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

by Thomas of Monmouth

  [XXI] OF THE FALCON OF ALBERT GRESLEY, WHICH WAS MIRACULOUSLY CURED

  Among so many and such outstandingly powerful miracles, divine virtue sometimes excels even in the smallest of things. For there was once a certain Albert, son of the illustrious man Robert Gresley;43 and the boy had a falcon,44 which he always loved with great affection. And one day it happened that that bird fell mortally ill and the boy sorrowed so much in its misfortune as if it were his own. And when the bird seemed already to be at death’s door, the boy turned to the aid of the blessed boy and martyr William, praying that by his mercy the dying falcon might be restored to health and life. And he made a vow that if the beloved bird were restored, he would come to him [William] in recognition every year with an offering. The father and the other knights who were present laughed at the childishness of the boy’s request, because they knew that without doubt the bird would soon be dead, and so they considered it ridiculous to pray or make vows to the saints for such trifling matters.

  But it so happened that, contrary to the opinion of all, while the boy was praying with tears and sighs, the bird recovered and after a short while appeared to be healthy and unharmed. Seeing this, everyone was greatly amazed; they glorified God, truly wondrous in His saints, and admired and praised God’s holy martyr William, who had compassion and showed care even for such small matters. And later we saw the boy with his father come to Norwich in order to pay their vow, and we found out what had happened from their own account of it. And when we heard it, we blessed in glorifying and glorified in blessing the glorious and so pious martyr, and also, in the martyr, the Lord, who crowns all martyrs, who, as creator and governor of all things, though He is great in great things, nonetheless does not disdain sometimes to work such wonders in the smallest things.

  Here ends the sixth book.

  Book Seven

  The chapters of the seventh book begin.1 [i] Of Reimbert, steward of the Abbot of Battle Abbey and his miller, both cured of illness. [ii] Of a young paralytic who was cured. [iii] Of an insane clerk returned to sanity. [iv] Of a woman suffering from a long-standing illness who was cured. [v] Of a little boy cured by his father’s vow alone. [vi] Of a woman twice cured miraculously from an illness of a cancerous tumour. [vii] Of a miraculous sign on a lump of wax which was divided into three. [viii] Of a gathering of a multitude of sick people who were cured. [ix] Of a boy who was blind, deaf, mute and totally weak in body since birth, who was cured in a trice. [x] Of the cure of Robert, who was bent. [xi] Of another person weak in his whole body, who was cured. [xii] Of a woman who was bent and then erect. [xiii] Of a certain evil man who was castigated by a vision.

  Here begins the prologue to the seventh book.

  PROLOGUE

  Some time later, when I thought that the power of the most blessed martyr in signs of miracles had now ceased, I had put down the writer’s weapons and, exhausted by the great effort of writing, savoured a measure of much desired rest. But it so happened that I rushed yet again into a maze of work. For suddenly, unexpected by us, in the year AD 1155 the power of the holy martyr – as if renewed – shone forth with an abundance of signs greater than before. And so, taking up the pen again, I gladly resume the work that had been left aside. Because, on the one hand, a multiplicity of miracles is taking place, and on the other, the need of my daily affairs is pressing; being exposed in the middle ground, I must execute them in such a way that I do not neglect the one while I expedite the other, and conduct myself in such a way that I do not leave one undone or the other overlooked. And the miracles of the most blessed martyr which we have happened to see or hear from reliable persons, we have purposefully taken care to touch on briefly, so that he who wishes to know about them can find out and would not be exhausted by a great number crowded together. If it so happens that sometimes they are explained at greater length, because they cannot be explained in brief, we will still not exceed the rule of moderation,2 lest we appear to incur the charge of breaking our promise.

  Here ends the prologue.

  Here begins the seventh book.

  [I] OF REIMBERT THE STEWARD OF THE ABBOT OF BATTLE

  There was at that time in the province of Hastings a certain knight called Reimbert,3 who was steward to the Abbot of St Martin of Battle. At some point he had suffered a serious illness and, as the illness worsened, he lost his ability to speak as well as his sight. As the persistent illness was not alleviated by any kind of medicine, but from day to day the vehemence of the pain and illness increased, on the advice of his relatives he sought for himself the haven of divine mercy. Since he was in a dangerous crisis, with his friends standing by, he recalled to mind the most blessed martyr William, whose tomb he had sometimes seen in Norwich, and setting him before his mind’s eye, with the speech of which he was still capable, he invoked his aid.

  Without delay, his mind’s pious contrition knocked on heaven’s door and earned the remedy of divine pity, and at that very moment he regained his lost health. And a few days later, while visiting his miller, who had fallen mortally ill, he recounted how he had been cured by the intercession of the blessed William and encouraged the sick man by his example to hope and have faith. Admonished by such faithful warnings, he [the miller] soon uttered his prayer and vow to the blessed martyr in God’s presence and immediately felt the remedy of health. We know this from the account of Reimbert himself, when he later came to Norwich to visit the blessed martyr and pray before him, and he offered double thanks – for himself and for his miller.

  [II] OF A PARALYSED PERSON WHO WAS CURED

  At another time a certain youngster called Schet, born in the village of Haddiscoe4 to a father called Eilmer – but who lived in Yarmouth for a while in order to earn his living as a fisherman – suffered for many days from a paralytic complaint. When he had been finally led to Norwich to the tomb of the blessed William the martyr, on the very day of his arrival, thanks to the merits of the holy martyr, the chain of his tongue was loosened, speech was restored to him and health returned to his weak limbs; he felt healed and was delighted to return home in good health.

  [III] OF AN INSANE CLERK WHO WAS CURED

  We have seen that a certain clerk, Robert, son of William of Crachesford,5 suffering from insanity of a troubled mind, was carried to the tomb of the blessed martyr by the hands of many people. When he had passed the night there quite calmly with his family, at dawn he began to sleep, weighed down by fatigue, and around the third hour he woke up, and he felt both the madness of his head and the pain in his limbs to have been abated. And so his people, full of joy, gave thanks to the holy martyr for his health, and those who were present praised such a great and speedy miracle, because he who had arrived insane was seen to go away sane.

  [IV] OF A WOMAN CURED OF A LONG-STANDING DISEASE

  In those days a certain Leva, the sister of Roger de Scales,6 was unwell in her whole body and suffered from a long-standing pain in her limbs; she came to the tomb of the blessed martyr and there recovered her health entirely.

  [V] OF A BOY CURED BY HIS FATHER’S VOW

  Also a certain William of Thornage,7 an episcopal village, had a little son who suffered from a long-standing disease and was already close to death. William made a vow for his health to the holy martyr William and soon obtained the remedy of health for his son by his prayers.

  [VI] OF A WOMAN WHO WAS TWICE CURED OF THE SICKNESS OF CANCER

  In that same episcopal village [Thornage] there was a woman, whose name escapes me, who suffered badly in her breast. Indeed, much bloody matter flowed out of it and her breast was eaten up by the disease they call cancer.8 When she had suffered from this illness for a long time, and was helped not at all by the efforts of doctors, already despairing of human medicine she finally turned to divine medicine. So she took some wax and softened it at the fire and in the name of the holy martyr William she passed it around the sick breast, and, leaving it there for a while, she poured out with tears her prayer and vows to the martyr.

  W
hat a wonder! For immediately the pain receded, the irritation of the creeping disease was calmed and the flow of bloody matter ceased. And when she delayed from day to day the presentation of the wax to Saint William at Norwich, as she had vowed, the disease recurred, re-entered her breast and afflicted her with pain worse than before. From this we deduce that the blessed martyr desired that she should make amends for the sin of breaking her vow by a punishment, and that the neglectful woman be reminded to pay her vow by suffering recurrent pain. And so the woman, recognizing the guilt of her faithlessness, took up the wax, put it around her breast and in a short while received her lost health. For the rest, from then on and in future, paying heed for herself, she hurried to Norwich, offered the wax at the tomb of the holy martyr, paid her vow and returned home full of joyful thanks.

  [VII] OF A MIRACULOUS SIGN IN WAX

  Another woman, from Belaugh,9 on a certain day, with pious intent, divided the wax she had into parts. The largest part she vowed to offer to the Holy Trinity and the two smaller ones, one to Saint William and the other to Saint Faith.10 But meanwhile, until that time when an opportunity to go there arose, she put the three pieces in a casket. When the feast of Saint Faith [6 October] approached – because she had proposed to offer each at its place – she took up one of the smaller ones, which she thought to be Saint Faith’s, so as to make a candle out of it, but immediately as she began to cut it with a knife it appeared as if it were gushing drops of blood. Truly astounded by the portent, she put it down and willingly took up the second piece, so as to make of it a candle for Saint Faith. She did this at the same time with the other wayward piece and made it in the name of the Holy Trinity, and she audaciously presumed to make the third in the name of Saint William. Working with the same intention, when she pressed the knife freely into the wax that had previously bled, not a single sign of that bloody redness appeared. Astonished by the miracle, she announced to everyone she knew the greatness of the holy martyr William. And we, when we found it out from the account of her neighbours, were informed, as it were, from the outcome, that the holy martyr did not want what had been vowed to him to be offered to another. And so, indeed, the great power of the blessed martyr excelled yet again in very small things.

  [VIII] OF A CROWD OF SUFFERERS WHICH WAS CURED

  Divine mercy frequently helps many others through the merits of the most blessed martyr William. For sufferers of fevers were in the habit of coming to his tomb in order to be freed there. Quite a few also came who had been suffering for a long time from pain in their bowels and limbs, and returned to their homes healthy and unharmed. And we have most frequently seen lame, blind, deaf and mute people come there, and many others suffering from various illnesses – and we know that many of them have been restored to health. There were especially numerous people, both from faraway regions and from close by, who were suffering from various diseases, but who could not come – owing to their domestic obligations or some other notable cause – who even in their absence were restored to full health by the merits of the holy martyr William; we have heard of many and have seen quite a few.

  [IX] OF A BOY WHO WAS BLIND, DEAF, DUMB AND WEAK IN HIS WHOLE BODY FROM BIRTH, WHO WAS CURED

  In the year AD 1156, during Pentecost week [the week beginning 3 June], divine power was observed around the tomb of His glorious martyr even more frequently than usual. For then it happened that many of both sexes, debilitated by various illnesses, obtained the remedy of health. Some of these we have decided to pass over in order to avoid excessive length, and some, of which we are surer, we have decided to put down on this page. And so a certain woman of Repps11 brought her son, who was from birth blind, deaf, mute, weak throughout his body and disabled in his limbs, to the cure-giving tomb of the glorious martyr; and on the day she came she took him back home – full of thanks – healthy and unharmed in all his limbs.

  [X] OF THE CURE OF ROBERT THE BENT

  That same week, when the community of monks observed nightly vigils of the Holy Trinity [vigils on 9 June] before the tomb of the holy martyr by night, a certain boy, who was bent since his earliest youth, appeared to have been made upright by the working of divine grace through the merits of the holy martyr. He had lived in Norwich for many years, supporting himself by his knees and moving with crutches held in his hands, and he had begged from many people throughout the town. Since his muscles were shrunken, his knees shrivelled and his shins were dried out, the power of movement was denied him. On him, as we have said before, the pious virtue of the martyr conferred the remedy of health.

  [XI] OF ANOTHER WEAK PERSON WHO WAS CURED

  Around that time a certain Thomas of York also came, a man feeble and disabled in his whole body, who guided his progress with two staffs, known commonly as crutches, sustaining his weak body. He set off from York as best he could to go to the holy martyr William to receive the grace of health, and, making little progress, his lengthy journey took up many days. Faith supported the weak traveller and hope drew on the disabled one. Being led by them, he finally came to the tomb of the holy martyr in Norwich, obtained the remedy of desired health and, as a sign, he left his crutches there.

  [XII] OF A BENT WOMAN WHO WAS MADE UPRIGHT

  We also saw a poor bent little woman who hailed from the province of Lindsey.12 She stayed for many days in Norwich in the house of the smith Chole, and no one testified to having seen her in any way but bent. When she came to the blessed martyr’s tomb, the martyr conferred remedy on her, too.

  [XIII] OF A CERTAIN MAN OF EVIL SPEECH WHO WAS MIRACULOUSLY CHASTISED BY A VISION

  But I judge that I cannot pass over in silence that which would instruct the simple and well-meaning towards the increase of devotion, and warn the wicked to watch out; so that the former grow in piety and the latter see the error of their habit of depravity. There was a certain man called Walter, at one time the servant of William, our Dean of Norwich,13 who – inspired by wilful foolishness – always detracted whenever he could from the sanctity and miracles of the blessed martyr William. And though he was often admonished by his master, whom I have mentioned, that he should desist at least sometimes from his blasphemous behaviour, he was never inclined to accept the advice of the master admonishing him.

  On a certain night, as he was asleep, the same martyr William appeared to him in a terrifying shape and asked him, saying: ‘Do you know me, brother?’ When he said he did recognize him, he added: ‘And if you know me, why do you denigrate me with such blasphemies? Rise up now and follow me.’ Immediately he rose, as it appeared to him by the vision, and he followed him on a road to a forest. And when they arrived at the place where William had first been buried, standing upon the edge of his place of burial, he said to him: ‘Do you know whose grave this was?’ When Walter said it had been his, William retorted with terrible warnings: ‘Then get in at once, you who have always been uttering blasphemies against me.’ Walter was terrified and did not dare to go against the word of the saint commanding him, and, as it appeared to him, he entered the grave. As he entered, without delay the saint entered, too, and cudgelled him and at last left him broken in all his limbs. And so the sleeping Walter woke up in terror; and he felt the most violent pain in all his limbs, as if he had endured when awake the beating he had seen in the vision. Shaken by this punishment, from then on he began to venerate and love from the bottom of his heart him whom before he was in the habit of disparaging most despicably.

  And we have written this down here as a general warning to us all that – as this example instructs us – each and every one should take care not to be ungratefully disparaging of divine favours. It is indeed imprudent to inveigh so boldly with evil words against God’s saints, those who so clearly are glorified by the Lord Himself with so many and such great miracles.

  [XIV]

  There was in Norwich an eight-year-old girl named Agnes, whose father was called Bondo Hoc,14 and her mother Gunnilda. From the time of her birth she suffered badly from the illness of podagra15 i
n foot and hand. She could not raise herself by her own strength or even turn from one side to another without the support of a helper. And also the muscles in her neck were weakened, and, to makes things worse, her left cheek stuck to the left shoulder so inseparably that you would see them embedded each in the other, and when the shoulder was bent the neck itself could in no way bend in any [other] direction. There was a great deal of discomfort in walking with gouty feet, in touching with twisted hands, and the head attached to the shoulder impeded a normal ability to see, rise, turn and eat. So whenever she needed to eat, the food was crumbled on the ground or on a board, and, lying on the ground, she ate like a beast; and she could only eat what her tongue and teeth managed to reach. And so, weak and helpless in her whole body, she was turned [in bed], raised up and carried around by the hands of others. And so, in the hour of matins on the second Sunday in Lent she was taken in her mother’s arms to the tomb of the holy martyr William, and before all the people who had gathered in that church on that feast day she suddenly obtained the remedy of health by the intervening merits of the holy martyr. And, following this, we ought to consider how great and how merciful is the power of saints, that those weak in their whole body on arrival are sent away healthy.