limits of their fields and lands, a violent tempest, in one night,
utterly destroyed and ruined the cultivated grounds of the monks,
while the adjoining territory of the knight remained undamaged. On
which occasion he insolently inveighed against the fraternity, and
publicly asserted that divine vengeance had thus punished them for
unlawfully keeping possession of his land; to which the abbot
wittily replied, "It is by no means so; but that the knight had more
friends in that riding than the monastery;" and he clearly
demonstrated that, on the other hand, the monks had more enemies in
it.

In the province of Penbroch, another instance occurred, about the
same time, of a spirit's appearing in the house of Elidore de
Stakepole, {116} not only sensibly, but visibly, under the form of a
red-haired young man, who called himself Simon. First seizing the
keys from the person to whom they were entrusted, he impudently
assumed the steward's office, which he managed so prudently and
providently, that all things seemed to abound under his care, and
there was no deficiency in the house. Whatever the master or
mistress secretly thought of having for their daily use or
provision, he procured with wonderful agility, and without any
previous directions, saying, "You wished that to be done, and it
shall be done for you." He was also well acquainted with their
treasures and secret hoards, and sometimes upbraided them on that
account; for as often as they seemed to act sparingly and
avariciously, he used to say, "Why are you afraid to spend that heap
of gold or silver, since your lives are of so short duration, and
the money you so cautiously hoard up will never do you any service?"
He gave the choicest meat and drink to the rustics and hired
servants, saying that "Those persons should be abundantly supplied,