The next day there had appeared before him a young
man, in the habit of a Benedictine lay-brother, who was the bearer of a
letter to him. This letter was from the Abbot of Santa Scolastica, and
said: "I send you an angel whose fire burns clear, through whom Jenne
will become renowned throughout the universe!" It was also written that
this young man was, by birth, a mighty prince, of royal blood, but
that in order to serve God, in all humility he had laboured as
kitchen-gardener at Santa Scolastica for three years. The parish priest
had gone half crazy from the emotion caused by the fire seen in his
dream, and the fire that had come to him, and had been seized by a
raging fever. The next day was a _festa_--a holy-day--and of the two
other priests who live at Jenne, one was ill, and the other had gone to
Filettino two days before to see his sick mother. In the village the
priest's servant had told all about this Benedictine, all about the
dream, had told, in fact, the whole story. The villagers flocked to
church, to hear the Benedictine say Mass; for they had seen him enter,
and would not believe he was not going to officiate.
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