of the devil, lest with leasing he should corrupt their faith, and draw their minds from the preaching. The people then begun suddenly to rush forth in the midst of this admonition, being greatly deceived, so that they too little heeded the precepts. For the deceptive fiend had greatly deluded them, as if there really were a house burning there, crackling with brands, though illusively. Then the people would extinguish the fire, if any water might diminish it; but the presence of the saint easily quenched the delusion of the devil, whom they erringly had followed, and but little heeded the word of life. The people then ashamed returned to the instruction that they had before left, praying their teacher's kind pity for having before too little heeded his precepts, when he related the peril before them.

But Cuthberht at another time saved alone a burning house from the fire's damage, with holy prayers, and drove away the blast of wind, who had ere very often extinguished the envenomed darts of devilish temptation directed against himself, through the protection of the righteous Lord. He would oftentimes fearlessly preach to the people in a distant land. Verily the Almighty had given him a sweet eloquence for people's instruction, and men could not hide their minds from him, but humbly confessed their secrets to him, and durst not do otherwise, and by his direction privily made atonement.

A pious man also had great intimacy with the holy Cuthberht, and frequently enjoyed his instruction. It befell his wife worse than he needed, so that she was greatly afflicted by madness. Thereupon the pious man came to the blessed Cuthberht, and he was at that time set as provost in the monastery which is at Lindisfarne. But he could not for shame openly say to him that his pious wife lay in a state of madness; but begged that he would send a brother to perform her last offices, before she were taken from life. But Cuthberht knew all about the woman, and would himself immediately visit her; because she had previously lived piously, although misfortune had so befallen her. Then the man began sadly to weep, deploring his misfortune. But Cuthberht by his words comforted him, and said that the devil, who would injure her, should on his visit forsake her, and flee away in great fright, and the woman in her senses, well speaking, come to meet him, and receive his bridle. It happened, according to the teacher's words, that the woman in her senses greeted him by words, prayed that she might prepare him meat, and informed him how the devil had secretly left her, and, greatly fearing, had taken flight, while the saint was journeying thither.

The holy Cuthberht afterwards performed mighty wonders while dwelling in the mynster. He then began to devise in his mind how he might flee from the people's praise, lest he should be too famous in

the world and a stranger to heavenly praise. He would, therefore, lead a solitary anchorite life, and live wholly in obscurity. Whereupon he went to Farne in the flowing wave. The island is all beaten

by the salt ocean, in the middle of the sea; and all within, before that time, was very full of swart ghosts, so that men could not cultiate the soil for the threats of the swart devils; but they at last all fled and entirely vacated the island to the noble champion; and he there dwelt alone, regardless of their envy, through Almighty God. But that island was wholly deprived of the blessing of water in its barren rocks, but the holy man forthwith bade the hardness be hollowed, in the middle of the floor of his fair dwelling, and the pleasant water then quickly sprang up, sweet in taste, for the man's use, who on a time wonderfully turned water to winelike flavour, when God so willed it.

The saint then ordered seed to be brought him; he would in the waste cultivate earth's fruits, if it so should grant Almighty God, that he with his feet might feed himself. He then sowed wheat on prepared land, but it could not spring up to fruit, nor was it even growing with grass. Then he bade barley be brought him for seed, and after the season sowed the earth. It waxed abundantly and well ripened. Then would the ravens rob him at his labours, if they durst. Then said the saint to the hard-nibbed ones, "If the Almighty have allowed you this, partake of the fruits, and ask not me. But if he have not granted it you, depart, bloodthirsty birds, to your own home from this island." Whereupon the ravens instantly fled all together, over the salt sea, and the saint then enjoyed his labour.

After that two other swart ravens came journeying, and tore [the thatch of] his house with their hard bills, and bare it to their nest, as a shelter for their young ones. These also the blessed man drove from the place with a word: but one of those birds, flying back, came after three days exeeedingly sad, and flew to his feet, earnestly praying that he might live in that land ever harmless, and his mate with him. Whereupon the holy man granted him this, and they joyfully sought that land, and brought to the teacher a gift as reward, swine's fat to oil his shoes; and they afterwards abode there harmless.

Then the saint would build a house for his use, with the aid of his brothers. He, therefore, begged of them a log, that he might support the house with it on the sea side. The brothers promised him that they would bring the tree when they again came to him. They came, indeed, as they had said, but were, notwithstanding, unmindful of the tree; but Almighty God was mindful of it, and sent him the log himself with the sea flood; and the flood cast it where he himself thought of erecting the house on the salt shore. There the saint

dwelt many years, living very rigidly an anchoret's life, and pious men frequently visited him, and by his instructions rectified their lives.

Then came to him an abbess who was named Elflæd, a sister of king Ecgfrith; she would by his admonitions fortify her mind. Amid their discourse she began to beseech the holy man to inform her how long her brother Ecgfrith might possess his kingdom. Whereupon the saint answered her with ambiguous speech, and said, "As naught is counted one year's pleasure, where swart death is impending." Then she understood that her brother might not enjoy his life over that one year, and straightways sadly weeping, asked him, "O dear friend, tell me who shall succeed to his kingdom, since he has no brother nor leaves he a child." Then said the holy man again to the maiden, "The Almighty Creator has preserved a chosen one for king of this nation, and he will be as dear to thee as is now the other." The maiden yet ventured to speak to him again, and said, " Diversely cogitate the hearts of men; some desire honour of this world, some satisfy their shameful lusts, and they all afterwards are poor. Thou despisest high dignity, and to thee it is more desirable to sit in this mean hovel than as a high bishop in hall." Then the prophet said, that he was not worthy of so great a state, nor of the lofty seat, but, nevertheless, no man could flee from the power of God in any recess of heaven, or of earth, or, thirdly, of sea. "I believe, however, if

the Almighty commanded me to be of that degree, that I should again seek this island after the course of two years, and enjoy this country. I beseech thee, Elfled, that thou mention not our discourse to any one during my life."

After these words a gemôt was holden, and Ecgfrith sat therein, and Theodore, the archbishop of this island, with many other venerable councillors; and they all unanimously chose the blessed Cuthberht for bishop. They then immediately sent letters with that message to the blessed man, but they could not bring him from his mynster. Then the king himself, Ecgfrith, rowed to the island, and bishop Trumwine with other pious men, and they earnestly besought the holy man, bent their knees, and with tears prayed him, until they drew him weeping from the waste to the synod together with them, and he at their command undertook the dignity, as it had long ago been said by the mouth of the child, and by that of the great bishop Boisil, who with true prophecy had said to him the course of his life.

In the same year also, Ecgfrith, the noble king, was slain in his unfortunate expedition, when he too rashly, against the Lord's will, resolved to make war on the Picts, and his base-born brother afterwards reigned, who for the sake of wisdom had gone to the Scots, that he might increase in learning in a foreign land. Then was fulfilled the beforesaid speech, as the holy man had said it to the maiden of her brother, before he was a bishop. The holy Cuthberht then, suffragan bishop of the church of Lindisfarne, with all diligence took care of his people, in imitation of the blessed apostles, and with continual prayers shielded them against the devil, and with salutary admonitions excited them to heaven; and he so lived as he himself taught, and always confirmed his preachings with examples, and also well embellished them with miracles, and constantly sweetened them with true love, and tempered them with great patience, and was very devout in every speech. He would not change his usual diet, nor his garments that he had in the wilderness, but held to the severities of his hard diet among lay people during his life. He was very wealthy for the poor and needy, and always very indigent for himself.

He also wrought many miracles during the time that he was a bishop. With holy water he healed a woman, the wife of an ealdorman, from a miserable disease, and she being soon well ministered to him. Again, at the same time, he anointed with oil a maiden lying in longsome pain through a tedious head-ache, and she was forthwith better. A pious man also was sorely afflicted, and lay at the point of death, given over by his friends: one of them, however, had holy bread, which the blessed man had previously blessed, and he straightways dipt it in water, and poured into the mouth of his sick kinsman,

and straightways stilled the sickness. At another time also a sick boy was suddenly borne before the sage, when he was on a journey of instruction through the country. The bearers then earnestly craved his blessing, and he straightways raised up the boy, so that he went sound on foot who had been borne thither on a bier. A poor mother bore with difficulty her half-dead child, very sad, on the same way which the sage was going. He then had pity on the sorrowful mother, and kindly kissed her son, saying that her child should be well, and all her family enjoy health: and the words of the prophet were fulfilled.

Ælflæd afterwards, the noble maiden, invited to her the holy teacher. While sitting at table, greatly moved he looked towards heaven, and cast away his knife. The blessed female then asked him why he so quickly left his meal? Then said the bishop, with excited mind, “Lo, just now I saw angels bearing a blessed soul from thy bôcland to high heaven with holy song, and his name will be forthwith known to thee at early morn, when I offer to God the vital gift in the faithful church." It was then published abroad, as the prophet had said, that her herdsman, in discharge of his duty, had ascended an oak, and was feeding his cattle with its woody crown, and he fell hardly, and departed from the world, with glory to God, through kindness to his herd. Who may ever relate all the mighty miracles of this holy man, how often he easily healed the sick, and constantly drove away the swart spirits, and the departure of men marked for death sagaciously foretold, wise through prophecy in the spirit of wisdom?

There dwelt in a hermitage a priest very orthodox, according to his precepts, and visited him every year, called Hereberht, of pensive mind. Cuthberht then soon spake with him apart, saying he should then fully ask what he needed, ere his last day, and said that he might not again see him in human life, from that present day. Hereberht was then very sad, and fell at his feet with flowing tears, praying that he might journey with him to heavenly glory from this toil, as he had in life obeyed his precepts. The bishop hereupon bowed

his knees at this prayer with cheerful mind, and immediately afterwards comforted the priest, saying that the Almighty Ruler had granted them that they might journey together from these tribulations to everlasting joy. Hereberht then returned home, and lying on his sick-bed awaited the other's end with afflicted limbs. Cuthberht the holy then with all speed hastened to the hermitage where he had before been seated; through the monition of the Mighty Lord, he would in that land end his life, where he had living long before passed his days; and in that land he was then confined to his