Readyhanded

The door of grace turns upon smooth hinges wide opening to fend out, but soon shutting to recall the precious offers of mercy to a nation: which, unless watchfulness and zeal, two quicksighted and readyhanded virgins, be there in our behalf to receive, we lose: and still the oftener we lose, the straiter the door opens, and the less is offered.

And mankind shuddered; but the gods laughed; for Septimius was but a knife that Pompey had sharpened; and when it turned against his own throat they said that Pompey had better have made Septimius a ploughman than so brave and readyhanded a slayer.

Nor is any man alive who may not, or ought not to, see the express image of himself in this self-sufficing Vasco, with his faith in the cross, his confidence in himself and his readyhanded use of means.