dy very well liking and lusty), but
wondrous weary were they both twain of that mind. And always they
thought that they would not do it for anything, and nevertheless
they feared they would. And wherefore they so feared neither of
them both could tell. And the one, lest he should do it, desired
his friends to bind him.

VINCENT: This is, uncle, a marvellous strange manner.

ANTHONY: Forsooth, cousin, I suppose many of them are in this
case.

The devil, as I said before, seeketh his occasions. For as St.
Peter saith, "Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion goeth
about seeking whom he may devour." He marketh well, therefore, the
state and condition that every man standeth in, not only
concerning these outward things (lands, possessions, goods,
authority, fame, favour, or hatred of the world), but also men's
complexions within them--health or sickness, good humours or bad,
by which they be light-hearted or lumpish, strong-hearted or faint
and feeble of spirit, bold and hardy or timorous and fearful of
courage. And according as these things minister him matter of
temptation, so useth he himself in the manner of his temptation.

Now likewise as in such folk as are full of young warm lusty blood
and other humours exciting the flesh to filthy voluptuous living,
the devil useth to make those things his instruments in tempting
them and provoking them to it; and as, where he findeth some folk
full of hot blood and choler, he maketh those humours his
instruments to set their hearts on fire in wrath and fierce
furious anger; so where he findeth some folk who, through some
dull melancholy humours, are naturally disposed to fear, he
casteth sometimes such a fearful imagination into their mind that
without help of God they can never cast it out of their heart.

Some, at the sudden falling of some horrible thought into their
mind, have not only had a great abomination at it (which
abomination they well and virtuously had), but the devil, using
their melancholy humour and thereby their natural inclination to
fear for his instruments, hath caused them to conceive therewith
such a deep dread besides that they think themselves with that
abominable thought to be fallen into such an outrageous sin that
they are ready to fall into despair of grace, believing that God
hath given them over for ever. Whereas that thought, were it never
so horrible and never so abominable, is yet unto those who never
like it, but ever still abhor it