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Dialogues
St Gregory the Dialogist, tr. P. W., 1608
Book 2, How Holy Benedict Knew the Proud Thought of One of His Monks
1 Upon a time, whiles the venerable Father was at supper, one of his monks, who was the son of a great man, held the candle: and as he was standing there, and the other at his meat, he began to entertain a proud cogitation in his mind, and to speak thus within himself: “ Who is he, that I thus wait upon at supper, and hold him the candle? and who am I, that I should do him any such service?” Upon which thought straightways the holy man turned himself, and with severe reprehension spake thus unto him: “Sign your heart, brother, for what is it that you say? Sign your heart”: and forthwith he called another of the monks, and bad him take the candle out of his hands, and commanded him to give over his waiting, and to repose himself: who being demanded of the monks, what it was that he thought, told them, how inwardly he swelled with pride, and what he spake against the man of God, secretly in his own heart. Then they all saw very well that nothing could be hidden from venerable Benedict, seeing the very sound of men’s inward thoughts came unto his ears.
Notes
- Chapter XX. p. 80. In chapter iv. of the Rule, among the instruments of good works, we read: “To dash at once against Christ (as against a rock) evil thoughts which rise up in the mind.” According to the Latin text, this monk cujusdam defensoris filius fuerat. The Defensores Civitatum were the chief municipal authorities of the provinces, originally instituted to protect the people from the unjust extortions of the imperial officials. Cf. Hodgkin, Italy and her Invaders, I. pp. 625-628.