8. Why should I detail her spareness of food, her
abundance of services—the one abounding beyond nature, the other
almost insufficient for nature? And there were no seasons of
slackness, but days of fasting, one upon the other. And if ever
the desire for refreshment came, her food was generally what came to
hand, taken to keep off death, not to minister to comfort.
Necessity before inclination caused her to sleep, and yet when her body
was sleeping her soul was awake, and often in sleep either went again
through what had been read, or went on with what had been interrupted
by sleep, or carried out what had been designed, or foresaw what was to
be carried out.