of
which could be such in a thousand years as to be able to recompense
that intolerable pain that there is to be suffered in one year?
Yea, or in one day or one hour, either? And then what a madness is
it, for the poor pleasure of your worldly goods of so few years, to
cast yourself both body and soul into the everlasting fire of hell,
which is not diminished by the amount of a moment by lying there
the space of a hundred thousand years?

And therefore our Saviour, in few words, concluded and confuted all
these follies of those who, for the short use of this worldly
substance, forsake him and his faith and sell their souls unto the
devil for ever. For he saith, "What availeth it a man if he won all
the whole world, and lost his soul?" This would be, methinketh,
cause and occasion enough, to him who had never so much part of
this world in his hand, to be content rather to lose it all than
for the retaining or increasing of his worldly goods to lose and
destroy his soul.

VINCENT: This is, good uncle, in good faith very true. And what
other thing any of them who would not for this be content, have to
allege in reason for the defence of their folly, that can I not
imagine. I care not in this matter to play the part any longer, but
I pray God give me the grace to play the contrary part in deed. And
I pray that I may never, for any goods or substance of this
wretched world, forsake my faith toward God either in heart or
tongue. And I trust in his great goodness that so I never shall.

XV

ANTHONY: Methinketh, cousin, that this persecution shall not only,
as I said before, try men's hearts when it cometh and make them
know their own affections--whether they have a corrupt greedy
covetous mind or not--but also the very fame and expectation of it
may teach them this lesson, ere ever the thing fall upon them
itself. And this may be to their no little fruit, if they have the
wit and the grace to take it in time while they can. For now may
they find sure places to lay their treasure in, so that all the
Turk's army shall never find it out.

VINCENT: Marry, uncle, that way they will not forget, I warrant
you, as near as their wits will serve them. But yet have I known
some who have ere this thought that they had hid their money safe
and sure enough, digging it full deep in the ground, and yet have
missed it when they came again and found it digged out and carried
away to their hands.

ANTHONY: Nay, from their hands,