The history of the Church of Englande. Compiled by Venerable Bede, Englishman. Translated out of Latin in to English by Thomas Stapleton student in diuinite

Howe a certaine man was cured of the palsey at his tombe.

The 31. Chapter.

THere was in the same monasterie a certaine monke named Beadwegen, whose office of longe time was to serue such geastes and straungers as came, and is alyue yet to this daye, a man of whose much deuotion and religiou∣se conuersation all the bretherne and strangers that resorte thither to beare witnesse and testifie. And that obediently and dewly he doth the office put vnto him, only for the rewarde that he looketh for aboue. This man on a certaine day when he had washed in the sea the mantels or clothes that he occu∣pied in the hospitall, comming home againe was in the myd way sodainly taken with a paine in his bodie, in such wise that he fell downe on the earth, and laye flat on the ground for a space, and could scant at last get vp againe. And when he was

rysen vp he felte the halfe part of his body from the head to the fete to be greuously taken and stryken with a palsey, and so with much paine he came home to the howse leaning on a staffe. The disease grew and encreased litle, and litle: and when night came, was waxen so greuouse and painfull, that the next day he was scant able to ryse vp or go by himselfe. Into which paine and aduersitie he being thus brought, conceaued in his mynd a profitable way and counsell, which was to get him to the churche by some meanes or other as well as he could, and enter into the tombe of the blessed father Cutberte, and there vpon his knees humbly to beseche the highe soueraine good∣nes of God, that either he might be deliuered from the anguish and paine, if it were so good and profitable for him, ot els if it behoued him to be lōger chastened with that grief by the gra∣tiouse prouision of God, that he might then patiently and with meke mynd beare and suffer this paine and afflicton put vpon him. And as he had deuised and purposed in his mynd, so he did in dede, and bearing vp and staying his feble lymmes with a staffe he went into the churche, and there fell downe prostrate at the corse of the man of God, praying with feruent entent and deuotion that through his helpe and intercession our Lorde wold be good and mercifull vnto him. And as he was at his prayers falling as it were in a certaine softe slumber, he felte (as he him selfe was afterward wont to tell) like as a great brode hand touche his head in that place where the grief was, and with the same touching passe along ouer all his body to the very feete, on that syde where the paine laye, and there with al by litle and litle the grief wēt away, and straight therō followed perfecte health: which done he awoke forthwith, and rose vp sound and hole and geuing thankes to our Lorde for his health, came and shewed the brethern what had chaun∣ced vnto him. And at the great reioysing of all men he retour∣ned againe to the office and seruice that he was wonte dili∣gently

to doo, being nowe as it were made better and more seruisiable by this tryeng and examining scourge of God. The clothes also wherewith the holy body of Cutberte was clad either before in his lyfe time, or after when he was dead did not want the grace and gyfte of healing the sicke:* 1.1 as who so will reade, shall fynd in the booke of his lyfe and ver∣tues.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In the third to∣me of S. Bedes workes.