29. Once when Malachy was speaking before the people and exhorting them, a certain unhappy woman dared to interrupt his discourse with evil cries, showing no respect to the priest _and the Spirit which spake_.[478] Now she was of the impious race; and having _breath in her nostrils_[479] she vomited out blasphemies and insults against the saint, saying that he was a hypocrite, and an invader of the inheritance of another, and even reproaching him for his baldness. But he, modest and gentle as he was, _answered_ her _nothing_;[480] but the Lord answered for him. The woman became insane by the judgement of the Lord, and crying out many times that she was being suffocated by Malachy, at length by a horrible death she expiated the sin of blasphemy. So this wretched woman, taking up against Malachy the reproach that had been made against Elisha,[481] found to her cost that he was indeed another Elisha. 30. Further, because on account of a certain pestilence which arose in the city, he had solemnly led out a multitude of the clergy and people with the memorial of the saints,[482] neither is this to be passed over, that when Malachy prayed the pestilence immediately ceased. Thenceforward there was none to murmur against him, for those who were of the _seed of Canaan[483] said, Let us flee from the face of_ Malachy, _for the Lord fighteth for him_.[484] But it was too late, for the wrath of the Lord, coming everywhere upon them, pursued them _even unto destruction_.[485] How, in a few days, _is their memorial perished with resounding noise;[486] how are they brought into desolation, they are consumed in a moment, they are punished for their iniquity_.[487] A great miracle to-day is the extinction of that generation, so quickly wrought, especially for those who knew their pride and power.[488] And _many other signs truly_[489] were there by which God glorified His name and strengthened His servant amidst labours and dangers. Who can worthily recount them? Yet we do not omit them all, though we have not ability to describe all. But that the sequence of the narrative may not be interrupted we reserve to the end some that we propose to mention. [Sidenote: 1137]