The History of Richard Raynal, Solitary

of matter-his five wits; that by which he has to do with God Almighty and the saints-his immortal soul and her powers; and, for the last, that by which he

nd the proper time to sow or reap. This trinity may be devoted to God or the fiend…. It is not true, as some have said, that it is only with the soul that God is perceived or s

ntemplate the Divine Essence, were all alike to serve God. He counted none wasted, for God Almighty had made the trinity of natures in His own image, and intended, therefore, a proper occupation for each. To refuse to dig or to talk was not to honour con

rcumstance, and the other that of an interior knowledge, and he would follow that which cried the louder. If he desired to contemplate and a neighbour came to talk with him; if he perceived the neighbour clearly he would give over his contemplation

gospel tells us, and when the soul is quiet there is no difficulty in knowing what must be done. The first business then of a solitary's life is to preserve this quiet aga

plation: the sweat that ran down his cheeks was the sign of the fiend's assault, and I knew that I had

to say and do. Then I placed myself, as I had learned, at the divine feet; I looked at the yellow flowers and the clear running water and the open sky, and

me; for I was in the shadow of the hazels. Then he waved his hands a little, and came slowly and very upright down the path in

as usual for my blessing, which I gave; then he kissed

ell you all that he

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upon the ground beneath me, with his hands clasped about his knee, and his bare feet drawn beneath him. I could see no more of him bu

have something to ask you. I do not k

oss the meadow at the hazels and the pigeons that were coming d

hows Himself to me; I cannot tell you what He is like, but there were roses on His hands and feet, and above His heart and about His head. I have not often perceived Him so clearly. His Mother, I knew, was a little distance away, behind me, and I wondered why it was so, and the divine John was with her. Then I understood that He was lonely, but no more than that

again beneath me, and the leaves overh

om our Lord or the fiend-that I must leave this place, and go to one whom I

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ars before, except once when he was in the purgative way, and the fiend came to him under aspect o

the meadow and the water and the beasts as my friends-that I was neither monk nor friar nor priest to be sent hi

have told you of a thousand times; I have set myself apart from the world, which is the first step, until all things visible have gone; then I have set myself apart from my body and my understanding so that I was conscious of neither hands nor heart nor hea

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hat, and I strove to silence what

ever since, my so

ed his

I looked from over the wall upon the sacrament, my eyes were blinded: I saw not

d had taught me to use that was turning against what I desired. I had not known until then

I said, "that has d

ys at that, and he tur

ter than they have always been," he

h to leave u

nee. I was terrified at its purity, but his

, the birds say mattins (but the strict observants call it compline), but there was neither mattins nor compline then in th

e spok

your soul tell

se at once, and stood smiling and looking on me, and the sunli

" he said, though I ha

green woods through my tears, and to listen to a mavis that had beg

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nd the shadows were like a veil over the land; only the

lk in four years before when he came to us. His little linen picture of the five wounds was fastened over his breast with thorns. He c

mitarum I shall take with me, and all the rest of the mobills and the two other

o books and l

n's Philomela, and a li

e Ess

ll need the

ed it, and here is the bottle that holds that that has been made of blood.-The fifth-being of gold a

u of before. It was distilled of his own blood,

he five wounds; the third of the assumption; the fourth of all martyrs with a special memory of saint Christopher; the fifth of all confes

t he had foreseen all; he spoke as simply as one who was going to another

to bid good-by

id, "I bear it with

taff in his other hand, and led me to the gate,

as we passed upwards

message," I asked, "whe

l it me when I com

st asleep. I wished him to go to some of the hou

too, wherever

the Blessed Sacrament.] and I had shriven the young man and blessed him,

r. The philomels had given over their singing near a month before, and it was not the seaso

knew well what was in my heart, and I knew presen

e the clear pallour of his face and the line

tale of the Persi

of such tales. I do not k

the one was a hermit, and the other another king. The hermit was in hell, and the king in heaven. When he asked the reason of this, one tol

him, but I

n, Sir John," sa

and he was gone without anot

in Saint Pancras' Church: how he came to Wes

nvocat: in voce c

at the noise of Thy fl