In the days of Pepin, King of the Franks, a boy was born in the Castle
of Bericain to a father of Allemaigne, of noble descent and of great
holiness. His father and mother, who had no other child, vowed to God
and to St. Peter and St. Paul that if God vouchsafed him breath he
should be carried to Rome for his baptism. At the same hour a vision
was seen of the Count of Alverne--whose wife was near her day--in which
he saw the Apostle of Rome, who baptized many children in his palace,
and confirmed them with the anointing of holy oil. When the Count awoke
from his sleep he inquired of the wise men of those parts what this
thing might mean. Then a certain wise old man, having heard his words,
by the counsel of God made answer, and said--
"Rejoice greatly, Count, for a son shall now be born to thee great in
courage and in virtue, and thou shalt carry him to Rome, so that he may
be baptized by the Apostle."
So the Count rejoiced in his heart, and he and his people praised the
counsel of that ancient man.
The child was born, and cherished dearly, and when he was of the age of
two years his father prepared to carry him to Rome, according to his
purpose. On his way he came to the city of Lucca, and there fell in
with a certain nobleman of Allemaigne who was on pilgrimage to Rome,
that there he might baptize his son. Each greeted the other, and
inquired of his name and business; and when they knew they were in the
like case, and bound on the same errand, they took each other as
companion with a kind heart, and voyaged together to Rome. The two
children, also, loved so dearly, that one would not eat save the other
ate with him; so that they fed from the same dish, and lay in the one
bed. In such manner as this the fathers carried the boys before the
Apostle at Rome, and said to him--
"Holy Father, whom we believe and know to be seated in the chair of St.
Peter the Apostle, we, the Count of Alverne, and the Chatelain of
Castle Bericain, humbly pray your Holiness that you would deign to
baptize the sons they have carried here from a distant land, and to
accept this humble offering from their hands."