Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/126

104 But the other said: "For this long time I have served my king, and have never seen him angry with me; for I walked in singleness of mind before him. But this day he glanced at me in anger, and methinks there is no peace between him and myself." And the wounded man said to him: "And what quarrel has there been between him and thee?" But he answered: "I know nothing, except that he spake to me a single word, and I intimated to him what was best. And methinks that he tempted me with words and will find out everything." But the wounded man said to him: "I will heal these words with the grace of Christ and the power of the cross. Know thou that the king harbours an evil suspicion of thee, because he suspects guile from thee, and dreams that by thee his kingdom will be seized. Rise, then, tomorrow, and cut off the hair of thy head; and take off this raiment of thine and put on mourning, and so repair before him, and if he ask thee: 'What is this?' answer him thus: 'Behold, for that because of which thou didst summon me yesterday, I am ready, for I do not wish to live without thee, since I share through thee in the good things of thy kingdom. Now it is meet for me also to have a share in the sufferings of this world, and agreeably with thy wishes, I will suffer torture with thee and be thought worthy of eternity with thee."

And the man did as the sufferer instructed him, so that the suspicion was lifted off the mind of the king, and he was irritated with the accusers of Balavari, but Balavari was radiant with joy. And once more returned the hair of his head, and once more the envy of the princes was aroused against Balavari, and they said to the king: "O king, if thou lookest into the neck of Balavari, thou wilt see there a cross, which he worships, and our gods are ridiculous in his eyes." But the king thought that they spake falsehood; but he laid hold of him, and saw a cross of gold on his breast. Then the king said to him: "What, O Balavari, is this error of thine?" But Balavari answered: "Ah, O king, I am not in error, for from my childhood have I served Christ and worshipped the cross on which his hands were outstretched for our salvation. But thy service hath never been prejudiced thereby. And now since the name of Christ my God is upon me, I cannot deny his divinity; even if you cut my body in bits, or burn it with fire, yet I shall commit my spirit into his hands." The king said to to him: "Say not so, my beloved Balavari, for thou art a man held in much honour, and supreme before me. But if thou wilt worship my gods, I will give thee yet other cities, and I will empty my magazines upon thee. For thou art very dear before me. But if thou do not so, I will consume thy flesh with mighty torments, nor any more remember thy love to me."

Then the man of God, Balavari, untied his belt of gold adorned with precious stones, and he laid it before the king and said: "Even if thou shouldst cover my head with the royal diadem, still by doing me such honour thou couldst not shake my faith in Christ. And although thou consume my body in torture, thou wilt not confound me. For the blessings of heaven are greater than those of earth, and with them we shall be for ever gratified. But the tortures of hell are very bitter, and with them the adversaries and the