The Life and Passion of William of Norwich (Penguin Classics)

by Thomas of Monmouth

  [XIII] OF A BENT AND HUNCHBACK BOY WHO WAS CURED

  There was also in the village called Wortham25 a man called Godric who had a ten-year-old son, born of the niece of a certain Robert of Wales;26 he was condemned to a long illness, and from day to day the strength of the illness grew worse. The illness spread through his limbs, the muscles withered and contracted, his spine was curved and he grew hunchbacked. Thus, from being straight, the little boy became bent, and when he set out to walk his stomach stuck to his knees, and he put his palms on his knees or on the ground, and he had one or the other as support. The doctors who were approached tried in vain and his parents could only grieve; belatedly, they pinned their hopes on the glorious martyr of God, William. And so the boy was carried to Norwich in a handcart and was laid down near the tomb of the oft-mentioned martyr. The father broke down in tears and bargained for the joys of health for his son.

  What a wonderful thing, much to be admired in our times! At the very hour of his arrival a healing power spread through the weak places and speedy health restored his former strength. The dryness received sap and the sinews resumed their functions. And as the sinews stretched themselves, the boy was affected by terrible pains and, anguished by them, he cried in English: ‘Father! Father!’ And as the father saw the son cured, he rejoiced. After a little while the boy got up and, in the view of all, health was restored to the boy, and the son to his father. Truly, the father rejoiced with the son, and the son walked with his father happy and upright, he who had arrived sad and bent.

  But after they had passed three days in Norwich, father and son returned home, and after a few days – I do not know due to what misfortune – the weakness of the previous illness returned. The father consulted his friends about it and brought his weak son back to the most pious martyr, so that his most merciful pity be conferred again and the cure of the boy’s disease be repeated. Oh how benign is the grace of divine power! Oh how pious is the generous kindness of the most pious martyr, William! The boy was brought back as he had been before, and now once again he was returned to health and again the great works of God were glorified in him. And for that reason the father, having had wise counsel, allowed his son to stay there for many days, so that he could be a servant to the boy martyr with his youthful services. He had deduced from what had happened earlier that the holy martyr wanted the continuing presence of the boy to be proof of his great power in healing the boy.

  [XIV] OF A WOMAN WHO HAD SWOLLEN UP AMAZINGLY AND WAS CURED

  Wonders follow upon wonders: if I were to record them all as they happened I fear that my prolixity would cause the reader fatigue or the book might exceed its moderate size. Therefore, abandoning the forest of numbers, I move on to open country, pluck a very few flower buds, with which the eyes of your mind may be softened and which your love may be enticed to accept.

  And so there was a woman of Brandney27 by the name of Wimarc, who, during the reign of King Stephen, when the times were bad, was a hostage for her husband, who had been caught by robbers at Gainsborough.28 In place of her husband she was put as a prisoner in jail with three other women and a man, and she was under custody in prison for a long time.29 After they had all suffered together for a long time cold, hunger, stench and many unpleasant incursions of toads, they began to plan by mutual consent the death of their guard, thinking that his death spelt their liberation, and his life, danger.

  The same master and warden of the prison used to have a drink with them, and so when a draft of beer was brought to them as usual they infused it with the venom of toads – of which, as we have said, there was great number – and invited him to drink, offering him both cup and death in one. But he was either destined to be saved by God’s wish or inspired by some suspicion, and he told them to drink down first themselves what they had offered to him. At that the fraud was already almost discovered and they were confused; they blushed, turned pale in terror and were struck rigid with amazement. Seeing this, the warden perceived that those signs indicated that some mischief was planned, when he saw proof in such evident confusion in those detained. And so he turned that very shameful deed upon them in this way and forced them all to drink as one of that drink. Whether they wanted to or not, they were forced to be the agents of their own death, those who had been plotting the death of another. Without delay, as the venom passed through their bodies, limb by limb, they all equally, amazingly and in a miserable manner swelled up so much that had you seen them, you would have not doubted that their skin would immediately burst.

  What need to say more? The poison spread and took possession of all parts, and when it prevailed life hovered at death’s door. The others died; Wimarc alone survived. Those who were dead were taken away and she was sent out, too, since it was believed that she was about to die. Her life was saved, either because she drank less than the others or because divine mercy was disposed to save her. In any case, she was fortunate, since she evaded imminent death, but she was also in misery, since she did not lose that exceptional swelling for seven years. All her limbs were swollen beyond what could be believed, so that seeing her shape you would not believe it to be human but the figure of some exceptional new monster. To those who saw her, her body was a monstrous and terrifying spectacle. And if you saw her, indeed, you would wonder that skin so stretched did not burst.

  The poor woman was in such a state of anguish that when she saw that the deformity of so great a swelling was to persevere, she went to doctors and spent on them whatever she could afford. In consulting the skill of the doctors she wasted her efforts and funds; but when she sought a saving refuge in divine pity thereafter, she earned a cure. For when she discovered herself to be destitute and deceived by the doctors, she decided to seek the help of the saints and to visit their shrines.

  When she had travelled for a long time, she arrived in Norwich and decided to stay there a while and await divine mercy earned by the prayers of the holy martyr William. When she had already passed many days there, on a certain feast day when a great crowd of people gathered in front of the tomb of the blessed martyr and she was among that crowd, walking out of the crowd she approached the holy and venerable tomb and received the speedy remedy of a cure. For just as she bent her knees and with a short prayer pressed her lips to the tomb, she vomited onto the pavement all of that poisonous, bloody matter. And what she vomited was such – what else can I say, but that it was horrible and unbearable to look at? So great was the quantity that it could fill the contents of a very large jar. Immediately a most revolting and intolerable smell followed, which so offended the noses of those present that it forced them to leave the place. Therefore, the sacrists had the holy place cleansed of that filth and strewn with fragrant herbs. The poor woman hastened out of the church and vomited all that remained within her. Thus, this whole wondrous event happened within the space of an hour, so that she who before – as we have told – was unbelievably swollen, suddenly appeared graceful and healthy once she had poured out the bloody matter, as if she had never suffered any evil swelling. When she was cured she thanked God and Saint William, and travelled to Rome, where she told Pope Adrian30 what had happened to her. Returning from there healthy, she remained for a long time in this life, proof of the miracle.

  [XV] OF ANOTHER WOMAN WITH A GOITRE, WHO WAS CURED

  And there was another woman by the name of Gillilda, the wife of a certain Thurgar of Mildenhall,31 who had endured a goitre in the neck for a long time and suffered miserably from that condition. The suffering of that pain pressed upon her, indeed, and her face as well as her chin swelled up. And she was suffering both from the dire swelling and from the strength of the pain, and the trouble was made worse because the condition endured for two years. The pain was bitter and unremitting, and, added to that, between the torment of her sighs she could hardly ever catch any sleep. And after such great and lengthy sufferings, having consulted her family members, she vowed herself to God’s glorious martyr William and had a candle made in his name and honour, and
put it around her neck and the other swollen parts.

  An amazing thing! The moment the candle touched the swollen neck, the skin burst in several places and the bloody matter which had already hardened there began to ooze out. And that flow did not cease until the woman herself was free from both the swelling and the pain. Cured at last, she took to the road with her husband and came to Norwich, paid her vow, thanked her liberator and returned home full of gratitude with her companions.

  [XVI] OF A MAN WHO WAS SWOLLEN BY THE BREATH OF A SERPENT AND WAS CURED

  Another story which we judge it unfitting to hide away in silence is that told by two priests, Geoffrey of St Christopher and Ralph, son of the late Harvey the Baker,32 and which we know was also attested by many others. There was a certain man of Blythburgh,33 known to the aforementioned priests, who lived in the country, rich and plentifully supplied with the necessities of life. During the month of August, while he was standing in his fields behind his reapers, a serpent of amazing and unusual size, hissing with the most horrible hisses, unexpectedly raised its head high, lunged towards him and struck him. He was first stunned and terrified by so sudden an attack; later, regaining himself, he grabbed a stake from a nearby hedge, rose against the serpent and hit it with all his strength. The serpent was badly affected, but lifted up something like the half of his body and launched against its attacker another fierce onslaught. But it was driven back with the stake and repulsed. And then a sulphurous vapour shot out of its mouth against the enemy facing it, together with a terrible hiss, and it infected him suddenly with a poisonous breath. Then the man, wild with mounting anger, attacked it even more bitterly, redoubled his numerous strokes34 and killed the mother, together with two young ones it had in its stomach, and as a mark of triumph fixed the serpent to the stake.

  Then, returning to the reapers, he was hardly recognized by them, because the transformation had already occurred, with his body inflated, as it were, swollen and blackened. Without delay, his limbs were seized with terrible pain, each limb weakened and his life seemed to be in danger of death. What more? He was carried home in the hands of the reapers and lay for three days making no sound, so that he was thought to be dead. At last, on the third day, he breathed as if he were reviving, opened his suffering eyes and turned them to the friends standing around him, saying: ‘Behold, I am dying, unless divine mercy helps me soon. So now I hand myself over to the protection of the glorious martyr William, by whose merits, indeed, I believe and trust that I can be cured. And so, quickly let the length and breadth of my body be measured by a thread, and a candle be made of its length in his name, and when health has been restored, I myself shall convey it to him on foot.’ Having said this, immediately all was done according to his disposition. The speed of his cure is marvellous to relate – and in very fact astounding. During the time that it took to start measuring him and making the candle, the whole swelling disappeared, totally emptied. And what is more – you will find this even more amazing – it was done so that not a trace of the swelling appeared on him, as if he had previously suffered no discomfort. And joyful with so speedy a gift of divine pity, he got up and hurried to his glorious liberator, the martyr William. When he arrived he paid the price of his vow, and when that was paid, he returned happy to his own home.

  [XVII] OF A MAIDEN WHOSE BREAST WAS MIRACULOUSLY CURED

  Also at that time a certain maiden by the name of Matilda of Swafield,35 whose father was called Rathe, suffered from an intolerable pain and swelling in her right breast. To make things worse, a great deal of bloody matter flowed constantly from nine apertures in the breast. She was gripped for a long period of time by this grave illness and spent a great deal on doctors, who profited her not at all,36 so she renounced human and embraced divine medicine. And so she took a large piece of wax and vowed it to Saint William, and she spread it round the suffering breast.

  This done, an amazing thing happened. As we have learned from the account of her father, the pain abated the moment the wax was removed from the breast; calm followed, the swelling totally subsided and the bloody matter oozing out of the apertures – which were gradually drying up – began to diminish. Her parents were delighted at so speedy a gift to their daughter and immediately led her to Norwich to Saint William. And when she arrived her thanks poured out in prayer and she offered the wax candle. She bared her breast and laid it on the tomb, so that – since there was still a little fluid oozing out of the openings and she was very afraid – it might be made safe henceforth with the help of the blessed martyr. Hope, in particular, had urged her to do so, and faith had instructed her; and so she deserved to obtain speedily that which she hoped for and believed with much assurance of mind. For when she put the breast to the stone, at that very moment the openings in it dried up and closed. And so, having been restored to full health, as she had wished, she returned, rejoicing, to her home.

  [XVIII] OF SOME PEOPLE SAVED AT SEA AND OF A TEMPEST WHICH WAS QUELLED

  The Lord who rules the sky, sea and land, in the same manner that He has glorified with many varied miracles on land the martyr William of eminent excellence – crowned with a privilege of special dignity in heaven – so He also willed to magnify him on the sea. For some people of the province of Norfolk, together with a certain priest of Aylsham,37 Ralph by name, were returning home after having completed their business in a ship that had taken them on a journey to the most distant parts of England, when in mid-journey a most savage tempest suddenly arose. As the fury of the winds grew worse, the struggling sail tore, the sailyards and the ropes snapped, the fragile boat scarcely withstood the violence of the ocean and the efforts of the sailors failed. The dark night cut off the light of the sun and at the threat of death all grew pale. A universal cry was raised and sighs were uttered up to heaven. That sweet name of the blessed martyr William was repeated hundreds and thousands of times and in that crisis his urgent protection was sought. Already the ship was being supported by prayer, not by human strength; prayer and the merits of Saint William were raised to counter the raging wind. They made vows, so that if they were so saved by his help they would recompense him for so great a favour for years to come with an annual tribute.

  Divine pity was won over by these vows and at once the evident power of the martyr-advocate was manifest, which, even if not present in body, yet was not lacking in effect. For the raging of the winds calmed down, the violence of the sea was subdued and serene tranquillity followed. The spirits of the sailors were revived and the things that were broken and torn were mended. Contrary winds veered round to serve the boat’s course and a friendly swell helped the ship forward. Having travelled large tracts of sea in a short while, all equally ‘gladly take possession of the welcoming sound of the seashore’.38 They landed, unharmed and happy, and immediately hastened to Norwich with gifts and offerings to the blessed martyr William, whose prayers had liberated them from the verge of death.

  [XIX] OF TWO MEN BOUND IN IRONS AND LIBERATED

  At about the same time, one Godwin, called ‘Creme’, of Wymondham,39 together with his brother, seized a certain Robert of Charlton40 for some reason and put him under close guard, bound with foot irons. And these were fastened by an iron chain most firmly secured to posts. The wretch had his hands tied behind his back day and night, and lay in that manner, fixed to the post, and guards watched over him with the greatest care, two by two, during the night hours. He was accused of the guilt of many crimes, but as we learned later he was pure and blameless of them. When in this manner he was held in such cruel and unmerited constraint for quite a few days and had grown weak, owing to the punitive suffering of hunger and thirst, by chance it occurred to him to seek the prayers of the blessed martyr William, by which he might be liberated from his present painful constraint. And so that whole day and up to the middle of the night he persisted in such prayers; and, when all in the house were overcome by fatigue and sleep, and he himself also began to fall asleep, the same martyr William whom he had invoked, appeared t
o him in a vision. He passed his hand over the foot irons and the other chains, broke the tight lock and the iron bolts burst asunder. The power of divine pity unlocked what the malice of human cruelty had bound together. This seen – and truly having occurred – he who made it happen appeared to add: ‘Rise, brother, rise in haste. I am he whose help you have requested, whom you have chosen as your patron above all others. See, you are now free, hasten quickly away and, casting off the irons in which you had been held, do not delay to bring them to me at Norwich.’

  At that he [Robert] woke up and, reflecting on his vision, felt he was truly free, and determined to take flight from there straight away. Since he found that everyone was asleep,41 he now felt more secure, cast off the foot irons, opened the doors without a sound and departed as quickly as he could. He took the road to Norwich and arrived there at the moment of dawn, and when the cathedral doors were opened he entered and ran to the tomb of the blessed William. And holding the foot irons in which he had been held, in the sight of many he offered them to his liberator as a sign of his liberation. And when he was asked, he told those enquiring the whole story in order, and when he had been offered protection, he went away feeling free of care.

  [XX] OF ANOTHER

  Some time later, one Hugh, whose lord Simon de Nodariis42 oppressed him in foot irons and imposed upon him a variety of punishments, was liberated by the merits of the blessed William in a similar way. Having been freed, he came to Norwich, carrying the irons in whose shackles he had been bound, and placed them on the tomb of his liberator, and left them there as a sign and memory of the event.