by Bede
Sed et matertera eius, de qua diximus, Aedilberg, et ipsa Deo dilectam perpetuae uirginitatis gloriam in magna corporis continentia seruauit; quae cuius esset uirtutis, magis post mortem claruit. Cum enim esset abbatissa, coepit facere in monasterio suo ecclesiam in honorem omnium apostolorum, in qua suum corpus sepelliri cupiebat. Sed cum opus idem ad medium ferme esset perductum, illa ne hoc perficeret, morte praerepta est, et in ipso ecclesiae loco, ubi desiderabat, condita. Post cuius mortem, fratribus alia magis curantibus, intermissum est hoc aedificium annis VII, quibus conpletis statuerunt ob nimietatem laboris, huius structuram ecclesiae funditus relinquere, ossa uero abbatissae illo de loco eleuata, in aliam ecclesiam, quae esset perfecta ac dedicata, transferre. Et aperientes sepulchrum eius, ita intemeratum corpus inuenere, ut a corruptione concupiscentiae carnalis erat inmune; et ita denuo lotum, atque aliis uestibus indutum transtulerunt illud in ecclesiam beati Stephani martyris. Cuius uidelicet natalis ibi solet in magna gloria celebrari die Nonarum Iuliarum.
Chap. VIII.
How Earconbert, King of Kent, ordered the idols to be destroyed; and of his daughter Earcongota, and his kinswoman Ethelberg, virgins consecrated to God. [640 a.d.]
In the year of our Lord 640, Eadbald, king of Kent, departed this life, and left his kingdom to his son Earconbert, who governed it most nobly twenty-four years and some months. He was the first of the English kings that of his supreme authority commanded the idols throughout his whole kingdom to be forsaken and destroyed, and the fast of forty days to be observed; and that the same might not be lightly neglected, he appointed fitting and condign punishments for the offenders. His daughter Earcongota, as became the offspring of such a parent, was a most virtuous virgin, serving God in a monastery in the country of the Franks, built by a most noble abbess, named Fara, at a place called In Brige; for at that time but few monasteries had been built in the country of the Angles, and many were wont, for the sake of monastic life, to repair to the monasteries of the Franks or Gauls; and they also sent their daughters there to be instructed, and united to their Heavenly Bridegroom, especially in the monasteries of Brige, of Cale, and Andilegum. Among whom was also Saethryth, daughter of the wife of Anna, king of the East Angles, above mentioned; and Ethelberg, the king’s own daughter; both of whom, though strangers, were for their virtue made abbesses of the monastery of Brige. Sexburg, that king’s elder daughter, wife to Earconbert, king of Kent, had a daughter called Earcongota, of whom we are about to speak.
Many wonderful works and miracles of this virgin, dedicated to God, are to this day related by the inhabitants of that place; but for us it shall suffice to say something briefly of her departure out of this world to the heavenly kingdom. The day of her summoning drawing near, she began to visit in the monastery the cells of the infirm handmaidens of Christ, and particularly those that were of a great age, or most noted for their virtuous life, and humbly commending herself to their prayers, she let them know that her death was at hand, as she had learnt by revelation, which she said she had received in this manner. She had seen a band of men, clothed in white, come into the monastery, and being asked by her what they wanted, and what they did there, they answered, “They had been sent thither to carry away with them the gold coin that had been brought thither from Kent.” Towards the close of that same night, as morning began to dawn, leaving the darkness of this world, she departed to the light of heaven. Many of the brethren of that monastery who were in other houses, declared they had then plainly heard choirs of singing angels, and, as it were, the sound of a multitude entering the monastery. Whereupon going out immediately to see what it might be, they beheld a great light coming down from heaven, which bore that holy soul, set loose from the bonds of the flesh, to the eternal joys of the celestial country. They also tell of other miracles that were wrought that night in the same monastery by the power of God; but as we must proceed to other matters, we leave them to be related by those whose concern they are. The body of this venerable virgin and bride of Christ was buried in the church of the blessed protomartyr, Stephen. It was thought fit, three days after, to take up the stone that covered the tomb, and to raise it higher in the same place, and whilst they were doing this, so sweet a fragrance rose from below, that it seemed to all the brethren and sisters there present, as if a store of balsam had been opened.
Her aunt also, Ethelberg, of whom we have spoken, preserved the glory, acceptable to God, of perpetual virginity, in a life of great self-denial, but the extent of her virtue became more conspicuous after her death. Whilst she was abbess, she began to build in her monastery a church, in honour of all the Apostles, wherein she desired that her body should be buried; but when that work was advanced half way, she was prevented by death from finishing it, and was buried in the place in the church which she had chosen. After her death, the brothers occupied themselves with other things, and this structure was left untouched for seven years, at the expiration whereof they resolved, by reason of the greatness of the work, wholly to abandon the building of the church, and to remove the abbess’s bones thence to some other church that was finished and consecrated. On opening her tomb, they found the body as untouched by decay as it had been free from the corruption of carnal concupiscence, and having washed it again and clothed it in other garments, they removed it to the church of the blessed Stephen, the Martyr. And her festival is wont to be celebrated there with much honour on the 7th of July.
CHAP. 9
Regnauit autem Osuald christianissimus rex Nordanhymbrorum VIIII annos, adnumerato etiam illo, quem et feralis impietas regis Brettonum, et apostasia demens regum Anglorum detestabilem fecerat.
Siquidem, ut supra docuimus, unanimo omnium consensu firmatum est, ut nomen et memoria apostatarum de catalogo regum Christianorum prorsus aboleri deberet, neque aliquis regno eorum annus adnotari.
Quo conpleto annorum curriculo occisus est, commisso graui proelio, ab eadem pagana gente paganoque rege Merciorum, a quo et prodecessor eius Aeduini peremtus fuerat, in loco, qui lingua Anglorum nuncupatur Maserfelth, anno aetatis suae XXXVIII., die quinto mensis Augusti.
Cuius quanta fides in Deum, quae deuotio mentis fuerit, etiam post mortem uirtutum miraculis claruit. Namque in loco, ubi pro patria dimicans a paganis interfectus est, usque hodie sanitates infirmorum et hominum et pecorum celebrari non desinunt. Unde contigit, ut puluerem ipsum, ubi corpus eius in terram conruit, multi auferentes et in aquam mittentes suis per haec infirmis multum commodi adferrent. Qui uidelicet mos adeo increbruit, ut paulatim ablata exinde terra fossam ad mensuram staturae uirilis altam reddiderit.
Nec mirandum in loco mortis illius infirmos sanari, qui semper, dum uiueret, infirmis et pauperibus consulere, elimosynas dare, opem ferre non cessabat. Et multa quidem in loco illo uel de puluere loci illius facta uirtutum miracula narrantur; sed nos duo tantum, quae a maioribus audiuimus, referre satis duximus.
Non multo post interfectionem eius exacto tempore, contigit, ut quidam equo sedens iter iuxta locum ageret illum; cuius equus subito lassescere, consistere, caput in terram declinare, spumas ex ore demittere, et, augescente dolore nimio, in terram coepit ruere.
Desiluit eques, et stramime subtracto coepit expectare horam, qua aut melioratum reciperet iumentum, aut relinqueret mortuum. At ipsum diu graui dolore uexatum, cum diuersas in partes se torqueret, repente uolutando deuenit in illud loci, ubi rex memorabilis occubuit. Nec mora, quiescente dolore cessabat ab insanis membrorum motibus, et consueto equorum more, quasi post lassitudinem in diuersum latus uicissim sese uoluere, statimque exsurgens quasi sanum per omnia, uirecta herbarum auidius carpere coepit.
Quo ille uiso, ut uir sagacis ingenii, intellexit aliquid mirae sanctitatis huic loco, quo equus est curatus, inesse; et posito ibi signo, non multo post ascendit equum, atque ad hospitium, quo proposuerat, accessit; quo dum adueniret, inuenit puellam ibi neptem patris familias longo paralysis morbo grauatam; et cum familiares domus illius de acerba puellae infirmitate ipso praesente quererentur, coepit dicere ille de loco, ubi caballus suus esset cura
tus. Quid multa? inponentes eam carro, duxerunt ad locum, ibidemque deposuerunt. At illa posita in loco obdormiuit parumper;
et ubi euigilauit, sanatam se ab illa corporis dissolutione sentiens, postulata aqua, ipsa lauit faciem, crines conposuit, caput linteo cooperuit, et cum his, qui se adduxerant, sana pedibus incedendo reuersa est.
Chap. IX.
How miracles of healing have been frequently wrought in the place where King Oswald was killed; and how, first, a traveller’s horse was restored and afterwards a young girl cured of the palsy. [642 a.d.]
Oswald, the most Christian king of the Northumbrians, reigned nine years, including that year which was held accursed for the barbarous cruelty of the king of the Britons and the reckless apostacy of the English kings; for, as was said above, it is agreed by the unanimous consent of all, that the names and memory of the apostates should be erased from the catalogue of the Christian kings, and no year assigned to their reign. After which period, Oswald was killed in a great battle, by the same pagan nation and pagan king of the Mercians, who had slain his predecessor Edwin, at a place called in the English tongue Maserfelth, in the thirty-eighth year of his age, on the fifth day of the month of August.
How great his faith was towards God, and how remarkable his devotion, has been made evident by miracles even after his death; for, in the place where he was killed by the pagans, fighting for his country, sick men and cattle are frequently healed to this day. Whence it came to pass that many took up the very dust of the place where his body fell, and putting it into water, brought much relief with it to their friends who were sick. This custom came so much into use, that the earth being carried away by degrees, a hole was made as deep as the height of a man. Nor is it surprising that the sick should be healed in the place where he died; for, whilst he lived, he never ceased to provide for the poor and the sick, and to bestow alms on them, and assist them. Many miracles are said to have been wrought in that place, or with the dust carried from it; but we have thought it sufficient to mention two, which we have heard from our elders.
It happened, not long after his death, that a man was travelling on horseback near that place, when his horse on a sudden fell sick, stood still, hung his head, and foamed at the mouth, and, at length, as his pain increased, he fell to the ground; the rider dismounted, and taking off his saddle, waited to see whether the beast would recover or die. At length, after writhing for a long time in extreme anguish, the horse happened in his struggles to come to the very place where the great king died. Immediately the pain abated, the beast ceased from his frantic kicking, and, after the manner of horses, as if resting from his weariness, he rolled from side to side, and then starting up, perfectly recovered, began to graze hungrily on the green herbage. The rider observing this, and being an intelligent man, concluded that there must be some wonderful sanctity in the place where the horse had been healed, and he marked the spot. After which he again mounted his horse, and went on to the inn where he intended to stop. On his arrival he found a girl, niece to the landlord, who had long been sick of the palsy; and when the members of the household, in his presence, lamented the girl’s grievous calamity, he gave them an account of the place where his horse had been cured. In brief, she was put into a wagon and carried to the place and laid down there. At first she slept awhile, and when she awoke, found herself healed of her infirmity. Upon which she called for water, washed her face, arranged her hair, put a kerchief on her head, and returned home on foot, in good health, with those who had brought her.
CHAP. 10
Eodem tempore uenit alius quidam de natione Brettonum, ut ferunt, iter faciens iuxta ipsum locum, in quo praefata erat pugna conpleta; et uidit unius loci spatium cetero campo uiridius ac uenustius; coepitque sagaci animo conicere, quod nulla esset alia causa insolitae illo in loco uiriditatis, nisi quia ibidem sanctior cetero exercitu uir aliquis fuisset interfectus. Tulit itaque de puluere terrae illius secum inligans in linteo, cogitans, quod futurum erat, quia ad medellam infirmantium idem puluis proficeret;
et pergens itinere suo peruenit ad uicum quendam uespere, intrauitque in domum, in qua uicani caenantes epulabantur; et susceptus a dominis domus, resedit et ipse cum eis ad conuiuium, adpendens linteolum cum puluere, quem adtulerat, in una posta parietis. Cumque diutius epulis atque ebrietati uacarent, accenso grandi igne in medio, contigit uolantibus in altum scintillis culmen domus, quod erat uirgis contextum, ac foeno tectum, subitaneis flammis impleri. Quod cum repente conuiuae terrore confusi conspicerent, fugerunt foras nil ardenti domui et iamiamque periturae prodesse ualentes. Consumpta ergo domu flammis, posta solummodo, in qua puluis ille inclusus pendebat, tuta ab ignibus et intacta remansit. Qua uisa uirtute mirati sunt ualde; et perquirentes subtilius, inuenerunt, quia de illo loco adsumptus erat puluis, ubi regis Osualdi sanguis fuerat effusus. Quibus patefactis ac diffamatis longe lateque miraculis, multi per dies locum frequentare illum, et sanitatum ibi gratiam capere sibi suisque coeperunt.
Chap. X.
How the dust of that place prevailed against fire. [After 642 a.d.]
About the same time, another traveller, a Briton, as is reported, happened to pass by the same place, where the aforesaid battle was fought. Observing one particular spot of ground greener and more beautiful than any other part of the field, he had the wisdom to infer that the cause of the unusual greenness in that place must be that some person of greater holiness than any other in the army had been killed there. He therefore took along with him some of the dust of that piece of ground, tying it up in a linen cloth, supposing, as was indeed the case, that it would be of use for curing sick people, and proceeding on his journey, came in the evening to a certain village, and entered a house where the villagers were feasting at supper. Being received by the owners of the house, he sat down with them at the entertainment, hanging the cloth, with the dust which he had carried in it, on a post in the wall. They sat long at supper and drank deep. Now there was a great fire in the middle of the room, and it happened that the sparks flew up and caught the roof of the house, which being made of wattles and thatch, was suddenly wrapped in flames; the guests ran out in panic and confusion, but they were not able to save the burning house, which was rapidly being destroyed. Wherefore the house was burnt down, and only that post on which the dust hung in the linen cloth remained safe and untouched by the fire. When they beheld this miracle, they were all amazed, and inquiring into it diligently, learned that the dust had been taken from the place where the blood of King Oswald had been shed. These wonderful works being made known and reported abroad, many began daily to resort to that place, and received the blessing of health for themselves and their friends.
CHAP. 11
Inter quae nequaquam silentio praetereundum reor, quid uirtutis ac miraculi caelestis fuerit ostensum, cum ossa eius inuenta, atque ad ecclesiam, in qua nunc seruantur, translata sunt.
Factum est autem hoc per industriam reginae Merciorum Osthrydae, quae erat filia fratris eius, id est Osuiu, qui post illum regni apicem tenebat, ut in sequentibus dicemus.
Est monasterium nobile in prouincia Lindissi, nomine Beardaneu, quod eadem regina cum uiro suo Aedilredo multum diligebat, uenerabatur, excolebat, in quo desiderabat honoranda patrui sui ossa recondere.
Cumque uenisset carrum, in quo eadem ossa ducebantur, incumbente uespera, in monasterium praefatum, noluerunt ea, qui erant in monasterio, libenter excipere; quia etsi sanctum eum nouerant, tamen, quia de alia prouincia ortus fuerat, et super eos regnum acceperat, ueteranis eum odiis etiam mortuum insequebantur. Unde factum est, ut ipsa nocte reliquiae adlatae foris permanerent, tentorio tantum maiore supra carrum, in quo inerant, extenso. Sed miraculi caelestis ostensio, quam reuerenter eae suscipiendae a cunctis fidelibus essent, patefecit. Nam tota ea nocte columna lucis a carro illo ad caelum usque porrecta, omnibus pene eiusdem Lindissa prouinciae locis conspicua stabat. Unde mane facto fratres monasterii illius, qui pridie abnuerant, diligenter ipsi petere coeperunt, ut apud se eaedem sanctae ac Deo dilectae reliquiae conderentur. Lota igitur os
sa intulerunt in thecam, quam in hoc praeparauerant, atque in ecclesia iuxta honorem congruum posuerunt;
et ut regia uiri sancti persona memoriam haberet aeternam, uexillum eius super tumbam auro et purpura conpositum adposuerunt, ipsamque aquam, in qua lauerant ossa, in angulo sacrarii fuderunt. Ex quo tempore factum est, ut ipsa terra, quae lauacrum uenerabile suscepit, ad abigendos ex obsessis corporibus daemones gratiae salutaris haberet effectum.
Denique tempore sequente, cum praefata regina in eodem monasterio moraretur, uenit ad salutandam eam abbatissa quaedam uenerabilis, quae usque hodie superest, uocabulo Aedilhild, soror uirorum sanctorum Aediluini et Alduini, quorum prior episcopus in Lindissi prouincia, secundus erat abbas in monasterio, quod uocatur Peartaneu, a quo non longe et illa monasterium habebat. Cum ergo ueniens illo loqueretur cum regina, atque inter alia, sermone de Osualdo exorto, diceret, quod et ipsa lucem nocte illa supra reliquias eius ad caelum usque altam uidisset, adiecit regina, quia de puluere pauimenti, in quo aqua lauacri illius effusa est, multi iam sanati essent infirmi. At illa petiit sibi portionem pulueris salutiferi dari; et accipiens inligatum panno condidit in capsella, et rediit. Transacto autem tempore aliquanto, cum esset in suo monasterio, uenit illic quidam hospes, qui solebat nocturnis saepius horis repente ab inmundo spiritu grauissime uexari. Qui cum benigne susceptus post caenam in lecto membra posuisset, subito a diabolo arreptus, clamare, dentibus frendere, spumare, et diuersis motibus coepit membra torquere. Cumque a nullo uel teneri uel ligari potuisset, cucurrit minister, et pulsans ad ostium nuntiauit abbatissae. At illa aperiens ianuam monasterii, exiuit ipsa cum una sanctimonialium feminarum ad locum uirorum, et euocans presbyterum, rogauit secum uenire ad patientem. Ubi cum uenientes uiderent multos adfuisse, qui uexatum tenere, et motus eius insanos conprimere conati nequaquam ualebant, dicebat presbyter exorcismos, et quaeque poterat, pro sedando miseri furore agebat. Sed nec ipse, quamuis multum laborans, proficere aliquid ualebat. Cumque nil salutis furenti superesse uideretur, repente uenit in mentem abbatissae puluis ille praefatus; statimque iussit ire ministram, et capsellam, in qua erat, adducere. Et cum illa adferens, quae iussa est, intraret atrium domus, in cuius interioribus daemoniosus torquebatur, conticuit ille subito, et quasi in somnum laxatus deposuit caput, membra in quietem omnia conposuit.