those who are perfect in thought, in word, in work, as soon as they depart from the world they come into the kingdom of heaven; from that thou sawest the great light with the winsome fragrance, and thence thou heardest the sweet melody. But thou, now thou returnest to the body, if thou wilt amend thy deeds and morals, then wilt thou receive after death this winsome dwelling, which thou now seest. When I left thee alone in the darkness, I did so because I would know concerning thy destination, how the Almighty would resolve concerning thee. When the angel had thus related, it greatly displeased me that I again should return to the body from the winsomeness of that place and the fellowship of saints; though I durst not say anything to the contrary. After this I was brought and requickened among men.”

Drihthelm dwelt in a secret part of the mynster until his life's end, rigidly living. He went frequently in the wintry cold to the river, and stood at his prayers in the water, sometimes to his girdle, sometimes to his neck. He then went with the same clothes, until they became warm and dry on his body. When any one asked him how he could bear that great cold, he answered, "I have seen a greater and worse cold." Again, when they asked him how he could observe such rigid abstinence, he answered, "I have seen a more rigid and worse." Thus did he in his life, and corrected many others by word and example.

We read everywhere in books, that oft and frequently men have been led from this life, and again raised to life, and they saw many places of punishment, and also the dwellings of the saints, as Gregory, the holy pope, has written, in the book which is called 'Dialogi,' of a man, that his soul was led from this life, and saw many things. Then amongst others, he saw where they were building a building, all of beaten gold, and the workmen were making the building on a Saturday, and it was then nearly ended. He inquired then for whom the building so gloriously constructed was de

Him wæs gesæd pæt hí wæron gemynte anum sutere on Romana-byrig, and hine eac namode. Efter disum arás se deada, and axode geornlice ymbe done sutere, hû hê geworht wære on wouldlicere drohtnunge, and man afunde ða þæt his gewuna was, þæt he worhte his weorc to seofon nihtum, and sealde on done Sæternes-dæg; nấm ða of his cræfte him bigleofan, and dælde done ofer-eacan þearfum mid estfullum mode; and wæron forði þa gebytlu on dam dæge swiðost geworhte, de he ða ælmessan gewunelice dælde.

Micel is Godes mildheortnys ofer mancynne, þam de wel willað. We on disum lífe magon helpan þam forðfarenum þe on witnunge beod, and we magon ús sylfe betwux ús on life ælc oðrum fultumian to dam upplican life, gif we dæs cepað: and pa de fulfremede wæron, and to Godes rice becomon, magon fultumian ægðer ge ús ge dam forðfarenum þe on wîtnunge sind, gif hĩ mid ealle forscyldgode ne beoð. Sy wuldor and lof dam welwillendum Gode á on ecnysse. Amen.

HORTATORIUS SERMO DE EFFICACIA SCAE MISSAE.

WE rædað gehwær on halgum gewritum þæt seo halige mæsse micclum fremige ægder ge dam lybbendum ge dam for farenum, swa swa Beda, se snotera lâreow, awrat on Historia Anglorum be sumum degene, pisum andgite reccende :

On dære tide pe Ehfrid, Norðhymera cyning, and Æðelred, Myrcena cyning, wunnon him betwynan, da æt sumon gefeohte wearð án degen Æpelredes cyninges mid oðrum cempum afylled, se wæs Ymma gehâten. Se læg dæg and niht geswogen betwux dam ofslegenum. He wears da gehyrt, and his wunda gewrad, and wolde him sum genér secan. Hine gelæhton da sume pas Norðernan folces, and to heora

signed? They told him that it was designed for a shoemaker in Rome, and also named him. After this the dead man arose, and diligently inquired about the shoemaker, how he had acted in worldly life, and it was then found that his practice was, that he wrought his work for seven days, and sold on the Saturday; then took from his craft his sustenance, and with bounteous spirit distributed the overplus to the poor; and therefore was the building chiefly made on the day on which he usually distributed alms.

Great is God's mercy over mankind, to those who are benevolent. We in this life may help the departed that are in torment, and we may, among ourselves in life, aid each other to the life above, if we observe this; and those who were perfect, and have attained to the kingdom of God, may aid both us and the departed that are in torment, if they are not totally condemned. Be glory and praise to the benevolent God ever to eternity. Amen.

A HORTATORY SERMON ON THE EFFICACY OF THE
HOLY MASS.

WE read in many places in holy writings that the holy mass greatly benefits both the living and the departed, as Beda, the wise doctor, has written in the Historia Anglorum of a certain thane, narrating to this effect:

At the time that Ecgfrith, king of the Northumbrians, and Æthelred, king of the Mercians, warred against each other, in a certain battle a thane of king Ethelred named Ymma was with other soldiers stricken down. He lay day and night senseless among the slain. He then revived, and bound up his wounds, and would seek some asylum. Some of the Northern folk then seized him, and brought him to

ealdormen brohton. He da het hine lacnian, and ðaða he hal was, het hine gebindan, dy-læs de he fleames cepte. Ac his bendas toburston swa hrade swa he gebunden wæs. Hé hæfde ænne brodor, Tuna gehâten, mæssepreost and abbud, and ðaða he his brodor slege ofáxode, pa ferde he to dam wæle his líc secende, and gemette ænne oderne him swiðe gelicne, ferode done to his mynstre mid arwurðnysse, and gelōmlice for his sawle alysednysse mæssan sang, and þurh da halgan mæssan toburston pæs brodor bendas.

pa áxode se ealdorman pone hæftling, hwæðer he ðurh drycræft odde ðurh rúnstafum his bendas tobræce? He andwyrde, and cwæð, þæt he dæs cræftes nan ding ne cude: "ac ic hæbbe ænne mæssepreost to breder on minum eðele, and ic wat þæt he wend þæt ic ofslagen sy, and gelôme for mine sawle mæssan sing. Witodlice gif ic nu on oðre worulde wære, þa wurde min sawul fram wítum alysed purh Sa halgan massan."

Efter disum sealde se ealdorman hine sumum Frýsan of Lundene. Se Frýsa hine gewrað eft gelōmlice, ac hine ne mihte nanes cynnes hæftnung gehealdan. Ymbe undern-tíd, paða se brodor was gewunod to mæssigenne, toburston da bendas oftost. Se Frýsa ða, þaða he hine gehæftan ne mihte, let hine faran on his truwan æfter dam feo de he him fore gesealde, and he swa dyde. He da com to his breder, and his sið be endebyrdnysse sæde. pa tocneowon hî þæt his bendas toburston on dære tide pe se brodor mid esfullum mode, for his sawle alysednysse, þam Ælmihtigum Gode pa lifican lac geoffrode. Eac se halga papa Gregorius awrat on dære bec Dialogorum hú micclum seo halige mæsse manegum fremode. Seo bóc is on Englisc awend, on dære mæg gehwa be ðison genihtsumlice gehyran, sede hí oferræ dan wile.

their ealdorman. He caused him to be cured, and when he was well, ordered him to be bound, lest he should take to flight. But his bonds burst asunder as quickly as he was bound. He had a brother, named Tunna, a mass-priest and abbot, who, when he heard of his brother's death, went to the battle-field seeking his body, and found another very like him, bare it to his mynster with honour, and frequently sang masses for the redemption of his soul, and through the holy masses the bonds of his brother burst asunder.

The ealdorman then asked the captive, whether through witchcraft or through runes he brake his bonds? He answered that he knew nothing of that craft: "but I have a brother in my country, a mass-priest, and I know that he imagines that I am slain, and frequently sings masses for my soul. If, therefore, I were now in the other world, then were my soul released from torments through the holy masses."

After this the ealdorman sold him to a Frisian of London. The Frisian also frequently bound him, but confinement of no kind might hold him. About the ninth hour, when his brother was wont to celebrate mass, the bonds burst oftenest. The Frisian then, when he could not confine him, let him go on his faith after the money that he had given for him, and he did so. He then came to his brother, and related to him in order what had befallen him. They then found that his bonds burst asunder at the hour that the brother with pious spirit offered, for his soul's redemption, the living offering to Almighty God. The holy pope Gregory also has written in the book of Dialogues how greatly the holy mass has benefited many. The book is turned into English, in which every one may hear abundantly on this subject, who will read it over.