the one of which was commonly called the Valley of God, and the other
the Valley of Hell. He knew that this ground belonged to the
Benedictines of Compostella, of the Abbey of St. Pay, or Pelagius,
since transferred to that of St. Martin; and, bearing in mind the
favors which the religious of this holy order had done him in the gifts
of St. Mary of the Angels, and at Rome, he called upon the Abbot and
asked unhesitatingly for permission to build a convent between the two
valleys. "What will you give me in payment?" said the abbot. Francis
replied: "As I am very poor, I have neither money, nor anything else
to give you, if you grant me what I ask. Yet what will be most precious
to me, I will give you in quit rent yearly--a small basket of fish if
they can be caught in the river." The abbot who was a very pious man,
admiring his simplicity and his confidence, granted him his request
on the condition proposed, and an act to that effect was prepared and
signed by both.

The holy man came to Cotolai and told him what had passed between the
Abbot of St. Pay and himself, and added: "My dear host, it is God's
will that you should build this convent; therefore prepare yourself
for the work." "Oh, how shall I be able to do that," answered Cotolai,
"I who am so poor, and who live by my daily labor?" "Take courage,"
said Francis, "take a pickaxe, and go to the spring which is close by;
make a hole a little in front of it, and you will find a treasure which
will enable you to execute the order of Heaven." Cotolai, relying on
the Saint's word, searched as he was bidden, found the treasure, and
built the convent, which is known by the name of St. Francis to this
day. This fact is narrated in an authentic manuscript in the archives
of the Abbey of St. Martin, from whence this is copied; and in two
very old inscriptions, one of which is on the tomb of Cotolai and his
wife, whose name was Mary de Bicos, and the other over the gate of the