Blanquerna

The Bishop Blanquerna desired to take himself the office of peacemaker, for they that have it will be called the sons of God; and therefore the Bishop desired to take upon himself that office, and to spend the third part of his income

The Bishop made request to the woman with words so devout and humble that she promised him to take a husband and to be no longer with the burgess. Then the Bishop gave five hundred moraialins as a dowry to the woman and bellowed upon her a husband ; and the burgess, through the good example that the Bishop had given to him, and because the woman desired not to return to her sin, began once more to love his wife, and there was peace between him and his kinsfolk, and the ill-will that was aforetime between them ceased.

4. The devil one day put forth his flrcngth, and brought it to pass that a draper in that city slew a merchant, to whom he owed much money for cloth that he had bought of him. This merchant had two sons. The one was a grown man, and he made an outcry concerning the death of his father; and there were great factions in the city on the one side and on the other. No man could make peace between them, and the notables of the city went to the Bishop Blanquerna, praying him that, as he had the office of peacemaker, he would make peace between the two parties, in so far as he was able. So the Bishop went to

OF PERSECUTION

city. When they had eaten and feafted for a great space, the Bishop, in the presence of them ail, presented the brother with a benefice that was very rich; and he kneeled to his bailiff, and, holding a cross in his hand, begged him that, for the honour of the Cross, he would pardon the draper, who repented very deeply of the murder which he had committed. All the notables and the canons and the other persons who were in that place kneeled likewise when they saw that the Bishop kneeled. So the draper was pardoned, and concord and friendship were made between the two faftions, and an alliance was made between them by matrimony, in the which the Bishop gave jewels and money from that part of his income which he had set aside for the making of peace between all men.

5. Every day, after divers manners, did the Bishop make peace between men, and sent gifts and invitations to the notables of the city, both these and those, and he did them much honour, to the end that all might love him, and, through their love, obey him. And whensoever there was flrife in the city, flraightway the Bishop was enabled to make peace, by reason of the love and favour which he had among all the people. The Bishop preached daily con¬ cerning peace, and said that war and ftrife are the occasion of all evil, but peace is the occasion of all good ; wherefore Jesus Chrifl preached peace daily for so long as He was among us. Great was the good which the Bishop did, and all the people praised and blessed God Who had given them so good a paftor, and through the merits of that Bishop God blessed that city.