548 ROGER OF WENDOVER. [A.D.1230 made after God's image, should he perilled of life or limb for beasts, •which, according to the law of nature, were given for the general use of all, by which man was made to appear of less importance than the wild beasts, lie however considered it quite a sufficient punishment for any one, who was caught committing that offence, either to be banished from England or to undergo imprisonment saving his life and limbs. The above-mentioned knight then was sent into exile, and he, who had formerly enjoyed all the dainties of life, was, with his wife and children, obliged to beg his bread amongst foreigners. The knight, after some reflection, at length determined to implore the king for mercy, and for his estate to he restored to him, and he accordingly went to the king in Normandy, where he found him early in the morning in a church, about to hear mass. The knight tremblingly entered the church and did not dare to raise his eyes to the king, for although he was the most handsome of men to look upon, there was still something dreadful in his look ; he therefore went to an image of Christ on the cross, and, weeping incessantly, he humbly on his bended knees besought the Crucified One through his unspeakable grace compassionately to make his peace with the king, by which means he might recover his lost inheritance. The king seeing the knight thus earnestly and with unfeigned devotion praying and weeping, witnessed an occurrence wonderful and worthy of narration ; for whenever the knight, who he knew was not of his retinue, bent his knees to worship the image, the image in all humility lowed its head and shoulders as it were in answer to the knight, and the king was struck with wonder and astonishment to see this repeated frequently. As soon as the service of mass was ended, he sent for the knight to speak with him. and inquired of him who he was and whence he came. The knight then replied with fear and said. " My lord, I am your liege subject as my ancestors also have been ;" and then beginning his history, he told the king how he had leen deprived of his inheritance and banished together with his family, having been caught with some stolen venison. The king then said to the knight, " Have you ever in your life done any good action in respect, and to the honour, of the holy cross!" The knight then, after carefully thinking over the events of his past life, related to the king the following deed which he had doue iu bis reverence for Christ. How the knight spared his enemy out of his reverence for Christ, "M y father," said he. "and another knight divided between them a town which belonged to them by hereditary right ; and whilst my father abounded in all kinds of wealth, the other knight, on the contrary was always poor and needy, and, becoming envious of my father, he treacherously murdered him. I was then a boy, but when I arrived at manhood and was installed in my paternal iuheritance. I made a resolute determination to slay that knight iu