tears, and give me plenteousness of tears to drink.(1)

(1) Psalm lxxv. 5.


CHAPTER XXII

On the contemplation of human misery

Thou art miserable wheresoever thou art, and whithersoever thou
turnest, unless thou turn thee to God. Why art thou disquieted
because it happeneth not to thee according to thy wishes and
desires? Who is he that hath everything according to his will?
Neither I, nor thou, nor any man upon the earth. There is no man
in the world free from trouble or anguish, though he were King or
Pope. Who is he who hath the happiest lot? Even he who is
strong to suffer somewhat for God.

2. There are many foolish and unstable men who say, "See what a
prosperous life that man hath, how rich and how great he is, how
powerful, how exalted." But lift up thine eyes to the good
things of heaven, and thou shalt see that all these worldly
things are nothing, they are utterly uncertain, yea, they are
wearisome, because they are never possessed without care and
fear. The happiness of man lieth not in the abundance of
temporal things but a moderate portion sufficeth him. Our life
upon the earth is verily wretchedness. The more a man desireth
to be spiritual, the more bitter doth the present life become to
him; because he the better understandeth and seeth the defects of
human corruption. For to eat, to drink, to watch, to sleep, to