he did tofore in all things, in humility and honesty of manners. He woke in prayer and made his body lean, he eschewed company of women, he was humble in receiving all things, profitable in speaking, joyous in admonishing, and cruel in correcting.
It is read in a chronicle that the blessed Nicholas was at the Council of Nice; and on a day, as a ship with mariners were in perishing on the sea, they prayed and required devoutly Nicholas, servant of God, saying: 'If those things that we have heard of thee said be true, prove them now.' And anon a man appeared in his likeness, and said: 'Lo! see ye me not? ye called me'; and then he began to help them in their exploit of the sea, and anon the tempest ceased. And when they were come to his church, they knew him without any man to show him to them, and yet they had never seen him. And then they thanked God and him of their deliverance. And he bade them to attribute it to the mercy of God and to their belief, and nothing to his merits.
It was so on a time that all the province of S. Nicolas suffered great famine, in such wise that vitaille failed. And then this holy man heard say that certain ships laden with wheat were arrived in the haven. And anon he went thither and prayed the mariners that they would succour the perished at least with an hundred muyes of wheat of every ship. And they said: 'Father we dare not, for it is meted and measured, and we must give reckoning thereof in the garners of the Emperor in Alexandria.' And the holy man said to them:
