sirnamed the Great Huntingdon and Hoveden doe thus write oâ— it In the said year which was the fifteenth of the Raign of Kenulf King of the West-Saxons began a great change of the right hand of the most High For then did Charles the Greaâ— King of France upon the death of his Father King Pipin begâ—n his raign to whom thirty years after the Roman Empire which had been glorious so many ages became subject and continues so to his Successours to these times 2. We declared before how a great league of freindship and Royall presents interven'd between the two late Kings Pipin and Egbert King of the Northumbers The like freindship and society did Alâ—ed now King of the Northumbers demand of Charles the glorious Successour of King Pipin This we collect from a Letter written by him and his Queen Ogâ—â—fu to S. Lullus Arch-bisop of Mentz In which he desires him to assist with his counsell and favour the Embassadours which he had sent to his Lord and Patron the most glorious King Carl that peace and freindship many be established between them 3. In the same Epistle likewise which is an answer to one sent him from S. Lullus in behalf of the disquietted Churches in his dominion the same King and Queen not only humbly begg the Holy Bishops prayers for themselves but likewise send him a Catalogue of the Names of their speciall kinred freindâ— lately dead of whom they desire him to be mindfull at the Holy Altar assuring him that the same Charity shall be extended to all his relations in their Churches Indeed we can scarce meet with any Epistleâ— written in theâ—e times but this is generally onâ— clause and part of the busines 4. About this time saith Harpsfeild there flourished in Brittany two Religious Virgins famous for their piety and learning calld Rictrudis and Gisla Disciples of the famously learned Alcuin who taught very many aâ— this time in Brittany He was not unmindfull of the advice given him by his Master Archbishop Egbert of going to Rome and thence returning into France But seeing how usefull and even necessary his abode was in Brittany he delayd the said iourney till a fitt opportunity was presented him as we shall declare And as touching the foresaid Illustrious Virgins we shall in due time mention the kind and learned Letters which passed between them and their Master when he lived in France XII CHAP. 1. Succession of Bishops 2. Of Pope Adrian to whom the King of the Northumbers sends Embassadours 5. The Church of S Boniface miraculously preserved from fire 6 7 c Offa King of the Mercians invades and subdues severall Principalities Fictions of Mathew Paris 1. IN the year of our Lords Incarnation seaven hundred seaventy one the two Bishops of the East-Angles luckily again dyâ— together and to Aldebert Bishop of Dumwich is substituted Eglafe to Lanfeâ—t Bishop Oâ— Helmham Athelwolf In the next following age these two Sees were united into one which first remaind at Helmham thence waâ— translated to Thetford and lastly to Norwich 2. The year following to Pope Steven succeeded the worthy and learned Pope Hadrian first of that name to whom Alfred King of the Northumbers sent an Embassadour to congratulate his assuÌ„ption and for other Ecclesiasticall affairs not recorded To this Embassadour Alcuin gave an Epistle direâ—ted to the same Pope full of humble respect to him and congratulation to the Church for enioying the happines of so worthy a Pastour The Embasadours name was Angilbert whom Alcuâ—â— calls his most beloved Son to wâ—om he câ—â—mitted certain requests to be presented by word of mouth 3. The same year Kenulf King of the West-Saxons added to his former liberality towards the Ancient Monastery of Glastonbury the Mannor of Compton This he gave to the Abbot thereof called Waldun who newly succeeded to Guban 4. Afterward the See of London being vacant by the death of Eadgar in his place succeeded Kenwalck Nothing remains of the Gefts of either Neither can any account be given more of the names of Cuthrid Bishop of Lichfeild who dyed at the same time to whom was substituted Bertâ—â—n Hoveden calls them by other names as likewise the Episcopall See too It is a difficulty not worth the penetrating 5. It will not be impertinent in this place to relate how miraculously God gave testimony to the Gests Doctrine Sanctity of S. Boniface of late happy memory by defending his Church of Fritzlar froÌ„ the fury of the Saxons They making an invasion into the confines of the French dominions besieged a certain Strong Castle called Barimburg During which siege they wasted with sword and â—â—e the countrey circumjacent Their principall rage was directed against the Church of Fritzlare built by S. Boniface and concerning which he had prophecied that it should never be consumed by fire Whilst the furious Pagans were exeâ—cising their utmost diligence to make this a false Prophecy and were heaping wood and casting firebrands to sett it on fire there appeard to severall Christians in the foresaid Castle and to some Pagans likewise two men in white shining raiments who protected the Church from fire so that by no diligence or pains taken within or without the Church could the Pagans effect their desire On the contrary a terrour from heaven seising on them they fled away none pursuing them When they were gone there was found one Saxon Soldier stark dead upon his knees with fire and wood in his hands bowing down in the posture of one blowing the fire with an intention to burn the said Church Thus did God shew his power and favour to his faithfull servant And though shortly after he permitted the Church of S. Swibert at Werda to be consumed by fire yet so terrible a punishment he inflicted on the Authours that it became evident that the said Blessed Bishop preached the true Orthodoxe Faith 6. In the year of Grace seaven hundred seaventy four Offa King of the Mercians a Prince of high Spirits began troubles which in successe of time endangerd the ruine of severall petty kingdoms of Brittany For having three years before this subdued the Nation of the Hestings in the Southern parts of the Island or Sussex he extended his ambition to add also the kingdom of Kent to his conquests And because Lambert or as some Copies write Lambert then Archbishop of Canterbury endeavoured to defeat his ambition he turned his indignatioÌ„ against that Church also the dignity and revenews of which â—e sought to diminish For he took from it severall Mannors as Cherring Seleberts Chert and severall others which were afterward restored 7. This wart between Offa and Alric is thus breifly described by Huntingdon In the twentieth year of Kenulf King of the West-Saxons saith he Offa King of the Mercians fought against the Kentish men at place called Ottanford where the slaughter was most horrible especially on the Kentish partâ— So that King
read this passage Vther-Pendragon the Brother of Ambrosius dying by poyson in the tenth year after the coming of Cerdic the West-Saxon his Son Arthur a youth of fifteen years began to rule over the Brittains His Mothers name was Igerna and he was born in a Castle of Cornwall call'd Tintagel In which Narration we find no aspersion cast on his Birth Though it be not very credibile which follows in the same Antiquities that by his Mother he was descended from a Nephew of Saint Ioseph of Arimathea call'd Heâ—anis And whereas he is savd to be no more then fifteen years of age when his Father dyed that suits not with what was before related from Malmsburiensis That Ambrosius repress'd the insolence of the Saxons by the courageous exploits of Warlick Prince Arthur So that he could be no lesse then twenty years old at the year of Grace four hundred ninety three By which account since generally our Writers assign twenty six years to his Raign and agree that he dyed in the year five hundred forty two his death will happen when he was seaventy years old II. CHAP. 1.2.3 Prince Arthur fights against the Picts and kills Huel 1. ARthur was not present in the Army when his Father Vther was slain For at the same time he had employment enough to oppose the irruptions of the Picts in the Northern parts of Brittany And for this reason probably it is that in the Annals of the Saxons there is no mention of him the design of which Annals being to relate the encounters between them and the Brittains and their own almost uninterrupted conquests they neglected the affaires intervening betwen the Brittains and Picts 2. Now at that time liv'd a King of the Picts by some writers call'd Navuâ— by others Can happy in a fruitfull offspring for he had four and twenty children Of which the Eldest was call'd Howel or Huel a Prince of invincible courage who would by no means acknowledge any subjection to Brittany into which faction he drew all the rest of his Brethren excepting only S. Gildas sirnam'd Albanius who was one of them and bore a particular affection to Prince Arthur 3. The sayd Huel being of a restles spirit made frequent inroads into Brittany as we read in the life of S. Gildas written by Caradoc a considerable Brittish Historian And so cruelly did he wast the Countrey that the Brittish King sent Prince Arthur with a numerous Army who began a most furious war against the bold young man And after many defeats given him he never left pursuing him till at last compelling him to fight in a certain Island call'd Mynau he slew him III. CHAP. 1.2 c. Of S. Gildas Albanius and his Gests 7.6 Melvas a Brittish Prince steales away K. Arthurs wife 1. HAving upon occasion of King Arthurs war against the Picts made mention of S. Gildas Albanius it will be seasonable in this place to relate breifly his Gests as we find them sprinckled in severall ancient Monuments We have already signified that he is to be distinguish'd from another of that name call'd Gildas Sapiens and Gildas Historicus who was younger then he though contemporary to him of whom we shall treat hereafter Yet their agreement in the same name and in severall good qualities hath been the cause that in some Writers they are confounded together and the titles of Sapiens and Historicus have been attributed also to this elder Saint Gildas who likewise by the testimony of Pits did write the life and Gests of S. German and S. Lupus and also a History of the Brittish Kings and other Treatises besides which are now lost 2. This Elder S. Gildas as we read in his life conserved by Capgrave was the Son of Can King of Albania In his childhood being of an excellent disposition he was carefully instructed in litterature wherein he proffited wonderfully Afterward he was sent into Gaule that there having greater advantages for encreasing in knowledge he might attain to higher perfection There he aboad seaven years after which he returned into Brittany furnish'd not only with â—earning but abundance of Books also a â—â—re treasure in his rude countrey And the report of his eminent learning being spread abroad many flock'd to him from all quarters to be instructed by him 3. But he was more diligent to enrich himself with vertue and piety then knowledge So that none could be found in all those regions comparable to him in assiduous prayers mortifications fasting and wearing sack-cloath He wholly abstaind from flesh contenting himself with barley bread and herbes with which he mix'd ashes to abate the pleasure which his tast might take in his food and his drink was pure water from the fountain He would ordinarily at midnight plunge himself in the river for mortification and spend the rest of the night in Prayer By these austerities he became so lean that he look'd as if he had been in a feaver Whatsoever was bestowed on him by rich men he presently distributed to the poore 4. Being thus qualified his Charity drew him out of his own countrey into Ireland where the Gospel of Christ was not so well settled There he spent many years in instructing that Nation But being informed that in the more Northern parts of his own countrey Gentilism was generally profess'd and those few Christians which lived there were poyson'd with many Heresies he return'd thither And being throughly furnish'd with the Spirituall Armour of God he demonstrated to the Pagans that the supposed Deities worship'd by them were nothing but the inventions of impious men and to the Hereticks that what they beleived was contrary to Divine Truth revealed to Gods Church By these means he brought the Pagans to destroy their Idols and prophane Temples to receive Baptism and erect Churches to the Honour of the true God and the Hereticks he reduced into the bosom of the Catholick Church Now to make his preaching more effectuall our Lord gave him a plentifull Grace to heale the sick to give light to the blind to cure the deaf to cleanse the leaprous and such as were possess'd by the Devill and to make the lame to walk c. Thus by his preaching confirmed with frequent miracles the true Faith was spread through all those Provinces to the unexpressible ioy of S. Gildas who ceased not to give thanks to our Lord for his infinite mercies to those poor people 5. The Authour of his life in Capgrave relates how after this he travelled to Rome But such a iourney not suiting with his old age it is more probable that it was undertaken in his younger years when he lived in Gaule Others write more reasonably that after this employment he was invited by the Holy Abbot Saint Cadocus to take care and preside over the Studies of many young Schollars in the Academy of Lancar-van where he continued only one year leaving there saith Bishop Vsher a Book of the four
to the Faith and likewise strengthned in the same Faith and Love of Christ many who before beleived 3. Supposing it may be for the Readers edification I will not neglect to set down here at large some of those wonderfull visions which in an Excesse of mind our Lord revealed to him concerning the state of soules after death Which visions saith Saint Beda he himself would sometimes declare but only to such as out of a desire of compunction asked him 4. This holy man saith the same Authour was descended from a most Noble family among the Irish Scots but was much more Noble for the vertues of his mind then his blood From his very child-hood he carefully gave himself to reading holy Books and practising Religious austerities and which most became Gods Saints whatsoever good things he learnt by reading he was solicitous to expresse in his practise 5. To be breif in processe of time he built himself a Monastery to the end he might more freely and without interruption attend to heavenly meditations Where on a certain time falling into an infirmity he was rapt from his body and in that Extasy which continued from Evening to Cockcrowing he was favoured with the sight of troops of Angels and the hearing the Hymns of Praises which they sung to our Lord. And among other particulars he was wont to relate how he heard them distinctly to chant these verses of the Psalm The Saints shal goe from vertue to vertue And again The God of Gods shall be seen in Sion 6. Three days after being again in an Extasy he saw yet more glorious apparitions of Angels and heard Divine Lauds sung by them more solemnly Moreover there were discovered to him very earnest contentions of Wicked Spirits who by many accusations of a certain Sinner lately dead endeavoured to stop his passage to heaven but by reason the Holy Angels protected him they could not effect their desire 7. Now if any one desires to be more accuratly informed in all these particulars touching the malicious subtilty with which the Devils layd to the Mans charge all his actions idle words and even his very thoughts as if they had them written in a Book as likewise severall others some ioyfull others sad which he learnt from the Angels and glorified Saints which he saw among them let him read the Book of this Saints life and I doubt not he will receive thereby much spiritual edification Amongst all which I will select one passage to putt in this History from which many may receive proffit 8. On a certain time being elevated in Spirit he was commanded by the Angels which conducted him to look down upon the Earth whereupon bowing his eyes down ward he saw as it were a darke valley under him in a very low bottom He saw likewise in the aire four fires not much distant from one another And asking the Angels what fires those were he was told that those were the fires which now inflamed the world and would in the end consume it The first was the fire of Lying when we doe not perform what we promised in Baptism to renounce Sathan and all his works The second was the fire of Covetousnes when we preferre worldly riches before the love of heaven The third was the fire of Dissension when we are not affraid to offend our neighbours even for things of no moment The fourth was the fire of Iniquity when we make no conscience to robb or cousen those who are weaker then our selves Now these four fires encreasing by little at last ioynd together and became an immense flame And when they approached near them Fursey was afraid and sayd to the Angel Sir behold the flames come close to us But the Angel answered Fear not for since thou didst not kindle this fire it will not burn thee For though this flame seems to thee great and terrible yet it tryes every one according to his Merits so that the concupiscence which is in any one shall burn in this fire For accordingly as every one being in the body is inflamed by unlawfull pleasure so being loosd from his body shall he burn by condign torment Then he saw one of the three Angels which in both these visions had been his conductours goe before the other and divide the flame and the other two flying on each side of him which defended him from the danger of the fire He saw likewise many Devils flying through the fire and kindling war against the just These malign Spirits pursued him likewise with accusations but the good Angels defended him And after this he saw greater numbers of blessed Spirits among which some were of his own Nation Preists who had well discharged their Office as he had heard by report By these he was informed of many things very proffitable both to himself and all who are willing to attend to them When they had finished their speeches and were returned to Heaven with the rest of the Angels there remaind only with Saint Fursey the three Angels mentioned before who were to restore him to his body And when he came close to the foresaid great fire one of the Angels divided it as before But when the Man of God was come to a dore which stood open among the flames the Vnclean Spirits snatching up one of those whom they were tormenting in the flames and casting him against him touched him and burnt his shoulder and one of his cheekes He knew the man and remembred how when he was ready to dye he had received of him a garment But the Angel laying hold of him cast him back into the fire But the Devil answered Doe not cast him back since you have once received him For as you have taken the goods belonging to a Sinner so you must be partakers of his punishment But the Angel replied He took not that out of covetousnes but for saving the mans soule After this the burning ceased and the Angel turning himself to Saint Fursey said The fire that thou hast kindled has now burnt thee For if thou hadst not received money from this man who is dead in his sins thou hadst not tasted of his torments Many other discourses he made giving him wholesom instructions how he should deale with such as repented at their death 9. Saint Fursey being afterward restored to his body caried visibly in his shoulder and cheek all his life time the marks of the burning which he had suffred in his soule c. There remains alive to this day an ancient Monk of our Monastery who is wont to tell us that a man of great integrity and veracity assured him that he saw Saint Fursey himself in the Province of the East-Angles and from his own mouth heard him relate his Visions Adding that it was in the time of a very sharp frosty winter and yet the Holy man wearing only a single sleight garment whilst he related these things yet partly by the extreme fear and sometimes great
11. Her death was answerable to her life before which a wonderfull vision was shewd to her for before the Altar of the Blessed Virgin a Ladder was erected up to heaven Angels descended to comfort her She commanded her Sisters to conceale this Vision and awhile after signing her self confidently with the sign of the Crosse and lifting up her eyes hands to heaven she breathed forth her pure spirit and those who were present saw her freind the holy Bishop Genesius among troops of Angels coming to meet her on the third day before the Calends of February Her memory is celebrated the same day in the Gallican Martyrologe Her Sacred Body was afterward diligently sought and translated to a more honourable place in the time of S Lewis the Commemoration whereof is solemnised on the eight and twentieth of March. XX CHAP. 1. Anna King of the East-Angles slain by K. Penda 2.3 c The Mercian Tyrant Penda miraculously slain by K. Oswi who consecrates his daughter to God 1. IN the year of Grace six hundred fifty four saith Mathew of westminster Penda King of the Mercians a man who breathed nothing but fury and war and loved to tread in ways staind with blood invaded the Religious King of the East-Angli Anna and in a moment destroyd him and his army To him his Brother Aethelherus succeeded in the Kingdom With King Anna was slain his eldest son Firminâ—â— and both their bodies were buryed at a Town called Blithborow in Suffolk seated on the River Blith Which town saith Camden deserves to be mentioned for no other thing but that there was the Sepulcher of Anna a Christian King of the East-Angli slain in battle by Penda the Mercian King But afterward their bodies were translated to S. Edmunds-bury in the same Province 2. But the year following this bloody King Penda who seems to have been raised up for the destruction of good Kings received at last the reward of his cruelty by the hands of Oswi King of the Northumbers The particular Narration we receive from S. Beda In those times saith he King Oswi having received intolerable vexations from Penda King of the Mercians who formerly slew his Brother King Oswald at last was forced to promise him incredibly rich gifts to obtain a peace for a cessation of the ruines of his Provinces But the perfidious King Penda would accept of no conditions being determined to exterminate his whole Nation Whereupon King Oswi had his recourse to the Divine Protection only to deliver him from the barbarous impiety of his enemy Wherefore he obliged himself by vow saying since this Pagan King refuses our gifts let us offer them to our Lord God who will graciously accept tâ—em He vowed therefore that in case he gott the victory he would consecrate his daughter to serve our Lord in perpetuall Virginity and withall bestow twelve possessions of farms for building and endowing Monasteries After which vow he marched with a very small army to combat him 3. Such a wonderfull inequalâ—ty there was between the two Armies that the Pagans had a thirty fold greater army then the Christian King Oswi for they had thirty Legions conducted by as many Generalls against whom notwithstanding Oswi with his Son Alcfrid trusting only in Christ their conductour with very small forces adventured to combat King Oswi his Son Egfrid was not present there for he was then kept as an hostage by King Penda's wife And Edilwald son of King Oswald who ought to have assisted him was on the Enemies side being one of Penda's Captains to fight agaâ—nst his Vncle and countrey Though true it is that in the time of battell he withdrew himself into a safe place there expecting the event Yea we read in the History of the Brittains that Alcfrid also the Son of King Oswi rebelling against his Father was ioynd with King Penda 4. Yet notwithstanding all these disadvantages as soon as the combat began the thirty Pagan Generalls of King Penda were putt to flight and slain and almost all their auxiliaries Among which was also Edilhere Brother and Successour of Anna late King of the East-angles who was the authour of the war he together with the forces attending him was likewise slain And because the battell was fought near the River Iuwet which by reason of great raines had overflowed its banks the waters consumed more in the flight then swords had in the combat 5. This wonderfull victory was gaind in the thirteenth year of King Oswi his raign and on the seaventeenth day before the Calends of December in the region of Loidis now called Leeds io Yorkshire were above thirty years before King Edwin had overcome the Brittains The River which in S. Beda is called Iuwet Mathew of Westminster more properly calls Winwed adding that thence the Proverb came That in the River Winwed were revenged the slaughters of five Kings Anna Sigebirt Egric Oswald and Edwin And near the place is yet extant a village either from this or King Edwins victory called Winfeild 6. This victory brought incredible proffit to both the Nations for the Northumbers were secured from the hostile incursions of their Enemies and the Nations both of the Mercians and other confining Provinces became converted to the Christian Faith assoon as their perfidious Head was cutt off For immediatly after the most Christian King Oswi took possession of Penda's kingdom by whose order the Holy Preist Diuma was ordaind by Finan Bishop both of the Mercians and Midland-Angli for by reason of the scarcity of Preists one Prelate was obliged to govern two Nations And now also the Conversion of the East-Saxons under their King Sigebert of which we treated before was perfected 7. King Oswi having thus by divine assistance gaind so miraculous a victory forgot not his Vow But saith the same S. Beda according to his promise made to our Lord and in thanks-giving for his victory he gave his daughter Elsleda scarce then a year old to be consecrated in perpetual Virginity to our Lord and moreover twelve possessions of lands for the maintaining Religious persons to pray dayly for the perpetual peace of his Nation Of which each possession was ten families The foresaid daughter of King Oswi therefore entred into the Monastery calld Heortsig or the Island of the Hart which was governed by the Holy Abbesse Hilda And two years after having obtaind a possession of ten families in a place calld Streneshalch she there built a Monastery in which the foresaid Kings daughter first learnt and afterwards taught Regular observance till having spent three-score years in our Lords service the happy Virgin hastned to the embraces of her heavenly Bridegroom XXI CHAP. i. 2 c. The Gests and happy death of the Holy Abbesse S. Hilda 1. AS for S. Hilda mentiond by S. Beda she was the daughter of Hereric Grand child of King Edwin by his son Egfrid
a man of a red colour and a splendour inexpressible which marked the outward dore of the house with the Sign of the Crosse thereby happily prefiguring that the infant then ready to be born should constantly cary in his body the Crosse of Christ. A great multitude of neighbours there present being astonished with the strangenes of this Miracle concluded that some great unknown Mystery was represented by it when presently one of the Midwives issuing forth pâ—blished the birth of the infant When he was baptized he had the name Guthlac given him which in the Saxon language signifies A good gift And indeed he was given to his parents by God to the end he might courageously fight against their oppressours both carnall and spirituall and victoriously triumph over them He was of a countenance chearfull and mild so that he became gratefull and beloved by all 3. When he had attained to the four and twentieth year of his age seeing the Enemies of his countrey grow strong he began to aspire to military honours and raising soldiers he feircely invaded them broke into their Citties subverted their Castells and by many warlick exploits gaind to himself immortall fame Yet even in the midst of his fury he shewd mercy to his enemies and restored a third part of all the spoiles gotten by him 4. But at last calling to mind the sad and â—earfull deaths of many Princes from whom he had descended and considering how all secular pomp is but a smoke suddenly passing away that life is short death terrible a dreadfull Iudge and the pains to be suffred for sins incomprehensible endles Therefore calling his soldiers together he told them That having hitherto fought for vanities he would spend the remainder of his life in our Lords warfare That they should chuse themselves a Captain but for his part he would follow the Crosse of his Captain Christ. And when by no perswasions he could be drawn from this resolution quitting his arms he went to Rependon or rather Rippon where there was a famous Monasteâ—y in which receiving the Clericall Tensure he submitted himself to a strict Monasticall Discipline wholly abstaining from any drink which could inebriate He was very diligent in learning the Psalms and Church Hymnes and in the space of two years he with great facility advanced himself in the knowledge of Srcred Scriptures He had a pleasing aspect was humble in his gesture and gate religiously shewing great fear of in God his actions firm in Faith patient in hope profuse in Charity kind and mild to all provident in counsell and circumspect in his words 5. Having spent two years in a Coenobiticall conversation he aspired to greater austerities in a solitary Anachoreticall life Now there is in Brittany a vast fenny countrey which beginning from the River Gronâ—e extends itself Northward along the Sea coast for a very great space and it is variously divided by feâ—ns woods and serpentine rivers Thither did he repair having fiâ—st obtained leave of his Religious Brethren and was told by the inhabitants of the place that the Iâ—le was named Câ—oyland where severall persons having had a desire to dwell were forced to fly away by terrible apparitions of Devills This report not discouraging him he passed over into it in a fishers boat on the Feast day of S. Bantholmew the Apostle in whose intercession having a speciall confidence he resolved to make his abode there in that place of horrour and vast solitude having with him only two young men which had followed him 6. Whereupon he built himself a small cottages his cloathing was only raw skins of beasts and his nourishment barley-bread with muddey water and this never till Sunâ—ett and with great parsimony The Enemy of mankind therefore envying the Humility of this Man of God did suggest to his mind so vehement a tentation that he had falln into the pitt of despaire had not our Lord mercifully regarded him by the intercession of the Blessed Apostle S. Bartholmew For when he being in great disturbance of mind was upon the point to desert his Desart S. Bartholmew visibly appearing to him encouraged him to coÌ„stancy by discovering that such Tentations were permitted by our Lord for the tryall of his Faith and to the end that distrusting himself he might place all his confidence in God who would never forsake him After such like exhortations the Apostle vanished out of his sight and from that hower the Devill never had the boldnes to tempt him with the spirit of Despair 7. Consequently the devout Authour recounts severall other particular Tentations horrible apparitions of Devills in severall shapes sometimes perswading him to immoderate and indiscreet fasting thereby to destroy his health sometimes insulting upon him whipping binding and carrying him through those fenng places c. all which he despised and triumphed over 8. Now as hath been sayd there were attending him two younâ— men the name oâ— one of them was Bertelin he had received the Clericall Tonsure and served our Lord in Spiritual Exercises under the direction of the Holy man Now the Wicked Spirit perceiving that he could not by any tentation subvert the Saint raised in the heart of this young man so violent a passion against him that he took a firm resolution to murder his Master and Teacher that he being dispatched out of the way his house and furniture in it might descend as by right upon him But the pious servant of our Lord by revelation of the Holy Ghost was acquainted with all these malicious designs of Bertelin therefore on a certain day calling him to him he plainly and distinctly told him all his thoughts when and where and in what manner and with what intention he had designed his murder The young man perceiving that he was deprehended with great remorse cast himself at his feet begged and easily obtaind pardon And from that hower he shewed all fidelity to him and continued with him to his death after which he had the honour to assist at his buriall This is the same Bertelin who dictated all these particulars to Felix the Writer of his Life 9. Hereto the Authour addes severall miâ—aculous signs wrought upon severall occasions by the man of God which the Reader at leasure may have recourse to Moreover he relates how he was visited by a certain Bishop named Hedda who being a witnesse of his piety testified by his discerning the thoughts of a Preist called Wilfrid who attended the Bishop and promised to explore whether he was not an Hypocrite such as he had seen many in Scotland who pretending a solitary life gave themselves to idlenes and excesse Hereupon the Bishop forced the Holy man against his will to receive the degree and honour of Preist-hood 10. One particular more we will add breifly mentioned by the foresaid Authour of his life but more fully related by Ingulfus Abbot of Croyland who writes the History of his Abbey beginning it with this story of the Conversion of