The Customs of the Two Countries Compared

We ought indeed to be most grateful for the teaching of those men who taught us from our youth to attempt great things, and who, by giving us a taste of their excellence, planted in our hearts a splendid thirst for perfection. Yet if our judgment can be relied on at all, we cannot compare these customs with the ones we learned there in any way that would let us keep silent about the matchless purity of your life. We believe it is granted to you not only through the concentration of your mind and aim, but also through the help and support of the place itself. So we do not doubt that, if we are to follow your great perfection, the teaching given to us is not enough by itself, unless we also have the help of the life itself, and a long course of instruction, by daily training, to some degree melts the coldness of our hearts.