33.

 But to return to St. Jerome's love of the Bible: this is so conspicuous in his letters that they almost seem woven out of Scripture texts; and, as St. Bernard found no taste in things which did not echo the most sweet Name of Jesus, so no literature made any appeal to Jerome unless it derived its light from Holy Scripture. Thus he wrote to Paulinus, formerly senator and even consul, and only recently converted to the faith:
If only you had this foundation (knowledge of Scripture); nay, more - if you would let Scripture give the finishing touches to your work - I should find nothing more beautiful, more learned, even nothing more Latin than your volumes. . . If you could but add to your wisdom and eloquence study of and real acquaintance with Holy Scripture, we should speedily have to acknowledge you a leader amongst us.[⁵²]