sins; should face our spiritual
enemies, and never ignobly yield to them, since they will infallibly
lead us into perdition? He only, says the Apostle, shall receive the
crown that fights the good fight, and overcomes.

Two hundred Saracens were then sent out, and were all slain; lastly a
thousand, who shared the same fate. A truce being then granted,
Argolander promised to be baptized on the morrow with all his people,
and, calling his Kings and Captains together, told them his intention,
to which they likewise assented, few only refusing to follow his
example.

CHAPTER XIII.

_Of the King's Banquet, and of the Poor, at whom Argolander took so
great Offence that he refused to be Baptized._

On the third day Argolander attended the King, as he promised, and found
him at dinner. Many tables were spread at which the guests were sitting;
some in military uniform; some in black; some in Priests' habits; which
Argolander perceiving, inquired what they were? "Those you see in robes
of one colour," replied the King, "are priests and bishops of our holy
religion, who expound the gospel to us, absolve us from our offences,
and bestow heavenly benediction. Those in black are monks and abbots;
all of them holy men, who implore incessantly the divine favour in our
behalf." But in the meantime Argolander espying thirty poor men in mean
habiliments, without either table or table-cloth, sitting and eating
their scanty meals upon the ground, he inquired what they were? "These,"
replied the King, "are people of God, the messengers of our Lord Jesus,
whom in his and his Apostles names we feed daily." Argolander then made
this reply: "The guests at your table are happy; they have plenty of the
best food set before them; but those you call the messengers of God,
whom you feed in his name, are ill fed, and worse clothed, as if they
were of no estimation. Certainly he must serve God but indifferently who
treats his messengers in this manner, and thus do you prove your
religion false." Argolander then refused to be baptized, and, returning
to his army, prepared for battle on the morrow.

Charles, seeing the mischief his neglect of these poor men had occasioned,
ordered them to be decently clothed and better fed. Here then we may
note the Christian incurs great blame who neglects the poor. If Charles,
from inattention to their comfort, thereby lost the opportunity of
converting the Saracens, what will be the lot of those who trea