Blanquerna

The abbess was with the sifters in chapter, and she spake these words: “ By the virtue of God we have spoken and made ordinance concerning six of the virtues. Now muft we speak of temperance, and I would fain know if there is any one among us who has sinned in any wise againft temperance.” A sifter answered and said that she had had no knowledge of temperance, wherefore she knew not if she had erred againft it. The abbess said to this sifter that temperance is the virtue of the mean betwixt much and little ; by “ much ” let human comprehension understand the greatness of God, Who is greater than all things with¬ out immoderateness in aught, and as to the “ little,” let it 1 The original reads : lo ferns de son ventre.

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underhand that in God is naught that is little. Now, superfluity and littleness constitute the mean in the creature, but in God there is no temperance, in that He has naught in Himself that is either superfluity or littleness.

2. “ Furthermore,” said the abbess, “ God has created temperance between two limits, that is to say, in order that it may be the mean whereby man may be able to use wisdom, justice, fortitude and the other virtues ; for in eating, drink¬ ing, speaking, sleeping, watching, walking, dressing, spending, meditating and all things else, he has need of temperance that wisdom in him may have knowledge of that which is too much and that which is too little, and that charity may love the mean, and that juftice from the two vices may take temperance and give it to charity, and forti¬ tude be in the mind of man in opposition to superfluity and littleness, as accords with temperance, whereby fortitude may have agreement with the virtues which accord with temperance.”

3. When the abbess had shown the agreement that is between temperance and the other virtues, the sifter re¬ membered her sins againft temperance, and spake these words : “ Alas, sinner that I am 1 How great is my guilt ! For in eating, drinking, speaking and many other things have I erred in ignorance againft juft ice, charity, wisdom, fortitude and temperance. For juftice gave me conscience, and wisdom revealed to me superfluity and littleness, that charity might love temperance; and, since my will had no fortitude, it inclined itself to superfluity or littleness, and used not temperance. And as God has given liberty to the soul, which can use the virtues aforesaid, and my soul has not desired to use them and has used the vices, therefore am I in error, and I beg for penance and pardon and confess myself guilty.”

4- The abbess said to the sifters: “ There are three powers in the soul, to wit, memory, underftanding and will. M that the soul does, it does with these three powers.

OF MEMORY

Therefore, that there may be ordinance of the five bodily senses which muff be ruled by the soul, and likewise of the seven virtues of the soul, let there be ordinance even as we have said, the which we shall have if we be ordered in respeCt of the three powers. Firft, then, let us speak of memory.”