THE LEGEXn OF ST. THOMAS. 
17 
singing. As a stranger and unacquainted witli the customs of 
this country, these things were to him new and surprising. 
Being desirous of seeing more of the palace of the king of the 
country, he there remained. Soon after one of the persons 
belonging to the palace, having charge of the interior, came up 
and seeing the stranger and from his appearance and inferior 
kind of di-ess judging him to be of low or vile caste, struck 
him a hard blow on the cheek. 
The stranger, though the blow was a severe one, received it 
with great patience, and, retreating forthwith, went away out- 
side. The officer of the palace also went forth into the street, 
and thence aside for a particular purpose ; but while there a 
tiger that had proceeded from a large mountain seized and 
killed him. Thereupon as if it had been a dog, it ran at full 
speed towards the palace, having first bitten off the dead man's 
right hand, and, holding the same in its mouth, it carried the 
severed member into the midst of the king's assembly. The 
king, being astonished, eagerly made inquiry concerning the 
prodigy from the learned men about him. They replied that it 
must be the hand which had struck a servant of God. In con- 
sequence, the king caused an investigation to be made among the 
by-standers, who were looking at the exhibition. These having 
narrated what had occurred, the king was greatly astonished, 
and sending out many people, directed them to invite the 
stranger with aU courtesy to his haU of assembly. The men 
having gone out and made proclamation, he (the stranger) 
came to them. The king then caused him with great civility of 
attention to be invited and assured him of protection. Subse- 
quently he instructed the king concerning the true God. The 
king gave instructions to the brahmans to dispute with him. 
Of the brahmans not one could successfully oppose him in 
argument. Whereupon, the king, giving assent to the truth 
of his doctrine, granted him permission to plant and spread 
" The author may have obtained the story of the miracle here travestied 
direct from the Acts or from the writings of St. Augustine, -who refers to it 
three times. See Dr. George Salmon's Introduction to N.T. (London, John 
Murray, 1885), p. 424, note. 
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