command him to perform a similar exploit; but the Austin monk, who
understood what was meant, said, "Reverend father, forbear; do not
command me. I am ready to fetch fire in a chafing dish, but not in my
bare hands." The triumph of the Jesuits was complete: the miracle was
noised about to their advantage. But the Austin friars could never
account for the miracle, nor could they imitate it.

A priest in Ireland, travelling in Ulster, was forced to pass a night
in a forest. He, and a boy who accompanied him, lighted a fire under
the branches of a tree. Scarcely had they seated themselves than a
wolf came near, and spoke as follows:--"Fear nothing; I am of a race
of men-wolves, from which every seven years, by force of an
imprecation made by St. Noel, two from among us, a male and a female,
are constrained to lay aside the outward shape of reasonable
creatures, and live in the form of wolves for seven years. At the end
of that period other two men-wolves are sent out, and the former two
return, if they survive the dangers of wolf-life. Not far from this
place, my wife, who is the female wolf, lies very unwell, and I
beseech you to go and comfort her." So the priest, ever ready to
perform a good act, went to see the sick wolf. She was in the hollow
of a tree, suffering great pain. He administered comfort to the
invalid, but possessed not the power of changing her into her natural
shape. The male wolf conducted the priest back to the fire, remained
on watch all night to keep the other wolves away, and in the morning
directed the priest how to go.

A French peasant, whose bees were dying of disease, was advised to go
to the communion, carry off the host, and blow it into one of his
hives. He did as recommended, but the result proved different to what
he expected. Some time afterwards he discovered that his bees were
dead. On examining the hive, he was amazed to find that the host put
among the honey-combs was turned into a beautiful infant--cold,
however, in the arms of death. Intending to bury the child's body in
the church, he was proceeding thither, when, on the way to the sacred
edifice, the infant vanished. This unhallowed use of the host brought
a curse on the neighbourhood. The people were so chastised by divers
calamities, that the country was depopulated, and became like a
wilderness.

Another peasant, having communicated on Easter Day, received the host
into his mouth; but instead of using it according to sacred