is
profound piety comes on the stage, his good sense and even his
perception of right and wrong, make their exit. Let us go back to the
point at which we left him, secretly perusing the letter of Deacon
Deusdona. As he tells us, its contents were

that he [the deacon] had many relics of saints at home, and
that he would give them to me if I would furnish him with
the means of returning to Rome; he had observed that I had
two mules, and if I would let him have one of them and would
despatch with him a confidential servant to take charge of
the relics, he would at once send them to me. This plausibly
expressed proposition pleased me, and I made up my mind to
test the value of the somewhat ambiguous promise at
once;[40] so giving him the mule and money for his journey I
ordered my notary Ratleig (who already desired to go to Rome
to offer his devotions there) to go with him. Therefore,
having left Aix-la-Chapelle (where the Emperor and his Court
resided at the time) they came to Soissons. Here they spoke
with Hildoin, abbot of the monastery of St. Medardus,
because the said deacon had assured him that he had the
means of placing in his possession the body of the blessed
Tiburtius the Martyr. Attracted by which promises he
(Hildoin) sent with them a certain priest, Hunus by name, a
sharp man (_hominem callidum_), whom he ordered to receive
and bring back the body of the martyr in question. And so,
resuming their journey, they proceeded to Rome as fast as
they could. (Cap. i. 3.)

Unfortunately, a servant of the notary, one Reginbald, fell ill of a
tertian fever, and impeded the progress of the party. However, this
piece of adversity had its sweet uses; for three days before they
reached Rome, Reginbald had a vision. Somebody habited as a deacon
appeared to him and asked why his master was in such a hurry to get
to Rome; and when Reginbald explained their business, this visionary
deacon, who seems to have taken the measure of his brother in the
flesh with some accuracy, told him not by any means to expect that
Deusdona would fulfil his promises. Moreover, taking the servant by
the hand, he led him to the top of a high mountain and, showing him
Rome (where the man had never been), pointed out a church, adding
"Tell Ratleig the thing he wants is hidden there; let him get it as
quickly as he can and go back to his m