But the subjects of the tapestry in which our ancestors so much delighted were not confined to _bona fide_ battles, and the matter-of-fact occurrences of every-day life. Oh no! The Lives of the Saints were frequently pourtrayed with all the legendary accompaniments which credulity and blind faith could invest them with. The "holy and solitary" St. Cuthbert would be seen taming the sea-monsters by his word of power: St. Dunstan would be in the very act of seizing the "handle" of his Infernal Majesty's face with the red-hot pincers; and St. Anthony in the "howling wilderness," would be reigning omnipotent over a whole legion of sprites. Here was food for the imagination and taste of our notable great-grandmother! Yet let us do them justice. If some of their religious pieces were imbued even to a ridiculous result, with the superstitions of the time, there were others, numberless others, scripture pieces, as chaste and beautiful in design, as elaborate in execution. The loom and needle united indeed brought these pieces to the highest perfection, but many a meek and saintly Madonna, many a lofty and energetic St. Paul, many a subdued and touching Magdalene were produced by the unaided industry of the pious needlewoman. Nay, the whole Bible was copied in needlework; and in a poem of the fifteenth century, by Henry Bradshaw, containing the Life of St. Werburgh, a daughter of the King of the Mercians, there is an account "rather historical than legendary,"[84] of many circumstances of the domestic life of the time. Amongst other descriptions is that of the tapestry displayed in the Abbey of Ely, on the occasion of St. Werburgh taking the veil there. This Tapestry belonged to king Wulfer, and was brought to Ely Monastery for the occasion. We subjoin some of the stanzas:-- "It were full tedyous, to make descrypcyon Of the great tryumphes, and solempne royalte, Belongynge to the feest, the honour and provysyon, By playne declaracyon, upon every partye; But the sothe to say, withouten ambyguyte, All herbes and flowres, fragraunt, fayre, and swete, Were strawed in halles, and layd under theyr fete. "Clothes of golde and arras[85] were hanged in the hall Depaynted with pyctures, and hystoryes manyfolde, Well wroughte and craftely, with precious stones all Glysteryng as Phebus, and the beten golde, Lyke an erthly paradyse, pleasaunt to beholde: As for the said moynes,[86] was not them amonge, But prayenge in her cell, as done all novice yonge. "The story of Adam, there was goodly wrought, And of his wyfe Eve, bytwene them the serpent, How they were deceyved, and to theyr peynes brought; There was Cayn and Abell, offerynge theyr present, The sacryfyce of Abell, accepte full evydent: Tuball and Tubalcain were purtrayed in that place, The inventours of musyke and crafte by great grace.