whom now we praise, though we be not martyrs.
We must consider how patient they were,
those who for Christ's name were killed;
men scourged them with whips and drowned them in the sea,
or burned them in the fire, or with tortured (?) limbs
tormented them for a spectacle with every punishment;
and in every woe they were patient,
and bore every contumely for the Saviour's name.
Now are we so slothful that we will not labour
in hardly anything, nor deny our lusts
in order that we may have in exchange those great dignities
in heaven, together with the holy martyrs;
neither will we bear one contemptuous word
for our Lord's name, as we ought to do,
but without patience and constancy we grow angry
as a lion, and scarcely consider how we, miserable men,
are to obtain any mercy from Almighty God,
now that we are so reckless and so fierce amongst ourselves.
Patience is a great virtue and necessary to men,
even as our Saviour said to His holy Apostles,
In patientia uestra possidebitis animas uestras;
'In your patience ye shall possess your souls.'
If the patient man by his long-suffering
keepeth his soul, even as Christ said to us,
then the irascible man will lose his own soul
through impatience, and it will certainly perish.
If we live wisely, even as books instruct us,
then may we come amongst Christ's Saints
after our ending, and ever dwell with them;
because this world flieth away very swiftly,
and our days depart like wayfaring men;
and the departed day cometh never again,
but every hour driveth us forth to death, against our will.
The saints whom we are honouring and their like
renounced this world, though it were merry,
