is forthwith in a state of damnation who, forsaking all and entering into religion, is not yet always so clear purified from worldly affections as he himself would very fain that he were, and much bewaileth that he is not.  Many a man, who hath in the world willingly forsaken the likelihood of right worshipful offices, hath afterward had much ado to keep himself from the desire of the office of cellarer or sexton, to bear yet at least some rule and authority, though it were but among the bellies.  But God is more merciful to man’s imperfection—­if the man know it, and acknowledge it, and mislike it, and little by little labour to amend it—­than to reject and cast off to the devil him who, according as his frailty can bear and suffer, hath a general intent and purpose to please him and to prefer or set by nothing in this world before him.

And therefore, cousin, to make an end of this piece withal—­of this devil, I mean, whom the prophet calleth “Business walking in the darknesses”:  If a man have a mind to serve God and please him, and would rather lose all the goods he hath than wittingly to do deadly sin; and if he would, without murmur or grudge, give it every whit away in case God should so command him, and intend to take it patiently if God would take it from him; and if he would be glad to use it unto God’s pleasure, and do his diligence to know and be taught what manner of using of it God would be pleased with; and if he be glad to follow therein, from time to time, the counsel of good virtuous men, though he neither give away all at once, nor give to every man who asketh him neither; and though every man should fear and think in this world that all the good that he doth or can do is a great deal too little—­yet, for all that fear, let that man dwell in the faithful hope of God’s help!  And then shall the truth of God so compass him about, as the prophet saith, with a shield, that he shall not so need to dread the snares and the temptations of this devil whom the prophet calleth “Business walking about in the darknesses.”  But he shall, for all the having of riches and worldly substance, so avoid his snares and temptations, that he shall in conclusion, by the great grace and almighty mercy of God, get into heaven well enough.

And now was I, cousin, after this piece thus ended, about to bid them bring in our dinner.  But now shall I not need to, lo, for here they come with it already.

VINCENT:  Forsooth, good uncle, God disposeth and timeth your matter and your dinner both, I trust.  For the end of your good tale—­for which our Lord reward you!—­and the beginning here of your good dinner too (from which it would be more than pity that you should any longer have tarried) meet even at the close together.