The Lives of the Saints Volume 1 - St. Patrick's Basilica

called, and I in the lowest. My youth and sickly constitution moved his
innate goodness to pay me every attention in his power; and we soon
contracted an intimacy that gave me every opportunity of observing his
conduct, and of being fully acquainted with his sentiments. No one
student in the college was more humble, more devout, more exact in every
duty, more obedient or mortified. He was never reproved or punished but
once; and then for a fault of which he was not guilty. This undeserved
treatment he received with silence, patience, and humility. In the hours
alloted to play he rejoiced in the meanest employments assigned to him
by his companions, as to fetch their balls, run on their errands, &c.
&c. Though often treated with many indignities by his thoughtless
companions, on purpose to try his patience, he never was observed to
show the lest resentment, but bore all with meekness and patience. By
the frequent practice of these virtues he had attained so perfect
evenness of temper, that his mind seemed never ruffled with the least
emotion of anger. He restricted himself in every thing to the strictest
bounds of necessity. Great part of his monthly allowance of
pocket-money, and frequently of his daily food, went to the poor. So
perfectly had he subjected the flesh to the spirit, that he seemed to
feel no resistance from his senses in the service of God and his
neighbor."
As he advanced in age his learning and virtue became more and more
conspicuous. Monsieur Pellison,[1] in his life of the famous Huet,
bishop of Avranches, observes, that "from his tenderest youth he gave
himself to study; that at his rising, his going to bed, and during his
meal, he was reading, or had others to read to him; that neither the
fire of youth, the interruption of business, the variety of his
employments, the society of his friends, nor the bustle of the world,
could ever moderate his ardor of study." The same may be said of our
author. He generally allowed himself no more than four hours sleep, and
often passed whole nights in study and prayer. All his day was spent in
reading. When he was alone, he read; when he was in company, he read; at
his meals, he read; in his walks, he read; when he was in a carriage, he
read; when he was on horseback, he read; whatever he did, he read. It
was his custom to make abridgments of the principal works he perused,
and to copy large extracts from them; several bulky volumes {017} of
them have fallen into the hands of the editor. Many were surprised to
see the rapidity with which he read, or rather ran through books, and at
the same time acquired a full and accurate knowledge of their contents.
Footnotes:
1. Histoire de l'Académie, 1 vol. 102.
II
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