argued more pride than Religion 'T is true that an Hermit is either a god or a beast yet sith man is more symbolical with the one than the other it is easie to suspect which way the Metamorphosis will tend For if you would have the lively picture of an Hermit truly represented look upon Nebuchadnezzar in his curse when he was driven from men and did eat grasse as the Oxen when his body was wet with the dew of Heaven till his hairs became as Eagles feathers and his nails as the clawes of birds Thus therefore for an Hermit to excommunicate himself from being a holy Citizen of the World what is it else but to sin against the Common weal and definition of a man to whom society is as natural as to be a Creature so that whiles others think it devotion in him I shall rather think it a melancholy distemper Saint Cuthberts last Will and Testament directed to the Monks was to bury him at the East side of his Oratory in a Coffin that the Venerable Tuda gave him and for to wrap or winde his Corps in the sheet that Verâ—a Abbatesse of Tinmouth once sent him for a token which for the reverence of that Holy woman he had never worn in his life-time And lastly if they should be invaded by Pagans to carry his bones away with them Thus Saint Cuthbert Sainted himselt in his life-time and gave them notice what a precious Relique he should be when he was dead All these Petition were duely performed only at the request of the Monks he permitted that his body should be transported to Lindisferne where in St. Peters Church at the right side of the High Altar he was solemnly layd in a Tomb of Stone Now were the times when the Doctrine of Miracles begun to build Cburches and Religious Houses so to swarm and multiply that all England seemed but one great Monastery and called by the Pope Terra Sacerdotum But Time that hath the Sublunary World for her continual banquet hath so fed upon these antient buildings that some she quite devoured others pick'd to the bone and what she hath left for standing dishes Hostility hath quite eaten up and defaced besides that great Climacterical year when Henry the 8th durst incur those thundering Anathemata's which by the appointment of the Monks attended the violation of Abbey-lands Si de tot laesis sua numina quisque deorum Vindicet in poenas non sat is unuserit But I most bewail those Abbeys whose Names are buried in their ashes and their very ruines suffer the death of a Sepulcher and dye twice because they want a Monument that they lived Of these Monuments of Devotion that live the life of memory and belonged once to St. Cuthbert stood Collingham This Monastery consisted of Monks and Nuns over whom Ebba was some times Abbatesse who received her veyle of Finanus the second Bishop of the Holy Island Among the Bernicians likewise was the Episcopal seat of Hagustaldum or Hexam bestowed by King Alfred upon Saint Cuthbert which Malmesbury somewhat mistaken in the Scale of Miles placed but 50 miles from Yorke and commendeth for beauty of structure before any building on this side the Alpes In this Church sate 9 Bishops among whom the learned John of Beverley not to be named by an Oxford man without a preface of honour was advanced to that dignity by King Alfred and then swayed the Pastoral Staff till he was translated to Yorke In his younger yeares he was brought up according to the nobility of his birth under Hilda Abbatesse of Strenshall or Whitby in Yorkeshire of which shee was also Foundresse Afterward he was Scholar to the Genius of Learning Theodore of Canterbury who born at Tarsus is Cilicia was the first that brought Learning into England as well as Religion who bringing over with him Homer the first we read of in this Isle and other good Authors instructed many Famous Scholars in the Greek Tongue and Mathematicks where among the rest I find Saint Beda Herebald Whilfride and this John of Beverley who at the translation of the School of Crekelade which Theodore had there planted to Oxford was the first Master of Art in that Vniversity as it appreareth out of an antient Window in Salisbury Library under John of Beverleyes Picture And he that goeth higher to fetch the Antiquity of Oxford than from his time doth but grope in the dark This age of 800 years is enough to prove Cambridge the younger Sister till Lelands deduction will follow that Sigebert King of the East Angles founded that Vniversity because Bede and after him Malmsbury relate that he erected divers Schools in this Kingdom but in neither Author Grant or Cambridge is mentioned nor in any Writer since for 400. years after to be an Vniversity But to return with pardon to Saint Cuthbert who had now lyen Eleven years in his Sepulchre when the Monks thought by this time to take his bones disrob'd of flesh and put them among other reliques But whiles they opened his Coffin they start at a wonder they look'd for bones and found flesh they expected a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and saw an entire body with joynts flexible and his face so dissembling Death that else where it is true that Sleep is the image of Death here Death was the image of Sleep nay his funeral weeds were so fresh as if putrefaction had not dared to take him by the Coat This was rather to pay his debt to Heaven than to Nature that after he should restore his soul to God he should keep back the payment of his body from corruption This Miracle of incorruption Bede reports who was eleven years old at Saint Cuthbert his death in relating whereof he made no Lye but told one the History of whose Life and Death he writ and took upon trust from the information of the Monks of Lindisfern who had deflowred all the miracles of Saints in Holy Writ and bestowed them upon their Saint Cuthbert so barren brain'd Monks were they that would not invent new ones but such as were writ before to their hands for Adam could not be commander of the creatures in the state of innocency but St. Cuthbert also must have the savage beasts to do him homage Abraham could not entertain three Angels under on Oak but Saint Cuthbert must have Angels for his guests as the Monastery of Rippon The Children of Israel could not eat Manna and Angels food but Saint Cuthbert must have three Loaves bestowed upon him by an Angel which were baked in Paradise A Raven could not bring Elias flesh but an Eagle must bring Saint Cuthbert fish And here also this miracle hath an Idea in the Scripture that when his Mother sail'd with him from Ireland into Scotland the books of the Psalms fell into the sea which forthwith was swallowed up of a Sea calf and delivered to them at their landing Take but the Psaltes for a man and the Sea calf for
S. t CUTHBERT THE LEGEND OF St. CVTHBERT WITH THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE Church of DURHAM By B. R. Esq LONDON Printed for Christopher Eccleston at his shop in St. Dunstans Churchyard 1663. The PROLOGVE THough much of the ensuing Discourse be no more consistent with common Reason and probability the the Fables in the Alchoran and so cannot have any design of engaging the faith of the Reader to the veritie of the relations yet things of this nature giving some shaddow of satisfaction to the mind and being free from any real prejudice to Vertue of Religion men thriftie enough in the expence of their time are not seldome content to allow some wast hours in reading them and perhaps with some profit and observation At that time when this Legend bears date Miracles were cheap enough and the credulous ignorance of the Vulgar was easily abused with religious impostures But howsoever such juggles may appear now to the eyes of the more generally knowing and undeceived world I should have charitie enough to believe that the antique invention of them was upon the accompt of promoting the esteem of Holy Religion were not the observation too palpably notorious that they all tended over much to the end of private gain or reputation to the Miracle-mongers Not that I call in question the reasonablenesse of that antient policy how ridiculous soever it appears now for he was no unwise or unlearned * Sir W. Raleigh man which said That the wisdom of one age is the foolishnesse of another Who was the Author of this Book or when by him compiled or upon what accompt though probably for his own private divertisement I do ignore in an equal degree and am not able to give any other accompt thereof then what the Treatise it self affords Had he published it himself without any improbable conjecture it had passed censure with greater security the Author being a master of so much stile and language as the Book it self bespeaks him I am only instrumental in committing it to the Stationer and guilty of the vanity of this Prologue B. R. THE LEGEND OF St. CVTHBERT WITH The ANTIQUITIES of the Church of DURHAM HISTORY and PROPHECY set back to back make up the true Image of Janus whose two faces Time past and future honour as their Overseers In History Time lives after she is dead in Prophecy before she is born In the one she beholds what she was in the other what she will be But sith the Theorie of Time to come is the prerogative of a Deity Man must be modestly content with this blessing bestowed by History upon Mortality that through our Grandfathers eyes we may see what hath been This is all our sublunary Eternity if at the funeral of things History become the Epitaph and rescue their memories from the grave that entombs their ashes And this duty I owe to that Countrey where I had my Cradle to renew the decayed Epitaphs upon the Tombstone of her Antiquities Geographers deal with Countries even as Astronomers with their Asterisms and fancy them into shapes and resemblances so that by the liberty of phantasie Italy is compared to a mans legg Spaine to an Oxhide Britaine to an Hatchet I may liken the Bishoprick to the Letter Δ and Durham to a Crab supposing the City for the body and the Suburbs for the clawes This Countrey lyeth in the bosome of the Ocean and is embraced in the armes of two chrystal Rivers Teese and Derwen The antient Inhabitants in the time of the Romans were the Brigants in the Heptarchie of the Saxons they were called Deiri for the honour of which Province the Children thereof in the time of Aella being to be sold at Rome gave occasion of the replanting of Christianity by Angustine the English Apostle sent hither by Pope Benedictus at the entreaty of Gregory then Archdeacon of Rome who facetely alluding to the names of their Nation Province and King concluded ut Angli Angelis similes de irâ Dei eruerentur Allelujah cantare docerentur The first of the Saxon Kings who made conquest as well of Religion as Men that in this Province was dipt in the sacred Laver of Baptism was the renowned Oswald Qui Genti suae primitias sanctitatis dederit and is observed to be the first of the English Race that was illustrious by miracles This Prince sent once for a learned Monk out of Scotland Aidanus by name to convert his Subjects from Paganism and seated him in the Episcopal Chair of Lindisferne Anno Dom. 635. where while the Bishop taught in the Scotish tongue the King understanding both languages stood and interpreted his Sermons in English This great Monarch that great and pious Founder of the Church to whose womb all the Churches in the North owe their birth in a battel with a Pagan Prince lost his life and the day But with this advantage whiles Penda left him not a head to wear a Crown withall he received a more glorious Diadem of Martyrdom And as fury persecuting revenge after death tore his body in pieces so the devotion of Time dispersed the reliques to several places Nempe jacere Uno non potuit tanta ruina loco For whose sepulchre there was as great contention amongst the English Churches as in old time amongst the Graecians for the Cradle of Homer His Corps were brought to Lindisfern and from thence translated with St. Cuthbert his body to Durham Abbey His Arm was preserved in a Silver Casket at Bedburga or Bambrough not far seated from the Holy Island and at that time the great Metropolis of those parts This sacred Relique retained the blessing of Aidanus and was honored as a Monument of incorruption An History which to this effect by Beda is related That upon an Easter day as the King sate at dinner his servants told him that there was poor folk that expected alms at his gate who forthwith bid him both carry them meat and distribute the platter which was of silver among them with which fact of charity Aidanus who sate by him much delighted took him by the right arm with this hearty wish Never let this arm perish This glorious Martyrs death was the end of Aidanus life and the Pagans at one blow kill'd a Prince and a Bishop with sorrow who thought it a sin to live after so good a King was dead the Soul of which Bishop St Cuthbert happened to see in the dead of the night carried up with great melodie by a Quire of Angels into Heaven which vision so seized upon his affection that resolving upon an holier course of life he betook himself to the Monastery of Mailros built by Aidanus by the bank of Tweede and in his journey thither shewed a great specimen of his humility devotion and gratitude for being seized upon both by night and hunger he was forced to enter into an empty cottage where he found no other host for entertainment than a horse who eating and turning up
a whale and here you have the History of Jonas with many such Histories of wonders with which the Monks delighted the superstition of the times This illustrious miracle of Saint Cuthberts body incorruptible after death raised the Church to that height of renown that King Celwolphus in opinion of his sanctity forsook his Royalty to become a Monk in Lindisferne bringing with him such Kingly treasures and donations of Lands that he seemed rather to resign his Kingdom to the Church than to his Successor and became a Monk to make St. Cuthbert a King bestowing upon him Warkeworth Castle Heycliffe Billingham Woodchestre Huttingham Edulingham Elingham Towns that for ought I know have either out-lived their names or names that have survived their Towns But above all he was a welcome man to their Monastery that for his sake it was granted the Monks of Lindisferne of drink wine who were before to drink water thought they that drank after St. Cuthbert in his Cup found sometimes water turn'd to wine without a Miracle This devout Prince after he had divers years worn a Monks Coole was intombed in Norham which Town Ranulphus Bishop of Durham fortified with a Castle After this Miracle of incorruption Eadfrid The Bishop caused him to be laid in a new Sepulcher and to be placed in more state and reverence about the pavement of the Sanctuary for it was not fit that he should have his grave among the dead whose body seemed to live without a soul and with a sleep to cheate mortalisy of a death By this time the very ground that St Cuthbert had trod on was accounted holy who made every place he frequented a Church Eadfrid in Honour of his presence built up his Hermitage where as if after St Cuthbert a genius of Sanctity had frequented that place Etheldred a Monk of Rippon lived an Hermit 12 years Thus for a long time flourished the Monks of this Church till the Danes disturbed their prosperity who now begun to make incursions upon the frontiers of this land continuing their piracies and invasions till they had made a compleate conquest in King Harold which Monarchy shortly after yeilded to the Norman victory and England twice Conquered in seventy years These were the times when so many Monasteries which the Devotion of former ages had erected had their Funerals and Entombed themselves in their own ashes Then perished that famous Emporium of Hartlepoale where the Religious Jew built a Nunry of which 〈◊〉 own I may say as Hildebert of Rome Quammagnifueris integra fracta doces The ruines shew how great she was in her Glory but now remaines to passengers as a Monument of Devotion and Hostility Then were demolished the two Monasteries of St Peter and Paul at Wormouth and Jarro built by two Abbots Celfrâ—d and Benedict Those two Societies mutual fraternity had so sirmely united that they seemed but one Monastery in two places and shall ever be famous while the memory of Venerable Bede shall be honoured of the learned for in those times in the same Monasteries he had his first education under Benedict a Reverent Abbot and one whom Antiquity defraudes not of those due praises that he procured choise bookes from beyond Sea for his Monastery and was the first that brought into England the use of Glass windows into Churches In his riper years he was brought up by Theodore under whom he was instructed both in sacred and secular learning and attained to that maturity of judgment that never writer since hath brought greater honour to his Nation whiles he confined himself to his Cel his fame travalled to Rome where Pope Sergius in a letter to Celfrid the Abbot earnestly intreated him to come in person but for ought I know without accepting the Popes curtesie he dyed in his Monastery which in memory of his presence after it had lain wast by the Pagans 208. years was re-edified by Adwin a Monk The fury of the Danes still increasing continued by the Sea coast to Tinmouth where Herca of St Cuthbert his acquaintance had been Abbatess so that it was high time for the Monks to look about them for they begun to-understand by the overthrow of their neighbouring Abbeyes that it was in vaine to think that the Danes would like the Divel be affrighted away with Holy water and saw by the bad success of Monasteries that it was not safe trusting the protection of a Saint and so concluded according to St. Cuthbert his will upon flight and putting all their reliques in Saint Cuthbert his Coffins left the Pagans the spoile of an empty Church Anno Domini 893. now it was Eardulphus his fortune to be Bishop in those troublesome times who with his whole Clergy of people followed Saint Cuthberts body carried by seven Monkes as Esq of his body besides whom none might presume to touch his Coffin under the danger of Vzzahs punishment These miseries had been enough to have unsainted Saint Cuthbert when pursued both by foes and overtaken by an homebred enemie famine that would afford him no releif They were now driven to the Irish sea and might well complaine with the old Brittains to Boetius the Consul Repellunt nos Barbari ad mare Repellit nos mare ad Barbaros inter haec oriuntur duo genera funerum aut jugulamur out inâ—rgimur Not far had they sailed from the shoare when both the Sea and the winds were up in armes and both agianst their Pinnace which both Aeolus and Naptune might have worshipped for her sacred carriage of a Bishop and his Clergy with so many reliques that it seemed rather a Cathedral then a ship but the Sea had not that Religion to hear their prayers threatning them so near with shipwrack that they had not that confidence in their Saint to encourage the Mariners with Ne metuas Cuthbertum vehis who now himself wanted some other Saint to invocate for help and was in danger to be drowned after he was dead Where had then been the Church of Durham and the devotion of Kings to his Sepulchre Where had then been the tutelary Deity against the Scots and the lands of the Church called Saint Cuthbert his Patrimonie How then should Saint Cuthbert his Hally marke-folke be free from Tribute and service in War and the fat Monks fed so many years with ease and plenty if now their Saint had been entombed in the sea andhad erected his Episcopal seat amongst the fishes This Sacrilegious storme struck the ship with such a palsie that it shakt out the Text of the Evangelist into the Sea This Book in honour of Saint Cuthbert Eadfrid had writ with his own hands and Bilfrid the Anchorite had curiously painted in which art of drawing the Monks were admirable expert who with such pictures knew bow they enhaunted vulgar eyes The art I confess is both ingenuous and commendable only it argues that the Monks were at great leisure Thus whether the Sea envying the land such a precious Jewel as