"A young woman, married, but without children, had a disease about her jawes, and under her cheeke, like unto kernels, which they termed akornes, and this disease so corrupted her face with stench, that shee coulde scarce without great shame speake to any man. This woman was admonished in her sleepe, to go to King Edwarde, and get him to washe her face with water, and shee shoulde bee whole. To the Court shee came; and the King hearing of this matter, disdained not to doe it; having a bason of water brought unto him, hee dipped his hand therein, and washed the womannes face, and touched the diseased place; and this hee did oftentimes, sometimes also signing it with the signe of the Crosse, which after hee hadde thus washed it, the hard crust or skinne was softened and dissolved; and drawing his hand by divers of the holes, out of the kernels came little wormes, whereof they were full with corrupt matter and blood, the King still pressed it with his handes to bring forth the corruption, and disdained not to suffer the stench of the disease, untill hee hadde brought forth all the corruption with pressing: this done, hee commanded her a sufficient allowance every day for all thinges necessary, untill she hadd received perfect health, which was within a weeke after; and whereas shee was ever beefore barren, within one yeere shee had a childe by her husband. And although this thing seeme strange, yet the Normans sayde that hee often did the like in his youth, when he was in Normandy[191]." [190] Dr. Plot, in his Natural History of Oxfordshire, c. 10, § 125, Plate 16, No. 5, gives a Drawing of the Touch-piece, supposed to have been given by Edward the Confessor. The ribbon, he says, was white. [191] Stowe's Annals, p. 98. It does not appear that the King knew of this Gift before; but he continued to use it ever after, and his successors followed him in the practice. But this is not all: for Stowe affords us but one instance of the cure of a blind man by King Edward; whereas the Abbot's account[192] extends to six men totally blind, besides another who had lost one of his eyes; all of whom were restored to perfect sight by the King[193]. [192] See the "Decem Scriptores." [193] Mr. Browne likewise believes that several blind persons were restored to sight by King Charles II. WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR