this was all their thought. On a day, when the king went forth
a-hunting with his bodyguard, as was his wont, this good man was
of the hunting party. While he was walking alone, by divine
providence, as I believe, he found a man in a covert, cast to the
ground, his foot grievously crushed by a wild-beast. Seeing him
passing by, the wounded man importuned him not to go his way, but
to pity his misfortune, and take him to his own home, adding
thereto: "I hope that I shall not be found unprofitable, nor
altogether useless unto thee." Our nobleman said unto him, "For
very charity I will take thee up, and render thee such service as
I may. But what is this profit which thou saidest that I should
receive of thee?" The poor sick man answered,"I am a physician
of words. If ever in speech or converse any wound or damage be
found, I will heal it with befitting medicines, that so the evil
spread no further." The devout man gave no heed to his word, but
on account of the commandment, ordered him to be carried home,
and grudged him not that tending which he required. But the
aforesaid envious and malignant persons, bringing forth to light
that ungodliness with which they had long been in travail,
slandered this good man to the king; that not only did he forget
his friendship with the king, and neglect the worship of the
gods, and incline to Christianity, but more, that he was
grievously intriguing against the kingly power, and was turning
aside the common people, and stealing all hearts for himself.
"But," said they, "if thou wilt prove that our charge is not
ungrounded, call him to thee privately; and, to try him, say that
thou desirest to leave thy fathers' religion, and the glory of
thy kingship, and to become a Christian, and to put on the
monkish habit which formerly thou didst persecute, having, thou
shalt tell him, found thine old course evil." The authors of