Earilily princes converted aid in breaking the clods. 429 within, on the sign of the cross being suddenly imprinted on pooic his brow, that he was converted and laid aside his threats,XXX f. and, as bound, acknowledged that he could not proceed to his resolutions. And not only does he subdue all wrath within himself, but he hastens to implant also every thing which is right, in the feelings of his subjects; in order to shew himself, by the example of his own humility, that all should reverence Holy Church from their inmost thouglits. Let it be said therefore to blessed Job; Wilt thou hind the rhinoceros ivilh thy hand to plough? As if He plainly said; Dost thou direct the mighty ones of this world, trusting in their foolish pride, to the labour of preach- ing, and restrain them under the bonds of discipline? Thou understandest. As Myself, who did that, when I willed ; Who made My very persecutors, whom I first endured as enemies, to be afterwards themselves the defenders of sound faith. It follows ; Or icill he break the clods of the valleys after thee? 6. The overlying clods of cultivated land are wont to ^ press down the seeds which have been thrown in, and to stifle them when springing up. By which clods are signified in this place those, who through their own hardness, and deadly life, neither receive themselves the seeds of the word, nor yet allow others to bring forth fruits of the seeds they have received. For every holy preacher, on coming into the world, had,by preaching the Gospel to the poor, ploughed, as it were, the soft lands of the valleys. But the Church, unable to break down the hardness of some of the haughty, was bearing them when oppressed, as clods thrown upon lier labours. For many of perverse mind, relying on this very unbelief of earthly princes, were oppressing the rising Church with the weight of evil living, when they were destroying, for a long while, those whom they could, at one time by their damnable examples, at another by threats, at another by blandishments, lest the cultivated soil of the heart of their hearers should attain to the fruit of spiritual seed. But when Almighty God subdued this rhinoceros with his bands, He broke at once by his aid the hardness of the clods. For He presently subjugated the princes of the earth to His faith, and crushed the hard hearts of perse-