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 master." By way of a sign that
the order was authoritative, the servant was promised that, from that
time forth, his fever should disappear. And as the fever did vanish to
return no more, the faith of Eginhard's people in Deacon Deusdona
naturally vanished with it (_et fidem diaconi promissis non
haberent_). Nevertheless, they put up at the deacon's house near St.
Peter ad Vincula. But time went on and no relics made their
appearance, while the notary and the priest were put off with all
sorts of excuses--the brother to whom the relics had been confided was
gone to Beneventum and not expected back for some time, and so
on--until Ratleig and Hunus began to despair, and were minded to
return, _infecto negotio_.
But my notary, calling to mind his servant's dream, proposed
to his companion that they should go to the cemetery which
their host had talked about without him. So, having found
and hired a guide, they went in the first place to the
basilica of the blessed Tiburtius in the Via Labicana, about
three thousand paces fron the town, and cautiously and
carefully inspected the tomb of that martyr, in order to
discover whether it could be opened without any one being
the wiser.
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