The Petition That Vanished from the Altar

Of the altar of Saint John this tale is also told. A noblewoman, a widow, was in dispute with her dead husband's relatives over an inheritance. Because judgment had gone in Prague in favour of the other side, she wrote a petition to the emperor himself, and so that the outcome might be fortunate she had a holy mass said at Saint John's tomb and left her petition lying on the altar during the mass. The mass was over — but the petition was gone. She therefore wrote a fresh petition and did the same again; and when the priest had finished the mass, there beside the second petition appeared the first as well, with the emperor's signature and a decision in her favour. The court acknowledged the signature as genuine, yet they had inquiries made in Vienna — and there it was found that an unknown canon had brought the widow's document and had convinced the emperor of the pious widow's right.