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glory to wear these celestial pearls in his habit。 Quoted by P。
Sabatier： Speculum Perfectionis； etc。； Paris； 1898； p。 231；
note。
〃He continued this tormenting exercise for about sixteen years。
At the end of this time； when his blood was now chilled； and the
fire of his temperament destroyed； there appeared to him in a
vision on Whitsunday； a messenger from heaven； who told him that
God required this of him no longer。 Whereupon he discontinued
it； and threw all these things away into a running stream。〃
Suso then tells how； to emulate the sorrows of his crucified
Lord； he made himself a cross with thirty protruding iron needles
and nails。 This he bore on his bare back between his shoulders
day and night。 〃The first time that he stretched out this cross
upon his back his tender frame was struck with terror at it； and
blunted the sharp nails slightly against a stone。 But soon；
repenting of this womanly cowardice； he pointed them all again
with a file； and placed once more the cross upon him。 It made
his back； where the bones are； bloody and seared。 Whenever he
sat down or stood up； it was as if a hedgehog…skin were on him。
If any one touched him unawares； or pushed against his clothes；
it tore him。〃
Suso next tells of his penitences by means of striking this cross
and forcing the nails deeper into the flesh； and likewise of his
self…scourgingsa dreadful storyand then goes on as follows：
〃At this same period the Servitor procured an old castaway door；
and he used to lie upon it at night without any bedclothes to
make him comfortable； except that he took off his shoes and
wrapped a thick cloak round him。 He thus secured for himself a
most miserable bed； for hard pea…stalks lay in humps under his
head； the cross with the sharp nails stuck into his back； his
arms were locked fast in bonds； the horsehair undergarment was
round his loins； and the cloak too was heavy and the door hard。
Thus he lay in wretchedness； afraid to stir； just like a log； and
he would send up many a sigh to God。
〃In winter he suffered very much from the frost。 If he stretched
out his feet they lay bare on the floor and froze； if he gathered
them up the blood became all on fire in his legs； and this was
great pain。 His feet were full of sores； his legs dropsical； his
knees bloody and seared； his loins covered with scars from the
horsehair； his body wasted； his mouth parched with intense
thirst； and his hands tremulous from weakness。 Amid these
torments he spent his nights and days； and he endured them all
out of the greatness of the love which he bore in his heart to
the Divine and Eternal Wisdom； our Lord Jesus Christ； whose
agonizing sufferings he sought to imitate。 After a time he gave
up this penitential exercise of the door； and instead of it he
took up his abode in a very small cell； and used the bench； which
was so narrow and short that he could not stretch himself upon
it； as his bed。 In this hole； or upon the door； he lay at night
in his usual bonds； for about eight years。 It was also his
custom； during the space of twenty…five years； provided he was
staying in the convent； never to go after compline in winter into
any warm room； or to the convent stove to warm himself； no matter
how cold it might be； unless he was obliged to do so for other
reasons。 Throughout all these years he never took a bath； either
a water or a sweating bath； and this he did in order to mortify
his comfort…seeking body。 He practiced during a long time such
rigid poverty that he would neither receive nor touch a penny；
either with leave or without it。 For a considerable time he
strove to attain such a high degree of purity that he would
neither scratch nor touch any part of his body； save only his
hands and feet。〃＇184＇
＇184＇ The Life of the Blessed Henry Suso； by Himself； translated
by T。 F。 Knox； London； 1865； pp。 56…80； abridged。
I spare you the recital of poor Suso's self…inflicted tortures
from thirst。 It is pleasant to know that after his fortieth
year； God showed him by a series of visions that he had
sufficiently broken down the natural man； and that he might leave
these exercises off。 His case is distinctly pathological； but he
does not seem to have had the alleviation； which some ascetics
have enjoyed； of an alteration of sensibility capable of actually
turning torment into a perverse kind of pleasure。 Of the founder
of the Sacred Heart order； for example； we read that
〃Her love of pain and suffering was insatiable。 。 。 。 She said
that she could cheerfully live till the day of judgment； provided
she might always have matter for suffering for God； but that to
live a single day without suffering would be intolerable。 She
said again that she was devoured with two unassuageable fevers；
one for the holy communion； the other for suffering； humiliation；
and annihilation。 'Nothing but pain；' she continually said in
her letters； 'makes my life supportable。'〃＇185＇
＇185＇ Bougaud： Hist de la bienheureuse Marguerite Marie； Paris；
1894； pp。 265； 171。 Compare； also； pp。 386； 387。
So much for the phenomena to which the ascetic impulse will in
certain persons give rise。 In the ecclesiastically consecrated
character three minor branches of self…mortification have been
recognized as indispensable pathways to perfection。 I refer to
the chastity； obedience； and poverty which the monk vows to
observe； and upon the heads of obedience and poverty I will make
a few remarks。
First； of Obedience。 The secular life of our twentieth century
opens with this virtue held in no high esteem。 The duty of the
individual to determine his own conduct and profit or suffer by
the consequences seems； on the contrary； to be one of our best
rooted contemporary Protestant social ideals。 So much so that it
is difficult even imaginatively to comprehend how men possessed
of an inner life of their own could ever have come to think the
subjection of its will to that of other finite creatures
recommendable。 I confess that to myself it seems something of a
mystery。 Yet it evidently corresponds to a profound interior
need of many persons； and we must do our best to understand it。
On the lowest possible plane； one sees how the expediency of
obedience in a firm ecclesiastical organization must have led to
its being viewed as meritorious。 Next； experience shows that
there are times in every one's life when one can be better
counseled by o