ABSTRACT
At that time, when the earthly princes were fighting to increase their prosperity, God, who is the creator of all kings and princes, continued his work. A young man called Achilles was fooled by the perversity of the Jews in this way: that he did not believe that the Son of God was made flesh in the virgin Mary or appeared visibly in this world. And it happened this way that the same Achilles believed he could chase the Jews from their evil beliefs and their bad faith; but the Jews chased him from the true Christian Faith. He offered honey, and the Jews gave him poison. The Christian begged the Jews to believe in the Son of God, and the Jews admonished the Christian to let the Son be, and to believe only in the Father. And of these things the Christian spoke to them through his mouth, but the Jews touched his heart. And the Christian, returning home several times, manifested his thoughts to his spiritual father. He was warned, and often informed by the priest’s preaching. All the same, in the way that a dog returns and eats his vomit, so his soul returned to error; and he fought with himself just as men out of duty fight battles [et se combat entre soi meismes, et come de doi home fait bataille]. Every time the malice of the Jewish usurpation defeated the devotion of the true Faith, the miserable man tried to banish these thoughts from his mind, which was lost and moved through Faith and conscience; but the devil had tied him up with the arguments of the Jews. The obscurity of so many doubts lasted a long time. But this illness which wonder [?mire] did not know how to heal, was healed by God. What these matters have to do with the prince is that this Christian was one of his followers and ministers, who with arms had served God faithfully. In all ways the heretical thoughts did not empty themselves from his mind. But one day, having closed the door and being alone in the church, he felt his conscience moved, and did not approach but remained far away from the altar. And with this word he asked for God’s help. And 2this reply came to him: “You, what do you want? And yours the heart from which nothing can escape!” [And he replied] “You know my intention, and I cannot conceal it from you. I would like to believe in you just as the holy church teaches and I would like to put into effect what the holy baptism promised me. The ancient error has attacked me, and the savagery of the Jews has wrecked my thoughts [m’a navrée la moie pensée]. And having been purged of the purity of the Christian faith, the poisonous sweetness of the Jews’ words has made everything dirty and ugly. O piteous Jesus Christ, help my illness with the medicine of health! So that I might not perish, whom you bought with your precious blood, help me with your right hand!” And then, when he had said these things, the image of Jesus Christ descended to where he was, and came to where this young man was, and comforted him with these words: “Know that I am the perfect God and perfect man.” And he returned to his correct Christian faith and belief, and thus the young man was outside all error and heresy. But now let us leave off speaking of these matters and return to the history which we had left. 1
