nce, extending
their zeal to limit even the quantity of enjoyment. For even of those
common and necessary meats they took only so much as was sufficient to
sustain life. Some of them continued fasting the whole week, and
partook of victuals only of a Sunday: others thought of food twice only
in the week: others ate every other day, or daily at eventide, that is,
took but a taste of food. In prayers and watchings they almost
rivalled the life of Angels, bidding a long farewell to the possession
of gold and silver, and quite forgetting that buyings and sellings are
concerns of men.

"But envy and pride, the evils most prone to follow good works, had no
place amongst them. He that was weaker in ascetic exercises
entertained no thought of malice against him of brighter example. Nor
again was he, that had accomplished great feats, deceived and puffed up
by arrogance to despise his weaker brethren, or set at nought his
neighbour, or boast of his rigours, or glory in his achievements. He
that excelled in virtue ascribed nothing to his own labours, but all to
the power of God, in humility of mind persuading himself that his
labours were nought and that he was debtor even for more, as saith the
Lord, 'When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded
you, say, "We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was
our duty to do."' Others again persuaded themselves that they had not
done even the things which they were commanded to do, but that the
things left undone outnumbered the things already well done. Again, he
that was far behind in austerity, perchance through bodily weakness,
would disparage and blame himself, attributing his failure to
slothfulness of mind rather than to natural frailty. So each excelled
each, and all excelled all in this sweet reasonableness. But the
spirit of vain glory and pleasing of men--what place had it among them?
For they had fled from the world, and were dwelling in the desert, to
the end that they might show their virtues not to men, but to God, from
whom also they hope to receive the rewards of their good deeds, well
aware that religious exercises performed for vain glory go without
recompense; for these are done for the praise of men and not for God.
Whence all that do thus are doubly defrauded: they waste their body,
and receive no reward. But they who yearn for glory above, and strive
thereafter, despise all earthly and human glory.

"As to their dwellings, som