ough. No man can be sure what strength he shall have or how
faint and feeble he may find himself when he shall come to the
point, and therefore I can make no warranty of myself, seeing that
St. Peter so suddenly fainted at a woman's word and so cowardly
forsook his master, for whom he had so boldly fought within so few
hours before, and by that fall in forsaking well perceived that he
had been too rash in his promise and was well worthy to take a fall
for putting so full trust in himself. Yet in good faith methinketh
now (and God will, I trust, help me to keep this thought still)
that if the Turk should take all that I have, unto my very shirt,
unless I would forsake my faith, and should offer it all to me
again with five times as much if I would fall into his sect, I
would not once stick at it--rather to forsake it every whit, than
to forsake any point of Christ's holy faith.

But surely, good uncle, when I bethink me further on the grief and
the pain that may turn unto my flesh, here find I the fear that
forceth my heart to tremble.

ANTHONY: Neither have I cause to marvel at that, nor have you,
cousin, cause to be dismayed for it. The great horror and fear that
our Saviour had in his own flesh, against his painful passion,
maketh me little to marvel. And I may well make you take this
comfort, too, that for no such manner of grudging felt in your
sensual parts, the flesh shrinking in the meditation of pain and
death, your reason shall give over, but resist it and manly master
it. And though you would fain fly from the painful death and be
loth to come to it, yet may the meditation of our Saviour's great
grievous agony move you. And he himself shall, if you so desire
him, not fail to work with you therein, and to get and give you the
grace to submit and conform your will unto his, as he did his unto
his Father. And thereupon shall you be so comforted with the secret
inward inspiration of his Holy Spirit, as he was with the personal
presence of that angel who after his agony came and comforted him.
And so shall you as his true disciple follow him, and with good
will, without grudge, do as he did, and take your cross of pain and
suffering upon your back and die for the truth with him, and
thereby reign with him crowned in eternal glory.

And this I say to give you warning of the truth, to the intent that
when a man feeleth such a horror of death in his heart, he should
not thereby stand in outrageous fear that he we