being ended the Virgin rose up as from sleep and cleansing her Face from the dust and sweat filled the Congregation with wonder and Joy Now in the place where the Head was rejoyned to the body there appeared a white circle compassing the Neck small as a white Thred which continued so all her life and from that white circle she had the name of Winefrid and after her death when she appeared to any that white mark was alwayes visible The place where her blood was shed is at this day called St. Winefrids Well The stones likewise both where the Springs gusheth forth and beneath in the Current having been sprinkled with her blood retain the redness to these times which colour neither the length of many Ages nor the continual sliding of the water over them has been able to wash away And moreover a certain Moss which sticks to the said stones renders a fragrant odour like Incense Cr. p. 389. St. Clare an Hermit when come to years of maturity was by his Parents affianced to a beautiful Virgin but when the time wherein the Marriage was to be solemnized approached the young Man withdrew himself form his Parents House and out of Britany passed over into France but there a Noble Woman dwelling near him inflamed with lust impudently attempted his Chastity but St. Clare resolutely resisted the shameless Lady notwithstanding which resistance when her sollicitations still more and more increased he was forced to forsake his Monastery the lascivious Lady desperately inraged with his departure sent two Murderers in search of him who at last found him in a poor Cottage there they set upon him with opprobrious speeches and at last drawing out their Swords they cut off his Head St. Clare presently after arose and with his Hands taking up his Head by the assistance of Angels carried it to a Fountain not far distant into which he cast it and then carried the same back to the Oratory of his Cell and going on a little further towards a Village near the River Epta he there consummated his Course Cr. p. 411. Two Kentish Princes Ethelred and Ethelbert being murdered and buried under the Seat where the King was wont to sit the Murder was most miraculously discovered wherefore taking up the Bodies and honourably putting them in Coffins the Arch-bishop Theodorus commanded to carry them to Christ-Church in Canterbury but in vain they attempted this for with all the force they could use they could not remove them out of the place whereupon changing his purpose he advised to transport them to the Church of St. Augustin but with as little success as before at last it was agreed they should be carried to the Monastery of Wering of great renown in those days which being resolved upon the Bodies were as easily removed as if they had no weight at all being arrived at that place the Bodies were buried near the great Altar where many wonderful Miracles are daily wrought Cr. p. 412. St. Wilfrid entring into a Village called Tiddafrey there met him a great multitude of Women offering their Children to be confirmed by him Amongst them one Woman mingled her self craftily carrying in her Arms her dead Child pretending that he should be Catechised but inwardly perswaded that by the Bishops sanctity he should be restored to Life the Bishop therefore uncovering the Childs face to the end he might perform the due Rites found that he was dead then the Woman perceiving that her fraud did not succeed betook her self to prayers earnestly beseeching him for God and his Holy Mothers sake if he had any Faith or Pity torestore Life to her Child saying this she cast her self at his Feet and would not be removed thus offering an importunate violence toward him All this while the Bishop continued doubtful whether he should seem rash in attempting the Miracle or reject the Tears and Prayers of the disconsolate Woman but a charitable Pity at last got the victory therefore after he had with a low voice repeated certain devout passages out of the Psalms he laid his Right Hand upon the dead Body whereupon immediately the Soul was restored for by gasping moving his Eye-lids and stirring his whole Body he gave proof that he was alive The Child was called Ethelwald who was afterward a Monk at Rippon Another Miracle wrought by St. Wilfrid on a Monk who falling from the top of the Church whilst it was a building at the cost of King Egbert broke all his Bones and tore asunder all his Members was restored to Health by the Prayers of the Bishop and his Covent Cr. p. 422. St. Ositha's Head being cut off by a Danish Pirate at the very place a clear Fountain broke forth which cured several kind of Diseases moreover assoon as her Head was off the Body presently rose up and taking up the Head in the Hands by the conduct of Angels walked firmly the straight way to the Church of St. Peter and Paul about a quarter of a Mile distant from the place of her suffering and when it was come there it knocked at the door with the bloody Hands as desiring it might be opened and thereon left marks of blood having done this it fell there down to the ground Cr. p. 424. The Miracle of St. Wereburga's driving away Wild-geese At Chester there was near the Walls of the Town a Farm belonging to the Monastery the Corn whereof was much wasted by flocks of Wild-geese which the Steward of the place endeavoured but in vain to chase away of which incommodity he made complaint to St. Wereburga whereupon she commanded him saying Go your ways and shut them all up in a house He wondring at so strange a command thought the Saint spoke those words in jest but when she renew'd the same injunction constantly and in a serious manner he returned among the Corn where seeing great numbers of such fowl devouring the grain he with a loud voice commanded them in his Mistresses name to follow him hereupon immedately they all in one drove followed him and were shut up together in a House Now it hapned that a certain servant privately stole one of the said birds which he kill'd and hid with intention to eat it The next morning early the Holy Virgin went to the house where after she had in a chiding manner reprehended the birds for usurping that which belonged not to them she commanded them to flye away and not return Immediately the whole army of them took wing but being sensible of the injury done them they flew not away but hovering over the Holy Virgins head with wonderful noyse made complaint of their loss She hearing their importunate clamours understood by inspiration the cause thereof and after search made the Offender confessed his theft whereupon she commanded the bird to be restored to her companions after which they all with one consent flew away so as not any bird of that kind was afterward seen in that Territory Cr. p. 427. After St.
the passage it mounted up to the Monastery where it abundantly served all their uses One particular more increased the admiration of the event for this Rivulet in the way being to pass through a Pool flowed notwithstanding pure and free from all mixture Cr. p. 357. St. Cuthbert when a Child saw St. Aidan's Soul carried into Heaven And likewise on a certain day as he was journeying alone about the third hour he turned aside into the House of a certain Matron being desirous to repose there a while and to get food not for himself but his Horse The Woman received him kindly and earnestly desired that she might make something ready for his refection but he refused telling her that he could not eat because it was a day of Fast for it was indeed Friday she notwithstanding persisted in her desire and told him that all the rest of his Journey he would find no Habitation therefore I desire you would eat lest you should faint if you fast all day notwithstanding out of love to fasting he would not be overcome by the Womans importunity but fasting as he was he continued his Journey till evening when St. Cuthbert saw he could not finish his Journey that day neither was there any Lodging near as he was riding he saw certain Cottages which in the Summer time the Heardsmen had built for their present use but then the Winter approaching they were left empty thither he went with an intention to stay all night and tying his Horse to the Wall he gathered up a bundle of Hay which the wind had blown from the House-covering and gave it him to eat and himself passed his time in Prayer But on a sudden he saw the Horse lift up his head and with his teeth biting somewhat that was on the House-roof and presently after he drew down a linnen Cloth wrapped up being desirous therefore to know what that was he took up the linnen and found wrapped up in it half a Loaf of Bread warm from the Oven and so much Flesh as would suffice himself for one refection he blessed God who vouchsafed to provide a Supper for him and his companion half of the bread therefore he gave to his Horse and the other half he eat himself Cr. p. 366. A Secular Priest foolishly adventured to make a tryal whether Saint Ethelreda's Body yet remained uncorrupted fastning therefore a Candle to the end of a Rod he passed it through a hole which the Danes had made in the Sepulcher and looking in as curiously as he could searched round about the Tomb. And not content with this with the end of a forked stick he endeavoured to draw to him the Cloaths in which her Body was enwrapped and some part of the Body he discovered when the H. Virgin having indignation that a vile person should presume to look upon her naked Body with great violence drew back the Cloaths insomuch as he striving against her fell backwards and was forcibly dashed against the Pavement by which fall he became Lame all his life and afterwards was struck with Madness Cr. p. 383. A doubt entring into the minds of some touching the Incorruption of St. Withburga sister to St. Ethelreda 55 years after her death when the bodies of these two Virgins were Translated that doubt was put to the tryal As touching St. Ethelred considering the antient proofs of her incorruption none durst presume to touch her body but they discovered the body of St. Withburga as far as her Breasts and she was seen perfectly entire more like to one asleep than dead with a silk Cushion under her Head her Veil and Vestments shining as if they had been new her Countenance chearful with a Rosie blush her Teeth white her Lips a little opened and her Breasts exceeding small One of the Monks adventuring to touch her body a lively blush coloured her Cheeks as if she still had breath in her Cr. p. 385. It hapned on a certain Sunday when St. Winefrids Parents were gone to Church some necessary occasions detained her at home at which time a certain Young man named Caradoc the Son of Alan Prince of the Countrey entred the House where he found the Virgin alone sitting by the Fire she knowing the Prince hastily rose up and desired to know his pleasure His answer was You are not ignorant who I am and how I abound in riches and honour all these riches and honours you shall partake if you will yield to my will The Virgin perceiving his intent held down her Head and blushed extremely At first she seemed as if she were much troubled that he should find her unadorned and she told him Sir you being a Prince there is no doubt but you are able to heap upon me all wordly happiness in abundance if I were your Wife however be pleased to expect here a while till my Fathers return in the mean time I have some business in my Chamber and will return presently This she said to gain a little time for she saw the Young man burning with Lust with much ado he permitted her to go to her Chamber having hopes she would return as soon as she was dressed she therefore entred hastily her Chamber and as hastily went out at the other door and ran towards the Church As soon as the Young man perceived this he drew his Sword run after her and soon overtaking her with a stern countenance strook off her Head and immediately in the place where it fell to the Earth a most pure and plentiful Spring gushed forth which flows to this day and by the Holy Virgins merits gives Health to a World of Diseased persons It being in the steep descent of a Hill where the Virgins Head was cut off it lightly running down to the bottom slid into the Church whereas the Body remained in the place where it first fell The Congregation were wonderfully astonished to see the Head tumbling among their Feet they all went out and found the Murtherer near the liveless body wiping his Sword on the grass S. Bueno therefore seeing his pride and having in his hand the Virgins Head looked on him and said Impious Villain hast thou no shame of the stain wherewith thou hast defiled thy high Birth and shewest thou no repentance of this horrible crime thou hast disturbed the peace thou hast polluted the Church thou hast provoked God since therefore it is so I beseech him without delay to inflict on thee a just punishment for this thy detestable crime As soon as he had ended these words the Young man fell to the ground gave up the Ghost and which was more wonderful his Body presently disappeared and many say it was swallowed up by the Earth and with the wicked Soul sunk into Hell But Bueno kissing the Head which he had in his hand joyned it to the body covering it with his Mantle celebrated Mass at the Altar Preached and prayed that the Virgins Soul might return to her Body this Prayer
Wereburga was dead her Body was carried to the Church of Trickingham where it was most diligently kept the doors of the Church being carefully barred and a Watch moreover set upon it But one night a deep sleep suddenly seised on those which watched and at the same time great multitudes of the inhabitants of Hambury coming on them all the doors of the Monastery became opened the Locks and Bars without any violence offered falling to the ground Whereupon they took away the Body not any one resisting and with great joy carried it to Hambury where it was honourably buried In which place sick persons recover health sight is restored to the blind hearing to the dumb the leprous are cleansed and persons oppressed with several other Diseases do there praise God for their recovery Cr. p. 427. St. Milburga rests at Wenlock In antient times her memory was celebrated by the inhabitants but after the coming in of the Normans by reason that the place of her Sepulchre was unknown she became forgotten But of late a Covent of Cluny-Monks having been established there whilst they were busie in erecting the Fabrick of a new Church a certain Child running earnestly over the pavement the vault of her Sepulchre broke under him by which means the Body of the H. Virgin was discovered which being taken up a most odoriferous vapour as of a most precious Balsam perfumed the whole Church And such a world of Miracles were wrought by her Intercession that wonderful multitudes flock'd thither both rich and poor insomuch as there was scarce room in the open Fields to receive them so strong a faith they had to find remedy there for their maladies Neither did they fail of their expectation for none departed away without a Cure or at least a mitigation of their Diseases And particularly the Kings-Evil incurable by Physicians was through the Merits of the Holy Virgin healed perfectly in several persons Cr. p. 429. A wonderful Miracle shewing the efficacy of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In a Battel where Prince Elwin was slain among others there was one of the Princes Souldiers named Imma slain at least in opinion This Souldier all that day and the night following lay among the other dead bodies as if he had been slain but at last his Spirit returning he sate up and as well as he could bound up the wounds he had received then resting himself a while he raised himself on his feet and began to walk away with an intention to find out if possible some friends who might take care of him As he was going away he was met with and taken by some of the enemies the Mercians and brought to their Captain a principal Officer of King Ethelred who examined him what he was The poor man was afraid to acknowledge himself a Souldier therefore he answered that he was a poor countrey-man who had a Wife and was come in this Expedition with several others of the like quality to bring Provision to the Army Upon this answer the Officer commanded that care should be taken of his Wounds and when they began to be almost cured he made him every night to be put in Chains to prevent his running away but no Chains could hold him for after they were gone which had put the Chains upon him they presently fell off And the cause of this Wonder was this He had a Brother named Tunna a Priest and Abbot of a Monastery in a certain Town which at this day from his name is called Tunnacestir This Abbot having heard that his Brother was slain in the late battel came himself to search for his body and having found another in all regards very like to his he carried it to his Monastery and there buried it honourably Moreover he took care that several Masses should be said for the pardon of his sins and by vertue of those Masses it came to pass that no bands could hold him but they presently fell loose from him In the mean time the Officer whose Prisoner he was began to ask him How came it to pass that he could not be bound Whether he had about him certain Charms which as some think have a power to untie all bands His answer was that he was utterly ignorant of such unlawful Arts But said he I have a Brother in mine own countrey and I am assured that he thinking I am slain says frequent Masses for me so that if I were now in the other World I doubt not but my Soul by his intercession and prayers would be absolved from all pains After he had continued a good space a Prisoner to the said Officer those who guarded him observed by his countenance gesture and speeches that he was no countrey-peasant but a person of quality Thereupon the Officer calling him aside privately enquired more diligently who he was withal promising him that if he would simply declare his condition he would not use him any thing the worse He then plainly manifested to him that he was a Servant of the King of the Northumbers Whereupon the Officer replied I did assure my self by the manner of thy speech that thou wert not of a base condition and now thou deservest to dye in revenge of all my brethren and kinsmen who have been slain in the Battel but because I will not break my promise I will not kill thee As soon therefore as he had recovered health and strength the Officer sold him to a certain man at London called Freson But neither could he be bound by his new Master for after tryal of several sorts of Bands and Chains they became all unloosed When he therefore who had bought him perceived that he could not be restrained by Fetters he gave him permission to redeem himself if he could For commonly after nine of the Clock in the morning the usual time of Masses his Bands were untyed Upon this offer the Prisoner was suffered to depart having first given his promise by Oath that he would either send the money agreed on for his Ransom or return and yield himself a Prisoner again He went therefore from London into Kent to King Lothere Nephew to the famous Queen Ethelreda by her Sister who likewise had formerly been a Servant to the said Queen and from him the Prisoner received the Money appointed for his Ransome which according to promise he sent to his Master Being thus free after some time he returned to his Countrey and coming to his Brother the Abbot he related to him particularly all the Accidents both good and bad which had befaln him and then perceived that his Chains for the most part had been loosed precisely at the Hours in which Masses had been celebrated for him and moreover that many other commodities and comforts had befaln him from Heaven in his dangers by his Brothers Prayers and the Oblation of the Saving Sacrifice Cr. p. 439. On a certain day St. Cuthbert came to the Village of a certain Count whose Wife at that time lay
Swibert by his accustomed piety to succour his afflicted servant vowing withal that if she might have her Child restored she would consecrate him for ever to Gods service in his Church The day following about eight of the clock in the morning the dead body was found and taken up out of the River Which being presented to his Mother she became pale and fell into a swoon but being recovered she took the body in her arms and attended with a great troop of men and women weeping with her she carried it into the Church and laid it before the Sepulchre of St. Swibert After which the whole company betook themselves to their Prayers and within a very short time the Childs Spirit returned into him so that he opened his eyes and standing upon his feet he looked about with wonder on so great a multitude and spoke some tender and kind words to his Mother Cr. p. 687. The Pagans having cut off St. Edmond's Head they cast it into a secret place in a Thicket of the Wood adjoyning there it remained a whole years space after which the said Pagans retiring out of the Countrey the first care of the Christians was to honour their holy King and Martyr Assembling themselves therefore together out of their lurking-places they reverently took his Body out of the unclean place where it had been cast and then with all diligence sought for the Head and whilst every one of them with equal affection searched each corner of the Wood there hapned a Wonder not heard of in any age before For whilst they dispersed themselves in all parts and each one demanded of his companions where it was that the Danes had cast the Head the same Head answered them aloud in their own tongue Here here here neither did it cease to cry out in the same words till it had brought them to the place And to add to the wonder there they found a mighty and fierce Wolf which with its fore-feet held the Head as if appointed to watch and defend it from other beasts When they were come the Wolf quietly resigned it to them So with joyful hymns to God they carried and joyn'd it to the body the Wolf in the mean time following them to the place where they buried it after which the Beast returned into the Wood in all which time neither did the Wolf hurt any one neither did any one shew the least intention to hurt the Wolf Cr. p. 736. A certain Scotchman buried in the Church at Rhemes lay many years there unknown till the ground being afterwards digged for the burial of another his Coffin was found but could by no force of Men be opened till the Pastor of the Place whose Name was Hildegarius comeing opened it a little and was infinitely ravished with the odoriferous smell issuing out of it within the Coffin he saw a Body intire cloathed with Priestly Vestments therefore not daring further to violate the Sepulchre but laying boards over it upon those boards he placed the other dead Body The night following his Uncle who had been dead many years and was a Priest appeared to him telling him that he had much offended God in violating the Sepulchre of a Holy Man The like did the Holy Man himself make known to another commanding him to signifie to the Priest that unless he removed from out his Grave the stinking Carkase he should quickly receive from God a severe punnishment Whereupon without delay he caused a new Grave to be made for the newly dead Persons Body Afterward the same Holy Man in a Vision required a Husbandman and again a Priest to advise him in his Name to remove his Body from without into the Church withall signifying that he was of the Scottish Nation that his Name was Merilolan and had been murdered in his way towards Rome on the River Aisne Axona And least he should forget the Name he commanded him to write it with Chalk which he seemed to give him upon the Cover of a Chest standing by which he accordingly did and writing it false was corrected by the Holy Man The next morning he found the Name written in so perfect a manner that he could not write so well though waking and in the light Cr. p. 813. A debate happening between the Secular Canons and the Monks about their Revenue and Possession the Canons pretentions were supported by the Queen c. on the Monks side stood King Edward Saint Dunstan c. When the debate was in the Assembly St. Dunstan was silent and holding down his head he debated in his mind what might be the best course to proceed in this Affair A great silence was observ'd by the whole Assembly every one expecting the Archbishops answer and resolution when on a sudden an Image of our Lord upon the Cross which was fastned aloft in the room in the hearing of all that were present spake these words distinctly It must not be it must not be you have ordered things well you shall do ill to change them This strook a terrour into the whole Assembly and thereupon St. Dunstan said My brethren what would you have more you have heard the present Affair decided by a Divine sentence they answered We have heard it And upon this the Monks of Winchester remained secure Cr. p. 883. St. Editha Daughter to King Edgar a little before her death built a Church to the honour of St. Dionysius at the Consecration whereof by St. Dunstan he observed how the Virgin frequently with her Thumb made the sign of the Cross upon her Forehead at which being much delighted he said May that Thumb never be corrupted Thirteen months after her death St. Dunstan in a vision of sleep saw St. Dionysius holding the Virgin by the hand who commanded that her memory should be celebrated on earth the Virgin her self likewise admonished him to take up her Body withal telling him that he should find her upper parts her Eyes and Hands all corrupted because in her childish age she had employed them lightly and vainly but her Thumb which she had frequently used in signing her self with the Cross and all her lower parts remained uncorrupted in as much as she had been alwayes free from impurity and gluttony hereupon St. Dunstan went to Wilton and taking up her sacred Reliques found all she had said to be true But Canutus the Danish King who made small account of English Saints was wont to say in jest he could never believe that a King so licentious and cruel as K. Edgar could have a Saint to his Daughter And when Archbishop Ednot defended the sanctity of S. Editha the King being then at Wilton in a passion commanded her Sepulchre to be opened which being done the holy Virgin was seen to sit up with a Veyl before her face in a posture as if she intended to assault the King at which he terribly affrighted started back and fell half dead to the ground But coming to himself he ever held