Cum vero ille copiam sui negaret, seque iam altiora cogitare diceret, caelestibusque tantum una cum patre, et matre incumbere, ac in sanctissimo itinere esse, in summa nec posse, nec velle illicitae illius libidini obtemperare, illam, quo [247] maximo flagrabat amore in summum converso odium, in abeuntis sarcina clam argenteam patinam celavisse, et cum iam ille aliquot passus[1] ab urbe discessisset, altum exclamavisse, patinam illam furto ab eo iuvene ablata fuisse: cauponemque eius patrem convocatis lictoribus illum persequentem ab incoepto itinere redire coegisse, et reperta in sarcina patina, manifesti furti illum apud senatum accusavisse, et ad furibus peculiarem mortem, furcam, nempe condemnatum fuisse.

Since he, however, was denying his availability and was saying that by now he was thinking upon more sublime things, and that along with his father and mother was devoting himself only to celestial things, and that he was on an exceedingly holy journey, in short, that he could not and did not wish to submit himself to her illicit lust, then she, having changed her ardent love into the greatest hatred, secretly hid a silver plate in his knapsack when he was going away, and when by then he had gone some steps away from the town, she declared aloud that that plate had been carried away with a theft by that young man: and the innkeeper her father, running after him with lictors he had called, forced him to get back from the just undertaken journey, and having been found the plate in his knapsack, he charged him with evident theft before the senate, and he was condemned to death reserved for thieves, that is, hanging.

Parentes vero quamvis tam inopinatam, tamque infamem carissimi filii sui necem maximopere flerent, ab incoepto tamen itinere non destitisse, sed Compostellam appulsos D. Iacobum tam obnixe rogavisse, ut dolorum eorum misereretur, quod se fecisse sanctus post edito evidentissimo miraculo declaravit. Nam cum domum revertentes per eandem viam iter haberent, filium suum vivum laetumque reperisse in eodem loco, ubi mortem tam turpem subierat. Unde persolutis primum D. Iacobo gratiis miraculum publicasse, revixisse filium suum laeta voce proclamantes, etsi tamen id illius loci praefecto persuadere non possent, sed nunciantibus miraculum nihil respondisse aliud, quam ita vivere filium eorum, atque Gallus ille, quem iam assum in mensa positum habebat. Quo tempore coctam alitem non cucu<r>risse duntaxat, sed ex patina resumptis pennis etiam exili<v>isse. Tum tam insolenti spectaculo perculsum incredulum illum loci praefectum correctam hospitis filiam, et infandum scelus suum confitentem, qua prius innocentem iuvenem affecerat, poena mulctavisse. Gallum autem tanti miraculi testem in eo loco conservari, et a peregrinantibus, qui illius in memoriam plumulam e corpore eius evulsam cum magna pietate domum reportant, pie ibi colitur.

But his parents, although crying their eyes out because of a so unexpected and infamous death of their very dear son, did not, however, desist from their set out journey but, having reached Compostela, prayed so steadfastly to St. James to take pity on their sorrow, a thing which the saint demonstrated after he did a more than evident miracle. For while they were traveling homeward along the same way, they found their son alive and happy in the same place where he had undergone so shameful a death. Then, having first thanked St. James, they broadcasted the miracle proclaiming in a joyous voice that their son had come back to life, although they could not persuade the prefect of that locality about this, who on the contrary replied to them when announcing the miracle nothing but their son was as much alive as that already roasted rooster he had lying on his table. At that moment the cooked bird not only crowed but, having resumed the feathers, jumped up off the platter. Then, amazed by so unusual a spectacle, that incredulous prefect of the locality inflicted the penalty by which he formerly punished the innocent young man on the innkeeper's daughter, repented and admitting her execrable crime. On the other hand in that place a rooster is kept as proof of such a great miracle and is piously cherished by pilgrims who, in memory of that other, with great devoutness carry home a little feather pulled from his body – in Santo Domingo de la Calzada.

Simile propemodum de Gallo cocto, et in frust{r}a conciso, mensaeque ad mandendum imposito miraculum doctissimus mihique amicissimus Carolus Sigonius[2] e S. Petro Damiani recenset his verbis: Verum me religio aliqua tenet, quae aut sancti, aut pii homines posteritati pro re magna consecranda putarunt, ea dum se occasio praebet, quasi contemnenda silentio praeterire. Quare cum per hos annos, authore S. Petro Damiani huius aetatis (circiter annum 1014.) aequali portentum ingens a S. Petro Apostolo Bononiensi in ecclesia editum sit, mihi reticendum esse non duxi. Prudentis, inquit, et honorati cuiusdam apud saeculum diaconi didici narratione, quod refero. In Bononiae partibus duo quidam viri, qui et amicitiae foedere, et compaternitatis, si digne recolo, necessitudine tenebantur, in convivio discumbebant: quibus in mensam allatus est Gallus. Quod videlicet pulmentum unus illorum arrepto cultello, ut mos est, in frusta dissecuit, tritum quoque piper cum liquamine superfudit: Quo pacto, alter protinus ait: Profecto compater, sic explicuisti Gallum, ut ipse S. Petrus, etiamsi velit, redintegrare non possit. Cui mox intulit ille{;}<:> Plane non modo D. Petrus, sed etsi ipse Christus imperet, hic perpetuo non resurget. Ad hanc vocem repente Gallus vivus, et plumis coopertus exiluit, alas percussit, et cecinit, totum et liquamen super eos, qui convescebantur, aspersit. Ilico sacrilegium blasphemae temeritatis digna poena sequitur ultionis: nam et in aspersione piperis lepra percussi sunt, quam videlicet plagam non modo ipsi usque ad obitum pertulerunt, sed et posteris suis in omnes generationes velut quoddam haereditarium reliquerunt. Unde factum est, ut in famulatum redacti sint sanctae Bononiensis Ecclesiae, quae videlicet B. Petri Apostoli est insignita vocabulo. Quorum progenies, ut relator asseruit, hucusque leprosa durae illationis canone censita est ut ex operibus manuum suarum inferant Ecclesiae capisteria. Sic nimirum duplici<s> poenae, leprae simul, et servitutis addicti suppliciis, instruunt alios, ut iam temere de divina potentia non loquantur. Et Gallus, qui dudum arguerat, Petrum in terra negantem, tunc probavit Petrum cum eo, quem negaverat, in caelo regnantem.

An almost similar miracle concerning a cooked rooster cut up in pieces and placed on the table to be eaten is told me by my very learned and most close friend Carlo Sigonio, drawing it from St. Pier Damiani by the following words: Really, whenever the opportunity presents itself, a certain scruple keeps me from passing over in silence, as if it were to be scorned, any thing which saints or virtuous men have considered worthy of consecration to posterity as important events. Therefore, since during these years, according to St. Pier Damiani contemporary of such period (around the year 1014), a great portent has been carried out by St. Peter Apostle in the Church of Bologna, I thought I should not keep silent about it. What I am referring, he says, I learned through the account of a certain prudent and highly considered deacon in this time. There were staying down Bologna way two men, both because of close bonds of friendship and, if I well think about, because of close bonds arising from having in common their father, and they were lying at a banquet: a rooster was served up on the board. As you would expect, one of them, after he grasped a small knife, as usual cut up into pieces that course, and also poured ground pepper over it along with gravy. After this has been done, the other man at once says: Brother, you have cut up a rooster so thoroughly that even St. Peter, if he wished to do so, could not put it back together again. The other man immediately replied: Surely, not only St. Peter, but if Christ himself should order it, the rooster would never rise again. At these words the rooster suddenly sprang up, alive and covered with feathers, clapped his wings and crowed, scattering the whole gravy upon the men who were dining together. Straightway a fair punishment follows the sacrilege of blasphemous haughtiness: for as they were sprinkled with pepper they were stricken with leprosy, a disease which these men not only had to bear until their death, but was left by them as an inheritance to their posterity in all of its generations. Hence it happened that they were included in the servitude of the holy Church of Bologna, on which was just conferred the title of St Peter Apostle. As the storyteller affirmed, their still leprous progeny has been registered with the annual duty of a heavy toll, in order they supply by the work of their hands the sieves to the Church. Undoubtedly, tormented with a double penalty, leprosy and servitude, thus they instruct others not to speak rashly about divine power. And the rooster, who since long time had demonstrated that Peter while being on earth was a renegade, in that moment gave the proof that he was reigning in heaven with Him whom he had denied.

Laurentius Surius diversam a superioribus historiam de S. Pachomio a cacodaemone in magnum Gallinaceum immutato, vexato, ac tentato refert his verbis: Cumque domum apprehendissent (daemones) speciem praebuerunt, quod eam concuterent adeo ut existimaret Sanctus moveri domum ex fundamentis. Ipse vero minime conturbatus, rursus chordam pulsavit spiritalem, et cum voce cecinit, dicens{,}<:> Deus refugium nostrum, et virtus, adiutor valde in afflictionibus, propterea non timebimus, dum turbabitur terra. Haec autem cum is dixisset, repente fuit quies maxima. Ipsi vero tanquam fumus defecerunt, et paulo post tanquam canes, qui a{m}biguntur, recedunt, et rursus impudenter accedunt. Sic etiam post preces beato illo ad opus {sedenti} <sedente>, malignus, suscepta figura maximi Galli, valde ante ipsum clamabat, continuas, saevasque voces edens, et simul etiam in eum involans, et acerbe eum feriens unguibus. Is autem cum rursus in eum sufflasset, et signum crucis in fronte fecisset, effecit, ut is statim evanesceret etc.

Lorenz Sauer with following words tells a different story from those just related, concerning St. Pachomius worried and tempted by an evil demon changed into a big rooster: (And the demons) since had taken possession of the house, gave such a spectacle to shake it to such a degree that the saint was thinking the house was moving from its foundations. But he, by no means frightened, jarred the strings of the breath and sang aloud in saying: Lord, our refuge and strength, our great helper in afflictions, then I shall not fear when the earth will be shaken. When he had said these words, suddenly there was a very great quiet. For they vanished like smoke, and a short time later they behaved like dogs chased away who come back and boldly rush upon. Likewise, while that saint person after invocations was sitting intent on his work, the evil spirit, having taken the form of a huge rooster, was making a big din, uttering continuous and fierce cries, and at the same time flying also at him and striking him sharply with its claws. But when in his turn he had blown against it and had made the sign of the cross on his forehead, he caused the demon to suddenly vanish, etc.