the prophet says,
that _silence is the ornament of righteousness_.[196] _He sat_ as one
that perseveres, _he was silent_ as one that is modest, except that by
that silence of his he was speaking, with holy David, in the ears of
God: _I am a youth and despised, yet do not I forget thy precepts._[197]
And for a time _he sat alone_, because he had neither companion nor
example; for who before Malachy even thought of attempting the most
severe discipline inculcated by the man? It was held by all indeed to be
wonderful, but not imitable. Malachy showed that it was imitable by the
mere act of sitting and keeping silence. In a few days he had imitators
not a few, stirred by his example. So he who at first _sat alone_[198]
and the only son of his father, became now one of many, from being _the
only-begotten_[199] became _the firstborn among many brethren_.[200] And
as he was before them in conversion,[201] so was he more sublime than
they in conversation; and he who came before all, in the judgement of
all was eminent above all in virtue. And he seemed both to his
bishop[202] and to his teacher,[203] worthy to be promoted to the degree
of deacon. _And they constrained him._[204]

[Sidenote: 1119(?)]

[Sidenote: 1120.]

6. (4) From this time onwards the Levite[205] of the Lord publicly
girded himself to every work of piety, but more especially to those
things in which there seemed some indignity. In fact it was his greatest
care to attend to the burial of the dead poor,[206] because that
savoured not less of humility than of humanity. Nor did _temptation_
fail to test our modern Tobit,[207] and, as in the old story, it came
from a woman,[208] or rather from the serpent through a woman.[209] His
sister,[210] abhorring the indignity (as it seemed to her) of his
office, said: "What are you doing, madman? _Let the dead bury their
dead._"[211] And she attacked him daily with this _reproach_.[212] But
he _answered the foolish_ woman _according to her folly_,[213] "Wretched
woman, you preserve the sound of the _pure word_,[214] but you are
ignorant of its force." So he maintained with devotion, and exercised
unweariedly the ministry which he had undertaken under compulsion. For
that reason also they[215] deemed that the office of the priesthood
should be conferred upon him. And this was done. But when he was
ordained priest he was about twenty-five years old.[216] And if in both
his ordinations the rule of the Canons seems to have