PRELIM.] THE KING'S RELIGIOUS FAITH. 361 it in jour remembrance, for be will succour you in your distress." The learned man, on hearing these words, threw himself . on his knees before the bishop, and felt his mind much at ease, aud was well contented with the bishop's comfortable advice. The holy king related to me * that the Albigeois once came to the count de Montfort, who was guarding that country for the king, and desired he would come and see the body of our Saviour, which had become flesh and blood in the bands of the officiating priest, to their very great astonishment. But the count replied, "Y e who have doubts respecting the faith may go thither ; but, with regard to me, I implicitly believe every thing respecting the holy sacrament, according to the doctrines of our holy mother church. In return for this faith, I hope to receive a crown greater than the angels, who see the Divinity face to face, which must make them firm in their belief." A t another time, the holy king told me, that during a great disputation at the monastery of Glugny, between the monks and Jews, an ancient knight happened to be present, who requested the abbot of the monastery to allow him to say a few words, which with difficulty was granted him. The old knight, raising himself on his crutches, desired the most learned clerk and the first rabbi of the Jews to come near him, which being done, the knight put the following question u to the rabbi : Do you believe in the Virgin Mary, who bore our Saviour JESUS CHRIST in her womb, and then in her arms, and that she was a virgin when delivered, and is now the mother of God ? " The Jew replied, that he did not believe one word of all this. The knight said, "Very stupidly hast thou answered, and foolhardy art thou, when disbelieving all I have asked, thou hast entered the monastery and honee of God, for which truly thou shalt now pay ;" and lifting up his crutch, he smote the Jew such a blow on the ear as felled him to the ground. The other Jews, seeing their rabbi wounded, fled away, and thus ended the disputation between the monks and the Jews. The abbot advanced to the knight, and said, " Sir knight, • Giovanni Villani, 1. 6, ch. 7, attributes this history to St. Louis him* self, and not to the count de Montfort.