Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/250

 Therefore, having entered the chapel, I addressed myself to the Virgin mother with this short prayer:

“O thou who only of all women art a mother and a virgin, the most happy of mothers and the purest of virgins, we that are impure do now come to visit and address ourselves to thee that art pure, and reverence thee with our poor offerings, such as they are. Oh that thy son would enable us to imitate thy most holy life, that we may deserve, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, to conceive the Lord Jesus in the most inward bowels of our minds, and having once conceived him, never to lose him. Amen.”

So I kissed the altar, laid down some money, and withdrew.

Me. What, did the Virgin hear? Did she give you no nod as a token that she had heard your prayer? Og. As I told you before, it was but an uncertain light, and she stood in the dark at the right side of the altar. And the check of the former officer had made me so dejected that I did not dare to lift up my eyes again. Me. Then this adventure had not a very happy conclusion? Og. Nay, the happiest of all. Me. Nay, now you put me in courage again; for, as your Homer says, my heart was even sunk into my breeches. Og. After dinner we go to church again. Me. How did you dare to do that, being suspected of sacrilege? Og. It may be I was; but I did not suspect myself. A clear conscience fears nothing. I had a great mind to see the record that the shower of the relics had referred us to. Having hunted a great while for it, we found it at last; but it was hung up so high that he must have good eyes that could read it; and mine are none of the best, nor none of the worst. Therefore, not being willing wholly to trust to him in a matter of such moment, I went along with Aldrisius as he read it.

Me. Well ! and were all your doubts removed? Og. I was ashamed of myself that I should doubt of a matter that there was made so plain before one’s eyes, the name, the place, the order of the proceeding in one word, there was nothing omitted. There was one William of Paris, a man of general piety, but more especially religious in getting together the relics of saints all over the earth, he having travelled over a great many countries, and having everywhere diligently searched monasteries and churches, at last arrived at Constantinople (for this William’s brother was a bishop there). When he was preparing to return home, the bishop acquainted him that there was a certain nun that had the Virgin’s milk, and that he would be the happiest man in the world if he could possibly get any of it, either for love or money, or by any other means, for that all the relics he had hitherto collected were nothing compared to that sacred milk. Upon this William never was at rest till he had obtained one-half of this milk, and having gotten this treasure, thought himself richer than Croesus. Me. And very well he might. It was a thing so unexpected too.

Og. He goes straight homeward, but falls sick by the way. Me. Oh, how little trust is to be put in human felicity that it shall be either perfect or long-lived! Og. Finding himself in danger he sends for a Frenchman, a faithful fellow-traveller, and makes him swear secrecy, and then delivers the milk to him upon this condition, “That if he got home, safe he should deposit that treasure on the altar of the holy