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Cantiga 193 of the Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso X

The Merchant who was Saved from Drowning
A merchant was travelling in one of the ships sailing to Tunisia when King Louis of France first waged war on the Moors. The other men on the ship were evil and plotted to kill the merchant and use his wealth to finance the war.

After tying a stone around his neck, they tossed him into the sea.

The Virgin came and protected the man. She prevented the sea from touching him.

As he lay under the water, another ship drew up alongside him. A man on the ship raised the alarm and they rescued the merchant. The merchant, whom they took for dead, told them what had happened, and how the Virgin had protected him because he had fasted on the eves of her feast days. He said she had placed a barrier like a white cloth between him and the water. He then vowed to join the war.

When the ship reached port, the men who had tried to murder the merchant were punished.

The merchant recovered everything that had been stolen from him, and from that time forth, he happily served the Virgin.


Source: upenn.edu



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