the Frontsteed for which Fact she was complained upon and so she laid those stones without the door which before were made well fast within her House Thus were the godly things intended for God's Service in the Church converted to prophane uses There was in the Centry-garth under the South-end of the Church called the South-end of the Nine Altars betwixt two Pillars adjoyning to the Nine Altars door a Song-School built for six Children to be learnt to sing for the maintenance of Gods Divine Service in the Abbey-Church which Children had their meat and drink at the Housecharge amongst the Children of the Ambrie The said School was built time out of mind before the suppression of the House and was neatly boarded within round about a man's height above the Walls and a long Desk from one end of the School to the other to lay their Books upon and all the floor was boarded for warmness and long Forms about it set fast for the Children to sit on And the place where the Master did sit and teach was all close boarded both behind and on either side And the said Master was to teach those six Children to sing and to play on the Organs every principal day when the Monks did sing their high Mass and at Even-song And the said Master was bound to play on the Organs every principal day when the Monks did sing their high Mass and likewise at Even-song but the Monks when they were at Mattins and Service at Mid-night then one of the said Monks did play on the Organs so that the Master play'd only upon principal dayes in the high Mass time and at Even-song as aforesaid Also the said Master had his Chamber adjoyning to the said School where he lodg'd having his meat and drink in the Prior's Hall among the Prior's Gentlemen and all his other necessaries were found at the charge of the Prior and the House till such time as the House was suppress'd And shortly after because there was no teaching in that School any longer but in another place or School appointed for that purpose the aforesaid School in the Centry-garth fell to decay and was pull'd down so clearly that one cannot tell almost in what place it stood Of St. Cuthbert's Death and the Translation of his body to Durham The 20. of the Calends of March in the year of Christ 587. St. Cuthbert ended his Life and was buried in Holy Island where he was Bishop three years in St. Peter's Church by the Altar on the East-side in a Grave of stone purposely made for him Being thus buried in St. Peter's Church in Holy Island and having lain there for the space of eleven years he was taken out of the ground the 20. of the Calends of March in the same Calends he had dyed in entire lying like a man asleep being found safe uncorrupted flexible and leath-wake and all his Mass-cloaths safe and fresh as they were the first hour they were put on him at which time they enshrined him in a new Sepulchre or Feretory a little above the pavement of the Church and there he stood many a day she is said to be descended from the Blood-Royal of the Kings of Ireland being Son of one Muriardach and Sabina his Wife who was Daughter to a King there He was brought up in the Abbey of Mailrose first under his Predecessor Eata and afterwards under Boisil who succeeded Eata After the death of Boisil he was made Abbot of that Monastery which he govern'd with great care and sincerity He was Anchorite thirteen years He was Monk thirty seven years and Abbot fourteen years Also in the year 55. Eardulf was Bishop at which time certain Danes and Pagans Infidels of sundry other Nations invaded and destroyed the Realm of England in divers places And after a certain space Halden King of the Danes with a great part of the Navy and Army of the Infidels arrived in Tinmouth-Haven intending to sojourn there all the Winter following and the next Spring he meant with all his power to invade spoil and destroy the County of Northumberland Whereof when Eardulf the Bishop had intelligence with all his Clergy and people after long consultation had amongst themselves what course was to be taken in that extremity to prevent the barbarous cruelty of the Savage and merciless Infidels they in the end called to mind the words and monition deliver'd by St. Cuthbert to his Brethren The said Holy man before his departure out of this Life amongst other wholsom counsels and godly admonitions then delivered uttered these or the like words If you my Brethren shall be at any time hereafter urged or constrained unto one of the two extremitics following I do much rather choose and wish that you should take my Bones up and flye from those places and take your place of abode and stay wheresoever Almighty God shall provide for you then that you should by any means submit your selves to the yoak and servitude of wicked Schismaticks Which words he then spake by the spirit of Prophesie foreseeing the perillousness of the time to come Bishop Eardulf and Abbot Edred did take and carry away the Body of St. Cuthbert from Holy Island Southward and fled seven years from Town to Town by reason of the great Persecution and slaughter of the Painims and Danes And when the Inhabitants of the Island saw that St. Cuthbert's Body was gone they left their Lands and Goods and followed after him Whereupon the Bishop the Abbot and the rest being wearied with Travelling thought to have stollen away and carried St. Cuthbert's Body into Ireland for its better safety Being upon the Sea in a Ship three Waves were miraculously turned into blood and the Ship was driven back by tempest and forc'd upon the shore Nay the said Ship wherein they were by the greatness of the Storm and the rage of the Waves was turned on the one side and the Book of the Holy Evangelists fell out of the Ship into the bottom of the Sea The said Book was most curiously written and all adorned with gold and precious stones on the out-side Now while they were all troubled and in great perplexity for the loss of the said Book St. Cuthbert being loath to see his honourers in such sorrow did appear in a Vision to one Hundredus a Monk and commanded him that they should diligently seek for the Book upon the Coasts thereabouts where they did find it three miles from the Sea-shore cast as it seemed by the force of some Wave and carried thither by the violence of some happy gale of Wind or by some divine power They found the book much more beautiful than before both in Letters and Leaves and excelling in the outer beautifulness of the cover being nothing blemished by the salt water but polished rather by some Heavenly hand which did not a little increase their joy But being wearied with seeking the book and with carrying about St. Cllthbert's body he presented to
and John with an Altar for a Monk to say daily Mass being in ancient times inhabited by an Anchorite whereunto the Priors were wont much to frequent both for the excellency of the place to hear the high Mass standing so conveniently unto the high Altar and withal so near a Neighbour to the Sacred Shrine of St. Cuthbert whereunto the Priors were most devoutly addicted The entrance to this Porch or Anchoridge was up a fair pair of stairs adjoyning to the North door of St. Cuthbert's Feretory under which stairs the Paschal did lye and in time of Lent the Children of the Ambrie were enjoyned to come thither daily to dress trim and make it bright against the Paschal Feast In this North-Alley of the Quire betwixt two Pillars on the South side before St. Blaise's Altar afterwards called Skirlaw's Altar lyeth buried Walter Skirlaw Bishop of Durham under a fair Marble stone very sumptuously beset with many brazen Images having his own Image most artificially pourtray'd in Brass in the midst thereof with this saying engraven upon his Breast Credo quoâ— Redemptor meus vivit et in die novissimo 〈◊〉 terrâ surrecturus sum et in carne meâ videbo Deum Salvatorem meum Right over the entrance of this North Alley going to the Song-School which was heretofore the Segefetons Exchequer there was a Porch adjoyning to the Quire oâ— the South and St. Benedict's Altar on thâ— North the Porch having in it an Altar aâ—â— the Rood Picture of our Saviour which Altar and Rood were much frequented in Devotion by Dr. Swallwell sometimes Monk of Duresme the said Rood having mighty sumptuous Furniture for Festival dayes belonging to it The South Alley of the Quire At the East end of the South Alley of the Quire adjoyning to the Pillar next St. Cuthbert's Feretory next the Quire door on the South side opposite to the aforesaid Porch in the said North Alley there was a most fair Rood or Picture of our Saviour called the black Rood of Scotland with the Pictures of Mary and John being brought out of Holy Rood-House in Scotland by King David Bruce and was won at the Battel of Durham with the Picture of our Lady on the one side of our Saviour and the Picture of St. John on the other side Which Rood and Pictures were all three very richly wrought in silver the which were all smoaked black over being large Pictures of a yard or five quarters long and on every one of their heads a Crown of pure beaten Gold of Goldsmith's work with a device or wrest to take them off and to put them on And on the back-side of the said Rood Picture there was a piece of work that they were fasten'd unto all adorn'd with fine Wainscot-work and curious Painting well befitting such costly Pictures from the midst of the Pillar up to the height of the Vault which Wainscot was all red varnished over very finely and all set forth with Stars of Lead every Star finely gilt over with gold And also the said Rood and Pictures had every one of them an Iron stuck fast in the back-part of the said Images that had a hole in the said Irons that went through the wainscot to put in a pin of Iron to make them fast to the Wainscot Thomas Hatfeald Bishop of Durham lyeth buried over against the Revestry-door in the South Alley of the Quire betwixt two Pillars under the Bishop's seat which he did make before he dyed his Tomb being all of Alabaster whereunto was adjoyned a little Altar which he prepared for a Monk to say Mass for his Soul after his Death the Altaring environed with an Iron grate Within this South Alley of the Quire was the Revestry where the Bishop or his Suffragane had a peculiar Altar where they did use to say Mass only at such time as they were to consecrate Priests or to give any holy Orders The Cross-Alley of the Lantern before the Quire Door going North and South In the former part of the Quire on either side the West door or chief entrance thereof without the Quire door in the Lantern were placed in their several Rooms one above another the most excellent Pictures all gilt very beautifull to behold of all the Kings and Queens as well of Scotland as England who were devout and godly Founders and Benefactors of this famous Church and Sacred Monuments of St. Cuthbert to invite and provoke their Posterities to the like Religious endeavours in their several Successions and Kingdoms whose names here after follow Edgarus Rex Scotorum Katharina Regina Angliae Davia Broys Rex Scotorum Richardus Secundus Rex Angliae Alexander Rex Scotorum Henricus Quartus Rex Angliae Richardus Primus Rex Angliae Alexander Rex Scotorum Matilda Regina Angliae David Rex Scotorum Edwardus Tortius Rex Angliae Henricus Secundus Rex Angliae Edwardus Primus Rex Angliae Henricus Quintus Rex Angliae Alexander Rex Scotorum Sibylla Regina Scotorum Gulielmus Rufus Rex Angliae Richardus Tertius Rex Angliae Gulielmus Conquestor Rex Angliae Haraldus Rex Angliae Johannes Rex Angliae Edwardus Secundus Rex Angliae Ethelstanus Rex Angliae Stephanus Rex Angliae Matilda Regina Angliae Knutus Rex Angliae Malcolmus Rex Scotorum Duncanus Rex Scotorum Henricus Tertius Rex Angliae Elianora Regina Angliae Henricus Primus Rex Angliae Elianora Regina Angliae Malcolmus Rex Scotorum Gulielmus Rex Scotorum In the Lantern called the New Work were hanging three very fine Bells which Bells were rung ever at Mid-night at twelve of the Clock for the Monks went evermore to Mattins at that hour of the Night There were four men appointed to ring the said Bells at Mid-night and at such other times of the day as the Monks went to serve God two of the said men appertaining to the Revestry who alwayes kept the Copes with the Vestments and five pair of silver Censers with all such goodly Ornaments pertaining to the high Altar Which two men did lye every night in a Chamber over the West end of the said Revestry And the other two men did lye every Night within the said Church in a Chamber in the North alley over against the Sextons Exchequer These two men did alwayes sweep and keep the Church cleanly and did fill the Holy-water-stone every Sunday in the Morning with clean water before it came to be hallowed and did lock in the Church doors every Night Also there is standing in the South Pillat of the Quire-door of the Lantern in a corner of the said Pillar a four-square stone which hath been finely wrought in every square a fair large Image whereon did stand a four-square stone about it which had twelve Cressets wrought in that stone which were fill'd with Tallow and every night one of them was lighted when the day was gone and did burn to give light to the Monks at Mid-night when they came to Mattins The North Alley of
their eyes a Bridle hanging up in a Tree and a red Horse running towards them and offering himself to be Bridled to ease their pains in carrying the Chest wherein St. Cuthbert's body was lay'd Upon which Horse they carried him to Crake-Minster and rested them four Moneths from thence they brought him to Cuneagester now called Chester Anno Domini 1387. and there they remained with the body of St. Cuthbert 93. years during the rest of the time of the Danes Wars at the end whereof Aldwinus the Bishop fled with St. Cuthbert's body to Rippon to lye by the body of holy St. Wilfrid But four Moneths after their arriving at Rippon the Danes Wars did cease and then intending to bring him back again to Chester and coming with him on the East side of Durham to a place called Wardlaw they could not with all their force remove his body from thence which seemed to be fasten'd to the ground for that the Chariot wherein the holy Corps was carried miraculously stood unmoveable either by the strength of man or beast Which strange and unexpected accident wrought great Admiration in the hearts of the Bishop the Monks and their Associates Whereupon the Bishop fasted three dayes and pray'd to God with great reverence and devotion to know from God by Revelation what to do with him Which was accordingly granted them it being revealed unto Eadmer a virtuous man that he should be carried to Dunholme which is composed of the two Saxon words Dun signifying a Hill and Holme an Island in a River and there he should be received into a place of Rest But being again distressed because they were ignorant where Dunholme was as they were going a Woman that lacked her Cow did call aloud to her Companion to know if she had not seen her Cow who answer'd with a loud voice that her Cow was in Dunholme a happy and Heavenly eccho to the distressed Monks who by that means had intelligence that they were near their Journeys end where they should find a resting place for the Body of the Saint And thereupon with great joy and gladness they brought his Body to Dunholme in the year 1499. which was inculta tellus a barbarous and rude place replenished with nothing but Thorns and thick Woods save only in the midst where the Church now standeth which was plain and commodious for such a purpose Where they first built a little Church of Wands and Branches wherein they did lay his Body whence the said Church was afterwards called Bough-Church till they had built a more sumptuous Church wherein they might inshrine him which they assayed to do with all their power Uthred Earl of Northumberland aiding them and causing all the Countrey people to cut down all the wood and thorn-bushes which did molest them and so made all the place where the City now stands habitable and fit to erect Buildings upon which gave great encouragement to Aldwinus the Bishop to hasten the finishing of the Church Which accordingly being done he translated the Body of St. Cuthbert from the wanded or Bough-Church to the White-Chappel for so it was called which he had newly built which was a part of the great Church not yet finished where it lay four years But after the great Church was finished and consecrated upon the 20. of September he translated his Body out of the White-Chappel into the great Church which he made a Cathedral erecting his Bishop's seat at Durham where it still remaineth about 353. years after it was first Founded in the Holy-Island by St. Aidan and St. Oswald which was Anno Domini 637. and 306. years after the death of St. Cuthbert which was in the year 684. Bishop Aldwinus died thirty years after he had Founded his Bishop's See at Durham in finished his Cathedral Church in the year 1020. Which Church was famous for the Succession of six Bishops in it viz. Eadmundus Eadredus Egelrir Egelwin Waltherus whom William the Conquerour created Earl of Northumberland and William Carlipho or Carilef that magnificent Prelate who not being content with the smalness and homliness of the Edifice which Aldwinus built as being too little for so great a Saint did pull it all down 76. years after Alwinus had finish'd it and instead thereof did erect the magnificent and famous Structure which is now to be seen Malcolm King of Scotland Turgot then Prior of the Church and the Bishop himself lay'd the three first stones in the new Foundation upon the 30. of July as some say or on the 11. of August as others affirm in the year 1093. For which famous work Anthony Beak one of his Successors with a great sum of Money got him to be Canoniz'd This Bishop Carlipho caused the Monks to labour in the Holy work all the day long excepting meal-times and times of Prayer and Service King Malcolm being the chief Benefactor in the Building thereof The Bishop before the people ordained and appointed surgot then Prior to be his Arch-Deacon and Vicar-general within his Diocess and going to Rome two years before his death he obtained License of Popé Gregory the seventh to remove the Monks who were at Wermouth and Jarrow and were of the Order of St. Bennet to his Church at Durham where he placed them in the room of the Canons whom he expelled for their lewd and lazy lives But he did not live to see his Church finished for he dyed in the year 1095. two years after he had laid the Foundation Then Ranulph Flambard his immediate Successor favouring and with all his might furthering so good a work did in the 29. years that he was Bishop build the said Church from the Foundation almost to the Covering Yet was it not fully finished till the time that Nicholas Farnam or Fernham was Bishop and Thomas Melscome was Prior which two good men did Arch it over Anno 1242. viz. in the 26. year of King Henry the Third and they lye both buried under one stone in the Chapter-house But long before the Church was finished the Body of St. Cuthbert was by the said Bishop Ranulph translated again out of the Cloister-garth where the said Bishop Carlipho had made him a very sumptuous Tomb to lye in when he removed him out of the old Church which Aldwinus built for him which was then taken down that his fair Church now extant might be erected in the same place where that old Church was In which new Church was built a goodly fair and sumptuous Shrine called the Feretory or Fereter about three yards from the ground on the back-side of the great or high Altar which was at the East-end of the Quire where his Body was solemnly placed in an Iron Chest within the said Shrine and lay quietly without molestation till the Suppression of the Church as is above related And the said Book of the four Evangelists which fell into the Sea and was so miraculously brought to Land and found again was laid on the High Altar