a support in weakness, or the too human satisfaction
of justifying themselves, giving vent to their feelings, or
getting blame and criticism for the Superior or some one else.
They should also examine whether on such occasions they speak the
exact truth, and whether they seek a friend, who knows how to take
the arrow sweetly from the wound rather than to bury it deeper.

The way to find out the gravity of the sin of detraction is--(1)
To consider the position of him who speaks and the weight which is
attached to his words; (2) the position of him who is spoken
about, and the need he has of his reputation; (3) the evil thing
said; (4) the number of the hearers; (5) the result of the
detraction; and, lastly, the intention of the speaker, and the
passion which was the cause of it.

XXIII

FOURTH PRESERVATIVE

_To be on our guard with certain persons_

THERE are six sorts of religious who wound fraternal charity more
or less fatally, (1) Those who say to you, "Such a one said
so-and-so about you." These are the sowers of discord, whom God
Almighty declares He has in abomination. Their tongues have three
fangs more terrible than a viper. "With one blow," says St.
Bernard, "they kill three persons--themselves, the listeners, and
the absent." (2) Those who, obscuring and perverting this amiable
virtue, possess the infernal secret of transforming it into vice.
Is not this to sin against the Holy Ghost? (3) Those who skilfully
turn the conversation on those brethren of whom they are jealous,
in order to have all put in a bad word. They thus double the fault
they apparently wish to avoid. (4) Those who constantly have their
ears cocked to hear domestic news, who are skilful in finding out
secrets and picking up stories, whose trade seems to be to take
note of all little bits of scandalous news going, and to take them
from ear to ear, or, worse, from house to house. Oh, what an
occupation! What a recreation for a spouse of Christ! (5) Those
who, under pretext of enlivening the conversation, sacrifice their
brethren to the vain and cruel wantonness of witticism by relating
something funny in order to give a lash of their tongue or to
expose some weakness. Alas! they forget that they ruin themselves
in the esteem and opinion of the hearers. (6) Critics of
intellectual work. On this point jealousy betrays itself very
easily on one side, and susceptibility is stirred on the other.
The heart is never insensible nor the mout