Blanquerna

Blanquerna set out from the palace wherein were the Ten Commandments, and journeyed through the foreSt from one part to another, seeking a place where he might build his cell. At the hour of none, when he had said his office, he sat down near to a fountain and ate one of the seven loaves which he carried with him. When he had eaten, and had drunk from the water of the fountain, he gave thanks to God and continued upon his journey. As he went through the foreSt, he saw lions and bears and wolves and wild boars and serpents and many other evil beaSts; and because he was all alone and unaccustomed to seeing such beaSts he had fear and was affrighted in his mind. But Hope and Fortitude recalled to him the power of God, and Charity and JuStice Strengthened his mind, and he fell to prayer, and gave thanks to God, because He had given him such company, whereby he remembered His power, and was enabled to truSt in His hope.

2. While Blanquerna was journeying thus through the foreSt, there came from before him the sound of a moSt miserable and wretched voice. Greatly did Blanquerna marvel at the sound of the voice which he heard. When he had gone a little way he saw coming through the foreSt, with none other company, two ladies, right nobly dressed and very pleasant to look upon; but one of these ladies

Blanquerna

wept and bewailed herself bitterly. Blanqucrna Went quickly to meet these two ladies, and enquired of her that was weeping what was the occasion of her tears and sad¬ ness. The lady that wept answered and spake these words : “ I am Faith, and I have journeyed with this lady, who is Truth, into the land of the Saracens, that I might convert them into the way of salvation. And they have not been willing to receive me nor yet Truth; neither would they believe me, but made opposition to me and to Truth. Sad is my soul because God is not loved in those lands, neither honoured nor believed ; and sorrow have I and pity for the damnation of those innocent men. Needs rau9 I weep for the great ill that follows from the error wherein they live, and bewail the merit that is loft in those that will not present to them my brother and my sifter.”

3. Blanquerna enquired of Faith who were her brother and her sifter. Faith replied : “ This lady is my sifter, and my brother is Underftanding, to whom I am going now, that he may visit those people from whom I come, and demonftrate to them by necessary reasons the fourteen articles of faith; for the time has come when they will not receive the authority of the saints ; and there are now no miracles such as those of old whereby they that knew not me nor my sifter were enlightened. And since the people require arguments and necessary demonftrations, I go to my brother, who has power, by the virtue of God, to prove the fourteen articles.”

4. Blanquerna answered her and said that Faith would lose her merits if her articles were demonftrated by Under¬ ftanding, through the which articles Faith is enlightened to believe even againft Underftanding. But Faith said to Blanquerna that it was a thing ill-beseeming if the chiefeft reason for the which man desired to convert the unbelievers were that greater merit thereby might be occasioned to

th; and that this should rather be the secondary inten-

mn, and that the chiefeft intention should be that God

OF FAITH AND OF TRUTH might be known and loved. “ Let Understanding use his virtue,” said she, ‘‘ that I thereby may be the greater and the more highly exalted; for even as Understanding may the higher soar by comprehending the articles, even so may I rise higher yet, — yea, above Understanding; for I can believe that which he cannot comprehend; and when men affirm that my siSter Truth is not in these necessary reasons, they speak againSt me and my siSter and my brother, albeit they can be calumniated by any light reason, comparison being made between me and my siSter and my brother.”

$. Blanquerna said that many a time friars and other men had gone to preach the Roman faith to unbelievers, and had not been able to convert them, because it seemed that God desired not their conversion; and when God desired it, then would it be a light thing to convert them. Faith answered: “ If God desired not the conversion of men, wherefore would He have become incarnate? And wherefore did He will to suffer upon the Cross? And wherefore did He so greatly honour the apoStles and the martyrs who suffered death to exalt me in the world ? But God daily awaits those that will love Him, desiring them to come to Him of their own free will and not of constraint, that they may win great glory; and the people tempt God, and believe that, when God wills it, He will grant them the will to suffer martyrdom for love of Him. And what Stronger demonstration can there be that God wills man to bear trials and death for love of Him, than that which is represented before our eyes by the Cross, or than the words in the Gospel that Jesus ChriSt spake when He said three times to Saint Peter that if he loved Him he muSt feed His sheep ? Or what can error do againSt God, and againSt my brother and me and my siSter ? But since there is no perseverance nor continuance in disputations againSt the unbelievers, therefore does it appear to the people that error cannot be vanquished by us.”

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B LAN QUERN A

6. When Faith had ftraitly rebuked Blanquerna, she returned to her weeping, and began to lament and cry out as was her wont, and continued on her way towards Under- Sanding her brother. Blanquerna followed Faith and Truth, and comforted Faith in such manner as he was able, saying these words: “ Wise is God in all things, and His Juftice fails in naught. Wherefore since God knows that thou, 0 Faith, haft done thine utmoft in desiring the con¬ version of unbelievers, the Juftice of God excuses thee ; and hence muft thou be comforted according to the wisdom and juftice of God, and thy merit is as great as if thou hadft converted the unbelievers whose conversion thou didft so greatly desire.” Faith answered Blanquerna, weeping: " Alas, wretched one that I am 1 Never did I think myself to be so greatly despised by men. And how can any sup¬ pose that I may be comforted while my Creator and my Light is despised, unknown, unloved1 and blasphemed againft by men ? If I were comforted because of my merit and my powers, where would be charity in my will ? Such consolation as this comes through defeft of love, devotion and pity which are my sifters, to whose virtue my consola¬ tion would be opposed.” Thus did Faith reprove Blan¬ querna, and shame and conscience overtook him. And meanwhile they had arrived in those parts where Under¬ standing had his dwelling.