S. MACARIUS
S. Macarius was in a desert; and entered in to a pit or sepulchre, whereas had been buried many bodies of paynims, for to sleep, and he drew out one of these bodies and laid it under his head instead of a pillow. Then came thither devils for to make him aghast and afeard, and said one to another: 'Come with me to bathe thee.' And the body that lay under his head said: 'I may not come, for I have a pilgrim upon me lying, that I may not move.' For all this S. Macarius was not afeard, but he beat the body with his fist, and said: 'Arise and go if thou mayst.' When the devils saw that they might not make him afeard they cried with a great voice: 'Macarius, thou hast vanquished and overcome us twice.' On a time as Macarius was nigh his house, the devil came with a great scythe on his neck, and would have smitten therewith S. Macarius, and the devil said to him: 'Thou dost to me great violence and force, for I may not prevail against thee. Lo! what thou doest I do; thou fastest and I eat not, thou wakest and I never sleep: but there is one thing in which thou overcomest me.' And Macarius said: 'What is that?' To whom the devil said: 'That is humility, and thy meekness, by which I may not prevail against thee.'
It happed on a time that a great temptation came upon S. Macarius, and much tempted him, and anon
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