broken heart." At this, of course, they were all eager to touch the
blessed relic with their poor rings of base metal, such as they wear who
are not rich. Nay, but first, he said, they must give their mites for a
convent of the Clarisses, that was building at Castres, by the care of
the holy Colette, whom he might call his patroness, unworthy as he was.

Then he showed us a safe-conduct, signed with that blessed woman's own
hand, such as she was wont to give to the religious of the Order of St.
Francis. By virtue of this, he said (and, by miracle, for once he said
truly, as I had but too good cause to learn), he could go freely in and
out among the camps of French, English, and Burgundians.

You may conceive how joyous they were in that poor cottage, on a night so
blessed, and how Brother Thomas told us of the holy Colette, that famous
nun and Mother in Christ, as he that had often been in her company. He
had seen her body lifted in the air while she remained in a pious
ecstasy, her mind soaring aloft and her fleshly body following it some
way.

He had often watched that snow-white beast which followed her, such a
creature as is known in no country of the sinful world, but is a thing of
Paradise. And he had tried to caress this wondrous creature of God, but
vainly, for none but the holy sister Colette may handle it. Concerning
her miracles of healing, too, he told us, all of which we already knew
for very truth, and still know on better warranty than his.

Ye may believe that, late and at last, Brother Thomas had his choice of
the warmest place to sleep in--by the "four," as is the wont of pilgrims,
for in his humility this holy man would not suffer the farmer's wife and
the farmer to give him their bed, as they desired. I, too, was very