11.

When you eat your meals, reflect that you must immediately afterwards pray and read. Have a fixed number of lines of holy scripture, and render it as your task to your Lord. On no account resign yourself to sleep until you have filled the basket of your breast with a woof of this weaving. After the holy scriptures you should read the writings of learned men; of those at any rate whose faith is well known. You need not go into the mire to seek for gold; you have many pearls, buy the one pearl with these. ¹ Stand, as Jeremiah says, in more ways than one that so you may come on the true way that leads to the Father. ² Exchange your love of necklaces and of gems and of silk dresses for earnestness in studying the scriptures. Enter the land of promise that flows with milk and honey. ³ Eat fine flour and oil. Let your clothing be, like Joseph’s, of many colors. ⁴ Let your ears like those of Jerusalem ⁵ be pierced by the word of God that the precious grains of new corn may hang from them. In that reverend man Exuperius ⁶ you have a man of tried years and faith ready to give you constant support with his advice.