Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066; Middle Ages -- Sources
On a certain day we were both of us sitting in the king's chamber,
talking on all kinds of subjects, as usual, and it happened that I read
to him a quotation out of a certain book. He heard it attentively with
both his ears, and addressed me with a thoughtful mind, showing me at
the same moment a book which he carried in his bosom, wherein the daily
courses and psalms, and prayers which he had read in his youth, were
written, and he commanded me to write the same quotation in that book.
Hearing this, and perceiving his ingenuous benevolence, and devout
desire of studying the words of divine wisdom, I gave, though in secret,
boundless thanks to Almighty God, who had implanted such a love of
wisdom in the king's heart. But I could not find any empty space in that
book wherein to write the quotation, for it was already full of various
matters; wherefore I made a little delay, principally that I might stir
up the bright intellect of the king to a higher acquaintance with the
divine testimonies. Upon his urging me to make haste and write it
quickly, I said to him, "Are you willing that I should write that
quotation on some leaf apart? For it is not certain whether we shall not
find one or more other such extracts which will please you; and if that
should so happen, we shall be glad that we have kept them apart." "Your
plan is good," said he, and I gladly made haste to get ready a sheet,
in the beginning of which I wrote what he bade me; and on that same day,
I wrote therein, as I had anticipated, no less than three other
quotations which pleased him; and from that time we daily talked
together, and found out other quotations which pleased him, so that the
sheet became full, and deservedly so; according as it is written, "The
just man builds upon a moderate foundation, and by degrees passes to
greater things." Thus, like a most productive bee, he flew here and
there, asking questions, as he went, until he had eagerly and
unceasingly collected many various flowers of divine Scriptures, with
which he thickly stored the cells of his mind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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