m is held by the
_foolish and unwise people_[437] to be their bishop. That man--a
vagabond[438] and another _Satan_--_went to and fro in the land and
walked up and down in it_,[439] bearing round the holy insignia; and,
displaying them everywhere, he was for their sake everywhere received,
by them winning the minds of all to himself, and withdrawing as many as
he could from Malachy. These things did he.

25. But there was a certain prince, of the more powerful of the
unrighteous race,[440] whom the king before he left the city, had
compelled to swear that he would maintain peace with the bishop, taking
from him, moreover, many hostages. Notwithstanding this, when the king
left he entered the city, and took _counsel_ with his kinsmen and
friends _how they might take_ the holy man _by subtlety and kill him;
but they feared the people_;[441] and having conspired to slay
Malachy[442] they fixed a place and day, and a traitor _gave them a
sign_.[443] On that very day, when the prelate was now celebrating the
solemnity of Vespers in the church with the whole of the clergy and a
multitude of the people, that worthless man sent him a message in _words
of peace with subtlety_,[444] asking him that he would deign to come
down to him, so that he might make peace. The bystanders answered that
he should rather come to the bishop, and that the church was a more
suitable place for establishing peace; for they foresaw guile. The
messengers replied that this was not safe for the prince; that he
feared for his head, and that he did not trust himself to the crowds
who, some days before, had nearly killed him for the bishop's sake. As
they were contending in this way, these saying that he should go, those
that he should not go, the bishop, desiring peace and not afraid to die,
said, "Brethren, let me imitate my Master.[445] I am a Christian to no
purpose if I do not _follow_ Christ.[446] Perhaps by humility I shall
bend the tyrant; if not, yet I shall conquer by rendering, a shepherd to
a sheep, a priest to a layman, that duty which he owed to me. You also,
as far as in me lies, I shall edify not a little by such an example. For
what if I should chance to be killed? _I refuse not to die_,[447] in
order that from me you may have an example of life. It behoves a bishop,
as the prince of bishops says, not _to be lord over the clergy, but to
become an example to the flock_[448]--no other example[449] truly than
that which we have received from