Christopher went into the city of Lysia, and understood
not their language. Then he prayed our Lord that he might understand them, and so he did. And as he was in this prayer, the judges supposed that he had been a fool, and left him there. And then when Christopher understood the language, he covered his visage and went to the place where they martyred Christian men, and comforted them in our Lord. And the judges smote him in the face, and Christopher said to them: "If I were not Christian, I would avenge mine injury."
Then Christopher pitched his rod in the earth, and prayed to our Lord that for to convert the people, it might bear flowers and fruit, and anon it did so. Here he converted eight thousand men.
The king sent two knights for to fetch him to the king, and they found him praying, and durst not tell him so. And anon after, the king sent as many more, and they anon set them down for to pray with him.
When Christopher arose, he said to them: "What seek ye?" And when they saw him in the visage, they said to him: "The king hath sent us, that we should lead thee bound unto him."
Christopher said to them: "If I would, ye should not lead me to him, bound ne unbound." And they said to him: "If thou wilt go thy way, go quit, where thou wilt. And we shall say to the king that we have not found thee."
"It shall not be so," said he, "but I shall go with you."
Then he converted them in the faith, and commanded them that they should bind his hands behind
his back, and lead him so bound to the king. When the king saw him he was afeared and fell down off the seat, and his servants lifted him up and relieved him again.
The king inquired his name and his country; and Christopher said to him: "Tofore I was baptized I was named Reprobus, and after, I am Christopher; tofore baptism, a Canaanite, now a Christian man." To whom the king said: "Thou hast a foolish name, that is to wit of Christ crucified, which could not help himself. How, therefore, thou cursed Canaanite, why wilt thou not do sacrifice to our gods?"