TIN TRADE BETWEEN BRITAIN AND ALEXANDRIA. 289 



Pentapoli,* et asportavit nauclerus de illo stanno, ut venumdaret 

 illud ; habebat enim illic antiquum socium in negotiis petentem ex 

 eodem stanno. Dat ei in sacco quasi quinquaginta libras ; at ille 

 volens probare speciem si bona esset, solvit illud in igne et invenit 

 argentum purum. Putavitque se esse tentatum, et retulit ei saccum 

 dicens : " Deus indulgeat tibi. Numquid invenisti me impostorem 

 "erga te, quia tentando argentum pro stanno dedisti miliil" Ex- 

 pavescens vero de sermone illo nauclerus dicit : " Crede, ego pro 

 " stanno illud habeo. Si vero Ille, qui fecit de aqua vinum, ipse 

 " per orationes Patriarchse fecit et stannum argentum, nihil mirum. 

 " Et ut satisfias, veni ad navim et videbis csetera istius metalli 

 "socia quod accepisti." 



Ascendentes itaque invenerunt stannum argentum optimum 

 factum. Et non est peregrinum miraculum, pliilochristi. Qui 

 enim quinque panes multiplicavit, et rursus aquam ^gypti trans- 

 mutavit in sanguinem, et virgam in serpentem transmutavit, et 

 transtulit flammam in rorem ; facilius et hoc tam gloriosum mirac- 

 ulum operatus est, quatenus ut famulum suum ditaret, et nauclero 

 misericordiam suam prsestaret. 



(Translation). 



A foreign ship-master, vi^ho had suffered losses, came to the 

 holy man (St. John) and entreated him with many tears to have 

 compassion on him as he had on every one else. By his direction 

 the master received five pounds of gold coin, vdth which he bought 

 a chest which he put on board the ship. It so happened that he 

 was shortly afterwards wrecked off the Pharos ; but the ship was 

 not lost. The ship-master again applied to the Saint, relying on 

 his good will, and said : " Have pity on me, even as God pitied 

 the world." To whom the Patriarch replied : " Believe me, 

 " brother, if you had not mixed the money of the Church with 

 " your own remaining money, you would not have suffered ship- 

 ^' wreck. For with your money, the produce of evil dealings, 



* " Decapolis," according to the Greek of Metaplirastes. " Peutapolis " 

 is no doubt right. The Five Towns of Cyrenaica, on the African coast, are 

 referred to. 



b2 



