sanctity of the blessed abbot, did not hesitate to prepare according
to his command the divine elements: which the abbot having consecrated,
distributed among his brethren, reserving only a portion of the most
holy bread and wine; and then, having bestowed on them all the kiss of
peace, he took the paten and chalice in his hands, and went forth from
the monastery towards the desert; whom the whole fraternity followed
weeping, as knowing that they should see his face no more. But he,
having arrived at the foot of a certain mountain, stopped, and blessing
them, commanded them that they should follow him no farther, and
dismissed them with these words: "As ye have been loved, so love. As ye
have been judged, so judge. As ye have been forgiven, so forgive."
And so ascending, was taken away from their eyes. Now they, returning
astonished, watched three days with prayer and fasting: but at last
the eldest brother, being ashamed, like Elisha before the entreaties of
Elijah's disciples, sent two of the young men to seek their master.

'To whom befell a thing noteworthy and full of miracles. For ascending
the same mountain where they had left the abbot, they met with a certain
Moorish people, not averse to the Christianity, who declared that
certain days before a priest had passed by them, bearing a paten and
chalice, and blessing them in silence, proceeded across the desert in
the direction of the cave of the holy Amma.

'And they inquiring who this Amma might be, the Moors answered that
some twenty years ago there had arrived in those mountains a woman more
beautiful than had ever before been seen in that region, dressed in
rich garments; who, after a short sojourn among their tribe, having
distributed among them the jewels which she wore, had embraced the
eremitic life, and sojourned upon the highest peak of a neighbouring
mountain; till, her garments failing her, she became invisible to
mankind, saving to a few women of the tribe, who went up from time to
time to carry her offerings of fruit and meal, and to ask the blessing
of her prayers. To whom she rarely appeared, veiled down to her feet in
black hair of exceeding length and splendour.

'Hearing these things, the two brethren doubted for awhile: but at last,
determining to proceed, arrived at sunset upon the summit of the said
mountain.

'Where, behold a great miracle. For above an open grave, freshly dug in
the sand, a cloud of vultures and obscene birds hovered, w