thy bodie to Satan that thy soule may be A terrible punishment of one that would not forgiue his enemies saued in the day of iudgement He had scarse ended these words when the miserable wretch by the gâ—ashing and grinding of his teeth the gastly staring of his eyes his foaming at the mouth and antick turning and rouling of his bodie into strange postures gaue euident restimonie by what diabolicall spiritt he was gouerned At length being freed againe by S. WOLSTAN he was the second and third time possessed in like manner vntill from the bottom of his heart he promised to forgiue his enemies XVII THE vertuous life of this holy man was ennobled with manie other miracles and wanted not the guift of prophesie By S. Wolstanâ— guift of prophesie which he disswaded one Ailwine who a long time had liued a solitarie life at Malâ—erne hills from his desire of goeing to Hierusalem foretelling him that God allmightie would worke wonderfull things by his meanes Ailwine yeelding vnto his perswasioÌ„s founded afterwards a famous monasterie of S. BENEDICTS order at Malâ—erne where he gathered togeather the number of three hundred Benedictine Monkes XVIII ONE Sewulf whom he had often exhorted to embrace a monasticall life to doe worthie penance for his sinnes excusing him self and alleadging that the rigour of it did exceed his weaknes of bodie the Bishop sayd Well goe this waie thou shalt be a Monk whether thou wilt or noe At length waxing old he tooke the habitt of S. Benedicts order at Malmesburie where the very remembrance of S. Wolstans words euer after thundered a milder and humbler behauiour into him XIX As on a time he stroaked the head of a little boy called Nicholas whom he brought vp from a child and now euen in his A WoÌ„der youth beganne to loose his hayre I think my sonne sayd he thou wilt shortly be bald and why Father replied the boy doe not you keepe my hayre on my head Beleeue me sonne answered the holy Bishop as long as I liue soe much as remaynes shall not fall away And soe it came to passe But within the verie weeke that the holy man died all that yong mans hayre went soe cleane away that there remayned nothing but the bare scull XX. Newes being brought him that his sister was dead Now then answered he the plough is come into my land and verie He foreseeth his owne death shortly the brother will follow his sister Neyther was he a false Prophet for within a short time after being taken with an extreme seauer his old age soone perceaued that death was at hand Then nothing was to be seene among his monks and other friendâ— about him but teares sighs and lamentations woefully bewailing the losse of soe pious a Father When he on the other side with a deuout exhortation proceeding from a ioyfull countenance stroue to appease their griefs saying that his death would be noe losse of life but a change for a better promising not soe to forsake them but that with his prayers to allmightie God he would for euer assist them His great confideÌ„ce in almightie God and that being free out of his prison of clay by how much neerer he was ioyned vnto God by soe much readier he would be to comfort and defend them Thrise happie tongue that out of the store-house of a secure conscience durst power out words of soe great confidence Some with sighs and sobbs desire to haue him prayd for and he largely promiseth to pray for them all O strange wonder See how his holy simplicitie was ignorant of hauing anie diffidence in the mercie of allmightie God Therefore in the yeare of our Lord 1095. this glorious confessor of CHRIST this bright starre of the Benedictine order in England hauing with a wonderfull rare example of holy life gouuerned the Sea of Worcester the space of thirtie fower yeares deliuered vp his vertuous soule into the hands His death of his creatour to receaue the rewards of his worthie labours the ninteenth day of January in the eightie seauenth yeare of his age His bodie was brought into the Church and detained there three dayes vnburied The very forme and complexion thereof seeming rather to sett forth the gracefull beautie of a liuing Bishop then the horrour of a dead corps The Episcopall ring which he had receaued at his consecration manie yeares before his death would not hang on his finger for his flesh was soe consumed by his extreme penance and austerity of life that his bodie was nothing but skinne and bone But although his ring often times fell from his finger thus A notable miracle consumed yet was it neuer lost and he did often say that he would carrie with him to his graue that ring which without ambition he had receaued Being dead diuers essayed to take off his ring but in vaine for that which before fell off manie times of it self by noe violent meanes could now be drawne off The fourth day he was buried with great reuerence by Robert Bishop of Hereford who long before had entred into a strict and holy league of friendship togeather with S. WOLSTAN XXI SOME yeares after his death a mercilesse fier taking hould of the topp of the Church burnt and consumed it in miserable sort An other as strange the lead came powring downe like rayne the great beames their supporters being consumed as whole trees tumbled to the ground soe that in such a confused wrack of ruine it seemed nothing that was within the compasse of the Church could escape the rage of the fier Yet the sepulcher of the blessed Sainct remayned free from these outrageous flames and was not as much as touched or smutched with anie of the coales ashes or anie thing else that fell from aboue And to giue greater euidence to the miracle the verie strawmatte on which those did kneele that prayed before his tombe was found whole and vntoucht XXII ABOVT a hundred yeares after his death his holy body was taken vp and enclosed in a very pretious shrine being found in all His body vncorrupted after an hundred yeares his Pontificall robes as entier and vncorrupted as when he was layd in the ground The feast of his translation is celebrated the seauenth of Iune Manie other miracles were wrought by the supreme worker of miracles through the intercession and meritts of this blessed Sainct which I willingly omitt my purpose being not to write Saincts liues that the world may only wonder at their miraculous deeds but chiefly to draw men to imitate their vertuous liues Yet in this historie we haue had great store both of vertues and miracles God of his infinite goodnes giue vs grace to admire and prayse his diuine power in the one and to follow the vertuous examples of his blessed Sainct in the other Amen His life we haue taken chiefly out of the author of it SENATVS BRAVON a Monk of Worcester Besides whom WILLIAM MALMESBVRY de
morning to the great admiration and ioy of all he made knowne by the soundnes of his witt and vnderstanding that he had there receaued the cure of his madding phrensie The place of his buriall is inclosed with a wodden chest which hath a hole on the one side through which those that came thither for deuotion were wont to reach forth some of the dust and hauing dissolued it in water it cured both man and beast that drank it of what disease soeuer they were infected The life of this B. Sainct we haue gathered chiefly out of S. Bedes History of England Iohn Capgrane hath the same in his lines of English Saincts Trithemius in his treatise of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. cap. 117. Arnould Wion Baronius Camden and others make worthie mention of him In the Prouinciall CoÌ„stitutions of England his feast is ordayned to be celebrated with nine lessons and soe it was obserued in the Sarum Breuiarie But since Breuiaries were made treason in England all goodnes was banished the Psal 150. v. 1. publick view of that vnhappie Countrey and God whom the Psalmist bids vs to praise in his Saincts is depriued of his due honour and glorie and his Saincts are quite robbed of their part therein The life of Sainct WILLEICK Priest and Confessor monck of the holy order of S. Benedict MAR. 2. Out of Marceline in the life of S. Swibert S. WILLEICK borne in England went ouer into lower Germanie S. Willeick a Monk-Canon of Vtteicht in low Germanie where togeather wich S. SWIBERT and other English Benedictine Monks he preached CHRISTS ghospell to the Pagans and conuerted manie to the true fayth He was one of the first Monk-Canons of the new Cathedrall Church of Vtreiâ—ght where he who had left the world with a pure intention soe sincerely endeauoured to perfect him self in the seruice of CHRIST IESVS that he appeared as a sweet vessell of vertues to the rest of his brethren For from his youth he had liued allwaies with the great S. SWIBERT in the continuall exercise of prayer continencie and meditation of the holy scriptures euer striuing to make him self as pure wax to receiue the impression and seale of that worthie Saincts vertues He was skillfull in holy scriptures and well practised in the Latin and Dutch tongue verie cloquent in his discourse but meeke and humble in his behauiour a conquerour of wrath and couetousnes a despiser of pride and vaine glorie and a comfortable father to the poore and sickly For whom carefully to prouide he was inclined not only out of an innate pietie of mind but made that appeare by his great labour and paines taken in prouiding and succouring their necessities him self He conuerted allsoe manie Heathens through the Prouinces as he trauelled from the venom of Idolatrie to the sweetnes of CHRIST fayth II. AFTERWARDS being made Priour of S. SWIBERTS Benedictine monasterie at Werdt he became a true mirrour and paterne of all He is made Priour of the Monasterie of Werdt true vertues to his brethren whereby manie by his example and authoritie were curbed within the rules of a regular life Neyther was he profitable with his vertues and good example to the monasterie only but by his deuout exhortations and pious sermons he conuerted the neighbouring poeple from the sottish customs of their Idolatrous life to the loue of CHRIST heauenly things And the greatnes of his vertue and meritt was testified by miracle For being on a time at Cullen with the most deuout Dutchesse Plectrude of whom mention is made in the life of S. SWIBERT one Gothebald a chief man of the towne lay languishing vnder the pittilesse burden of such a cruell disease that depriued of all vse of his limmes he seemed indeed to be quite dead when his funerall rites were allreadie prepared and his graue gaped to receiue him In the meane time Marie that was his wiues name obtained of the Dutchesse to haue Willeick the disciple and priest of great S. SWIBERT to come visitt He cureth a sickman that diyng man Who coming into the chamber and hauing made his prayers to allmightie God he gaue him his benediction when presently the sick man arose in perfect health out of his bed gaue thanks to the supreme giuer of all goodnes and sate at table with the rest in great ioy and alacritie and S. Willeick whose companie he much desired could hardly be drawne from his deuotions of thanks giuing to take his repast with the rest Herevppon the deuout Dutchesse Plectrude held this holy man in farre greater honour and esteeme theÌ„ before yeelding infinite prayses to the omnipotent worker of wonders But S. WILLEICK hauing gouerned his monasterie His death the space of thirteene yeares in all tenne after the death of his master S. SWIBERT in great holines of life and conuersation gaue vp his blessed soule to the neuer-dieing rewards of his labours to beare a part in the quire of Benedictin Monks in heauen He died the second day of March in the yeare of Our Lord 727. At whose tombe in testimonie of his vertues and holy life were wrought maine miraculous cures of diseases Of him make mention besides the foresayd Marcelline Trithemius in his 3. booke and 167. chap. of the famous men of S. Benedicts Order Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Wion in his Benedictine Martirologe and others The life of Sainct WINWALOKE Abbott and Confessor MAR. 3. Gathered by Surius out of auÌ„cient manuscripts SAINCT WINWALOKE sonne to Fracanus cosen germane of Cotton king of the Brittaines began from his tender age to giue greate signes of his ensuing vertue and good life despising the pleasures of the world and wholly bequeathing him self to the diuine seruice of allmigthy God His desire of a deuout life And the better to put his good purposes and pious inspirations in execution he desired leaue of his father to goe to a holy man of that countrey to perfect him self in that diuine schoole in the studie of vertue and learning But his father who desired rather to see him aduanced to worldy preferment and honour flatly denied his godly request Wherevppon this blessed yong man appealed to his allmightie father in heauen earnestly crauing his assistance in this case And his prayers were not in vaine for not long after his father being abrode in the plaine fields in a sayre sunny day on the suddaine there happened such a horrible tempest of rayne hayle and snow seconded with the roaring of such dreadfull thunder and flashes of lightning falling thick about him that strucken with the exceeding terrour thereof he fell flatt on the ground where musing with him self what might be the reason of such an vnexpected storme it came into his mind that perhaps it was a punishment sent him from God aboue for detayning his sonne in the tempestuous world out of the sweet hauen of his diuine His father giueth him to God seruice HerevppoÌ„ he
the Roman which being prouoked to battle he had taken from his conquered enemie wherevppon he afterwards was surnamed Torquatus from Torques which in Latine signifies a chaine But let vs returne to Sainct ETHELDRED XI THEREFORE whilst this holy Virgin lying amidst the tormeÌ„ts of a most cruell sicknes gaue thankes vnto her Creatour for soe pious a visitation boyling with a desire to be dissolued to liue with CHRIST some of the assistants in whom yet remayned a small hope of her recouery caused a skillfull chirurgean to launce the swelled place and make way for that corrupted matter to issue forth as being stuffe to base and loathsome to be imprisonned in soe pure a bodie Which done the holy Virgin seemed for two daies space to be greatly eased of her payne and to wax better in health soe She seemeth to recouer that manie conceaued a new hope that she might escape this danger which was cause of great ioy vnto her friends and Sisters But all this was but as a glimpse of lightuing before death for the third day when all wounds and incisions are most panifull she her self perceauing that the happie minute of her wished departure was at hand caused the whole Conuent of Nunnes to be gathered togeather about her vnto whom hauing first signified that her hower of death was come she imparted as well as the violence of her payne would suffer her the dying words of her last farewell soe full of the sweetnes of diuine documents and deuotion that she wonderfully moued the minds and hearts of them all to the loue of heauen and heauenly things Then hauing strengthened her iourney with the Viaticum of our Lords holy bodie she rendred vp her pure soule into the pure hands of her Creatour and ending this mortall Her happy deâ—th life entered into that which neuer ends leauing the whole Conuent of her deuout Sisters soe ouercharged with sorrow that not being able to containe so hard a burden within doores their coÌ„passionate eies let forth liuely signes thereof to ease the heauines of their pious hearts This glorious Virgin died the 23. day of Iune in the yeare of our Lord six hundred seauentie nine when she had been Abbesse seauen yeares Aldulph her Brother then raygning ouer the East-Angles XII BVT when her sacred bodie had layne buried in the earth the space of sixteen yeares her holy sister SEXBVRG who had succeeded in the gonernment of the same Monasterie moued with the manie miracles dayly wrought at her tombe was desirous to take vp those sacred spoiles and honour them with a more eminent place in the Church Therefore a day being appoynted for the more solemne execution of this translation a great multitude of deuout poeple flocked thither to be present at that act amongst whom allso was S. WILFRID Archbishop of Yorke and Kinefrid the Chirurgean that two daies before her departure had made the incision in her neck which we spoke of before But before they opened her sepulcher the holy Abbesse SEXBVRG sent some of the Monkes to prouide A tombâ—stone miraculously found for her bodie a stone to be the tombe of those sacred reliques Who because the I le of Ely it self being a place encompassed round with waters Marshes was voyde of all manner of stones of such greatnes went to a litle towne not farre from thence called Grandacester where neere vnto the walles of the same towne they streight found a fayre tombe curiously cutt in white marble with a couer of the same matter most iustly fitted thereunto All much amazed at this good fortune especially because the neighbouring poeple affirmed that they had neuer before seene anie such stone in that place they vnderstood that our Lord the wonder-working spouse of the glorious Virgin ETHELDRED had miraculously prospered their iourney and prouided a shrine for her holy bodie Therefore singing himnes of prayse thankes vnto his diuine goodnes they brought the new-found tombe-stone to the Monastery which was a great comfort and encouragement to the vertuous Abbesse to hearten her to proceed in the execution of her intended purpose Her body found vncorrupted after sixteen yeares XIII THEREFORE all things being worthyly ordered and prepared the whole Conuent came in procession and stood singing about the sepulcher which was couered and hidden vnder a pauillion Then the Abbesse with some others entered into it to take vp the holy body which being discouered they fouÌ„d to be as whole fayre fresh and vncorrupted as the same day it was layd in the earth and appeared vnto the amazed beholders more like vnto one asleepe then dead Nay which is most wonderfull the incision in her neck which at her buriall was a wide and open wound was now soe perfectly cured that there remayned only to be seene a small and slender skarre as a token of what it had been before Soe that the earth which is wont to corrupt and consume the dead bodies of other mortall men serued here as a soueraigne baulme not only to preserue her virginall flesh vncorrupted but euen to cure and heale the wounds made therein Then the bodie being eleuated to the publick view of the whole multitude of assistants with astonished eyes they all beheld the wonder of allmightie God who worketh his owne will and pleasure both in heauen and earth and here to shew the integritie of this holy Virgins chastitie during her life had preserued her bodie allsoe from all spott of corruption for the space of sixteen yeares after her death And of this were witnesses besides manie others great S. WILFRID and Kinfrid the Chirurgean who being a faythfull recorder of this accident was De gest lib. 4. c. 9. wont to relate the same as it is here writteÌ„ vnto Venerable BEDE and others as BEDE him self doeth testifie affirming allso that not only the bodie but the linnen cloathes in which it was wrapped were found allso to be as entier and new as the first day they were employed to enclose that chast bodie XIV THEN hauing washed the sacred bodie and shrowded it in fresh cloathes fitt to containe soe worthie a treasure they placed it with great reuerence in the new and miraculous tombe of white marble which they found to be soe fitt in length and bignes to containe that sacred relique that the cunningest workman by line and measure could not haue made one fitter and brought it with Miracles at her tombe great ioy and solemnitie into the Church of the B. Virgin MARY which she had founded in her life time This translation or eleuation of her holy bodie was performed on the seauenteenth day of October and sixteeÌ„ yeares after her death Manie great miracles were afterwards wrought there at her toÌ„be the only touching of the cloathes that her bodie had been wrapped in droue deuills out of the bodies of possessed persons and cured manie diseases by the power of Him that is all waies wonderfull in his Saincts And the woddeÌ„
washt powred it being dissolued in a little water into the mouth of that tortured infant wheÌ„ presently after manie fearfull cries lameÌ„table howlings he that before breathed nothing but furie and madnes fell into a most quiet sweet sleepe and the next morning he found him self wholly released from his accustomed rage and phrensie professing that he was freed froÌ„ that seruitude of the deuill that oppressed him by the meritts intercession of S. CVTHBERT Surely it was a miracle and a spectacle most delightfull to all good men to see that child walke the rounde of the holy Sepulchre with his father with a sound mind and iudgemeÌ„t render thanks vnto the Saincts for their assistance who but the day before through madnes rage furie nether knew him self what he was nor where he was The place where the foresayd water was powred is by the Church where he was buried towards the south And from that time manie miraculous cures were wrought with the samâ— earth a long time after But to the end that the saiÌ„ctitie of this glorious soule might be made more notable famous ouer the world it happened God soe disposing it for his greater glorie that eleueÌ„ yeares after his decease vppo some occasioÌ„ the moÌ„ks would needes take vp his Sacred bones imagining the flesh to he turned to that it came off to sett theÌ„ in a more eminet place or monument aboue ground Whereunto holy Eadbert his successour After 11. yeares his bodie and vestments are found vncorrupted verie willingly coÌ„sented caused his sepulcher to be opened on the verie day of his deposition where to the great admiration of all they fouÌ„d his bodie whole without the lest blemish of corruptioÌ„ his ioynts pliant flexible as yf he had bin aliue in a word more like vnto a man asleepe then to one that were dead Likewise all the vestments about him were not only entier and sound but shining as fresh and new as when they were made Wherevppon all the liuing that beheld this vnusuall miracle through feare amazemeÌ„t became for a while more like dead meÌ„ then the dead bodie they lookt on not daring scarse to speake or behould the miracle which appeared soe manifest At length coming a litle to theÌ„ selues by the councell of the Bishop S. EADBERT they wrapped that sacred treasure in new garmeÌ„ts for the old they had taken off putting it into a light shrine they placed it ouer the pauement where he had been buried XVI THE cloathes which had been worne about that Sacred bodie ether aliue or dead were not voyd from working manie miraculous cures And among others a monke of a monasterie not farre from Lindisfarne soe grieuously tormented with a cruell palsey that he had lost the vse of all his limnes and on whom the phisitians had prooued all their skill to be vaine had recourse to the diuine phisitian who cureth all diseases For he desired his seruant to bring him some particle of the garments which had been about the holy bodie of S. CVTHBERT in the graue for therby he hoped by the power of allmightie God and the merits of that Sainct to haue helpe The holy mans Shoes which he had worne eleuen A paralitiâ—que cured with the shoes of S Cuthbert yeares in the earth without consuming were brought which the diseased person had noe sooner putt on but recommending him self vnto the prayers of the holy man he fell into a sweet slumber and at midnight when it rung the first pulse to mattins he arose whole and sound and went ioyfully into the Church with the rest yeelding infinite thanks to allmightie God and S. CVTHBERT And yf such wonders are wrought by his shooes which were but as a defence to the lowest part of his bodie what cannot his glorious and thrice happie soule that is in heauen obtaine before the face of her allmightie Creatour This is an abridgement of what Venerable BEDE hath written of the life death and miracles of the moct glorious Sainct thrice worthie Prelat moct religious obseruer of monasticall discipline and bright ornanament of the BENEDICTIN familie S. CVTHBERT That which followes we haue carefully gathered out of IOHN CAPGRAVE SIMEON of DVRRHAM de Episc Dunel NICHOLAS Harpsfield saec 7. cap. 34. and others A historie oâ— the incorruption of S. Cuthberâ—s Lodie XVII WONDERFVLL surely are the miracles wrought by the allmightie power of God at the tombes and reliques of his Seruants which by the relatioÌ„ of the most approoued histories of the Church doe demonstrate and prooue vnto vs with how great meritt and fauour their blessed soules are adorned in the sight of God But of all other none is more wonderfull or of more efficacie to confirme our Christian beleef of the resurrection of the dead then that manie bodies of the Saincts haue remayned and doe yet remayne whole and vncorrupted of which strange kind of spectacle I know not whether there haue appeared in anie other Prouince of the Christian world more worthie and notable experiments then in this our Island of Great Britaine Our English Histories relate manie wonders of this kind of the bodies of S. EDWARD king and Confessor and S. EDMOND king and martir and S. ETHELDRED S. WERBVRG and S. ELPHEGVS Archbishop of Canturbury all three glorious branches of the Benedictine order But whether these haue remayned in that integritie to this our age it is not certaine But of S. CVTHBERT it is a thing most knowne and certaine And first we haue shewed before how after eleauen yeares he was found entier at the first opening of his Sepulcher as Venerable BEDE a witnes without all exceptioÌ„ doeth affirme But afterwards when the Danes furie cruelly wasted and spoyled all monasteries and Churches in England Eadulph Bishop of Lindisfarne hardly escaping their bloudie hands transported that vntainted bodie with him self to an other place When through the imminent slaughter which those Barbarians outragiously committed in the contrey he could not find a secure abode to rest in he wandred secretly vpp and downe allwaies carrying with him that Sacred bodie for the space of seauen yeares hauing Edred the Abbott and some others of the Clergie compartners of his flight and pilgrimage At last hauing lost all hope of conseruing them selues and that Sacred monument in England after a mature consultation they resolued to sayle ouer with it into Ireland But finding the rage of the seas through the horrible tempests that arose to be as much against their desires by water as the sword of the Barbarians by land they were compelled suddenly to returne from their aduenture that way But in this their entreprise at sea Two admirable accidents there happened two things verie wonderous for the waues of the sea which in a storme furiously flowed ouer the decks readie to ouer whelme the ship were suddenly chainged into gore bloud and a goodly booke of the holy ghospels couered with gould and rich
seemed to be in him by nature since he had consecrated his infancie through the ignorance of vice and emulatiō of vertue Being sett to schoole he profitted beyond all his other fellowes He had scarse seene fifteen yeares of age but straight he began with a graue prudence to cōsider with him self of the dangers miseries of the world plottīg how he might better settle him self in the true seruice of God when he resolued that noe manner of life was comparable to that of monks religious men Therefore being desirous to leaue the world become a monk he asked the S. Auselme asking the habitt of a monke is denied habitt of an Abbot of that countrey who fearing his fathers displeasure that was ignorant of ANSELMS intētion herein refused to graunt his request But ANSELME cōstant in his holy purpose made his prayer to allmightie God to send him some corporall sicknes that soe at lest he might become a monk and a Patient in Religion to cure the diseases or rather conserue the innocencie of his soule His prayers were heard and his request graunted when languishing in his desired sicknes he sent to the Abbot with manie earnest entreaties to be admitted into his order for that now he feared death was at hand But he vpō the same humane respects as before againe denied his petitiō II. AFTERWARDS his health returning againe worldly pleasures and prosperities soe sweerly smiled vppon him now in the flower of his youth that the feruour of his former purposes and desires began by little a little to grow cold especially after the death of his good mother whom he highly loued and respected he tooke againe to him self free scope to follow the inclination and desires of his sensuall appetits not only forgetting the spiritt of his first Vocatiō but allsoe omitting his studie in sciences which before he had soe carefully His fathers anger against him followed But while thus he hunted in the traine of his owne passions it pleased allmightie God to looke vpon him with the ey of a mercifull clemencie and permitted his father to enter into such an extreme dislike of him that he could not affoord him as much as a good looke hating and disdayning in his sonne as well the good as the euill when on the other side nether his filiall humilitie or dutie was of power to appease or anie way satisfie his angrie father Wherevppon he chose rather to renounce all his worldly inheritance then to endure the stormes of such furie fearing to runne the hazard of further inconuenience Therefore iudging his friends and domesticques to be his greatest enemies he forsoke his fathers house to seeke his content and repose else-where He departed with one only companion partly in France partly in Burgundy he spent the space of three yeares But the worthie fame of Lanfranks pietie and learning coming to his eares he ranged him self into the list of manie other yong men of his vertuous schoole in the Benedictin Abbey of He becometh schol ler to Lanfrank Bec in Normandy When it was rare to see how ANSELME was not soe ioyfull to be a scholler of soe excellēt a master as Lanfrank was glad to be a master to soe worthy a scholler The masters care and labour in teaching was rewarded in the scholler with an extraordinarie diligence of learning what he taught in soe much that in a short time he not only made a great progresse into the knowledge of holy scriptures and other good doctrine but allsoe exercising him self in watching and prayer and other actes of deuotion he became verie desirous to attaine to the height of vertuous perfection For the familiar conuersation he vsed with his good and vertuous master S. LANFRANK caused the light of his auncient resolution towards a monasticall life againe like a fayre morning of pietie to breake out through the clouds of worldly vanities wholly to dedicate him self to Gods seruice True it is that he was much perplext with difficulties to attayne the end he aymed at On the one side he found him self greatly inclined to lead a solitarie life in the desert thereby to applie and employ his thoughts more securely in diuine cōtēplation on the other side he thought it a more secure way to liue vnder the rod of obedience in a monasterie againe his father hauing left him heyre of great lands and goods he was in doubt whether he might not doe God greater seruice liuing in the world and yearly distributing the best part of his meanes to the poore pious vses In these perplexities this prudent yong man would not of him self resolue anie thing in a matter of soe great moment but consulted his master LANFRANK sincerely laying open the secret thoughts of his heart fully He consulteth Lanfrank of choosing a course of life resigning his will into his hands with intention to follow the dictamen of his good counsell The master was vnwilling to resolue his scholler in a matter of such importance but referred it to the iudgment of the venerable Prelat Maurill Archbishop of Roane vnto whom they went both and proposed their difficultie who hauing heard the cause counselled ANSELME to embrace a religious and monasticall life as the most perfect and assured way to heauen and following this aduise he resolued to humble his neck vnder the sweet yoake of CHRIST in the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT III. BVT THERE remayned yet an other difficultie of choosing the place whether he should take the habitt at Cluny or Bec at the first he thought his labour and learning might be to manie profitable at the other he feared it would like a little starre before the sunne be darkened with the bright splendour of LANFRANK and soe become of little or noe seruice at all While his thoughts were tossed with these wauering opinions he began to discourse with him self in this sort Why ANSELME what dost thou meane what doest thou think on Doest thou intēd to make a monasticall life the first stepp to obtaine fame glorie renowne and superioritie God forbid For the true scope of a monke must be to humble him self to others and He taketh the habitt of S Benedict vtterly to despise all titles of honour dignitie And this thou wilt attaine to at the Abbey of Bec or noe where Therefore without all delay he went thither putt on the habitt of S. BENEDICTS order in the sayd monastery where the venerable man Hurluin was Abbot who out of his owne meanes and patrimonie had first built founded that Abbey ANSELME was then at the age of 27. yeares when he became soe carefull attentiue to imitate the vertues of his other brethren that at the terme of three yeares he became him self to be a bright mirrour of religious perfection and monasticall discipline to the whole conuent Soe that B. LANERANK being taken from the Priorship to be made Abbot of the monastery of Cane ANSELME much against
which was her dowrie giuen by her first husband Tonbert and the place destined for the perpetuall habitation of her and her successours But trauelling this long iourney on foote accompanied only with two other sisters being all more then vsually wearied with the labour and heate of the way they sate downe vnder the protection of a shadie groue a while to refresh their tired bodies with a desired rest Where after a short sleepe they arose and as it is A strainge miracle constantly reported by the Authours of her life they found the holy Virgins staffe which she had stuck in the ground at her head to be miraculously growne into a fayre greene tree which afterwards came to be a mightie Ashe bigger then anie of the same kind in all that countrey and the place was euer after called by the name of Etheldredstowe where a Church was built in honour of the holy Virgin and in memorie of this miraculous accident VIII AT the I le of Ely therefore she at length arriued where in Ely first built by S. Augustine times past as manie Authours affirme sainct AVGVSTINE our Apostle had built a monasterie at the charge of Ethelbert King of Kent and dedicated it to the Blessed Virgin MARIE and placed therein a Conuent of Benedictine Monkes about the yeare of our Lord six hundred But afterwards when Penda that tirannous King of the Mercians had layd to wast all the countrey of the East-Angles that Monasterie was allsoe made to fall into the confusion of an vntimely ruine which now our holy ETHELDRED not only reedified againe but allsoe restored to a farre greater state of glorie When manie other Virgins drawne thither with the fame of her holy life and vertues ranged them selues into the discipline of a regular life vnder her gouernment for by the authoritie of S. WILFRID she was made Abbesse of the same place soe that within a short time she Etheldred made Abbesse of Ely had gathered a worthy Conuent of holy Benedictine Nunnes that night and day sung the prayses of allmightie God and led a most strict and holy life Then by the meanes of the same Saint WILFRID and the instance of our holy Virgin this new Monasterie of Ely was established with manie priuiledges and liberties by the authoritie of the Pope exempted from the iurisdiction and power of Bishops IX BVT with how great sainctitie vertue and pious example of With how great vertue she gouerned life our holy ETHELDRED gouerned the same Monasterie with how great continencie she liued and with what heauenly guifts and graces she was adorned by allmightie GOD it farre exceedeth the weaknes of this penne to rehearse From her first entrance into the monasterie she neuer vsed anie other cloathing but of wollen which she wore allso next vnto her skinne She seldom made vse of warme bathes a thing much practised in those daies but against the greatest solemnities of the yeare as Easter whitsuntide and the like nether then would she take them but after all the rest of her Sisters when she had first playd the part of a diligent seruant in helping them in that act In her diet she was so sparing that she allwaies cōtented her self with on small meale a day vnlesse ether the solemnitie of some great feast her owne infirmitie of body or some other greater cause compelled her to enlarge her ordinary allowance In diuine prayer and contemplation she was soe vntired that after the performance of the mid-nights office in the quire she alwaies continued her deuotion in the Church till the next morning Herevppon the diuine goodnes that is neuer wanting to his seruants adorned his vertuous Spouse with the grace of doing manie miraculous cures on the bodies of possessed and diseased persons and allso indowed her with the guift of prophesie by vertue whereof she foretould the cōming of an ineuitable sicknes to the monasterie which to her and manie of her sisters should be the messenger of death specifying withall the certaine nūber of those that should come vnder the cruell arrest of that fearefull seargeant X. AT length the time drawing neere in which the Spouse of all She falleth sick pure soules CHRIST-IESVS had determined to take this his beloued spouse out of the frayle barke of this mortall state to the heauenly dwellings of his glorious Kingdom she was attached with a sicknes which brought with it such a cruell swelling and impostume in her neck and throate that her body growing dayly to lower and lower degrees of weaknes she was compelled to entertaine both those incommodities in her bed When allbeit the swelling gaue her most sharpe feelings of her paine she neuerthelesse being attentiue to her accustomed deuotions ceased not to render thankes vnto almightie God who vseth the scourge of a pious chastisement to correct those he truely loueth Then nothing but weeping and lamenting was to bee seene or heard in the house her familie and the poeple adioyning grieued to loose soe good a Mistresse and her holy and chast quire of virgins sorowed more then can be expressed with feare to be deuided from soe good a mother Only she her self for whō was made all this lamentation seemed in heart and countenance most ioyfull whose confidence in the diuine goodnes was such and soe great that she was nothing terrified with the apprehension and feare of death And when the paine of her impostume gaue her the sharpest remembrance she seemed much delighted therewith and endured it as the delights and ornaments of her glorie vsing these words to the by-standers Most certainely I know that I deseruedly suffer this swelling in my neck about which in my youth I was wont to weare manie vaine bracelets and goulden ornaments of pride Therefore I giue heartie thankes vnto the diuine goodnes that thence my grief springs where I was wōt to make shew of a delightfull vanitie And I beleeue and trust that my pious Redeemer by afflicting me with this paine will mercifully absolue me frō the punishmēt due vnto my former leuitie A rare example of vertue * Harpsfield saec 7. c. 24. Our English woemen are wont to weare about their necks a certaine chaine made of fine small silke which we call Etheldreds chaine it may be in memory of what we haue here sayd And would to God this monument would stirre vp our minds as indeed it ought to imitate the vertues and holy life of S. ETHELDRED which surely is the end for which it was first instituted and vsed And the same I wish vnto those Peeres and noble men both of England and other nations who carrie a chaine about their necks called A Collar of S. S. which letters signifie the name of Saint Simplicius who borne of the bloud of Roman Senatours generously suffered death for the loue of CHRIST Truely then these chaines would become of no lesse ornament both to men and woemen then in times past that chaine was to Titus Manlius