On The Same Night, Two Monks, Who Waited In The Archbishop's
Chamber, Conversing About The Occurrences Of Their Journey, And
The
dangers of the road, one of them said (alluding to the wildness of
the country), "This is a hard
Province;" the other (alluding to the
quicksands), wittily replied, "Yet yesterday it was found too soft."
A short time before our days, a circumstance worthy of note occurred
in these parts, which Elidorus, a priest, most strenuously affirmed
had befallen himself. When a youth of twelve years, and learning
his letters, since, as Solomon says, "The root of learning is
bitter, although the fruit is sweet," in order to avoid the
discipline and frequent stripes inflicted on him by his preceptor,
he ran away, and concealed himself under the hollow bank of a river.
After fasting in that situation for two days, two little men of
pigmy stature appeared to him, saying, "If you will come with us, we
will lead you into a country full of delights and sports."
Assenting and rising up, he followed his guides through a path, at
first subterraneous and dark, into a most beautiful country, adorned
with rivers and meadows, woods and plains, but obscure, and not
illuminated with the full light of the sun. All the days were
cloudy, and the nights extremely dark, on account of the absence of
the moon and stars. The boy was brought before the king, and
introduced to him in the presence of the court; who, having examined
him for a long time, delivered him to his son, who was then a boy.
These men were of the smallest stature, but very well proportioned
in their make; they were all of a fair complexion, with luxuriant
hair falling over their shoulders like that of women.
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