Roderick, the last of the Goths : $b A tragic poemSouthey, Robert
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Roderick, the last of the Goths : $b A tragic poem
Southey, Robert
Roderick, King of the Visigoths, -711? -- Poetry
“O King, who through thy sins hast lost the great honour in which
thou wert placed, take heed that thy soul also come not into the same
judgement which hath fallen upon thy flesh. And receive into thy heart
the instructions that I shall give thee now, and see that thou swerve not
from them, nor abatest them a jot; for if thou observest them not, or
departest in ought from them, thou wilt bring damnation upon thy soul;
for all that thou shalt find in this writing is given thee for penance,
and thou must learn with great contrition of repentance, and with
humbleness of patience, to be content with that which God hath given thee
to suffer in this world. And that thou mayest not be deceived in case
any company should come unto thee, mark and observe this and pass in it
thy life. Thou shalt arise two hours after midnight, and say thy matins
within the hermitage. When the day breaks thou shalt go to the oratory,
and kneeling upon the ground, say the whole hours by the breviary, and
when thou hast finished them thou shalt say certain prayers of our Lord,
which thou wilt find therein. And when thou hast done this, contemplate
then upon the great power of our Lord, and upon his mercy, and also upon
the most holy passion which he suffered for mankind upon the cross, being
himself very God, and maker of all things; and how with great humility
he chose to be incarnate in a poor virgin, and not to come as a king,
but as a mediator among the nations. And contemplate also upon the poor
life which he always led in this world, to give us an example; and that
he will come at the day of judgement to judge the quick and the dead, and
give to every one the meed which he hath deserved. Then shalt thou give
sustenance to thy flesh of that bread of pannick and rye, which shall
be brought to thee every Friday in the manner that I have said; and of
other food thou shalt not eat, although it should be given or sent thee;
neither shalt thou change thy bread. And when thou hast eaten give thanks
to God, because he has let thee come to repentance; and then thou shalt
go to the oratory, and there give praise to the Virgin our Lady holy
Mary, mother of God, in such manner as shall come to thee in devotion. If
when, thou hast finished, heaviness should come upon thee, thou mayest
sleep, and when thou shalt have rested as long as is reasonable, return
thou to thy oratory, and there remain, making thy prayers always upon thy
knees, and for nothing which may befall thee depart thou from thence,
till thou hast made an end of thy prayers, whether it rain or snow, or
if a tempest should blow. And for as much as the flesh could sustain so
many mundane pleasures, so must it suffer also celestial abstinences;
two masses thou hast heard in this hermitage, and in it, it is God’s
will that thou shalt hear no more, for more would not be to his service.
And if thou observest these things, God will have compassion upon thy
deserts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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