Now the citizens of that community mention many other marvellous things as if from a tradition of the brethren who succeeded one another concerning Narcissus, among which they also record some such wonder as this wrought through him.
Once during the great all-night vigil of the Pascha, they say, the oil for the deacons failed. When deep dejection had seized the whole multitude over this, Narcissus bade those who were preparing the lights to draw water and bring it to him.
And when this had been done as soon as said, having prayed over the water, he charged them to pour it into the lamps with genuine faith in the Lord. And when they had done this too, beyond all reason, by a marvellous and divine power its nature was changed from water into the quality of oil; and among very many of the brethren there a small token of the wonder then wrought was preserved from that time, for a very long while, even down to us.
They also recount very many other things worthy of memory concerning this man's life, among which is one such as this. Certain worthless little men, unable to bear the vigour and firmness of his life, and fearing lest, being caught, they should pay the penalty—because they were conscious to themselves of countless evils—got the start by forming a conspiracy against him and stitched together a certain dreadful slander, which they poured out upon him.
Then, to gain credence with their hearers, they confirmed their accusations with oaths: the one swore that he might perish by fire; the second, that his body might be consumed by a baleful disease; the third, that his eyes might be blinded. But not even so, though they swore, did any of the faithful give heed to them, because of the self-control shining forth toward all in every way, and the all-virtuous conduct of Narcissus.
He himself, however, in no way enduring the wickedness of the things said, and otherwise having long embraced the philosophic life, slipped away from the whole multitude of the church and, hiding in deserts and obscure fields, passed very many years.
But the great eye of justice did not rest quiet over what had been done; rather it pursued as swiftly as possible the impious men by the very curses with which they had bound themselves in perjury against themselves. The first of them, then, when from no cause at all just a small spark had thus simply fallen in the house where he was staying, was, when the whole was kindled at night, burned up with all his kindred. The second was suddenly filled, over his whole body from the soles of his feet to his head, with the disease which he had himself imposed upon himself as a penalty.
But the third, seeing the outcomes of the former two, and dreading the inescapable justice of God who oversees all things, confessed to all the things that had been contrived in common by themselves; and he wasted away with such great groanings of repentance, and ceased not from weeping to such a degree, that he destroyed both his eyes. Such were the penalties these men endured for their false speaking.