And, Indeed,
It Is A Fact, That The Whole Body Of Saracens Throughout The World Are
Always Most Malignantly Disposed Towards The Whole Body Of Christians.
Now it happened that the Calif, with those shrewd priests of his, got hold
of that passage in our Gospel which says, that if a Christian had faith as
a grain of mustard seed, and should bid a mountain be removed, it would be
removed.
And such indeed is the truth. But when they had got hold of this
text they were delighted, for it seemed to them the very thing whereby
either to force all the Christians to change their faith, or to bring
destruction upon them all. The Calif therefore called together all the
Christians in his territories, who were extremely numerous. And when they
had come before him, he showed them the Gospel, and made them read the
text which I have mentioned. And when they had read it he asked them if
that was the truth? The Christians answered that it assuredly was so.
"Well," said the Calif, "since you say that it is the truth, I will give
you a choice. Among such a number of you there must needs surely be this
small amount of faith; so you must either move that mountain there," - and
he pointed to a mountain in the neighbourhood - "or you shall die an ill
death; unless you choose to eschew death by all becoming Saracens and
adopting our Holy Law. To this end I give you a respite of ten days; if
the thing be not done by that time, ye shall die or become Saracens." And
when he had said this he dismissed them, to consider what was to be done
in this strait wherein they were.
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