rday, April 2, aera 1332 (A.D. 1294), king don Alfonso having
heard mass at the hour of tierce in the city of Seville, entered into
his chamber, as he had long been wont, to pray before an image of St.
Mary; and while he was praying, a sudden shining light filled the room,
like unto the light of fire; and in this light appeared an angel's face
exceedingly beautiful. And when the king saw it he was much afraid, and
he said, 'I conjure thee, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to tell
me what thou art,--whether thou art a good or evil spirit!' And the
angel answered, 'Fear not; a messenger am I unto thee, as thou wilt soon
perceive. Well, thou knowest how, on such a day, being at table in this
city, thou didst blaspheme, and say, that if thou hadst been with God
the Father when he made the world and all things in it, thou couldst
have mended many of them; and that many others would have been done
which were not done. And God the Father was much offended with thy
saying (supposing it possible for Him to be offended), and he was very
wroth with thee; wherefore the Highest gave sentence against thee, to
the effect that, since thou didst despise Him who made thee and gave
thee honour among men, so shouldest thou be despised by thine own
offspring, and shouldest be degraded from thine high estate, and in
lowliness end thy days! Which sentence was revealed to an Augustine
friar, while in his cell at Molina studying a sermon that he was to
preach the following day. This friar told it in confession to his
superior, and the superior to the infante don Manuel, who loves thee
like his own soul. And in a week don Manuel came to this city of
Seville, and said to thee, "Tell me, I pray thee, whether thou didst
ever speak so and so?" and thou repliedst, "that thou didst speak thus,
and wouldst speak so again." Wherefore don Manuel was sore grieved, and
exhorted thee to amend, and ask pardon of God; yet thou heardest him
not. And for that thou mayest know how all power is from God the Father,
and not from any other, the sentence is perfected and fulfilled. And
moreover, in as much as thou hast cursed don Sancho thy son, because of
the dishonour and rebellion and despite which he hath done thee, know
thou for a surety that the Highest hath heard thy curse;--that all who
spring from him shall sink lower and lower, with all their lordship, in
such wise that some of them may wish the earth to open and swallow them
up: and this shall last unt