The House of Souls

ORCERY and sanctity said Ambrose these are the only realities. Each is an ecstasy a withdrawal from the common life.Cotgrave listened interested. He had been brought by a friend to this mouldering house in a northern suburb through an old garden to the room where Ambrose the recluse dozed and dreamed over his books. Yes he went on magic is justified of her children. There are many I think who eat dry crusts and drink water with a joy infinitely sharper than anything within the experience of the practical epicure. You are speaking of the saints? Yes and of the sinners too. I think you are falling into the very general error of confining the spiritual world to the supremely good; but the supremely wicked necessarily have their portion in it. The merely carnal sensual man can no more be a great sinner than he can be a great saint. Most of us are just indifferent mixed-up creatures; we muddle through the world without realizing the meaning and the inner sense of things and consequently our wickedness and our goodness are alike second-rate unimportant. And you think the great sinner then will be an ascetic as well as the great saint? Great people of all kinds forsake the imperfect[114] copies and go to the perfect originals. I have no doubt but that many of the very highest among the saints have never done a good action (using the words in their ordinary sense).