The conflict between the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…The conflict betvveene the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…

Their knees, with their continual praying, were grown hard; their eyes failing and overwearied, were sunk deep into their heads, the hair of their brows and eyelids being fallen away and lost, their cheeks seemed burnt with the heat of their scalding tears, their faces so withered, pale and deformed that they differed not from dead men. Their breasts were made sore with their blows, and being black and blew with bruises, they did spit blood, what use had they of any bed? what cared they for clean and whole clothing? All there were torn, filthy and full of lice. And in a word what is their affliction who are possessed with a Devil, in comparison of these? what the bitter vexation of those who mourn for their departed friends? what their sorrow who live in banishment? what the punishments of cruel parricides? surely the pains and torments which all these unwillingly suffer, are nothing being compared with their voluntary penance. And not content with punishments inflicted by themselves, they ⟨p. 29⟩would entreat their great judge and governor of their Monastery, who was a very Angel amongst men, that he would put irons and chains about their necks and hands, and fasten their feet in the stocks, not suffering them to come out till they were to be buried. Ye• indeed they would not so much as have any burial. (Neither will I hide their wonderful charity towards God and the penitence of these blessed men.) For being to dye and to become citizens of that heavenly City, they would with earnest prayers adjure their Abbot, that he• would not vouchsafe them human burial, but like brute creatures cast them either into the rivers or into the open fields to be devoured of beasts; which sometimes he also did being overcome with their importunate requests. But what was the quality of their place and habitation? Surely it was very dark, unhandsome, stinking, foul and filthy, so as it might fitly be called a prison for condemned persons, and the very sight thereof might well be a mistress of perfect penitence and mourning. Yea they were not contented with those torments which could be inflicted by men;

Their knees, with their continuall praying, were growne hard; their eyes fayling and ouerwearied, were sunke deepe into their heads, the haire of their browes and eyelids being fallen away and lost, their cheekes seemed burnt with the heate of their scalding teares, their faces so withered, pale and deformed that they differed not from dead men. Their breastes were made sore with their blowes, and being blacke and blew with bruises, they did spit blood, what vse had they of any bed? what cared they for cleane and whole cloathing? All there were torne, filthy and full of lice. And in a word what is their affliction who are possessed with a Diuell, in comparison of these? what the bitter vexation of those who mourne for their departed friends? what their sorrow who liue in banishment? what the punishments of cruell parricides? surely the paines and torments which all these vnwillingly suffer, are nothing beeing compared with their voluntary penance. And not content with punishments inflicted by themselues, they