Chapter LXXXVI. How he Described Shamefast Eyes, that he Might Teach Becoming Behaviour

Amongst the other virtues which he loved and desired to be in the brethren, after the foundation of holy humility, he specially loved the fairness and cleanness of decency. Whence wishing to teach the friars to have shamefast eyes, he was accustomed to represent wanton eyes by this tale: A pious and powerful king sent to the queen two messengers successively. The first returns and brings back word for word, and speaks nothing of the queen. For he had held his eyes in his head wisely, nor had cast them at all upon the queen. The other returned and after a few words wove a long history of the beauty of the queen: "Truly," said he, "Lord, I have seen a most beautiful woman; happy is he who enjoys her! "And the king said to him, "Thou, wicked servant, hast cast shameless eyes on my wife; it is plain that thou hast wished subtily to obtain that thou hast seen." He ordered the first therefore to be called again, and said to him, "What thinkest thou of the queen? " "She seems," said he, "to me right good, because she listened willingly and patiently" (and he answered wisely). And the king said to him, "But what of the beauty which is in her?" He answered, "My Lord, it is thine to behold it, it was mine to carry thy words." The sentence was given by the king: "Thou," said he, "having chaste eyes, be of chaster body in my chamber, and enjoy my delights, but let this shameless one go out from my house, lest he should pollute my bed." There fore he used to say, "Who would not fear to look upon the spouse of Christ? "