Of the Window.

THE STORY OF THE TWO FRIARS

BY EUGENE FIELD

It befell in the year 1662, in which same year were many witchcrafts and
sorceries, such as never before had been seen and the like of which will
never again, by grace of Heaven, afflict mankind--in this year it befell
that the devil came upon earth to tempt an holy friar, named Friar
Gonsol, being strictly minded to win that righteous vessel of piety unto
his evil pleasance.

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Now wit you well that this friar had grievously offended the devil, for
of all men then on earth there was none more holier than he nor none
surer to speak and to do sweet charity unto all his fellows in every
place. Therefore it was that the devil was sore wroth at the Friar
Gonsol, being mightily plagued not only by his teachings and his
preachings, but also by the pious works which he continually did do.
Right truly the devil knew that by no common temptations was this friar
to be moved, for the which reason did the devil seek in dark and
troublous cogitations to bethink him of some new instrument wherewith he
might bedazzle the eyes and ensnare the understanding of the holy man.
On a sudden it came unto the fiend that by no corporeal allurement would
he be able to achieve his miserable end, for that by reason of an
abstemious life and a frugal diet the Friar Gonsol had weaned his body
from those frailties and lusts to which human flesh is by nature of the
old Adam within it disposed, and by long-continued vigils and by
earnest devotion and by godly contemplations and by divers proper
studies had fixed his mind and his soul with exceeding steadfastness
upon things unto his eternal spiritual welfare appertaining. Therefore
it beliked the devil to devise and to compound a certain little booke of
mighty curious craft, wherewith he might be like to please the Friar
Gonsol and, in the end, to ensnare him in his impious toils. Now this
was the way of the devil's thinking, to wit: This friar shall suspect no
evil in the booke, since never before hath the devil tempted mankind
with such an instrument, the common things wherewith the devil tempteth
man being (as all histories show and all theologies teach) fruit and
women and other like things pleasing to the gross and perishable senses.
Therefore, argueth the devil, when I shall tempt this friar with a booke
he shall be taken off his guard and shall not know it to be a
temptation. And