company of His Angels, and before all men, and before all devils at the great doom, where we shall all be gathered. There shall all our deeds be known to all that company; and he who cannot for shame confess his sins to one man, shall then be shamed before the hosts of heaven, and the hosts of earth, and the hosts of hell, and his shame will be endless. Verily, no man gets forgiveness of his sins from God, unless he confess them to some man of God, and by his judgment make satisfaction. Neither again may any man say, nor ought he to say, respecting himself, such [things] as he hath not done; even as we read in books about a certain faithful woman, who willed to lose her life rather than to lie. Saint Jerome, the holy doctor, wrote in a certain place about the woman, thus — He said that there was a certain man who accused his wife
of having shamefully committed adultery;
thereupon they were both brought to the judge,
the guiltless wife, and the aforesaid youth;
they were then beaten and severely tortured,
as it was then customary to punish adultery.
They then scraped them with iron claws,
in order that they might say whether it were true ;
then the youth desired to end his torment
by a short death, and wrongly accused them both.
Then said that constant woman, amidst the horrible tortures,
'Oh Thou Lord Christ! who knowest all secret things,
Thou who art the searcher of the soul, and of men's hearts,
Thou knowest that I will not refuse for myself to die,
but I will not speak untruth of myself,
