Volume II, Treatise II, Chapter IV

Of the Profit and Advantage of Silence

MopERATION in speaking is one of those means which conduce very much to our progress in virtue and perfection; and on the contrary, intemperance of speech is the greatest hindrance to both. These two great truths are set down by St. James in his canonical epistle, where he says, “If there be any one that offends not with his tongue, he is a perfect man.” (James 3:2) Again, “if any one thinks himself religious, and bridles not his tongue, but permits it upon all occasions to discover his thoughts, his religion is vain and unprofitable.”—-(James 1:26) St. Jerom makes use of this passage to recommend silence to us, and says, that the fathers of the desert resting upon this authority were extremely careful in the observance of this virtue; and that he himself had met with several of them, who for seven years together had not spoken to any one. Denis the Carthusian assures us, that this sentence of the apostle caused the rule of silence to be made in all religious orders, and urged superiors to order a public penance, to be inflicted upon those that should break it.

Now let us see the reason why it is so earnestly recommended to us. Can then one idle word be so great a crime? Does it include any other injury than the loss of a moment of time, or is it any more than a venial sin which a little holy water is able to wash away? Yes, certainly there is more harm in it than the bare loss of 2 moment, and it must needs be of greater importance than we are aware of; since the holy scripture, which is far from exaggerating our faults, and does not use false weights to make them the heavier, insists so much upon it. The saints and doctors of the church, whom God has favoured with particular lights, for the better understanding of holy mysteries, have taken a great deal of pains to make us sensible of the advantages of holy silence, and of the great inconveniences caused by a breach thereof.

St. Basil recommends it to beginners in virtue asa help to speak well; which is a thing very difficult, and requires a great deal of prudence. We employ several years to make ourselves masters of other arts and sciences, and why should we not do the same in the art of speaking, since it is a science we shall never perfect ourselves in without long study and much application ¢ 2? You will answer me, perhaps, that frequent practising of an art is the best way to acquire it, and_consequently speaking much is the readiest way to speak well. No, says St. Basil, if you would learn to speak well, first learn to be silent. The reason he gives is this; many circumstances are required to speak well, which, not being accustomed to observe, we speak whatever occurs to us, in the manner we please, and without either rule or method. On the contrary, silence produces two admirable effects, which teaches us how to speak well. The first is, to forget all the language the world had taught us, a circumstance which is as necessary for us, in order to speak well, as it is for one that pretends to be master of any science to abandon the false maxims he had already learned. The second effect is, that long silence gives us time to learn how to speak; it gives us leisure to observe the most accomplished in this science—their manner, their deliberation, their sweetness; and also their gravity and prudence, that we may form ourselves on these models. An apprentice observes how his master works, thereby to inform himself, and to become afterwards master of his trade; so we ought continually to hearken to the best masters in the art of speaking, and endeavour to imitate them as much as we are able. Take notice, therefore, of some one of the more ancient and exemplary religious: observe with how much sweetness and ease he gives ear to all that ¢come to him; and with how much charity he despatches their affairs; see! notwithstanding any other business he has in hands, he seems as if he had nothing else to do, but to attend to the concerns of those that come to him. Nay, what is still more, his temper is ever even—he is ever himself. But how different is his

manner from your’s, when at any time you are employed in ever so small a matter? Are not your answers not only too brisk and peremptory, but sometimes very disobliging? Look upon another, and see with what joy and readiness he submits to his superior’s orders, without alleging any pretended excuses, or desiring that any one else should supply his place. Take notice of another, who is never heard to say what may give the least offence to his brother, either in, or out of time of recreation, either in jest or earnest, either to his face or behind his back; so that when, where, or of whomsoever he speaks, he always shews respect and esteem for the person he speaks of;—and learn of all these fo do the like. Last of all, observe another, who, upon some harsh and ill language given him, makes no reply, but handsomely and charitably dissembles, as if he did not hear it, verifying the royal prophet’s words, ‘‘T am become like a man that is deaf.”“ (Psalms 37:15) Observe also how that at the same time, by thus conquering himself, he gains his brother’s heart; and learn to behave yourself thus also, in the like occasion. These are happy effects of silence, which St. Basil points out. The same saint farther adds, “as often as we leave off the custom of speaking ill, so often we forget what we ought to be ignorant of; and at the same time get an opportunity of learning what we ought to know.” —(In Reg. xiii.)

St. Ambrose and St. Jerom, writing upon this passage of Eeele-

siaste “there is a time to be silent and a time to speak,” (Eccl.

. 7), confirm what I have said, and tell us, that Pythagoras ordained five years’ silence to his scholars, that they might in that time forget those errors they had before learned from others; and that by hearing only him their master, they might make themselves able men, and learn those truths they were afterwards to discourse of and teach others. ‘“‘ Let us then,” concludes St. Jerom,” “first learn to hold our tongues, that hereafter we may never use them but to the purpose. Let ns, then, keep silence for some time, and hearken with attention to what our masters teach us; looking upon this as an undoubted truth, that after a long silence, and having been a long time scholars, we shall also have our turn, and become masters.” (Hier. in Eccl.)

Though what these great saints have said seems intended only for beginners, yet without doubt it equally concerns all. For either you are a long time in religion, or you are not; or you desire to behave yourself like a novice, in what relates to your tongue, or else like a senior—take which you please. If you. will

a govern yourself like a novice, the first lesson they will set you will be to hold your peace, till you shall be able to speak as you should do. If you would act as a senior, you must be a living example to others, and the very model according to which the novices are to be formed, and from whom all young beginners must take their pattern. But I could wish you would rather govern yourself like 8 senior than like a novice; since in this case your obligation is the stricter. For having done your noviceship, and for a long time observed the rule of silence, in order to learn to speak, it is not to be doubted after all this but that you know the art of speaking, and are, by your example, able to help others in it. But in case you have not been a novice, nor as yet have learned to speak, it is necessary you should become novice, that by this means you may learn of what, and when you are to speak.

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