172 WITNESS TO THE MIRACULOUS V 



expect that Deusdona would fulfil his promises. 

 Moreover, taking the servant by the hand, he led 

 him to the top of a high mountain and, showing 

 him Rome (where the man had never been), 

 pointed out a church, adding " Tell Ratleig the 

 thing he wants is hidden there ; let him get it as 

 quickly as he can and go back to his master." 

 By way of a sign that the order was authori- 

 tative, the servant was promised that, from that 

 time forth, his fever should disappear. And as 

 the fever did vanish to return no more, the faith 

 of Eginhard's people in Deacon Deusdona natur- 

 ally vanished with it (et fidem diaconi promissis 

 non haberenf). Nevertheless, they put up at the 

 deacon's house near St. Peter ad Vincula. But, 

 time went on and no relics made their appearance, 

 while the notary and the priest were put off with 

 all sorts of excuses the brother to whom the 

 relics had been confided was gone to Beneventum 

 and not expected back for some time, and so on 

 until Ratleig and Hunus began to despair, and 

 were minded to return, infedo negotio. 



But my notary, calling to mind his servant's dream, proposed 

 to his companion that they should go to the cemetery which 

 their host had talked about without him. So, having found and 

 hired a guide, they went in the first place to the basilica of the 

 blessed Tiburtius in the Via Labicana, about three thousand 

 paces from the town, and cautiously and carefully inspected the 

 tomb of that martyr, in order to discover whether it could be 

 opened without any one being the wiser. Then they descended 

 into the adjoining crypt, in which the bodies of the blessed 



