Mr.Wet-eyes, good and true soul, was afraid that he had not qualified himself enough by compunctious reading and self-recollection.

The sincere, he sobbed out, do often beget hypocrites! 'Our hearts are so deceitful in the matter of repentance,' says Jeremy Taylor, 'that the masters of the spiritual life are fain to invent suppletory arts and stratagems to secure the duty.' Take not offence at the lack of all such suppletory arts and stratagems in thy servant, said poor Wet-eyes.

All which would mean in the most of us: Take not offence at my rawness and ignorance in the spiritual life, and especially in the life of inward devotion.

Do not count up against me the names and the numbers and the prices of my poems, and plays, and novels, and newspapers, and then the number of my devotional books.
Compare not my outlay on my body and on this life with my outlay on my soul and on the life to come.

Oh, take not mortal offence at the shameful and scandalous unqualifiedness of Thy miserable servant.