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From "The Golden
Legend ," by Jacobus de Voragine, A.D. 1275
On a day towards even Jerome sat with his brethren for to hear the holy
lesson, and a lion came halting suddenly in to the monastery, and when
the brethren saw him, anon they fled, and Jerome came against him as he
should come against his guest, and then the lion showed to him his foot
being hurt. Then he called his brethren, and commanded them to wash his
feet and diligently to seek and search for the wound. And that done,
the plant of the foot of the lion was sore hurt and pricked with a
thorn. Then this holy man put thereto diligent cure, and healed him,
and he abode ever after as a tame beast with them. Then S. Jerome saw
that God had sent him to them, not only for the health of his foot, but
also for their profit, and joined to the lion an office, by the accord
of his brethren, and that was that he should conduct and lead an ass to
his pasture which brought home wood, and should keep him going and
coming, and so he did. For he did that which he was commanded, and led
the ass thus as a herdsman, and kept him wisely going and coming, and
was to him a right sure keeper and defender, and always at the hour
accustomed he and the ass came for to have their refection and for to
make the ass to do the work accustomed.
On a time it happed that the ass was in his pasture, and the lion slept
fast, and certain merchants passed by with camels and saw the ass
alone, and stole him and led him away. And anon after, the lion awoke
and when he found not his fellow, he ran groaning hither and thither,
and when he saw that he could not find him he was much sorrowful and
durst not come in, but abode at the gate of the church of the
monastery, and was ashamed that he came without the ass.
And when the brethren saw that he was come more late than he was wont,
and without the ass, they supposed that by constraint of hunger he had
eaten the ass, and would not give to him his portion accustomed, and
said to him: Go and eat that other part of the ass that thou hast
devoured, and fill thy gluttony.
And because they doubted, and they would wit if he had so eaten, they
went to the pastures of the town to see if they could have any
demonstrance of the death of the ass, and they found nothing, and
returned and told it to Jerome, and then he commanded them to enjoin
him to do the office of the ass. Then they hewed down bushes and boughs
and laid upon him, and he suffered it peaceably.
And on a day when he had done his office, he went out to the fields and
began to run hither and thither desiring to know what was done to his
fellow, and saw from far merchants that came with camels charged and
laden, and the ass going tofore them. It was the manner of that region
that when the people went far with camels, they had an ass or a horse
going tofore with a cord about his neck for to conduct the better the
camels. And when the lion knew the ass, with a great roaring he ran on
them so terribly that all the merchants fled, and he so feared the
camels with beating the earth with his tail that, he constrained them
to go straight unto the cell with all their charge and lading. And when
the brethren saw this they told it to Jerome, and he said: Brethren,
wash the feet of our guests and give them meat, abide ye the will of
our Lord hereupon. And then the lion began to run joyously throughout
all the monastery, as he was wont to do, and kneeled down to every
brother and fawned them with his tail, like as he had demanded pardon
of the trespass that he had done.
And S. Jerome, which knew well what was to come, said to his brethren:
Go and make ye ready all things necessary for guests that be coming to
us. And as he thus said, there came to him a messenger, saying to him
that there were guests at the gate that would speak with the abbot. And
as soon as they were come they kneeled to the abbot, and required of
him pardon. And he raised and made them to stand up goodly, and
commanded them to take their own good, and not to take away other
men's. And then they prayed the holy saint that he would take the half
of their oil, and he refused it. And at the last he commanded to take a
measure of oil, and then they promised that they should bring every
year a measure of oil to that church, and their heirs after them
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