Of Sloth

Of the mortal sin of sloth men make a small matter. Sloth is a sin so common, and no notable act therein that is accounted for heinous and abominable in the estimation of the world, as is in theft, manslaughter, false forswearing, or treason, with any of which every man would be loth to be defamed, for the worldly perils that do depend thereupon, that therefore of sloth there is no man ashamed, but we take it as for a laughing matter and a sport.

But surely, sith it is a great capital sin in deed, the less that we set thereby the more perilous it is, for the less we go about to amend it.

Now to the intent that we do not deadly deceive ourselves, it is necessary that we consider well the weight. Which, if we do, we shall find it far greater than we would before have weened.

There are, ye wot well, two points requisite unto salvation, that is to wit the declining or goins: aside from evil, and the doing of good.*

• Ps. xxxiii; i Peter iii.

Now whereas in the first part there Two points ^^j.g ^11 ^}^g Q^j^gj. gjj^ jQ ^g eschewed, requisite to,,,.,.., ^, salvation. ^"^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^> pride, envy, wrath, gluttony, covetise and lechery; the other part, that is the one-half of our way to heaven, even sloth alone is able to destroy.

Sir TJiomas More wrote no farther of this work.