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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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