De quodam facto.
A Squire's Fall and Prayer
Brother Albert's squire falls from his horse during a cavalry charge, lies wounded, and in his distress calls upon the Blessed Virgin for help before making his way back toward Raganita.
In this campaign a certain incident occurred that is worth recording, because while Brother Albert of Indagine was making a swift cavalry charge toward the position assigned to him, a certain squire fell from his horse as it stumbled. And while he lay badly wounded, after a long delay, having regained his strength he got back on his horse, and looking around in every direction at the brothers' army, he could not see it. Distressed beyond measure, sighing and lifting his eyes to heaven, he called upon the Blessed Virgin most devoutly for her help, and having made the sign of the cross he commended himself to God and to the Blessed Virgin, and by the same road he had come he returned to Raganita.
Guided by Enemies, Hunted by Enemies
The squire is shown the right road by villagers of unbelievers, but they soon recognize him as a crusader and set out with their households and dogs to pursue and kill him.
It happened, however, that he passed through a certain village of unbelievers, who showed him the straight road toward Raganita while he was looking for it. But before he had gone far from that village, the unbelievers, seeing him armed, said to one another: "Surely this man is from the brothers' army — let us follow him and kill him." So they all ran up with their entire household, and with dogs, hunting for him.
Blindness from God and Thanksgiving
Hiding in a forest, the squire is miraculously protected when God strikes his pursuers with blindness; he escapes to Raganita and gives thanks to God and the Blessed Virgin in the church.
He, hearing the shouting of the dogs and the men, hid himself in a nearby forest. But the unbelievers came and repeatedly circled around him, and as if struck by God with blindness, they did not see him.✦ At last, worn out from searching, they gave up. Once they had done so, that Christian, still wearing his armor, came to Raganita, and entering the church he fell to his knees and gave thanks to God and to the Blessed Virgin for so great a blessing shown to him.
Read the original Latin
In hoc exercitu accidit quoddam factum dignum memoria, quia duma frater Albertus de Indagine insultum faceret cursitando ad locum sibi deputatum, quidam armiger de equo suob cespitante cecidit. Et dum sic graviter lesus, post longam moram resumptis viribus surgens, equum suum et fratrum exercitum undique circumspiciens, non videret, turbatus ultra modum suspirans, elevatis oculis in celum, beatam virginem® devotissime pro auxilio invocabat, et facto signo crucis deo se et beate virgini commendabat, et eadem via, qua venerat, rediit Raganitam. Contigit autem ipsum transire per quandam villam infidelium, qui ei viam rectam versus Raganitam, dum pro ipsa quereret, ostenderunt. Sed dum non longe processisset a dicta villa, infideles videntes ipsum armatum, dixerunt ad invicem: utique iste est de exercitu fratrum, sequamur et occidamus eum. Accurrunt ergo omnes cum tota familia et canibus ipsum querentes. Ille audito clamore canum et liominum abscondit se in silva vicina, sed infideles advenientes sepius ipsum circuibant et quasi a deo percussi acrisia, ipsum non viderunt. Tandem fatigati ab inquisicione destiterunt, quo facto iUe Cristianus adhuc indutus armis suis venit Raganitam, et intrans ecclesiam, procidit ad genua sua, et deo et beate virgini de tanto beneficio sibi exhibito gracias referebat.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Gen.19.11 — And they struck the men who were at the entrance of the house with blinding light, from the youngest to the oldest, and they grew weary trying to find the door.
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