tion the triumphs of the holy virgins and martyrs Ursula and her companions, &c."1

Nor will I relate all the adventures of the seven holy sleepers, and accidents happening unto them during the time of their long rest, who slept in a cave for a period of three hundred and sixty-two years, from the time of Decius to the reign of Theodosius, nor of the worship which is offered unto them the twenty-seventh of July.

I will at once select some miracles not of Italian or Portuguese saints, which the reader might suspect, but such which Bede and Southey have declared as true and authentic.

"King Oswald set up a cross at Heofenpeld, (or Heavenfield,) and after the battle fought there, pieces of this cross were carried away; they were supposed to be perfectly efficacious in curing men and cattle, and of course imparting miraculous virtue to the water wherein they were dipt. The moss which grew upon it possessed equal efficacy; and a brother in the monastery at Hagulstad, who had lost the use of his arm in consequence of a fracture, found it restored by sleeping with some of this moss in his bosom. Earth taken from

'Breviarium Monasticum of pope Paul V., page 676, Paris 1671.

the spot where Oswald was slain, to be administered in water, was in such request, that a pit had been excavated there five or six feet deep, by persons who came from all parts to obtain it. A horse recovered from a fit by falling upon the sacred spot, and the owner of the horse consequently carried a paralitic girl thither, who fell asleep when she was laid upon the miraculous ground, and awoke in perfect health. A bag containing some of this earth was hung upon one of the posts in the wall of a house which took fire, the house was burned to the ground and that post alone remained unconsumed. When Oswald's bones were removed they were washed before they were deposited in their shrine; and the earth upon which the water was poured out, proved of sovereign efficacy in expelling evil spirits from possessed persons. A boy, who had an intermittent fever, was assured, that if he went to the shrine and remained there till the hour for the regular paroxism was past, the disease would leave him; he went in faith; the paroxism did not come at the usual time, and it returned no more."

"The dust from St. Chad's coffin was an approved remedy for man and beast. Sick persons were healed by being placed in the horse litter

wherein Sir Erkenwal used to be carried; but if they were too far away to be taken to it, a piece cut from the litter was taken to them, and the effect was the same.'

991

"St. Fursey was conducted by the angels who in one of his flights, commanded him to look down upon the earth. He discovered in the air four fires at a little distance from each other, these were kindled for the punishment of the wicked and finally for the destruction of the world. The first was the fire of lying, where men are punished who break their baptismal vow; the second, that of covetousness; the third, that of dissension; the fourth, that of iniquity, especially the sin of defrauding others. Fursey was much alarmed at beholding the increase of these fires, and that they gradually approached him. The angels, however, silenced his fears by informing him that they were only intended for those who had kindled them by the sins above mentioned. Accordingly, when it reached them, one of the angels went before him and divided the flames; the two others, one on each side, warded them off to the right and left, and he past through unhurt, seeing

Southey Vindicæ Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, p. 133, who quotes from Bede's History, lib. iii. cap. 4.

on the way many devils flying about, some of whom pursued him with accusations. From thence he passed into the regions of bliss and found many of his friends there. On his way back, he was obliged to go again through the fire, and as he was passing again through the flames, the devils snatched up a soul which they were tormenting and flung it at him. This unhappy soul was so burning hot that it scorched his shoulder and his cheek where it touched him.' That is a little too tough to digest.

991

"Touama, who fell in a battle, fought near Trent, and though left as dead, he revived, and was taken prisoner, whose chains fell off every night to the great surprise of all. The cause of which was, that his brother, an abbot of Tunnacaster, supposing that he was dead, had said masses for his soul ! Touama suspected the reason, and explained the matter in this way. "When however, it was ascertained that the chains fell off just at the time that the masses were said for his soul; it had a marvellous effect in inducing many to bespeak masses for their deceased friends." 2

'Bede, lib. 3, c. 19. 2Bede, lib. 4, c. 122.

I forbear any comment except a question which Southey thus puts to Mr. Butler: "Would you

1

desire, Sir, a prettier sample of priestcraft and importance than this scheme for bringing custom to the mass-mongers at Tunnacaster??' 1 Such are a few specimens of the miracles related by Bede. Trusting that they have sufficiently edified my Roman Catholic brethren, but should that not be the case, I will earnestly recommend them "the Golden Legend" of Jacobius de Voragine; those related in the "SPECULUM" of Vincentius Belluacensis; and those related in the "Saints' Lives" of the patrician Metaphiastes; those related by Surius and Monbritius, where they will find the most absurd and ridiculous stories, which will afford them much pleasure, and great edification.

Having thus edified the Roman Catholics, I will also amuse my Protestant readers, by relating some miracles. St. Genajo, is the protector of Naples in Italy, his blood is preserved in a small bottle at the altar of the church of the same name. It is believed by every Neapolitan, and well known by every traveler, that the liquifac

'Southey Vindicæ Ecclesiae Angl. p. 211.