Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Je,Yel1·y and P1·ecious Stones

61

iпsisted upon regardiпg Ьis discoveгy as genuiпc, and tЬеу began diligeвtly to сlisшешЬег the reшains fог distгibution aшong tЬе chшcl1es. As they ,vere pнlling ове of tl1e teeth, а di·op of Ыооd was sееп to follo,v it, ,vhicl1 miгacle ,vas hailed Ьу St. Eloi as tЬе one proof wantiпg. Eloi Ьаd the genuine aгtistic tempeгaшent апd his гcHgioнs zeal ,vas mнch inflнenced Ьу bls restЬetic natшe. Не once pгeached an excellent serшon, still prcserved, against superstition. Не inveigЬecl par­ ticнlarly against thc usc of charшs and incantations. Внt he had Ьis own Iittle streak of sнpeгstition iп spite of tЬе fact tЬat Ье fнlminated agaiпst it. "\Vhen l1e Ьаd comшittecl sоше fault, afteг confession, he used to hang bags of relics in his гооm, and watch them fог а sigп of forgiveпess. \\Ъеn one of thcse would tшn oily, ш begiп to affcct tl1e sштounding atшosphere pecнliaгly, Ье would consideг it а sign of the foгgiYeпess of Ьеаvеп. It seeшs to us to-rlay as if lie might have Iookcd t.o Ьis own relic bags befоге condenшing the ignoгant. St. Eloi died in 659, апd \Yas Ьimself distributed to the faitblнl in quitc а ,vholcsale ,vay. One агm is in Paris. Не ,vas canonized both f ог his lюly life and for his great zcal in агt. Не was buried iп а silver coffin adorned \Yith gold, and his tошЬ ,vas said to ,voгk mi1·acles like tЬе shгine of Becket. Indecd, Becket himself was pretty dressy in the matter of je,vels; ,vhcп he tгavelled to Paris, the simple Fгcnchmen cxclaiшed: " "\Vhat а woпdeгful регsопаgе thc King of England must Ье, if Ьis сЬапсеllог сап tгavel in such state ! "