"Say thou, brother, 'I put the pitiful Passion of Thy dear Son between me and my sins.'"[26]
"I do, oh God. Sweet Jesus, save me."
And then he relapsed into an unconscious state, in which he continued till he died.
"We must bury him directly, brother John."
The attendant shuddered.
"Yes, we two; we have been in danger, no one else need come. You go and tell the grave-digger to have the grave ready directly, and the moment it is ready we two will bury him."
"Oh God! I am a dead man," said poor brother John.
"Nay, we cannot die till our time come, and if so, the way He chooses is best. We all owe Him a death, you know. Fear is the worst thing you can entertain now; it brings on the very thing you dread. Overcome that, at all events, if you can."
And the poor frightened fellow went out to do as he was bidden.
Then the brave and good man composed the corpse; placed a crucifix on its breast; drew the bed-clothes round it to serve as a winding-sheet, for they must be buried or burned; said the commendatory prayers; and walked for a time in the fresh air.