Page:Thecompleteascet01grimuoft.djvu/223

 Seneca says  that  "blindness  is  a  part  of  innocence." And Tertullian  relates  that  a  certain  pagan  philosopher, to free  himself  from  impurity,  plucked  out  his  eyes. Such an  act  would  be  unlawful  in  us:  but  he  that  desires to preserve  chastity  must  avoid  the  sight  of  objects  that are apt  to  excite  unchaste  thoughts. Gaze not  about,  says the Holy  Ghost,  ''upon  another's  beauty;. . .  hereby  lust  is enkindled  as  a  fire.''  Gaze  not  upon  another's  beauty; for from  looks  arise  evil  imaginations,  by  which  an  impure fire  is  lighted  up. Hence St.  Francis  de  Sales  used to say,  that  "  they  who  wish  to  exclude  an  enemy  from the  city  must  keep  the  gates  locked."

Hence, to  avoid  the  sight  of  dangerous  objects,  the saints were  accustomed  to  keep  their  eyes  almost  continually fixed  on  the  earth,  and  to  abstain  even  from looking at  innocent  objects. After being  a  novice  for  a year,  St.  Bernard  could  not  tell  whether  his  cell  was vaulted. In consequence  of  never  raising  his  eyes  from the ground,  he  never  knew  that  there  were  but  three windows to  the  church  of  the  monastery,  in  which  he spent  his  novitiate. He once,  without  perceiving  a  lake, walked along  its  banks  for  nearly  an  entire  day;  and hearing his  companions  speak  about  it,  he  asked  when they had  seen  it. St. Peter  of  Alcantara  kept  his  eyes constantly cast  down,  so  that  he  did  not  know  the brothers with  whom  he  conversed. It was  by  the  voice, and not  by  the  countenance,  that  he  was  able  to  recognize them.

The saints  were  particularly  cautious  not  to  look  at persons  of  a  different  sex. St. Hugh,  bishop,  when  compelled to  speak  with  women,  never  looked  at  them  in  the face. St. Clare  would  never  fix  her  eyes  on  the  face  of