been somewhat
disregarded--as indeed does seem to have been the case, for he received
the Levitical ministry before his twenty-fifth, and the dignity of the
priesthood before his thirtieth year[217]--it may well be ascribed to
the zeal of the ordainer and the merits of him who was ordained.[218]
But for my part, I consider that such irregularity should neither be
condemned in the case of a saint, nor deliberately claimed by him who is
not a saint. Not content with this the bishop also committed to him his
own authority[219] _to sow the_ holy _seed_[220] in a _nation_ which was
not _holy_,[221] and to give to a people rude and living _without
law_,[222] the law of life and of discipline. He received the command
with all alacrity, even as he was _fervent in spirit_,[223] not
hoarding up his talents, but eager for profit from them.[224] And
behold he began to _root out_ with the hoe of the tongue, _to destroy_,
_to scatter_,[225] day by day making _the crooked straight and the rough
places plain_.[226] _He rejoiced as a giant to run_ everywhere.[227] You
might call him a consuming _fire_ burning _the briers_ of crimes.[228]
You might call him _an axe_ or _a mattock casting down_[229] evil
plantings.[230] He extirpated barbaric rites, he planted those of the
Church. All out-worn superstitions (for not a few of them were
discovered) he abolished, and, wheresoever he found it, every sort of
malign influence _sent by evil angels_.[231]

7. In fine whatsoever came to his notice which was irregular or
unbecoming or perverse his _eye did not spare_;[232] but as the hail
scatters the _untimely figs_ from _the fig-trees_,[233] and as _the wind
the dust from the face of the earth_,[234] so did he strive with all his
might to drive out before his face and destroy entirely such things from
his people. And in place of all these the most excellent legislator
delivered the heavenly laws. He made regulations full of righteousness,
full of moderation and integrity. Moreover in all churches he ordained
the apostolic sanctions and the decrees of the holy fathers, and
especially the customs of the holy Roman Church.[235] Hence it is that
to this day there is chanting and psalmody in them at the canonical
hours after the fashion of the whole world. For there was no such thing
before, not even in the city.[236] He, however, had learnt singing in
his youth, and soon he introduced song into his monastery,[237] while as
yet none in the city, nor i