must not be languishing, remiss, or dejected; but quick, attentive, and elevated to heavenly things. And as it is necessary to come to God with such attention, elevation of the mind, and abstraction from sensible things, so it is no less necessary to temper sweetly this attention, that it be neither hurtful to bodily health, nor impediment to extinguish devotion. For when any be so intensive to the matter they meditate upon, without any respect to their infirm nature, do oftentimes so dull their brains, that they be unapt for other exercises; on the contrary, there are some, to avoid this danger, are so remiss and lazy in their attention, that easily they suffer their minds to be distracted with other idle thoughts.
These two extremes, that they may be both avoided, such moderation is necessary, that the head be not weakened with too violent attention, nor the thoughts permitted carelessly to wander out of supine negligence; in which thing, we must imitate a good rider upon an untoward horse, who neither holdeth him in too hard, nor looseth the reins upon his neck, but guideth him equally, that he giveth not back, nor goeth forward too speedily. So we must strive in meditation, that attention be moderate, diligently resisting evil thoughts, but not violent with anxiety.
We must note also, that these things we here speak of, attention, are chiefly to be taken heed of in the beginning of meditation; for it
