Bede's Ecclesiastical History of EnglandBede, the Venerable, Saint
History
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
Bede, the Venerable, Saint
England -- Church history -- 449-1066
Lastly, when the aforesaid queen afterwards abode some time in that
monastery, there came to visit her a certain venerable abbess, who is
still living, called Ethelhild, the sister of the holy men, Ethelwin(346)
and Aldwin, the first of whom was bishop in the province of Lindsey, the
other abbot of the monastery of Peartaneu;(347) not far from which was the
monastery of Ethelhild. When this lady was come, in a conversation between
her and the queen, the discourse, among other things, turning upon Oswald,
she said, that she also had that night seen the light over his relics
reaching up to heaven. The queen thereupon added, that the very dust of
the pavement on which the water that washed the bones had been poured out,
had already healed many sick persons. The abbess thereupon desired that
some of that health-bringing dust might be given her, and, receiving it,
she tied it up in a cloth, and, putting it into a casket, returned home.
Some time after, when she was in her monastery, there came to it a guest,
who was wont often in the night to be on a sudden grievously tormented
with an unclean spirit; he being hospitably entertained, when he had gone
to bed after supper, was suddenly seized by the Devil, and began to cry
out, to gnash his teeth, to foam at the mouth, and to writhe and distort
his limbs. None being able to hold or bind him, the servant ran, and
knocking at the door, told the abbess. She, opening the monastery door,
went out herself with one of the nuns to the men’s apartment, and calling
a priest, desired that he would go with her to the sufferer. Being come
thither, and seeing many present, who had not been able, by their efforts,
to hold the tormented person and restrain his convulsive movements, the
priest used exorcisms, and did all that he could to assuage the madness of
the unfortunate man, but, though he took much pains, he could not prevail.
When no hope appeared of easing him in his ravings, the abbess bethought
herself of the dust, and immediately bade her handmaiden go and fetch her
the casket in which it was. As soon as she came with it, as she had been
bidden, and was entering the hall of the house, in the inner part whereof
the possessed person was writhing in torment, he suddenly became silent,
and laid down his head, as if he had been falling asleep, stretching out
all his limbs to rest. “Silence fell upon all and intent they gazed,”(348)
anxiously waiting to see the end of the matter. And after about the space
of an hour the man that had been tormented sat up, and fetching a deep
sigh, said, “Now I am whole, for I am restored to my senses.” They
earnestly inquired how that came to pass, and he answered, “As soon as
that maiden drew near the hall of this house, with the casket she brought,
all the evil spirits that vexed me departed and left me, and were no more
to be seen.” Then the abbess gave him a little of that dust, and the
priest having prayed, he passed that night in great peace; nor was he,
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