they see, sometimes, but never great of their good.  And many a silly fool is there who, when he lies sick, will meddle with no physic in no manner of wise, nor send his urine to no learned man, but will send his cap or his hose to a wisewoman, otherwise called a witch.  Then sendeth she word back that she hath spied in his hose where, when he took no heed, he was taken with a spirit between two doors as he went in the twilight.  But the spirit would not let him feel it for five days after, and it hath all the while festered in his body, and that is the grief that paineth him so sore.  But let him go to no leechcraft nor any manner of physic—­other than good meat and strong drink—­for medicines would pickle him up.  But he shall have five leaves of valerian that she enchanted with a charm and gathered with her left hand.  Let him fasten those five leaves to his right thumb by a green thread—­not bind it fast, but let it hang loose.  He shall never need to change it, provided it fall not away, but let it hang till he be whole and he shall need it no more.  In such wise witches, and in such mad medicines, have many fools a great deal more faith than in God.

And thus, cousin, as I tell you, all these folk who in their tribulation call not upon God, but seek for their ease and help elsewhere—­to the flesh and the world, and to the flinging fiend—­the tribulation that God’s goodness sendeth them for good, they themselves by their folly turn into their harm.  And those who, on the other hand, seek unto God therein, both comfort and profit they greatly take thereby.

XIX

Vincent:  I like well, good uncle, all your answers therein.  But one doubt yet remaineth there in my mind, which ariseth upon this answer that you make.  And when that doubt is solved, I will, mine own good uncle, encumber you no further for this time.  For methinketh that I do you very much wrong to give you occasion to labour yourself so much in matter of some study, with long talking at once.  I will therefore at this time move you but one thing, and seek some other time at your greater ease for the rest.

My doubt, good uncle, is this:  I perceive well by your answers, gathered and considered together, that you will well agree that a man may both have worldly wealth and yet well go to God; and that, on the other hand, a man may be miserable and live in tribulation and yet go to the devil.  And as a man may please God by patience in adversity, so may he please God by thanks given in prosperity.  Now since you grant these things to be such that either of them both may be matter of virtue or else matter of sin, matter of damnation or matter of salvation, they seem neither good nor bad of their own nature, but things of themselves equal and indifferent, turning to good or to the contrary according as they be taken.  And then if this be thus, I can perceive no cause why you should give the pre-eminence unto tribulation, or wherefore you should reckon more cause of comfort in it than in prosperity, but rather a great deal less—­in a manner, by half.