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 place, that  a  certain  nun,  seeing  in  the  garden  a  very fine lettuce,  pulled  and  ate  it,  in  opposition  to  her  Rule. She was  instantly  possessed  by  a  devil,  who  tormented her grievously. Her companions  called  to  her  aid  the holy Abbot  Equitius,  at  whose  arrival  the  demon  exclaimed: "What  evil  have  I  done?  I  sat  upon  the  lettuce; she  came  and  ate  it." The holy  man,  by  his  commands, compelled the  evil  spirit  to  depart. In the  Cistercian records we  read  that  St.  Bernard,  once  visiting  his  novices, called  aside  a  brother  whose  name  was  Acardo, and said  that  a  certain  novice,  to  whom  he  pointed, would on  that  day  fly  from  the  monastery. The saint begged of  Acardo  to  watch  the  novice,  and  to  prevent  his escape. On the  following  night,  Acardo  saw  a  demon approach the  novice,  and  by  the  savoury  smell  of  a roasted  fowl  tempt  him  to  desire  forbidden  food. The unhappy young  man  awoke,  and,  yielding  to  the  temptation, took  his  clothes  and  prepared  to  leave  the  monastery. Acardo endeavored  in  vain  to  convince  him  of  the dangers to  which  he  would  be  exposed  in  the  world. Overcome by  gluttony,  the  unhappy  man  obstinately  resolved to  return  to  the  world:  there,  the  narrator  adds, he died  miserably.

Let us  then  take  care  not  to  be  conquered  by  this brutal vice. St. Augustine  says,'  that  food  is  necessary for the  support  of  life;  but,  like  medicine,  it  should  be taken  only  through  necessity. Intemperance is  very  injurious to  the  body  as  well  as  to  the  soul. It is  certain that excess  in  eating  is  the  cause  of  almost  all  the diseases of  the  body. Apoplexy, diarrhoea,  headaches, complaints of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  and  innumerable other maladies,  spring  from  the  immoderate  use  of food. But the  diseases  of  the  body  are  only  a  small part of  the  evils  that  flow  from  intemperance;  its  effects on the  soul  are  far  more  disastrous.