 He soon made many enemies, who went so far as to hire assassins, but these, awed by the serenity and angelic sweetness of his countenance, lost courage.Some women of Salamanca, embittered by the saint's strong sermon against extravagance in dress, openly insulted him in the streets and pelted him with stones until stopped by a patrol of guards.John's scathing words on the ""sins of impurity"" produced salutary effects in a certain nobleman who had been living in open concubinage, but the woman swore vengeance.