For that is a lie that it is a sin to long for a beautiful woman. Otherwise must the human race die out; if all become so devout as no more to long for a woman.
And the dead are dead, and no longer living.
Otherwise had the shade of my dear father long since appeared to me, at my earnest entreaty.
Of what alone, however, man should believe; of that I will speak hereafter.
Without fear shall he live, and without hope shall he die.
In this monastery, however, will I remain no longer than----.
[CHAPTER XIX.]
Thus far had he written, the God forsaken Brother Irenæus. Here fell the righteous judgment of Heaven upon him.
I, Aaron of Perusia, called by the grace of God to feed these lambs of the holy Columban, had also the grace given to me to drive the diseased sheep from the flock.
Long was I on the track of him and his worldly, heathenish, sinful, ungodly, yea God-blaspheming doings; his guilty conscience had rightly boded this. Step by step I had him watched by Italian brethren, full of godly zeal, without his observing it. The most pious of them, Brother Ignatius of Spoletum, succeeded in winning his confidence--for stupidly unsuspicious are they--these barbarians--through often allowing him to entertain him with harp playing, Irenæus begged from him one day some ink powder from his store, as he had used up his appointed portion, and from the "Head of the Pharisees"--thus the shameless sinner termed his abbot and chief shepherd--could not obtain fresh supplies, without delivering over what he had written with the former supply.