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From
the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great
When as the foresaid monasteries were zealous in the love of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and their fame dispersed far and near, and many gave over the secular
life, and subdued the passions of their soul, under the light yoke of our
Saviour: then (as the manner of wicked people is, to envy at that virtue
which themselves desire not to follow) one Florentius, Priest of a church
nearby, and grandfather to Florentius our sub-deacon, possessed with diabolical
malice, began to envy the holy man's [Benedict's] virtues, to back-bite his
manner of living, and to withdraw as many as he could from going to visit
him.
When he saw that he could not hinder his virtuous proceedings, but that,
on the contrary, the fame of his holy life increased, and many daily, on
the very report of his sanctity, took themselves to a better state of life
: burning more and more with the coals of envy, he became far worse; and
though he desired not to imitate his commendable life, yet fain he would
have had the reputation of his virtuous conversation.
In conclusion so much did malicious envy blind him, and so far did he wade
in that sin, that he poisoned a loaf and sent it to the servant of almighty
God, as it were for a holy present. The man of God received it with great
thanks, yet not ignorant of that which was hidden within. At dinner time,
a crow daily used to come to him from the next wood, which took bread at
his hands; coming that day after his manner, the man of God threw him the
loaf which the Priest had sent him, giving him this charge: "In the name
of Jesus Christ our Lord, take up that loaf, and leave it in some such place
where no man may find it." Then the crow, opening his mouth, and lifting
up his wings, began to hop up and down about the loaf, and after his manner
to cry out, as though he would have said that he was willing to obey, and
yet could not do what he was commanded.
The man of God again and again bide him, saying: "Take it up without fear,
and throw it where no man may find it." At length, with much ado, the crow
took it up, and flew away, and after three hours, having dispatched the loaf,
he returned again, and received his usual allowance from the man of God.
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