**

Hunting, ftood warming himself with his Attendants at the Fire. Then, on a fudden, whilst he was warming, calling to mind what the Bifhop had faid to him, he ungirt his Sword, and gave it to a Servant, and in an hafty manner fell down at the Bishop's Feet, beseeching him to be pacify'd; For from this Time forward, faid he, I will never fpeak any more of this, nor will I judge of what, or how much of our Mony you fhall give to the Sons of God. The Bishop was much moy'd at this Sight, and ftarting up, rais'd him, faying, he was entirely reconcil'd to him, provided that he would fit down to his Meat, and lay afide all Sorrow. The King at the BiThop's Command and Requeft, beginning to be merry, the Bishop, on the other hand, grew fo melancholy as to fhed Tears. His Prieft then asking him, in the Language of his Country, which the King and his Servants did not understand, why he wept. I know, faid he, that the King will not live long; for I never be fore faw an humble King; whence I conclude that he will foon be fnatch'd out of this Life; becaufe this Nation is not worthy of fuch a Ruler. Not long after, the Bishop's faid Prediction was fulfill'd by the King's Death, as has been faid above. But Bishop Aidan himself was alfo taken out of this World, twelve Days after the King he lov'd, to receive the eternal Reward of his Labours from our Lord, which hapned on the Day before the Kalends of September.

CHAP.

CHAP. XV.

How Bishop Aidan foretold to certain Seamen a Storm that would happen, and gave them fome Holy Oil to lay it.

HOW great the Merits of Aidan were,

was made manifeft by the Allfeeing Judge, with the Teftimony of Miracles, whereof it will fuffice to mention three as a Memorial. A certain Prieft, whofe Name was Utta, a Man of great Gravity and Sincerity, and on that Account honour'd by all Men, even the Princes of the World, being order'd to Kent, to bring from thence a Wife for King Ofwy, being Eanfleda, the Daughter of King Edwin, who had been convey'd thither when her Father was kill'd; and intending to go thither by Land, but to return with the Virgin by Sea, repair'd to Bishop Aidan, intreating him to offer up his Prayers to our Lord for him and his Company, who were then to fet out on their Journey. He bleffing and recommending them to our Lord, at the fame Time, gave them fome Holy Oil, faying, I know that when you go abroad, you will meet with a Storm and contrary Wind; but do you remember to caft this Oil I give you into the Sea, and the Wind ceafing immediately, you will have pleasant calm Weather, and return home fafe. All which fell out as the Bishop had predicted. For in the first Place, the Winds raging, the Sailors endeavour'd tò

ride it out at Anchor, but all to no Purpose; for the Sea breaking on all fides, and the Ship beginning to be fill'd with Water, they all concluded that certain Death was immediately at hand, the Priest at laft remembring the Bishop's Words, laying hold of the Viol, he caft fome of the Oil into the Sea, which, as had been foretold, became prefently calm. Thus it came to pafs, that the Man of God, by the Spirit of Prophecy foretold the Storm that was to happen, and by Virtue of the fame Spirit, tho abfent in Body, laid the fame when it hapned. The Manner of which Miracle was not told me by any Perfon of little Credit, but by Cynemund, a moft faithful Priest of our Church; who declard, that it was related to him by Utta, the Prieft, on and by whom the fame was wrought.

CHA P. XVI.

How the fame Aidan by his Prayers fav'd the Royal City, when fir'd by the Ene

my.

NOTHER notable Miracle of the fame

A Father is related by many that could

know it; for during the Time that he was Bishop, the Army of the Enemy Mercians, under the Command of Penda, wickedly ravaging the Country of the Northumbrians far and near proceeded even to the Regal City, which has its Name from Bebba, formerly Queen there,

and

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and not being able to enter it by Force, or by a long Siege, he endeavour'd to burn it down; and having overthrown all the Villages he met within the Neighbourhood of the City, he brought to it an immenfe Quantity of Beams, Pofts, Wattles and Thatch, where with he encompass'd the Place, to a great Height, on the Land fide, and when the Wind fet upon it, firing that Mafs, defign'd to burn the Town. At that Time, the most Reverend Bifhop Aidan, refided in the Ifle of a Farne, which is near two Miles from the City; for thither he was wont often to retire to pray in private, and be undisturb'd. In short, that folitary Place of Refidence of his, is to this Day fhown in that Island. He feeing the Flames of Fire and the Smoak carry'd by the boisterous Wind above the City Walls, is reported, with Eyes and Hands lifted up to Heaven, to have faid, Behold, Lord, how great Mifchief Penda does. Which Words being utter'd, the Wind immediately turning from the City, drove back the Flames upon those who had kindled them, fo that fome being hurt, and all frighted, they forbore any further Attempts against the City, which they perceiv'd was divinely protected.

a An Island in the German Ocean, two Miles from Bamborow-Cafile, furrounded with Rocks, with a Fort in the Middle of it, where St. Cuthbertis faid to have built a City, as Bede calls it, for religious People. See his Life of St. Cuthbert.

CHAP.

CHAP. XVII

That the Shore of the Church next to which Bishop Aidan was when he dy'd, could not be burnt, when the rest of the faid Church was confum'd by Fire; and of bis inward Life.

A

IDAN was in the King's CountryHouse, not far from the City, of which we have fpoken above, at the Time when Death feparated him from his Body, after having been Bishop feventeen Years; for having a Church and a Chamber there, he was wont often to go and stay there, and to make Excurfions to preach in the Country round about; which he likewife did in other of the King's Country Seats, as having nothing of his own befides his Church and fome few Lands about it. When he was fick they fet up a Tent for him at the West-end of the Church, so that the faid Tent was clofe to the Wall of the Church; by which means it happen'd, that he gave up the Ghost leaning against a Shore, that was on the outfide to strengthen the Wall. He dy'd in the feventeenth Year of his Epifcopacy, the Day before the Kalends of September. His Body was thence tranflated to the Ifle of Lindisfarn, and bury'd in the Brethren's Church-yard. Some Time after, when a larger Church was built there, and dedicated in Honour of the most bieffed Prince of the Apostles, his Bone were

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