[925] Dante, Inferno, VII, l. 121 ff. Translation by J. A. Carlyle.
[926] Chaucer, The Persones Tale, §§ 53-9.
[927] See the translation of the episode (from Busch, Chronicon Windeshemense, ed. K. Grube, p. 395) in Coulton, Med. Garner, pp. 641-4. On the subject of medieval doubt and despair see Coulton in the Hibbert Journal, XIV (1916), pp. 598-9 and From St Francis to Dante, pp. 313-4.
[928] Caes. of Heist. Dial. Mirac. ed. Strange, I, pp. 209-10.
[929] Ib. I. pp. 210-11. For a case of doubt in an anchoress, which, however ended well, see ib. I, pp. 206-8.
[930] Langland, Piers Plowman, ed. Skeat, B, passus X, 300-5.
[931] Langland, Piers Plowman, ed. Skeat, B, passus V, ll. 153-65. The C text has a variant for the last four lines:
Thus thei sitte the sustres · somtyme, and disputen,
Til “thow lixt” and “thow lixt” · be lady over hem alle;
And then awake ich, Wratthe · and wold be auenged.
Thanne ich crie and cracche · with my kene nailes,
Bothe byte and bete · and brynge forthe suche thewes,
That alle ladies me lothen · that louen eny worschep.
It is strange that the same hand which wrote these lines should have written the beautiful description of convent life quoted on p. 297.