Page:PracticeOfChristianAndReligiousPerfectionV1.djvu/98

 In a  book  called  the  Spiritual  Meadow,  composed  by  John Evirat, or,  according  to  some,  by  St.  Sophronius,  patriarch  of Jerusalem,  which  is  quoted  with  great  respect  in  the  second Council of  Nice,  we  read  that  a  holy  man  called  Eusebius sitting one  day  in  the  field  with  another  anchoret,  called Amianus, and  this  Amianus  reading  one  of  the  books  of  the gospel, which  the  other  explained,  it  happened  that  Eusebius cast his  eyes  upon  the  labourers  who  tilled  the  ground  in  an adjoining  field,  and  at  the  same  time  this  distraction  hindered him from  attending  to  what  was  read;  so  that  Amianus  lighting by chance  upon  a  very  hard  passage,  asked  him  its  explanation. Eusebius, who  had  not  attended,  desired  him  to  read  it  the second time;  whereby  Amianus  came  to  know  he  had  been distracted, and  repeating  it,  told  him  it  was  no  wonder  he  had not heard  the  words  of  the  gospel,  since  be  had  distracted  himself by  looking  upon  the  workmen. Eusebius remained  so confounded  at  this  rebuke,  that  for  the  future  he  strictly prohibited his  eyes  from  beholding  either  that  plain  or  the  stars of heaven  any  more;  and  presently  rising  up,  he  took  a  little by-path, and  retired  into  a  poor  cell  which  he  never  afterwards quitted; living  more  than  forty  years  in  this  strait  prison,  to which  he  had  condemned  himself. He confirmed  this  his resolution by  such  a  kind  of  necessity,  as  might  force  him  to keep  it. For he  bound  his  reins  with  a  girdle  of  iron,  and  put another of  a  great  weight  about  his  neck,  and  then  joined  these two together  by  a  great  chain,  which  he  fastened  to  the  earth; to the  end  he  might  always  be  constrained  to  remain  in  such  a bent  or  bowing  posture,  that  he  could  not  go  into  the  fields round about  him,  nor  so  much  as  look  upon  them,  nor  even lift up  his  eyes  to  heaven. This was  the  manner  wherein  this holy man  chastised  himself  for  one  light  inadvertency,  for  one single dissipation  of  mind,  whilst  the  other  read  the  word  of God. Is not  this  sufficient  to  give  us  an  extreme  confusion, seeing the  little  concern  we  have  for  all  those  distractions, that daily  happen  to  us  on  the  like  occasions?