was the miraculous image which St. Louis had received as a
gift from the Soldan of Egypt and had carried with his own hands to the
Church of Anis.

All the pilgrims were gone now, and the Church was dark and empty. The
last offerings of the Faithful were spread at the feet of the beautiful
Black Virgin, displayed on a table lit with wax tapers. You could see
amongst the rest a head, hearts, hands, feet, a woman's breasts of
silver, a little boat of gold, eggs, loaves, Aurillac cheeses, and in
a bowl full of deniers, sous, and groats, a little blue purse broidered
with silver. Over against the table, in a huge chair, dozed the priest
who guarded the offerings.

Florent Guillaume dropped on his knees before the holy image, and said
over to himself this pious prayer:

"Lady, an it be true that the holy prophet Jeremias, having beheld thee
with the eyes of faith ere ever thou wast conceived, carved with his
hands out of cedar-wood in thy likeness the holy image before which I
am at this present kneeling; an it be true that afterward King Ptolemy,
instructed of the miracles wrought by this same holy image, took it
from the Jewish priests, bare it to Egypt and set it up, covered
with precious stones, in the temple of the idols; an it be true that
Nebuchadnezzar, conqueror of the Egyptians, seized it in his turn and
had it laid amongst his treasure, where the Saracens found it when they
captured Babylon; an it be true that the Soldan loved it in his heart
above all things, and was used to adore it at the least once every day;
an it be true that the said Soldan had never given it to our saintly
King Louis, but that his wife, who was a Saracen dame, yet prized
chivalry and knightly prowess, resolved to make it a gift to the best
knight and worthiest champion of all Christendom; in a word, an this
image be miraculous, as I do firmly credit, have it do a miracle, Lady,
in favour of the poor clerk who hath many a time writ thy praises on
the vellum of the service books. He hath sanctified his sinful hands by
engrossing in a fair writing, with great red capitals at the beginning
of each clause, 'the fifteen joys of Our Lady,' in the vulgar tongue
and in rhyme, for the comforting of the afflicted. 'Tis pious work this.
Think of it, Lady, and heed not his sins. Give him somewhat to eat.
'Twill both do me much profit, and bring thee great honour, for the
miracle will appear no mean one to all them that know the world. Thou
hast this