for which thou mayest rejoice and also fear. Thou mayest certainly rejoice that the souls of that people have through those outward wonders been drawn to inward grace; yet fear that thy mind be not lifted up with arrogance by the miracles which God through thee performeth, and thou thence fall into vain-glory within, because thou art raised in dignity without."

Gregory also sent to Augustine holy gifts of mass-robes, and books, together with relics of the apostles and martyrs; and commanded that his successors should always fetch the pall and the archiepiscopal dignity from the apostolic seat of the Roman church. Augustine after this established bishops from among his companions over all the cities of the English nation, and they have continued prospering in God's faith to this present day.

The blessed Gregory composed many holy treatises, and with great diligence directed God's people to everlasting life, and wrought many miracles in his life, and gloriously ruled the papal seat thirteen years, and six months, and ten days, and then on this day departed to the eternal seat of heaven's kingdom, in which he liveth with God Almighty ever to eternity. Amen.

MARCH XX.

THE DEPOSITION OF ST. CUTHBERHT, BISHOP.

CUTHBERHT, the holy bishop, shining with many merits and high honours, reigning in the kingdom of heaven, with the Almighty Creator, in eternal joy, is glorified.

Beda, the wise doctor of the English nation, has written the life of this saint in the order of events, with wonderful

fealdre gereccednysse ge æfter leoðlicere gyddunge awrất. Us sæde so lice Beda, þæt se eadiga Cuðberhtus, ðaða hế wæs eahta wintre cild, arn, swa swa him his nytenlice yld tihte, plegende mid his efen-ealdum: ac se Ælmihtiga God wolde styran þære nytennysse his gecorenan Cuðberhtes, þurh mynegunge gelimplices lareowes, and asende him to an dry-wintre cild, þæt hit his dyslican plegan mid stæððigum wordum wislice dreade. Soolice pæt foresæde dry-wintre cild pone gæmnigendan Cuðberhtum befrán, "To hwî underpeodst þu de sylfne pisum ydelum plegan, þu de eart fram Gode gehalgod mid roderlicum wurðmynte? Ne gedafenað biscope pæt he beo on dædum folces mannum gelíc. Geswíc, la leof, swa unðæslices plegan, and geðeod de to Gode, de de to biscope his folces geceas, pam du scealt heofonan rices infær geopenian." Hwæt da Cuðberhtus pa-gyt mid his plegan ford-arn, odpæt his lareow mid biterum tearum dreoriglice wepende, ealra ðæra cildra plegan færlice gestilde. Witodlice eall se cildlica heap wolde pæs ânes cildes dreorignysse gefrefrian, ac hí ealle ne mihton mid heora frofre his dreorignysse adwæscan, ærðan þe Cuðberhtus hit mid arfæstum cossum gegladode, and he sylf sidðan, æfter pæs cildes mynegunge, on healicere stæðignysse symle ðurhwunode.

Æfter disum wearð þæs eadigan Cuðberhtes cneow mid heardum geswelle alefed, swa þæt he mid criccum his feðunge underwre dode. pa gesæt he sume dæge, under sûnn-beame, ána on sundran, and his scencan be dode, him com da ridende to sum arwurde ridda, sittende on snaw-hwitum horse, and he sylf mid hwitum gyrlum befangen was; and he done halgan mid gesibsum wordum swæslice grette, biddende þæt he him deg-wistes gedafenlice tiłode. Cuồberhtus Sa to Sam engle anmódlice cwæð, "Ic wolde dine denunge sylf nu gearcian, gif ic me mid feðunge ferian mihte. Min ádlige cneow is yfele gehæfd, þæt ne mihte nan læce-wyrht awiht geliðian, peah de heo gelome to geled wære." pa gelihte se cuma, and his cneow grapode mid his halwendum handum, and het hine

praises, both in a simple narrative and in a poetic composition. Beda has truly informed us, that the blessed Cuthberht, when he was a child of eight years, ran, as his thoughtless age urged him, playing with his coevals: but Almighty God would correct the thoughtlessness of his chosen Cuthberht, by the admonition of an opportune teacher, and sent to him a child of three years, that it might wisely reprove his witless play with serious words. Verily the aforesaid child of three years asked the gamesome Cuthberht, "Why dost thou devote thyself to this idle play, thou who art hallowed of God with heavenly dignity? It befitteth not a bishop to be in deeds like men of the people. Cease, dear friend, from so unbecoming a play, and attach thyself to God, who hath chosen thee to be a bishop of his people, to whom thou shalt open the entrance of the kingdom of heaven." But Cuthberht still ran on with his play, till his monitor with bitter tears sadly weeping, suddenly stilled the play of all the children. Whereupon all the childish company would comfort the sadness of that one child, but they all with their comfort could not assuage its sadness, before Cuthberht gladdened it with kind kisses, and himself afterwards, according to the child's admonition, continued ever in profound seriousness.

After this the blessed Cuthberht's knee was lamed with a hard swelling, so that he supported his gait with crutches. As he one day sat under the sunbeam, apart from others, and bathed his leg, there came riding to him a venerable horseman sitting on a snow-white horse, and he himself was clad in white garments; and he courteously greeted the saint with peaceful words, praying that he would, if convenient, give a day-repast. Cuthberht thereupon frankly said, "I would now prepare your refection myself, if I could walk. My diseased knee is sorely afflicted, so that no medicament may aught relieve it, though it be frequently laid on it." The stranger then alighted, and grasped his knee with his healing hands,

geniman hwætene smedeman, and on meolc awyllan, and swa mid dære hætan þæt toðundene lim gewriðan; and æfter disum wordum his hors bestrád, on dam siðfæte de he dider com aweg-ferende. Hwæt da Cuðberhtus, æfter þæs engles láre his cneow bedode, and he sona gesundfull his færeldes breac, and ongeat þæt God purh his engel hine geneosode, sede gíu ær þone blindan Tobían, purh his heah-engel Raphahel, mihtelice onlihte.

Eft se halga Cuðberhtus, ðaða he wacode mid hyrdemannum on felda, on his geogode, geseah heofonas opene, and englas gelæddon Aidanes biscopes sawle mid micclum wuldre into ære heofonlican myrhde. Hwilon eac Cuðberhtus ferde geond land, bodigende Godes geleafan, da for unwedre gecyrde he to sumes hyrdes cýtan, þe stod weste on dam westene de he oferferde, and getigde his hors dær binnon. Đa nid Sam pe he his gebedu sang, Ya tær pæt hors pæt Sæc of dære cýtan hrofe, and þær feoll adúne, swilce of dam hrofe, wearmhlaf mid his syflinge; he ða geðancode Go de þære sande, and mid pære hine sylfne gereordode.

Se eadiga Cupberhtus æfter ðisum ealle woruld-ðing eallunge forlet, and mid halgum deawum hine sylfne to munuclife geðeodde; and he hrædlice siððan hề munuc was wearð geset cumena den, þæt he cumena-huses gymde, and mynsterlicum cumum geðensum wære. Pa æt sumon sæle on wintres dææge, him com to Godes engel on cuman híwe, and Cuðberhtus hine mid ealre cumliðnysse underfeng. pa gecyrde hế út ymbe þæs cuman denunge, ac he ne gemette nænne cuman, ðaða hé inn cóm, ac lagon dry heofonlice hlafas, on lilian beorhtnysse scinende, and on hrosan bræde stymende, and on swæcce swettran ponne beona hûnig. Pa sceawode se halga Cuðberhtus on dam snawe gehwær hwyder se cuma siðigende ferde, ac daða hé náne fotswade on dam snawe ne geseah, da ongeat he þæt se cuma was engel and na mann,

and bade him take wheaten flour, and boil it in milk, and bind the swollen limb with the hot preparation; and after these words bestrode his horse, departing by the way which he came thither. Thereupon Cuthberht bathed his knee according to the angel's instruction, and forthwith in health possessed his power of walking, and was sensible that God had visited him through his angel, who in time of old had powerfully relieved the blind Tobias, through his archangel Gabriel.

Afterwards the holy Cuthberht, while watching with shepherds in the field, saw the heavens open, and angels leading the soul of bishop Aidan with great glory into the heavenly joy. On a time also Cuthberht was journeying through the country, preaching God's faith, when on account of a storm he turned into a shepherd's cottage, which stood desolate in the wilderness over which he was traveling, and tied his horse within it. Then while he was singing his prayers, the horse tore the thatch from the roof of the cottage, and there fell down, as from the roof, a warm loaf with its accompaniment ; he thereupon thanked God for the repast, and therewith refected himself.

The blessed Cuthberht after this wholly forsook all worldly things, and with holy observances subjected himself to the monastic life; and soon after he was a monk, he was appointed superintendent of the guests, so that he took care of the strangers' lodgings, and ministered to the monastic guests. Then on a certain time on a winter's day, an angel of God came to him in the guise of a stranger, and Cuthberht received him with all hospitality. He then went out for the service of the guest, but found no guest when he came in, but there lay three heavenly loaves, shining with the lily's brightness, and exhaling the rose's fragrance, and in taste sweeter than bees' honey. Then the holy Cuthberht looked everywhere in the snow whither the stranger had passed in his way, but when he saw no foot-traces in the snow, he knew that the