abstinence, he after this great labour returned fasting unto his house, and would never accord with no man to dine with him. He had the spirit of prophecy, for he prophesied that a recluse should be seen among men by the vice of covetise. The which thing happed not long after, for the myschaunte recluse, leaving the way of salvation and of penitence, went out from his cell and took a worldly and damnable way.
This holy S. Ives laboured ever to appease all discordance and strife after his power, and the folk which might not accord by his persuasion and admonishings were called soon to concord after his orison by him made to God.
It may not be recounted, ne never it was seen in our time, the great charity, pity, and misericorde that he had towards the poor, indigent and suffretous, towards the widows and to the poor children both father- and motherless, all the time of his life. All that he received or might have, as well of the church as of his patrimony, he gave to them without any difference when he was dwelling at Rennes and promoted to the office of official there at the court of the archdeacon. Also, ere he changed his manner of living, he made upon the great and solemn holidays plenty of meat to be dressed and ready for to eat, and at dinner-time he called and made to be called the poor folk to dinner, and to them administered meat with his own hands, and after he ate with two poor children which for the love of our Lord Jesu Christ he sustained at school. For ever he was right courteous to help children, both father- and mother-
