Mirror of the Honest Life and Eight Points of Spiritual Perfection

may be healthy and whole in your person. And therefore, do not be rigorous to others, do not reprehend sharply or harshly by chiding others, because fraternal correction has no place where there is no hope of amendment, and the sound comes to the ears in vain unless God speaks in the heart, for God alone converts the hearts of the sons of men. Fraternal correction, however, ought to be done with great moderation, with groaning and benevolence, in its place and in its time, always with prayer preceding. Therefore, if some have not completed all the things that are of the order, provided you are a good emulator and discreet, you will not judge the deeds of others. Nor let it move you if you see some less discreet, others ignorant, others unlearned, others remiss in the hours, or prone to any vices; close your eyes as much as you can to scrutinizing the deeds of others. Beware that you do not seem to condemn those whom you do not wish to imitate, because there is great danger in judging others, and such suspicions are often false. Whether they are true or false, they nevertheless diminish the affection and charity that a man has toward his neighbor. You must guard much against this, lest the charity of anyone toward you, or toward anyone else, be corrupted or even diminished, because there is no greater spoil or damage than the ablation or diminution of charity. For all things, however useful or necessary they may seem, must be spurned so that the disturbance of anger may be avoided, and all things that are adverse, or are thought to be so, must be sustained so that the tranquility of peace and love may be preserved, because it is to be believed that nothing is more pernicious than anger, nor anything more useful than charity, nor anything more precious than the tranquility of the mind. For the sake of these, not only the commodities of carnal and transitory things, but even spiritual things seem to be spurned if they cannot otherwise be acquired or perfected.

Seventh: that you be silent and not a man of many words. Wherever you are, in speaking or responding, do so lightly and modestly, with a low voice, a placid face, and disciplined manners; speak few and reasonable words. Let words come twice to the file before once to the tongue. Love to listen more than to be heard, so that questioning opens your mouth more than responding to unasked things. Do not lean upon your own prudence, nor trust in your