have somewhat more to tell; +Some news of Whence and Whither, + And where the soul will dwell;-- +If on that outer darkness + The sun of hope may shine;-- +He makes life worth the living! + I take his God for mine!" + +So spake the wise old warrior; + And all about him cried: +"Paulinus' God hath conquer'd! + And he shall be our guide:-- +For he makes life worth living + Who brings this message plain, +When our brief days are over, + That we shall live again." + +_--Unknown_ + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. GEORGE MARTYR + + +St. George was a knight and born in Cappadocia. On a time he came in to +the province of Libya, to a city which is said Silene. And by this city +was a stagne or a pond like a sea, wherein was a dragon which envenomed +all the country. And on a time the people were assembled for to slay +him, and when they saw him they fled. And when he came nigh the city he +venomed the people with his breath, and therefore the people of the city +gave to him every day two sheep for to feed him, because he should do no +harm to the people, and when the sheep failed there was taken a man and +a sheep. Then was an ordinance made in the town that there should be +taken the children and young people of them of the town by lot, and +every each one as it fell, were he gentle or poor, should be delivered +when the lot fell on him or her. So it happed that many of them of the +town were then delivered, insomuch that the lot fell upon the king's +daughter, whereof the king was sorry, and said unto the people: For the +love of the gods take gold and silver and all that I have, and let me +have my daughter. They said: How sir! ye have made and ordained the law, +and our children be now dead, and ye would do the contrary. Your +daughter shall be given, or else we shall burn you and your house. + +When the king saw he might no more do, he began to weep, and said to +his daughter: Now shall I never see thine espousals. Then returned he to +the people ami demanded eight days' respite, and they granted it to him. +And when the eight days were passed they came to him and said: Thou +seest that the city perisheth: Then did the king do array his daughter +like as she should be wedded, and embraced her, kissed her and gave her +his benediction, and after, led her to the place where the dragon was. + +When she was there St. George passed by, and when he saw the lady he +demanded the lady what she made there and she said: Go ye your way fair +young man, that ye perish not also. Then said he: Tell to me what have +and why weep ye, and doubt ye of nothing. When she saw that he would +know, she said to him how she was delivered to the dragon. Then said St. +George: Fair daughter, doubt ye no thing hereof for I shall help thee in +the name of Jesu Christ. She said: For God's sake, good knight, go your +way, and abide not with me, for ye may not deliver me. Thus as they +spake together the dragon appeared and came running to them, and St. +George was upon his horse, and drew out his sword and garnished him with +the sign of the cross, and rode hardily against the dragon which came +toward him, and smote him with his spear and hurt him sore and threw him +to the ground. And after said to the maid: Deliver to me your girdle, +and bind it about the neck of the dragon and be not afeard. When she had +done so the dragon followed her as it had been a meek beast and +debonair. Then she led him into the city, and the people fled by +mountains and valleys, and said: Alas! alas! we shall be all dead. Then +St. George said to them: Ne doubt ye no thing, without more, believe ye +in God, Jesu Christ, and do ye to be baptized and I shall slay the +dragon. Then the king was baptized and all his people, and St. George +slew the dragon and smote off his head, and commanded that he should be +thrown in the fields, and they took four carts with oxen that drew him +out of the city. + +Then were there well fifteen thousand men baptized, without women and +children, and the king did do make a church there of our Lady and of St. +George, in the which yet sourdeth a fountain of living water, which +healeth sick people that drink thereof. After this the king offered to +St. George as much money as there might be numbered, but he refused all +and commanded that it should be given to poor people for God's sake; and +enjoined the king four things, that is, that he should have charge of +the churches, and that he should honor the priests and hear their +service diligently, and that he should have pity on the poor people, and +after, kissed the king and departed. + +Now it happed that in the time of Diocletian and Maximian, which were +emperors, was so great persecution of Christian men that within a month +were martyred well twenty-two thousand, and therefore they had so great +dread that some renied and forsook God and did sacrifice to the idols. +When St. George saw this, he left the habit of a knight and sold all +that he had, and gave it to the poor, and took the habit of a Christian +man, and went into the middle of the Paynims and began to cry: All the +gods of the Paynims and Gentiles be devils, my God made the heavens and +is very God. Then said the provost to him: Of what presumption cometh +this to thee, that thou sayest that our gods be devils? And say to us +what thou art and what is thy name. He answered anon and said: I am +named George, I am a gentleman, a knight of Cappadocia, and have left +all for to serve the God of heaven. Then the provost enforced himself to +draw him unto his faith by fair words, and when he might not bring him +thereto he did do raise him on a gibbet; and so must beat him with great +staves and broches of iron, that his body was all tobroken in pieces. +And after he did do take brands of iron and join them to his sides, and +his bowels which then appeared he did do frot with salt, and so sent him +into prison, but our Lord appeared to him the same night with great +light and comforted him much sweetly. And by this great consolation he +took to him so good heart that he doubted no torment that they might +make him suffer. Then, when Dacian the provost saw that he might not +surmount him, he called his enchanter and said to him: I see that these +Christian people doubt not our torments. The enchanter bound himself, +upon his head to be smitten off, if he overcame not his crafts. Then he +did take strong venom and meddled it with wine, and made invocation of +the names of his false gods, and gave it to St. George to drink. St. +George took it and made the sign of the cross on it, and anon drank it +without grieving him any thing. Then the enchanter made it more stronger +than it was tofore of venom, and gave it him to drink, and it grieved +him nothing. When the enchanter saw that, he kneeled down at the feet of +St. George and prayed him that he would make him Christian. And when +Dacian knew that he was become Christian he made to smite off his head. +And after, on the morn, he made St. George to be set between two wheels, +which were full of swords, sharp and cutting on both sides, but anon the +wheels were broken and St. George escaped without hurt. And then +commanded Dacian that they should put him in a caldron full of molten +lead, and when St. George entered therein, by the virtue of our Lord it +seemed that he was in a bath well at ease. Then Dacian seeing this began +to assuage his ire, and to flatter him by fair words, and said to him: +George, the patience of our gods is over great unto thee which hast +blasphemed them, and done to them great despite, then fair, and right +sweet son, I pray thee that thou return to our law and make sacrifice to +the idols, and leave thy folly, and I shall enhance thee to great honor +and worship. Then began St. George to smile, and said to him: Wherefore +saidst thou not to me thus at the beginning? I am ready to do as thou +sayest. Then was Dacian glad and made to cry over all the town that all +the people should assemble for to see George make sacrifice which so +much had striven there against. Then was the city arrayed and feast +kept throughout all the town, and all came to the temple for to see him. + +When St. George was on his knees, and they supposed that he would have +worshipped the idols, he prayed our Lord God of heaven that he would +destroy the temple and the idol in the honor of his name, for to make +the people to be converted. And anon the fire descended from heaven and +burned the temple, and the idols, and their priests, and sith the earth +opened and swallowed all the cinders and ashes that were left. Then +Dacian made him to be brought tofore him, and said to him: What be the +evil deeds that thou hast done, and also great untruth? Then said to him +St. George: Ah, sir, believe it not, but come with me and see how I +shall sacrifice. Then said Dacian to him: I see well thy fraud and thy +barat, thou wilt make the earth to swallow me, like as thou hast the +temple and my gods. Then said St. George: O caitiff, tell me how may thy +gods help thee when they may not help themselves! Then was Dacian so +angry that he said to his wife: I shall die for anger if I may not +surmount and overcome this man. Then said she to him: Evil and cruel +tyrant! ne seest thou not the great virtue of the Christian people? I +said to thee well that thou shouldst not do to them any harm, for their +God fighteth for them, and know thou well that I will become Christian. +Then was Dacian much abashed and said to her: Wilt thou be Christian? +Then he took her by the hair, and did do beat her cruelly. Then demanded +she of St. George: What may I become because I am not christened? Then +answered the blessed George: Doubt thee nothing, fair daughter, for thou +shalt be baptized in thy blood. Then began she to worship our Lord Jesu +Christ, and so she died and went to heaven. On the morn Dacian gave his +sentence that St. George should be drawn through all the city, and +after, his head should be smitten off. Then made he his prayer to our +Lord that all they that desired any boon might get it of our Lord God in +his name, and a voice came from heaven which said that it which he had +desired was granted; and after he had made his orison his head was +smitten off, about the year of our Lord two hundred and eighty-seven. +When Dacian went homeward from the place where he was beheaded toward +his palace, fire fell down from heaven upon him and burned him and all +his servants. + +Gregory of Tours telleth that there were some that bare certain relics +of St. George, and came into a certain oratory in a hospital, and on the +morning when they should depart they could not move the door till they +had left there part of their relics. It is also found in the history of +Antioch, that when the Christian men went oversea to conquer Jerusalem, +that one, a right fair young man, appeared to a priest of the host and +counselled him that he should bear with him a little of the relics of +St. George, for he was conductor of the battle, and so he did so much +that he had some. And when it was so that they had assieged Jerusalem +and durst not mount ne go up on the walls for the quarrels and defence +of the Saracens, they saw appertly St. George which had white arms with +a red cross, that went up tofore them on the walls, and they followed +him, and so was Jerusalem taken by his help. And between Jerusalem and +port Jaffa, by a town called Ramys, is a chapel of St. George which is +now desolate and uncovered, and therein dwell Christian Greeks. And in +the said chapel lieth the body of St. George, but not the head. And +there lie his father and mother and his uncle, not in the chapel but +under the wall of the chapel; and the keepers will not suffer pilgrims +to come therein, but if they pay two ducats, and therefore come but few +therein, but offer without the chapel at an altar. And there is seven +years and seven lents of pardon; and the body of St. George lieth in the +middle of the quire or choir of the said chapel, and in his tomb is an +hole that a man may put in his hand. And when a Saracen, being mad, is +brought thither, and if he put his head in the hole he shall anon be +made perfectly whole, and have his wit again. + +This blessed and holy martyr St. George is patron of the realm of +England and the cry of men of war. In the worship of whom is founded the +noble order of the Garter, and also a noble college in the castle of +Windsor by kings of England, in which college is the heart of St. +George, which Sigismund, the emperor of Almayne, brought and gave for a +great and a precious relic to King Harry the Fifth. + + + + +THE LIFE OF ST. PATRICK + + +St. Patrick was born in Britain, which is called England, and was +learned at Rome and there flourished in virtues; and after departed out +of the parts of Italy, where he had long dwelled, and came home into his +country in Wales named Pendyac, and entered into a fair and joyous +country called the valley Rosine. To whom the angel of God appeared and +said: O Patrick, this see ne bishopric God hath not provided to thee, +but unto one not yet born, but shall thirty years hereafter be born, and +so he left that country and sailed over into Ireland. And as Higden +saith in Polycronicon the fourth book, the twenty-fourth chapter, that +St. Patrick's father was named Caprum, which was a priest and a deacon's +son which was called Fodum. And St. Patrick's mother was named +Conchessa, Martin's sister of France. In his baptism he was named +Sucate, and St. Germain called him Magonius, and Celestinus the pope +named him Patrick. That is as much to say as father of the citizens. + +St. Patrick on a day as he preached a sermon of the patience and +sufferance of the passion of our Lord Jesu Christ to the king of the +country, he leaned upon his crook or cross, and it happed by adventure +that he set the end of the crook, or his staff, upon the king's foot, +and pierced his foot with the pike, which was sharp beneath. The king +had supposed that St. Patrick had done it wittingly, for to move him the +sooner to patience and to the faith of God, but when St. Patrick +perceived it he was much abashed, and by his prayers he healed the king. +And furthermore he impetred and gat grace of our Lord that no venomous +beast might live in all the country, and yet unto this day is no +venomous beast in all Ireland. + +After it happed on a time that a man of that country stole a sheep, +which belonged to his neighbor, whereupon St. Patrick admonested the +people that whomsoever had taken it should deliver it again within seven +days. When all the people were assembled within the church, and the man +which had stolen it made no semblant to render ne deliver again this +sheep, then St. Patrick commanded, by the virtue of God, that the sheep +should bleat and cry in the belly of him that had eaten it, and so +happed it that, in the presence of all the people, the sheep cried and +bleated in the belly of him that had stolen it. And the man that was +culpable repented him of his trespass, and the others from then forthon +kept them from stealing of sheep from any other man. + +Also St. Patrick was wont for to worship and do reverence unto all the +crosses devoutly that he might see, but on a time tofore the sepulchre +of a Paynim stood a fair cross, which he passed and went forth by as he +had not seen it, and he was demanded of his fellows why he saw not that +cross. And then he prayed to God he said for to know whose it was, and +he said he heard a voice under the earth saying: Thou sawest it not +because I am a Paynim that am buried here, and am unworthy that the sign +of the cross should stand there, wherefore he made the sign of the cross +to be taken thence. On a time as St. Patrick preached in Ireland the +faith of Jesu Christ, and did but little profit by his predication, for +he could not convert the evil, rude and wild people, he prayed to our +Lord Jesu Christ that he would show them some sign openly, fearful and +ghastful, by which they might be converted and be repentant of their +sins. Then, by the commandment of God, St. Patrick made in the earth a +great circle with his staff, and anon the earth after the quantity of +the circle opened and there appeared a great pit and a deep, and St. +Patrick by the revelation of God understood that there was a place of +purgatory, in to which whomsoever entered therein he should never have +other penance ne feel none other pain, and there was showed to him that +many should enter which should never return ne come again. And they that +should return should abide but from one morn to another, and no more, +and many entered that came not again. As touching this pit or hole which +is named St. Patrick's purgatory, some hold opinion that the second +Patrick, which was an abbot and no bishop, that God showed to him this +place of purgatory; but certainly such a place there is in Ireland +wherein many men have been, and yet daily go in and come again, and some +have had there marvellous visions and seen grisly and horrible pains, of +whom there be books made as of Tundale and others. Then this holy man +St. Patrick, the bishop, lived till he was one hundred and twenty-two +years old, and was the first that was bishop in Ireland, and died in +Aurelius Ambrose's time that was king of Britain. In his time was the +Abbot Columba, otherwise named Colinkillus, and St. Bride whom St. +Patrick professed and veiled, and she over-lived him forty years. All +these three holy saints were buried in Ulster, in the city of Dunence, +as it were in a cave with three chambers. Their bodies were found at the +first coming of King John, King Harry the second's son, into Ireland. +Upon whose tombs these verses following were written: Hic jacent in Duno +qui tumulo tumulantur in uno, Brigida, Patricius atque Columba pius, +which is for to say in English: In Duno these three be buried all in one +sepulchre: Bride, Patrick, and Columba the mild. + +Men say that this holy bishop, St. Patrick, did three great things. One +is that he drove with his staff all the venomous beasts out of Ireland. +The second, that he had grant of our Lord God that none Irish man shall +abide the coming of Antichrist. The third wonder is read of his +purgatory, which is more referred to the less St. Patrick, the Abbot. +And this holy abbot, because he found the people of that land rebel, he +went out of Ireland and came in to England in the Abbey of Glastonbury, +where he died on a St. Bartholomew's day. He flourished about the year +of our Lord eight hundred and fifty. + + + + +OF SAINT FRANCIS + +HOW HE RECEIVED THE COUNSEL OF ST. CLARE AND OF BROTHER SILVESTER, AND +HOW HE PREACHED UNTO THE BIRDS + + +The humble servant of Christ, St. Francis, a short while after his +conversion, having already gathered together many companions and +received them into the order, fell into deep thought and much doubting +as to what he ought to do: whether to give himself wholly unto prayer, +or some time also unto preaching: and on this matter he much desired to +learn the will of God. And for that the holy humility that was in him +suffered him not to trust over much in himself nor in his own prayers, +he thought to search out the will of God through the prayers of others: +wherefore he called Brother Masseo, and bespake him thus: "Go unto +Sister Clare and tell her on my behalf, that she with certain of her +most spiritual companions, should pray devoutly unto God, that it may +please Him to show me which of the twain is the better: whether to give +myself to preaching or wholly unto prayer. And then go unto Brother +Silvester and tell the like to him." This was that Brother Silvester who +when he was in the world had seen a cross of gold proceeding from the +mouth of St. Francis, the which reached even unto heaven and the arms +thereof unto the ends of the world, and this Brother Silvester was of +so great devotion and so great sanctity, that whatsoe'er he asked of God +was granted him, and oftentimes he spake with God; wherefore St. Francis +had a great devotion unto him. + +So Brother Masseo departed, and according to the bidding of St. Francis +carried his message first unto St. Clare and then unto Brother +Silvester. Who, when he had heard thereof, forthwith fell on his knees +in prayer, and as he prayed received answer from God, and turned to +Brother Masseo, and bespake him thus: "Thus saith the Lord: Say unto +Brother Francis that God has not called him to this estate for himself +alone, but to the end that he may gain fruit of souls, and that many +through him may be saved." With this reply Brother Masseo returned to +St. Clare to learn what she had received of God, and she answered that +God had sent to her and her companions the same reply as He had given to +Brother Silvester. Whereat Brother Masseo hied him back again to St. +Francis; and St. Francis received him with exceeding great love, washing +his feet and making ready for him the meal, and after he had eaten, St. +Francis called Brother Masseo into the wood; and there kneeled down +before him and drew back his hood, stretching out his arms in the shape +of a cross, and asked him: "What has my Lord Jesu Christ commanded that +I should do?" Replied Brother Masseo: "As unto Brother Silvester, so +likewise unto Sister Clare and her sisters, has Christ made answer and +revealed: that it is His will that thou go throughout the world to +preach, since He hath chosen thee not for thyself alone, but also for +the salvation of others." And then St. Francis, when he had heard this +answer and known thereby the will of Jesu Christ, rose up with fervor +exceeding great, and said: "Let us be going in the name of God"; and he +took for his companions Brother Masseo and Brother Agnolo, holy men. And +setting forth with fervent zeal of spirit, taking no thought for road or +way, they came unto a little town that was called Savurniano, and St. +Francis set himself to preach, but first he bade the swallows that were +twittering keep silence till such time as he had done the preaching; and +the swallows were obedient to his word, and he preached there with such +fervor that all the men and women of that town minded through their +devotion to come after him and leave the town, but St. Francis suffered +them not, saying: "Make not ill haste nor leave your homes; and I will +ordain for you what ye should do for the salvation of your souls": and +therewith he resolved to found the third Order, for the salvation of all +the world. + +And so leaving them much comforted and with minds firm set on penitence, +he departed thence and came unto a place between Cannaio and Bevagno. +And as with great fervor he was going on the way, he lifted up his eyes +and beheld some trees hard by the road whereon sat a great company of +birds well-nigh without number; whereat St. Francis marvelled, and said +to his companions: "Ye shall wait for me here upon the way and I will go +to preach unto my little sisters, the birds." And he went unto the +field and began to preach unto the birds that were on the ground; and +immediately those that were on the trees flew down to him, and they all +of them remained still and quiet together, until St. Francis made an end +of preaching: and not even then did they depart, until he had given them +his blessing. And according to what Brother Masseo afterward related +unto Robert Jacques da Massa, St. Francis went among them touching them +with his cloak, howbeit none moved from out his place. The sermon that +St. Francis preached unto them was after this fashion: "My little +sisters, the birds, much bounden are ye unto God, your Creator, and +always in every place ought ye to praise Him, for that He hath given you +liberty to fly about everywhere, and hath also given you double and +triple raiment; moreover, He preserved your seed in the ark of Noah, +that your race might not perish out of the world; still more are ye +beholden to Him for the element of the air which he had appointed for +you; beyond all this, ye sow not, neither do you reap; and God feedeth +you, and giveth you the streams and fountains for your drink; the +mountains and the valleys for your refuge and the high trees whereon to +make your nests; and because ye know not how to spin or sew, God +clotheth you, you and your children; wherefore your Creator loveth you +much, seeing that He hath bestowed on you so many benefits; and +therefore, my little sisters, beware of the sin of ingratitude, and +study always to give praises unto God." Whenas St. Francis spake these +words to them, those birds began all of them to open their beaks, and +stretch their necks, and spread their wings, and reverently bend their +heads down to the ground, and by their acts and by their songs to show +that the holy Father gave them joy exceeding great. And St. Francis +rejoiced with them, and was glad, and marvelled much at so great a +company of birds and their most beautiful diversity and their good heed +and sweet friendliness, for the which cause he devoutly praised their +Creator in them. At the last, having ended the preaching, St. Francis +made over them the sign of the cross, and gave them leave to go away; +and thereby all the birds with wondrous singing rose up in the air; and +then, in the fashion of the cross that St. Francis had made over them, +divided themselves into four parts; and the one part flew toward the +East, and the other toward the West, and the other toward the South, and +the fourth toward the North, and each flight went on its way singing +wondrous songs; signifying thereby that even as St. Francis, the +standard-bearer of the Cross of Christ, had preached unto them, and made +over them the sign of the cross, after the pattern of which they +separated themselves unto the four parts of the world: even so the +preaching of the Cross of Christ, renewed by St. Francis, would be +carried by him and the brothers throughout the world; the which +brothers, after the fashion of the birds, possessing nothing of their +own in this world, commit their lives wholly unto the providence of God. + + +HOW ST. FRANCIS CONVERTED THE FIERCE WOLF OF AGOBIO + +What time St. Francis abode in the city of Agobio, there appeared in the +country of Agobio an exceeding great wolf, terrible and fierce, the +which not only devoured animals, but also men, insomuch that all the +city folk stood in great fear, sith ofttimes he came near to the city, +and all men when they went out arrayed them in arms as it were for the +battle, and yet withal they might not avail to defend them against him +whensoe'er any chanced on him alone; for fear of this wolf they were +come to such a pass that none durst go forth of that place. For the +which matter, St. Francis having compassion on the people of that land, +wished to go forth unto that wolf, albeit the townsfolk all gave counsel +against it: and making the sign of the most holy cross he went forth +from that place with his companions, putting all his trust in God. And +the others misdoubting to go further, St. Francis took the road to the +place where the wolf lay. And lo! in the sight of many of the townsfolk +that had come out to see this miracle, the said wolf made at St. Francis +with open mouth: and coming up to him, St. Francis made over him the +sign of the most holy cross, and called him to him, and bespake him +thus: "Come hither, brother wolf: I command thee in the name of Christ +that thou do no harm, nor to me nor to any one." O wondrous thing! +Whenas St. Francis had made the sign of the cross, right so the +terrible wolf shut his jaws and stayed his running: and when he was +bid, came gently as a lamb and lay him down at the feet of St. Francis. +Thereat St. Francis thus bespake him: "Brother wolf, much harm hast thou +wrought in these parts and done grievous ill, spoiling and slaying the +creatures of God, without His leave: and not alone hast thou slain and +devoured the brute beasts, but hast dared to slay men, made in the image +of God; for the which cause thou art deserving of the gibbet as a thief +and a most base murderer; and all men cry out and murmur against thee +and all this land is thine enemy. But I would fain, brother wolf, make +peace between thee and these; so that thou mayest no more offend them, +and they may forgive thee all thy past offences, and nor men nor dogs +pursue thee any more." At these words the wolf with movements of body, +tail, and eyes, and by the bending of his head, gave sign of his assent +to what St. Francis said, and of his will to abide therby. Then spake +St. Francis again: "Brother wolf, sith it pleaseth thee to make and hold +this peace, I promise thee that I will see to it that the folk of this +place give thee food alway so long as thou shalt live, so that thou +suffer not hunger any more; for that I wot well that through hunger hast +thou wrought all this ill. But sith I win for thee this grace, I will, +brother wolf, that thou promise me to do none hurt to any more, be he +man or beast; dost promise me this?" And the wolf gave clear token by +the bowing of his head that he promised. Then quoth St. Francis: +"Brother wolf, I will that thou plight me troth for this promise, that +I may trust thee full well." And St. Francis stretching forth his hand +to take pledge of his troth, the wolf lifted up his right paw before him +and laid it gently on the hand of St. Francis, giving thereby such sign +of good faith as he was able. Then quoth St. Francis: "Brother wolf, I +bid thee in the name of Jesu Christ come now with me, nothing doubting, +and let us go stablish this peace in God's name." And the wolf obedient +set forth with him, in fashion as a gentle lamb; whereat the townsfolk +made mighty marvel, beholding. And straightway the bruit of it was +spread through all the city, so that all the people, men-folk and +women-folk, great and small, young and old, gat them to the market place +for to see the wolf with St. Francis. + +And the people being gathered all together, St. Francis rose up to +preach, avizing them among other matters how for their sins God suffered +such things to be, and pestilences also: and how far more parlous is the +flame of hell, the which must vex the damned eternally, than is the fury +of the wolf that can but slay the body; how much then should men fear +the jaws of hell, when such a multitude stands sore adread of the jaws +of one so small a beast? Then turn ye, beloved, unto God, and work out a +fit repentance for your sins; and God will set you free from the wolf in +this present time, and in time to come from out the fires of hell. And +done the preaching, St. Francis said: "Give ear, my brothers: brother +wolf, who standeth here before ye, hath promised me and plighted troth +to make his peace with you, and to offend no more in any thing; and do +ye promise him to give him every day whate'er he needs: and I am made +his surety unto you that he will keep this pact of peace right +steadfastly." Then promised all the folk with one accord to give him +food abidingly. Then quoth St. Francis to the wolf before them all: "And +thou, brother wolf, dost thou make promise to keep firm this pact of +peace, that thou offend not man nor beast nor any creature?" And the +wolf knelt him down and bowed his head: and with gentle movements of his +body, tail, and eyes, gave sign as best he could that he would keep +their pact entire. Quoth St. Francis: "Brother wolf, I wish that as thou +hast pledged me thy faith to this promise without the gate, even so +shouldest thou pledge me thy faith to thy promise before all the people, +and that thou play me not false for my promise, and the surety that I +have given for thee." Then the wolf lifting up his right paw, laid it in +the hand of St. Francis. Therewith, this act, and the others set forth +above, wrought such great joy and marvel in all the people, both through +devotion to the saint, and through the newness of the miracle, and +through the peace with the wolf, that all began to lift up their voices +unto heaven praising and blessing God, that had sent St. Francis unto +them, who by his merits had set them free from the jaws of the cruel +beast. And thereafter this same wolf lived two years in Agobio; and went +like a tame beast in and out the houses, from door to door, without +doing hurt to any or any doing hurt to him, and was courteously +nourished by the people; and as he passed thuswise through the country +and the houses, never did any dog bark behind him. At length, after a +two years' space, brother wolf died of old age: whereat the townsfolk +sorely grieved, sith marking him pass so gently through the city, they +minded them the better of the virtue and the sanctity of St. Francis. + + +HOW ST. FRANCIS TAMED THE WILD TURTLE-DOVES + +It befell on a day that a certain young man had caught many +turtle-doves: and as he was carrying them for sale, St. Francis, who had +ever a tender pity for gentle creatures, met him, and looking on those +turtle-doves with pitying eyes, said to the youth: "I pray thee give +them me, that birds so gentle, unto which the Scripture likeneth chaste +and humble and faithful souls, may not fall into the hands of cruel men +that would kill them." Forthwith, inspired of God, he gave them all to +St. Francis; and he receiving them into his bosom, began to speak +tenderly unto them: "O my sisters, simple-minded turtle-doves, innocent +and chaste, why have ye let yourselves be caught? Now would I fain +deliver you from death and make you nests, that ye may be fruitful and +multiply, according to the commandments of your Creator." And St. +Francis went and made nests for them all: and they abiding therein, +began to lay their eggs and hatch them before the eyes of the brothers: +and so tame were they, they dwelt with St. Francis and all the other +brothers as though they had been fowls that had always fed from their +hands, and never did they go away until St. Francis with his blessing +gave them leave to go. And to the young man who had given them to him, +St. Francis said: "My little son, thou wilt yet be a brother in this +Order and do precious service unto Jesu Christ." And so it came to pass; +for the said youth became a brother and lived in the Order in great +sanctity. + + + + +SONG OF THE EMIGRANTS IN BERMUDA + + +Where the remote Bermudas ride +In the ocean's bosom unespied, +From a small boat that row'd along +The listening winds received this song: +"What should we do but sing His praise +That led us through the watery maze +Where He the huge sea-monsters wracks +That lift the deep upon their backs, +Unto an isle so long unknown, +And yet far kinder than our own? +He lands us on a grassy stage, +Safe from the storms, and prelate's rage: +He gave us this eternal spring +Which here enamels everything, +And sends the fowls to us in care +On daily visits through the air. +He hangs in shades the orange bright +Like golden lamps in a green night, +And does in the pomegranates close +Jewels more rich than Ormus shows: +He makes the figs our mouths to meet, +And throws the melons at our feet; +But apples plants of such a price, +No tree could ever bear them twice! +With cedars chosen by his hand +From Lebanon he stores the land; +And makes the hollow seas that roar +Proclaim the ambergris on shore. +He cast (of which we rather boast) +The Gospel's pearl upon our coast; +And in these rocks for us did frame +A temple where to sound His name. +O let our voice His praise exalt +Till it arrive at Heaven's vault, +Which then perhaps rebounding may +Echo beyond the Mexique bay!" +--Thus sung they in the English boat +A holy and a cheerful note: +And all the way, to guide their chime, +With falling oars they kept the time. + +_--A. Marvell_ + + + + +LANDING OF THE PILGRIM FATHERS IN NEW ENGLAND + + +The breaking waves dash'd high + On a stern and rock-bound coast, +And the woods against a stormy sky + Their giant branches toss'd; + +And the heavy night hung dark + The hills and waters o'er, +When a band of exiles moor'd their bark + On the wild New England shore. + +Not as the conqueror comes, + They, the true-hearted, came; +Not with the roll of the stirring drums, + And the trumpet that sings of fame; + +Not as the flying come, + In silence and in fear;-- +They shook the depths of the desert gloom + With their hymns of lofty cheer. + +Amidst the storm they sang, + And the stars heard and the sea; +And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang + To the anthem of the free! + +The ocean eagle soar'd + From his nest by the white wave's foam; +And the rocking pines of the forest roar'd-- + This was their welcome home! + +There were men with hoary hair + Amidst that pilgrim band;-- +Why had _they_ come to wither there, + Away from their childhood's land? + +There was woman's fearless eye, + Lit by her deep love's truth; +There was manhood's brow serenely high, + And the fiery heart of youth. + +What sought they thus afar?-- + Bright jewels of the mine? +The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?-- + They sought a faith's pure shrine! + +Ay, call it holy ground, + The soil where first they trod. +They have left unstain'd what there they found-- + Freedom to worship God. + +_--Felicia Browne Hemans_ + + + + +THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS + +_IN THE SIMILITUDE OF A DREAM_ + + +As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain +place where was a den, and laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I +slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed +with rags standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, +a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw +him open the book and read therein; and as he read he wept and trembled; +and not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable +cry, saying, "What shall I do?" + +In this plight, therefore, he went home, and restrained himself as long +as he could, that his wife and children should not perceive his +distress; but he could not be silent long, because that his trouble +increased. Wherefore at length he brake his mind to his wife and +children; and thus he began to talk to them: "O my dear wife," said he, +"and you the children of my bowels, I, your dear friend, am in myself +undone by reason of a burden that lieth hard upon me; moreover, I am +certainly informed that this our city will be burned with fire from +heaven; in which fearful overthrow, both myself, with thee, my wife, and +you, my sweet-babes, shall miserably come to ruin, except (the which +yet I see not) some way of escape _can_ be found whereby we may be +delivered." + +At this his relations were sore amazed; not for that they believed that +what he said to them was true, but because they thought that some frenzy +distemper had got into his head; therefore, it drawing toward night, and +they hoping that sleep might settle his brains, with all haste they got +him to bed. But the night was as troublesome to him as the day; +wherefore, instead of sleeping, he spent it in sighs and tears. So when +the morning was come, they would know how he did. He told them, "Worse +and worse": he also set to talking to them again; but they began to be +hardened. They also thought to drive away his distemper by harsh and +surly carriage to him; sometimes they would deride, sometimes they would +chide, and sometimes they would quite neglect him. Wherefore he began to +retire himself to his chamber to pray for and pity them, and also to +condole his own misery; he would also walk solitarily in the fields, +sometimes reading and sometimes praying; and thus for some days he spent +his time. + +Now I saw, upon a time, when he was walking in the fields, that he was, +as he was wont, reading in his book, and greatly distressed in his mind; +and as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, crying, "What shall +I do to be saved?" + +I saw also that he looked this way, and that way, as if he would run; +yet he stood still, because, as I perceived, he could not tell which +way to go. I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, +and he asked, "Wherefore dost thou cry?" + +He answered, "Sir, I perceive, by the book in my hand, that I am +condemned to die, and after that to come to judgment; and I find that I +am not willing to do the first, nor able to do the second." + +Then said Evangelist, "Why not willing to die, since this life is +attended with so many evils?" The man answered, "Because I fear that +this burden that is upon my back will sink me lower than the grave and I +shall fall into Tophet. And, sir, if I be not fit to go to prison, I am +not fit to go to judgment, and from thence to execution; and the +thoughts of these things make me cry." + +Then said Evangelist, "If this be thy condition, why standest thou +still?" He answered, "Because I know not whither to go." Then he gave +him a parchment roll, and there was written within, "Flee from the wrath +to come." + +The man therefore read it and looking upon Evangelist very carefully, +said, "Whither must I fly?" Then said Evangelist, pointing with his +finger over a very wide field, "Do you see yonder wicket-gate?" The man +said, "No." Then said the other, "Do you see yonder shining light?" He +said, "I think I do." Then said Evangelist, "Keep that light in your +eye, and go up directly thereto, so shalt thou see the gate; at which, +when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt do." So I saw +in my dream that the man began to run. Now he had not run far from his +own door when his wife and children, perceiving it, began to cry after +him to return; but the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, +crying, "Life! life! eternal life!" So he looked not behind him; but +fled toward the middle of the plain. + +The neighbors also came out to see him run; and as he ran some mocked, +others threatened, and some cried after him to return; and among those +that did so, there were two that resolved to fetch him back by force. +The name of the one was Obstinate, and the name of the other Pliable. +Now by this time the man was got a good distance from them; but however +they were resolved to pursue him, which they did, and in a little time +they overtook him. Then said the man, "Neighbors, wherefore are ye +come?" They said, "To persuade you to go back with us." But he said, +"That can by no means be; you dwell," said he, "in the City of +Destruction, the place also where I was born: I see it to be so; and +dying there, sooner or later you will sink lower than the grave, into a +place that burns with fire and brimstone: be content, good neighbors, +and go along with me." + +What! said Obstinate, and leave our friends and comforts behind us? + +Yes, said Christian, for that was his name, because that all which you +forsake is not worthy to be compared with a little of that I am seeking +to enjoy; and if you will go along with me, and hold it, you shall fare +as I myself; for there, where I go, is enough and to spare. Come away, +and prove my words. + +_Obst._ What are the things you seek, since you leave all the world to +find them? + +_Chr._ I seek an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth +not away; and it is laid up in heaven, and safe there, to be bestowed at +the time appointed, on them that diligently seek it. Read it so, if you +will, in my book. + +Tush, said Obstinate, away with your book; will you go back with us or +no? + +No, not I, said the other, because I have laid my hand to the plow. + +_Obst._ Come then, neighbor Pliable, let us turn again, and go home +without him; there is a company of these crazy-headed coxcombs, that +when they take a fancy by the end, are wiser in their own eyes than +seven men that can render a reason. + +_Pli._ Then said Pliable, Don't revile; if what the good Christian says +is true, the things he looks after are better than ours; my heart +inclines to go with my neighbor. + +_Obst._ What! more fools still? Be ruled by me and go back; who knows +whither such a brain-sick fellow will lead you? Go back, go back, and be +wise. + +_Chr._ Come with me, neighbor Pliable; there are such things to be had +which I spoke of, and many more glories beside. If you believe not me, +read here in this book; and for the truth of what is expressed therein, +behold, all is confirmed by the blood of him that made it. + +_Pli._ Well, neighbor Obstinate, said Pliable, I begin to come to a +point; I intend to go along with this good man, and to cast in my lot +with him: but, my good companion, do you know the way to this desired +place? + +_Chr._ I am directed by a man, whose name is Evangelist, to speed me to +a little gate that is before us, where we shall receive instruction +about the way. + +_Pli._ Come then, good neighbor, let us be going. + +Then they went both together. + +_Obst._ And I will go back to my place, said Obstinate. I will be no +companion of such misled, fantastical fellows. + +Now I saw in my dream, that when Obstinate was gone back, Christian and +Pliable went talking over the plain, and thus they began their +discourse. + +_Chr._ Come, neighbor Pliable, how do you do? I am glad you are +persuaded to go along with me. Had even Obstinate himself but felt what +I have felt of the powers and terrors of what is yet unseen, he would +not thus lightly have given us the back. + +_Pli._ Come, neighbor Christian, since there are none but us two here, +tell me now further, what the things are, and how to be enjoyed, whither +we are going. + +_Chr._ I can better conceive of them with my mind, than speak of them +with my tongue: but yet since you are desirous to know, I will read them +in my book. + +_Pli._ And do you think that the words of your book are certainly true? + +_Chr._ Yes, verily; for it was made by him that cannot lie. + +_Pit._ Well said; what things are they? + +_Chr._ There is an endless kingdom to be inhabited, and everlasting life +to be given us, that we may inhabit that kingdom forever. + +_Pli._ Well said; and what else? + +_Chr._ There are crowns of glory to be given us; and garments that will +make us shine like the sun in the firmament of heaven. + +_Pli._ This is excellent: and what else? + +_Chr._ There shall be no more crying nor sorrow, for he that is owner of +the place will wipe all tears from our eyes. + +_Pli._ And what company shall we have there? + +_Chr._ There we shall be with seraphims and cherubims; creatures that +will dazzle your eyes to look on them. There also you shall meet with +thousands and ten thousands that have gone before us to that holy place; +none of them are hurtful, but loving and holy; every one walking in the +sight of God, and standing in his presence with acceptance forever. In a +word, there we shall see the elders with their golden crowns; there we +shall see the holy virgins with their golden harps; there we shall see +men that by the world were cut in pieces, burned in flames, eaten of +beasts, drowned in the sea for the love they bare to the Lord of the +place; all well and clothed with immortality as with a garment. + +_Pli._ The hearing of this is enough to ravish one's heart. But are +these things to be enjoyed? How shall we get to be sharers thereof? + +_Chr._ The Lord, the governor of the country, hath recorded that in this +book; the substance of which is, If we be truly willing to have it, he +will bestow it upon us freely. + +_Pli._ Well, my good companion, glad am I to hear of these things: come +on, let us mend our pace. + +_Chr._ I cannot go so fast as I would, by reason of this burden that is +on my back. + +Now I saw in my dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew +nigh to a very miry slough that was in the midst of the plain: and they, +being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bog. The name of the +slough was Despond. Here, therefore, they wallowed for a time, being +grievously bedaubed with dirt; and Christian, because of the burden that +was on his back, began to sink in the mire. + +_Pli._ Then said Pliable, Ah, neighbor Christian, where are you now? + +_Chr._ Truly, said Christian, I do not know. + +_Pli._ At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his +fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we +have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect between +this and our journey's end? May I get out again with my life, you shall +possess the brave country alone for me. And with that he gave a +desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the +slough which was next to his own house: so away he went, and Christian +saw him no more. + +Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone: +but still he endeavored to struggle to that side of the slough that was +furthest from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate; the which he +did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back: +but I beheld in my dream, that a man came to him, whose name was Help, +and asked him, "What he did there?" + +_Chr._ Sir, said Christian, I was bid to go this way by a man called +Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder gate, that I might escape the +wrath to come. And as I was going thither I fell in here. + +_Help._ But why did not you look for the steps? + +_Chr._ Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way, and fell in. + +_Help._ Then said he, Give me thine hand; so he gave him his hand, and +he drew him out, and he set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on his +way. + +Then I stepped to him that plucked him out, and said, "Sir, wherefore, +since over this place is the way from the City of Destruction to yonder +gate, is it, that this plat is not mended, that poor travellers might go +thither with more security?" And he said unto me, "This miry slough is +such a place as cannot be mended: it is the descent whither the scum and +filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and +therefore it is called the Slough of Despond; for still as the sinner +is awakened about his lost condition, there arise in his soul many +fears and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get +together, and settle in this place: and this is the reason of the +badness of this ground. + +"It is not the pleasure of the King that this place should remain so +bad. His laborers also have, by the direction of his Majesty's +surveyors, been for above these sixteen hundred years employed about +this patch of ground, if perhaps it might have been mended: yea, and to +my knowledge," said he, "here have been swallowed up at least twenty +thousand cart-loads, yea, millions, of wholesome instructions, that have +at all seasons been brought from all places of the King's dominions--and +they that can tell, say, they are the best materials to make good ground +of the place--if so be it might have been mended; but it is the Slough +of Despond still, and so will be when they have done what they can. + +"True, there are, by the direction of the Lawgiver, certain good and +substantial steps, placed even through the very midst of this slough; +but at such time as this place doth much spew out its filth, as it doth +against change of weather, these steps are hardly seen; or if they be, +men, through the dizziness of their heads, step beside, and then they +are bemired to purpose, notwithstanding the steps be there; but the +ground is good when they are once in at the gate." + +Now I saw in my dream, that by this time Pliable was got home to his +house. So his neighbors came to visit him; and some of them called him +wise man for coming back, and some called him fool for hazarding +himself with Christian; others again did mock at his cowardliness; +saying, "Surely, since you began to venture, I would not have been so +base to have given out for a few difficulties:" so Pliable sat sneaking +among them. But at last he got more confidence, and then they all turned +their tales, and began to deride poor Christian behind his back. And +thus much concerning Pliable. + +So, in the process of time, Christian got up to the gate. Now, over the +gate there was written, "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you." + +He knocked, therefore, more than once or twice, saying, + + May I now enter here? Will he within + Open to sorry me, though I have been + An undeserving rebel? Then shall I + Not fail to sing his lasting praise on high. + +At last there came a grave person to the gate, named Goodwill, who asked +who was there, and whence he came, and what he would have. + +_Chr._ Here is a poor burdened sinner. I come from the City of +Destruction, but am going to Mount Zion, that I may be delivered from +the wrath to come: I would, therefore, sir, since I am informed that by +this gate is the way thither, know if you are willing to let me in. + +_Good._ I am willing with all my heart, said he; and with that he opened +the gate. + +So when Christian was stepping in, the other gave him a pull. Then said +Christian, What means that? The other told him, A little distance from +this gate there is erected a strong castle, of which Beelzebub is the +captain; from thence both he and they that are with him shoot arrows at +those who come up to this gate, if haply they may die before they can +enter it. Then said Christian, I rejoice and tremble. + +Now I saw in my dream, that the highway which Christian was to go was +fenced on either side with a wall, and that wall was called Salvation. +Up this way therefore did burdened Christian run, but not without great +difficulty, because of the load on his back. + +He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascending; and upon that +place stood a cross, and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulchre. So +I saw in my dream, that just as Christian came up with the cross, his +burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and +began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the +sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. + +Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, "He +hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death." Then he stood +still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him that +the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked +therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head +sent the waters down his cheeks. Now as he stood looking and weeping, +behold, three Shining Ones came to him, and saluted him with "Peace be +to thee." So the first said to him, "Thy sins be forgiven thee;" the +second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment; +the third also set a mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a +seal upon it, which he bid him look on as he ran, and that he should +give it in at the celestial gate; so they went their way. + +Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on singing: + + Thus far did I come laden with my sin; + Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in, + Till I came hither; what a place is this! + Must here be the beginning of my bliss? + Must here the burden fall from off my back? + Must here the strings that bound it to me crack? + Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be + The man that there was put to shame for me. + +I saw then in my dream, that he went on thus, even until he came at the +bottom, where he saw, a little out of the way, three men fast asleep, +with fetters upon their heels. The name of the one was Simple, of +another Sloth, and of the third Presumption. + +Christian then, seeing them lie in this case, went to them, if +peradventure he might awake them, and cried, You are like them that +sleep on the top of a mast, for the Dead Sea is under you, a gulf that +hath no bottom: awake, therefore, and come away; be willing also, and I +will help you off with your irons. He also told them, If he that goeth +about like a roaring lion, comes by, you will certainly become a prey to +his teeth. With that they looked upon him, and began to reply in this +sort: Simple said, I see no danger; Sloth said, Yet a little more +sleep; and Presumption said, Every tub must stand upon its own bottom. + +And so they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way. + +Yet was he troubled to think, that men in that danger should so little +esteem the kindness of him that so freely offered to help them, both by +awakening of them, counselling of them, and proffering to help them off +with their irons. And as he was troubled thereabout, he espied two men +come tumbling over the wall on the left hand of the narrow way; and they +made up apace to him. The name of the one was Formalist, and the name of +the other Hypocrisy. So, as I said, they drew up unto him, who thus +entered with him into discourse. + +_Chr._ Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither do you go? + +_Form._ and _Hyp._ We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and are +going for praise to Mount Zion. + +_Chr._ Why came you not in at the gate which standeth at the beginning +of the way? Know ye not that it is written, that "he that cometh not in +by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a +robber?" + +They said, that to go to the gate for entrance was by all their +countrymen counted too far about; and that therefore their usual way was +to make a short cut of it, and to climb over the wall as they had done. + +_Chr._ But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the +city, whither we are bound, thus to violate his revealed will? + +They told him, that as for that, he needed not to trouble his head +thereabout: for what they did they had custom for, and could produce, if +need were, testimony that would witness it, for more than a thousand +years. + +But, said Christian, will your practice stand a trial at law? + +They told him, that custom, it being of so long standing as above a +thousand years, would, doubtless, now be admitted as a thing legal by an +impartial judge. And besides, said they, if we get into the way, what +matter is it which way we get in? If we are in, we are in: thou art but +in the way, who, as we perceive, came in at the gate: and we also are in +the way, that came tumbling over the wall: wherein now is thy condition +better than ours? + +_Chr._ I walk by the rule of my Master: you walk by the rude working of +your fancies. You are counted thieves already by the Lord of the way: +therefore I doubt you will not be found true men at the end of the way. +You come in by yourselves, without his direction, and shall go out by +yourselves, without his mercy. + +To this they made him but little answer; only they bid him look to +himself. Then I saw that they went on every man in his way, without much +conference one with another; save that these two men told Christian, +that as to laws and ordinances, they doubted not but that they should as +conscientiously do them as he. Therefore, said they, we see not wherein +thou differest from us, but by the coat that is on thy back, which was, +as we trow, given thee by some of thy neighbors, to hide the shame of +thy nakedness. + +_Chr._ By laws and ordinances you will not be saved, since you came not +in by the door. And as for this coat that is on my back, it was given me +by the Lord of the place whither I go; and that, as you say, to cover my +nakedness with. And I take it as a token of his kindness to me; for I +had nothing but rags before. And, besides, thus I comfort myself as I +go. Surely, think I, when I come to the gate of the city, the Lord +thereof will know me for good, since I have his coat on my back; a coat +that he gave me freely in the day that he stripped me of my rags. I +have, moreover, a mark in my forehead, of which perhaps you have taken +no notice, which one of my lord's most intimate associates fixed there +in the day that my burden fell off my shoulders. I will tell you, +moreover, that I had then given me a roll sealed, to comfort me by +reading as I go in the way; I was also bid to give it in at the +celestial gate, in token of my certain going in after it; all which +things I doubt you want, and want them because you came not in at the +gate. + +To these things they gave him no answer; only they looked upon each +other, and laughed. Then I saw that they went on all, save that +Christian kept before, who had no more talk but with himself, and that +sometimes sighingly, and sometimes comfortably; also he would be often +reading in the roll that one of the Shining Ones gave him, by which he +was refreshed. + +I beheld, then, that they all went on till they came to the foot of the +hill Difficulty, at the bottom of which there was a string. There were +also in the same place two other ways besides that which came straight +from the gate; one turned to the left hand and the other to the right, +at the bottom of the hill; but the narrow way lay right up the hill, and +the name of the going up the side of the hill is called Difficulty. +Christian now went to the spring; and drank thereof to refresh himself, +and then began to go up the hill, saying: + + The hill, though high, I covet to ascend; + The difficulty will not me offend; + For I perceive the way to life lies here. + Come, pluck up heart, let's neither faint nor fear. + Better, though _difficult_, the right way to go, + Than wrong, though _easy_, where the end is woe. + +The other two also came to the foot of the hill. But when they saw the +hill was steep and high, and that there were two other ways to go; and +supposing also that these two ways might meet again with that up which +Christian went on the other side of the hill; therefore they were +resolved to go in those ways. Now the name of one of those ways was +Danger, and the name of the other Destruction. So the one took the way +which is called Danger, which led him into a great wood; and the other +took directly up the way to Destruction, which led him into a wide +field, full of dark mountains, where he stumbled and fell, and rose no +more. + +I looked then after Christian, to see him go up the hill, where I +perceived he fell from running to going, and from going to clambering +upon his hands and his knees, because of the steepness of the place. Now +about midway to the top of the hill was a pleasant arbor, made by the +Lord of the hill for the refreshment of weary travellers. Thither, +therefore, Christian got, where also he sat down to rest him; then he +pulled his roll out of his bosom, and read therein to his comfort; he +also now began afresh to take a review of the coat or garment that was +given him as he stood by the cross. Thus pleasing himself awhile, he at +last fell into a slumber, and thence into a fast sleep, which detained +him in that place until it was almost night; and in his sleep his roll +fell out of his hand. Now as he was sleeping, there came one to him, and +awaked him, saying, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, +and be wise." And with that Christian suddenly started up, and sped him +on his way, and went apace till he came to the top of the hill. + +Now, when he was got up to the top of the hill, there came two men +running to meet him amain; the name of the one was Timorous, and of the +other Mistrust: to whom Christian said, Sirs, what's the matter? you run +the wrong way. Timorous answered, that they were going to the City of +Zion, and had got up that difficult place: but, said he, the further we +go the more danger we meet with; wherefore we turned, and are going back +again. + +Yes, said Mistrust, for just before us lie a couple of lions in the +way, whether sleeping or waking we know not, and we could not think, if +we came within reach, but they would presently pull us to pieces. + +_Chr._ Then said Christian, you make me afraid; but whither shall I fly +to be safe? If I go back to my own country, that is prepared for fire +and brimstone, and I shall certainly perish there; if I can get to the +Celestial City, I am sure to be in safety there: I must venture. To go +back is nothing but death; to go forward is fear of death and life +everlasting beyond it. I will yet go forward. So Mistrust and Timorous +run down the hill, and Christian went on his way. But thinking again of +what he heard from the man, he felt in his bosom for his roll, that he +might read therein and be comforted; but he felt and found it not. Then +was Christian in great distress, and knew not what to do; for he wanted +that which used to relieve him, and that which should have been his pass +into the Celestial City. Here, therefore, he began to be much perplexed, +and knew not what to do. At last he bethought himself that he had slept +in the arbor that is on the side of the hill; and falling down upon his +knees, he asked God forgiveness for that his foolish act, and then went +back to look for his roll. But all the way he went back, who can +sufficiently set forth the sorrow of Christian's heart? Sometimes he +sighed, sometimes he wept, and oftentimes he chid himself for being so +foolish to fall asleep in that place, which was erected only for a +little refreshment from his weariness. Thus, therefore, he went back, +carefully looking on this side and on that, all the way as he went, if +happily he might find his roll that had been his comfort so many times +in his journey. He went thus till he came within sight of the arbor +where he sat and slept; but that sight renewed his sorrow the more, by +bringing again even afresh, his evil of sleeping unto his mind. Thus, +therefore, he now went on, bewailing his sinful sleep, saying, Oh, +wretched man that I am, that I should sleep in the daytime! that I +should sleep in the midst of difficulty! that I should so indulge the +flesh as to use that rest for ease to my flesh which the Lord of the +hill hath erected only for the relief of the spirits of pilgrims! How +many steps have I taken in vain! Thus it happened to Israel: for their +sin they were sent back again by the way of the Red Sea; and I am made +to tread those steps with sorrow, which I might have trod with delight +had it not been for this sinful sleep. How far might I have been on my +way by this time! I am made to tread those steps thrice over, which I +needed not to have trod but once: yea, also now I am like to be +benighted, for the day is almost spent. Oh, that I had not slept! + +Now by this time he was come to arbor again, where for awhile he sat +down and wept; but at last as Christian would have it, looking +sorrowfully down under the settle, there he espied his roll, the which +he with trembling and haste catched up, and put it into his bosom. But +who can tell how joyful this man was when he had gotten his roll again? +For this roll was the assurance of his life, and acceptance at the +desired haven. Therefore he laid it up in his bosom, gave thanks to God +for directing his eye to the place where it lay, and with joy and tears +betook himself again to his journy. But oh, how nimbly now did he go up +the rest of the hill! Yet, before he got up, the sun went down upon +Christian; and this made him again recall the vanity of his sleeping to +his remembrance; and thus he again began to condole with himself: O thou +sinful sleep! how for thy sake am I like to be benighted in my journey! +I must walk without the sun, darkness must cover the path of my feet, +and I must hear the noise of the doleful creatures, because of my sinful +sleep! Now also he remembered the story that Mistrust and Timorous told +him, of how they were frighted with the sight of the lions. Then said +Christian to himself again, These beasts range in the night for their +prey, and if they should meet with me in the dark, how should I shift +them? how should I escape being by them torn in pieces? Thus he went on +his way. But while he was thus bewailing his unhappy miscarriage, he +lift up his eyes, and behold there was a very stately palace before him, +the name of which was Beautiful, and it stood just by the highway side. + +So I saw in my dream, that he made haste, and went forward, that if +possible he might get lodging there. Now before he had gone far he +entered into a very narrow passage, which was about a furlong off the +Porter's lodge; and looking very narrowly before him as he went, he +espied two lions in the way. Now, thought he, I see the dangers that +Mistrust and Timorous were driven back by. (The lions were chained, but +he saw not the chains.) Then he was afraid, and thought also himself to +go back after them; for he thought nothing but death was before him. But +the Porter at the lodge, whose name is Watchful, perceiving that +Christian made a halt, as if he would go back, cried unto him, saying, +Is thy strength so small? Fear not the lions, for they are chained, and +are placed there for trial of faith where it is, and for discovery of +those that have none; keep in the midst of the path and no hurt shall +come unto thee. + +Then I saw that he went on trembling for fear of the lions; but taking +good heed to the directions of the Porter, he heard them roar but they +did him no harm. Then he clapped his hands and went on till he came and +stood before the gate where the Porter was. Then said Christian to the +Porter, Sir, what house is this? and may I lodge here to-night? The +Porter answered, This house was built by the Lord of the hill, and he +built it for the relief and security of pilgrims. The Porter also asked +whence he was, and whither he was going. + +_Chr._ I am come from the City of Destruction, and am going to Mount +Zion; but because the sun is now set, I desire, if I may, to lodge here +to-night. + +_Port._ What is your name? + +_Chr._ My name is now Christian, but my name at the first was Graceless; +I came of the race of Japheth, whom God will persuade to dwell in the +tents of Shem. + +_Port._ But how doth it happen that you come so late? The sun is set. + +_Chr._ I had been here sooner, but that, wretched man as I am, I slept +in the arbor that stands on the hillside. Nay, I had, notwithstanding +that, been here much sooner, but that in my sleep I lost my evidence, +and came without it to the brow of the hill; and then feeling for it, +and finding it not, I was forced with sorrow of heart to go back to the +place where I slept my sleep, where I found it; and now I am come. + +_Port._ Well, I will call out one of the virgins of this place, who +will, if she likes your talk, bring you in to the rest of the family, +according to the rules of the house. So Watchful, the Porter, rang a +bell, at the sound of which came out of the door of the house a grave +and beautiful damsel, named Discretion, and asked why she was called. + +The Porter answered, This man is on a journey from the City of +Destruction to Mount Zion, but being weary and benighted, he asked me if +he might lodge here to-night; so I told him I would call for thee, who, +after discourse had with him, mayest do as seemeth thee good, even +according to the law of the house. + +Then she asked him whence he was, and whither he was going; and he told +her. She asked him also how he got into the way; and he told her. Then +she asked him what he had seen and met with in the way, and he told her. +And at last she asked his name. So he said, It is Christian; and I have +so much the more a desire to lodge here to-night, because, by what I +perceive, this place was built by the Lord of the hill for the relief +and security of pilgrims. So she smiled, but the water stood in her +eyes; and after a little pause she said, I will call forth two or three +more of the family. So she ran to the door, and called out Prudence, +Piety, and Charity, who, after a little more discourse with him, had him +into the family; and many of them meeting him at the threshold of the +house, said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; this house was built by +the Lord of the hill on purpose to entertain such pilgrims in. Then he +bowed his head, and followed them into the house. So when he was come in +and sat down, they gave him something to drink, and consented together +that, until supper was ready, some of them should have some particular +discourse with Christian, for the best improvement of time; and they +appointed Piety, Prudence, and Charity, to discourse with him. + +Now I saw in my dream, that thus they sat talking together until supper +was ready. So when they had made ready they sat down to meat. Now the +table was furnished with fat things, and wine that was well refined; and +all their talk at the table was about the Lord of the hill; as namely, +what he had done, and wherefore he did what he did, and why he had +builded that house; and by what they said, I perceived that he had been +a great warrior, and had fought with and slain him that had the power of +death, but not without great danger to himself, which made me love him +the more. + +For, as they said, and as I believe, said Christian, he did it with the +loss of much blood. But that which put the glory of grace into all he +did, was, that he did it out of pure love to this country. And besides, +there was some of them of the household that said they had been and +spoke with him since he did die on the cross; and they have attested, +that they had it from his own lips, that he is such a lover of poor +pilgrims, that the like is not to be found from the east to the west. +They, moreover, gave an instance of what they affirmed, and that was, he +had stripped himself of his glory that he might do this for the poor; +and that they had heard him say and affirm, that he would not dwell in +the mountain of Zion alone. They said, moreover, that he had made many +pilgrims princes, though by nature they were beggars born, and their +original had been the dunghill. + +Thus they discoursed together till late at night: and after they had +committed themselves to their Lord for protection, they betook +themselves to rest. The pilgrim they laid in a large upper chamber, +whose window opened toward the sunrising. The name of the chamber was +Peace, where he slept till break of day, and then he awoke and sang: + + Where am I now? Is this the love and care + Of Jesus, for the men that pilgrims are, + Thus to provide that I should be forgiven, + And dwell already the next door to heaven? + +So in the morning they all got up; and after some more discourse, they +told him that he should not depart till they had showed him the +rarities of that place. And first they had him into the study, where +they showed him records of the greatest antiquity; in which, as I +remember my dream, they showed him the pedigree of the Lord of the hill, +that he was the Son of the Ancient of days, and came by that eternal +generation. Here also was more fully recorded the acts that he had done, +and the names of many hundreds that he had taken into his service; and +how he had placed them in such habitations, that could neither by length +of days, nor decays of nature, be dissolved. + +Then they read to him some of the worthy acts that some of his servants +had done; as how they had subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, +obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of +fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, +waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the aliens. + +Then they read again another part of the records of the house, where it +was shown how willing their Lord was to receive into his favor any, even +any, though they in time past had offered great affronts to his person +and proceedings. Here also were several other histories of many other +famous things, of all which Christian had a view; as of things both +ancient and modern, together with prophecies and predictions of things +that have their certain accomplishment, both to the dread and amazement +of enemies, and the comfort and solace of pilgrims. + +The next day they took him, and had him into the armory, where they +showed him all manner of furniture which their Lord had provided for +pilgrims, as sword, shield, helmet, breastplate, all-prayer, and shoes +that would not wear out. And there was here enough of this to harness +out as many men for the service of their Lord as there be stars in +heaven for multitude. + +They also showed him some of the engines with which some of his servants +had done wonderful things. They showed him Moses' rod; the hammer and +nail with which Jael slew Sisera; the pitchers, trumpets, and lamps, +too, with which Gideon put to flight the armies of Midian. Then they +showed him the ox's goad wherewith Shamgar slew six hundred men. They +showed him also the jaw-bone with which Samson did such mighty feats. +They showed him, moreover, the sling and stone with which David slew +Goliath of Gath, and the sword also with which their Lord will kill the +Man of Sin, in the day that he shall rise up to the prey. They showed +him besides many excellent things, with which Christian was much +delighted. This done, they went to their rest again. + +Then I saw in my dream, that on the morrow he got up to go forward, but +they desired him to stay till the next day also; and then, said they, we +will, if the day be clear, show you the Delectable Mountains; which, +they said, would yet further add to his comfort, because they were +nearer the desired haven than the place where at present he was; so he +consented and stayed. When the morning was up, they had him to the top +of the house, and bid him look south. So he did, and behold, at a great +distance, he saw a most pleasant, mountainous country, beautified with +woods, vineyards, fruit of all sorts, flowers also, with springs and +fountains, very delectable to behold. Then he asked the name of the +country. They said it was Immanuel's Land; and it is as common, said +they, as this hill is, to and for all the pilgrims. And when thou comest +there, from thence, said they, thou mayest see to the gate of the +Celestial City, as the shepherds that live there will make appear. + +Now he bethought himself of setting forward, and they were willing he +should. But first, said they, let us go again into the armory. So they +did, and when he came there they harnessed him from head to foot with +what was of proof, lest perhaps he should meet with assaults in the way. +He being therefore thus accoutred, walked out with his friends to the +gate; and there he asked the Porter if he saw any pilgrim pass by. Then +the Porter answered, Yes. + +_Chr._ Pray, did you know him? said he. + +_Port._ I asked his name, and he told me it was Faithful. + +_Chr._ Oh, said Christian, I know him; he is my townsman, my dear +neighbor; he comes from the place where I was born. How far do you think +he may be before? + +_Port._ He is got by this time below the hill. + +_Chr._ Well, said Christian, good Porter, the Lord be with thee, and add +to thy blessings much increase for the kindness thou hast shown to me. + +Then he began to go forward; but Discretion, Piety, Chanty, and +Prudence would accompany him down to the foot of the hill. So they went +on together, reiterating their former discourses, till they came to go +down the hill. Then said Christian, As it was difficult coming up, so, +so far as I can see, it is dangerous going down. Yes, said Prudence, so +it is; for it is a hard matter for a man to go down into the Valley of +Humiliation, as thou art now, and to catch no slip by the way; +therefore, said they, are we come out to accompany thee down the hill. +So he began to go down, but very warily; yet he caught a slip or two. + +Then I saw in my dream, that these good companions, when Christian was +got down to the bottom of the hill, gave him a loaf of bread, a bottle +of wine, and a cluster of raisins; and then he went his way. + +But now, in this Valley of Humiliation, poor Christian was hard put to +it; for he had gone but a little way before he espied a foul fiend +coming over the field to meet him: his name is Apollyon. Then did +Christian begin to be afraid, and to cast in his mind whether to go +back, or to stand his ground. But he considered again that he had no +armor for his back, and therefore thought that to turn the back to him +might give him greater advantage with ease to pierce him with his darts; +therefore he resolved to venture, and stand his ground; for, thought he, +had I no more in mine eye than the saving of my life, it would be the +best way to stand. + +So he went on, and Apollyon met him. Now the monster was hideous to +behold; he was clothed with scales like a fish, and they are his pride; +he had wings like a dragon, and feet like a bear, and out of his belly +came fire and smoke; and his mouth was as the mouth of a lion. When he +came up to Christian he beheld him with a disdainful countenance, and +thus began to question with him. + +_Apollyon._ Whence come you, and whither are you bound? + +_Chr._ I am come from the City of Destruction, which is the place of all +evil, and I am going to the city of Zion. + +_Apol._ By this I perceive that thou art one of my subjects; for all +that country is mine, and I am the prince and god of it. How is it, +then, that thou hast run away from thy king? Were it not that I hope +thou mayst do me more service, I would strike thee now at one blow to +the ground. + +_Chr._ I was, indeed, born in your dominions, but your service was hard, +and your wages such as a man could not live on: for the wages of sin is +death; therefore when I was come to years, I did, as other considerate +persons do, look out, if perhaps I might mend myself. + +_Apol._ There is no prince that will thus lightly lose his subjects, +neither will I as yet lose thee; but since thou complainest of thy +service and wages, be content to go back, and what our country will +afford I do here promise to give thee. + +_Chr._ But I have let myself to another, even to the King of princes; +and how can I with fairness go back with thee? + +_Apol._ Thou hast done in this according to the proverb, "changed a bad +for worse"; but it is ordinary for those that have professed themselves +his servants, after awhile to give him the slip, and return again to me. +Do thou so too, and all shall be well. + +_Chr._ I have given him my faith, and sworn my allegiance to him; how +then can I go back from this, and not be hanged as a traitor? + +_Apol._ Thou didst the same to me, and yet I am willing to pass by all, +if now thou wilt yet turn again and go back. + +_Chr._ What I promised thee was in my nonage; and besides, I count that +the Prince, under whose banner now I stand, is able to absolve me, yea, +and to pardon also what I did as to my compliance with thee. And +besides, O thou destroying Apollyon, to speak truth, I like his service, +his wages, his servants, his government, his company, and country, +better than thine; therefore leave off to persuade me further; I am his +servant, and I will follow him. + +_Apol._ Consider again, when thou art in cool blood, what thou art like +to meet with in the way that thou goest. Thou knowest that for the most +part his servants come to an ill end, because they are transgressors +against me and my ways. How many of them have been put to shameful +deaths! And besides, thou countest est his service better than mine; +whereas he never came yet from the place where he is, to deliver any +that serve him out of my hands; but as for me, how many times, as all +the world very well knows, have I delivered, either by power or fraud, +those that have faithfully served me, from him and his, though taken by +them. And so I will deliver thee. + +_Chr._ His forbearing at present to deliver them, is on purpose to try +their love, whether they will cleave to him to the end; and as for the +ill end thou sayest they come to, that is most glorious in their +account. For, for the present deliverance, they do not much expect it; +for they stay for their glory; and then they shall have it, when their +Prince comes in his, and the glory of the angels. + +_Apol._ Thou hast already been unfaithful in thy service to him; and how +dost thou think to receive wages of him. + +_Chr._ Wherein, O Apollyon, have I been unfaithful to him? + +_Apol._ Thou didst faint at the first setting out, when thou wast almost +choked in the Gulf of Despond. Thou didst attempt wrong ways to be rid +of thy burden, whereas thou shouldst have stayed till thy Prince had +taken it off. Thou didst sinfully sleep, and lose thy choice things. +Thou wast almost persuaded to go back at the sight of the lions. And +when thou talkest of thy journey, and of what thou hast seen and heard, +thou art inwardly desirous of vain-glory in all that thou sayest or +doest. + +_Chr._ All this is true, and much more which thou hast left out; but +the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful and ready to forgive. But +besides, these infirmities possessed me in thy country; for there I +sucked them in, and I have groaned under them, been sorry for them, and +have obtained pardon of my Prince. + +_Apol._ Then Apollyon broke out into a grievous rage, saying, I am an +enemy to this Prince; I hate his person, his laws, and people; I am come +out on purpose to withstand thee. + +_Chr._ Apollyon, beware what you do, for I am in the king's highway, the +way of holiness; therefore take heed to yourself. + +Then Apollyon straddled quite over the whole breadth of the way, and +said, I am void of fear in this matter. Prepare thyself to die; for I +swear by my infernal den, that thou shalt go no further; here will I +spill thy soul. And with that he threw a naming dart at his breast: but +Christian had a shield in his hand, with which he caught it, and so +prevented the danger of that. + +Then did Christian draw, for he saw it was time to bestir him; and +Apollyon as fast made at him, throwing darts as thick as hail; by the +which, notwithstanding all that Christian could do to avoid it, Apollyon +wounded him in his head, his hand, and foot. This made Christian give a +little back: Apollyon, therefore, followed his work amain, and Christian +again took courage, and resisted as manfully as he could. This sore +combat lasted for about half a day, even till Christian was almost quite +spent. For you must know, that Christian, by reason of his wounds, must +needs grow weaker and weaker. + +Then, Apollyon, espying his opportunity, began to gather up close to +Christian, wrestling with him, gave him a dreadful fall; and with that +Christian's sword flew out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, I am sure of +thee now. And with that he had almost pressed him to death; so that +Christian began to despair of life. But, as God would have it, while +Apollyon was fetching his last blow, thereby to make a full end of this +good man, Christian nimbly reached out his hand for his sword, and +caught it, saying, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall I +shall arise; and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made him give +back, as one that had received his mortal wound. Christian perceiving +that, made at him again, saying, Nay, in all these things we are more +than conquerors through him that loved us. And with that Apollyon spread +forth his dragon's wings, and sped him away, that Christian saw him no +more. + +In this combat no man can imagine, unless he had seen and heard as I +did, what yelling and hideous roaring Apollyon made all the time of the +fight; he spake like a dragon: and on the other side, what sighs and +groans burst from Christian's heart. I never saw him all the while give +so much as one pleasant look, till he perceived he had wounded Apollyon +with his two-edged sword; then, indeed, he did smile, and look upward; +but it was the dreadfulest fight that I ever saw. + +So when the battle was over, Christian said, I will here give thanks to +him that hath delivered me out of the mouth of the lion; to him that did +help me against Apollyon. And so he did, saying: + + Great Beelzebub, the captain of this fiend, + Design'd my ruin; therefore to this end + He sent him harness'd out, and he with rage, + That hellish was, did fiercely me engage: + But blessed Michael helped me, and I, + By dint of sword, did quickly make him fly. + Therefore to him let me give lasting praise, + And thank and bless his holy name always. + +Then there came to him a hand, with some of the leaves of the tree of +life, the which Christian took and applied to the wounds that he had +received in the battle, and was healed immediately. He also sat down in +that place to eat bread, and to drink of the bottle that was given to +him a little before; so being refreshed, he addressed himself to his +journey, with his sword drawn in his hand; for, he said, I know not but +some other enemy may be at hand. But he met with no other affront from +Apollyon quite through the valley. + +Now at the end of this valley was another, called the Valley of the +Shadow of Death; and Christian must needs go through it, because the way +to the Celestial City lay through the midst of it. Now this valley is a +very solitary place; the prophet Jeremiah thus describes it: "A +wilderness, a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought, and of the +shadow of death, a land that no man" (but a Christian) "passeth through, +and where no man dwelt." + +Now here Christian was worse put to it than in his fight with Apollyon, +as by the sequel you shall see. + +I saw then in my dream, that when Christian was got to the borders of +the Shadow of Death, there met him two men, children of them that +brought up an evil report of the good land--making haste to go back--to +whom Christian spake as follows: + +_Chr._ Whither are you going? + +_Men._ They said, Back, back, and we would have you do so too, if either +life or peace is prized by you. + +Why, what's the matter? said Christian. + +_Men._ Matter? said they; we were going that way as you are going, and +went as far as we durst: and indeed we were almost past coming back; for +had we gone a little further, we had not been here to bring the news to +thee. + +But what have you met with? said Christian. + +_Men._ Why, we were almost in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, but +that by good hap we looked before us, and saw the danger before we came +to it. + +But what have you seen? said Christian. + +_Men._ Seen! why the valley itself, which is as dark as pitch: we also +saw there the hobgoblins, satyrs, and dragons of the pit; we heard also +in that valley a continual howling and yelling, as of a people under +unutterable misery, who there sat bound in affliction and irons; and +over that valley hangs the discouraging clouds of confusion: death also +doth always spread his wings over it. In a word, it is every whit +dreadful, being utterly without order. + +Then, said Christian, I perceive not yet, by what you have said, but +that this is my way to the desired haven. + +_Men._ Be it thy way, we will not choose it for ours. + +So they parted, and Christian went on his way, but still with his sword +drawn in his hand, for fear lest he should be assaulted. + +I saw then in my dream, so far as this valley reached, there was on the +right hand a very deep ditch; that ditch is it, into which the blind +have led the blind in all ages, and have both there miserably perished. +Again, behold, on the left hand there was a very dangerous quag, into +which, if even a good man falls, he finds no bottom for his foot to +stand on: into that quag King David once did fall, and had no doubt +therein been smothered, had not he that is able plucked him out. + +The pathway was here also exceeding narrow, and therefore good Christian +was the more put to it; for when he sought, in the dark, to shun the +ditch on the one hand, he was ready to tip over into the mire on the +other: also, when he sought to escape the mire, without great +carefulness he would be ready to fall into the ditch. Thus he went on, +and I heard him here sigh bitterly; for beside the danger mentioned +above, the pathway was here so dark, that ofttimes, when he lifted up +his foot to go forward, he knew not where or upon what he should set it +next. + +About the midst of this valley I perceived the mouth of hell to be, and +it stood also hard by the wayside. Now, thought Christian, what shall I +do? And ever and anon the flame and smoke would come out in such +abundance, with sparks and hideous noises (things that cared not for +Christian's sword, as did Apollyon before), that he was forced to put up +his sword, and betake himself to another weapon, called All-prayer; so +he cried, in my hearing, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Thus +he went on a great while, yet still the flames would be reaching toward +him; also he heard doleful voices, and rushings to and fro, so that +sometimes he thought he should be torn in pieces, or trodden down like +mire in the streets. This frightful sight was seen, and these dreadful +noises were heard by him for several miles together: and coming to a +place where he thought he heard a company of fiends coming forward to +meet him, he stopped, and began to muse what he had best to do. +Sometimes he had half a thought to go back; then, again, he thought he +might be half way through the valley. He remembered, also, how he had +already vanquished many a danger; and that the danger of going back +might be much more than for to go forward. So he resolved to go on: yet +the fiends seemed to come nearer and nearer. But when they were come +even almost at him, he cried out with a most vehement voice, I will walk +in the strength of the Lord God. So they gave back, and came no further. + +One thing I would not let slip. I took notice that now poor Christian +was so confounded that he did not know his own voice; and thus I +perceived it. Just when he was come over against the mouth of the +burning pit, one of the wicked ones got behind him, and stepped up +softly to him, and whisperingly suggested many grievous blasphemies to +him, which he verily thought had proceeded from his own mind. This put +Christian more to it than anything that he met with before, even to +think that he should now blaspheme him that he loved so much before. Yet +if he could have helped it, he would not have done it; but he had not +the discretion either to stop his ears, or to know from whence these +blasphemies came. + +When Christian had travelled in this disconsolate condition some +considerable time, he thought he heard the voice of a man, as going +before him, saying, Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of +Death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. + +Then was he glad, and that for these reasons: + +First, Because he gathered from thence, that some who feared God were in +this valley as well as himself. + +Secondly, For that he perceived God was with them, though in that dark +and dismal state. And why not, thought he, with me? though by reason of +the impediment that attends this place, I cannot perceive it. + +Thirdly, For that he hoped, could he overtake them, to have company by +and by. So he went on, and called to him that was before; but he knew +not what to answer, for that he also thought himself to be alone. And by +and by the day broke: then said Christian, "He hath turned the shadow of +death into the morning." + +Now morning being come, he looked back, not out of desire to return, +but to see, by the light of the day, what hazards he had gone through in +the dark. So he saw more perfectly the ditch that was on the one hand, +and the quag that was on the other; also how narrow the way was which +led between them both. Also now he saw the hobgoblins, and satyrs, and +dragons of the pit, but all afar off; for after break of day they came +not nigh, yet they were discovered to him according to that which is +written, "He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out +to light the shadow of death." + +Now was Christian much affected with this deliverance from all the +dangers of his solitary way; which dangers, though he feared them much +before, yet he saw them more clearly now, because the light of the day +made them conspicuous to him. And about this time the sun was rising, +and this was another mercy to Christian; for you must note, that though +the first part of the Valley of the Shadow of Death was dangerous, yet +this second part, which he was yet to go, was, if possible, far more +dangerous; for, from the place where he now stood, even to the end of +the valley, the way was all along set so full of snares, traps, gins, +and nets here, and so full of pits, pitfalls, deep holes, and shelvings +down there, that had it now been dark, as it was when he came the first +part of the way, had he had a thousand souls, they had in reason been +cast away; but, as I said, just now the sun was rising. Then said he, +"His candle shineth on my head, and by his light I go through darkness." + +In this light, therefore, he came to the end of the valley. Now I saw +in my dream, that at the end of the valley lay blood, bones, ashes, and +mangled bodies of men, even of pilgrims that had gone this way formerly; +and while I was musing what should be the reason, I espied a little +before me a cave, where two giants, Pope and Pagan, dwelt in old time; +by whose power and tyranny the men, whose bones, blood, ashes, etc., lay +there, were cruelly put to death. But by this place Christian went +without much danger, whereat I somewhat wondered; but I have learned +since, that Pagan has been dead many a day; and as for the other, though +he be yet alive, he is, by reason of age, and also of the many shrewd +brushes that he met with in his younger days, grown so crazy and stiff +in his joints, that he can now do little more than sit in his cave's +mouth, grinning at pilgrims as they go by, and biting his nails because +he cannot come at them. + +So I saw that Christian went on his way; yet, at the sight of the old +man that sat at the mouth of the cave, he could not tell what to think, +especially because he spoke to him, though he could not go after him, +saying, You will never mend till more of you be burned. But he held his +peace, and set a good face on it, and so went by, and catched no hurt. +Then sang Christian: + + Oh, world of wonders (I can say no less), + That I should be preserved in that distress + That I have met with here! Oh, blessed be + That hand that from it hath deliver'd me! + Dangers in darkness, heaven, hell, and sin, + Did compass me, while I this vale was in; + Yea, snares, and pits, and traps, and nets did lie + My path about, that worthless, silly I + Might have been catch'd, entangled, and cast down, + But since I live, let Jesus wear the crown. + +Now as Christian went on his way, he came to a little ascent, which was +cast up on purpose that pilgrims might see before them; up there, +therefore, Christian went; and looking forward, he saw Faithful before +him upon his journey. Then said Christian aloud, Ho, ho; so-ho; stay, +and I will be your companion. At that Faithful looked behind him; to +whom Christian cried again, Stay, stay, till I come up to you. But +Faithful answered, No, I am upon my life, and the avenger of blood is +behind me. + +At this Christian was somewhat moved, and putting to all his strength, +he quickly got up with Faithful, and did also overrun him; so the last +was first. Then did Christian vain-gloriously smile, because he had +gotten the start of his brother; but not taking good heed to his feet, +he suddenly stumbled and fell, and could not rise again until Faithful +came up to help him. + +Then I saw in my dream, they went very lovingly on together, and had +sweet discourse of all things that had happened to them in their +pilgrimage. + +Then I saw in my dream, that when they were got out of the wilderness, +they presently saw a town before them, and the name of that town is +Vanity; and at the town there is a fair kept, called Vanity Fair. It is +kept all the year long. It beareth the name of Vanity Fair because the +town where it is kept is lighter than vanity, and also, because all that +is there sold, or that cometh thither, is vanity; as is the saying of +the wise, "All that cometh is vanity." + +This fair is no new erected business, but a thing of ancient standing. I +will show you the original of it. + +Almost five thousand years ago there were pilgrims walking to the +Celestial City, as these two honest persons are; and Beelzebub, +Apollyon, and Legion, with their companions, perceiving by the path that +the pilgrims made, that their way to the city lay through this town of +Vanity, they contrived here to set up a fair; a fair wherein should be +sold all sorts of vanity, and that it should last all the year long. +Therefore at this fair are all such merchandise sold as houses, lands, +trades, places, honors, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, +pleasures; and delights of all sorts, such as harlots, wives, husbands, +children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, +pearls, precious stones, and what not. + +And moreover, at this fair there are at all times to be seen jugglings, +cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves, and rogues, and that of every +kind. + +Here are to be seen, too, and that for nothing, thefts, murders, +adulteries, false-swearers, and that of a blood-red color. + +And as, in other fairs of less moment, there are the several rows and +streets under their proper names, where such and such wares are vended: +so here likewise you have the proper places, rows, streets, namely, +countries and kingdoms, where the wares of this fair are soonest to be +found. Here is the Britain Row, the French Row, the Italian Row, the +Spanish Row, the German Row, where several sorts of vanities are to be +sold. But as in other fairs some one commodity is as the chief of all +the fair, so the ware of Rome and her merchandise is greatly promoted in +this fair; only our English nation, with some others, have taken a +dislike thereat. + +Now, as I said, the way to the Celestial City lies just through this +town where this lusty fair is kept; and he that would go to the city, +and yet not go through this town, "must needs go out of the world." The +Prince of princes himself, when here, went through this town to his own +country, and that upon a fair-day, too; yea, and as I think, it was +Beelzebub, the chief lord of this fair, that invited him to buy of his +vanities, yea, would have made him lord of the fair, would he but have +done him reverence as he went through the town. Yea, because he was such +a person of honor Beelzebub had him from street to street, and showed +him all the kingdoms of the world in a little time, that he might, if +possible, allure that Blessed One to cheapen and buy some of his +vanities; but he had no mind to the merchandise, and therefore left the +town without laying out so much as one farthing upon these vanities. +This fair, therefore, is an ancient thing of long standing, and a very +great fair. + +Now these pilgrims, as I said, must needs go through this fair. Well, so +they did; but, behold, even as they entered into the fair, all the +people in the fair were moved, and the town itself, as it were, in a +hubbub about them, and that for several reasons: For, + +First, The pilgrims were clothed with such kind of raiment as was +diverse from the raiment of any that traded in that fair. The people, +therefore, of the fair made a great gazing upon them; some said they +were fools; some they were bedlams; and some they were outlandish men. + +Secondly, And as they wondered at their apparel, so they did likewise at +their speech; for few could understand what they said. They naturally +spoke the language of Canaan; but they that kept the fair were the men +of this world. So that from one end of the fair to the other they seemed +barbarians each to the other. + +Thirdly, But that which did not a little amuse the merchandisers was, +that these pilgrims set very light by all their wares. They cared not so +much as to look upon them; and if they called upon them to buy, they +would put their fingers in their ears, and cry, "Turn away mine eyes +from beholding vanity," and look upward, signifying that their trade and +traffic was in heaven. + +One chanced mockingly, beholding the carriage of the men, to say unto +them, "What will ye buy?" But they looking gravely upon him, said, "We +buy the truth." At that, there was an occasion taken to despise the men +the more; some mocking, some taunting, some speaking reproachfully, and +some calling upon others to smite them. At last things came to a hubbub +and great stir in the fair, insomuch that all order was confounded. Now +was word presently brought to the great one of the fair, who quickly +came down, and deputed some of his most trusty friends to take those men +into examination about whom the fair was almost overturned. So the men +were brought to examination; and they that sat upon them asked whence +they came, whither they went, and what they did there in such an unusual +garb. The men told them that they were pilgrims and strangers in the +world, and that they were going to their own country, which was the +heavenly Jerusalem; and that they had given no occasion to the men of +the town, nor yet to the merchandisers, thus to abuse them, and to let +them in their journey, except it was for that when one asked them what +they would buy, they said they would buy the truth. But they that were +appointed to examine them did not believe them to be any other than +bedlams and mad, or else such as came to put all things into a confusion +in the fair. Therefore they took them and beat them, and besmeared them +with dirt, and then put them into the cage, that they might be made a +spectacle to all the men of the fair. There, therefore, they lay for +some time, and were made the objects of any man's sport, or malice, or +revenge; the great one of the fair laughing still at all that befell +them. But the men being patient, and "not rendering railing for railing, +but contrariwise blessing," and giving good words for bad, and kindness +for injuries done, some men in the fair that were more observing and +less prejudiced than the rest, began to check and blame the baser +sort for their continual abuses done by them to the men. They, +therefore, in angry manner, let fly at them again, counting them as bad +as the men in the cage, and telling them that they seemed confederates +and should be made partakers of their misfortunes. The others replied, +that, for aught they could see, the men were quiet and sober, and +intended nobody any harm; and that there were many that traded in their +fair that were more worthy to be put into the cage, yea, and pillory +too, than were the men that they had abused. Thus, after divers words +had passed on both sides--the men behaving themselves all the while very +wisely and soberly before them--they fell to some blows among +themselves, and did harm one to another. Then were these two poor men +brought before their examiners again, and there charged as being guilty +of the late hubbub that had been in the fair. So they beat them +pitifully, and hanged irons upon them, and led them in chains up and +down the fair, for an example and terror to others, lest any should +speak in their behalf, or join themselves unto them. But Christian and +Faithful behaved themselves yet more wisely, and received the ignominy +and shame that was cast upon them with so much meekness and patience, +that it won to their side--though but few in comparison of the +rest--several of the men in the fair. This put the other party yet into +a greater rage, insomuch that they concluded the death of these two men. +Wherefore they threatened that neither cage nor irons should serve their +turn, but that they should die for the abuse they had done, and for +deluding the men of the fair. + +Then were they remanded to the cage again until further order should be +taken with them. So they put them in, and made them fast in the stocks. + +Here, therefore, they called again to mind what they had heard from +their faithful friend Evangelist, and were the more confirmed in their +way and sufferings, by what he told them would happen to them. They also +now comforted each other, that whose lot it was to suffer, even he +should have the best of it; therefore each man secretly wished that he +might have that preferment. But committing themselves to the all-wise +disposal of him that ruleth all things, with much content they abode in +the condition in which they were until they should be otherwise disposed +of. + +Then a convenient time being appointed, they brought them forth to their +trial, in order to their condemnation. When the time was come, they were +brought before their enemies, and arraigned. The judge's name was Lord +Hate-good; their indictment was one and the same in substance, though +somewhat varying in form; the contents whereof was this: That they were +enemies to, and disturbers of, the trade; that they had made commotions +and divisions in the town, and had won a party to their own most +dangerous opinions, in contempt of the law of their prince. + +Then Faithful began to answer, that he had only set himself against that +which had set itself against Him that is higher than the highest. And, +said he, as for disturbance, I make none, being myself a man of peace: +the parties that were won to us, were won by beholding our truth and +innocence, and they are only turned from the worse to the better. And as +to the king you talk of, since he is Beelzebub, the enemy of our Lord, I +defy him and all his angels. + +Then proclamation was made, that they that had aught to say for their +lord the king against the prisoner at the bar, should forthwith appear, +and give in their evidence. So there came in three witnesses, to wit, +Envy, Superstition, and Pickthank. They were then asked, if they knew +the prisoner at the bar; and what they had to say for their lord the +king against him. + +Then stood forth Envy, and said to this effect: My lord, I have known +this man a long time, and will attest upon oath before this honorable +bench, that he is-- + +_Judge._ Hold--give him his oath. + +So they sware him. Then he said, My lord, this man, notwithstanding his +plausible name, is one of the vilest men in our country; he neither +regardeth prince nor people, law nor custom, but doeth all that he can +to possess all men with certain of his disloyal notions, which he in the +general calls principles of faith and holiness. And in particular, I +heard him once myself affirm, that Christianity and the customs of our +town of Vanity were diametrically opposite, and could not be reconciled. +By which saying, my lord, he doth at once not only condemn all our +laudable doings, but us in the doing of them. + +Then did the judge say to him, Hast thou any more to say? + +_Envy._ My lord, I could say much more, only I would not be tedious to +the court. Yet if need be, when the other gentlemen have given in their +evidence, rather than anything shall be wanting that will despatch him, +I will enlarge my testimony against him. So he was bid to stand by. + +Then they called Superstition, and bid him look upon the prisoner at the +bar. They also asked, what he could say for their lord the king against +him. Then they sware him; so he began: + +_Super._ My lord, I have no great acquaintance with this man, nor do I +desire to have further knowledge of him. However, this I know, that he +is a very pestilent fellow, from some discourse I had with him, the +other day, in this town; for then, talking with him, I heard him say, +that our religion was naught, and such by which a man could by no means +please God. Which saying of his, my lord, your lordship very well knows +what necessarily thence will follow, to wit, that we still do worship in +vain, are yet in our sins, and finally shall be damned: and this is that +which I have to say. + +Then was Pickthank sworn, and bid say what he knew in behalf of their +lord the king against the prisoner at the bar. + +_Pick._ My lord, and you gentlemen all, this fellow I have known of a +long time, and have heard him speak things that ought not to be spoken; +for he hath railed on our noble prince Beelzebub, and hath spoken +contemptibly of his honorable friends, whose names are, the Lord Old +Man, the Lord Carnal Delight, the Lord Luxurious, the Lord Desire of +Vain Glory, my old Lord Lechery, Sir Having Greedy, with all the rest of +our nobility; and he hath said, moreover, that if all men were of his +mind, if possible, there is not one of these noblemen should have any +longer a being in this town. Besides, he hath not been afraid to rail on +you, my lord, who are now appointed to be his judge, calling you an +ungodly villain, with many other suchlike vilifying terms, with which he +hath bespattered most of the gentry of our town. + +When this Pickthank had told his tale, the judge directed his speech to +the prisoner at the bar, saying, Thou runagate, heretic, and traitor, +hast thou heard what these honest gentlemen have witnessed against thee? + +_Faith._ May I speak a few words in my own defence? + +_Judge._ Sirrah, sirrah, thou deservest to live no longer, but to be +slain immediately upon the place; yet that all men may see our +gentleness toward thee, let us hear what thou hast to say. + +_Faith._ 1. I say, then, in answer to what Mr. Envy hath spoken, I never +said aught but this, that what rule, or laws, or customs, or people, +were flat against the word of God, are diametrically opposite to +Christianity. If I have said amiss in this, convince me of my error, +and I am ready here before you to make my recantation. + +2. As to the second, to wit, Mr. Superstition, and his charge against +me, I said only this, that in the worship of God there is required a +divine faith; but there can be no divine faith without a divine +revelation of the will of God. Therefore, whatever is thrust into the +worship of God, that is not agreeable to divine revelation, cannot be +done but by a human faith, which faith will not be profitable to eternal +life. + +3. As to what Mr. Pickthank has said, I say--avoiding terms, as that I +am said to rail, and the like--that the prince of this town, with all +the rabblement, his attendants, by this gentleman named, are more fit +for a being in hell than in this town and country. And so the Lord have +mercy upon me. + +Then the judge called to the jury--who all this while stood by to hear +and observe--Gentlemen of the jury, you see this man about whom so great +an uproar hath been made in this town; you have also heard what these +worthy gentlemen have witnessed against him; also you have heard his +reply and confession: it lieth now in your breast to hang him, or save +his life; but yet I think meet to instruct you in our law. + +There was an act made in the days of Pharaoh the Great, servant to our +prince, that, lest those of a contrary religion should multiply, and +grow too strong for him, their males should be thrown into the river. +There was also an act made in the day of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, +another of his servants, that whoever would not fall down and worship +his golden image, should be thrown into a fiery furnace. There was also +an act made in the days of Darius, that whoso for some time called upon +any God but him, should be cast into the lions' den. Now, the substance +of these laws this rebel has broken, not only in thought--which is not +to be borne--but also in word and deed; which must, therefore, needs be +intolerable. + +For that of Pharaoh, his law was made upon a supposition, to prevent +mischief, no crime being yet apparent; but here is a crime apparent. For +the second and third, you see he disputeth against our religion; and for +the treason that he hath confessed, he deserveth to die the death. + +Then went the jury out, whose names were Mr. Blindman, Mr. No-good, Mr. +Malice, Mr. Lovelust, Mr. Liveloose, Mr. Heady, Mr. High-mind, Mr. +Enmity, Mr. Liar, Mr. Cruelty, Mr. Hatelight, and Mr. Implacable; who +everyone gave in his private verdict against him among themselves, and +afterward unanimously concluded to bring him in guilty before the judge. +And first among themselves, Mr. Blindman, the foreman, said, I see +clearly that this man is a heretic. Then said Mr. No-good, Away with +such a fellow from the earth. Ay, said Mr. Malice, for I hate the very +looks of him. Then said Mr. Lovelust, I could never endure him. Nor I, +said Mr. Liveloose, for he would always be condemning my way. Hang him, +hang him, said Mr. Heady. A sorry scrub, said Mr. High-mind. My heart +riseth against him, said Mr. Enmity. He is a rogue, said Mr. Liar. +Hanging is too good for him, said Mr. Cruelty. Let us despatch him out +of the way, said Mr. Hatelight. Then said Mr. Implacable, Might I have +all the world given me, I could not be reconciled to him; therefore, let +us forthwith bring him in guilty of death. + +And so they did; therefore he was presently condemned to be had from the +place where he was, to the place from whence he came, and there to be +put to the most cruel death that could be invented. + +They, therefore, brought him out, to do with him according to their law: +and first they scourged him, then they buffeted him, then they lanced +his flesh with knives; after that they stoned him with stones; then +pricked him with their swords; and last of all, they burned him to ashes +at the stake. Thus came Faithful to his end. + +Now I saw that there stood behind the multitude a chariot and a couple +of horses, waiting for Faithful, who, so soon as his adversaries had +despatched him, was taken up into it, and straightway was carried up +through the clouds with sound of trumpet, the nearest way to the +celestial gate. + +But as for Christian, he had some respite, and was remanded back to +prison; so he there remained for a space. But he who overrules all +things, having the power of their rage in his own hand, so wrought it +about, that Christian for that time escaped them, and went his way. + +And as he went he sang, saying: + + Well, Faithful, thou hast faithfully profest + Unto thy Lord, with whom thou shall be blest, + When faithless ones, with all their vain delights, + Are crying out under their hellish plights; + Sing, Faithful, sing, and let thy name survive, + For though they killed thee, thou art yet alive. + +Now I saw in my dream that Christian went not forth alone; for there was +one whose name was Hopeful--being so made by the beholding of Christian +and Faithful in their words and behavior, in their sufferings at the +fair--who joined himself unto him, and entering into a brotherly +covenant, told him that he would be his companion. Thus one died to bear +testimony to the truth, and another rises out of his ashes to be a +companion with Christian in his pilgrimage. This Hopeful also told +Christian, that there were many more of the men in the fair that would +take their time and follow after. + +I saw then that they went on their way to a pleasant river, which David +the king called "the river of God," but John, "the river of the water of +life." Now their way lay just upon the bank of this river; here, +therefore, Christian and his companion walked with great delight; they +drank also of the water of the river, which was pleasant and enlivening +to their weary spirits. Besides, on the banks of this river, on either +side, were green trees, with all manner of fruit; and the leaves they +ate to prevent surfeits, and other diseases that are incident to those +who heat their blood by travel. On either side of the river was also a +meadow, curiously beautified with lilies; and it was green all the year +long. In this meadow they lay down and slept, for here they might lie +down safely. When they awoke, they gathered again of the fruit of the +trees, and drank again of the water of the river, and then lay down +again to sleep. Thus they did several days and nights. Then they sang: + + Behold ye how these crystal streams do glide, + To comfort pilgrims by the highway-side, + The meadows green, besides their fragrant smell, + Yield dainties for them; and he who can tell + What pleasant fruit, yea, leaves, these trees do yield, + Will soon sell all, that he may buy this field. + +So when they were disposed to go on--for they were not as yet at their +journey's end--they ate and drank, and departed. + +Now I beheld in my dream, that they had not journeyed far, but the river +and the way for a time parted, at which they were not a little sorry; +yet they durst not go out of the way. Now the way from the river was +rough, and their feet tender by reason of their travels; so the souls of +the pilgrims were much discouraged because of the way. Wherefore still +as they went on, they wished for a better way. Now a little before them, +there was on the left hand of the road a meadow, and a stile to go over +into it, and that meadow is called By-path Meadow. Then said Christian +to his fellow, If this meadow lieth along by our wayside, let's go over +into it. Then he went to the stile to see, and behold a path lay along +by the way on the other side of the fence. It is according to my wish, +said Christian; here is the easiest going; come, good Hopeful, and let +us go over. + +_Hope._ But, how if this path should lead us out of the way? + +That is not likely, said the other. Look, doth it not go along by the +wayside? So Hopeful, being persuaded by his fellow, went after him over +the stile. When they were gone over, and were got into the path, they +found it very easy for their feet; and withal, they looking before them, +espied a man walking as they did, and his name was Vain Confidence; so +they called after him, and asked him whither that way led. He said, To +the celestial gate. Look, said Christian, did not I tell you so? by this +you may see we are right. So they followed, and he went before them. But +behold the night came on, and it grew very dark; so that they that were +behind lost the sight of him that went before. + +He therefore that went before--Vain Confidence by name--not seeing the +way before him, fell into a deep pit, which was on purpose there made, +by the prince of those grounds, to catch vainglorious fools withal, and +was dashed in pieces with his fall. + +Now Christian and his fellow heard him fall. So they called to know the +matter, but there was none to answer, only they heard a groaning. Then +said Hopeful, Where are we now? Then was his fellow silent, as +mistrusting that he had led him out of the way; and now it began to +rain, and thunder and lighten in a most dreadful manner, and the water +rose amain. + +Then Hopeful groaned in himself, saying, Oh that I had kept on my way! + +_Chr._ Who could have thought that this path should have led us out of +the way? + +_Hope._ I was afraid on it at the very first, and therefore gave you +that gentle caution. I would have spoken plainer, but that you are older +than I. + +_Chr._ Good brother, be not offended; I am sorry I have brought thee out +of the way, and that I have put thee into such imminent danger. Pray, my +brother, forgive me; I did not do it of an evil intent. + +_Hope._ Be comforted, my brother, for I forgive thee; and believe, too, +that this shall be for our good. + +_Chr._ I am glad I have with me a merciful brother; but we must not +stand here; let us try to go back again. + +_Hope._ But, good brother, let me go before. + +_Chr_: No, if you please, let me go first, that if there be any danger, +I may be first therein, because by my means we are both gone out of the +way. + +No, said Hopeful, you shall not go first, for your mind being troubled +may lead you out of the way again. Then, for their encouragement, they +heard the voice of one saying, "Let thine heart be toward the highway, +even the way that thou wentest; turn again." But by this time the waters +were greatly risen, by reason of which the way of going back was very +dangerous. (Then I thought that it is easier going out of the way when +we are in, than going in when we are out.) Yet they adventured to go +back; but it was so dark, and the flood was so high, that in their going +back they had like to have drowned nine or ten times. + +Neither could they, with all the skill they had, get again to the stile +that night. Wherefore at last, lighting under a little shelter, they sat +down there until the day brake; but, being weary, they fell asleep. Now +there was, not far from the place they lay, a castle, called Doubting +Castle, the owner whereof was Giant Despair, and it was in his grounds +they now were sleeping: wherefore he, getting up in the morning early, +and walking up and down in his fields, caught Christian and Hopeful +asleep in his grounds. Then with a grim and surly voice he bid them +awake, and asked them whence they were, and what they did in his +grounds. They told him they were pilgrims, and that they had lost their +way. Then said the Giant, You have this night trespassed on me by +trampling in and lying on my grounds, and therefore you must go along +with me. So they were forced to go, because he was stronger than they. +They also had but little to say, for they knew themselves in a fault. +The Giant, therefore, drove them before him, and put them into his +castle, in a very dark dungeon, nasty, and stinking to the spirits of +these two men. Here, then, they lay from Wednesday morning till Saturday +night, without one bit of bread, drop of drink, or light, or any to ask +how they did; they were, therefore, here in evil case, and were far from +friends and acquaintance. Now in this place Christian had double sorrow, +because it was through his unadvised counsel that they were brought into +this distress. + +Now Giant Despair had a wife and her name was Diffidence: so when he +was gone to bed he told his wife what he had done, to wit, that he had +taken a couple of prisoners, and cast them into his dungeon for +trespassing on his grounds. Then he asked her also what he had best to +do further with them. So she asked him what they were, whence they came, +and whither they were bound, and he told her. Then she counselled him, +that when he arose in the morning he should beat them without mercy. So +when he arose, he getteth him a grievous crabtree cudgel, and goes down +into the dungeon to them, and there first falls to rating of them as if +they were dogs, although they never gave him a word of distaste. Then he +falls upon them, and beats them fearfully, in such sort that they were +not able to help themselves, or to turn them upon the floor. This done, +he withdraws and leaves them there to condole their misery, and to mourn +under their distress: so all that day they spent their time in nothing +but sighs and bitter lamentations. The next night she, talking with her +husband further about them, and understanding that they were yet alive, +did advise him to counsel them to make away with themselves. So when +morning was come, he goes to them in a surly manner, as before, and +perceiving them to be very sore with the stripes that he had given them +the day before, he told them, that since they were never like to come +out of that place, their only way would be forthwith to make an end of +themselves, either with a knife, halter, or poison: for why, said he, +should you choose to live, seeing it is attended with so much +bitterness? But they desired him to let them go. With that he looked +ugly upon them, and rushing to them, had doubtless made an end of them +himself, but that he fell into one of his fits--for he sometimes in +sunshiny weather fell into fits--and lost for a time the use of his +hands; wherefore he withdrew, and left them as before to consider what +to do. Then did the prisoners consult between themselves, whether it +were best to take his counsel or no; and thus they began to discourse. + +Brother, said Christian, what shall we do? The life that we now live is +miserable. For my part, I know not whether it is best to live thus, or +to die out of hand. My soul chooseth strangling rather than life, and +the grave is more easy for me than this dungeon. Shall we be ruled by +the Giant? + +_Hope._ Indeed our present condition is dreadful, and death would be far +more welcome to me than thus forever to abide; but yet let us consider, +the Lord of the country to which we are going hath said, "Thou shalt do +no murder," no, not to another man's person, much more then are we +forbidden to take his counsel to kill ourselves. Besides, he that kills +another, can but commit murder upon his body; but for one to kill +himself, is to kill body and soul at once. And, moreover, my brother, +thou talkest of ease in the grave, but hast thou forgotten the hell +whither for certain the murderers go? for "no murderer hath eternal +life," etc. And let us consider again, that all the law is not in the +hand of Giant Despair; others, so far as I can understand, have been +taken by him as well as we, and yet have escaped out of his hands. Who +knows but that God, who made the world, may cause that Giant Despair may +die; or that at some time or other he may forget to lock us in; or but +he may, in a short time, have another of his fits before us, and he may +lose the use of his limbs? And if ever that should come to pass again, +for my part, I am resolved to pluck up the heart of a man, and to try my +utmost to get from under his hand. I was a fool that I did not try to do +it before. But however, my brother, let us be patient, and endure +awhile; the time may come that may give us a happy release; but let us +not be our own murderers. With these words Hopeful at present did +moderate the mind of his brother; so they continued together in the dark +that day, in their sad and doleful condition. + +Well, toward evening the Giant goes down into the dungeon again, to see +if his prisoners had taken his counsel. But when he came there he found +them alive; and truly alive was all; for now, what for want of bread and +water, and by reason of the wounds they received when he beat them, they +could do little but breathe. But I say he found them alive; at which he +fell into a grievous rage, and told them, that seeing they had disobeyed +his counsel, it should be worse with them than if they had never been +born. + +At this they trembled greatly, and I think that Christian fell into a +swoon; but coming a little to himself again, they renewed their +discourse about the Giant's counsel, and whether yet they had best take +it or no. Now Christian again seemed for doing it; but Hopeful made his +second reply as followeth: + +My brother, said he, rememberest thou not how valiant thou hast been +heretofore? Apollyon could not crush thee, nor could all that thou didst +hear, or see, or feel, in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. What +hardship, terror, and amazement, hast thou already gone through! and +art thou now nothing but fears? Thou seest that I am in the dungeon with +thee, a far weaker man by nature than thou art. Also this Giant hath +wounded me as well as thee, and also cut off the bread and water from my +mouth, and with thee I mourn without the light. But let us exercise a +little more patience. Remember how thou playedst the man at Vanity Fair, +and wast neither afraid of the chain nor cage, nor yet of bloody death; +wherefore let us--at least to avoid the shame that it becomes not a +Christian to be found in--bear up with patience as well as we can. + +Now night being come again, and the Giant and his wife in bed, she asked +him concerning the prisoners, and if they had taken his counsel; to +which he replied, They are sturdy rogues; they choose rather to bear all +hardships than to make away with themselves. Then said she, Take them +into the castle-yard to-morrow, and show them the bones and skulls of +those that thou hast already despatched, and make them believe, ere a +week comes to an end, thou wilt tear them in pieces, as thou hast done +their fellows before them. + +So when the morning was come, the Giant goes to them again, and takes +them into the castle-yard, and shows them as his wife had bidden him. +These, said he, were pilgrims, as you are, once, and they trespassed on +my grounds as you have done; and when I thought fit I tore them in +pieces, and so within ten days I will do you; go, get you down to your +den again. And with that he beat them all the way thither. They lay, +therefore, all day on Saturday in a lamentable case, as before. Now when +night was come, and when Mrs. Diffidence and her husband, the Giant, +were got to bed, they began to renew their discourse of their prisoners; +and withal the old Giant wondered that he could neither by his blows nor +counsel bring them to an end. And with that his wife replied, I fear, +said she, that they live in hopes that some will come to relieve them; +or that they have picklocks about them, by the means of which they hope +to escape. And sayest thou so, my dear? said the Giant; I will therefore +search them in the morning. + +Well, on Saturday, about midnight, they began to pray, and continued in +prayer till almost break of day. + +Now, a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, +broke out into this passionate speech: What a fool, quoth he, am I, to +lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a +key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any +lock in Doubting Castle. Then said Hopeful, That's good news; good +brother, pluck it out of thy bosom, and try. + +Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the +dungeon door, whose bolt, as he turned the key, gave back, and the door +flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he +went to the outward door that leads into the castle-yard, and with his +key opened that door also. After that he went to the iron gate, for that +must be opened too, but that lock went desperately hard, yet the key did +open it. Then they thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed; +but that gate as it opened, made such a creaking that it waked Giant +Despair, who hastily rising to pursue his prisoners, felt his limbs to +fail; for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after +them. Then they went on, and came to the King's highway again, and so +were safe, because they were out of his jurisdiction. + +Now, when they were gone over the stile, they began to contrive with +themselves what they should do at that stile, to prevent those that +shall come after from falling into the hands of Giant Despair. So they +consented to erect there a pillar, and to engrave upon the side thereof +this sentence: "Over this stile is the way to Doubting Castle, which is +kept by Giant Despair, who despiseth the King of the Celestial Country, +and seeks to destroy, his holy pilgrims." Many, therefore, that followed +after, read what was written, and escaped the danger. This done, they +sang as follows: + + Out of the way we went, and then we found + What 'twas to tread upon forbidden ground; + And let them that come after have a care, + Lest they for trespassing, his pris'ners are, + Whose castle's Doubting, and whose name's Despair. + +They then went till they came to the Delectable Mountains, which +mountains belong to the Lord of that hill of which we have spoken +before. So they went up to the mountains, to behold the gardens and +orchards, the vineyards and fountains of water; where also they drank +and washed themselves, and did freely eat of the vineyards. Now there +were on the tops of these mountains shepherds feeding their flocks, and +they stood by the highway-side. The pilgrims, therefore, went to them, +and leaning upon their staffs--as is common with weary pilgrims when +they stand to talk with any by the way--they asked, Whose Delectable +Mountains are these, and whose be the sheep that feed upon them? + +_Shep._ These mountains are Immanuel's Land, and they are within sight +of his city; and the sheep also are his, and he laid down his life for +them. + +_Chr._ Is this the way to the Celestial City? + +_Shep._ You are just in your way. + +_Chr._ How far is it thither? + +_Shep._ Too far for any but those who shall get thither, indeed. + +_Chr._ Is the way safe, or dangerous? + +_Shep._ Safe for those for whom it is to be safe; but transgressors +shall fall therein. + +_Chr._ Is there in this place any relief for pilgrims that are weary and +faint in the way? + +_Shep._ The Lord of these mountains hath given us a charge not to be +forgetful to entertain strangers; therefore, the good of the place is +before you. + +I saw also in my dream, that when the Shepherds perceived that they +were wayfaring men, they also put questions to them, to which they made +answer as in other places, as, Whence came you? and, How got you into +the way? and, By what means have you persevered therein? for but few of +them that begin to come hither, do show their faces on these mountains. +But when the Shepherds heard their answers, being pleased therewith, +they looked very lovingly upon them, and said, Welcome to the Delectable +Mountains. + +The shepherds, I say, whose names were Knowledge, Experience, Watchful, +and Sincere, took them by the hand, and had them to their tents, and +made them partake of what was ready at present. They said, moreover, We +would that you should stay here awhile, to be acquainted with us, and +yet more to solace yourselves with the good of these Delectable +Mountains. They then told them that they were content to stay. So they +went to rest that night, because it was very late. + +Then I saw in my dream, that in the morning the Shepherds called up +Christian and Hopeful to walk with them upon the Mountains. So they went +forth with them, and walked awhile, having a pleasant prospect on every +side. Then said the Shepherds one to another, Shall we show these +pilgrims some wonders? So when they had concluded to do it, they had +them first to the top of a hill, called Error, which was very steep on +the furthest side, and bid them look down to the bottom. So Christian +and Hopeful looked down, and saw at the bottom several men dashed all +to pieces by a fall they had from the top. Then said Christian, What +meaneth this? The Shepherds answered, Have you not heard of them that +were made to err, by hearkening to Hymeneus and Philetus, as concerning +the faith of the resurrection of the body? They answered, Yes. Then said +the Shepherds, Those that you see dashed in pieces at the bottom of this +mountain are they; and they have continued to this day unburied, as you +see, for an example to others to take heed how they clamber too high, or +how they come too near the brink of this mountain. + +Then I saw that they had them to the top of another mountain, and the +name of that is Caution, and bid them look afar off; which, when they +did, they perceived, as they thought, several men walking up and down +among the tombs that were there; and they perceived that the men were +blind, because they stumbled sometimes upon the tombs, and because they +could not get out from among them. Then said Christian, What means this? + +The Shepherds then answered, Did you not see a little below these +mountains a stile that led into a meadow, on the left hand of this way? +They answered, Yes. Then said the Shepherds, From that stile there goes +a path that leads directly to Doubting Castle, which is kept by Giant +Despair; and these men, pointing to them among the tombs, came once on +pilgrimage, as you do now, even until they came to that same stile. And +because the right way was rough in that place, they chose to go out of +it into that meadow, and there were taken by Giant Despair, and cast +into Doubting Castle, where, after they had awhile been kept in the +dungeon, he at last did put out their eyes, and led them among those +tombs, where he has left them to wander to this very day, that the +saying of the wise man might be fulfilled, "He that wandereth out of the +way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead." Then +Christian and Hopeful looked one upon another, with tears gushing out, +but yet said nothing to the Shepherds. + +Then I saw in my dream, that the Shepherds had them to another place in +a bottom, where was a door on the side of a hill; and they opened the +door, and bid them look in. They looked in, therefore, and saw that +within it was very dark and smoky; they also thought that they heard +there a rumbling noise, as of fire, and a cry of some tormented, and +they smelled the scent of brimstone. Then said Christian, What means +this? The Shepherds told them, This is a by-way to hell, a way that +hypocrites go in at; namely, such as sell their birthright, with Esau; +such as sell their Master, with Judas; such as blaspheme the gospel, +with Alexander; and that lie and dissemble, with Ananias and Sapphira +his wife. + +Then said Hopeful to the Shepherds, I perceive that these had on them, +even every one, a show of pilgrimage, as we have now; had they not? + +_Shep._ Yes, and held it a long time too. + +_Hope._ How far might they go on in pilgrimage in their day, since they, +notwithstanding, were thus miserably cast away? + +_Shep._ Some further, and some not so far as these mountains. + +Then said the pilgrims one to another, We have need to cry to the Strong +for strength. + +_Shep._ Ay, and you will have need to use it, when you have it too. + +By this time the pilgrims had a desire to go forward, and the Shepherds +a desire they should; so they walked together toward the end of the +mountains. Then said the Shepherds one to another, Let us here show the +pilgrims the gate of the Celestial City, if they have skill to look +through our perspective-glass. The pilgrims then lovingly accepted the +motion; so they had them to the top of a high hill, called Clear, and +gave them the glass to look. + +Then they tried to look; but the remembrance of that last thing that the +Shepherds had shown them made their hands shake, by means of which +impediment they could not look steadily through the glass; yet they +thought they saw something like the gate, and also some of the glory of +the place. Thus they went away and sang: + + Thus by the Shepherds secrets are reveal'd + Which from all other men are kept conceal'd: + Come to the Shepherds, then, if you would see + Things deep, things hid, and that mysterious be. + +When they were about to depart, one of the Shepherds gave them a note of +the way. Another of them bid them beware of the Flatterer. The third bid +them take heed that they sleep not upon Enchanted Ground. And the fourth +bid them God speed. + +They went then till they came at a place where they saw a way put itself +into their way, and seeming withal to lie as straight as the way which +they should go; and here they knew not which of the two to take, for +both seemed straight before them; therefore, here they stood still to +consider. And as they were thinking about the way, behold, a man black +of flesh, but covered with a very light robe, vame to them, and asked +them why they stood there. They answered, they were going to the +Celestial City, but knew not which of these ways to take. Follow me, +said the man; it is thither that I am going. So they followed him in the +way that but now came into the road, which by degrees turned, and turned +them so from the city that they desired to go to, that in a little time +their faces were turned from it; yet they followed him. But by and by, +before they were aware, he led them both within the compass of a net, in +which they were both so entangled that they knew not what to do; and +with that the white robe fell off the black man's back. Then they saw +where they were. Wherefore there they lay crying some time, for they +could not get themselves out. + +Then said Christian to his fellow, Now do I see myself in an error. Did +not the Shepherds bid us beware of the Flatterer? As is the saying of +the wise man, so we have found it this day: "A man that flattereth his +neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet." + +_Hope._ They also gave us a note of directions about the way, for our +more sure finding thereof; but therein we have also forgotten to read, +and not kept ourselves from the paths of the destroyer. Here David was +wiser than we, for, saith he, "Concerning the works of men, by the word +of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." Thus they +lay bewailing themselves in the net. At last they espied a Shining One +coming toward them with a whip of small cords in his hand. When he was +come to the place where they were, he asked them whence they came, and +what they did there. They told him that they were poor pilgrims going to +Zion, but were led out of their way by a black man clothed in white, who +bid us, said they, follow him, for he was going thither too. Then said +he with a whip, It Flatterer, a false apostle, that hath transformed +himself into an angel of light. So he rent the net, and let the men out. +Then said he to them, Follow me, that I may set you in your way again. +So he led them back to the way which they had left to follow the +Flatterer. Then he asked them, saying, Where did you lie the last night? +They said, With the Shepherds upon the Delectable Mountains. He asked +them if they had not a note of directions for the way. They answered, +Yes. But did you not, said he, when you were at a stand, pluck out and +read your note? They answered, No. He asked them, Why? They said they +forgot. He asked, moreover, if the Shepherds did not bid them beware of +the Flatterer. They answered, Yes; but we did not imagine, said they, +this fine-spoken man had been he. + +Then I saw in my dream, that he commanded them to lie down; which when +they did, he chastised them sore, to teach them the good way wherein +they should walk; and as he chastised them, he said, "As many as I love +I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent." This done, he +bids them go on their way, and take good heed to the other directions of +the Shepherds. So they thanked him for all his kindness, and went softly +along the right way, singing: + + Come hither, you that walk along the way, + See how the pilgrims fare that go astray: + They catched are in an entangled net, + 'Cause they good counsel lightly did forget. + 'Tis true they rescued were; but yet, you see, + They're scourg'd to boot: let this your caution be. + +Now, after awhile, they perceived afar off one coming softly and alone, +all along the highway to meet them. Then said Christian to his fellow, +Yonder is a man with his back toward Zion, and he is coming to meet us. + +_Hope._ I see him; let us take heed to ourselves now lest he should +prove a flatterer also. So he drew nearer and nearer, and at last came +up to them. His name was Atheist, and he asked them whither they were +going. + +_Chr._ We are going to the Mount Zion. + +Then Atheist fell into a very great laughter. + +_Chr._ What's the meaning of your laughter? + +_Atheist._ I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are, to take upon +you so tedious a journey, and yet are like to have nothing but your +travel for your pains. + +_Chr._ Why man, do you think we shall not be received? + +_Atheist._ Received! There is no such place as you dream of in all this +world. + +_Chr._ But there is in the world to come. + +_Atheist._ When I was at home in my own country, I heard as you now +affirm, and from that hearing went out to see, and have been seeking +this city these twenty years, but find no more of it than I did the +first day I set out. + +_Chr._ We have both heard, and believe, that there is such a place to be +found. + +_Atheist._ Had not I, when at home, believed, I had not come thus far to +seek; but finding none--and yet I should had there been such a place to +be found, for I have gone to seek it further than you--I am going back +again, and will seek to refresh myself with the things that I then cast +away for hopes of that which I now see is not. + +Then said Christian to Hopeful his companion, Is it true which this man +hath said? + +_Hope._ Take heed, he is one of the flatterers. Remember what it hath +cost us once already for hearkening to such kind fellows. What? no Mount +Zion? Did we not see from the Delectable Mountains the gate of the city? +Also, are we not now to walk by faith? Let us go on, lest the man with +the whip overtake us again. You should have taught me that lesson, which +I will round you in the ears withal: "Cease, my son, to hear the +instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." I say, my +brother, cease to hear him, and let us believe to the saving of the +soul. + +_Chr._ My brother, I did not put the question to thee, for that I +doubted of the truth of our belief myself, but to prove thee, and to +fetch from thee a fruit of the honesty of thy heart. As for this man, I +know that he is blinded by the god of this world. Let thee and me go on, +knowing that we have belief of the truth, and no lie is of the truth. + +_Hope._ Now do I rejoice in hope of the glory of God. So they turned +away from the man, and he, laughing at them, went his way. + +I then saw in my dream that they went on until they came into a certain +country, whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy, if he came a +stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull, and heavy to +sleep; wherefore he said unto Christian: I do now begin to grow so +drowsy that I can scarcely hold open mine eyes; let us lie down and take +one nap. + +By no means, said the other, lest sleeping we never awake more. + +_Hope._ Why, my brother? sleep is sweet to the laboring man; we may be +refreshed if we take a nap. + +_Chr._ Do you not remember that one of the Shepherds bid us to beware of +the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that, that we should beware of +sleeping: wherefore, "let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch +and be sober." + +_Hope._ I acknowledge myself in a fault; and had I been here alone, I +had by sleeping run the danger of death. I see it is true that the wise +man saith, "Two are better than one." Hitherto hath thy company been my +mercy; and thou shalt have a good reward for thy labor. + +Now then, said Christian, to prevent drowsiness in this place, let us +fall into good discourse. + +With all my heart, said the other. + +Now I saw in my dream, that the pilgrims were got over the Enchanted +Ground, and entering into the country of Beulah; whose air was very +sweet and pleasant; the way lying directly through it, they solaced +themselves there for a season. Yea, here they heard continually the +singing of birds, and saw every day the flowers appear in the earth, and +heard the voice of the turtle in the land. In this country the sun +shineth night and day; wherefore this was beyond the Valley of the +Shadow of Death, and also out of the reach of Giant Despair; neither +could they from this place so much as see Doubting Castle. Here they +were within sight of the city they were going to; also here met them +some of the inhabitants thereof; for in this land the Shining Ones +commonly walked, because it was upon the borders of heaven. In this land +also the contract between the Bride and the Bridegroom was renewed; yea, +here, "as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so doth their God +rejoice over them." Here they had no want of corn and wine; for in this +place they met with abundance of what they had sought for in all their +pilgrimages. Here they heard voices from out of the city, loud voices, +saying, "Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh! +Behold, His reward is with him!" Here all the inhabitants of the +country called them "the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, sought +out," etc. + +Now, as they walked in this land, they had more rejoicing than in parts +more remote from the kingdom to which they are bound; and drawing near +to the city, they had yet a more perfect view thereof. It was builded of +pearls and precious stones, also the streets thereof were paved with +gold; so that, by reason of the natural glory of the city, and the +reflection of the sunbeams upon it, Christian with desire fell sick; +Hopeful also had a fit or two of the same disease: wherefore here they +lay by it awhile, crying out because of their pangs, "If you see my +Beloved, tell him that I am sick of love." + +But, being a little strengthened, and better able to bear their +sickness, they walked on their way, and came yet nearer and nearer, +where were orchards, vineyards, and gardens, and their gates opened into +the highway. Now, as they came up to these places behold the gardener +stood in the way; to whom the pilgrims said, Whose goodly vineyards and +gardens are these? He answered, They are the King's, and are planted +here for his own delights, and also for the solace of pilgrims. So the +gardener had them into the vineyards, and bid them refresh themselves +with the dainties. He also showed them there the King's walks and the +arbors where he delighteth to be: and here they tarried and slept. + +Now, I beheld in my dream that they talked more in their sleep at this +time than ever they did in all their journey, and being in a muse +thereabout, the gardener said even to me, Wherefore musest thou at the +matter: it is the nature of the fruit of the grapes of these vineyards +"to go down so sweetly as to cause the lips of them that are asleep to +speak." + +So I saw that when they awoke they addressed themselves to go up to the +city. But, as I said, the reflection of the sun upon the city--for the +city was pure gold--was so extremely glorious that they could not as yet +with open face behold it, but through an instrument made for that +purpose. So I saw, that as they went on, there met them two men in +raiment that shone like gold, also their faces shone as the light. + +These men asked the pilgrims whence they came; and they told them. They +also asked them where they had lodged, what difficulties and dangers, +what comforts and pleasures, they had met in the way; and they told +them. Then said the men that met them, You have but two difficulties +more to meet with, and then you are in the city. + +Christian then and his companion asked the men to go along with them: so +they told them that they would: But, said they, you must obtain it by +your own faith. So I saw in my dream that they went on together till +they came in sight of the gate. + +Now I further saw, that between them and the gate was a river: but there +was no bridge to go over; and the river was very deep. At the sight +therefore of this river the pilgrims were much stunned; but the men that +went with them said, You must go through or you cannot come at the +gate. + +The pilgrims then began to inquire if there was no other way to the +gate. To which they answered, Yes; but there hath not any, save two, to +wit, Enoch and Elijah, been permitted to tread that path since the +foundation of the world, nor shall until the last trumpet shall sound. +The pilgrims then, especially Christian, began to despond in their +minds, and looked this way and that, but no way could be found by them +by which they might escape the river. Then they asked the men if the +waters were all of a depth. They said, No; yet they could not help them +in that case; for, said they, you shall find it deeper or shallower as +you believe in the King of the place. + +They then addressed themselves to the water, and entering, Christian +began to sink, and crying out to his good friend Hopeful, he said, I +sink in deep waters; the billows go over my head, all his waves go over +me. + +Then said the other, Be of good cheer, my brother: I feel the bottom, +and it is good. Then said Christian, Ah, my friend, "the sorrows of +death have compassed me about," I shall not see the land that flows with +milk and honey. And with that a great darkness and horror fell upon +Christian, so that he could not see before him. Also here he in a great +measure lost his senses, so that he could neither remember nor orderly +talk of any of those sweet refreshments that he had met with in the way +of his pilgrimage. But all the words that he spoke still tended to +discover that he had horror of mind, and heart-fears that he should die +in that river, and never obtain entrance in at the gate. Here also, as +they that stood by perceived, he was much in the troublesome thoughts of +the sins that he had committed, both since and before he began to be a +pilgrim. It was also observed, that he was troubled with apparitions of +hobgoblins and evil spirits; for ever and anon he would intimate so much +by words. + +Hopeful therefore here had much ado to keep his brother's head above +water; yea, sometimes he would be quite gone down, and then, ere awhile, +he would rise up again half dead. Hopeful also would endeavor to comfort +him, saying, Brother, I see the gate, and men standing by to receive us; +but Christian would answer, It is you, it is you they wait for; you have +been hopeful ever since I knew you. And so have you, said he to +Christian. Ah, brother! said he, surely if I was right, he would now +arise to help me; but for my sins he hath brought me into the snare, and +hath left me. Then said Hopeful, My brother, you have quite forgot the +text where it is said of the wicked, "There are no bands in their death, +but their strength is firm; they are not troubled as other men, neither +are they plagued like other men." These troubles and distresses that you +go through in these waters, are no sign that God hath forsaken you; but +are sent to try you, whether you will call to mind that which heretofore +you have received of his goodness, and live upon him in your distresses. + +Then I saw in my dream, that Christian was in a muse awhile. To whom +also Hopeful added these words, Be of good cheer, Jesus Christ maketh +thee whole. And with that Christian brake out with a loud voice, Oh, I +see him again; and he tells me "When thou passest through the waters, I +shall be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow +thee." Then they both took courage, and the enemy was, after that, as +still as a stone, until they were gone over. Christian, therefore, +presently found ground to stand upon, and so it followed that the rest +of the river was but shallow. Thus they got over. + +Now upon the bank of the river, on the other side, they saw the two +shining men again, who there waited for them. Wherefore being come out +of the river, they saluted them, saying, We are ministering spirits, +sent forth to minister for those that shall be heirs of salvation. Thus +they went along toward the gate. + +Now you must note, that the city stood upon a mighty hill; but the +pilgrims went up that hill with ease, because they had these two men to +lead them up by the arms: they had likewise left their mortal garments +behind them in the river; for though they went in with them, they came +out without them. They therefore went up here with much agility and +speed, though the foundation upon which the city was framed was higher +than the clouds; they therefore went up through the regions of the air, +sweetly talking as they went, being comforted because they safely got +over the river, and had such glorious companions to attend them. + +The talk that they had with the Shining Ones was about the glory of the +place; who told them that the beauty and glory of it was inexpressible. +There, said they, is "the Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the +innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made +perfect." You are going now, said they, to the paradise of God, where +you shall see the tree of life, and eat of the never fading fruits +thereof: and when you come there you shall have white robes given you, +and your walk and talk shall be every day with the King, even all the +days of eternity. There you shall not see again such things as you saw +when you were in the lower region upon the earth; to wit, sorrow, +sickness, affliction, and death; "For the former things are passed +away." You are going now to Abraham, to Isaac, and Jacob, and to the +prophets, men that God hath taken away from the evil to come, and that +are now "resting upon their beds, each one walking in his +righteousness." The men then asked, What must we do in the holy place? +To whom it was answered, You must there receive the comfort of all your +toil, and have joy for all your sorrow; you must reap what you have +sown, even the fruit of all your prayers, and tears, and sufferings for +the King by the way. In that place you must wear crowns of gold, and +enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of the Holy One; for "there you +shall see him as he is." There also you shall serve him continually with +praise, with shouting and thanksgiving, whom you desired to serve in the +world, though with much difficulty, because of the infirmity of your +flesh. There your eyes shall be delighted with seeing, and your ears +with hearing the pleasant voice of the Mighty One. There you shall enjoy +your friends again that are gone hither before you; and there you shall +with joy receive even every one that follows into the holy place after +you. There also you shall be clothed with glory and majesty, and put in +an equipage fit to ride out with the King of Glory. When he shall come +with sound of trumpet in the clouds, as upon the wings of the wind, you +shall come with him; and when he shall sit upon the throne of judgment, +you shall sit by him; yea, and when he shall pass sentence upon all the +workers of iniquity, let them be angels or men, you also shall have a +voice in that judgment, because they were his and your enemies. Also, +when he shall again return to the city, you shall go too with sound of +trumpet, and be ever with him. + +Now, while they were thus drawing toward the gate, behold a company of +the heavenly host came out to meet them; to whom it was said by the +other two Shining Ones, These are the men that have loved our Lord, when +they were in the world, and that have left all for his holy name; and he +has sent us to fetch them, and we have brought them thus far on their +desired journey, that they may go in and look their Redeemer in the face +with joy. Then the heavenly host gave a great shout, saying, "Blessed +are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." There came +out also at this time to meet them several of the King's trumpeters, +clothed in white and shining raiment, who with melodious voices and +loud, made even the heavens to echo with their sound. These trumpeters +saluted Christian and his fellow with ten thousand welcomes from the +world; and this they did with shouting and sound of trumpet. + +This done, they compassed them round on every side; some went before, +some behind, and some on the right hand, and some on the left--as it +were to guard them through the upper regions--continually sounding as +they went, with melodious noise, in notes on high; so that the very +sight was to them that could behold it as if heaven itself was come down +to meet them. Thus therefore they walked on together; and, as they +walked, ever and anon these trumpeters, even with joyful sound, would, +by mixing their music with looks and gestures, still signify to +Christian, and his brother, how welcome they were into their company, +and with what gladness they came to meet them. And now were these two +men, as it were, in heaven, before they came at it, being swallowed up +with the sight of angels, and with hearing of their melodious notes. +Here also they had the city itself in view; and thought they heard all +the bells therein to ring, to welcome them thereto. But, above all, the +warm and joyful thoughts that they had about their own dwelling there +with such company, and that for ever and ever, oh, by what tongue or pen +can their glorious joy be expressed!--Thus they came up to the gate. + +Now when they were come up to the gate, there was written over it in +letters of gold, "BLESSED ARE THEY THAT DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, THAT THEY +MAY HAVE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE, AND MAY ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES +INTO THE CITY." + +Then I saw in my dream that the shining men bid them call at the gate: +the which when they did, some from above looked over the gate, to wit, +Enoch, Moses, and Elijah, etc., to whom it was said, These pilgrims are +come from the City of Destruction, for the love that they bear to the +King of this place: and then the pilgrims gave in unto them each man his +certificate, which they had received in the beginning; those, therefore, +were carried in to the King, who, when he had read them, said, Where are +the men? To whom it was answered, They are standing without the gate. +The King then commanded to open the gate, "That the righteous nation," +said he, "that keepeth truth may enter in." + +Now I saw in my dream that these two men went in at the gate; and lo! as +they entered, they were transfigured; and they had raiment put on that +shone like gold. There were also that met them with harps and crowns, +and gave them to them: the harps to praise withal, and the crowns in +token of honor. Then I heard in my dream that all the bells in the city +rang again for joy, and that it was said unto them, "ENTER YE INTO THE +JOY OF OUR LORD." I also heard the men themselves, that they sang with a +loud voice, saying, "BLESSING, AND HONOR, AND GLORY, AND POWER, BE UNTO +HIM THAT SITTETH UPON THE THRONE, AND UNTO THE LAMB, FOR EVER AND EVER." + +Now, just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after +them, and behold the city shone like the sun; the streets also were +paved with gold; and in them walked many men, with crowns on their +heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps, to sing praises withal. + +They were also of them that had wings, and they answered one another +without intermission, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord." And after +that they shut up the gates: which, when I had seen, I wished myself +among them. + +Now while I was gazing upon all these things, I turned my head to look +back, and saw Ignorance come up to the river side; but he soon got over, +and that without half the difficulty which the other two men met with. +For it happened that there was then in the place one Vain-hope, a +ferry-man, that with his boat helped him over; so he, as the others I +saw, did ascend the hill, to come up to the gate; only he came alone; +neither did any meet him with the least encouragement. When he was come +up to the gate, he looked up to the writing that was above, and then +began to knock, supposing that entrance should have been quickly +administered to him; but he was asked by the men that looked over the +top of the gate, Whence came you? and what would you have? He answered, +I have ate and drank in the presence of the King, and he has taught in +our streets. Then they asked him for his certificate, that they might go +in and show it to the King: so he fumbled in his bosom for one, and +found none. Then said they, Have you none? but the man answered never a +word. So they told the King, but he would not come down to see him, but +commanded the two Shining Ones, that conducted Christian and Hopeful to +the city, to go out, and take Ignorance, and bind him, hand and foot, +and have him away. Then they took him up, and carried him through the +air, to the door that I saw in the side of the hill, and put him in +there. Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gate of +heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction. So I awoke, and behold +it was a dream. + + + + +THE PILGRIM + + +Who would true valor see + Let him come hither! +One here will constant be, + Come wind, come weather; +There's no discouragement + Shall make him once relent +His first-avow'd intent + To be a Pilgrim. + +Whoso beset him round + With dismal stories, +Do but themselves confound; + His strength the more is. +No lion can him fright; + He'll with a giant fight; +But he will have a right + To be a Pilgrim. + +Nor enemy, nor fiend, + Can daunt his spirit; +He knows he at the end + Shall Life inherit:-- +Then, fancies, fly away; + He'll not fear what men say; +He'll labor, night and day, + To be a Pilgrim. + +_--J. Bunyan_ + + + + +THE GREAT STONE FACE + +By Nathaniel Hawthorne + + +One afternoon, when the sun was going down, a mother and her little boy +sat at the door of their cottage, talking about the Great Stone Face. +They had but to lift their eyes, and there it was plainly to be seen, +though miles away, with the sunshine brightening all its features. + +And what was the Great Stone Face? + +Embosomed among a family of lofty mountains, there was a valley so +spacious that it contained many thousand inhabitants. Some of these good +people dwelt in log huts, with the black forest all around them, on the +steep and difficult hillsides. Others had their homes in comfortable +farmhouses, and cultivated the rich soil on the gentle slopes or level +surfaces of the valley. Others, again, were congregated into populous +villages, where some wild, highland rivulet, tumbling down from its +birthplace in the upper mountain region, had been caught and tamed by +human cunning, and compelled to turn the machinery of cotton factories. +The inhabitants of this valley, in short, were numerous, and of many +modes of life. But all of them, grown people and children, had a kind of +familiarity with the Great Stone Face, although some possessed the gift +of distinguishing this grand natural phenomenon more perfectly than many +of their neighbors. + +The Great Stone Face, then, was a work of Nature in her mood of majestic +playfulness, formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some +immense rocks, which had been thrown together in such a position as, +when viewed at a proper distance, precisely to resemble the features of +the human countenance. It seemed as if an enormous giant, or a Titan, +had sculptured his own likeness on the precipice. There was the broad +arch of the forehead, a hundred feet in height; the nose, with its long +bridge; and the vast lips, which, if they could have spoken, would have +rolled their thunder accents from one end of the valley to the other. +True it is, that if the spectator approached too near, he lost the +outline of the gigantic visage, and could discern only a heap of +ponderous and gigantic rocks, piled in chaotic ruin one upon another. +Retracing his steps, however, the wondrous features would again be seen; +and the further he withdrew from them, the more like a human face, with +all its original divinity intact, did they appear; until, as it grew dim +in the distance, with the clouds and glorified vapor of the mountains +clustering about it, the Great Stone Face seemed positively to be alive. + +It was a happy lot for children to grow up to manhood or womanhood with +the Great Stone Face before their eyes, for all the features were noble, +and the expression was at once grand and sweet, as if it were the glow +of a vast, warm heart, that embraced all mankind in its affections, and +had room for more. It was an education only to look at it. According to +the belief of many people, the valley owed much of its fertility to this +benign aspect that was continually beaming over it, illuminating the +clouds, and infusing its tenderness into the sunshine. + +As we began with saying, a mother and her little boy sat at their +cottage-door, gazing at the Great Stone Face, and talking about it. The +child's name was Ernest. + +"Mother," said he, while the Titanic visage smiled on him, "I wish that +it could speak, for it looks so very kindly that its voice must needs be +pleasant. If I were to see a man with such a face, I should love him +dearly." + +"If an old prophecy should come to pass," answered his mother, "we may +see a man, some time or other, with exactly such a face as that." + +"What prophecy do you mean, dear mother?" eagerly inquired Ernest. "Pray +tell me all about it!" + +So his mother told him a story that her own mother had told to her, when +she herself was younger than little Ernest; a story, not of things that +were past, but of what was yet to come; a story, nevertheless, so very +old, that even the Indians, who formerly inhabited this valley, had +heard it from their forefathers, to whom, as they affirmed, it had been +murmured by the mountain streams, and whispered by the wind among the +tree-tops. The purport was, that, at some future day, a child should be +born hereabouts, who was destined to become the greatest and noblest +personage of his time, and whose countenance, in manhood, should bear an +exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face. Not a few old-fashioned +people, and young ones likewise, in the ardor of their hopes, still +cherished an enduring faith in this old prophecy. But others, who had +seen more of the world, had watched and waited till they were weary, and +had beheld no man with such a face, nor any man that proved to be much +greater or nobler than his neighbors, concluded it to be nothing but an +idle tale. At all events, the great man of the prophecy had not yet +appeared. + +"O mother, dear mother!" cried Ernest, clapping his hands above his +head, "I do hope that I shall live to see him!" + +His mother was an affectionate and thoughtful woman, and felt that it +was wisest not to discourage the generous hopes of her little boy. So +she only said to him, "Perhaps you may." + +And Ernest never forgot the story that his mother told him. It was +always in his mind, whenever he looked upon the Great Stone Face. He +spent his childhood in the log-cottage where he was born, and was +dutiful to his mother, and helpful to her in many things, assisting her +much with his little hands, and more with his loving heart. In this +manner, from a happy yet often pensive child, he grew up to be a mild, +quiet, unobtrusive boy, and sun-browned with labor in the fields, but +with more intelligence brightening his aspect than is seen in many lads +who have been taught at famous schools. Yet Ernest had had no teacher, +save only that the Great Stone Face became one to him. When the toil of +the day was over, he would gaze at it for hours, until he began to +imagine that those vast features recognized him, and gave him a smile of +kindness and encouragement, responsive to his own look of veneration. We +must not take upon us to affirm that this was a mistake, although the +Face may have looked no more kindly at Ernest than at all the world +besides. But the secret was, that the boy's tender and confiding +simplicity discerned what other people could not see; and thus the love, +which was meant for all, became his peculiar portion. + +About this time, there went a rumor throughout the valley, that the +great man, foretold from ages ago, who was to bear a resemblance to the +Great Stone Face, had appeared at last. It seems that, many years +before, a young man had migrated from the valley and settled at a +distant seaport, where, after getting together a little money, he had +set up as a shopkeeper. His name--but I could never learn whether it was +his real one, or a nickname that had grown out of his habits and success +in life--was Gathergold. Being shrewd and active, and endowed by +Providence with that inscrutable faculty which develops itself in what +the world calls luck, he became an exceedingly rich merchant, and owner +of a whole fleet of bulky-bottomed ships. All the countries of the globe +appeared to join hands for the mere purpose of adding heap after heap +to the mountainous accumulation of this one man's wealth. The cold +regions of the north, almost within the gloom and shadow of the Arctic +Circle, sent him their tribute in the shape of furs; hot Africa sifted +for him the golden sands of her rivers, and gathered up the ivory tusks +of her great elephants out of the forests; the East came bringing him +the rich shawls, and spices, and teas, and the effulgence of diamonds, +and the gleaming purity of large pearls. The ocean, not to be behindhand +with the earth, yielded up her mighty whales, that Mr. Gathergold might +sell their oil, and make a profit on it. Be the original commodity what +it might, it was gold within his grasp. It might be said of him, as of +Midas in the fable, that whatever he touched with his finger immediately +glistened, and grew yellow, and was changed at once into sterling metal, +or, which suited him still better, into piles of coin. And, when Mr. +Gathergold had become so very rich that it would have taken him a +hundred years only to count his wealth, he bethought himself of his +native valley, and resolved to go back thither, and end his days where +he was born. With this purpose in view, he sent a skilful architect to +build him such a palace as should be fit for a man of his vast wealth to +live in. + +As I have said above, it had already been rumored in the valley that Mr. +Gathergold had turned out to be the prophetic personage so long and +vainly looked for, and that his visage was the perfect and undeniable +similitude of the Great Stone Face. People were the more ready to +believe that this must needs be the fact, when they beheld the splendid +edifice that rose, as if by enchantment, on the site of his father's old +weather-beaten farmhouse. The exterior was of marble, so dazzingly white +that it seemed as though the whole structure might melt away in the +sunshine, like those humbler ones which Mr. Gathergold, in his young +play-days, before his fingers were gifted with the touch of +transmutation, had been accustomed to build of snow. It had a richly +ornamented portico, supported by tall pillars, beneath which was a lofty +door, studded with silver knobs, and made of a kind of variegated wood +that had been brought from beyond the sea. The windows, from the floor +to the ceiling of each stately apartment, were composed, respectively, +of but one enormous pane of glass, so transparently pure that it was +said to be a finer medium than even the vacant atmosphere. Hardly +anybody had been permitted to see the interior of this palace; but it +was reported, and with good semblance of truth, to be far more gorgeous +than the outside, insomuch that whatever was iron or brass in other +houses was silver or gold in this; and Mr. Gathergold's bedchamber, +especially, made such a glittering appearance that no ordinary man would +have been able to close his eyes there. But, on the other hand, Mr. +Gathergold was now so inured to wealth, that perhaps he could not have +closed his eyes unless where the gleam of it was certain to find its way +beneath his eyelids. + +In due time, the mansion was finished; next came the upholsterers, with +magnificent furniture; then, a whole troop of black and white servants, +the harbingers of Mr. Gathergold, who, in his own majestic person, was +expected to arrive at sunset. Our friend Ernest, meanwhile, had been +deeply stirred by the idea that the great man, the noble man, the man of +prophecy, after so many ages of delay, was at length to be made manifest +to his native valley. He knew, boy as he was, that there were a thousand +ways in which Mr. Gathergold, with his vast wealth, might transform +himself into an angel of beneficence, and assume a control over human +affairs as wide and benignant as the smile of the Great Stone Face. Full +of faith and hope, Ernest doubted not that what the people said was +true, and that now he was to behold the living likeness of those +wondrous features on the mountain side. While the boy was still gazing +up the valley, and fancying, as he always did, that the Great Stone Face +returned his gaze and looked kindly at him, the rumbling of wheels was +heard, approaching swiftly along the winding road. + +"Here he comes!" cried a group of people who were assembled to witness +the arrival. "Here comes the great Mr. Gathergold!" + +A carriage, drawn by four horses, dashed round the turn of the road. +Within it, thrust partly out of the window, appeared the physiognomy of +a little old man, with a skin as yellow as if his own Midas-hand had +transmuted it. He had a low forehead, small, sharp eyes, puckered about +with innumerable wrinkles, and very thin lips, which he made still +thinner by pressing them forcibly together. + +"The very image of the Great Stone Face!" shouted the people. "Sure +enough, the old prophecy is true; and here we have the great man come, +at last!" + +And, what greatly perplexed Ernest, they seemed actually to believe that +here was the likeness which they spoke of. By the roadside there chanced +to be an old beggar-woman and two little beggar-children, stragglers +from some far-off region, who, as the carriage rolled onward, held out +their hands and lifted up their doleful voices, most piteously +beseeching charity. A yellow claw--the very same that had clawed +together so much wealth--poked itself out of the coach window, and +dropped some copper coins upon the ground; so that, though the great +man's name seems to have been Gathergold, he might just as suitably have +been nicknamed Scattercopper. Still, nevertheless, with an earnest +shout, and evidently with as much good faith as ever, the people +bellowed-- + +"He is the very image of the Great Stone Face!" + +But Ernest turned sadly from the wrinkled shrewdness of that sordid +visage, and gazed up the valley, where, amid a gathering mist, gilded by +the last sunbeams, he could still distinguish those glorious features +which had impressed themselves into his soul. Their aspect cheered him. +What did the benign lips seem to say? + +"He will come! Fear not, Ernest; the man will come!" + +The years went on, and Ernest ceased to be a boy. He had grown to be a +young man now. He attracted little notice from the other inhabitants of +the valley; for they saw nothing remarkable in his way of life, save +that, when the labor of the day was over, he still loved to go apart and +gaze and meditate upon the Great Stone Face. According to their idea of +the matter, it was a folly, indeed, but pardonable, inasmuch as Ernest +was industrious, kind, and neighborly, and neglected no duty for the +sake of indulging this idle habit. They knew not that the Great Stone +Face had become a teacher to him, and that the sentiment which was +expressed in it would enlarge the young man's heart, and fill it with +wider and deeper sympathies than other hearts. They knew not that thence +would come a better wisdom than could be learned from books, and a +better life than could be molded on the defaced example of other human +lives. Neither did Ernest know that the thoughts and affections which +came to him so naturally, in the fields and at the fireside, and +wherever he communed with himself, were of a higher tone than those +which all men shared with him. A simple soul--simple as when his mother +first taught him the old prophecy--he beheld the marvellous features +beaming adown the valley, and still wondered that their human +counterpart was so long in making his appearance. + +By this time poor Mr. Gathergold was dead and buried; and the oddest +part of the matter was, that his wealth, which was the body and spirit +of his existence, had disappeared before his death, leaving nothing of +him but a living skeleton, covered over with a wrinkled, yellow skin. +Since the melting away of his gold, it had been very generally conceded +that there was no such striking resemblance, after all, between the +ignoble features of the ruined merchant and that majestic face upon the +mountain-side. So the people ceased to honor him during his lifetime, +and quietly consigned him to forgetfulness after his decease. Once in a +while, it is true, his memory was brought up in connection with the +magnificent palace which he had built, and which had long ago been +turned into a hotel for the accommodation of strangers, multitudes of +whom came, every summer, to visit that famous natural curiosity, the +Great Stone Face. Thus, Mr, Gathergold being discredited and thrown into +the shade, the man of prophecy was yet to come. + +It so happened that a native-born son of the valley, many years before, +had enlisted as a soldier, and, after a great deal of hard fighting, had +now become an illustrious commander. Whatever he may be called in +history, he was known in camps and on the battle-field under the +nickname of Old Blood-and-Thunder. This war-worn veteran, being now +infirm with age and wounds, and weary of the turmoil of a military life, +and of the roll of the drum and the clangor of the trumpet, that had so +long been ringing in his ears, had lately signified a purpose of +returning to his native valley, hoping to find repose where he +remembered to have left it. The inhabitants, his old neighbors and their +grown-up children, were resolved to welcome the renowned warrior with a +salute of cannon and a public dinner; and all the more enthusiastically, +it being affirmed that now, at last, the likeness of the Great Stone +Face had actually appeared. An aid-de-camp of Old Blood-and-Thunder, +travelling through the valley, was said to have been struck with the +resemblance. Moreover the schoolmates and early acquaintances of the +general were ready to testify, on oath, that, to the best of their +recollection, the aforesaid general had been exceedingly like the +majestic image, even when a boy, only that the idea had never occurred +to them at that period. Great, therefore, was the excitement throughout +the valley; and many people, who had never once thought of glancing at +the Great Stone Face for years before, now spent their time in gazing at +it, for the sake of knowing exactly how General Blood-and-Thunder +looked. + +On the day of the great festival, Ernest, with all the other people of +the valley, left their work, and proceeded to the spot where the sylvan +banquet was prepared. As he approached, the loud voice of the Rev. Dr. +Battleblast was heard, beseeching a blessing on the good things set +before them, and on the distinguished friend of peace in whose honor +they were assembled. The tables were arranged in a cleared space of the +woods, shut in by the surrounding trees, except where a vista opened +eastward, and afforded a distant view of the Great Stone Face. Over the +general's chair, which was a relic from the home of Washington, there +was an arch of verdant boughs, with the laurel profusely intermixed, and +surmounted by his country's banner, beneath which he had won his +victories. Our friend Ernest raised himself on his tiptoes, in hopes to +get a glimpse of the celebrated guest; but there was a mighty crowd +about the tables anxious to hear the toasts and speeches, and to catch +any word that might fall from the general in reply; and a volunteer +company, doing duty as a guard, pricked ruthlessly with their bayonets +at any particularly quiet person among the throng. So Ernest, being of +an unobtrusive character, was thrust quite into the background, where he +could see no more of Old Blood-and-Thunder's physiognomy than if it had +been still blazing on the battle-field. To console himself, he turned +toward the Great Stone Face, which, like a faithful and long-remembered +friend, looked back and smiled upon him through the vista of the forest. +Meantime, however, he could overhear the remarks of various individuals, +who were comparing the features of the hero with the face on the distant +mountain-side. + +"'Tis the same face, to a hair!" cried one man, cutting a caper for joy. + +"Wonderfully like, that's a fact!" responded another. + +"Like! why, I call it Old Blood-and-Thunder himself, in a monstrous +looking-glass!" cried a third. "And why not? He's the greatest man of +this or any other age, beyond a doubt." + +And then all three of the speakers gave a great shout, which +communicated electricity to the crowd, and called forth a roar from a +thousand voices, that went reverberating for miles among the mountains, +until you might have supposed that the Great Stone Face had poured its +thunder-breath into the cry. All these comments, and this vast +enthusiasm, served the more to interest our friend; nor did he think of +questioning that now, at length, the mountain-visage had found its human +counterpart. It is true, Ernest had imagined that this long-looked-for +personage would appear in the character of a man of peace, uttering +wisdom, and doing good, and making people happy. But, taking an habitual +breadth of view, with all his simplicity, he contended that Providence +should choose its own method of blessing mankind, and could conceive +that this great end might be effected even by a warrior and a bloody +sword, should inscrutable wisdom see fit to order matters so. + +"The general! the general!" was now the cry. "Hush! silence! Old +Blood-and-Thunder's going to make a speech." + +Even so; for, the cloth being removed, the general's health had been +drunk amid shouts of applause, and he now stood upon his feet to thank +the company. Ernest saw him. There he was, over the shoulders of the +crowd, from the two glittering epaulets and embroidered collar upward, +beneath the arch of green boughs with intertwined laurel, and the banner +drooping as if to shade his brow! And there, too, visible in the same +glance, through the vista of the forest, appeared the Great Stone Face! +And was there, indeed, such a resemblance as the crowd had testified? +Alas, Ernest could not recognize it! He beheld a war-worn and +weather-beaten countenance, full of energy, and expressive of an iron +will; but the gentle wisdom, the deep, broad, tender sympathies, were +altogether wanting in Old Blood-and Thunder's visage; and even if the +Great Stone Face had assumed his look of stern command, the milder +traits would still have tempered it. + +"This is not the man of prophecy," sighed Ernest, to himself, as he made +his way out of the throng. "And must the world wait longer yet?" + +The mists had congregated about the distant mountain-side, and there +were seen the grand and awful features of the Great Stone Face, awful +but benignant, as if a mighty angel were sitting among the hills, and +enrobing himself in a cloud-vesture of gold and purple. As he looked, +Ernest could hardly believe but that a smile beamed over the whole +visage, with a radiance still brightening, although without motion of +the lips. It was probably the effect of the western sunshine, melting +through the thinly diffused vapors that had swept between him and the +object that he gazed at. But--as it always did--the aspect of his +marvellous friend made Ernest as hopeful as if he had never hoped in +vain. + +"Fear not, Ernest," said his heart, even as if the Great Face were +whispering him--"fear not, Ernest; he will come." + +More years sped swiftly and tranquilly away. Ernest still dwelt in his +native valley, and was now a man of middle age. By imperceptible +degrees, he had become known among the people. Now, as heretofore, he +labored for his bread, and was the same simple-hearted man that he had +always been. But he had thought and felt so much, he had given so many +of the best hours of his life to unworldly hopes for some great good to +mankind, that it seemed as though he had been talking with the angels, +and had imbibed a portion of their wisdom unawares. It was visible in +the calm and well-considered beneficence of his daily life, the quiet +stream of which had made a wide green margin all along its course. Not a +day passed by, that the world was not the better because this man, +humble as he was, had lived. He never stepped aside from his own path, +yet would always reach a blessing to his neighbor. Almost involuntarily, +too, he had become a preacher. The pure and high simplicity of his +thought, which, as one of its manifestations, took shape in the good +deeds that dropped silently from his hand, flowed also forth in speech. +He uttered truths that wrought upon and molded the lives of those who +heard him. His auditors, it may be, never suspected that Ernest, their +own neighbor and familiar friend, was more than an ordinary man; least +of all did Ernest himself suspect it; but, inevitably as the murmur of a +rivulet, came thoughts out of his mouth that no other human lips had +spoken. + +When the people's minds had had a little time to cool, they were ready +enough to acknowledge their mistake in imagining a similarity between +General Blood-and-Thunder's truculent physiognomy and the benign visage +on the mountain-side. But now, again, there were reports and many +paragraphs in the newspapers, affirming that the likeness of the Great +Stone Face had appeared upon the broad shoulders of a certain eminent +statesman. He, like Mr. Gathergold and Old Blood-and-Thunder, was a +native of the valley, but had left it in his early days, and taken up +the trades of law and politics. Instead of the rich man's wealth and the +warrior's sword, he had but a tongue, and it was mightier than both +together. So wonderfully eloquent was he, that whatever he might choose +to say, his auditors had no choice but to believe him; wrong looked like +right, and right like wrong; for when it pleased him, he could make a +kind of illuminated fog with his mere breath, and obscure the natural +daylight with it. His tongue, indeed, was a magic instrument: sometimes +it rumbled like the thunder; sometimes it warbled like the sweetest +music. It was the blast of war--the song of peace; and it seemed to have +a heart in it, when there was no such matter. In good truth, he was a +wondrous man; and when his tongue had acquired him all other imaginable +success,--when it had been heard in halls of state, and in the courts of +princes and potentates--after it had made him known all over the world, +even as a voice crying from shore to shore--it finally persuaded his +countrymen to select him for the Presidency. Before this time--indeed, +as soon as he began to grow celebrated--his admirers had found out the +resemblance between him and the Great Stone Face; and so much were they +struck by it, that throughout the country this distinguished gentleman +was known by the name of Old Stony Phiz. The phrase was considered as +giving a highly favorable aspect to his political prospects; for, as is +likewise the case with the Popedom, nobody ever becomes President +without taking a name other than his own. + +While his friends were doing their best to make him President, Old Stony +Phiz, as he was called, set out on a visit to the valley where he was +born. Of course, he had no other object than to shake hands with his +fellow-citizens, and neither thought nor cared about any effect which +his progress through the country might have upon the election. +Magnificent preparations were made to receive the illustrious statesman; +a cavalcade of horsemen set forth to meet him at the boundary line of +the State, and all the people left their business and gathered along the +wayside to see him pass. Among these was Ernest. Though more than once +disappointed, as we have seen, he had such a hopeful and confiding +nature, that he was always ready to believe in whatever seemed beautiful +and good. He kept his heart continually open, and thus was sure to catch +the blessing from on high, when it should come. So now again, as +buoyantly as ever, he went forth to behold the likeness of the Great +Stone Face. + +The cavalcade came prancing along the road, with a great clattering of +hoofs and a mighty cloud of dust, which rose up so dense and high that +the visage of the mountain-side was completely hidden from Ernest's +eyes. All the great men of the neighborhood were there on horseback: +militia officers, in uniform; the member of Congress; the sheriff of the +county; the editors of newspapers; and many a farmer, too, had mounted +his patient steed, with his Sunday coat upon his back. It really was a +very brilliant spectacle, especially as there were numerous banners +flaunting over the cavalcade, on some of which were gorgeous portraits +of the illustrious statesman and the Great Stone Face, smiling +familiarly at one another, like two brothers. If the pictures were to be +trusted, the mutual resemblance, it must be confessed, was marvellous. +We must not forget to mention that there was a band of music, which made +the echoes of the mountains ring and reverberate with the loud triumph +of its strains; so that airy and soul-thrilling melodies broke out among +all the heights and hollows, as if every nook of his native valley had +found a voice, to welcome the distinguished guest. But the grandest +effect was when the far-off mountain precipice flung back the music; for +then the Great Stone Face itself seemed to be swelling the triumphant +chorus, in acknowledgment that, at length, the man of prophecy was come. + +All this while the people were throwing up their hats and shouting, with +enthusiasm so contagious that the heart of Ernest kindled up, and he +likewise threw up his hat, and shouted, as loudly as the loudest, "Huzza +for the great man! Huzza for Old Stony Phiz!" But as yet he had not seen +him. + +"Here he is, now!" cried those who stood near Ernest. "There! There! +Look at Old Stony Phiz and then at the Old Man of the Mountain, and see +if they are not as like as two twin-brothers!" + +In the midst of all this gallant array, came an open barouche, drawn by +four white horses; and in the barouche, with his massive head uncovered, +sat the illustrious statesman, Old Stony Phiz himself. + +"Confess it," said one of Ernest's neighbors to him, "the Great Stone +Face has met its match at last!" + +Now, it must be owned that, at his first glimpse of the countenance +which was bowing and smiling from the barouche, Ernest did fancy that +there was a resemblance between it and the old familiar face upon the +mountain-side. The brow, with its massive depth and loftiness, and all +the other features, indeed, were boldly and strongly hewn, as if in +emulation of a more than heroic, of a Titanic model. But the sublimity +and stateliness, the grand expression of a divine sympathy, that +illuminated the mountain visage, and etherealized its ponderous granite +substance into spirit, might here be sought in vain. Something had been +originally left out, or had departed. And therefore the marvellously +gifted statesman had always a weary gloom in the deep caverns of his +eyes, as of a child that has outgrown its playthings, or a man of mighty +faculties and little aims, whose life, with all its high performances, +was vague and empty, because no high purpose had endowed it with +reality. + +Still, Ernest's neighbor was thrusting his elbow into his side, and +pressing him for an answer. + +"Confess! confess! Is not he the very picture of your Old Man of the +Mountain?" + +"No!" said Ernest, bluntly, "I see little or no likeness." + +"Then so much the worse for the Great Stone Face!" answered his +neighbor; and again he set up a shout for Old Stony Phiz. + +But Ernest turned away, melancholy, and almost despondent: for this was +the saddest of his disappointments, to behold a man who might have +fulfilled the prophecy, and had not willed to do so. Meantime, the +cavalcade, the banners, the music, and the barouches swept past him, +with the vociferous crowd in the rear, leaving the dust to settle down, +and the Great Stone Face to be revealed again, with the grandeur that it +had worn for untold centuries. + +"Lo, here I am, Ernest!" the benign lips seemed to say. "I have waited +longer than thou, and am not yet weary. Fear not; the man will come." + +The years hurried onward, treading in their haste on one another's +heels. And now they began to bring white hairs, and scatter them over +the head of Ernest; they made reverend wrinkles across his forehead, and +furrows in his cheeks. He was an aged man. But not in vain had he grown +old: more than the white hairs on his head were the sage thoughts in his +mind; his wrinkles and furrows were inscriptions that Time had graved, +and in which he had written legends of wisdom that had been tested by +the tenor of a life. And Ernest had ceased to be obscure. Unsought for, +undesired, had come the fame which so many seek, and made him known in +the great world, beyond the limits of the valiey in which he had dwelt +so quietly. College professors, and even the active men of cities, came +from far to see and converse with Ernest; for the report had gone abroad +that this simple husbandman had ideas unlike those of other men, not +gained from books, but of a higher tone--a tranquil and familiar +majesty, as if he had been talking with the angels as his daily friends. +Whether it were sage, statesman, or philanthropist, Ernest received +these visitors with the gentle sincerity that had characterized him from +boyhood, and spoke freely with them of whatever came uppermost, or lay +deepest in his heart or their own. While they talked together, his face +would kindle, unawares, and shine upon them, as with a mild evening +light. Pensive with the fulness of such discourse, his guests took leave +and went their way; and passing up the valley, paused to look at the +Great Stone Face, imagining that they had seen its likeness in a human +countenance, but could not remember where. + +While Ernest had been growing up and growing old, a bountiful Providence +had granted a new poet to this earth. He, likewise, was a native of the +valley, but had spent the greater part of his life at a distance from +that romantic region, pouring out his sweet music amid the bustle and +din of cities. Often, however, did the mountains which had been +familiar to him in his childhood lift their snowy peaks into the clear +atmosphere of his poetry. Neither was the Great Stone Face forgotten, +for the poet had celebrated it in an ode, which was grand enough to have +been uttered by its own majestic lips. This man of genius, we may say, +had come down from heaven with wonderful endowments. If he sang of a +mountain, the eyes of all mankind beheld a mightier grandeur reposing on +its breast, or soaring to its summit, than had before been seen there. +If his theme were a lovely lake, a celestial smile had now been thrown +over it, to gleam forever on its surface. If it were the vast old sea, +even the deep immensity of its dread bosom seemed to swell the higher, +as if moved by the emotions of the song. Thus the world assumed another +and a better aspect from the hour that the poet blessed it with his +happy eyes. The Creator had bestowed him, as the last best touch to his +own handiwork. Creation was not finished till the poet came to +interpret, and so complete it. + +The effect was no less high and beautiful, when his human brethren were +the subject of his verse. The man or woman, sordid with the common dust +of life, who crossed his daily path, and the little child who played in +it, were glorified if he beheld them in his mood of poetic faith. He +showed the golden links of the great chain that intertwined them with an +angelic kindred; he brought out the hidden traits of a celestial birth +that made them worthy of such kin. Some, indeed, there were, who +thought to show the soundness of their judgment by affirming that all +the beauty and dignity of the natural world existed only in the poet's +fancy. Let such men speak for themselves, who undoubtedly appear to have +been spawned forth by Nature with a contemptuous bitterness; she having +plastered them up out of her refuse stuff, after all the swine were +made. As respects all things else, the poet's ideal was the truest +truth. + +The songs of this poet found their way to Ernest. He read them after his +customary toil, seated on the bench before his cottage-door, where for +such a length of time he had filled his repose with thought, by gazing +at the Great Stone Face. And now as he read stanzas that caused the soul +to thrill within him, he lifted his eyes to the vast countenance beaming +on him so benignantly. + +"O majestic friend," he murmured, addressing the Great Stone Face, "is +not this man worthy to resemble thee?" + +The Face seemed to smile, but answered not a word. + +Now it happened that the poet, though he dwelt so far away, had not only +heard of Ernest, but had meditated much upon his character, until he +deemed nothing so desirable as to meet this man, whose untaught wisdom +walked hand in hand with the noble simplicity of his life. One summer +morning, therefore, he took passage by the railroad, and, in the decline +of the afternoon, alighted from the cars at no great distance from +Ernest's cottage. The great hotel, which had formerly been the palace of +Mr. Gathergold, was close at hand, but the poet, with his carpet-bag on +his arm, inquired at once where Ernest dwelt, and was resolved to be +accepted as his guest. + +Approaching the door, he there found the good old man, holding a volume +in his hand, which alternately he read, and then, with a finger between +the leaves, looked lovingly at the Great Stone Face. + +"Good evening," said the poet. "Can you give a traveller a night's +lodging?" + +"Willingly," answered Ernest; and then he added, smiling, "Methinks I +never saw the Great Stone Face look so hospitably at a stranger." + +The poet sat down on the bench beside him, and he and Ernest talked +together. Often had the poet held intercourse with the wittiest and the +wisest, but never before with a man like Ernest, whose thoughts and +feelings gushed up with such a natural freedom, and who made great +truths so familiar by his simple utterance of them. Angels, as had been +so often said, seemed to have wrought with him at his labor in the +fields; angels seemed to have sat with him by the fireside; and, +dwelling with angels as friend with friends, he had imbibed the +sublimity of their ideas, and imbued it with the sweet and lowly charm +of household words. So thought the poet. And Ernest, on the other hand, +was moved and agitated by the living images which the poet flung out of +his mind, and which peopled all the air about the cottage-door with +shapes of beauty, both gay and pensive. The sympathies of these two men +instructed them with a profounder sense than either could have attained +alone. Their minds accorded into one strain, and made delightful music +which neither of them could have claimed as all his own, nor +distinguished his own share from the other's. They led one another, as +it were, into a high pavilion of their thoughts, so remote, and hitherto +so dim, that they had never entered it before, and so beautiful that +they desired to be there always. + +As Ernest listened to the poet, he imagined that the Great Stone Face +was bending forward to listen too. He gazed earnestly into the poet's +glowing eyes. + +"Who are you, my strangely gifted guest?" he said. + +The poet laid his finger on the volume that Ernest had been reading. + +"You have read these poems," said he. "You know me, then--for I wrote +them." + +Again, and still more earnestly than before, Ernest examined the poet's +features; then turned toward the Great Stone Face; then back, with an +uncertain aspect, to his guest. But his countenance fell; he shook his +head, and sighed. + +"Wherefore are you sad?" inquired the poet. + +"Because," replied Ernest, "all through life I have awaited the +fulfilment of a prophecy; and, when I read these poems, I hoped that it +might be fulfilled in you." + +"You hoped," answered the poet, faintly smiling, "to find in me the +likeness of the Great Stone Face. And you are disappointed, as formerly +with Mr. Gathergold, and Old Blood-and-Thunder, and Old Stony Phiz. +Yes, Ernest, it is my doom. You must add my name to the illustrious +three, and record another failure of your hopes. For--in shame and +sadness do I speak it, Ernest--I am not worthy to be typified by yonder +benign and majestic image." + +"And why?" asked Ernest. He pointed to the volume. "Are not those +thoughts divine?" + +"They have a strain of the Divinity," replied the poet. "You can hear in +them the far-off echo of a heavenly song. But my life, dear Ernest, has +not corresponded with my thought. I have had grand dreams, but they have +been only dreams, because I have lived--and that, too, by my own +choice--among poor and mean realities. Sometimes even--shall I dare to +say it?--I lack faith in the grandeur, the beauty, and the goodness, +which my own works are said to have made more evident in nature and in +human life. Why, then, pure seeker of the good and true, shouldst thou +hope to find me, in yonder image of the divine?" + +The poet spoke sadly, and his eyes were dim with tears. So, likewise, +were those of Ernest. + +At the hour of sunset, as had long been his frequent custom, Ernest was +to discourse to an assemblage of the neighboring inhabitants in the open +air. He and the poet, arm in arm, still talking together as they went +along, proceeded to the spot. It was a small nook among the hills, with +a gray precipice behind, the stern front of which was relieved by the +pleasant foliage of many creeping plants, that made a tapestry for the +naked rock, by hanging their festoons from all its rugged angles. At a +small elevation above the ground, set in a rich framework of verdure, +there appeared a niche, spacious enough to admit a human figure, with +freedom for such gestures as spontaneously ascompany earnest thought and +genuine emotion. Into this natural pulpit Ernest ascended, and threw a +look of familiar kindness around upon his audience. They stood, or sat, +or reclined upon the grass, as seemed good to each, with the departing +sunshine falling obliquely over them, and mingling its subdued +cheerfulness with the solemnity of a grove of ancient trees, beneath and +amid the boughs of which the golden rays were constrained to pass. In +another direction was seen the Great Stone Face, with the same cheer, +combined with the same solemnity, in its benignant aspect. + +Ernest began to speak, giving to the people of what was in his heart and +mind. His words had power, because they accorded with his thoughts; and +his thoughts had reality and depth, because they harmonized with the +life which he had always lived. It was not mere breath that this +preacher uttered; they were the words of life, because a life of good +deeds and holy love was melted into them. Pearls, pure and rich, had +been dissolved into this precious draught. The poet, as he listened, +felt that the being and character of Ernest were a nobler strain of +poetry than he had ever written. His eyes glistening with tears, he +gazed reverentially at the venerable man, and said within himself that +never was there an aspect so worthy of a prophet and a sage as that +mild, sweet, thoughtful countenance, with the glory of white hair +diffused about it. At a distance, but distinctly to be seen, high up in +the golden light of the setting sun, appeared the Great Stone Face, with +hoary mists around it, like the white hairs around the brow of Ernest. +Its look of grand beneficence seemed to embrace the world. + +At that moment, in sympathy with a thought which he was about to utter, +the face of Ernest assumed a grandeur of expression, so imbued with +benevolence, that the poet, by an irresistible impulse, threw his arms +aloft, and shouted: + +"Behold! Behold! Ernest is himself the likeness of the Great Stone +Face!" + +Then all the people looked, and saw that what the deep-sighted poet said +was true. The prophecy was fulfilled. But Ernest, having finished what +he had to say, took the poet's arm, and walked slowly homeward, still +hoping that some wiser and better man than himself would by and by +appear, bearing a resemblance to the GREAT STONE FACE. + + + + +THE GENTLE BOY + +By NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE + + +In the course of the year 1656, several of the people called Quakers, +led, as they professed, by the inward movement of the spirit, made their +appearance in New England. Their reputation, as holders of mystic and +pernicious principles, having spread before them, the Puritans early +endeavored to banish, and to prevent the further intrusion of the rising +sect. But the measures by which it was intended to purge the land of +heresy, though more than sufficiently vigorous, were entirely +unsuccessful. The Quakers, esteeming persecution as a divine call to the +post of danger, laid claim to a holy courage, unknown to the Puritans +themselves, who had shunned the cross, by providing for the peaceable +exercise of their religion in a distant wilderness. Though it was the +singular fact, that every nation of the earth rejected the wandering +enthusiasts who practiced peace toward all men, the place of greatest +uneasiness and peril, and therefore, in their eyes, the most eligible, +was the province of Massachusetts Bay. + +The fines, imprisonments, and stripes, liberally distributed by our +pious forefathers, the popular antipathy, so strong that it endured +nearly a hundred years after actual persecution had ceased, were +attractions as powerful for the Quakers as peace, honor, and reward +would have been for the wordly-minded. Every European vessel brought new +cargoes of the sect, eager to testify against the oppression which they +hoped to share; and, when shipmasters were restrained by heavy fines +from affording them passage, they made long and circuitous journeys +through the Indian country, and appeared in the province as if conveyed +by a supernatural power. Their enthusiasm, heightened almost to madness +by the treatment which they received, produced actions contrary to the +rules of decency, as well as of rational religion, and presented a +singular contrast to the calm and staid deportment of their sectarian +successors of the present day. The command of the spirit, inaudible +except to the soul, and not to be controverted on grounds of human +wisdom, was made a plea for most indecorous exhibitions, which, +abstractedly considered, well deserved the moderate chastisement of the +rod. These extravagances, and the persecution which was at once their +cause and consequence, continued to increase, till, in the year 1659, +the government of Massachusetts Bay indulged two members of the Quaker +sect with the crown of martyrdom. + +An indelible stain of blood is upon the hands of all who consented to +this act, but a large share of the awful responsibility must rest upon +the person then at the head of the government. He was a man of narrow +mind and imperfect education, and his uncompromising bigotry was made +hot and mischievous by violent and hasty passions; he exerted his +influence indecorously and unjustifiably to compass the death of the +enthusiasts; and his whole conduct, in respect to them, was marked by +brutal cruelty. + +The Quakers, whose revengeful feelings were not less deep because they +were inactive, remembered this man and his associates, in after times. +The historian of the sect affirms that, by the wrath of Heaven, a blight +fell upon the land in the vicinity of the "bloody town" of Boston, so +that no wheat would grow there; and he takes his stand, as it were, +among the graves of the ancient persecutors, and triumphantly recounts +the judgments that overtook them, in old age or at the parting hour. He +tells us that they died suddenly, and violently, and in madness; but +nothing can exceed the bitter mockery with which he records the +loathsome disease, and "death by rottenness," of the fierce and cruel +governor. + +On the evening of the autumn day, that had witnessed the martyrdom of +two men of the Quaker persuasion, a Puritan settler was returning from +the metropolis to the neighboring country town in which he resided. The +air was cool, the sky clear, and the lingering twilight was made +brighter by the rays of a young moon, which had now nearly reached the +verge of the horizon. The traveller, a man of middle age, wrapped in a +gray frieze cloak, quickened his pace when he had reached the outskirts +of the town, for a gloomy extent of nearly four miles lay between him +and his home. The low, straw-thatched houses were scattered at +considerable intervals along the road, and the country having been +settled but about thirty years, the tracts of original forest still bore +no small proportion to the cultivated ground. The autumn wind wandered +among the branches, whirling away the leaves from all except the +pine-trees, and moaning as if it lamented the desolation of which it was +the instrument. The road had penetrated the mass of woods that lay +nearest to the town, and was just emerging into an open space, when the +traveller's ears were saluted by a sound more mournful than even that of +the wind. It was like the wailing of some one in distress, and it seemed +to proceed from beneath a tall and lonely fir-tree, in the centre of a +cleared, but uninclosed and uncultivated field. The Puritan could not +but remember that this was the very spot which had been made accursed a +few hours before by the execution of the Quakers, whose bodies had been +thrown together into one hasty grave, beneath the tree on which they +suffered. He struggled, however, against the superstitious fears which +belonged to the age, and compelled himself to pause and listen. + +"The voice is most likely mortal, nor have I cause to tremble if it be +otherwise," thought he, straining his eyes through the dim moonlight. +"Methinks it is like the wailing of a child; some infant, it may be, +which has strayed from its mother, and chanced upon this place of death. +For the ease of mine own conscience, I must search this matter out." + +He therefore left the path, and walked somewhat fearfully across the +field. Though now so desolate, its soil was pressed down and trampled by +the thousand footsteps of those who had witnessed the spectacle of that +day, all of whom had now retired, leaving the dead to their loneliness. +The traveller at length reached the fir-tree, which from the middle +upward was covered with living branches, although a scaffold had been +erected beneath, and other preparations made for the work of death. +Under this unhappy tree, which in after times was believed to drop +poison with its dew, sat the one solitary mourner for innocent blood. It +was a slender and light-clad little boy, who leaned his face upon a +hillock of fresh-turned and half-frozen earth, and wailed bitterly, yet +in a suppressed tone, as if his grief might receive the punishment of +crime. The Puritan, whose approach had been unperceived, laid his hand +upon the child's shoulder, and addressed him compassionately. + +"You have chosen a dreary lodging, my poor boy, and no wonder that you +weep," said he. "But dry your eyes, and tell me where your mother +dwells. I promise you if the journey be not too far, I will leave you in +her arms to-night." + +The boy had hushed his wailing at once, and turned his face upward to +the stranger. It was a pale, bright-eyed countenance, certainly not more +than six years old, but sorrow, fear, and want had destroyed much of its +infantile expression. The Puritan, seeing the boy's frightened gaze, and +feeling that he trembled under his hand, endeavored to reassure him. + +"Nay, if I intended to do you harm, little lad, the readiest way were +to leave you here. What! you do not fear to sit beneath the gallows on a +new-made grave, and yet you tremble at a friend's touch. Take heart, +child, and tell me what is your name, and where is your home!" + +"Friend," replied the little boy, in a sweet, though faltering voice, +"they call me Ilbrahim, and my home is here." + +The pale, spiritual face, the eyes that seemed to mingle with the +moonlight, the sweet airy voice, and the outlandish name almost made the +Puritan believe that the boy was in truth a being which had sprung up +out of the grave on which he sat. But perceiving that the apparition +stood the test of a short mental prayer, and remembering that the arm +which he had touched was life-like, he adopted a more rational +supposition. "The poor child is stricken in his intellect," thought he, +"but verily his words are fearful, in a place like this." He then spoke +soothingly, intending to humor the boy's fantasy. + +"Your home will scarce be comfortable, Ilbrahim, this cold autumn night, +and I fear you are ill provided with food. I am hastening to a warm +supper and bed, and if you will go with me, you shall share them!" + +"I thank thee, friend, but though I be hungry, and shivering with cold, +thou wilt not give me food nor lodging," replied the boy, in the quiet +tone which despair had taught him, even so young. "My father was of the +people whom all men hate. They have laid him under this heap of earth, +and here is my home." + +The Puritan, who had laid hold of little Ilbrahim's hand, relinquished +it as if he were touching a loathsome reptile. But he possessed a +compassionate heart, which not even religious prejudice could harden +into stone. + +"God forbid that I should leave this child to perish, though he comes of +the accursed sect," said he to himself. "Do we not all spring from an +evil root? Are we not all in darkness till the light doth shine upon us? +He shall not perish, neither in body, nor, if prayer and instruction may +avail for him, in soul." He then spoke aloud and kindly to Ilbrahim, who +had again hid his face in the cold earth of the grave. "Was every door +in the land shut against you, my child, that you have wandered to this +unhallowed spot?" + +"They drove me forth from the prison when they took my father thence," +said the boy, "and I stood afar off, watching the crowd of people; and +when they were gone, I came hither, and found only this grave. I knew +that my father was sleeping here, and I said, This shall be my home." + +"No, child, no; not while I have a roof over my head, or a morsel to +share with you!" exclaimed the Puritan, whose sympathies were now fully +excited. "Rise up and come with me, and fear not any harm." + +The boy wept afresh, and clung to the heap of earth, as if the cold +heart beneath it were warmer to him than any in a living breast. The +traveller, however, continued to entreat him tenderly, and seeming to +acquire some degree of confidence, he at length arose. But his slender +limbs tottered with weakness, his little head grew dizzy, and he leaned +against the tree of death for support. + +"My poor boy, are you so feeble?" said the Puritan. "When did you taste +food last?" + +"I ate of bread and water with my father in the prison," replied +Ilbrahim, "but they brought him none neither yesterday nor to-day, +saying that he had eaten enough to bear him to his journey's end. +Trouble not thyself for my hunger, kind friend, for I have lacked food +many times ere now." + +The traveller took the child in his arms and wrapped his cloak about +him, while his heart stirred with shame and anger against the gratuitous +cruelty of the instruments in this persecution. In the awakened warmth +of his feelings, he resolved that, at whatever risk, he would not +forsake the poor little defenceless being whom Heaven had confided to +his care. With this determination, he left the accursed field, and +resumed the homeward path from which the wailing of the boy had called +him. The light and motionless burden scarcely impeded his progress, and +he soon beheld the fire rays from the windows of the cottage which he, a +native of a distant clime, had built in the Western wilderness. It was +surrounded by a considerable extent of cultivated ground, and the +dwelling was situated in the nook of a wood-covered hill, whither it +seemed to have crept for protection. + +"Look up, child," said the Puritan to Ilbrahim, whose faint head had +sunk upon his shoulder, "there is our home." + +At the word "home," a thrill passed through the child's frame, but he +continued silent. A few moments brought them to the cottage-door, at +which the owner knocked; for at that early period, when savages were +wandering everywhere among the settlers, bolt and bar were indispensable +to the security of a dwelling. The summons was answered by a +bond-servant, a coarse-clad and dull-featured piece of humanity, who, +after ascertaining that his master was the applicant, undid the door, +and held a flaring pine-knot torch to light him in. Further back in the +passageway, the red blaze discovered a matronly woman, but no little +crowd of children came bounding forth to greet their father's return. As +the Puritan entered, he thrust aside his cloak, and displayed Ilbrahim's +face to the female. + +"Dorothy, here is a little outcast whom Providence hath put into our +hands," observed he. "Be kind to him, even as if he were of those dear +ones who have departed from us." + +"What pale and bright-eyed little boy is this, Tobias?" she inquired. +"Is he one whom the wilderness folk have ravished from some Christian +mother?" + +"No, Dorothy, this poor child is no captive from the wilderness," he +replied. "The heathen savage would have given him to eat of his scanty +morsel, and to drink of his birchen cup; but Christian men, alas! had +cast him out to die." + +Then he told her how he had found him beneath the gallows, upon his +father's grave; and how his heart had prompted him, like the speaking of +an inward voice, to take the little outcast home, and be kind unto him. +He acknowledged his resolution to feed and clothe him, as if he were his +own child, and to afford him the instruction which should counteract the +pernicious errors hitherto instilled into his infant mind. Dorothy was +gifted with even a quicker tenderness than her husband, and she approved +of all his doings and intentions. + +"Have you a mother, dear child?" she inquired. + +The tears burst forth from his full heart, as he attempted to reply; but +Dorothy at length understood that he had a mother, who, like the rest of +her sect, was a persecuted wanderer. She had been taken from the prison +a short time before, carried into the uninhabited wilderness, and left +to perish there by hunger or wild beasts. This was no uncommon method of +disposing of the Quakers, and they were accustomed to boast, that the +inhabitants of the desert were more hospitable to them than civilized +man. + +"Fear not, little boy, you shall not need a mother, and a kind one," +said Dorothy, when she had gathered this information. "Dry your tears, +Ilbrahim, and be my child, as I will be your mother." + +The good woman prepared the little bed, from which her own children had +successively been borne to another resting-place. Before Ilbrahim would +consent to occupy it, he knelt down, and as Dorothy listened to his +simple and affecting prayer, she marvelled how the parents that had +taught it to him could have been judged worthy of death. When the boy +had fallen asleep, she bent over his pale and spiritual countenance, +pressed a kiss upon his white brow, drew the bedclothes up about his +neck, and went away with a pensive gladness in her heart. + +Tobias Pearson was not among the earliest emigrants from the old +country. He had remained in England during the first years of the civil +war, in which he had borne some share as a cornet of dragoons, under +Cromwell. But when the ambitious designs of his leader began to develop +themselves, he quitted the army of the Parliament, and sought a refuge +from the strife, which was no longer holy, among the people of his +persuasion in the colony of Massachusetts. A more worldly consideration +had perhaps an influence in drawing him thither; for New England offered +advantages to men of unprosperous fortunes, as well as to dissatisfied +religionists, and Pearson had hitherto found it difficult to provide for +a wife and increasing family. To this supposed impurity of motive, the +more bigoted Puritans were inclined to impute the removal by death of +all the children, for whose earthly good the father had been +over-thoughtful. They had left their native country blooming like roses, +and like roses they had perished in a foreign soil. Those expounders of +the ways of Providence, who had thus judged their brother, and +attributed his domestic sorrows to his sin, were not more charitable +when they saw him and Dorothy endeavoring to fill up the void in their +hearts by the adoption of an infant of the accursed sect. Nor did they +fail to communicate their disapprobation to Tobias; but the latter, in +reply, merely pointed at the little, quiet, lovely boy, whose appearance +and deportment were indeed as powerful arguments as could possibly have +been adduced in his own favor. Even his beauty, however, and his winning +manners, sometimes produced an effect ultimately unfavorable; for the +bigots, when the outer surfaces of their iron hearts had been softened +and again grew hard, affirmed that no merely natural cause could have so +worked upon them. + +Their antipathy to the poor infant was also increased by the ill success +of divers theological discussions, in which it was attempted to convince +him of the errors of his sect. Ilbrahim, it is true, was not a skilful +controversialist; but the feeling of his religion was strong as instinct +in him, and he could neither be enticed nor driven from the faith which +his father had died for. The odium of this stubbornness was shared in a +great measure by the child's protectors, insomuch that Tobias and +Dorothy very shortly began to experience a most bitter species of +persecution, in the cold regards of many a friend whom they had valued. +The common people manifested their opinions more openly. Pearson was a +man of some consideration, being a representative to the General Court, +and an approved lieutenant in the trainbands; yet within a week after +his adoption of Ilbrahim, he had been both hissed and hooted. Once, +also, when walking through a solitary piece of woods, he heard a loud +voice from some invisible speaker; and it cried, "What shall be done to +the backslider? Lo! the scourge is knotted for him, even the whip of +nine cords, and every cord three knots!" These insults irritated +Pearson's temper for the moment; they entered also into his heart, and +became imperceptible but powerful workers toward an end which his most +secret thought had not yet whispered. + + * * * * * + +On the second Sabbath after Ilbrahim became a member of their family, +Pearson and his wife deemed it proper that he should appear with them at +public worship. They had anticipated some opposition to this measure +from the boy, but he prepared himself in silence, and at the appointed +hour was clad in the new mourning suit which Dorothy had wrought for +him. As the parish was then, and during many subsequent years, +unprovided with a bell, the signal for the commencement of religious +exercises was the beat of a drum. At the first sound of that martial +call to the place of holy and quiet thoughts, Tobias and Dorothy set +forth, each holding a hand of little Ilbrahim, like two parents linked +together by the infant of their love. On their path through the leafless +woods, they were overtaken by many persons of their acquaintance, all of +whom avoided them, and passed by on the other side; but a severer trial +awaited their constancy when they had descended the hill, and drew near +the pine-built and undecorated house of prayer. Around the door, from +which the drummer still sent forth his thundering summons, was drawn up +a formidable phalanx, including several of the oldest members of the +congregation, many of the middle aged, and nearly all the younger males. +Pearson found it difficult to sustain their united and disapproving +gaze; but Dorothy, whose mind was differently circumstanced, merely drew +the boy closer to her, and faltered not in her approach. As they entered +the door, they overheard the muttered sentiments of the assemblage, and +when the reviling voices of the little children smote Ilbrahim's ear, he +wept. + +The interior aspect of the meeting-house was rude. The low ceiling, the +unplastered walls, the naked woodwork, and the undraperied pulpit +offered nothing to excite the devotion, which, without such external +aids, often remains latent in the heart. The floor of the building was +occupied by rows of long, cushionless benches, supplying the place of +pews, and the broad aisle formed a sexual division, impassable except by +children beneath a certain age. + +Pearson and Dorothy separated at the door of the meeting-house, and +Ilbrahim, being within the years of infancy, was retained under the care +of the latter. The wrinkled beldams involved themselves in their rusty +cloaks as he passed by; even the mild-featured maidens seemed to dread +contamination; and many a stern old man arose, and turned his repulsive +and unheavenly countenance upon the gentle boy, as if the sanctuary +were polluted by his presence. He was a sweet infant of the skies, that +had strayed away from his home, and all the inhabitants of this +miserable world closed up their impure hearts against him, drew back +their earth-soiled garments from his touch, and said, "We are holier +than thou." + +Ilbrahim, seated by the side of his adopted mother, and retaining fast +hold of her hand, assumed a grave and decorous demeanor, such as might +befit a person of matured taste and understanding, who should find +himself in a temple dedicated to some worship which he did not +recognize, but felt himself bound to respect. The exercises had not yet +commenced, however, when the boy's attention was arrested by an event, +apparently of trifling interest. A woman, having her face muffled in a +hood, and a cloak drawn completely about her form, advanced slowly up +the broad aisle, and took a place upon the foremost bench. Ilbrahim's +faint color varied, his nerves fluttered, he was unable to turn his eyes +from the muffled female. + +When the preliminary prayer and hymn were over, the minister arose, and +having turned the hour-glass which stood by the great Bible, commenced +his discourse. He was now well stricken in years, a man of pale, thin +countenance, and his gray hairs were closely covered by a black velvet +skull cap. In his younger days he had practically learned the meaning of +persecution from Archbishop Laud, and he was not now disposed to forget +the lesson against which he had murmured then. Introducing the +often-discussed subject of the Quakers, he gave a history of that sect, +and a description of their tenets, in which error predominated, and +prejudice distorted the aspect of what was true. He adverted to the +recent measures in the province, and cautioned his hearers of weaker +parts against calling in question the just severity which God-fearing +magistrates had at length been compelled to exercise. He spoke of the +danger of pity, in some cases a commendable and Christian virtue, but +inapplicable to this pernicious sect. He observed that such was their +devilish obstinacy in error, that even the little children, the sucking +babes, were hardened and desperate heretics. He affirmed that no man, +without Heaven's especial warrant, should attempt their conversion, lest +while he lent his hand to draw them from the slough, he should himself +be precipitated into its lowest depths. + +The sands of the second hour were principally in the lower half of the +glass when the sermon concluded. An approving murmur followed, and the +clergyman, having given out a hymn, took his seat with much +self-congratulation, and endeavored to read the effect of his eloquence +in the visages of the people. But while voices from all parts of the +house were tuning themselves to sing, a scene occurred, which, though +not very unusual at that period in the province, happened to be without +precedent in this parish. + +The muffled female, who had hitherto sat motionless in the front rank +of the audience, now arose, and with slow, stately, and unwavering step +ascended the pulpit stairs. The quiverings of incipient harmony were +hushed, and the divine sat in speechless and almost terrified +astonishment, while she undid the door, and stood up in the sacred desk +from which his maledictions had just been thundered. She then divested +herself of the cloak and hood, and appeared in a most singular array. A +shapeless robe of sackcloth was girded about her waist with a knotted +cord; her raven hair fell down upon her shoulders, and its blackness was +defiled by pale streaks of ashes, which she had strewn upon her head. +Her eyebrows, dark and strongly defined, added to the deathly whiteness +of a countenance, which, emaciated with want, and wild with enthusiasm +and strange sorrows, retained no trace of earlier beauty. This figure +stood gazing earnestly on the audience, and there was no sound, nor any +movement, except a faint shuddering which every man observed in his +neighbor, but was scarcely conscious of in himself. At length, when her +fit of inspiration came, she spoke, for the first few moments in a low +voice and not invariably distinct utterance. Her discourse gave evidence +of an imagination hopelessly entangled with her reason; it was a vague +and incomprehensible rhapsody, which, however, seemed to spread its own +atmosphere round the hearer's soul, and to move his feelings by some +influence unconnected with the words. As she proceeded, beautiful but +shadowy images would sometimes be seen, like bright things moving in a +turbid river; or a strong and singularly shaped idea leaped forth, and +seized at once on the understanding or the heart. But the course of her +unearthly eloquence soon led her to the persecutions of her sect, and +from thence the step was short to her own peculiar sorrows. She was +naturally a woman of mighty passions, and hatred and revenge now wrapped +themselves in the garb of piety; the character of her speech was +changed, her images became distinct though wild, and her denunciations +had an almost hellish bitterness. + +"The governor and his mighty men," she said, "have gathered together, +taking counsel among themselves and saying, 'What shall we do unto this +people--even unto the people that have come into this land to put our +iniquity to the blush?' And lo! the Devil entereth into the +council-chamber, like a lame man of low stature and gravely apparelled, +with a dark and twisted countenance, and a bright, downcast eye. And he +standeth up among the rulers; yea, he goeth to and fro, whispering to +each; and every man lends his ear, for his word is, 'Slay, slay!' But I +say unto ye, Woe to them that slay! Woe to them that shed the blood of +saints! Woe to them that have slain the husband, and cast forth the +child, the tender infant, to wander homeless, and hungry, and cold, till +he die; and have saved the mother alive, in the cruelty of their tender +mercies! Woe to them in their lifetime, cursed are they in the delight +and pleasure of their hearts! Woe to them in their death-hour, whether +it come swiftly with blood and violence, or after long and lingering +pain! Woe, in the dark house, in the rottenness of the grave, when the +children's children shall revile the ashes of the fathers! Woe, woe, +woe, at the judgment, when all the persecuted and all the slain in this +bloody land, and the father, the mother, and the child shall await them +in a day that they cannot escape! Seed of the faith, seed of the faith, +ye whose hearts are moving with a power that ye know not, arise, wash +your hands of this innocent blood! Lift your voices, chosen ones, cry +aloud, and call down a woe and a judgment with me!" + +Having thus given vent to the flood of malignity which she mistook for +inspiration, the speaker was silent. Her voice was succeeded by the +hysteric shrieks of several women, but the feelings of the audience +generally had not been drawn onward in the current with her own. They +remained stupefied, stranded as it were, in the midst of a torrent, +which deafened them by its roaring, but might not move them by its +violence. The clergyman, who could not hitherto have ejected the usurper +of his pulpit otherwise than by bodily force, now addressed her in the +tone of just indignation and legitimate authority. + +"Get you down, woman, from the holy place which you profane," he said. +"Is it to the Lord's house that you came to pour forth the foulness of +your heart, and the inspiration of the Devil? Get you down, and remember +that the sentence of death is on you, yea, and shall be executed, were +it but for this day's work!" + +"I go, friend, I go, for the voice hath had its utterance," replied +she, in a depressed and even mild tone. "I have done my mission unto +thee and to thy people. Reward me with stripes, imprisonment, or death, +as ye shall be permitted." + +The weakness of exhausted passion caused her steps to totter as she +descended the pulpit stairs. The people, in the meanwhile, were stirring +to and fro on the floor of the house, whispering among themselves, and +glancing toward the intruder. Many of them now recognized her as the +woman who had assaulted the governor with frightful language, as he +passed by the window of her prison; they knew, also, that she was +adjudged to suffer death, and had been preserved only by an involuntary +banishment into the wilderness. The new outrage, by which she had +provoked her fate, seemed to render further lenity impossible; and a +gentleman in military dress, with a stout man of inferior rank, drew +toward the door of the meeting-house, and awaited her approach. Scarcely +did her feet press the floor, however, when an unexpected scene +occurred. In that moment of her peril, when every eye frowned with +death, a little timid boy pressed forth, and threw his arms round his +mother. + +"I am here, mother, it is I, and I will go with thee to prison," he +exclaimed. + +She gazed at him with a doubtful and almost frightened expression, for +she knew that the boy had been cast out to perish, and she had not hoped +to see his face again. She feared, perhaps, that it was but one of the +happy visions, with which her excited fancy had often deceived her, in +the solitude of the desert or in prison. But when she felt his hand warm +within her own, and heard his little eloquence of childish love, she +began to know that she was yet a mother. + +"Blessed art thou, my son," she sobbed. "My heart was withered; yea, +dead with thee and with thy father; and now it leaps as in the first +moment when I pressed thee to my bosom." + +She kneeled down and embraced him again and again, while the joy that +could find no words expressed itself in broken accents, like the bubbles +gushing up to vanish at the surface of a deep fountain. The sorrows of +past years, and the darker peril that was nigh, cast not a shadow on the +brightness of that fleeting moment. Soon, however, the spectators saw a +change upon her face, as the consciousness of her sad estate returned, +and grief supplied the fount of tears which joy had opened. By the words +she uttered, it would seem that the indulgence of natural love had given +her mind a momentary sense of its errors, and made her know how far she +had strayed from duty, in following the dictates of a wild fanaticism. + +"In a doleful hour art thou returned to me, poor boy," she said, "for +thy mother's path has gone darkening onward, till now the end is death. +Son, son, I have borne thee in my arms when my limbs were tottering, and +I have fed thee with the food that I was fainting for; yet I have ill +performed a mother's part by thee in life, and now I leave thee no +inheritance but woe and shame. Thou wilt go seeking through the world, +and find all hearts closed against thee, and their sweet affections +turned to bitterness for my sake. My child, my child, how many a pang +awaits thy gentle spirit and I the cause of all!" + +She hid her face on Ilbrahim's head, and her long raven hair, discolored +with the ashes of her mourning, fell down about him like a veil. A low +and interrupted moan was the voice of her heart's anguish, and it did +not fail to move the sympathies of many who mistook their involuntary +virtue for a sin. Sobs were audible in the female section of the house, +and every man who was a father drew his hand across his eyes. Tobias +Pearson was agitated and uneasy, but a certain feeling like the +consciousness of guilt oppressed him, so that he could not go forth and +offer himself as the protector of the child. Dorothy, however, had +watched her husband's eye. Her mind was free from the influence that had +begun to work on his, and she drew near the Quaker woman, and addressed +her in the hearing of all the congregation. + +"Stranger, trust this boy to me, and I will be his mother," she said, +taking Ilbrahim's hand. "Providence has signally marked out my husband +to protect him, and he has fed at our table and lodged under our roof, +now many days, till our hearts have grown very strongly unto him. Leave +the tender child with us, and be at ease concerning his welfare." + +The Quaker rose from the ground, but drew the boy closer to her, while +she gazed earnestly in Dorothy's face. Her mild, but saddened features, +and neat matronly attire harmonized together, and were like a verse of +fireside poetry. Her very aspect proved that she was blameless, so far +as mortal could be so, in respect to God and man; while the enthusiast, +in her robe of sackcloth and girdle of knotted cord, had as evidently +violated the duties of the present life and the future, by fixing her +attention wholly on the latter. The two females, as they held each a +hand of Ilbrahim, formed a practical allegory; it was rational piety and +unbridled fanaticism contending for the empire of a young heart. + +"Thou art not of our people," said the Quaker, mournfully. + +"No, we are not of your people," replied Dorothy, with mildness, "but we +are Christians, looking upward to the same Heaven with you. Doubt not +that your boy shall meet you there, if there be a blessing on our tender +and prayerful guidance of him. Thither, I trust, my own children have +gone before me, for I also have been a mother; I am no longer so," she +added, in a faltering tone, "and your son will have all my care." + +"But will ye lead him in the path which his parents have trodden?" +demanded the Quaker. "Can ye teach him the enlightened faith which his +father has died for, and for which I, even I, am soon to become an +unworthy martyr? The boy has been baptized in blood; will ye keep the +mark fresh and ruddy upon his forehead?" + +"I will not deceive you," answered Dorothy. "If your child become our +child, we must breed him up in the instruction which Heaven has imparted +to us; we must pray for him the prayers of our own faith; we must do +toward him according to the dictates of our own consciences, and not of +yours. Were we to act otherwise, we should abuse your trust, even in +complying with your wishes." + +The mother looked down upon her boy with a troubled countenance, and +then turned her eyes upward to Heaven. She seemed to pray internally, +and the contention of her soul was evident. + +"Friend," she said at length to Dorothy, "I doubt not that my son shall +receive all earthly tenderness at thy hands. Nay, I will believe that +even thy imperfect lights may guide him to a better world; for surely +thou art on the path thither. But thou hast spoken of a husband. Doth he +stand here among this multitude of people? Let him come forth, for I +must know to whom I commit this most precious trust." + +She turned her face upon the male auditors, and after a momentary delay, +Tobias Pearson came forth from among them. The Quaker saw the dress +which marked his military rank, and shook her head; but then she noted +the hesitating air, the eyes that struggled with her own, and were +vanquished; the color that went and came, and could find no +resting-place. As she gazed, an unmirthful smile spread over her +features, like sunshine that grows melancholy in some desolate spot. +Her lips moved inaudibly, but at length she spake. + +"I hear it, I hear it. The voice speaketh within me and saith, 'Leave +thy child, Catharine, for his place is here, and go hence, for I have +other work for thee. Break the bonds of natural affection, martyr thy +love, and know that in all these things eternal wisdom hath its ends.' I +go, friends, I go. Take ye my boy, my precious jewel. I go hence, +trusting that all shall be well, and that even for his infant hands +there is a labor in the vineyard." + +She knelt down and whispered to Ilbrahim, who at first struggled and +clung to his mother, with sobs and tears, but remained passive when she +had kissed his cheek and arisen from the ground. Having held her hands +over his head in mental prayer, she was ready to depart. + +"Farewell, friends in mine extremity," she said to Pearson and his wife; +"the good deed ye have done me is a treasure laid up in Heaven, to be +returned a thousand-fold hereafter. And farewell ye, mine enemies, to +whom it is not permitted to harm so much as a hair of my head, nor to +stay my footsteps even for a moment. The day is coming when ye shall +call upon me to witness for ye to this one sin uncommitted, and I will +rise up and answer." + +She turned her steps toward the door, and the men, who had stationed +themselves to guard it, withdrew, and suffered her to pass. A general +sentiment of pity overcame the virulence of religious hatred. +Sanctified by her love and her affliction, she went forth, and all the +people gazed after her till she had journeyed up the hill, and was lost +behind its brow. She went, the apostle of her own unquiet heart, to +renew the wanderings of past years. For her voice had been already heard +in many lands of Christendom; and she had pined in the cells of a +Catholic Inquisition before she felt the lash and lay in the dungeons of +the Puritans. Her mission had extended also to the followers of the +Prophet, and from them she had received the courtesy and kindness which +all the contending sects of our purer religion united to deny her. Her +husband and herself had resided many months in Turkey, where even the +Sultan's countenance was gracious to them; in that pagan land, too, was +Ilbrahim's birthplace, and his Oriental name was a mark of gratitude for +the good deeds of an unbeliever. + + * * * * * + +When Pearson and his wife had thus acquired all the rights over Ilbrahim +that could be delegated, their affection for him became, like the memory +of their native land, or their mild sorrow for the dead, a piece of the +immovable furniture of their hearts. The boy, also, after a week or two +of mental disquiet, began to gratify his protectors, by many inadvertent +proofs that he considered them as parents, and their house as home. +Before the winter snows were melted, the persecuted infant, the little +wanderer from a remote and heathen country, seemed native in the New +England cottage, and inseparable from the warmth and security of its +hearth. Under the influence of kind treatment, and in the consciousness +that he was loved, Ilbrahim's demeanor lost a premature manliness which +had resulted from his earlier situation; he became more childlike, and +his natural character displayed itself with freedom. It was in many +respects a beautiful one, yet the disordered imaginations of both his +father and mother had perhaps propagated a certain unhealthiness in the +mind of the boy. In his general state, Ilbrahim would derive enjoyment +from the most trifling events, and from every object about him; he +seemed to discover rich treasures of happiness, by a faculty analogous +to that of the witch-hazel, which points to hidden gold where all is +barren to the eye. His airy gayety, coming to him from a thousand +sources, communicated itself to the family, and Ilbrahim was like a +domesticated sunbeam, brightening moody countenances, and chasing away +the gloom from the dark corners of the cottage. + +On the other hand, as the susceptibility of pleasure is also that of +pain, the exuberant cheerfulness of the boy's prevailing temper +sometimes yielded to moments of deep depression. His sorrows could not +always be followed up to their original source, but most frequently they +appeared to flow, though Ilbrahim was young to be sad for such a cause, +from wounded love. The flightiness of his mirth rendered him often +guilty of offences against the decorum of a Puritan household, and on +these occasions he did not invariably escape rebuke. But the slightest +word of real bitterness, which he was infallible in distinguishing from +pretended anger, seemed to sink into his heart and poison all his +enjoyments, till he became sensible that he was entirely forgiven. Of +the malice which generally accompanies a superfluity of sensitiveness, +Ilbrahim was altogether destitute; when trodden upon, he would not turn; +when wounded, he could but die. His mind was wanting in the stamina for +self-support; it was a plant that would twine beautifully round +something stronger than itself, but if repulsed, or torn away, it had no +choice but to wither on the ground. Dorothy's acuteness taught her that +severity would crush the spirit of the child, and she nurtured him with +the gentle care of one who handles a butterfly. Her husband manifested +an equal affection, although it grew daily less productive of familiar +caresses. + +The feelings of the neighboring people, in regard to the Quaker infant +and his protectors, had not undergone a favorable change, in spite of +the momentary triumph which the desolate mother had obtained over their +sympathies. The scorn and bitterness, of which he was the object, were +very grievous to Ilbrahim, especially when any circumstance made him +sensible that the children, his equals in age, partook of the enmity of +their parents. His tender and social nature had already overflowed in +attachments to everything about him, and still there was a residue of +unappropriated love, which he yearned to bestow upon the little ones who +were taught to hate him. As the warm days of spring came on, Ilbrahim +was accustomed to remain for hours silent and inactive within hearing +of the children's voices at their play; yet, with his usual delicacy of +feeling, he avoided their notice, and would flee and hide himself from +the smallest individual among them. Chance, however, at length seemed to +open a medium of communication between his heart and theirs; it was by +means of a boy about two years older than Ilbrahim, who was injured by a +fall from a tree in the vicinity of Pearson's habitation. As the +sufferer's own home was at some distance, Dorothy willingly received him +under her roof, and became his tender and careful nurse. + +Ilbrahim was the unconscious possessor of much skill in physiognomy, and +it would have deterred him, in other circumstances, from attempting to +make a friend of this boy. The countenance of the latter immediately +impressed a beholder disagreeably, but it required some examination to +discover that the cause was a very slight distortion of the mouth, and +the irregular, broken line and near approach of the eyebrows. Analogous, +perhaps, to these trifling deformities was an almost imperceptible twist +of every joint, and the uneven prominence of the breast; forming a body, +regular in its general outline, but faulty in almost all its details. +The disposition of the boy was sullen and reserved, and the village +schoolmaster stigmatized him as obtuse in intellect; although, at a +later period of life, he evinced ambition and very peculiar talents. But +whatever might be his personal or moral irregularities, Ilbrahim's heart +seized upon, and clung to him, from the moment that he was brought +wounded into the cottage; the child of persecution seemed to compare +his own fate with that of the sufferer, and to feel that even different +modes of misfortune had created a sort of relationship between them. +Food, rest, and the fresh air, for which he languished, were neglected; +he nestled continually by the bedside of the little stranger, and, with +a fond jealousy, endeavored to be the medium of all the cares that were +bestowed upon him. As the boy became convalescent, Ilbrahim contrived +games suitable to his situation, or amused him by a faculty which he had +perhaps breathed in with the air of his barbaric birthplace. It was that +of reciting imaginary adventures, on the spur of the moment, and +apparently in inexhaustible succession. His tales were of course +monstrous, disjointed, and without aim; but they were curious on account +of a vein of human tenderness which ran through them all, and was like a +sweet, familiar face, encountered in the midst of wild and unearthly +scenery. The auditor paid much attention to these romances, and +sometimes interrupted them by brief remarks upon the incidents, +displaying shrewdness above his years, mingled with a moral obliquity +which grated very harshly against Ilbrahim's instinctive rectitude. +Nothing, however, could arrest the progress of the latter's affection, +and there were many proofs that it met with a response from the dark and +stubborn nature on which it was lavished. The boy's parents at length +removed him, to complete his cure under their own roof. + +Ilbrahim did not visit his new friend after his departure; but he made +anxious and continual inquiries respecting him, and informed himself of +the day when he was to reappear among his playmates. On a pleasant +summer afternoon, the children of the neighborhood had assembled in the +little forest-crowned amphitheatre behind the meeting-house, and the +recovering invalid was there, leaning on a staff. The glee of a score of +untainted bosoms was heard in light and airy voices, which danced among +the trees like sunshine become audible; the grown men of this weary +world, as they journeyed by the spot, marvelled why life, beginning in +such brightness, should proceed in gloom; and their hearts, or their +imaginations, answered them and said, that the bliss of childhood gushes +from its innocence. But it happened that an unexpected addition was made +to the heavenly little band. It was Ilbrahim, who came toward the +children with a look of sweet confidence on his fair and spiritual face, +as if, having manifested his love to one of them, he had no longer to +fear a repulse from their society. A hush came over their mirth the +moment they beheld him, and they stood whispering to each other while he +drew nigh; but, all at once, the devil of their fathers entered into the +unbreeched fanatics, and sending up a fierce, shrill cry, they rushed +upon the poor Quaker child. In an instant, he was the centre of a brood +of baby-fiends, who lifted sticks against him, pelted him with stones, +and displayed an instinct of destruction far more loathsome than the +blood-thirstiness of manhood. + +The invalid, in the meanwhile, stood apart from the tumult, crying out +with a loud voice, "Fear not, Ilbrahim, come hither and take my hand"; +and his unhappy friend endeavored to obey him. After watching the +victim's struggling approach with a calm smile and unabashed eye, the +foul-hearted little villain lifted his staff, and struck Ilbrahim on the +mouth, so forcibly that the blood issued in a stream. The poor child's +arms had been raised to guard his head from the storm of blows; but now +he dropped them at once. His persecutors beat him down, trampled upon +him, dragged him by his long, fair locks, and Ilbrahim was on the point +of becoming as veritable a martyr as ever entered bleeding into heaven. +The uproar, however, attracted the notice of a few neighbors, who put +themselves to the trouble of rescuing the little heretic, and of +conveying him to Pearson's door. + +Ilbrahim's bodily harm was severe, but long and careful nursing +accomplished his recovery; the injury done to his sensitive spirit was +more serious, though not so visible. Its signs were principally of a +negative character, and to be discovered only by those who had +previously known him. His gait was thenceforth slow, even, and unvaried +by the sudden bursts of sprightlier motion, which had once corresponded +to his overflowing gladness; his countenance was heavier, and its former +play of expression, the dance of sunshine reflected from moving water, +was destroyed by the cloud over his existence; his notice was attracted +in a far less degree by passing events, and he appeared to find greater +difficulty in comprehending what was new to him, than at a happier +period. A stranger, founding his judgment upon these circumstances, +would have said that the dulness of the child's intellect widely +contradicted the promise of his features; but the secret was in the +direction of Ilbrahim's thoughts, which were brooding within him when +they should naturally have been wandering abroad. An attempt of Dorothy +to revive his former sportiveness was the single occasion on which his +quiet demeanor yielded to a violent display of grief; he burst into +passionate weeping, and ran and hid himself, for his heart had become so +miserably sore that even the hand of kindness tortured it like fire. +Sometimes, at night and probably in his dreams, he was heard to cry, +"Mother! mother!" as if her place, which a stranger had supplied while +Ilbrahim was happy, admitted of no substitute in his extreme affliction. +Perhaps, among the many life-weary wretches then upon the earth, there +was not one who combined innocence and misery like this poor, +broken-hearted infant, so soon the victim of his own heavenly nature. + +While this melancholy change had taken place in Ilbrahim, one of an +earlier origin and of different character had come to its perfection in +his adopted father. The incident with which this tale commences found +Pearson in a state of religious dulness, yet mentally disquieted, and +longing for a more fervid faith than he possessed. The first effect of +his kindness to Ilbrahim was to produce a softened feeling, and +incipient love for the child's whole sect; but joined to this, and +resulting perhaps from self-suspicion, was a proud and ostentatious +contempt of their tenets and practical extravagances. In the course of +much thought, however, for the subject struggled irresistibly into his +mind, the foolishness of the doctrine began to be less evident, and the +points which had particularly offended his reason assumed another +aspect, or vanished entirely away. The work within him appeared to go on +even while he slept, and that which had been a doubt, when he laid down +to rest, would often hold the place of a truth, confirmed by some +forgotten demonstration, when he recalled his thoughts in the morning. +But while he was thus becoming assimilated to the enthusiasts, his +contempt, in no wise decreasing toward them, grew very fierce against +himself; he imagined, also, that every face of his acquaintance wore a +sneer, and that every word addressed to him was a gibe. Such was his +state of mind at the period of Ilbrahim's misfortune; and the emotions +consequent upon that event completed the change, of which the child had +been the original instrument. + +In the meantime, neither the fierceness of the persecutors, nor the +infatuation of their victims, had decreased. The dungeons were never +empty; the streets of almost every village echoed daily with a lash; the +life of a woman, whose mild and Christian spirit no cruelty could +imbitter, had been sacrificed; and more innocent blood was yet to +pollute the hands that were so often raised in prayer. Early after the +Restoration, the English Quakers represented to Charles II. that a "vein +of blood was open in his dominions"; but though the displeasure of the +voluptuous king was roused, his interference was not prompt. And now the +tale must stride forward over many months, leaving Pearson to encounter +ignominy and misfortune; his wife to a firm endurance of a thousand +sorrows; poor Ilbrahim to pine and droop like a cankered rosebud; his +mother to wander on a mistaken errand, neglectful of the holiest trust +which can be committed to a woman. + + * * * * * + +A winter evening, a night of storm, had darkened over Pearson's +habitation, and there were no cheerful faces to drive the gloom from his +broad hearth. The fire, it is true, sent forth a glowing heat and a +ruddy light, and large logs, dripping with half-melted snow, lay ready +to be cast upon the embers. But the apartment was saddened in its aspect +by the absence of much of the homely wealth which had once adorned it; +for the exaction of repeated fines, and his own neglect of temporal +affairs, had greatly impoverished the owner. And with the furniture of +peace, the implements of war had likewise disappeared; the sword was +broken, the helm and cuirass were cast away forever; the soldier had +done with battles, and might not lift so much as his naked hand to guard +his head. But the Holy Book remained, and the table on which it rested +was drawn before the fire, while two of the persecuted sect sought +comfort from its pages. + +He who listened, while the other read, was the master of the house, now +emaciated in form, and altered as to the expression and healthiness of +his countenance; for his mind had dwelt too long among visionary +thoughts, and his body had been worn by imprisonment and stripes. The +hale and weather-beaten old man, who sat beside him, had sustained less +injury from a far longer course of the same mode of life. In person he +was tall and dignified, and, which alone would have made him hateful to +the Puritans, his gray locks fell from beneath the broad-brimmed hat, +and rested on his shoulders. As the old man read the sacred page, the +snow drifted against the windows, or eddied in at the crevices of the +door, while a blast kept laughing in the chimney, and the blaze leaped +fiercely up to seek it. And sometimes, when the wind struck the hill at +a certain angle, and swept down by the cottage across the wintry plain, +its voice was the most doleful that can be conceived; it came as if the +Past were speaking, as if the Dead had contributed each a whisper, as if +the Desolation of Ages were breathed in that one lamenting sound. + +The Quaker at length closed the book, retaining however his hand between +the pages which he had been reading, while he looked steadfastly at +Pearson. The attitude and features of the latter might have indicated +the endurance of bodily pain; he leaned his forehead on his hands, his +teeth were firmly closed, and his frame was tremulous at intervals with +a nervous agitation. + +"Friend Tobias," inquired the old man, compassionately, "hast thou found +no comfort in these many blessed passages of Scripture?" + +"Thy voice has fallen on my ear like a sound afar off and indistinct," +replied Pearson, without lifting his eyes. "Yea, and when I have +hearkened carefully, the words seemed cold and lifeless, and intended +for another and a lesser grief than mine. Remove the book," he added, in +a tone of sullen bitterness. "I have no part in its consolations, and +they do but fret my sorrow the more." + +"Nay, feeble brother, be not as one who hath never known the light," +said the elder Quaker, earnestly, but with mildness. "Art thou he that +wouldst be content to give all, and endure all, for conscience' sake; +desiring even peculiar trials, that thy faith might be purified, and thy +heart weaned from worldly desires? And wilt thou sink beneath an +affliction which happens alike to them that have their portion here +below, and to them that lay up treasure in heaven? Faint not, for thy +burden is yet light." + +"It is heavy! It is heavier than I can bear!" exclaimed Pearson, with +the impatience of a variable spirit. "From my youth upward I have been a +man marked out for wrath; and year by year, yea, day after day, I have +endured sorrows, such as others know not in their lifetime. And now I +speak not of the love that has been turned to hatred, the honor to +ignominy, the ease and plentifulness of all things to danger, want, and +nakedness. All this I could have borne, and counted myself blessed. But +when my heart was desolate with many losses, I fixed it upon the child +of a stranger, and he became dearer to me than all my buried ones; and +now he too must die, as if my love were poison. Verily, I am an +accursed man, and I will lay me down in the dust, and lift up my head no +more." + +"Thou sinnest, brother, but it is not for me to rebuke thee; for I also +have had my hours of darkness, wherein I have murmured against the +cross," said the old Quaker. He continued, perhaps in the hope of +distracting his companion's thoughts from his own sorrows. "Even of late +was the light obscured within me, when the men of blood had banished me +on pain of death, and the constables led me onward from village to +village, toward the wilderness. A strong and cruel hand was wielding the +knotted cords; they sunk deep into the flesh, and thou mightst have +tracked every reel and totter of my footsteps by the blood that +followed. As we went on--" + +"Have I not borne all this; and have I murmured?" interrupted Pearson, +impatiently. + +"Nay, friend, but hear me," continued the other. "As we journeyed on, +night darkened on our path, so that no man could see the rage of the +persecutors, or the constancy of my endurance, though Heaven forbid that +I should glory therein. The lights began to glimmer in the cottage +windows, and I could discern the inmates as they gathered in comfort and +security, every man with his wife and children by their own evening +hearth. At length we came to a tract of fertile land; in the dim light, +the forest was not visible around it; and behold! there was a +straw-thatched dwelling, which bore the very aspect of my home, far over +the wild ocean, far in our own England. Then came bitter thoughts upon +me; yea, remembrances that were like death to my soul. The happiness of +my early days was painted to me; the disquiet of my manhood, the altered +faith of my declining years. I remembered how I had been moved to go +forth a wanderer, when my daughter, the youngest, the dearest of my +flock, lay on her dying bed, and--" + +"Couldst thou obey the command at such a moment?" exclaimed Pearson, +shuddering. + +"Yea, yea," replied the old man, hurriedly. "I was kneeling by her +bedside when the voice spoke loud within me; but immediately I rose, and +took my staff, and gat me gone. O, that it were permitted me to forget +her woful look, when I thus withdrew my arm, and left her journeying +through the dark valley alone! for her soul was faint, and she had +leaned upon my prayers. Now in that night of horror I was assailed by +the thought that I had been an erring Christian, and a cruel parent; +yea, even my daughter, with her pale, dying features, seemed to stand by +me and whisper, 'Father, you are deceived; go home and shelter your gray +head.' O Thou, to whom I have looked in my furthest wanderings," +continued the Quaker, raising his agitated eyes to Heaven, "inflict not +upon the bloodiest of our persecutors the unmitigated agony of my soul, +when I believed that all I had done and suffered for thee was at the +instigation of a mocking fiend! But I yielded not; I knelt down and +wrestled with the tempter, while the scourge bit more fiercely into the +flesh. My prayer was heard, and I went on in peace and joy toward the +wilderness." + +The old man, though his fanaticism had generally all the calmness of +reason, was deeply moved while reciting this tale; and his unwonted +emotion seemed to rebuke and keep down that of his companion. They sat +in silence, with their faces to the fire, imagining perhaps, in its red +embers, new scenes of persecution yet to be encountered. The snow still +drifted hard against the windows, and sometimes, as the blaze of the +logs had gradually sunk, came down the spacious chimney and hissed upon +the hearth. A cautious footstep might now and then be heard in a +neighboring apartment, and the sound invariably drew the eyes of both +Quakers to the door which led thither. When a fierce and riotous gust of +wind had led his thoughts, by a natural association, to homeless +travellers on such a night, Pearson resumed the conversation. + +"I have well-nigh sunk under my own share of this trial," observed he, +sighing heavily; "yet I would that it might be doubled to me, if so the +child's mother could be spared. Her wounds have been deep and many, but +this will be the sorest of all." + +"Fear not for Catharine," replied the old Quaker, "for I know that +valiant woman, and have seen how she can bear the cross. A mother's +heart, indeed, is strong in her, and may seem to contend mightily with +her faith; but soon she will stand up and give thanks that her son has +been thus early an accepted sacrifice. The boy hath done his work, and +she will feel that he is taken hence in kindness both to him and her. +Blessed, blessed are they that with so little suffering can enter into +peace!" + +The fitful rush of the wind was now disturbed by a portentous sound; it +was a quick and heavy knocking at the outer door. Pearson's wan +countenance grew paler, for many a visit of persecution had taught him +what to dread; the old man, on the other hand, stood up erect, and his +glance was firm as that of the tried soldier who awaits his enemy. + +"The men of blood have come to seek me," he observed, with calmness. +"They have heard how I was moved to return from banishment; and now am I +to be led to prison, and thence to death. It is an end I have long +looked for. I will open unto them, lest they say, 'Lo, he feareth!'" + +"Nay, I will present myself before them," said Pearson, with recovered +fortitude. "It may be that they seek me alone, and know not that thou +abidest with me." + +"Let us go boldly, both one and the other," rejoined his companion. "It +is not fitting that thou or I should shrink." + +They therefore proceeded through the entry to the door, which they +opened, bidding the applicant, "Come in, in God's name!" A furious blast +of wind drove the storm into their faces, and extinguished the lamp; +they had barely time to discern a figure, so white from head to foot +with the drifted snow, that it seemed like Winter's self, come in human +shape to seek refuge from its own desolation. + +"Enter, friend, and do thy errand, be it what it may," said Pearson. "It +must needs be pressing, since thou comest on such a bitter night." + +"Peace be with this household," said the stranger, when they stood on +the floor of the inner apartment. + +Pearson started, the elder Quaker stirred the slumbering embers of the +fire, till they sent up a clear and lofty blaze; it was a female voice +that had spoken; it was a female form that shone out, cold and wintry, +in that comfortable light. + +"Catharine, blessed woman," exclaimed the old man, "art thou come to +this darkened land again? art thou come to bear a valiant testimony as +in former years? The scourge hath not prevailed against thee, and from +the dungeon hast thou come forth triumphant; but strengthen, strengthen +now thy heart, Catharine, for Heaven will prove thee yet this once, ere +thou go to thy reward." + +"Rejoice, friends!" she replied. "Thou who hast long been of our people, +and thou whom a little child hath led to us, rejoice! Lo! I come, the +messenger of glad tidings, for the day of persecution is overpast. The +heart of the king, even Charles, hath been moved in gentleness toward +us, and he hath sent forth his letters to stay the hands of the men of +blood. A ship's company of our friends hath arrived at yonder town, and +I also sailed joyfully among them." + +As Catharine spoke, her eyes were roaming about the room, in search of +him for whose sake security was dear to her. Pearson made a silent +appeal to the old man, nor did the latter shrink from the painful task +assigned him. + +"Sister," he began, in a softened yet perfectly calm tone, "thou tellest +us of His love, manifested in temporal good; and now must we speak to +thee of that selfsame love, displayed in chastenings. Hitherto, +Catharine, thou hast been as one journeying in a darksome and difficult +path, and leading an infant by the hand; fain wouldst thou have looked +heavenward continually, but still the cares of that little child have +drawn thine eyes and thy affections to the earth. Sister! go on +rejoicing, for his tottering footsteps shall impede thine own no more." + +But the unhappy mother was not thus to be consoled; she shook like a +leaf, she turned white as the very snow that hung drifted into her hair. +The firm old man extended his hand and held her up, keeping his eye upon +hers, as if to repress any outbreak of passion. + +"I am a woman, I am but a woman; will He try me above my strength?" said +Catharine very quickly, and almost in a whisper. "I have been wounded +sore; I have suffered much; many things in the body, many in the mind; +crucified in myself, and in them that were dearest to me. Surely," added +she, with a long shudder, "He hath spared me in this one thing." She +broke forth with sudden and irrepressible violence, "Tell me, man of +cold heart, what has God done to me? Hath he cast me down, never to rise +again? Hath he crushed my very heart in his hand? And thou, to whom I +committed my child, how hast thou fulfilled thy trust? Give me back the +boy, well, sound, alive, alive; or earth and Heaven shall avenge me!" + +The agonized shriek of Catharine was answered by the faint, the very +faint voice of a child. + +On this day it had become evident to Pearson, to his aged guest, and to +Dorothy that Ilbrahim's brief and troubled pilgrimage drew near its +close. The two former would willingly have remained by him, to make use +of the prayers and pious discourses which they deemed appropriate to the +time, and which, if they be impotent as to the departing traveller's +reception in the world whither it goes, may at least sustain him in +bidding adieu to earth. But though Ilbrahim uttered no complaint, he was +disturbed by the faces that looked upon him; so that Dorothy's +entreaties, and their own conviction that the child's feet might tread +heaven's pavement and not soil it, had induced the two Quakers to +remove. Ilbrahim then closed his eyes and grew calm, and, except for now +and then a kind and low word to his nurse, might have been thought to +slumber. As nightfall came on, however, and the storm began to rise, +something seemed to trouble the repose of the boy's mind, and to render +his sense of hearing active and acute. If a passing wind lingered to +shake the casement, he strove to turn his head toward it; if the door +jarred to and fro upon its hinges, he looked long and anxiously +thitherward; if the heavy voice of the old man, as he read the +Scriptures, rose but a little higher, the child almost held his dying +breath to listen; if a snowdrift swept by the cottage, with a sound like +the trailing of a garment, Ilbrahim seemed to watch that some visitant +should enter. + +But, after a little time, he relinquished whatever secret hope had +agitated him, and, with one low, complaining whisper, turned his cheek +upon the pillow. He then addressed Dorothy with his usual sweetness, and +besought her to draw near him; she did so, and Ilbrahim took her hand in +both of his, grasping it with a gentle pressure, as if to assure himself +that he retained it. At intervals, and without disturbing the repose of +his countenance, a very faint trembling passed over him from head to +foot, as if a mild but somewhat cool wind had breathed upon him, and +made him shiver. As the boy thus led her by the hand, in his quiet +progress over the borders of eternity, Dorothy almost imagined that she +could discern the near, though dim delightfulness of the home he was +about to reach; she would not have enticed the little wanderer back, +though she bemoaned herself that she must leave him and return. But just +when Ilbrahim's feet were pressing on the soil of Paradise, he heard a +voice behind him, and it recalled him a few, few paces of the weary path +which he had travelled. As Dorothy looked upon his features, she +perceived that their placid expression was again disturbed; her own +thoughts had been so wrapped in him, that all sounds of the storm, and +of human speech, were lost to her; but when Catharine's shriek pierced +through the room, the boy strove to raise himself. + +"Friend, she is come! Open unto her!" cried he. + +In a moment, his mother was kneeling by the bedside; she drew Ilbrahim +to her bosom, and he nestled there, with no violence of joy, but +contentedly, as if he were hushing himself to sleep. He looked into her +face, and, reading its agony, said, with feeble earnestness, "Mourn not, +dearest mother. I am happy now." And with these words, the gentle boy +was dead. + + * * * * * + +The king's mandate to stay the New England persecutors was effectual in +preventing further martyrdoms; but the colonial authorities, trusting in +the remoteness of their situation, and perhaps in the supposed +instability of the royal government, shortly renewed their severities in +all other respects. Catharine's fanaticism had become wilder by the +sundering of all human ties; and wherever a scourge was lifted, there +was she to receive the blow; and whenever a dungeon was unbarred, +thither she came, to cast herself upon the floor. But in process of +time, a more Christian spirit--a spirit of forbearance, though not of +cordiality or approbation--began to pervade the land in regard to the +persecuted sect. And then, when the rigid old Pilgrims eyed her rather +in pity than in wrath; when the matrons fed her with the fragments of +their children's food, and offered her a lodging on a hard and lowly +bed; when no little crowd of schoolboys left their sports to cast stones +after the roving enthusiast--then did Catharine return to Pearson's +dwelling, and made that her home. + +As if Ilbrahim's sweetness yet lingered round his ashes, as if his +gentle spirit came down from heaven to teach his parent a true religion, +her fierce and vindictive nature was softened by the same griefs which +had once irritated it. When the course of years had made the features of +the unobtrusive mourner familiar in the settlement, she became a subject +of not deep, but general interest; a being on whom the otherwise +superfluous sympathies of all might be bestowed. Every one spoke of her +with that degree of pity which it is pleasant to experience, every one +was ready to do her the little kindnesses, which are not costly, yet +manifest good-will; and when at last she died, a long train of her once +bitter persecutors followed her, with decent sadness and tears that were +not painful, to her place by Ilbrahim's green and sunken grave. + + + + +THE ANGEL + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +Whenever a good child dies, an angel from heaven comes down to earth, +and takes the dead child in his arms, spreads out his great white wings, +and flies away over all the places the child has loved, and picks quite +a handful of flowers, which he carries up to the Almighty, that they may +bloom in heaven more brightly than on earth. And the Father presses all +the flowers to His heart; but He kisses the flower that pleases him +best, and the flower is then endowed with a voice, and can join in the +great chorus of praise! + +"See"--this is what an angel said, as he carried a dead child up to +heaven, and the child heard, as if in a dream, and they went on over the +regions of home where the little child had played, and they came through +gardens with beautiful flowers--"which of these shall we take with us to +plant in heaven?" asked the angel. + +Now there stood near them a slender, beautiful rose bush; but a wicked +hand had broken the stem, so that all the branches, covered with +half-opened buds, were hanging drooping around, quite withered. + +"The poor rose bush!" said the child. "Take it, that it may bloom up +yonder." + +And the angel took it, and kissed the child, and the little one half +opened his eyes. They plucked some of the rich flowers, but also took +with them the despised buttercup and the wild pansy. + +"Now we have flowers," said the child. + +And the angel nodded, but he did not yet fly upward to heaven. It was +night and quite silent. They remained in the great city; they floated +about there in a small street, where lay whole heaps of straw, ashes, +and sweepings, for it had been removal-day. There lay fragments of +plates, bits of plaster, rags, and old hats, and all this did not look +well. And the angel pointed amid all this confusion to a few fragments +of a flower-pot, and to a lump of earth which had fallen out, and which +was kept together by the roots of a great dried field flower, which was +of no use, and had therefore been thrown out into the street. + +"We will take that with us," said the angel. "I will tell you why, as we +fly onward. + +"Down yonder in the narrow lane, in the low cellar, lived a poor sick +boy; from his childhood he had been bedridden. When he was at his best +he could go up and down the room a few times, leaning on crutches; that +was the utmost he could do. For a few days in summer the sunbeams would +penetrate for a few hours to the ground of the cellar, and when the poor +boy sat there and the sun shone on him, and he looked at the red blood +in his three fingers, as he held them up before his face, he would say, +'Yes, to-day he has been out.' He knew the forest with its beautiful +vernal green only from the fact that the neighbor's son brought him the +first green branch of a beech-tree, and he held that up over his head, +and dreamed he was in the beech wood where the sun shone and the birds +sang. On a spring day the neighbor's boy also brought him field flowers, +and among these was, by chance, one to which the root was hanging; and +so it was planted in a flower-pot, and placed by the bed, close to the +window. And the flower had been planted by a fortunate hand; and it +grew, threw out new shoots, and bore flowers every year. It became as a +splendid flower-garden to the sickly boy--his little treasure here on +earth. He watered it, and tended it, and took care that it had the +benefit of every ray of sunlight, down to the last that struggled in +through the narrow window; and the flower itself was woven into his +dreams, for it grew for him and gladdened his eyes, and spread its +fragrance about him; and toward it he turned in death when the Father +called him. He has now been with the Almighty for a year; for a year the +flower has stood forgotten in the window, and is withered; and thus, at +the removal, it has been thrown out into the dust of the street. And +this is the flower, the poor withered flower, which we have taken into +our nosegay; for this flower has given more joy than the richest flower +in a Queen's garden!" + +"But how do you know all this?" asked the child which the angel was +carrying to heaven. + +"I know it," said the angel, "for I myself was that little boy who +walked on crutches! I know my flower well!" + +And the child opened his eyes and looked into the glorious, happy face +of the angel; and at the same moment they entered the regions where +there is peace and joy. And the Father pressed the dead child to His +bosom, and then it received wings like the angel, and flew hand in hand +with him. And the Almighty pressed all the flowers to His heart; but He +kissed the dry withered field flower, and it received a voice and sang +with all the angels hovering around--some near, and some in wider +circles, and some in infinite distance, but all equally happy. And they +all sang, little and great, the good happy child, and the poor field +flower that had lain there withered, thrown among the dust, in the +rubbish of the removal-day, in the narrow, dark lane. + + + + +THE RED SHOES + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +There once was a little girl; a very nice pretty little girl. But in +summer she had to go barefoot, because she was poor, and in winter she +wore thick wooden shoes, so that her little instep became quite red, +altogether red. + +In the middle of the village lived an old shoemaker's wife; she sat, and +sewed, as well as she could, a pair of little shoes, of old strips of +red cloth; they were clumsy enough, but well meant, and the little girl +was to have them. The little girl's name was Karen. + +On the day when her mother was buried she received the red shoes and +wore them for the first time. They were certainly not suited for +mourning; but she had no others, and therefore thrust her little bare +feet into them and walked behind the plain deal coffin. + +Suddenly a great carriage came by, and in the carriage sat an old lady; +she looked at the little girl and felt pity for her and said to the +clergyman: + +"Give me the little girl and I will provide for her." + +Karen thought this was for the sake of the shoes; but the old lady +declared they were hideous; and they were burned. But Karen herself was +clothed neatly and properly: she was taught to read and to sew, and the +people said she was agreeable. But her mirror said, "You are much more +than agreeable; you are beautiful." + +Once the Queen travelled through the country, and had her little +daughter with her; and the daughter was a Princess. And the people +flocked toward the castle, and Karen too was among them; and the little +Princess stood in a fine white dress at a window, and let herself be +gazed at. She had neither train nor golden crown, but she wore splendid +red morocco shoes; they were certainly far handsomer than those the +shoemaker's wife had made for little Karen. Nothing in the world can +compare with red shoes! + +Now Karen was old enough to be confirmed: new clothes were made for her, +and she was to have new shoes. The rich shoemaker in the town took the +measure of her little feet; this was done in his own house, in his +little room, and there stood great glass cases with neat shoes and +shining boots. It had quite a charming appearance, but the old lady +could not see well, and therefore took no pleasure in it. Among the +shoes stood a red pair, just like those which the princess had worn. How +beautiful they were! The shoemaker also said they had been made for a +Count's child, but they had not fitted. + +"That must be patent leather," observed the old lady, "the shoes shine +so!" + +"Yes, they shine!" replied Karen; and they fitted her, and were bought. +But the old lady did not know that they were red; for she would never +have allowed Karen to go to the confirmation in red shoes; and that is +what Karen did. + +Every one was looking at her shoes. And when she went across the church +porch, toward the door of the choir, it seemed to her as if the old +pictures on the tombstones, the portraits of clergymen and clergymen's +wives, in their stiff collars and long black garments, fixed their eyes +upon her red shoes. And she thought of her shoes only, when the priest +laid his hand upon her head and spoke holy words. And the organ pealed +solemnly, the children sang with their fresh sweet voices, and the old +preceptor sang too; but Karen thought only of her red shoes. + +In the afternoon the old lady was informed by everyone that the shoes +were red; and she said it was naughty and unsuitable, and that when +Karen went to church in future, she should always go in black shoes, +even if they were old. + +Next Sunday was sacrament Sunday. And Karen looked at the black shoes, +and looked at the red ones--looked at them again--and put on the red +ones. + +The sun shone gloriously; Karen and the old lady went along the footpath +through the fields, and it was rather dusty. + +By the church door stood an old invalid soldier with a crutch and a long +beard; the beard was rather red than white, for it was red altogether; +and he bowed down almost to the ground, and asked the old lady if he +might dust her shoes. And Karen also stretched out her little foot. + +"Look, what pretty dancing shoes!" said the old soldier. "Fit so +tightly when you dance!" + +And he tapped the soles with his hand. And the old lady gave the soldier +an alms, and went into the church with Karen. + +And every one in the church looked at Karen's red shoes, and all the +pictures looked at them. And while Karen knelt in the church she only +thought of her red shoes; and she forgot to sing her psalm, and forgot +to say her prayer. + +Now all the people went out of church, and the old lady stepped into her +carriage. Karen lifted up her foot to step in too; then the old soldier +said: + +"Look, what beautiful dancing shoes!" + +And Karen could not resist: she was obliged to dance a few steps; and +when she once began, her legs went on dancing. It was just as though the +shoes had obtained power over her. She danced round the corner of the +church--she could not help it; the coachman was obliged to run behind +her and seize her; he lifted her into the carriage, but her feet went on +dancing, so that she kicked the good old lady violently. At last they +took off her shoes, and her legs became quiet. + +At home the shoes were put away in a cupboard; but Karen could not +resist looking at them. + +Now the old lady became very ill, and it was said she would not recover. +She had to be nursed, and waited on: and this was no one's duty so much +as Karen's. But there was to be a great ball in the town, and Karen was +invited. She looked at the old lady who could not recover; she looked +at the red shoes, and thought there would be no harm in it. She put on +the shoes, and that she might very well do; but they went to the ball +and began to dance. + +But when she wished to go to the right hand, the shoes danced to the +left, and when she wanted to go upstairs the shoes danced downward, down +into the street and out at the town gate. She danced, and was obliged to +dance, till she danced straight out into the dark wood. + +There was something glistening up among the trees, and she thought it +was the moon, for she saw a face. But it was the old soldier with the +red beard: he sat and nodded, and said: + +"Look, what beautiful dancing-shoes!" + +Then she was frightened, and wanted to throw away the red shoes; but +they clung fast to her. And she tore off her stockings; but the shoes +had grown fast to her feet. And she danced and was compelled to go +dancing over field and meadow, in rain and sunshine, by night and by +day; but it was most dreadful at night. + +She danced out into the open churchyard; but the dead there do not +dance; they have far better things to do. She wished to sit down on the +poor man's grave, where the bitter fern grows; but there was no peace +nor rest for her. And when she danced toward the open church door, she +saw there an angel in long white garments, with wings that reached from +his shoulders to his feet; his countenance was serious and stern, and +in his hand he held a sword that was broad and gleaming. + +"Thou shalt dance!" he said--"dance on thy red shoes, till thou art pale +and cold, and till thy body shrivels to a skeleton. Thou shalt dance +from door to door, and where proud, haughty children dwell, shalt thou +knock, that they may hear thee, and be afraid of thee! Thou shalt dance, +dance!" + +"Mercy!" cried Karen. + +But she did not hear what the angel answered, for the shoes carried her +away--carried her through the door on to the field, over stock and +stone, and she was always obliged to dance. + +One morning she danced past a door which she knew well. There was a +sound of psalm-singing within, and a coffin was carried out, adorned +with flowers. Then she knew that the old lady was dead, and she felt +that she was deserted by all, and condemned by the angel of heaven. + +She danced, and was compelled to dance--to dance in the dark night. The +shoes carried her on over thorn and brier; she scratched herself till +she bled; she danced away across the heath to a little lonely house. +Here she knew the executioner dwelt; and she tapped with her fingers on +the panes, and called: + +"Come out, come out! I cannot come in for I must dance!" + +And the executioner said: + +"You probably don't know who I am? I cut off the bad people's heads +with my axe, and mark how my axe rings!" + +"Do not strike off my head," said Karen, "for if you do I cannot repent +of my sin. But strike off my feet with the red shoes!" + +And then she confessed all her sin, and the executioner cut off her feet +with the red shoes; but the shoes danced away with the little feet over +the fields and into the deep forest. + +And he cut her a pair of wooden feet, with crutches, and taught her a +psalm, which the criminals always sing; and she kissed the hand that had +held the axe, and went away across the heath. + +"Now I have suffered pain enough for the red shoes," said she. "Now I +will go into the church, that they may see me." + +And she went quickly toward the church door, but when she came there the +red shoes danced before her, so that she was frightened, and turned +back. + +The whole week through she was sorrowful, and wept many bitter tears; +but when Sunday came she said: + +"Now I have suffered and striven enough! I think that I am just as good +as many of those who sit in the church and carry their heads high." + +And then she went boldly on; but she did not get further than the +churchyard gate before she saw the red shoes dancing along before her; +then she was seized with terror, and turned back, and repented of her +sin right heartily. + +And she went to the parsonage, and begged to be taken there as a +servant. She promised to be industrious, and to do all she could; she +did not care for wages, and only wished to be under a roof and with good +people. The clergyman's wife pitied her, and took her into her service. +And she was industrious and thoughtful. Silently she sat and listened +when in the evening the pastor read the Bible aloud. All the little ones +were very fond of her; but when they spoke of dress and splendor and +beauty, she would shake her head. + +Next Sunday they all went to church, and she was asked if she wished to +go too, but she looked sadly, with tears in her eyes, at her crutches. +And then the others went to hear God's word; but she went alone into her +little room, which was only large enough to contain her bed and a chair. +And here she sat with her hymn-book; and as she read it with a pious +mind, the wind bore the notes of the organ over to her from the church; +and she lifted up her face, wet with tears, and said: + +"O Lord, help me!" + +Then the sun shone so brightly; and before her stood the angel in the +white garments, the same as she had seen that night at the church door. +But he no longer grasped the sharp sword; he held a green branch covered +with roses; and he touched the ceiling, and it rose up high, and +wherever he touched it a golden star gleamed forth; and he touched the +walls, and they spread forth widely, and she saw the organ which was +pealing its rich sounds; and she saw the old pictures of clergymen and +their wives; and the congregation sat in the decorated seats, and sang +from their hymn-books. The church had come to the poor girl in her +narrow room, or her chamber had become a church. She sat in the chair +with the rest of the clergyman's people; and when they had finished the +psalm, and looked up, they nodded and said: + +"That was right that you came here, Karen." + +"It was mercy!" said she. + +And the organ sounded its glorious notes; and the children's voices +singing in the chorus sounded sweet and lovely; the clear sunshine +streamed so warm through the window upon the chair in which Karen sat; +and her heart became so filled with sunshine, peace, and joy, that it +broke. Her soul flew on the sunbeams to heaven; and there was nobody who +asked after the RED SHOES. + + + + +THE LOVLIEST ROSE IN THE WORLD + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +Once there reigned a Queen, in whose garden were found the most glorious +flowers at all seasons and from all the lands in the world; but +especially she loved roses, and therefore she possessed the most various +kinds of this flower, from the wild dog-rose, with the apple-scented +green leaves, to the most splendid Provence rose. They grew against the +earth walls, wound themselves round pillars and window-frames, into the +passages, and all along the ceiling in all the halls. And the roses were +various in fragrance, form, and color. + +But care and sorrow dwelt in these halls: the Queen lay upon a sick-bed, +and the doctors declared that she must die. + +"There is still one thing that can serve her," said the wisest of them. +"Bring her the loveliest rose in the world, the one which is the +expression of the brightest and purest love; for if that is brought +before her eyes ere they close, she will not die." + +And young and old came from every side with roses, the loveliest that +bloomed in each garden; but they were not the right sort. The flower was +to be brought out of the garden of Love; but what rose was it there that +expressed the highest and purest love? + +And the poets sang of the loveliest rose in the world, and each one +named his own; and intelligence was sent far round the land to every +heart that beat with love, to every class and condition, and to every +age. + +"No one has till now named the flower," said the wise man. "No one has +pointed out the place where it bloomed in its splendor. They are not the +roses from the coffin of Romeo and Juliet, or from the Walburg's grave, +though these roses will be ever fragrant in song. They are not the roses +that sprouted forth from Winkelried's blood-stained lances, from the +blood that flows in a sacred cause from the breast of the hero who dies +for his country; though no death is sweeter than this, and no rose +redder than the blood that flows then. Nor is it that wondrous flower, +to cherish which man devotes, in a quiet chamber, many a sleepless +night, and much of his fresh life--the magic flower of science." + +"I know where it blooms," said a happy mother, who came with her pretty +child to the bedside of the Queen. "I know where the loveliest rose of +the world is found! The rose that is the expression of the highest and +purest love springs from the blooming cheeks of my sweet child when, +strengthened by sleep, it opens its eyes and smiles at me with all its +affection!" + +"Lovely is this rose; but there is still a lovelier," said the wise man. + +"Yes, a far lovelier one," said one of the women. "I have seen it, and a +loftier, purer rose does not bloom. I saw it on the cheeks of the +Queen. She had taken off her golden crown, and in the long dreary night +she was carrying her sick child in her arms: she wept, kissed it, and +prayed for her child as a mother prays in the hour of her anguish." + +"Holy and wonderful in its might is the white rose of grief; but it is +not the one we seek." + +"No, the loveliest rose of the world I saw at the altar of the Lord," +said the good old Bishop. "I saw it shine as if an angel's face had +appeared. The young maidens went to the Lord's Table, and renewed the +promise made at their baptism, and roses were blushing, and pale roses +shining on their fresh cheeks. A young girl stood there; she looked with +all the purity and love of her young spirit up to heaven: that was the +expression of the highest and purest love." + +"May she be blessed," said the wise man; "but not one of you has yet +named to me the loveliest rose of the world." + +Then there came into the room a child, the Queen's little son. Tears +stood in his eyes and glistened on his cheeks; he carried a great open +book, and the binding was of velvet, with great silver clasps. + +"Mother!" cried the boy, "only hear what I have read." + +And the child sat by the bedside, and read from the book of Him who +suffered death on the cross to save men, and even those who were not yet +born. + +"Greater love there is not"-- + +And a roseate hue spread over the cheeks of the Queen, and her eyes +gleamed, for she saw that from the leaves of the book there bloomed the +loveliest rose, that sprang from the blood of Christ shed on the cross. + +"I see it!" she said: "he who beholds this, the loveliest rose on earth, +shall never die." + + + + +A VISION OF THE LAST DAY + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +Of all the days of our life the greatest and most solemn is the day on +which we die. Hast thou ever tried to realize that most sure, most +portentous hour, the last hour we shall spend on earth? + +There was a certain man, an upholder of truth and justice, a Christian +man and orthodox, so the world esteemed him. And, in sooth, it may be +that some good thing was found in him, since in sleep, amid the visions +of the night, it pleased the Father of spirits to reveal him to himself, +making manifest to him what he was in truth, namely, one of those who +trust in themselves that they are righteous and despise others. + +He went to rest, secure that his accounts were right with all men, that +he had paid his dues and wrought good works that day; of the secret +pride of his heart, of the harsh words that had passed his lips, he took +no account at all. And so he slept, and in his sleep Death stood by his +bedside, a glorious Angel, strong, spotless, beautiful, but unlike every +other angel, stern, unsmiling, pitiless of aspect. + +"Thine hour is come, and thou must follow me!" spake Death. And Death's +cold finger touched the man's feet, whereupon they became like ice, then +touched his forehead, then his heart. And the chain that bound the +immortal soul to clay was riven asunder, and the soul was free to follow +the Angel of Death. + +But during those brief seconds, while yet that awful touch thrilled +through feet, and head, and heart, there passed over the dying man, as +in great, heaving, ocean waves, the recollection of all that he had +wrought and felt in his whole life; just as one shuddering glance into a +whirlpool suffices to reveal in thought rapid as lightning, the entire +unfathomable depth; just as in one momentary glance at the starry +heavens we can conceive the infinite multitude of that glorious host of +unknown orbs. + +In such a retrospect the terrified sinner shrinks back into himself, and +finding there no stay by which to cling, must feel shrinking into +infinite nothingness; while the devout soul raises its thoughts to the +Almighty, yielding itself up to Him in childlike trust, and praying, +"Thy will be done in me!" + +But this man had not the childlike mind, neither did he tremble like the +sinner; his thoughts were still the self-praising thoughts in which he +had fallen asleep. His path, he believed, must lead straight heavenward, +and Mercy, the promised Mercy, would open to him the gates. + +And, in his dream, the Soul followed the Angel of Death, though not +without first casting one wistful glance at the couch where lay, in its +white shroud, the lifeless image of clay, still, as it were, bearing the +impress of the soul's own individuality. And now they hovered through +the air, now glided along the ground. Was it a vast decorated hall they +were passing through, or a forest? It seemed hard to tell; Nature, it +appeared, was formally set out for show, as in the artificial old French +gardens, and amid its strange, carefully arranged scenes, passed and +repassed troops of men and women, all clad as for a masquerade. + +"Such is human life!" said the Angel of Death. + +The figures seemed more or less disguised; those who swept by in the +glories of velvet and gold were not all among the noblest or most +dignified-looking, neither were all those who wore the garb of poverty +insignificant or vulgar. It was a strange masquerade! But most strange +it was to see how one and all carefully concealed under their clothing +something they would not have others perceive, but in vain, for each was +bent upon discovering his neighbor's secret, and they tore and snatched +at one another till, now here, now there, some part of an animal was +revealed. In one was found the grinning head of an ape, in another the +cloven foot of a goat, in a third the poison-fang of a snake, in a +fourth the clammy fin of a fish. + +All had in them some token of the animal--the animal which is fast +rooted in human nature, and which here was seen struggling to burst +forth. And, however closely a man might hold his garment over it, the +others would never rest till they had rent the hiding veil, and all kept +crying out, "Look here! look now! here he is! there she is!"--and every +one mockingly laid bare his fellow's shame. + +"And what was the animal in me?" inquired the disembodied Soul; and the +Angel of Death pointed to a haughty form, around whose head shone a +bright, widespread glory of rainbow-colored rays, but at whose heart +might be seen lurking, half-hidden, the feet of the peacock; the glory +was, in fact, merely the peacock's gaudy tail. + +And as they passed on, large, foul-looking birds shrieked out from the +boughs of the trees; with clear, intelligible, though harsh, human +voices they shrieked, "Thou that walkest with Death, dost remember me?" +All the evil thoughts and desires that had nestled within him from his +birth until his death now called after him, "Rememberest thou me?" + +And the Soul shuddered, recognizing the voices; it could not deny +knowledge of the evil thoughts and desires that were now rising up in +witness against it. + +"In our flesh, in our evil nature, dwelleth no good thing," cried the +Soul; "but, at least, thoughts never with me ripened into actions; the +world has not seen the evil fruit." And the Soul hurried on to get free +from the accusing voices; but the great black fowls swept in circles +round, and screamed out their scandalous words louder and louder, as +though they would be heard all over the world. And the Soul fled from +them like the hunted stag, and at every step stumbled against sharp +flint stones that lay in the path. "How came these sharp stones here? +They look like mere withered leaves lying on the ground." + +"Every stone is for some incautious word thou hast spoken, which lay as +a stumbling-block in thy neighbor's path, which wounded thy neighbor's +heart far more sorely and deeply than these sharp flints now wound thy +feet." + +"Alas! I never once thought of that," sighed the Soul. + +And those words of the gospel rang through the air, "Judge not, that ye +be not judged." + +"We have all sinned," said the Soul, recovering from its momentary +self-abasement. "I have kept the Law and the Gospel, I have done what I +could, I am not as others are!" + +And in his dream this man now stood at the gates of heaven, and the +Angel who guarded the entrance inquired, "Who art thou? Tell me thy +faith, and show it to me in thy works." + +"I have faithfully kept the Commandments, I have humbled myself in the +eyes of the world, I have preserved myself free from the pollution of +intercourse with sinners, I have hated and persecuted evil, and those +who practice it, and I would do so still, yea, with fire and sword, had +I the power." + +"Then thou art one of Mohammed's followers?" said the Angel. + +"I? a Mohammedan?--never!" + +"'He who strikes with the sword shall perish by the sword,' thus spake +the Son; His religion thou knowest not. It may be that thou art one of +the children of Israel, whose maxim is, 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for +a tooth'--art thou such?" + +"I am a Christian." + +"I see it not in thy faith or in thine actions. The law of Christ is the +law of forgiveness, love, and mercy." + +"Mercy!" The gracious echo of that sweet word thrilled through infinite +space, the gates of heaven opened, and the Soul hovered toward the +realms of endless bliss. + +But the flood of light that streamed forth from within was so dazzlingly +bright, so transcendently white and pure, that the Soul shrank back as +from a two-edged sword, and the hymns and harp-tones of Angels mingled +in such exquisite celestial harmony as the earthly mind has not power +either to conceive or to endure. And the Soul trembled and bowed itself +deeper and deeper, and the heavenly light penetrated it through and +through, and it felt to the quick, as it had never truly felt before, +the burden of its own pride, cruelty, and sin. + +"What I have done of good in the world, that did I because I could not +otherwise, but the evil that I did--that was of myself!" + +The confession was wrung from him; more and more the man felt dazzled +and overpowered by the pure light of heaven; he seemed falling into a +measureless abyss, the abyss of his own nakedness and unworthiness. +Shrunk into himself, humbled, cast out, unripe for the kingdom of +heaven, shuddering at the thought of the just and holy God--hardly dared +he to gasp out, "Mercy!" + +And the face of the Angel at the portal was turned toward him in +softening pity. "Mercy is for them who implore it, not claim it; there +is Mercy also for thee. Turn thee, child of man, turn thee back the way +thou camest to thy clayey tabernacle; in pity is it given thee to dwell +in dust yet a little while. Be no longer righteous in thine own eyes, +copy Him who with patience endured the contradiction of sinners, strive +and pray that thou mayest become poor in spirit, and so mayest thou yet +inherit the Kingdom." + +"Holy, loving, glorious forever shalt thou be, O, erring human +spirit!"--thus rang the chorus of Angels. And again overpowered by those +transcendent melodies, dazzled and blinded by that excess of purest +light, the Soul again shrank back into itself. It seemed to be falling +an infinite depth; the celestial music grew fainter and fainter, till +common earthly sights and sounds dispelled the vision. The rays of the +early morning sun falling full on his face, the cheerful crow of the +vigilant cock, called the sleeper up to pray. + +Inexpressibly humbled, yet thankful, he arose and knelt beside his bed. +"Thou, who hast shown me to myself, help me now, that I may not only do +justly, but love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. Thou, who hast +convicted me of sin, now purify me, strengthen me, that, though ever +unworthy of Thy presence, I may yet, supported by Thy Love, dare to +ascend into Thine ever lasting light!" + +The Vision was his; be the lesson, the prayer, also ours. + + + + +THE OLD GRAVESTONE + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +In one of our small trading towns, at that time of year when folk say +"The evenings grow long," a whole family was assembled together. The air +was still mild and warm; the lamp was lighted, the long curtains hung +down before the windows, and bright moonlight prevailed without. They +were talking about a big old stone that lay down in the yard, close by +the kitchen door, where the servants often placed the kitchen utensils, +after they had been cleaned, to dry in the sun, and where the children +were fond of playing; it was, in fact, an old gravestone. + +"Yes," said the master of the house, "I believe it comes from the old +ruined convent chapel; pulpit and gravestones, with all their epitaphs, +were sold; my late father bought several of these; the others were +broken into paving-stones, but this one was left unused, lying in the +yard." + +"It is easy to know it for a gravestone," said the eldest of the +children. "You can still see on it an mountain-sides and a piece of an +angel, but the inscription is almost quite worn out, except the name +'Preben,' and a capital 'S' a little further on, and underneath it +'Martha,' but it is impossible to make out any more, and that you can +only read after if has been raining, or when we have washed it." + +"Why, then, it must be the gravestone of Preben Swan and his wife!" +exclaimed an old man, who by his age might appear the grandfather of +everybody in the room. "To be sure, they were among the last that were +buried in the old convent churchyard--the grand old couple! Everybody +knew them, everybody loved them; they were like king and queen in the +town. Folk said they had more than a barrelful of gold, and yet they +went about simply clad, in the coarsest cloth, only their linen was +always of dazzling whiteness. Yes, that was a charming old pair, Preben +and Martha. One was always so glad to see them, sitting together on the +bench at the top of their stone staircase, under the old lime-tree's +shade. They were so good to the poor! they feasted them, clothed them, +and there was good sense and a true Christian spirit in all their +benevolence. + +"The wife died first; I remember the day quite well; I was then a little +boy, and went with my father to see old Preben: the old man was so +grieved, he cried like a child. The corpse still lay in her bedroom, +close to the chamber where we sat; she looked as if she had just fallen +asleep. And the old man told my father how he should now be so lonely, +and how many years, they had spent together, and how they had first made +acquaintance and came to love each other. As I said before, I was a +child, but it moved me strangely to listen to the old man, and watch how +he grew more animated as he went on speaking, a faint color coming into +his cheeks as he talked of their youthful days, how pretty she had been, +how many little innocent tricks he had played, in order to meet her. And +when he spoke of his wedding-day his eyes quite sparkled; he seemed to +be living his happy time over again--and all the while she was lying +dead in the next chamber, an old lady, and he was an old man--ah, how +time passes! I was a child then, and now I am as old as Preben Swan. +Yes, time and change come to all. I remember as well as possible the +funeral-day, and Preben Swan following the coffin. They had had their +gravestone carved with names and inscriptions, all except the dates of +their death, some years before; that same evening the stone was taken to +the grave, and put into its place. The next year the grave had to be +reopened, and old Preben rejoined his wife. They did not turn out to be +so rich as people had fancied, and what they did leave went to distant +relations very far off. The old wooden house, with the bench at the top +of the high stone staircase under the lime-tree, was ordered to be +pulled down, for it was too ruinous to stand any longer. And afterward, +when the convent chapel and cemetery were destroyed, the gravestone of +Preben and Martha was sold, like others, to whomsoever chose to buy it. +And so now it lies in the yard for the little ones to roll over, and to +make a shelf for the kitchen pots and pans. And the paved street now +covers the resting-place of old Preben and his wife, and nobody thinks +of them any more." + +And the old man who related all this shook his head sadly. "Forgotten! +All things are forgotten!" + +And the rest began to speak of other matters; but the youngest boy, a +child with large, grave eyes, crept up on a chair behind the curtains, +and looked out into the yard, where the moon shone brightly on the big +stone that before had seemed to him flat and uninteresting enough, but +now had become to him like a page of a large-sized story-book. For all +that the boy had heard concerning Preben and his wife, the stone seemed +to contain within it; and he looked first at the stone, and then at the +brilliant moon, which looked to him like a bright kind face looking down +through the pure still air upon the earth. + +"Forgotten! all shall be forgotten!" these words came to his ears from +the room; but at that very moment an invisible angel kissed the boy's +forehead and softly whispered, "Keep the seed carefully, keep it till +the time for ripening. Through thee, child as thou art, shall the +half-erased inscription, the crumbling gravestone, stand out in clear, +legible characters for generations to come! Through thee shall the old +couple again walk arm-in-arm through the ancient gateways, and sit with +smiling faces on the bench under the lime tree, greeting rich and poor. +The good and the beautiful perish never; they live eternally in tale and +song." + + + + +"GOOD-FOR-NOTHING" + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +The sheriff stood at the open window; he wore ruffles, and a dainty +breastpin decorated the front of his shirt; he was neatly shaven, and a +tiny little strip of sticking-plaster covered the little cut he had +given himself during the process. "Well, my little man?" quoth he. + +The "little man" was no other than the laundress's son, who respectfully +took off his cap in passing. His cap was broken in the rim, and adapted +to be put into the pocket on occasion; his clothes were poor, but clean, +and very neatly mended, and he wore heavy wooden shoes. He stood still +when the sheriff spoke, as respectfully as though he stood before the +king. + +"Ah, you're a good boy, a well-behaved boy!" said the sheriff. "And so +your mother is washing down at the river; _she_ isn't good for much. And +you're going to her, I see. Ah, poor child!--well, you may go." + +And the boy passed on, still holding his cap in his hand, while the wind +tossed to and fro his waves of yellow hair. He went through the street, +down a little alley to the brook, where his mother stood in the water, +at her washing-stool, beating the heavy linen. The water-mill's sluices +were opened, and the current was strong; the washing-stool was nearly +carried away by it, and the laundress had hard work to strive against +it. + +"I am very near taking a voyage," she said, "and it is so cold out in +the water; for six hours have I been standing here. Have you anything +for me?"--and the boy drew forth a phial, which his mother put to her +lips. "Ah, that is as good as warm meat, and it is not so dear. O, the +water is so cold--but if my strength will but last me out to bring you +up honestly, my sweet child!" + +At that moment approached an elderly woman, poorly clad, blind of one +eye, lame on one leg, and with her hair brushed into one large curl to +hide the blind eye--but in vain, the defect was only the more +conspicuous. This was "Lame Maren," as the neighbors called her, a +friend of the washerwoman's. "Poor thing, slaving and toiling away in +the cold water! it is hard that you should be called names"--for Maren +had overheard the sheriff speaking to the child about his own mother-- +"hard that your boy should be told you are good-for-nothing." + +"What! did the sheriff really say so, child?" said the Laundress, and +her lips quivered. "So you have a mother who is good-for-nothing! +Perhaps he is right, only he should not say so to the child--but I must +not complain, for good things have come to me from that house." + +"Why yes, you were in service there once, when the sheriff's parents +were alive, many years since. There is a grand dinner at the sheriff's +to-day," went on Maren; "it would have been put off, though, had not +everything been prepared. I heard it from the porter. News came in a +letter, an hour ago, that the sheriff's younger brother, at Copenhagen, +is dead." + +"Dead!" repeated the Laundress, and she turned as white as a corpse. + +"What do you care about it?" said Maren. "To be sure, you must have +known him, since you served in the house." + +"Is he dead? he was the best, the kindest of creatures! indeed, there +are not many like him," and the tears rolled down her cheeks. "O, the +world is turning round, I feel so ill!" and she clung to the +washing-stool for support. + +"You are ill, indeed!" cried Maren. "Take care, the stool will overturn. +I had better get you home at once." + +"But the linen?" + +"I will look after that--only lean on me. The boy can stay here and +watch it till I come back and wash what is left; it is not much." + +The poor laundress's limbs trembled under her. "I have stood too long in +the cold water; I have had no food since yesterday. O, my poor child!" +and she wept. + +The boy cried too, as he sat alone beside the brook, watching the wet +linen. Slowly the two women made their way up the little alley and +through the street, past the sheriff's house. Just as she reached her +humble home, the laundress fell down on the paving-stones, fainting. +She was carried upstairs and put to bed. Kind Maren hastened to prepare +a cup of warm ale--that was the best medicine in this case, she +thought--and then went back to the brook and did the best she could with +the linen. + +In the evening she was again in the laundress's miserable room. She had +begged from the sheriff's cook a few roasted potatoes and a little bit +of bacon, for the sick woman. Maren and the boy feasted upon these, but +the patient was satisfied with the smell of them--that, she declared, +was very nourishing. + +Supper over, the boy went to bed, lying crosswise at his mother's feet, +with a coverlet made of old carpet-ends, blue and red, sewed together. + +The Laundress now felt a little better; the warm ale had strengthened +her, the smell of the meat had done her good. + +"Now, you good soul," said she to Maren, "I will tell you all about it, +while the boy is asleep. That he is already; look at him, how sweetly he +looks with his eyes closed; he little thinks how his mother has +suffered. May he never feel the like! Well, I was in service with the +sheriff's parents when their youngest son, the student, came home; I was +a wild young thing then, but honest--that I must say for myself. And the +student was so pleasant and merry, a better youth never lived. He was a +son of the house, I only a servant, but we became sweethearts--all in +honor and honesty--and he told his mother that he loved me; she was like +an angel in his eyes, so wise, kind, and loving! And he went away, but +his gold ring of betrothal was on my finger. When he was really gone, my +mistress called me in to speak to her; so grave, yet so kind she looked, +so wisely she spoke, like an angel, indeed. She showed me what a gulf of +difference in tastes, habits, arid mind lay between her son and me. 'He +sees you now to be good-hearted and pretty, but will you always be the +same in his eyes? You have not been educated as he has been; +intellectually you cannot rise to his level. I honor the poor,' she +continued, 'and I know that in the kingdom of heaven many a poor man +will sit in a higher seat than the rich; but that is no reason for +breaking the ranks in this world, and you two, left to yourselves, would +drive your carriage full tilt against all obstacles till it toppled over +with you both. I know that a good honest handicraftsman, Erik, the +glove-maker, has been your suitor; he is a widower without children, he +is well off; think whether you cannot be content with him.' Every word +my mistress spoke went like a knife through my heart, but I knew she was +right; I kissed her hand, and shed such bitter tears! But bitterer tears +still came when I went into my chamber and lay upon my bed. O, the long, +dreary night that followed! Our Lord alone knows what I suffered. Not +till I went to church on Sunday did a light break upon my darkness. It +seemed providential that as I came out of church I met Erik the +glove-maker. There were no more doubts in my mind; he was a good man, +and of my own rank. I went straight to him, took his hand, and asked, +'Art thou still in the same mind toward me?'--'Yes, and I shall never be +otherwise minded,' he replied.--'Dost thou care to have a girl who likes +and honors thee, but does not love thee?'--'I believe love will come,' +he said, and so he took my hand. I went home to my mistress; the gold +ring that her son had given to me, that I wore all day next my heart, +and on my finger at night in bed, I now drew forth; I kissed it till my +mouth bled, I gave it to my mistress, and said that next week the bans +would be read for me and the glove-maker. My mistress took me in her +arms and kissed me; she did not tell me I was good-for-nothing; I was +good for something then, it seems, before I had known so much trouble. +The wedding was at Candlemastide, and our first year all went well; my +husband had apprentices, and you, Maren, helped me in the housework." + +"O, and you were such a good mistress!" exclaimed Maren. "Never shall I +forget how kind you and your husband were to me." + +"Ah, you were with us during our good times! We had no children then. +The student I never saw again--yes, once I saw him, but he did not see +me. He came to his mother's funeral; I saw him standing by her grave, +looking so sad, so ashy pale--but all for his mother's sake. When +afterward his father died, he was abroad and did not come to the +funeral. Nor has he been here since; he is a lawyer, that I know, and he +has never married. But he thought no more of me, and had he seen me, he +would certainly have never recognized me, so ugly as I am now. And it is +right it should be so." + +Then she went on to speak of the bitter days of adversity, when troubles +had come upon them in a flood. They had five hundred rix-dollars, and as +in their street a house could be bought for two hundred, it was +considered a good investment to buy it, take it down, and build it anew. +The house was bought; masons and carpenters made an estimate that one +thousand and twenty rix-dollars more would be required. Erik arranged to +borrow this sum from Copenhagen, but the ship that was to bring him the +money was lost, and the money with it. "It was just then that my sweet +boy, who lies sleeping here, was born. Then his father fell sick; for +three-quarters of a year I had to dress and undress him every day. We +went on borrowing and borrowing; all our things had to be sold, one by +one; at last Erik died. Since then I have toiled and moiled for the +boy's sake, have gone out cleaning and washing, done coarse work or +fine, whichever I could get; but I do everything worse and worse; my +strength will never return any more; it is our Lord's will! He will take +me away, and find better provision for my boy." + +She fell asleep. In the morning she seemed better, and fancied she was +strong enough to go to her work again. But no sooner did she feel the +cold water than a shivering seized her, she felt about convulsively with +her hands, tried to step forward, and fell down. Her head lay on the +dry bank, but her feet were in the water of the brook, her wooden shoes +were carried away by the stream. Here she was found by Maren. + +A message had been taken to her lodging that the sheriff wanted her, had +something to say to her. It was too late; the poor washerwoman was dead. +The letter that had brought the sheriff news of his brother's death also +gave an abstract of his will; among other bequests he had left six +hundred rix-dollars to the glove-maker's widow, who had formerly served +his parents. "There was some love-nonsense between my brother and her," +quoth the sheriff. "It is all as well she is out of the way; now it will +all come to the boy, and I shall apprentice him to honest folk who will +make him a good workman." For whatever the sheriff might do, were it +ever so kind an action, he always spoke harshly and unkindly. So he now +called the boy to him, promised to provide for him, and told him it was +a good thing his mother was dead; she was good-for-nothing! + +She was buried in the paupers' churchyard. Maren planted a little +rose-tree over the grave; the boy stood by her side the while. + +"My darling mother!" he sighed, as the tears streamed down from his +eyes. "It was not true that she was good-for-nothing!" + +"No, indeed!" cried her old friend, looking up to heaven. "Let the world +say she was good-for-nothing; our Lord in his heavenly kingdom will not +say so." + + + + +"IN THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE SEA" + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +Some large ships were sent up toward the North Pole, for the purpose of +discovering the boundaries of land and sea, and of trying how far men +could make their way. + +A year and a day had elapsed; amid mist and ice had they, with great +difficulty, steered further and further; the winter had now begun; the +sun had set, one long night would continue during many, many weeks. One +unbroken plain of ice spread around them; the ships were all fast moored +to it; the snow lay about in heaps, and had even shaped itself into +cubiform houses, some as big as our barrows, some only just large enough +for two or three men to find shelter within. Darkness they could not +complain of, for the Northern Lights--Nature's fireworks--now red, now +blue, flashed unceasingly, and the snow glistened so brightly. + +At times when it was brightest came troops of the natives, +strange-looking figures, clad in hairy skins, and with sledges made out +of hard fragments of ice; they brought skins to exchange, which the +sailors were only too glad to use as warm carpets inside their snow +houses, and as beds whereon they could rest under their snowy tents, +while outside prevailed an intensity of cold such as we never experience +during our severest winters. But the sailors remembered that at home it +was still autumn; and they thought of the warm sunbeams and the leaves +still clinging to the trees in varied glories of crimson and gold. Their +watches told them it was evening, and time for rest, and in one of the +snow houses two sailors had already lain down to sleep; the youngest of +these two had with him his best home-treasure, the Bible that his +grandmother had given him at parting. Every night it lay under his +pillow; he had known its contents from childhood, and every day he read +a portion; and often as he lay on his couch, he recalled to mind those +holy words of comfort, "If I should take the wings of the morning, and +remain in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there should Thy hand +lead me, and Thy right hand should hold me." + +These sublime words of faith were on his lips as he closed his eyes, +when sleep came to him, and dreams with sleep--busy, swift-winged +dreams, proving that though the body may rest, the soul must ever be +awake. First he seemed to hear the melodies of songs dear to him in his +home; a mild summer breeze seemed to breathe upon him, and a light shone +upon his couch, as though the snowy dome above him had become +transparent; he lifted his head, and behold! the dazzling white light +was not the white of a snow wall, it came from the large wings of an +angel stooping over him, an angel with eyes beaming with love. The +angel's form seemed to spring from the pages of the Bible, as from the +pitcher of a lily-blossom; he extended his arms, and lo! the narrow +walls of the snow-hut sank back like a mist melting before the daylight. +Once again the green meadows and autumnal-tinted woods of the sailor's +home lay around him, bathed in quiet sunshine; the stork's nest was +empty, but the apples still clung to the wild apple-tree; though leaves +had fallen, the red hips glistened, and the blackbird whistled in the +little green cage that hung in the lowly window of his childhood's home; +the blackbird whistled the tune he had taught him, and the old +grandmother wound chickweed about the bars of the cage, as her grandson +had been wont to do. And the smith's pretty young daughter stood drawing +water from the well, and as she nodded to the grandmother, the latter +beckoned to her, and held up a letter to show her, a letter that had +come that morning from the cold northern lands, from the North Pole +itself, where the old woman's grandson now was--safe under God's +protecting hand. And the two women, old and young, laughed and wept by +turns--and he the while, the young sailor whose body was sleeping amid +ice and snow, his spirit roaming in the world of dreams, under the +angel's wings, saw and heard it all, and laughed and wept with them. And +from the letter these words were read aloud, "Even in the uttermost +parts of the sea, His right hand shall hold me fast": and a sweet, +solemn music was wafted round him, and the angel drooped his wings; like +a soft protecting veil they fell closer over the sleeper. + +The dream was ended; all was darkness in the little snow-hut, but the +Bible lay under the sailor's head, faith and hope abode in his heart. +God was with him, and his home was with him, "even in the uttermost +parts of the sea." + + + + +"SOMETHING" + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +"I will be Something," declared the eldest of five brothers; "I will be +of use in the world; be it ever so humble a position that I may hold, +let me be but useful, and that will be Something. I will make bricks; +folk cannot do without them, so I shall at least do Something." + +"Something very little, though," replied the second brother. "Why, it is +as good as nothing! it is work that might be done by a machine. Better +be a mason, as I intend to be. Then one belongs to a guild, becomes a +citizen, has a banner of one's own. Nay, if all things go well, I may +become a master, and have apprentices and workmen under me. That will be +Something!" + +"It will be nothing at all then, I can tell you that!" rejoined the +third. "Think how many different ranks there are in a town far above +that of a master-mason. You may be an honest sort of a man, but you will +never be a gentleman; gentle and simple; those are the two grand +divisions, and you will always be one of the 'simple.' Well, I know +better than that. I will be an architect; I will be one of the thinkers, +the artists; I will raise myself to the aristocracy of intellect. I may +have to begin from the very lowest grade; I may begin as a carpenter's +boy, and run about with a paper-cap on my head, to fetch ale for the +workmen; I may not enjoy it, but I shall try to imagine it is only a +masquerade. 'To-morrow,' I shall say, 'I will go my own way, and others +shall not come near me.' Yes, I shall go to the Academy, learn to draw, +and be called an architect. That will be Something! I may get a title, +perhaps; and I shall build and build, as others before me have done. +Yes, that will be Something!" + +"But it is Something that I care nothing about," said the fourth. "I +should not care to go on, on, in the beaten track, to be a mere copyist; +I will be a genius, cleverer than all of you put together; I will create +a new style, provide ideas for buildings suited to the climate and +materials of our country, suited to our national character, and the +requirements of the age." + +"But supposing the climate and the materials don't agree," suggested the +fifth, "how will you get on then, if they won't co-operate? As for our +national character, to be following out that in architecture will be +sheer affectation, and the requirements of modern civilization will +drive you perfectly mad. I see you will none of you ever be anything, +though of course you won't believe me. But do as you please, I shall not +be like you. I shall reason over what you execute; there is something +ridiculous in everything; I shall find it out, show you yeur +faults--that will be Something!" + +And he kept his word; and folk said of this fifth brother, "There is +something in him, certainly; he has plenty of brains! but he does +nothing." But he was content, he was Something. + +But what became of the five brothers? We will hear the whole. + +The eldest brother, the brickmaker, found that every brick he turned out +whole yielded him a tiny copper coin--only copper--but a great many of +these small coins, added together, could be converted into a bright +silver dollar, and through the power of this, wheresoever he knocked, +whether at baker's, butcher's, or tailor's, the door flew open, and he +received what he wanted. Such was the virtue of his bricks; some, of +course, got broken before they were finished, but a use was found even +for these. For up by the trench would poor Mother Margaret fain build +herself a little house, if she might; she took all the broken bricks, +ay, and she got a few whole ones besides, for a good heart had the +eldest brother, though only a brickmaker. The poor thing built her house +with her own hands; it was very narrow, its one window was all on one +side, the door was too low, and the thatch on the roof might have been +laid on better, but it gave her shelter and a home, and could be seen +far over the sea, which sometimes burst over the trench in its might, +and sprinkled a salt shower over the little house, which kept its place +there years after he who made the bricks was dead and gone. + +As for the second brother, he learned to build after another fashion, as +he had resolved. When he was out of his apprenticeship, he buckled on +his knapsack and started, singing as he went, on his travels. He came +home again, and became a master in his native town; he built, house +after house, a whole street of houses; there they stood, looked well, +and were a credit to the town; and these houses soon built him a little +house for himself. How? Ask the houses, and they will give you no +answer; but the people will answer you and say, "Why, of course, the +street built him his house!" It was small enough, and had only a clay +floor, but when he and his bride danced over it, the floor grew as +smooth as if it had been polished, and from every stone in the wall +sprung a flower, that looked as gay as the costliest tapestry. It was a +pretty house and a happy wedded pair. The banner of the Masons' Guild +waved outside, and workmen and apprentices shouted "Hurra!" Yes, that +was Something! and at last he died--that, too, was Something! + +Next comes the architect, the third brother. He began as a carpenter's +apprentice, and ran about the town on errands, wearing a paper-cap; but +he studied industriously at the Academy, and rose steadily upward. If +the street full of houses had built a house for his brother the mason, +the street took its name from the architect; the handsomest house in the +whole street was his--that was Something, and he was Something! His +children were gentlemen, and could boast of their "birth"; and when he +died, his widow was a widow of condition--that is Something--and his +name stood on the corner of the street, and was in everybody's +lips--that is Something, too! + +Now for the genius, the fourth brother, who wanted to invent something +new, something original. Somehow the ground gave way beneath his feet; +he fell and broke his neck. But he had a splendid funeral, with music +and banners, and flowery paragraphs in the newspapers; and three +eulogiums were pronounced over him, each longer than the last, and this +would have pleased him mightily, for he loved speechifying of all +things. A monument was erected over his grave, only one story high--but +that is Something! + +So now he was dead, as well as his three elder brothers; the youngest, +the critic, outlived them all, and that was as it should be, for thus he +had the last word, which to him was a matter of the greatest importance. +"He had plenty of brains," folk said. Now his hour had struck, he died, +and his soul sought the gates of heaven. There it stood side by side +with another soul--old Mother Margaret from the trenches. + +"It is for the sake of contrast, I suppose, that I and this miserable +soul should wait here together," thought the critic. "Well now, who are +you, my good woman?" he inquired. + +And the old woman replied, with as much respect as though St. Peter +himself were addressing her--in fact, she took him for St. Peter, he +gave himself such grand airs--"I am a poor old soul, I have no family, I +am only old Margaret from the house near the trenches." + +"Well, and what have you done down below?" + +"I have done as good as nothing in the world! nothing whatever! It will +be mercy, indeed, if such as I am suffered to pass through this gate." + +"And how did you leave the world?" inquired the critic, carelessly. He +must talk about something; it wearied him to stand there, waiting. + +"Well, I can hardly tell how I left it; I have been sickly enough during +these last few years, and could not well bear to creep out of bed at all +during the cold weather. It has been a severe winter, but now that is +all past. For a few days, as your highness must know, the wind was quite +still, but it was bitterly cold; the ice lay over the water as far as +one could see. All the people in the town were out on the ice; there was +dancing, and music, and feasting, and sledge-racing, I fancy; I could +hear something of it all as I lay in my poor little chamber. And when it +was getting toward evening, the moon was up, but was not yet very +bright; I looked from my bed through the window, and I saw how there +rose up over the sea a strange white cloud; I lay and watched it, +watched the black dot in it, which grew bigger and bigger, and then I +knew what it foreboded; that sign is not often seen, but I am old and +experienced. I knew it, and I shivered with horror. Twice before in my +life have I seen that sign, and I knew that there would be a terrible +storm and a spring flood; it would burst over the poor things on the +ice, who were drinking and dancing and merry-making. Young and old, the +whole town was out on the ice; who was to warn them, if no one saw it, +or no one knew what I knew? I felt so terrified, I felt all alive, as I +had not felt for years! I got out of bed, forced the window open; I +could see the folk running and dancing over the ice; I could see the +gay-colored flags, I could hear the boys shout 'Hurra!' and the girls +and lads a-singing. All were so merry; and all the time the white cloud +with its black speck rose higher and higher! I screamed as loud as I +could; but no one heard me, I was too far off. Soon would the storm +break loose, the ice would break in pieces, and all that crowd would +sink and drown. Hear me they could not; get out to them I could not; +what was to be done? Then our Lord sent me a good thought; I could set +fire to my bed; better let my house be burned to the ground than that so +many should miserably perish. So I kindled a light; I saw the red flame +mount up; I got out at the door, but then I fell down; I lay there, I +could not get up again. But the flames burst out through the window and +over the roof; they saw it down below, and they all ran as fast as they +could to help me; the poor old crone they believed would be burned; +there was not one who did not come to help me. I heard them come, and I +heard, too, such a rustling in the air, and then a thundering as of +heavy cannon-shots, for the spring-flood was loosening the ice, and it +all broke up. But the folk were all come off it to the trenches, where +the sparks were flying about me; I had them all safe. But I could not +bear the cold and the fright, and that is how I have come up here. Can +the gates of heaven be opened to such a poor old creature as I? I have +no house now at the trenches; where can I go, if they refuse me here?" + +Then the gates opened, and the Angel bade poor Margaret enter. As she +passed the threshold, she dropped a blade of straw--straw from her +bed--that bed which she had set alight to save the people on the ice, +and lo! it had changed into gold! dazzling gold! yet flexible withal, +and twisting into various forms. + +"Look, that was what yonder poor woman brought," said the Angel. "But +what dost thou bring? Truly, I know well that thou hast done nothing, +not even made bricks. It is a pity thou canst not go back again to fetch +at least one brick--not that it is good for anything when it is made, +no, but because anything, the very least, done with a good will, is +Something. But thou mayst not go back, and I can do nothing for thee." + +Then poor Margaret pleaded for him thus: "His brother gave me all the +bricks and broken bits wherewith I built my poor little house--that was +a great kindness toward a poor old soul like me! May not all those bits +and fragments, put together, be reckoned as one brick for him? It will +be an act of mercy; he needs it, and this is the home of mercy." + +"To thy brother, whom thou didst despise," said the Angel, "to him whose +calling, in respect of worldly honor, was the lowest, shalt thou owe +this mite of heavenly coin. Thou shalt not be sent away; thou shalt +have leave to stand here without, and think over thy manner of life +down below. But within thou canst not enter, until thou hast done +something that is good--Something!" + +"I fancy I could have expressed that better," thought the critic; but he +did not say it aloud, and that was already--Something! + + + + +THE JEWISH GIRL + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +There was in the charity-school among the other children a little Jewish +girl, so clever and good; the best, in fact, of them all; but one of the +lessons she could not attend--the one when religion was taught, for this +was a Christian school. + +Then she held her geography book before her to learn from it, or she did +her sum; but the lesson was quickly learned, the sum was soon done; the +book might be there open before her, but she did not read, she was +listening; and the teacher soon noticed that she was attending more +intently, even, than any of the rest. + +"Read your book," the teacher urged, mildly and earnestly; but she +looked at him with her black sparkling eyes, and when he put questions +to her also, she knew more than all the others. She had listened, +understood, and kept his words. + +Her father was a poor honest man, and when first he brought her to the +school, he had made the stipulation that she should not be taught the +Christian faith. To let her go away during the Scripture lesson might, +however, have given offence, and raised thoughts of various kinds in the +minds of the other children, and so she stayed; but this could not go on +any longer. + +The teacher went to her father, and told him that either he must take +his daughter away from the school, or consent to her becoming a +Christian. + +"I cannot bear to see those burning eyes, that yearning, that thirst of +the soul, as it were, after the words of the gospel," said the teacher. + +And the father burst into tears. "I know but little myself of our own +religion, but her mother was a daughter of Israel, of strong and firm +faith, and on her dying bed I made a vow that our child should never +receive Christian baptism; that vow I must keep; it is to me as a +convenant with God." + +And the little Jewish girl was taken away from the school of the +Christians. + +Years rolled by. + +In one of the smallest towns of Jutland served as maid in a plain +burgher's house a poor girl of the Mosaic faith; this was Sarah. Her +hair was black as ebony, her eyes dark, and yet brilliant and full of +light, such as you see among the daughters of the East; and the +expression in the countenance of the grown-up girl was still that of the +child who sat on the school-room bench, listening with thoughtful and +wistful eye. + +Each Sunday sounded from the church the pealing of the organ to the song +of the congregation, and the tones floated over the street, into the +house, where the Jewish girl attended to her work, diligent and faithful +in her calling. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy," this was her +law; but her Sabbath was a day of labor to the Christians, and only in +her heart could she keep it holy; and that was not enough for her. But +when the thought arose in her soul, "What matters it before God about +days and hours?" and on the Sunday of the Christians her hour of +devotion remained undisturbed. If, then, the organ's peal and the +psalm-tunes reached over to her, where she stood in the kitchen, even +this became a quiet and consecrated spot. She would read then the +treasure and peculiar property of her people, the Old Testament, and +this alone; for she kept deep in her heart what her father had told the +teacher and herself when she was taken from the school--the vow made to +her dying mother, "that Sarah should not be baptized, not forsake the +faith of her fathers." The New Testament was, and should remain forever, +a sealed book to her; and yet she knew much of it; it shone to her +through the recollections of childhood. + +One evening she sat in a corner of the parlor, and heard her master +reading aloud. She might listen, she thought, for this was not the +gospel; nay! 'twas out of an old story-book he read: she might stay. And +he read of a Hungarian knight, taken captive by a Turkish pasha, who had +him yoked with oxen to the plow; and he was driven with lashes, and had +to suffer pain and ignominy beyond endurance. + +But at home the knight's wife sold all her jewels, and mortgaged castle +and lands, and his friends contributed large sums, for enormous was the +ransom demanded; still it was raised, and he was delivered out of +thraldom and disgrace. Sick and suffering, he came to his home. But +soon resounded far and near the summons to war against the foe of +Christianity. The sick man heard the call, and had neither peace nor +rest any longer; he was placed on his charger; the blood came again to +his cheeks, his strength seemed to return, and he rode forth to victory. +The very pasha who had him yoked to the plow, and made him suffer pain +and scorn, became his captive. He was carried home to the castle +dungeon, but before his first hour there had elapsed the knight came, +and asked the prisoner, "What dost thou think awaiteth thee?" + +"I know," said the Turk; "retribution." + +"Yes, the Christian's retribution," said the knight. "Christ taught us +to forgive our enemies, to love our fellow-men. God is love! Depart in +peace to thy home and thy dear ones, and be gentle and good to those who +suffer." + +Then the prisoner burst into tears. + +"How could I believe such a thing could be possible? Torments and +sufferings I looked forward to as a certainty, and I took poison, which +must kill me; within a few hours I shall die. There is no remedy. But +before I die make known to me the faith that embraces such an amount of +love and mercy; it is great and divine! In it let me die; let me die a +Christian!" and his prayer was granted. + +This was the legend, the history which was read; they all listened to it +with attention, but deepest sank it into the heart of her who sat alone +in the corner--the servant maid--Sarah, the Jewess. Heavy tears stood in +her black sparkling eyes while she sat here, as once on the +school-bench, and felt the greatness of the gospel. The tears rolled +down her cheeks. + +"Let not my child become a Christian!" were the mother's last words on +her dying bed, and they rang through her soul with those of the law, +"Honor thy father and thy mother!" + +"Still I have not been baptized! they call me 'the Jewess'; the +neighbors' boys did so, hooting at me last Sunday as I stood outside the +open church door, and looked in where the altar-lights burned and the +congregation sang. Ever since my school-days, up to this hour--even +though I have tried to close my eyes against it--a power from +Christianity has like a sunbeam shone into my heart. But, my mother, I +will not give thee sorrow in thy grave! I will not betray the vow my +father made to thee; I will not read the Christian's Bible. Have not I +the God of my fathers? On Him let me rest my head!" + +And years rolled by. + +The husband died, the wife was left behind in hard plight. Now she could +no longer afford to have a maid; but Sarah did not forsake the widow; +she became her help in distress, and kept the household together; she +worked till late in the night, and got bread for the house by the labor +of her hands. There were no near relatives to help a family where the +mother grew weaker each day, lingering for months on a bed of sickness. +Sarah, gentle and pious, watched, nursed, and worked, and became the +blessing of the poor home. + +"There lies the Bible," said the invalid; "read to me this wearisome +evening; I sadly want to hear God's word." + +And Sarah bowed her head; she folded her hands round the Bible, which +she opened, and read aloud to the sick woman; now and again the tears +welled forth, but her eyes shone clearer, even as the darkness cleared +from her soul. "Mother, thy child shall not receive the baptism of the +Christians, shall not be named in their communion; in this we will be +united here on earth, but above this there is--is a greater unity--even +in God. 'He goes with us beyond the grave'; 'It is He who pours water +upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.' I understand +it! I do not know myself how I came to it! through Him it is--in +Him--Christ!" + +And she trembled as she named the holy name; a baptism of fire streamed +through her, stronger than her frame could bear, and she bent down, more +powerless even than she by whom she watched. + +"Poor Sarah!" they said; "she is worn out with labor and watching." + +They took her to the hospital for the poor; there she died; thence she +was borne to her grave; not to the Christians' graveyard; that was not +the place for the Jewish girl: no, outside, by the wall, her grave was +dug. + +And God's sun, which shone upon the graves of the Christians, shines +also upon that of the Jewish girl; and the hymns which are sung by the +graves of the Christians resound by her grave beyond the wall; thither, +too, reaches the promise: "There is resurrection in Christ, in Him, the +Saviour, who said to his disciples, 'John truly baptized with water; but +ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.'" + + + + +THE STORY OF A MOTHER + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +A mother sat by her little child: she was very sorrowful, and feared +that it would die. Its little face was pale, and its eyes were closed. +The child drew its breath with difficulty, and sometimes so deeply as if +it were sighing; and then the mother looked more sorrowfully than before +on the little creature. + +Then there was a knock at the door, and a poor old man came in, wrapped +up in something that looked like a great horse-cloth, for that keeps +warm; and he required it, for it was cold winter. Without, everything +was covered with ice and snow, and the wind blew so sharply that it cut +one's face. + +And as the old man trembled with cold, and the child was quiet for a +moment, the mother went and put some beer on the stove in a little pot, +to warm it for him. The old man sat down and rocked the cradle, and the +mother seated herself on an old chair by him, looked at her sick child +that drew its breath so painfully, and seized the little hand. + +"You think I shall keep it, do you not?" she asked. "The good God will +not take it from me!" + +And the old man--he was _Death_--nodded in such a strange way, that it +might just as well mean _yes_ as _no_. And the mother cast down her +eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Her head became heavy: for three +days and three nights she had not closed her eyes; and now she slept, +but only for a minute; then she started up and shivered with cold. + +"What is that?" she asked, and looked round on all sides; but the old +man was gone, and her little child was gone; he had taken it with him. +And there in the corner the old clock was humming and whirring; the +heavy leaden weight ran down to the floor--plump!--and the clock +stopped. + +But the poor mother rushed out of the house crying for her child. + +Out in the snow sat a woman in long black garments, and she said, "Death +has been with you in your room; I saw him hasten away with your child: +he strides faster than the wind, and never brings back what he has taken +away." + +"Only tell me which way he has gone," said the mother. "Tell me the way, +and I will find him." + +"I know him," said the woman in the black garments; "but before I tell +you, you must sing me all the songs that you have sung to your child. I +love those songs; I have heard them before. I am Night, and I saw your +tears when you sang them." + +"I will sing them all, all!" said the mother. "But do not detain me, +that I may overtake him, and find my child." + +But Night sat dumb and still. Then the mother wrung her hands, and sang +and wept. And there were many songs, but yet more tears, and then Night +said, "Go to the right into the dark fir wood; for I saw Death take that +path with your little child." + +Deep in the forest there was a cross road, and she did not know which +way to take. There stood a Blackthorn Bush, with not a leaf nor a +blossom upon it; for it was in the cold winter time, and icicles hung +from the twigs. + +"Have you not seen Death go by, with my little child?" + +"Yes," replied the Bush, "but I shall not tell you which way he went +unless you warm me on your bosom. I'm freezing to death here; I'm +turning to ice." + +And she pressed the Blackthorn Bush to her bosom, quite close, that it +might be well warmed. And the thorns pierced into her flesh, and her +blood oozed out in great drops. But the Blackthorn shot out fresh green +leaves, and blossomed in the dark winter night: so warm is the heart of +a sorrowing mother! And the Blackthorn Bush told her the way that she +should go. + +Then she came to a great Lake, on which there were neither ships nor +boat. The Lake was not frozen enough to carry her, nor sufficiently open +to allow her to wade through, and yet she must cross it if she was to +find her child. Then she laid herself down to drink the Lake; and that +was impossible for any one to do. But the sorrowing mother thought that +perhaps a miracle might be wrought. + +"No, that can never succeed," said the Lake. "Let us rather see how we +can agree. I'm fond of collecting pearls, and your eyes are the two +clearest I have ever seen: if you will weep them out into me I will +carry you over into the great greenhouse, where Death lives and +cultivates flowers and trees; each of these is a human life." + +"Oh, what would I not give to get my child!" said the afflicted mother; +and she wept yet more, and her eyes fell into the depths of the Lake, +and became two costly pearls. But the Lake lifted her up, as if she sat +in a swing, and she was wafted to the opposite shore, where stood a +wonderful house, miles in length. One could not tell if it was a +mountain containing forests and caves, or a place that had been built. +But the poor mother could not see it, for she had wept her eyes out. + +"Where shall I find Death, who went away with my little child?" she +asked. + +"He has not arrived here yet," said an old gray-haired Woman, who was +going about and watching the hothouse of Death. "How have you found your +way here, and who helped you?" + +"The good God has helped me," she replied. "He is merciful, and you will +be merciful too. Where shall I find my little child?" + +"I do not know it," said the old Woman, "and you cannot see. Many +flowers and trees have faded this night, and Death will soon come and +transplant them. You know very well that every human being has his tree +of life, or his flower of life, just as each is arranged. They look +like other plants, but their hearts beat. Children's hearts can beat +too. Think of this. Perhaps you may recognize the beating of your +child's heart. But what will you give me if I tell you what more you +must do?" + +"I have nothing more to give," said the afflicted mother. "But I will go +for you to the ends of the earth." + +"I have nothing for you to do there," said the old Woman, "but you can +give me your long black hair. You must know yourself that it is +beautiful, and it pleases me. You can take my white hair for it, and +that is always something." + +"Do you ask for nothing more?" asked she. "I will give you that gladly." +And she gave her beautiful hair, and received in exchange the old +Woman's white hair. + +And then they went into the great hothouse of Death, where flowers and +trees were growing marvellously intertwined. There stood the fine +hyacinths under glass bells, some quite fresh, others somewhat sickly; +water snakes were twining about them, and black crabs clung tightly to +the stalks. There stood gallant palm-trees, oaks, and plantains, and +parsley and blooming thyme. Each tree and flower had its name; each was +a human life: the people were still alive, one in China, another in +Greenland, scattered about in the world. There were great trees thrust +into little pots, so that they stood quite crowded, and were nearly +bursting the pots; there was also many a little weakly flower in rich +earth, with moss round about it, cared for and tended. But the sorrowful +mother bent down over all the smallest plants, and heard the human heart +beating in each, and out of millions she recognized that of her child. + +"That is it!" she cried, and stretched out her hands over a little +crocus flower, which hung down quite sick and pale. + +"Do not touch the flower," said the old dame; "but place yourself here; +and when Death comes--I expect him every minute--then don't let him pull +up the plant, but threaten him that you will do the same to the other +plants; then he'll be frightened. He has to account for them all; not +one may be pulled up till he receives commission from Heaven." + +And all at once there was an icy cold rush through the hall, and the +blind mother felt that Death was arriving. + +"How did you find your way hither?" said he. "How have you been able to +come quicker than I?" + +"I am a mother," she answered. + +And Death stretched out his long hands toward the little delicate +flower; but she kept her hands tight about it, and held it fast; and yet +she was full of anxious care lest he should touch one of the leaves. +Then Death breathed upon her hands, and she felt that his breath was +colder than the icy wind; and her hands sank down powerless. + +"You can do nothing against me," said Death. + +"But the merciful God can," she replied. + +"I only do what He commands," said Death. "I am his gardener. I take all +his trees and flowers, and transplant them into the great Paradise +gardens, in the unknown land. But how they will flourish there, and how +it is there, I may not tell you." + +"Give me back my child," said the mother; and she implored and wept. All +at once she grasped two pretty flowers with her two hands, and called to +Death, "I'll tear off all your flowers, for I am in despair." + +"Do not touch them," said Death. "You say you are so unhappy, and now +you would make another mother just as unhappy!" + +"Another mother?" said the poor woman; and she let the flowers go. + +"There are your eyes for you," said Death. "I have fished them up out of +the Lake; they gleamed up quite brightly. I did not know that they were +yours. Take them back--they are clearer now than before--and then look +down into the deep well close by. I will tell you the names of the two +flowers you wanted to pull up, and you will see what you were about to +frustrate and destroy." + +And she looked down into the well, and it was a happiness to see how one +of them became a blessing to the world, how much joy and gladness she +diffused around her. And the woman looked at the life of the other, and +it was made up of care and poverty, misery and woe. + +"Both are the will of God," said Death. + +"Which of them is the flower of misfortune, and which the blessed one?" +she asked. + +"That I may not tell you," answered Death; "but this much you shall +hear, that one of these two flowers is that of your child. It was the +fate of your child that you saw--the future of your own child." + +Then the mother screamed aloud for terror. + +"Which of them belongs to my child? Tell me that. Release the innocent +child! Let my child free from all that misery! Rather carry it away! +Carry it into God's kingdom! Forget my tears, forget my entreaties, and +all that I have done!" + +"I do not understand you," said Death. "Will you have your child back, +or shall I carry it to that place that you know not?" + +Then the mother wrung her hands, and fell on her knees, and prayed to +the good God. + +"Hear me not when I pray against Thy will, which is at all times the +best! Hear me not! hear me not!" And she let her head sink down on her +bosom. + +And Death went away with her child into the unknown land. + + + + +THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL + +By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN + + +It was terribly cold; it snowed and was already almost dark, and evening +came on, the last evening of the year. In the cold and gloom a poor +little girl, bareheaded and barefoot, was walking through the streets. +When she left her own house she certainly had had slippers on; but of +what use were they? They were very big slippers, and her mother had used +them till then, so big were they. The little maid lost them as she +slipped across the road, where two carriages were rattling by terribly +fast. One slipper was not to be found again, and a boy had seized the +other, and run away with it. He thought he could use it very well as a +cradle, some day when he had children of his own. So now the little girl +went with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the +cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and a bundle of +them in her hand. No one had bought anything of her all day, and no one +had given her a farthing. + +Shivering with cold and hunger she crept along, a picture of misery, +poor little girl! The snowflakes covered her long fair hair, which fell +in pretty curls over her neck; but she did not think of that now. In all +the windows lights were shining, and there was a glorious smell of +roast goose, for it was New Year's Eve. Yes, she thought of that! + +In a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected beyond the +other, she sat down, cowering. She had drawn up her little feet, but she +was still colder, and she did not dare to go home, for she had sold no +matches, and did not bring a farthing of money. From her father she +would certainly receive a beating, and besides, it was cold at home, for +they had nothing over them but a roof through which the wind whistled, +though the largest rents had been stopped with straw and rags. + +Her little hands were almost benumbed with the cold. Ah, a match might +do her good, if she could only draw one from the bundle, and rub it +against the wall, and warm her hands at it. She drew one out. R-r-atch! +how it spluttered and burned! It was a warm bright flame, like a little +candle, when she held her hands over it; it was a wonderful little +light! It really seemed to the little girl as if she sat before a great +polished stove, with bright brass feet and a brass cover. How the fire +burned! how comfortable it was! but the little flame went out, the stove +vanished, and she had only the remains of the burned match in her hand. + +A second was rubbed against the wall. It burned up, and when the light +fell upon the wall it became transparent like a thin veil, and she could +see through it into the room. On the table a snow-white cloth was +spread; upon it stood a shining dinner service; the roast goose smoked +gloriously, stuffed with apples and dried plums. And what was still more +splendid to behold, the goose hopped down from the dish, and waddled +along the floor, with a knife and fork in its breast, to the little +girl. Then the match went out, and only the thick, damp, cold wall was +before her. She lighted another match. Then she was sitting under a +beautiful Christmas tree; it was greater and more ornamented than the +one she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant's. +Thousands of candles burned upon the green branches, and colored +pictures like those in the print shops looked down upon them. The little +girl stretched forth her hand toward them; then the match went out. The +Christmas lights mounted higher. She saw them now as stars in the sky: +one of them fell down, forming a long line of fire. + +"Now some one is dying," thought the little girl, for her old +grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now dead, +had told her that when a star fell down a soul mounted up to God. + +She rubbed another match against the wall; it became bright again, and +in the brightness the old grandmother stood clear and shining, mild and +lovely. + +"Grandmother!" cried the child, "O! take me with you! I know you will go +when the match is burned out. You will vanish like the warm fire, the +warm food, and the great, glorious Christmas tree!" + +And she hastily rubbed the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to +hold her grandmother fast. And the matches burned with such a glow that +it became brighter than in the middle of the day; grandmother had never +been so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and +both flew in brightness and joy above the earth, very, very high, and up +there was neither cold, nor hunger, nor care--they were with God. + +But in the corner, leaning against the wall, sat the poor girl with red +cheeks and smiling mouth, frozen to death on the last evening of the Old +Year. The New Year's sun rose upon a little corpse! The child sat there, +stiff and cold, with the matches, of which one bundle was burned. "She +wanted to warm herself," the people said. No one imagined what a +beautiful thing she had seen, and in what glory she had gone in with her +grandmother to the New Year's Day. + + + + +FLOWERS WITHOUT FRUIT + + +Prune thou thy words; the thoughts control + That o'er thee swell and throng:-- +They will condense within thy soul, + And change to purpose strong. + +But he who lets his feelings run + In soft luxurious flow, +Shrinks when hard service must be done, + And faints at every woe. + +Faith's meanest deed more favor bears, + Where hearts and wills are weigh'd, +Than brightest transports, choicest prayers, + Which bloom their hour, and fade. + +_--J. H. Newman_ + + + + +CONTENTMENT + + +My mind to me a kingdom is; + Such perfect joy therein I find, +As far exceeds all earthly bliss + That world affords, or grows by kind: +Though much I want what most men have, +Yet doth my mind forbid me crave. + +Content I live--this is my stay; + I seek no more than may suffice: +I press to bear no haughty sway; + Look--what I lack, my mind supplies! +Lo! thus I triumph like a king, +Content with that my mind doth bring. + +I see how plenty surfeits oft, + And hasty climbers soonest fall; +I see how those that sit aloft + Mishap doth threaten most of all; +These get with toil, and keep with fear: +Such cares my mind could never bear. + +I laugh not at another's loss; + I grudge not at another's gain; +No worldly wave my mind can toss; + I brook that is another's pain. +I fear no foe: I scorn no friend: +I dread no death: I fear no end. + +Some have too much, yet still they crave; + I little have, yet seek no more: +They are but poor, though much they have, + And I am rich, with little store. +They poor, I rich: they beg, I give: +They lack, I lend: they pine, I live. + +I wish but what I have at will: + I wander not to seek for more: +I like the plain; I climb no hill: + In greatest storm I sit on shore, +And laugh at those that toil in vain, +To get what must be lost again. +--This is my choice; for why?--I find +No wealth is like a quiet mind. + +_--Unknown_ + + + + +THE SEARCH FOR PEACE + + +Sweet Peace, where dost thou dwell? I humbly crave, + Let me once know. + I sought thee in a secret cave, + And ask'd, if Peace were there? +A hollow wind did seem to answer, "No:-- + Go seek elsewhere." + +I did; and going did a rainbow note: + Surely, thought I, + This is the lace of Peace's coat: + I will search out the matter. +But while I look'd, the clouds immediately + Did break and scatter. + +Then went I to a garden, and did spy + A gallant flower, + The Crown Imperial: Sure, said I, + Peace at the root must dwell. +But when I digg'd, I saw a worm devour + What show'd so well. + +At length I met a reverend good old man: + Whom when for Peace + I did demand, he thus began: + "There was a Prince of old +At Salem dwelt, who lived with good increase + Of flock and fold. + +"He sweetly lived; yet sweetness did not save + His life from foes. + But after death, out of his grave + There sprang twelve stalks of wheat: +Which many wondering at, got some of those + To plant and set. + +"It prosper'd strangely, and did soon disperse + Through all the earth: + For they that taste it do rehearse, + That virtue lies therein; +A secret virtue, bringing peace and mirth + By flight of sin. + +"Take of this grain, which in my garden grows, + And grows for you; + Make bread of it:--and that repose + And peace, which everywhere +With so much earnestness you do pursue, + Is only there." + +_--G. Herbert_ + + + + +A SONG OF PRAISE + + +To God, ye choir above, begin + A hymn so loud and strong +That all the universe may hear + And join the grateful song. + +Praise Him, thou sun, Who dwells unseen + Amidst transcendent light, +Where thy refulgent orb would seem + A spot, as dark as night. + +Thou silver moon, 'ye host of stars, + The universal song +Through the serene and silent night + To listening worlds prolong. + +Sing Him, ye distant worlds and suns, + From whence no travelling ray +Hath yet to us, through ages past, + Had time to make its way. + +Assist, ye raging storms, and bear + On rapid wings His praise, +From north to south, from east to west, + Through heaven, and earth, and seas. + +Exert your voice, ye furious fires + That rend the watery cloud, +And thunder to this nether world + Your Maker's words aloud. + +Ye works of God, that dwell unknown + Beneath the rolling main; +Ye birds, that sing among the groves, + And sweep the azure plain; + +Ye stately hills, that rear your heads, + And towering pierce the sky; +Ye clouds, that with an awful pace + Majestic roll on high; + +Ye insects small, to which one leaf + Within its narrow sides +A vast extended world displays, + And spacious realms provides; + +Ye race, still less than these, with which + The stagnant water teems, +To which one drop, however small, + A boundless ocean seems; + +Whate'er ye are, where'er ye dwell, + Ye creatures great or small, +Adore the wisdom, praise the power, + That made and governs all. + +_--P. Skelton_ + + + + +THE TRAVELLER + + +How are thy servants blest, O Lord! + How sure is their defence! +Eternal wisdom is their guide, + Their help, Omnipotence. + +In foreign realms, and lands remote, + Supported by Thy care, +Through burning climes I pass'd unhurt, + And breathed in tainted air. + +Thy mercy sweeten'd every soil, + Made every region please; +The hoary Alpine hills it warm'd, + And smoothed the Tyrrhene seas. + +Think, O my soul, devoutly think, + How, with affrighted eyes, +Thou saw'st the wide-extended deep + In all its horrors rise. + +Confusion dwelt in every face, + And fear in every heart; +When waves on waves, and gulfs on gulfs, + O'ercame the pilot's art. + +Yet then from all my griefs, O Lord, + Thy mercy set me free; +Whilst, in the confidence of prayer, + My soul took hold on Thee. + +For though in dreadful whirls we hung + High on the broken wave, +I knew Thou wert not slow to hear, + Nor impotent to save. + +--The storm was laid; the winds retired, + Obedient to Thy will; +The sea that roar'd at Thy command, + At Thy command was still. + +_--J. Addison_ + + + + +TRUE GREATNESS + + +The fairest action of our human life + Is scorning to revenge an injury: +For who forgives without a further strife + His adversary's heart to him doth tie: +And 'tis a firmer conquest truly said + To win the heart, than overthrow the head. + +If we a worthy enemy do find, + To yield to worth, it must be nobly done:-- +But if of baser metal be his mind, + In base revenge there is no honor won. +Who would a worthy courage overthrow? + And who would wrestle with a worthless foe? + +We say our hearts are great, and cannot yield; + Because they cannot yield, it proves them poor: +Great hearts are task'd beyond their power but seld: + The weakest lion will the loudest roar. +Truth's school for certain does this same allow, + High-heartedness doth sometimes teach to bow. + +_--Lady E. Carew_ + + + + +CHARACTER OF A HAPPY LIFE + + +How happy is he born and taught + That serveth not another's will; +Whose armor is his honest thought, + And simple truth his utmost skill! + +Whose passions not his masters are, + Whose soul is still prepared for death, +Not tied unto the world with care + Of public fame, or private breath; + +Who envies none that chance doth raise + Or vice; who never understood +How deepest wounds are given by praise; + Nor rules of state, but rules of good; + +Who hath his life from rumors freed; + Whose conscience is his strong retreat; +Whose state can neither flatterers feed, + Nor ruin make accusers great; + +Who God doth late and early pray + More of His grace than gifts to lend; +And entertains the harmless day + With a well-chosen book or friend; + +--This man is freed from servile bands + Of hope to rise, or fear to fall; +Lord of himself, though not of lands; + And having nothing, yet hath all. + +_--Sir H. Wotton_ + + + + +A THANKSGIVING TO GOD, FOR HIS HOUSE + + +Lord, thou hast given me a cell, + Wherein to dwell; +A little house, whose humble roof + Is weather-proof; +Under the spars of which I lie + Both soft and dry; +Where thou, my chamber for to ward, + Hast set a guard +Of harmless thoughts, to watch and keep + Me, while I sleep. +Low is my porch, as is my fate: + Both void of state; +And yet the threshold of my door + Is worn by th' poor, +Who thither come, and freely get + Good words, or meat. +Like as my parlor, so my hall + And kitchen's small; +A little buttery, and therein + A little bin, +Which keeps my little loaf of bread + Unchipt, unflead; +Some brittle sticks of thorn or briar + Make me a fire, +Close by whose living coal I sit, + And glow like it. +Lord, I confess too, when I dine, + The pulse is thine, +And all those other bits that be + There placed by thee; +The worts, the purslain, and the mess + Of water-cress, +Which of thy kindness thou hast sent; + And my content +Makes those, and my beloved beet, + To be more sweet. +'Tis thou that crown'st my glittering hearth + With guiltless mirth, +And giv'st me wassail-bowls to drink, + Spiced to the brink. +Lord, 'tis thy plenty-dropping hand + That soils my land, +And giv'st me, for my bushel sown, + Twice ten for one; +Thou mak'st my teeming hen to lay + Her egg each day; +Besides my healthful ewes to bear + Me twins each year; +The while the conduits of my kine + Run cream, for wine: +All these, and better, thou dost send + Me--to this end, +That I should render, for my part, + A thankful heart. + +_--R. Herrick_ + + + + +FRIENDS DEPARTED + + +They are all gone into the world of light! + And I alone sit lingering here! +Their very memory is fair and bright, + And my sad thoughts doth clear. + +It glows and glitters in my cloudy breast + Like stars upon some gloomy grove, +Or those faint beams in which this hill is drest + After the Sun's remove. + +I see them walking in an air of glory, + Whose light doth trample on my days; +My days, which are at best but dull and hoary, + Mere glimmerings and decays. + +O holy hope! and high humility! + High as the Heavens above! +These are your walks, and you have show'd them me, + To kindle my cold love. + +Dear, beauteous Death; the jewel of the just! + Shining nowhere but in the dark; +What mysteries do lie beyond thy dust, + Could man outlook that mark! + +He that hath found some fledged birdes nest may know + At first sight if the bird be flown; +But what fair dell or grove he sings in now, + That is to him unknown. + +And yet, as Angels in some brighter dreams + Call to the soul when man doth sleep, +So some strange thoughts transcend our wonted themes, + And into glory peep. + +_--H. Vaughan_ + + + + +THE LAND OF DREAMS + + +"Awake, awake, my little boy! +Thou wast thy mother's only joy; +Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep? +O wake! thy father does thee keep." + +--"O what land is the Land of Dreams? +What are its mountains, and what are its streams? +O father! I saw my mother there +Among the lilies by waters fair. + +"Among the lambs, clothed in white, +She walk'd with her Thomas in sweet delight: +I wept for joy; like a dove I mourn:-- +O when shall I again return!" + +--"Dear child! I also by pleasant streams +Have wander'd all night in the Land of Dreams:-- +But, though calm and warm the waters wide, +I could not get to the other side." + +--"Father, O father! what do we here, +In this land of unbelief and fear?-- +The Land of Dreams is better far, +Above the light of the morning star." + +_--W. Blake_ + + + + +ADORATION + + +Sweet is the dew that falls betimes, +And drops upon the leafy limes; + Sweet Hermon's fragrant air: +Sweet is the lily's silver bell, +And sweet the wakeful tapers smell + That watch for early prayer. + +Sweet the young nurse, with love intense, +Which smiles o'er sleeping innocence; + Sweet when the lost arrive; +Sweet the musician's ardor beats, +While his vague mind's in quest of sweets, + The choicest flowers to hive. + +Strong is the horse upon his speed; +Strong in pursuit the rapid glede, + Which makes at once his game: +Strong the tall ostrich on the ground; +Strong through the turbulent profound + Shoots xiphias to his aim. + +Strong is the lion--like a coal +His eyeball--like a bastion's mole + His chest against the foes: +Strong the gier-eagle on his sail; +Strong against tide the enormous whale + Emerges as he goes. + +But stronger still, in earth and air, +And in sea, the man of prayer, + And far beneath the tide: +And in the seat to Faith assign'd, +Where ask is, have; where seek is, find; + Where knock is, open wide. + +_--C. 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