In his usual fashion he had
begun to read it through, and was now in the book called the Wisdom
of Solomon, at the 17th chapter, narrating the discomfiture of
certain magicians. Taken with the beauty of the passage, he sat
down on an old stone-roller, and read aloud. Parts of the passage
were these--they will enrich my page:--
"For they, that promised to drive away terrors and troubles from a
sick soul, were sick themselves of fear, worthy to be laughed at.
"...For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous,
and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous
things.
"...But they sleeping the same sleep that night, which was indeed
intolerable, and which came upon them out of the bottoms of
inevitable hell,
"Were partly vexed with monstrous apparitions, and partly fainted,
their heart failing them: for a sudden fear, and not looked for,
came upon them.
"So then whosoever there fell down was straitly kept, shut up in a
prison without iron bars.
"For whether he were husbandman, or shepherd, or a labourer in the
field, he was overtaken, and endured that necessity, which could not
be avoided: for they were all bound with one chain of darkness.
"Whether it were a whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds
among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running
violently,
"Or a terrible sound of stones cast down, or a running that could
not be seen of skipping beasts, or a roaring voice of most savage
wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the hollow mountains; these
things made them to swoon for fear.
Pages:
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139