Of Readinge. Cap. VI

¹ AFTER Preparation followeth Readinge: the which ought to be done, not lightlie, as passed ouer in hast, but with verie great deliberation, and attention: applyinge thereunto not onely thy vnderstandinge, to conceiue such thinges as thou readest, but much more thy will, to taste those thinges that thou vnderstandest. And when thou commest to anie deuout place, thou shalte doe well to staye and pawse somewhat longer therevpon, and to make there as it were a station, in thinkinge vpon that matter which thou hast read, and in makinge some shorte praier vpon it, accordinge as S. Bernarde councelleth vs,² sayeinge: It is requisite oftentimes to gather and procure a litle spirite and deuotion out of the matters that we reade, and to breake of the course of our readinge with some kinde of praier, by meanes whereof, we maie lifte vp our harte vnto almightie God, and talke with him, accordinge as the sense and matter of such thinges as we read doe requir.

³ Here must I aduertise, that the readinge be not very lōge, least it occupie the greatest parte of the time, that ought otherwise to be bestowed vpon other more principall and necessarie exercises. For as S. Augustine saieth: It is very good both to read, and to praie, if we can doe both the one, and the other: but in case we cannot performe them both,⁴ then praier is better thē readinge: But because in praier there is some times labour, and in readinge a facilitie, therefore our miserable harte doth oftentimes refuse the labour of praier, and runneth to the delighte of readinge, as the same holie father cōplayninge of him selfe saieth that sometimes he hath so done.

True it is I graunt; that like as when there wanteth wheaten bread, men doe eate bread of rie, or of otes, because they woulde not be altogether fastinge:⁵ euen so when thy harte is in such wise distracted, that it can not enter into praier, then mayest thou staie somewhat the longer in readinge, or ioyne meditation and readinge together, by readinge one place, and meditatinge vpon it, and then an other, and an other, after the like sorte. For by this meanes when the vnderstandinge is once bounde vnto the wordes of the readinge, it cannot so easelie wander abroade into diuers imaginations, and thoughtes, as when it goethe freelye, and at libertie. And yet better it were to wrastle all that time with Almightie God, as the Patriarke Iacob did,⁶ that in the ende when the wrastlinge is done, he maye geue vs his blessinge, or graunt vnto vs the deuotion which we seike for, or some other greater grace, which he neuer denieth vnto them that doe faithfully labour and striue for the loue of him.