greatly wondering why it should thus befall them.
But when Martin understood that they were travelling with a corpse,
not with an idol, then he lifted up his hand,
and gave them leave to journey forward
and to bear the body to the tomb as they had intended.
Thus the holy bishop bound them with a word,
and again, when he would, let then; go away.
X. The holy Martin overthrew an idol
on a certain occasion, in a certain place;
and there was a pine-tree close to the temple, protected
and accounted very holy in heathen wise.
Then desired he also to cut down the tree;
but the idolaters opposed the saint,
saying that they could not find it in their mind
that he should cut down the tree, although he had overthrown their temple.
Then said the holy bishop that there was in that tree
no peculiar holiness, and told the heathen
that they ought rather to worship the true God,
and hew down the tree which was consecrated to the devil.
Then said one of the heathen to the holy bishop;
'If thou hast any trust in thy God,
we will cut down the tree, and thou shalt receive it when falling;
and if thy God is with thee, thou wilt go away safe.'
Then Martin, undismayed, and firmly confident in God,
promised that he would fulfil that (condition) by his deeds.
Then they all with glad minds began to cut down
the high pine-tree, and it was inclined
all to one side, so that one might easily know
whither it would settle; and they set Martin
there right opposite to it, that it might fall upon him.
Then his monks were wondrously affrighted,
and thought nothing else but that he should there be crushed;
