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his cowardice and procrastination he appeared to hear from a neighboring house the voice of a child singing, "Tolle Lege! Tolle Lege!" (Take up, and read: Take up and read"); and going some distance where his friend, Alipius, had left a book of the Epistles of St. Paul, he picked it up, opened it and read: "Not in reveling and drunkenness; not in chambering and impurities, not in strife and envy; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh and its concupiscences."
The procrastination of Augustine who, at one and the same time, longed for repentance, yet still clung to sin was severely commented upon by himself in words to the effect that he desired to be converted; but not yet for a while.
These words touched his heart. His conversion was complete. He shut the book, having put a mark upon the place and with a calm and serene countenance told Apilius what had passed in his soul. Alipius desired to see the passage he had read, and found the next words to be: "He that is weak in faith take unto you;" which he applied to himself. Being of virtuous inclinations, and a sweet disposition, he readily joined his friend in his good resolution. They immediately went and told the good news to St. Monica, who was transported with joy. She had followed her son into Italy, and came to him at Milan soon after he had abandoned the Manicheaen heresy, and before he embraced the Catholic faith, for which happiness she continued to pray, and for his perfect conversion from vice and irregularities till she saw both accomplished.
The person who indited the foregoing quotation closed a lengthy dissertation on the danger of being in bad company by the following:
"This company, this fond affection, this sacret envy appears light at first, but nothing is so rapid or so violent as the progress of vice."
"He that once sins, like him that slides on ice,
Goes swiftly down the slippery ways of vice;
Though conscience checks him, yet those rubs gone o'er
He slides as smoothly, and looks back no more."
The Beginning of the Christian Life of St. Augustine.
Shortly after his conversion Augustine, or Austin, gave up his school of oratory and retired with his mother, St. Monica, his brother, Navigius, his son, Adeodatus, St. Alipius, his chief confidant, Trigitius and Licentius, two of
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