_On Flight from Avidity and Avarice_
O new copy of the collection of mysteries, rosebud of the garden of
graces! discover thy needs to no one, bend not thy back under the load
of a favor received. Open not thy mouth to request; let not servile and
entreating speech soil thy lips. Cupidity always engenders a bad
reputation: the true secret to gain the esteem of others is to moderate
thy desires. Hast thou not received the portion assigned to thee by
destiny? What is the water of life, if it is not consideration? Should
we not always show it? Be animated by generous feelings, beware of
baseness, and do not demand all that thou seest. What is there so
desirable in thy brother’s hand that thou shouldst so unceasingly covet?
Has he not need of the gifts of the Lord, as thou hast? and is he not
also the debtor of his universal beneficence? Is he not able to show
thee favor, a weak mortal, and has he not sufficient wealth to share
with thee? God never reproaches us with the benefits he grants: but is
the hand of man other than an instrument?
Although in all things the first causes must be considered, what are
these causes without that which directs them? Seek not the creature to
the exclusion of the Creator; lose not thy trouble. Confide in the
generosity of the Lord; the portion he has allotted thee will return in
spite of thyself. How sweet it is to repose in the shade of a modest
retreat and to content one’s self with the gifts of Providence! Lay not
a bold hand on the object of thy covetousness; God knows what is
necessary for thee. Let thy heart, satisfied with the Creator’s gifts,
accept with gratitude all that he grants thee! In his high wisdom, he
knows all thy needs and he will provide for them at the seasonable time.
Pious legacies do not belong to thee; the universal Dispenser will
exhaust other sources to enrich thee. Money cannot appease hunger nor
can it serve for the nourishing of thy body. If thou didst amass
pyramids of gold or of silver, could they take the place of bread, or of
oil, or of rice? Why trouble thyself concerning thy subsistence? Does
not God provide for his servants’ needs? All that is not given willingly
loses its worth: were it a rose, it has no longer a perfume.
If thou art offered anything, O soul of thy father! sully not thy eyes
and thy heart with cupidity: be courageous, and abase not thyself by
looks which beg on all sides. However, thou canst accept with simplicity
what a friend offers. In thy turn, thou wilt evidence thy gratitude by
some present. Let thy promises remain always inviolable: be a religious
observer of thy word. Know that a promise is a sacred obligation, and
that to fail therein is to be covered with shame. Beware lest by lying
words thou plantest the tree of promise on the roots of bad faith.