wanton flesh. And it beautifieth her fair skin
with the colour of a kite's claw, and maketh her look so lovely
that her love would have little pleasure to look upon her. And it
maketh her also so lusty that if her lover lay in her lap she
should so sore long to throw up unto him the very bottom of her
stomach that she should not be able to restrain it from him, but
suddenly lay it all in his neck!

Did not, as I before told you, the blessed apostle himself confess
that the high revelations that God had given him might have
enhanced him into so high a pride that he might have caught a foul
fall, had not the provident goodness of God provided for his
remedy? And what was his remedy but a painful tribulation, so sore
that he was fain thrice to call to God to take the tribulation from
him. And yet would not God grant his request, but let him lie
therein till he himself, who saw more in St. Paul than St. Paul saw
in himself, knew well the time was come in which he might well
without his harm take it from him.

And thus you see, good cousin, that tribulation is double
medicine--both a cure of the sin past, and a preservative from the
sin that is to come. And therefore in this kind of tribulation is
there good occasion for a double comfort; but that is, I say,
diversely to sundry diverse folk, as their own conscience is
cumbered with sin or clear. Howbeit, I will advise no man to be so
bold as to think that his tribulation is sent him to keep him from
the pride of his holiness! Let men leave that kind of comfort
hardly to St. Paul, till their living be like his. But of the rest
men may well take great comfort and good besides.

X

VINCENT: The third kind of tribulation, uncle, remaineth now--that
is, that which is sent a man by God, and not for his sin either
committed or which otherwise would come, and therefore is not
medicinable, but is sent for exercise of our patience and increase
of our merit, and therefore better than medicinable. Though it be,
as you say (and as indeed it is) better for the man than any of the
other two kinds in another world, where the reward shall be
received, yet I cannot see by what reason a man can in this world,
where the tribulation is suffered, take any more comfort in it than
in any of the other twain that are sent him for his sin. For he
cannot here know whether it be sent him for sin before committed,
or for sin that otherwise should befall, or for increase of merit
and reward aft