And he continued, thus: 'Do you
come to me for health and life? I will give you both. Are you not come
for that? Then I have no time for you!' The man, who had always believed
himself to be well, turned pale, and said. 'Master, I place myself in
your hands; give me life!'"
The three students stood for a moment dum-founded. When they showed
signs of coming to their senses, and of wishing to answer, Benedetto
continued:
"If three blind men ask me for my lamp of truth what shall I reply? I
shall reply, 'First go and prepare your eyes for it, because, should I
give it unto your hands now, you would receive no light from it, and you
would only break it.'"
"I hope," said the tall, lean, bespectacled student, "that in order to
see your lamp of truth it may not be necessary to shut out the light of
the sun. But, after all, I can easily understand that you do not wish to
explain yourself to us, whom you believe to be reporters. To-day we are
not--or at least I am not--in the state of mind you desire. I may be
blind, but I do not feel inclined to ask the Pope for light, or a Luther
either.
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