Now I must tell you what manner of man this Cobler was.  He was one who led a life of great uprightness and chastity, and who fasted and kept from all sin, and went daily to church to hear Mass, and gave daily a portion of his gains to God.  And the way how he came to have but one eye was this.  It happened one day that a certain woman came to him to have a pair of shoes made, and she showed him her foot that he might take her measure.  Now she had a very beautiful foot and leg; and the Cobler in taking her measure was conscious of sinful thoughts.  And he had often heard it said in the Holy Evangel, that if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee, rather than sin.  So, as soon as the woman had departed, he took the awl that he used in stitching, and drove it into his eye and destroyed it.  And this is the way he came to lose his eye.  So you can judge what a holy, just, and righteous man he was.

NOTE 1.—­Here the G. T. uses a strange word:  “Or te vais a tel cralantur.”  It does not occur again, being replaced by chabitier (savetier).  It has an Oriental look, but I can make no satisfactory suggestion as to what the word meant.

CHAPTER IX.

HOW THE ONE-EYED COBLER WAS DESIRED TO PRAY FOR THE CHRISTIANS.

Now when this vision had visited the Bishop several times, he related the whole matter to the Christians, and they agreed with one consent to call the Cobler before them.  And when he had come they told him it was their wish that he should pray, and that God had promised to accomplish the matter by his means.  On hearing their request he made many excuses, declaring that he was not at all so good a man as they represented.  But they persisted in their request with so much sweetness, that at last he said he would not tarry, but do what they desired.

CHAPTER X.

HOW THE PRAYER OF THE ONE-EYED COBLER CAUSED THE MOUNTAIN TO MOVE.

And when the appointed day was come, all the Christians got up early, men and women, small and great, more than 100,000 persons, and went to church, and heard the Holy Mass.  And after Mass had been sung, they all went forth together in a great procession to the plain in front of the mountain, carrying the precious cross before them, loudly singing and greatly weeping as they went.  And when they arrived at the spot, there they found the Calif with all his Saracen host armed to slay them if they would not change their faith; for the Saracens believed not in the least that God would grant such favour to the Christians.  These latter stood indeed in great fear and doubt, but nevertheless they rested their hope on their God Jesus Christ.

So the Cobler received the Bishop’s benison, and then threw himself on his knees before the Holy Cross, and stretched out his hands towards Heaven, and made this prayer:  “Blessed LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, I pray Thee by Thy goodness that Thou wilt grant this grace unto Thy people, insomuch that they perish not, nor Thy faith be cast down, nor abused nor flouted.  Not that I am in the least worthy to prefer such request unto Thee; but for Thy great power and mercy I beseech Thee to hear this prayer from me Thy servant full of sin.”