THEY FIND THE BOOK OF THE GOSPELS.

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minds, and removed all doubt concerning the other things that had been revealed to the man already named."1

There is another description of the finding of the copy of the Gospels in the Rites of Durham. "The which book, being all adorned with gold and precious stones on the outside, and they being all troubled with great sorrow for the loss of the said book, one Hunredus, being admonished and commanded by the vision of St. Cuthbert (appearing), to seek the book that was lost in the sea three miles and more from the land; and, as they were admonished, they found the book much more beautiful than it was before, both in letters and leaves, excelling the outer beauty of the cover, being nothing blemished by the water, as though it had been touched by some heavenly power."2

According to the vision of Hunred, the horse was found, harnessed, and made to bear the bier of the Saint. "Therefore, going, as he had been instructed in the vision, he found the harness (frenum) hanging on a tree; and then, looking around him on every side, at a little distance he saw a chestnut (rufi coloris) horse, that most unaccountably had come to this solitary spot; and when, raising his hand, he shewed it the harness, it immediately came and offered itself to be harnessed. When he led it to his companions, they from that time exerted themselves much more willingly in behalf of St. Cuthbert's body, because they knew for certain that his assistance was never wanting to them in the time of need. Therefore, yoking the horse to the vehicle that bore their heavenly treasure in his coffin, they were well able to follow it through the different places, because they employed the horse that God had provided to draw it." 3

farne till the flight of the monks, was lost as above, and in due course came to Durham with the monks. When Lindisfarne was restored, it was carried back, and remained there till the dissolution. In the year 1623 Mr. Robert Bowyer owned it; afterwards it fell into the hands of Sir Robert Cotton, and is now in the British Museum (Nero, D. 4). It is described by Selden, Mareschall, Smith, Wanley, and Astle. Facsimiles of the manuscript are given in Astle's Origin and Progress of Writing, plate 14, and in Strutt's Chronicle.

1 Simeon Durham, chap. xxvii. p. 112.

2 Rites of Durham, p. 56. "And the book of the holy Evangelists, which was lost in the sea as is aforesaid, was preserved and kept in the Abbey Church of Durham, where the body of St. Cuthbert doth lie, as a place most worthy of so precious a book, brought to light again through his revelation" (Rites of Durham, p. 58).

3 Simeon Durham, chap. xxvii. p. 116.

The account of Reginald is more explicit. He adds some curious particulars, viz., that one of the seven found the harness, another the horse, and a third the vehicle.

"In the meantime the blessed Cuthbert shewed himself in a vision to one of them (named Hunred, in the margin), and said, 'To-morrow let each of you four (in the margin, Hunred, Stithear, Edmund, Franco, for all had withdrawn except the seven who remained to serve him) go into the interior of the wood, and bring what he may find there to aid in bearing my body. For I do not require that you should labour and fatigue yourselves any longer: only I commit to you the care of my body, and the management of the journey.' When they had heard this, they rose early in the morning, and set out on their search through the wood. The first saw a bridle hanging from a tree, and astonished his companions not a little when he brought it to them. On this account Stithard was called 'Rap,' because he first found the harness (fræni funiculum). The second, when he went farther into the wood, on shaking the harness so as to make it rattle, laid hold of a chestnut horse that was coming towards him, and handed it over harnessed to his third companion. On account of his having found it, he was always called Coite,' which means a horse. The third also, as he advanced a little with the horse, suddenly found a very beautiful car (carrum), made of wood, of an appropriate form, and provided with everything necessary for the purpose. He soon yoked the horse to it, and with great joy led it to his companions. This man, Hunred, was afterwards named by his companions Cretel,' that is, in English, a car. Therefore after this time they placed the holy body of the blessed Cuthbert on the said car, and thus bore it about from place to place without fatigue to themselves." 3

66

1 Rap, in Anglo-Saxon, means a rope"; coite means a colt".

Reginald, chap. xv. p. 24. "And also by the foresaid vision of St. Cuthbert ('being upon the shore,' interlined), they saw a bridle hanging on a tree, and looking about him, he did see a red horse, which, coming towards him by God's provision, did offer himself to be bridled, to ease their travail in carriage of the bier whereon St. Cuth. bert's body lay."-Rites of Durham, p. 56.

2 Cretel, from the Anglo-Saxan crat, "a cart". Another of their number, called Eilaf, was changed into a fox for secreting a cheese for his own use; and on being restored to himself again, was named Tod, "quod vulpeculam sonat".

3 See Reginald, chap. xv. p. 25.

THEIR FOOD DURING THE FAMINE.

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The devout servants of St. Cuthbert then continued their wanderings with renewed spirit and energy. They no longer had to bear the precious burden on their shoulders, but the horse drew from place to place the treasure of their Saint's body; yet they suffered much from the famine that prevailed in consequence of the pillage made by the Danes.

"They feared above all things that they would suffer from the famine, because there was no corn or other crops growing. At this time they happened to be in the extensive and wild country belonging to the Picts; and had no food in their possession excepting the head of a horse and the cheese already mentioned; for a horse's head, at this time of destitution, could scarcely be purchased for five sicles of silver.1 For many days they had no bread to eat, but had to support life on horse-flesh and cheese; and of this they had only a very limited supply, because the famine had well-nigh exhausted the stock of every species of animal in the neighbouring country. All of them supported life on the horse's head, which they had salted, and on the cheese." Still they took their meals at regular hours, and made use of the ground for their table.3

For many months more did the monks wander with their Saint's body, from the time of the unsuccessful attempt to cross over into Ireland, till their arrival at Chester-le-Street, in the beginning of the year 883. The line of their journey was from Whithorn, probably to Kirkcudbright, a town in the county of the same name, called after St. Cuthbert.

The Christians at Whithorn gave them a hearty welcome, and they remained there some time. But Bishop Eardulf was anxious to revisit his flock in Northumberland; and hearing of Halfden's death he returned. Many devout friends joined them whilst they continued wandering in the hills and hiding in the woods.

It was the autumn of 882 when they arrived at Crake, north of York. Crake had been given to St. Cuthbert, on the day he was elected Bishop, by King Egfrid: a monastery had been established there, and though it had been disturbed by the Danes, it was now peopled by monks. The abbot Geve gave them a

1 Probably about ten silver pennies.

Reginald, chap. xv. p. 25.

3 Ibid. p. 26.

shelter in his monastery, and they remained there four months with the Saint's body.1 It was situated in the midst of deep woods. There was a saying about Crake, that "a squirrel could hop from it to York from bough to bough".

When they had stayed four months at Crake, they turned their steps northward to Chester-le-Street, and arrived there in the beginning of the year 883.

1 "His ita gestis," says Simeon, "ad monasterium quod in sua quondam villa voca bulo Creca fuit, illud venerabile corpus deferunt, ibique ab abbate, cui nomen erat Geve, benignissime suscepti, velut in proprio quatuor mensibus residebant." Chap. xxviii. p. 115.

CHAPTER III.

THE BODY OF ST. CUTHBERT IS BROUGHT TO CHESTER-LE STREET, WHICH IS MADE THE BISHOP'S SEE, AND REMAINS THERE

CXIII. YEARS.

WHEN the wanderers, after spending four months at Crake, arrived at Chester-le-Street, Bishop Eardulf, "vir ubique in prosperis et in adversis St. Cuthberto adhærens," fixed there his episcopal see. This was in the early part of the year 883. The victories of Alfred had by this time restored peace to the Christians in the north.1 "At the return of tranquillity, the survivors, descending from the mountains, solicited the protection of the conquerors. By the Danes it was willingly granted; the body of the Saint was deposited at Conchester,2 and new honours were paid to his memory."

As soon as they had settled at Chester-le-Street, Alfred and Guthred gave the whole of the land between the Wear and the Tyne for a perpetual possession to St. Cuthbert, and to those who should serve his church. When this property was given to the Church, she threw her mantle of protection over the patrimony of

1 After the death of Halfdene, leader of the Danes, St. Cuthbert is said to have appeared in a vision to Eadred the Abbot, to suggest to him to persuade the Danes to choose Guthred, son of Hardacnut, as their king. The negotiation was successful. See Simeon Dunelm. chap. xxviii. p. 119.

2 Called Conchester from the river Con running through it, but now Chester-leStreet, about six miles north of Durham.

3 Anglo-Sax. Ch. vol. ii. p. 228.

4" Memorato Abbati per visum astans ipse Sanctus, 'Dicito, inquit, regi ut totam inter Weor et Tine terram mihi et in mea ecclesia ministrantibus perpetuæ possessionis jure largiatur, ex qua illis ne inopia laborent, vitæ subsidia procurentur. Præcipe illi præterea ut ecclesiam meam tutum profugis locum refugii constituat, ut quicunque qualibet de causa ad meum corpus confugerit, pacem per XXXVII. dies nulla unquam occasione infringendam habeat."-Simeon Dunelm. chap. xxviii. p. 120. This vision and grant of land was commemorated by a figure and inscription on the screen on the south side of the choir in Durham Abbey Church. See Rites of Durham, p. 118.