TOLERATION BY THE CHURCH. 425 and Everwach accepted his conditions of renouncing Christ and the Virgin and paying him homage, after which the accounts were proved without difficulty. Thenceforth Everwach was in the habit of openly saying, " Those who serve God are wretched and poor, but they who believe in the devil are prosperous," and he de- voted himself to the study of magic arts. It shows how lax was the discipline of the time, when, in his zeal for Satan, he bitterly opposed Master Oliver, the Scholasticus of Cologne, who preached the cross in Utrecht, and on being reproved sought to slay him, being only prevented by a sickness of which he died. He was plunged into hell and subjected to the indescribable torments of the damned, but the Lord pitied him, and he returned to life on the bier at his own funeral. Thenceforth he was a changed man. In company with Bishop Otto of Utrecht he made the pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre, inflicting on himself all manner of austeri- ties, and on his return gave his property to the Church and en- tered the convent at Stalum. There is another story, of a spend- thrift young knight near Liege, who, 'after squandering his fort- une, was induced by one of his peasants to appeal to Satan. On the promise of wealth and honors he renounced allegiance to God and rendered regular feudal homage to Satan ; the latter, how- ever, required him to also renounce the Virgin, and this he re- fused to do, wherefore, on his repenting, he was pardoned at her intercession.* These instances, which could readily be multiplied, will suffice to show the tendency of popular thought and belief at this period. It is true that Koger Bacon, who was in so many things far in ad- vance of the age, argued that much of magic was simply fraud and delusion ; that it is an error to suppose that man can summon and
- Caesar. Heisterb. n. 12; v. 18; xn. 23.
In spite of their lifelike contemporary details, these stories are evidently founded on that of Theophilus of Cilicia, which had so great a currency during the Middle Ages. He was archdeacon until dismissed by his bishop, when in despair he had recourse to Satan, to whom he gave a written compact pledging himself to endure the pains of hell throughout eterniry. He was forth- with restored to his position and enjoyed high consideration until, overwhelmed with remorse, he appealed to the Virgin. By assiduous penitence he won her aid, and she caused the compact to be returned to him.— Hroswithae de Lapsu et Convers. Theophili.
