OR,

ENTERTAINING

MORAL STORIES;

INVENTED BY THE MONKS AS A FIRE-SIDE RECREATION; AND
COMMONLY APPLIED IN THEIR DISCOURSES FROM THE
PULPIT: WHENCE THE MOST CELEBRATED OF

OUR OWN POETS AND OTHERS, FROM

THE EARLIEST TIMES, HAVE

EXTRACTED THEIR

PLOTS.

TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN,

WITH

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS AND COPIOUS NOTES,

BY THE REV. CHARLES SWAN,

LATE OF CATHARINE HALL, CAMBRIDGE.

"They" [the Monks]" might be disposed occasionally to recreate their
minds with subjects of a light and amusing nature; and what could be
more innocent or delightful than the stories of the GESTA ROMANORUM ?”
DOUCE's Illustrations of Shakspeare.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR C, AND J. RIVINGTON,

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD, AND WATERLOO-PLACE, PALL-MALL.

M.DCCC.XXIV.

No 24

TALE

CONTENTS

ΤΟ

VOL. II.

PAGE

I. Of the wonderful Dispensations of

Providence, and of the Rise of

IV. Of God's Benefits...

V. Of Prayer, which is as Harmony be-

fore God....

.......

VI. Of Sinners, who receive the Divine

Grace on earnestly seeking it....

VII. Of Christ, who gave himself to Death

for us

VIII. Of the Cunning of the Devil...

IX. Of the triple State of the World

TALE

PAGE

XII. Of Christ, who died that we might

XIII. Of the Inheritance and Joy of a faith-

XIV. Of the Soul, which being infected

with the Leprosy of Sin, cannot re-

cover its ancient Beauty, except

46

48

by penitential Sighs and Tears .. 49

XV. Of Christ, who restored our heavenly

Inheritance

XVI. Of the Life present, which is a Life

of Remission and Grace

XVII. Of Death.........

......

XVIII. Of conciliating God whilst we have

Opportunity

.........

XIX. Of Christ's manly Contest and Vic-

tory......

XX. Of Christ, who is long-suffering and

52

53

......

XXII. Of the Transgressions and Wounds

of the Soul

.........

XXIII. Of doing all Things with Concord

and Forethought....

XXIV. Of the Remembrance of Benefits....

XXV. Of the Vicissitude of every Thing

good, and especially of a right

Judgment....

TALE

XXVI. Of the Deceits of the Devil ...................

XXVII. Of remembering Death, and forget-

ting Things temporal.....

XXVIII. Of Constancy in adhering to Pro-

mises

XXIX. Of the avaricious Pursuit of Riches,

which leads to Hell.....

PAGE

35

XXX. Of the miraculous Recall of Sinners,

and of the Consolations which Piety

offers to the distressed

.......

XXXI. Of Vigilance in our Calling....

XXXV. Of Reconciliation through Christ

XXXVI. Of the Love of God

XLIII. Of Absence of parental Restraint... 162

XLIV. Of Confidence in Women ...

.........

164

XLV. Of Women, who not only betray Se-

crets, but lie fearfully........... 168

XLVI. Of Women who are not to be trusted 171