CHA P. IX.

That miraculous Cures have been frequently done in the Place where King Otwald was kill'd; and that first, the Beast of a Traveller, and afterwards a young Girl was cur'd of a Palfy.

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SWALD the moft Chriftian King of the Northumbrians reign'd nine Years, including that Year which had been render'd deteftable by the brutal Impiety of the King of the Britons, and the Apoftacy of the English Kings; for as was faid above, it is agreed by the unanimous Confent of all, that the Names of the Apoftate Kings fhould be quite eras'd out of the Catalogue of the Chriftian Kings, and no Year afcrib'd to their Reign. After which Term of Years, Ofwald was kill'd in a great Battle, by the fame Pagan Nation, and Pagan King of the Mercians, by whom his Predeceffor Edwin had been flain, at a Place,. which in the English Tongue is call'da Maferfeth, in the 38th Year of his Age, on the fifth

In Brompton, Marsfeld in the Saxon Annals Marepfels, as it is likewife in K. Alfred's Paraphrafe, a Village on the Western Bounds of Shropshire, now call'd Ofweftre or Ofwalds-Tree, in Welch, Croix Ofwald, from that Prince's Name, and the miraculous Crofs here fix'd. Leland abserves there is a fair Church with a Tower Steeple dedicated to him ; Dere was formerly a Church, call'd White Church,

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fifth Day of the Month of Auguft. How great his Faith towards God, and how fingular his Devotion was, has been made evident by Miracles after his Death; for in the Place where he was kill'd by the Pagans, fighting for his Country, both infirm Men and Cattle are heal'd to this Day. Whereupon Whereupon many ta king up the very Dult of the Place, where his Body fell, and putting it into Water, thereby did much Good to their Sick This Custom came fo much in ufe, that the Earth being carry'd away by Degrees, there remain'd an Hole as deep as a Man's Height. Nor is it to be admir'd, that the Sick fhould be heal'd in the Place where he dy'd, who whilft he liv'd, never ceas'd to provide for the Poor and Infirm, to beflow Alms on and affift them. Many The Miracles are faid to have been wrought in that Place, or with the Earth carried from thence but we have thought it fufficient to mention two, which we receiv'd from our Ancestors. It hapned, not long after his Death, that a Man travell'd near that Place, whofe Horse on a fudden began to tire, to ftand stock still, to hang down his Head, to foam at the Mouth, and his Pain increafing to tumble on the Ground; the Rider difmounted, and throwing fome Straw under him, waited to fee whether the Beaft would recover or die. At length, after much rowling about with the extreme Anguifh, the Horfe hapned to come to the very Place, where the aforefaid King dy'd. Immediately, the Pain ceafing, the Beast gave

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over those wild Distortions, and as is usual with Cattle, after being tir'd, turn'd gently from fide to fide, and then starting up, as perfectly recover'd, began to graze along the green Fields, which the Man obferving, as an ingenious Perfon, he concluded there must be fome wonderful Sanctity in the Place where the Horfe had been heal'd; and leaving a Mark there, foon after mounted his Horfe, and repair'd to the Inne he had defign'd; where arriving he found a Girl, Niece to the Hoft of the Houfe, who had long languifh'd under a Palfy; and thofe that were there acquainted, in his Prefence lamenting the Girl's Calamity, he gave them ant Account of the Place where his Horfe had been cur'd. In fhort, fhe was put into a Cart and carried to the Place, and laid her down there. She being there, flept awhile, and when fhe awak'd, finding herfelf heal'd of that Bo dily Infirmity, calling for Water, wash'd her own Face, put up her Hair, and drefs'd her Head, and return'd home afoot in Health with those that had brought her.

The Power of the Earth of that Place a gainft Fire.

BOUT the fame Time another Perfon of the British Nation, as is reported, hapned to travel by that fame Place, where the aforefaid Battle had been fought, and obfer

ying one particular Spot of Ground was greener and more beautiful than any other Part of the Field, he judiciously concluded with himself, that there could be no other Caufe for that unufual Greenefs there, but that fome Perfon of more Holiness than any other in the Army had been kill'd upon it. He therefore took along with him fome of that Earth, tying it up in a Linen Cloth, fuppofing it would fome time be of ufe for curing of fick People, and proceeding on his Journey, came at Night to a certain Village, and took into an House where the Neighbours were feafting at Supper; and being admitted by the Owners of the Houfe, he fate down with them at the Entertainment, hanging the Cloth in which he had brought the Earth, on a Poft against the Wall. They fitting long at Supper and drinking hard, with a great Fire in the middle of the Room, it hapned that the Sparks flying up, the top of the Houfe, which was made of Wattles and Thatch'd, was prefently in a Flame; which the Guests spying on a fudden, they ran out in a Fright, without being able to put a stop to the Fire, or fave the Houfe, The fame being burnt down, only that Poft on which the Earth hung, remain'd entire and untouch'd by the Fire. That being obferv'd, they were all amaz'd, and enquiring into it diligently, understood that the Earth had been taken from the Place where the Blood of King Ofwald had been fhed. These Miracles being made known and reported abroad, many began daily to frequent that Place, and receiv'd Health to themfelves and theirs.

c. l.

CHAP.

CHA P. XI.

Of the heavenly Light that appear'd all the Night over the Relicks of King Ofwald, and that Perfons poffefs'd were deliver'd by them.

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colnshire.

MONG the reft, I think we ought not to pass over in Silence, the heavenly Favours and Miracles that were fhown when King Ofwald's Bones were found, and tranflated into the Church where they are now preferv'd. This was perform'd by Offrida, Queen of the Mercians, who was the Daughter of his Brother Ofwin, that reign'd after him, as fhall be faid hereafter. There is a noble Monaftery in the Province of Lindiffi, call'da Beardaneu, or* Lindsey Beardaning, which that Queen and her Huf-in Lin band Ethelfrid much affected, honour'd and adorn'd, where fhe was defirous to lay up the venerable Bones of her Uncle. When the Wain in which those Bones were carry'd arriv'd, towards the Evening at the aforefaid Monaftery, they that were in it refus'd to receive them, because, tho' they knew him to be an Holy Man, yet for as much as he was originally of another Province, and had reign'd over them, they retain❜d their ancient Aversion to him even after Death. Thus it came to pass that the Relicks which had been brought were left abroad

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Bardney in Lincolnshire. See L 12 c. 16. ̧