Complete Works of Bede

by Bede

  Mansit autem idem uir Dei in insula Farne XII annis, ibidemque defunctus; sed in insula Lindisfarnensi iuxta praefatorum corpora episcoporum in ecclesia beati apostoli Petri sepultus est. Gesta uero sunt haec temporibus Aldfridi regis, qui post fratrem suum Ecgfridum genti Nordanhymbrorum X et VIIII annis praefuit.

  Chap. I.

  How Ethelwald, successor to Cuthbert, leading a hermit’s life, calmed a tempest by his prayers when the brethren were in danger at sea. [687-699 a.d.]

  The venerable Ethelwald succeeded the man of God, Cuthbert, in the exercise of a solitary life, which he spent in the isle of Farne before he became a bishop. After he had received the priesthood, he consecrated his office by deeds worthy of that degree for many years in the monastery which is called Inhrypum. To the end that his merit and manner of life may be the more certainly made known, I will relate one miracle of his, which was told me by one of the brothers for and on whom the same was wrought; to wit, Guthfrid, the venerable servant and priest of Christ, who also, afterwards, as abbot, presided over the brethren of the same church of Lindisfarne, in which he was educated.

  “I came,” says he, “to the island of Farne, with two others of the brethren, desiring to speak with the most reverend father, Ethelwald. Having been refreshed with his discourse, and asked for his blessing, as we were returning home, behold on a sudden, when we were in the midst of the sea, the fair weather in which we were sailing, was broken, and there arose so great and terrible a tempest, that neither sails nor oars were of any use to us, nor had we anything to expect but death. After long struggling with the wind and waves to no effect, at last we looked back to see whether it was possible by any means at least to return to the island whence we came, but we found that we were on all sides alike cut off by the storm, and that there was no hope of escape by our own efforts. But looking further, we perceived, on the island of Farne, our father Ethelwald, beloved of God, come out of his retreat to watch our course; for, hearing the noise of the tempest and raging sea, he had come forth to see what would become of us. When he beheld us in distress and despair, he bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in prayer for our life and safety; and as he finished his prayer, he calmed the swelling water, in such sort that the fierceness of the storm ceased on all sides, and fair winds attended us over a smooth sea to the very shore. When we had landed, and had pulled up our small vessel from the waves, the storm, which had ceased a short time for our sake, presently returned, and raged furiously during the whole day; so that it plainly appeared that the brief interval of calm had been granted by Heaven in answer to the prayers of the man of God, to the end that we might escape.”

  The man of God remained in the isle of Farne twelve years, and died there; but was buried in the church of the blessed Apostle Peter, in the isle of Lindisfarne, beside the bodies of the aforesaid bishops. These things happened in the days of King Aldfrid, who, after his brother Egfrid, ruled the nation of the Northumbrians for nineteen years.

  CHAP. 2

  Cuius regni principio defuncto Eata episcopo, Iohannes uir sanctus Hagustaldensis ecclesiae praesulatum suscepit; de quo plura uirtutum miracula, qui eum familiariter nouerunt, dicere solent, et maxime uir reuerentissimus ac ueracissimus Bercthun, diaconus quondam eius, nunc autem abbas monasterii, quod uocatur Inderauuda, id est In silua Derorum; e quibus aliqua memoriae tradere commodum duximus.

  Est mansio quaedam secretior, nemore raro et uallo circumdata, non longe ab Hagustaldensi ecclesia, id est unius ferme miliarii et dimidii spatio interfluente Tino amne separata, habens clymeterium sancti Michahelis archangeli, in qua uir Dei saepius, ubi oportunitas adridebat temporis, et maxime in quadragesima, manere cum paucis, atque orationibus ac lectioni quietus operam dare consueuerat. Cumque tempore quodam, incipiente quadragesima, ibidem mansurus adueniret, iussit suis quaerere pauperem aliquem maiore infirmitate uel inopia grauatum, quem secum habere illis diebus ad faciendam elimosynam possent; sic enim semper facere solebat.

  Erat autem in uilla non longe posita quidam adulescens mutus, episcopo notus, nam saepius ante illum percipiendae elimosynae gratia uenire consueuerat, qui ne unum quidem sermonem umquam profari poterat; sed et scabiem tantam ac furfures habebat in capite, ut nil umquam capillorum ei in superiore parte capitis nasci ualeret, tantum in circuitu horridi crines stare uidebantur. Hunc ergo adduci praecipit episcopus, et ei in conseptis eiusdem mansionis paruum tugurium fieri, in quo manens cotidianam ab eis stipem acciperet. Cumque una quadragesimae esset impleta septimana, sequente dominica iussit ad se intrare pauperem, ingresso linguam proferre ex ore, ac sibi ostendere iussit; et adprehendens eum de mento, signum sanctae crucis linguae eius inpressit, quam signatam reuocare in os, et loqui illum praecepit: ‘Dicito,’

  inquiens, ‘aliquod uerbum, dicito gae,’ quod est lingua Anglorum uerbum adfirmandi et consentiendi, id est, etiam. Dixit ille statim, soluto uinculo linguae, quod iussus erat. Addidit episcopus nomina litterarum: ‘Dicito A’; dixit ille A. ‘Dicito B’; dixit ille et hoc.

  Cumque singula litterarum nomina dicente episcopo responderet, addidit et syllabas ac uerba dicenda illi proponere. Et cum in omnibus consequenter responderet, praecepit eum sententias longiores dicere, et fecit; neque ultra cessauit tota die illa et nocte sequente, quantum uigilare potuit, ut ferunt, qui praesentes fuere, loqui aliquid, et arcana suae cogitationis ac uoluntatis, quod numquam antea potuit, aliis ostendere; in similitudinem illius diu claudi, qui curatus ab apostolis Petro et Iohanne, exiliens stetit, et ambulabat; et intrauit cum illis in templum, ambulans, et exiliens, et laudans Dominum; gaudens nimirum uti officio pedum, quo tanto erat tempore destitutus. Cuius sanitati congaudens episcopus praecepit medico etiam sanandae scabredini capitis eius curam adhibere.

  Fecit, ut iusserat, et iuuante benedictione ac precibus antistitis, nata est cum sanitate cutis uenusta species capillorum, factusque est iuuenis limpidus uultu et loquella promtus, capillis pulcherrime crispis, qui ante fuerat deformis, pauper, et mutus. Sicque de percepta laetatus sospitate, offerente etiam ei episcopo, ut in sua familia manendi locum acciperet, magis domum reuersus est.

  Chap. II.

  How Bishop John cured a dumb man by his blessing. [687 a.d.]

  In the beginning of Aldfrid’s reign, Bishop Eata died, and was succeeded in the bishopric of the church of Hagustald by the holy man John, of whom those that knew him well are wont to tell many miracles, and more particularly Berthun, a man worthy of all reverence and of undoubted truthfulness, and once his deacon, now abbot of the monastery called Inderauuda, that is, “In the wood of the Deiri”: some of which miracles we have thought fit to hand on to posterity. There is a certain remote dwelling enclosed by a mound, among scattered trees, not far from the church of Hagustald, being about a mile and a half distant and separated from it by the river Tyne, having an oratory dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, where the man of God used frequently, as occasion offered, and specially in Lent, to abide with a few companions and in quiet give himself to prayer and study. Having come hither once at the beginning of Lent to stay, he bade his followers find out some poor man labouring under any grievous infirmity, or want, whom they might keep with them during those days, to receive alms, for so he was always used to do.

  There was in a township not far off, a certain youth who was dumb, known to the bishop, for he often used to come into his presence to receive alms. He had never been able to speak one word; besides, he had so much scurf and scab on his head, that no hair could ever grow on the top of it, but only some rough hairs stood on end round about it. The bishop caused this young man to be brought, and a little hut to be made for him within the enclosure of the dwelling, in which he might abide, and receive alms from him every day. When one week of Lent was over, the next Sunday he bade the poor man come to him, and when he had come, he bade him put his tongue out of his mouth and show it him; then taking him by the chin, he made the sign of the Holy Cross on his tongue, directing him to draw it back so signed into his mouth and to speak. “Pronounce some word,” sai
d he; “say ‘gae,’ ” which, in the language of the English, is the word of affirming and consenting, that is, yes. The youth’s tongue was immediately loosed, and he spoke as he was bidden. The bishop then added the names of the letters: “Say A.” He said A. “Say B;” he said B also. When he had repeated all the letters after the bishop, the latter proceeded to put syllables and words to him, and when he had repeated them all rightly he bade him utter whole sentences, and he did it. Nor did he cease all that day and the next night, as long as he could keep awake, as those who were present relate, to say something, and to express his private thoughts and wishes to others, which he could never do before; after the manner of the man long lame, who, when he was healed by the Apostles Peter and John, leaping up, stood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising the Lord, rejoicing to have the use of his feet, which he had so long lacked. The bishop, rejoicing with him at his cure, caused the physician to take in hand the healing of the sores of his head. He did as he was bidden, and with the help of the bishop’s blessing and prayers, a goodly head of hair grew as the skin was healed. Thus the youth became fair of countenance, ready of speech, with hair curling in comely fashion, whereas before he had been ill-favoured, miserable, and dumb. Thus filled with joy at his recovered health, notwithstanding that the bishop offered to keep him in his own household, he chose rather to return home.

  CHAP. 3

  Narrauit idem Bercthun et aliud de praefato antistite miraculum:

  quia cum reuerentissimus uir Uilfrid post longum exilium in episcopatum esset Hagustaldensis ecclesiae receptus, et idem Iohannes, defuncto Bosa uiro multae sanctitatis et humilitatis, episcopus pro eo Eboraci substitutus, uenerit ipse tempore quodam ad monasterium uirginum in loco, qui uocatur Uetadun, cui tunc Heriburg abbatissa praefuit. ‘Ubi cum uenissemus,’ inquit, ‘et magno uniuersorum gaudio suscepti essemus, indicauit nobis abbatissa, quia quaedam de numero uirginum, quae erat filia ipsius carnalis, grauissimo langore teneretur; quia flebotomata est nuper in brachio, et cum esset in studio, tacta est infirmitate repentini doloris, quo mox increscente, magis grauatum est brachium illud uulneratum, ac uersum in tumorem adeo, ut uix duabus manibus circumplecti posset, ipsaque iacens in lecto prae nimietate doloris iam moritura uideretur. Rogauit ergo episcopum abbatissa, ut intrare ad eam, ac benedicere illam dignaretur, quia crederet eam ad benedictionem uel tactum illius mox melius habituram. Interrogans autem ille, quando flebotomata esset puella, et ut cognouit, quia in luna quarta, dixit: ‘Multum insipienter et indocte fecistis in luna IIII flebotomando. Memini enim beatae memoriae Theodorum archiepiscopum dicere, quia periculosa sit satis illius temporis flebotomia, quando et lumen lunae, et reuma oceani in cremento est. Et quid ego possum puellae, si moritura est, facere?’ At illa instantius obsecrans pro filia, quam oppido diligebat, nam et abbatissam eam pro se facere disposuerat, tandem obtinuit, ut ad languentem intraret. Intrauit ergo me secum adsumto ad uirginem, quae iacebat multo, ut dixi, dolore constricta, et brachio in tantum grossescente, ut nihil prorsus in cubito flexionis haberet; et adstans dixit orationem super illam, ac benedicens egressus est. Cumque post haec hora conpetente consideremus ad mensam, adueniens quidam clamauit me foras, et ait: ‘Postulat Quoenburg’ (hoc enim erat nomen uirginis), ‘ut ocius regrediaris ad eam.’ Quod dum facerem, repperi illam ingrediens uultu hilariorem, et uelut sospiti similem. Et dum adsiderem illi, dixit: ‘Uis petamus bibere?’ At ego: ‘Uolo,’

  inquam, ‘et multum delector, si potes.’ Cumque oblato poculo biberemus ambo, coepit mihi dicere, quia ‘ex quo episcopus oratione pro me et benedictione conpleta egressus est, statim melius habere incipio; etsi necdum uires pristinas recepi, dolor tamen omnis et de brachio, ubi ardentior inerat, et de toto meo corpore, uelut ipso episcopo foras eum exportante, funditus ablatus est, tametsi tumor adhuc brachii manere uidetur.’ Abeuntibus autem nobis inde, continuo fugatum dolorem membrorum fuga quoque tumoris horrendi secuta est;

  et erepta morti ac doloribus uirgo, laudes Domino Saluatori una cum ceteris, qui ibi erant, seruis illius referebat.’

  Chap. III.

  How he healed a sick maiden by his prayers. [705 a.d.]

  The same Berthun told another miracle concerning the said bishop. When the most reverend Wilfrid, after a long banishment, was admitted to the bishopric of the church of Hagustald, and the aforesaid John, upon the death of Bosa, a man of great sanctity and humility, was, in his place, appointed bishop of York, he himself came, once upon a time, to the monastery of nuns, at the place called Wetadun, where the Abbess Heriburg then presided. “When we were come thither,” said he, “and had been received with great and universal joy, the abbess told us, that one of the nuns, who was her own daughter after the flesh, laboured under a grievous sickness, for she had been lately let blood in the arm, and whilst she was under treatment, was seized with an attack of sudden pain, which speedily increased, while the wounded arm became worse, and so much swollen, that it could scarce be compassed with both hands; and she lay in bed like to die through excess of pain. Wherefore the abbess entreated the bishop that he would vouchsafe to go in and give her his blessing; for she believed that she would soon be better if he blessed her or laid his hands upon her. He asked when the maiden had been let blood, and being told that it was on the fourth day of the moon, said, ‘You did very indiscreetly and unskilfully to let blood on the fourth day of the moon; for I remember that Archbishop Theodore, of blessed memory, said, that blood-letting at that time was very dangerous, when the light of the moon is waxing and the tide of the ocean is rising. And what can I do for the maiden if she is like to die?’

  “But the abbess still earnestly entreated for her daughter, whom she dearly loved, and designed to make abbess in her stead, and at last prevailed with him to go in and visit the sick maiden. Wherefore he went in, taking me with him to the maid, who lay, as I said, in sore anguish, and her arm swelling so greatly that it could not be bent at all at the elbow; and he stood and said a prayer over her, and having given his blessing, went out. Afterwards, as we were sitting at table, at the usual hour, some one came in and called me out, saying, ‘Quoenburg’ (that was the maid’s name) ‘desires that you should immediately go back to her.’ This I did, and entering the chamber, I found her of more cheerful countenance, and like one in good health. And while I was sitting beside her, she said, ‘Shall we call for something to drink?’— ‘Yes,’ said I, ‘and right glad am I, if you can.’ When the cup was brought, and we had both drunk, she said, ‘As soon as the bishop had said the prayer for me and given me his blessing and had gone out, I immediately began to mend; and though I have not yet recovered my former strength, yet all the pain is quite gone both from my arm, where it was most burning, and from all my body, as if the bishop had carried it away with him; notwithstanding the swelling of the arm still seems to remain.’ But when we departed thence, the cure of the pain in her limbs was followed by the assuaging of the grievous swelling; and the maiden being thus delivered from pains and death, returned praise to our Lord and Saviour, in company with His other servants who were there.”

  CHAP. 4

  Aliud quoque non multum huic dissimile miraculum de praefato antistite narrauit idem abbas, dicens: ‘Uilla erat comitis cuiusdam, qui uocabatur Puch, non longe a monasterio nostro, id est duum ferme milium spatio separata; cuius coniux XL ferme diebus erat acerbissimo langore detenta, ita ut tribus septimanis non posset de cubiculo, in quo iacebat, foras efferri. Contigit autem eo tempore uirum Dei illo ad dedicandam ecclesiam ab eodem comite uocari.

  Cumque dedicata esset ecclesia, rogauit comes eum ad prandendum in domum suam ingredi. Rennuit episcopus dicens se ad monasterium, quod proxime erat, debere reuerti. At ille obnixius precibus instans, uouit etiam se elimosynas pauperibus daturum, dummodo ille dignaretur eo die domum suam ingrediens ieiunium soluere. Rogaui et ego una cum illo, promittens etiam me elimosynas in alimoniam inopum dare, dum ille domum comitis pransurus, ac benedictionem daturus intraret. Cumque hoc tarde ac difficulter inpetrare
mus, intrauimus ad reficiendum. Miserat autem episcopus mulieri, quae infirma iacebat, de aqua benedicta, quam in dedicationem ecclesiae consecrauerat, per unum de his, qui mecum uenerant, fratribus;

  praecipiens, ut gustandam illi daret, et, ubicumque maximum ei dolorem inesse didicisset, de ipsa eam aqua lauaret. Quod ut factum est, surrexit statim mulier sana, et non solum se infirmitate longa carere, sed et perditas dudum uires recepisse sentiens, obtulit poculum episcopo ac nobis; coeptumque ministerium nobis omnibus propinandi usque ad prandium conpletum non omisit; imitata socrum beati Petri, quae cum febrium fuisset ardoribus fatigata, ad tactum manus dominicae surrexit, et sanitate simul ac uirtute recepta ministrabat eis.’

  Chap. IV.

  How he healed a thegn’s wife that was sick, with holy water.

  The same abbot related another miracle, not unlike the former, of the aforesaid bishop. “Not very far from our monastery,” he said, “to wit, about two miles off, was the township of one Puch, a thegn, whose wife had lain sick of a very grievous disease for nearly forty days, insomuch that for three weeks she could not be carried out of the chamber where she lay. It happened that the man of God was, at that time, called thither by the thegn to consecrate a church; and when that was done, the thegn desired him to come into his house and dine. The bishop declined, saying that he must return to the monastery, which was very near. The thegn, entreating him more earnestly, vowed he would also give alms to the poor, if so be that the bishop would vouchsafe to enter his house that day and break his fast. I joined my entreaties to his, promising in like manner to give alms for the relief of the poor, if he would but go and dine at the thegn’s house, and give his blessing. Having at length, with much difficulty, prevailed, we went in to refresh ourselves. The bishop had sent to the woman that lay sick some of the holy water, which he had blessed for the consecration of the church, by one of the brothers who had come with me, ordering him to give her some to drink, and wash that part of her where he found that her pain was greatest, with some of the same water. This being done, the woman immediately got up whole and sound, and perceiving that she had not only been delivered from her long sickness, but at the same time had recovered the strength which she had lost for so great a time, she presented the cup to the bishop and to us, and continued serving us with meat and drink as she had begun, till dinner was over; following the example of the blessed Peter’s wife’s mother, who, having been sick of a fever, arose at the touch of our Lord’s hand, and having forthwith received health and strength, ministered to them.”