mptation--that is, "from the incursion and the
devil of the midday"--till afternoon. And then shall we with that,
God willing, make an end of all this matter.

VINCENT: Our Lord reward you, good uncle, for your good labour
with me. But, for our Lord's sake, take good heed, uncle, that you
forbear not your dinner over-long.

ANTHONY: Fear not that, cousin, I warrant you, for this piece
will I make you but short.

XVII

The prophet saith in the said psalm, "He that dwelleth in the
faithful hope of God's help, he shall abide in the protection or
safeguard of God in heaven. And thou who art such a one, the truth
of him shall so compass thee about with a shield, that thou shalt
not be afraid of the business walking about in the darknesses."

"_Negotium,_ the business," is here, cousin, the name of the devil
who is ever full of busy-ness in tempting folk to much evil
business. His time of tempting is in the darknesses. For you know
well that beside the full night, which is the deep dark, there are
two times of darkness, the one ere the morning wax light, the
other when the evening waxeth dark. Two times of like darkness are
there also in the soul of man: the one ere the light of grace be
well sprung up in the heart, the other when the light of grace
beginneth out of the heart to walk fast away. In these two
darknesses this devil who is called Business busily walketh about,
and he carrieth about with him such foolish folk as will follow
him and setteth them to work with many a manner of bumbling
business.

He setteth some, I say, to seek the pleasures of the flesh in
eating, drinking, and other filthy delight. And some he setteth
about incessant seeking for these worldly goods. And of such busy
folk whom this devil called Business, walking about in the
darknesses, setteth to work with such business, our Saviour saith
in the gospel, "He that walketh in darknesses knoweth not whither
he goeth." And surely in such a state are they--they neither know
which way they go, nor whither. For verily they walk round about
as it were in a round maze; when they think themselves at an end
of their business, they are but at the beginning again. For is not
the going about the serving of the flesh a business that hath no
end, but evermore from the end cometh to the beginning again? Go
they never so full-fed to bed, yet evermore on the morrow, as new
they are to be fed again as they were the day before. Thus fareth
it by the belly;