His fellows, being examined,
said that he had somewhat pricked forth before them, and came back
so fast to tell it to them that they thought it rather time to
make haste and giving warning to the camp than to go nearer unto
them. For they were not so far off but what they had yet
themselves somewhat an imperfect sight of them, too. Thus stood we
on watch all the rest of the night, evermore hearkening when we
should hear them come, but "Hush, stand still! Methink I hear a
trampling," so that at last many of us thought we heard them
ourselves too. But when the day was sprung, and we saw no one, out
was our runner sent again, and some of our captains with him, to
show whereabout was the place in which he had perceived them. And
when they came thither, they found that the great fearful army of
the Turks, so soberly coming on, turned (God be thanked) into a
fair long hedge standing even stone-still.
And thus fareth it in the night's fear of tribulation, in which
the devil, to bear down and overwhelm with dread the faithful hope
that we should have in God, casteth in our imagination much more
fear than cause. For since there walk in that night not only the
lion's whelps but all the beasts of the wood beside, the beast
that we hear roar in the dark night of tribulation, and fear for a
lion, we sometimes find well afterward in the way that it was no
lion at all, but a silly rude roaring ass.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147