nature, another of overmuch plenty of meats, and the third of the devil.'
On a time as S. Anthony was in the wilderness in his prayer and was weary, he said to our Lord: 'Lord, I have great desire to be saved, but my thoughts let me.' Then appeared an angel to him and said: 'Do as I do, and thou shalt be safe,' and he went out and saw him one while labour and another while pray.
It happed on a time that S. Anthony laboured with his brethren the hermits, and he saw a vision much sorrowful, and therefore he kneeled down on his knees and prayed our Lord that he would empesh the great sorrow that was to come. Then the other hermits demanded what thing it was, and he said that it was a great sorrow: 'for I have seen great plenty of beasts which environed me, which feared all the country, and I wot well that this is to say that there shall come a great trouble of men like unto beasts, that shall defoul the sacraments of holy church.' Then came a voice from heaven to S. Anthony that said that 'great abomination shall come to mine altar.' And anon after, the heresy of Arians began, and much troubled holy church, and did many evils, and slew christian men like sheep upon the altars.
At the last S. Anthony assembled the hermits and gave to them the peace, and died and departed out of this world holily when he was of the age of an hundred and five years. Pray we to him that he pray for us.
