Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
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A43253
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The legend of St. Cuthbert with the antiquities of the Church of Durham / by B.R., Esq.
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Hegge, Robert, 1599-1629.; R. B. (Richard Baddeley)
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1663
(1663)
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Wing H1370; ESTC R15307
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20,137
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102
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now so fair a Church for their Saint to rest in that they were ashamed that ever he had lyen in Chester where the Church made of wood seemd to remain a Monument of their former poverty till Egilrick the Bishop took away this eye-sore and built Saint Cuthbert a Church of stone which methinks was but a Posthumus dignity to the Saint and like as if a man should suster his guest to lie meanly when he is gone to provide for him a better lodging In digging the foundations of this Church he found such a Masse of Coyne that resigning his prelateship to his Brother at Durham he returned to his Abbey at Peterburge But the King hearing of his Wealth took occasion to pick a quarrel with him and seizing upon his riches imprisoned him at Westminster This King was Duke William the Conqueror who approaching York with an Army so affrighted the Monks at Durham that once more they must have Saint Cuthbert upon their back and fly with him to Lindisferne coming the first night to Jarro the second to Bedlington the third to Tugahala the fourth to Holy-Island whether they entered dryshod it being then the time of low Ebb though the Monks compared it to the miracle of Jordan or the Red Sea as if the water in Homage to their Saint had fled back to give them enterance but the Monks shortly repaired again to Durham where the Conquerour returning our of Scotland would needs see the incorruptible Saint so magnified And never were the Monks to affraid to have their Imposture discovered for now they had no leisure to cheate the spectatours with a living Monk in stead of a dead Saint but made so many delays and intreaties to the contrary that the King with a Fever of Anger was put in such a heat that hastening out of the Church and taking Horse the Monks in their History make him never stay his course till he had passed over the Tease King William shortly after went about to abrogate the royal Charters of the former Kings whereby Saint Cuthbert his Hally-wark-folke were freed from tribute But Saint Cuthbert in a sleep beate the demander with his pastoral staffe that the next morning not able to rise he was glad to send his Cloak to Saint Cuthbert his Sepulcher and to aske pardon before he could receive any ease After this the King had a reverend opinion of Saint Cuthbert and restored Billingham to the Church with other villages and made Walcherus Bishop of Durham Earl of Northumberland Thus the Monks had victory over the Conquerour and brought him under their Religion who had subdued the land with his sword All this while the Church of Durham was but growing to her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and height of Glory which she obtained under the Magnificent Prelate William of Carleife who thought the Church that Aldwin built too little for so great a Saint and therefore it was pluckt down and the foundations of a more ample Church laid Malcolmus King of Scotland and Pryor Turgot laying the first three stones August 11th 1093. for which Famous work Anthony Beak one of his successors with a great summe of Money got him to be canonized and inrolled among the Saints This Reverend antient Abbey advanced upon the shoulder of a Mountainous Atlas is so environed againe with Hills that he that hath seen the scituation of this City hath seen the Map of Sion and may save a journy to the Holy land shee is girded about with the Renowned River Weare in which as in a Christalline she migh once have beheld the beauty but now the ruines of her Walls Into this Sumptuous Church was the last and great translation of Saint Cuthbert the tradition of whose incorruption Pryor Turgot and the rest of his Brethren had great disire to confirme with their eyes and to shew him publiquely to the people at the day of his translation At night therefore the Pryor with seven of his Brethren meet at his Tomb and taking up the stone they found a Chest covered with lether in which they found the Book of the Evangelist which had fallen into the Sea a goblet of pure Gold and an Ivory combe lastly opening the second chest they beheld the flesh and body of their Saint lying on his right side to give place to the rest of the Reliques which were so many that this Coffin seemed a Charnel House for besides his own body there was the bones of Venerable Bede the head of King Oswald part also of the bones of Aidanus Eudfrid and Ethelwaldus Bishop of Lindisferne All which Reliques with due Reverence they placed in another part of the Church laying only Saint Cuthbert on his back they placed King Oswalds head between his hands At the day of his translation Ranulphus instead of a Funeral preached his Resurrection Sermon and published to the people the incorruption of St. Cuthbert his body which after 418 years was yet flexible and now might plead prescription with the grave to be immortal Thus in great Solemnity they inshrind him besides the Altar in the presence of the Abbot of Sagium the Abbot of Saint Maries in York and the Abbot of Saint Germans with thosands of people spectators of the Miracle This was the place of his rest where so many Treasures were daily offered that the Monks needed not to study Alchimy for Gold having such a Philosophers stone as Saint Cuthbert was to convert money to their purses who had that repute of Sanctity and frequency of worshippers that in his shrine to this day you may see the pious dilapidations of Antient devotion and the very stones worn out with kneeling Here Saint Cuthbert for four hundred years slept without disturbance onely he complain'd once in a dream to a Monk of a Mouse that troubled his rest and made her nest in his Tomb. Hence he lay in Honour and peace till Henry 8th sent that Earthquake among Monasteries and Sepulchres of the Saints which he caused to be opened to finde treasure Among which saith Harpe-feild the Tomb of Saint Cuthbert was so broken up with that Irreverence that with the violence of the blow upon the Coffin they wounded his Leg finding the whole body entire save the tip of his Nose that was wanting his very grave cloaths were so free from corruption as if they had been kept rather in a Wardrop than in a Sepulchre upon his finger he had a Ring with a Saphire stone in it which for Reverence of the Saint they durst not take off but at the Command of Bishop Tonstal shut up his Tomb as was before All this might be true and yet Saint Cuthbert more beholden to the art of his Monks than his own Sanctity for his incorruption for it was Ancient amongst the Aegyptians to embalm the bodies of their dead Kings and with Searecloathes to preserve their Carkasses for many ages from putrefaction and yet they were thought no Saints such as Saint Cuthbert was in honour and reverence