And as Saint Brandon kneeled in the church, he saw a bright shining
angel come in at the window, and lighted all the lights in the church,
and then he flew out again at the window unto heaven. Then Saint
Brandon marvelled greatly how the light burned so fair and wasted not.
Then the abbot said, "It is written that Moses saw a bush all on afire
and yet it burned not, and therefore marvel not hereof, for the might
of our Lord is now as great as it ever was."
And when Saint Brandon had dwelled there from Christmas even till the
twelfth day was passed, then he took his leave of the abbot of the
convent and returned with his monks to his ship. And he sailed from
thence with his monks toward the abbey of Saint Illaries; but they had
great tempests in the sea from that time till Palm Sunday.
And then they came to the Island of Sheep and there were received of
the old man, which brought them to a fair hall and served them. And on
Shere Thursday[36] after supper he did wash all their feet and kissed
them, like as our Lord did to His disciples, and there they abode
till Saturday, Easter Even; and they departed and sailed to the place
where the fish lay; and anon they saw their cauldron upon the fish's
back, which they had left there twelve months tofore. There they kept
the service of the resurrection, on the fish's back, and after, they
sailed that same day by the morning to the island whereas the tree of
birds was, and then the said bird welcomed Saint Brandon and all his
fellowship, and went again to the tree and sang full merrily. And
there he and his monks dwelled from Easter till Trinity Sunday, as they
did the year before, in full great joy and mirth. And daily they heard
the merry service of the birds sitting on the tree.
And then the bird told to Saint Brandon that he should return again at
Christmas to the abbey of monks, and at Easter thither again, and the
other deal of the year labour in the ocean in full great perils, and
from year to year till the seven years be accomplished. "And then shall
ye come to the joyful place of paradise and dwell there forty days in
full great joy and mirth. And after, ye shall return home into your
own abbey in safety, and there end your life and come to the bliss of
heaven to which our Lord bought you with His precious blood."
And then the angel of our Lord ordained all thing that was needful
to Saint Brandon and to his monks in victuals and all other things
necessary, and then they thanked our Lord of His great goodness He had
shewed to them oft in their great need, and sailed forth in the great
sea ocean, abiding the mercy of our Lord in great trouble and tempests.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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