temptation. Dom. German Millet[4] tells us, from the
tradition and archives of the monastery of St. Scholastica, that this
happened in St. Jerom's. In the monastery of St. John, a fountain sprung
up at the prayers of the saint; this, and two other monasteries, which
were built on the summit of the mountain, being before much distressed
for want of water. In that of St. Clement, situate on the bank of a
lake, a Goth, who was a monk, let fall the head of a sickle into the
water as he was cutting down thistles and weeds in order to make a
garden; but St. Maur, who with St. Placidus lived in that house, holding
the wooden handle in the water, the iron of its own accord swam, and
joined it again, as St. Gregory relates. St. Benedict's reputation drew
the most illustrious personages from Rome and other remote parts to see
him. Many, who came clad in purple, sparkling with gold and precious
stones, charmed with the admirable sanctity of the servant of God, {633}
prostrated themselves at his feet to beg his blessing and prayers, and
some imitating the sacrifice of Abraham, placed their sons under his
conduct in their most tender age, that they might be formed to perfect
virtue from their childhood. Among others, two rich and most illustrious
senators, Eutychius, or rather Equitius, and Tertullus, committed to his
care their two sons Maurus, then twelve years old, and Placidus, also a
child, in 522.[5] The devil, envying so much good, stirred up his wicked
instruments to disturb the tranquillity of the servant of God.
Florentius, a priest in the neighboring country, though unworthy to bear
that sacred character, moved by a secret jealousy, persecuted the saint,
and aspersed his reputation with grievous slanders. Bennet, being a true
disciple of Christ, knew no revenge but that of meekness and silence:
and not to inflame the envy of his adversary, left Sublacum, and
repaired to Mount Cassino. He had not got far on his journey, when he
heard that Florentius was killed by the fall of a gallery in which he
was. The saint was much afflicted at his sudden and unhappy death, and
enjoined Maurus a penance for calling it a deliverance from persecution.

Cassino is a small town, now in the kingdom of Naples, built on the brow
of a very high mountain, on the top of which stood an old temple of
Apollo, surrounded with a grove in which certain idolaters still
continued to offer their abominable sacrifices. The man of God having,
by his preac