At Atheren (Airthrey) a robber, one night, broke into S. Serf's cell,
and, finding a sheep roasted in his larder, comfortably sat down and
entirely consumed it. Next day Servanus met the fellow and charged him
with the robbery. The man swore innocence, but it was of no use; he was
instantly convicted, for the wether bleated in his bowels.
At Dunning, S. Serf is said to have healed three blind, three lame, and
three deaf men. But his great feat here was killing the dragon. (Had no
princes or knights come to Forteviot as yet, that such work was left to
the priest?) The story, as given in the Marsh M.S., is as follows:--"At
that time the Saint was in his cell at Dunning (_in cella Dunenensi_),
and news was brought to him that a dragon, great and terrible, and very
loathsome (_deterrimus_), was coming into his township (_civitatem
suam_), whose aspect no mortal could suffer. Saint Servanus, however,
coming out to meet it, and taking his staff in his right hand, fought
with the dragon in a certain valley, and killed it. From that day,
moreover, that valley was called the Valley of the Dragon."[26]
The circumstances connected with the Saint's death and burial are
touchingly described. The holy man, after many miracles, after divers
works, after founding many churches in Christ, when his peace had been
given to his brethren in his cell at Dunning, gave up and commended his
spirit to the most High Creator on the first day of the Kalends of July.
After his death his disciples and the people of nearly the whole province
carried his body to Culenross (Culross), and there, with psalms and hymns
(ymnis) and chantings (canticis), honourably buried him, where flourish
his merits, and the virtues of his merits unto this day--to the glory and
honour of the Omnipotent God, who in the Perfect Trinity liveth and
reigneth through endless ages of ages.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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