r, _I brought thee into my mother's
house and into the chamber of her that conceived me_![849] What festive
days I spent with thee then, though few! But how did he in his turn
greet us? In truth our pilgrim showed himself cheerful and kindly to
all, to all incredibly gracious. _How good and how pleasant_[850] a part
he played among us as our guest, whom, forsooth, _he had come from the
uttermost parts of the earth_ to see, not that he should _hear_, but
that he should show us, a _Solomon_! In fact we _heard_ his
_wisdom_,[851] we had his presence, and we have it still. Already four
or five days of this our festival had passed, when lo, on the feast day
of Blessed Luke the Evangelist,[852] when he had celebrated Mass in the
convent[853] with that holy devotion of his, he was taken with a fever
and lay down in his bed: and all of us were [sick] with him. _The end of
our mirth is sorrow_,[854] but moderate sorrow, because for a time the
fever seemed to be slight. You should see the brothers running about,
eager to give, or to receive. To whom was it not sweet to see him? To
whom was it not sweeter to minister to him? Both were pleasant and both
salutary. It was an act of kindness to do him service, and it was repaid
also to each one of them, by the gift of grace. All assisted, all were
busied _with much serving_,[855] searching for medicines, applying
poultices, urging him often to eat. But he said to them, "These things
are without avail, yet for love of you I do whatever you bid me." For he
knew that _the time_ of his departure was at hand.[856]

71. And when the brothers who had come with him[857] urged him more
boldly, saying that it behoved him not to despair of life, for that no
signs of death appeared in him,[858] he said, "It behoves Malachy to
leave the body this year."[859] And he added, "See, the day is drawing
near which, as you very well know, I have always desired to be the day
of _my dissolution_.[860] _I know whom I have believed and am
persuaded_;[861] I shall _not be disappointed of_ the rest of _my
desire_,[862] since I already have part of it. He who by his mercy has
led me to the place which I sought, will not deny me the time for which
I wished no less. As regards this mean body, _here is my rest_;[863] as
regards my soul, the Lord will provide, _who saveth them that put their
trust in Him_.[864] And _there is_ no small hope _laid up for me at that
day_[865] in which so great benefits are bestowed by t