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 by his prayer and blessinge he relieued one of his clerkes maruelously broosed with a fall from his horse and in greate dan∣ger of deathe.

The. 6. Chapter.

NEther do I thinke yt good to passe ouer in sylence that greate myracle which a faythful seruaunt of our sauiour Christe namyd Herebalde was wonte to reporte to haue bene done and practised vppō hym selfe, who at that time was one of his clergy, and is nowe abbot in a monastery that borde∣ryth harde vppon the ryuer VVyre. So farre forth said he, as yt was lauful for a man to iudge I fownde all the whole state and māners of his life correspondēt to that grauytye and holynesse which is required in a byshoppe: and of that I am ryght well as∣suryd because I was dayly conuersant with him. But touchyng his w••nes in the sight of God, and fauour before the mygh∣th•• which sercheth the secrets of all mens hartes, I h••e•• experience in many other, but specially in my felff, •• whome be in a manner restoryd from deathe to lyfe •• prayer and benediction. For when in my first florys∣••••yng and lusty yowthe I lyuyd amongest his clergy, and was

set to schole to lerne bothe to reade and singe, and had not yet abandonyd all foolysh fantasies, and yowthfull panges, it for∣tuned one day that as we rode with him we came into a goodly playne waye and fayre grene which semed a very trymme place to runne and coorse ower horses in. And the yowng men that were in his company, especially of the lay sorte, beganne to desire the Byshop to geue thē leaue to coorse and gallop their horses. But at the first he vtterly denyed and sayd them nay with this checke: It is but a foolysh fonde thin∣ge yowe desire. At the last not able to withstande nor gayne∣say the ernest and importune request of all the whole compa∣ny, he sayd, do if yowe wyl: mary so, that Herebald refrayne, and abide with me. Than I entreating as suppliantly as I could to haue licence to galloppe my horse and coorse vpp and do∣wne with the other younge men (for I trusted well my horse, which the bishop him selfe had before geuen me) I could not preuaile at all. But when I sawe them take their horses vppe with the spurres and fetch nowe this way nowe that as coura∣giously with stoppe and turne, as could be, the bisshoppe and I beholding all their pastime, I strayt waies ouercomed with wanton courage could not stay my selfe, but went amongest the thickest of them, and ranne with the best. And as I tooke my horse vppe with the spurres, I heard him behynde my backe, with a deape sigth, to saye. O mercifull God what wo∣full woo, woorkest thou to me in ryding after thus sorte. I heard those wordes, notwithstanding with willful will I min∣ded to folow my pastime. And behold euen straightwaye as my horse wilde, fearce, and couragious with greate violence and force lept ouer a deeke by the waye, downe fell I to the grounde, and as one ready to dye by and by, lost all my senses, and was not able to moue any one ioyncte of my bodye. For whereas in the same place lay a stone close to the grounde co∣uered with a litle greene turffe, and not one other could be foū∣de

in all that plaine vally and leuell grounde, it fortuned by chaunce, or rather by the diuine prouidence off God to punis∣she my disobedience it happened, that I pitched vppon the sa∣me stone with my head, and hande which in the fal I putt vn∣der to stay my self, and so broke my thumme, and sculle off my head, that (as I said before) I lay there leeke a dead man ready for his graue. And bicause I coulde not be remoued thence, they stretched foorth a pauilion, and made me a lodging the∣re. This was aboute seuen of clocke in the morninge: from that houre vntill night I taried there with out any noyse or disquietnes euen as it had ben a dead man: than I beganne to reliue and came to my selfe againe, and was caried home to the bishops lodging, by certaine of my fellowes where I lay speach∣lesse al that night, casting and vomiting blud, because my bulc∣ke and ynner partes, were sore broysed with the fal. But the bis∣shop for the tender affectiō and singular good fansie he bare to me, was meruailous sory for my misfortune and deadly woun∣de, and woulde not all that night after his accustomed manner tarry with his clergy, but continuing alone in watch all that night, as I may well coniecture, besought the goodnesse of all∣mighty God for my health and preseruation. And cominge to my, chamber early in the morninge, said certaine prayers ouer me, and called me by my name, and when I waked, as it were oute of a greate slumber, he asked me, if I knewe, who it was that spoke to me. And I casting vpp my eyes, saied yea right well, you ar my dere bishop and master: than said he can you recouer or liue? Yea quoth I, by yower good prayers if it please God. So streytwaies laying his hand vppon my head, and re∣peting the worde of benediction returned again to his praiers, and coming to see me againe a litle while after, founde me fit∣ting vppe in my bed, and well able to speake. Then moued, as it were with some inspiration from heauen, asked whether I knewe without all scruple and dowte, whether I was baptized

or no: to that I aunswered, yea forsothe I knowe with oute all doute I was wasshed in the holly fonte of baptisme in remis∣sion of synnes, and knowe the priestes name very well that baptized me: but he foorthwith replyed saying: if you were christened of him doubtlesse you are not well christened: for I knowe him well, and am right assured that when he was made priest he coulde not for his dulheddid witt lerne, nor to in∣structe nor to baptise. And for that cause I straightly chardged him not to presume to that mynisterie which he could not do accordingly: As sone as he had spoken those wordes he began∣ne to instructe and informe me in the faith againe: and it came to passe that as he breathed in my face, the payne vanished a∣waye, and I felt my body much better than it was before. Than he called for a surgion, and commaunded him to sett my skull againe, and knitt it vpp together as it should be, and by and by with his blessing I was so well recouered, that the next daye I was able to mounte to my horse and ride with him to the next place where he minded to lodge: And not longe after being fully recouered I was baptized. This good bisshopp continued in the see, three and thirty yeres, and so translated thence to the ioyfull kingdome of heauen, lyeth buried in sancte Peters por∣che, in a monastery called Inderwodde the yeare of our Lor∣de. 721. For when he was not able for olde age to preach, teache, and gouuerne his bisshopprike, he consecrated and made Wil∣fride one of his chaplins archebisshop of Yorke, and went to the said monasterie, and there with good example and con∣uersation ended his lyfe.