Far in a wild, unknown to public view, in a cell which he had hollowed out with his own hands on the edge of an open down, from youth to age a reverend hermit grew. The neighboring lord’s shepherd was wont to feed his sheep on short but sweet pasture of the hermit’s down.
One day the poor shepherd, fatigued with watching, fell asleep, and a robber came and stole the lord’s flock. When he awoke, he discovered the loss, and stoutly maintained that the sheep had been stolen, but the lord would not believe the shepherd, and commanded him to be put to death.
The hermit saw the deed, and thus communed with himself:
“Merciful God, seest thou what this man hath done, and how the innocent suffers for the guilty? Why permittest thou these things? If injustice is to triumph, why remain I here? Verily I will re-enter the world, and do as other men do.”
Impressed with these thoughts, the hermit left his cell, and wandered back to the world and the abodes of men, and on his way, an angel, sent from God, met him, and being in the form of a traveller, he joined himself to the hermit, and asked him which way he journeyed.
“To the city that lieth before us,” rejoined the hermit.
“I will accompany you,” replied his companion; “I am an angel sent from God, to be the associate of your wanderings.”
So they walked onwards to the city. When they entered the gates, they sought the house of a soldier, and entreated him, by God’s love, to give them harborage during the night. The veteran complied with cheerfulness, and spared not of the best of his substance, for the entertainment of the travellers. The hospitable soldier had but one child, an infant in the cradle. And so it happened, that when supper was ended, the veteran lighted the guests to his best chamber, and the angel and the hermit retired to rest. About midnight the hermit awoke, and saw the angel rise from the bed, enter the chamber where the infant slept, and strangle it with his own hands.
“Surely,” said the hermit to himself, “this cannot be an angel of God; did not the good soldier give us every thing that we required? and now, lo, the only child that he had, is slain by this, his guest.” And yet he feared to reprove his companion.
With the morning, the hermit and the angel arose, and sought a neighboring city, where they found a hospitable reception in the house of one of its chief persons. This man had a valuable drinking cup of gold, which the angel purloined during the night, but the hermit yet was silent, for he feared more than he doubted. On the morrow the travellers continued their journey, and on their way they came to a river, over which was a bridge thrown. They ascended the bridge, and met, midway, a poor and aged pilgrim.