登陆注册
5188000000285

第285章

"There, forgive me for nagging; I am but a woman; you would not have been so cruel to your own flesh and blood knowingly, would you?""Oh, no."

"Well, then, know that thy brother Sybrandt lies in my charge with a broken back, fruit of thy curse.""Mea culpa! mea culpa!"

"He is very penitent; be yourself and forgive him this night.""I have forgiven him long ago."

"Think you he can believe that from any mouth but yours? Come! he is but about two butts' length hence.""So near? Why, where?"

"At Gouda manse.I took him there yestreen.For I know you, the curse was scarce cold on your lips when you repented it" (Gerard nodded assent), "and I said to myself, Gerard will thank me for taking Sybrandt to die under his roof; he will not beat his breast and cry mea culpa, yet grudge three footsteps to quiet a withered brother on his last bed.He may have a bee in his bonnet, but he is not a hypocrite, a thing all pious words and uncharitable deeds."Gerard literally staggered where he sat at this tremendous thrust.

"Forgive me for nagging," said she."Thy mother too is waiting for thee.Is it well done to keep her on thorns so long She will not sleep this night, Bethink thee, Gerard, she is all to thee that Iam to this sweet child.Ah, I think so much more of mothers since I had my little Gerard.She suffered for thee, and nursed thee, and tended thee from boy to man.Priest monk, hermit, call thyself what thou wilt, to her thou art but one thing; her child.""Where is she?" murmured Gerard, in a quavering voice.

"At Gouda manse, wearing the night in prayer and care."Then Margaret saw the time was come for that appeal to his reason she had purposely reserved till persuasion should have paved the way for conviction.So the smith first softens the iron by fire, and then brings down the sledge hammer.

She showed him, but in her own good straightforward Dutch, that his present life was only a higher kind of selfishness, spiritual egotism; whereas a priest had no more right to care only for his own soul than only for his own body.That was not his path to heaven."But," said she, "whoever yet lost his soul by saving the souls of others! the Almighty loves him who thinks of others; and when He shall see thee caring for the souls of the folk the duke hath put into thine hand, He will care ten times more for thy soul than He does now."Gerard was struck by this remark."Art shrewd in dispute," said he.

"Far from it," was the reply, "only my eyes are not bandaged with conceit.[1] So long as Satan walks the whole earth, tempting men, and so long as the sons of Belial do never lock themselves in caves, but run like ants to and fro corrupting others, the good man that skulks apart plays the devil's game, or at least gives him the odds: thou a soldier of Christ? ask thy Comrade Denys, who is but a soldier of the duke, ask him if ever he skulked in a hole and shunned the battle because forsooth in battle is danger as well as glory and duty.For thy sole excuse is fear; thou makest no secret on't, Go to, no duke nor king hath such cowardly soldiers as Christ hath.What was that you said in the church at Rotterdam about the man in the parable that buried his talent in the earth, and so offended the giver? Thy wonderful gift for preaching, is it not a talent, and a gift from thy Creator?""Certes; such as it is."

"And hast thou laid it out? or buried it? To whom hast thou preached these seven months? to bats and owls? Hast buried it in one hole with thyself and thy once good wits?

"The Dominicans are the friars preachers.'Tis for preaching they were founded, so thou art false to Dominic as well as to his Master.

"Do you remember, Gerard, when we were young together, which now are old before our time, as we walked handed in the fields, did you but see a sheep cast, ay, three fields off, you would leave your sweetheart (by her good will) and run and lift the sheep for charity? Well, then, at Gouda is not one sheep in evil plight, but a whole flock; some cast, some strayed, some sick, some tainted, some a being devoured, and all for the want of a shepherd.Where is their shepherd? lurking in a den like a wolf, a den in his own parish; out fie! out fie!

"I scented thee out, in part, by thy kindness to the little birds.

Take note, you Gerard Eliassoen must love something, 'tis in your blood; you were born to't.Shunning man, you do but seek earthly affection a peg lower than man."Gerard interrupted her."The birds are God's creatures, His innocent creatures, and I do well to love them, being God's creatures.""What, are they creatures of the same God that we are, that he is who lies upon thy knee?""You know they are."

"Then what pretence for shunning us and being kind to them? Sith man is one of the animals, why pick him out to shun? Is't because he is of animals the paragon? What, you court the young of birds, and abandon your own young? Birds need but bodily food, and having wings, deserve scant pity if they cannot fly and find it.But that sweet dove upon thy knee, he needeth not carnal only, but spiritual food.He is thine as well as mine; and I have done my share.He will soon be too much for me, and I look to Gouda's parson to teach him true piety and useful lore.Is he not of more value than many sparrows?"Gerard started and stammered an affirmation.For she waited for his reply.

"You wonder," continued she, "to hear me quote holy writ so glib.

同类推荐
  • 治安文献

    治安文献

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 述庵秘录

    述庵秘录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 文殊问经字母品第十四

    文殊问经字母品第十四

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 正一指教斋清旦行道仪

    正一指教斋清旦行道仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 归愚词

    归愚词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 受难与复活:耶稣的故事

    受难与复活:耶稣的故事

    这是一本了解耶稣和基督教知识的理想读本。《受难与复活:耶稣的故事》以故事形式讲述基督教创始人耶稣的生平事迹和心路历程,主要包括耶稣的诞生与少年时代,耶稣的传道生涯,耶稣的受难与复活三方面内容,完整再现了耶酥极富传奇色彩的一生。
  • 必知的中国战争(青少年军事爱好培养)

    必知的中国战争(青少年军事爱好培养)

    军事是一个国家和民族强大和稳定的象征,在国家生活中具有举足轻重的作用。国家兴亡,匹夫有责,全面而系统地掌握军事知识,是我们每一个人光荣的责任和义务,也是我们进行国防教育的主要内容。
  • 2013散文排行榜

    2013散文排行榜

    散文是作者借助想象与联想,由此及彼,由浅入深,由实而虚的依次写来,可以融情于景、寄情于事、寓情于物、托物言志,表达作者的真情实感,实现物我的统一,展现出更深远的思想,使读者领会更深的道理。
  • 我与癌症这九年

    我与癌症这九年

    本书记录了作者患癌9年来的治疗经验与人生感悟。作者通过对自己治疗过程的分析总结,提出八字抗癌真经(信念由心,智慧用脑)和三大抗癌兵法(有理有利有节、和平共处、打持久战),并对新病友提出一些可供借鉴的具体治疗经验,告诉读者癌症并不可怕,只要勇敢面对,生活处处皆治疗。本书提出的抗癌理念,不仅适用于癌症患者,对普通人来说也是一剂良药。
  • 留学时代

    留学时代

    晚清“西学东渐”之风甫开,20世纪的中国恐怕就进入到了“西风烈”(冯友兰语)的时代。且不论留学东洋与留学西洋者的差异、隔阂,甚至门户之见,单就从容闳将第一批留美幼童送到大洋彼岸开始,百年来跨洋过海的一代代学人,都在我们的文明史上先后留下过自己求学求知的足迹。从大陆到海洋,中国人在“留学时代”中,形成了新的思想变锋,如巾西之辨、传统与现代、“冲击—回应”与“内在理路”等话题,都在他们的思想和行动中,得到不同程度的体现。这里面有无数的故事,有欣喜,有悲伤,有些被记录下来,而更多者恐怕已经永远被埋入历史的尘土。
  • 小丑游戏

    小丑游戏

    新书《万界疯人院》,欢迎大家————————————手脚绑的这么结实也就算了,为什么连嘴也要封上!起码让我出个声也好啊!!为什么我要被关在精神病院里?为什么感觉大家都很怕我?为什么......好想笑?----------------这是一个福尔摩斯加小丑祸害scp基金会的故事,希望大家能喜欢。群号:472758342——欢迎大家。
  • 慧林宗本禅师别录

    慧林宗本禅师别录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 临症验舌法

    临症验舌法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 被领导的艺术

    被领导的艺术

    为了帮助你成为上级最赏识的那个人,《被领导的艺术》将管理学、处世艺术、励志成功、心理学等知识巧妙地融合在一起,从摆正下属的位置、懂得和领导交往的艺术、沟通的技巧、提升职场能力、职场情商等方面切入,对“被领导的艺术”进行了细致入微的分析与讲解。开卷有益。祝读者朋友们通过阅读《被领导的艺术》,能举一反三掌握更多“被领导的艺术”,从而实现上下级的和谐、和睦,做更好的自己。
  • 穿越异界之最强辅助

    穿越异界之最强辅助

    地球的苏子陌出了车祸,来到青阳城苏家,成为了苏天胡的儿子苏子陌。开始了修炼漫漫之路!修仙路漫漫其修远兮,一步一脚印!路是杀出来的,不是靠施舍!对我好,待你需要,我拥有,义无反顾、全部奉上!