| 0001
ON EADGARES
DAGUM ÐÆS ÆÐELAN [CYNINCGES, 0002 ÞAÐA se Cristendom wæs wel ðeonde þurh God 0003 on Angelcynne under ðam ylcan cynincge, 0004 þa geswutelode God þone sanct Swyðun 0005 mid manegum wundrum, þæt he mære is. 0006 His dæda næron cuðe ærðan þe hi God sylf cydde, 0007 ne we ne fundon on bocum hu se bisceop leofode 0008 on þysre worulde, ærðan þe he gewende to Criste. 0009 Þæt wæs þæra gymeleast þe on life hine cuþon, 0010 þæt hi noldon awritan his weorc and drohtnunge 0011 þam towerdum mannum ðe his mihte ne cuðon; 0012 ac God hæfð swa þeah his lif geswutelod, 0013 mid swutelum wundrum and syllicum tacnum. |
In
the days of the noble King Edgar |
| 0014
Ðes Swyðun wæs bisceop on Winceastre, 0015 swa þeah ofer Hamtunscire, gesælig Godes þeowa, 0016 and eahta bisceopas wæron betwux him and sancte [Aðelwolde. 0017 Nu næs us his lif cuð swa swa we ær cwædon, 0018 butan þæt he wæs bebyrged æt his bisceopstole 0019 be westan þære cyrcan and oferworht syððan, 0020 oþþæt his wundra geswutelodon his gesælða mid [Gode. |
This Swithin was bishop of Winchester, as it were over Hampshire, a blessed servant of God (there were eight bishops between him and St Æthelwold). Now as we said before, his life was not known to us, save that he was buried at his episcopal see to the west of the church, and afterwards covered up, until his miracles manifested his blessedness with God. |
| 0021
Þrym gearum ærðan þe se sanct into cyrcan
wære [gebroht 0022 of ðære stænenan þryh þe stent nu wiðinnan 0023 þam niwan geweorce, com se arwurða Swyðun 0024 to sumum gelyfedan smyðe, on swefne æteowiende 0025 wurðlice geglencged, and ðas word him cwæð to, 0026 "Canst þu ðone preost þe is gehaten Eadzige, 0027 “þe wæs of ealdan mynstre mid ðam oðrum preostum [adræfed 0028 “for heora unþeawum þurh Aðelwold bisceop?" 0029 Se smið þa andwyrde þam arwurðan Swyðune þus, 0030 "Gefyrn ic hine cuðe, leof, ac he ferde heonon 0031 “and ic nat to gewissan hwær he wunað nu." 0032 Þa cwæð eft se halga wer to ðam ealdan smyðe, 0033 "Witodlice he wunað nu on Wincelcumbe hamfæst, 0034 “and ic ðe nu halsige on þæs Hælendes naman 0035 “þæt ðu him min ærende ardlice abeode, 0036 “and sege him to soþan þæt Swiðun se bisceop 0037 “het þæt he fare to Aþelwolde bisceope, 0038 “and secge þæt he geopenige him sylf mine byrgene, 0039 “and mine ban gebringe binnan ðære cyrcan, 0040 “forðan þe him is getiþod þæt ic on his timan 0041 “beo mannum geswutelod." And se smið him cwæð to, 0042 "La leof, Eadzige nele gelyfan minum wordum." 0043 Ða cwæð se bisceop eft, "Gange him to minre byrgene, 0044 “and ateo ane hringan up of ðære þryh, 0045 “and gif seo hringe him folgað æt þam forman tige, 0046 “þonne wat he to soðan þæt ic þe sende to him. 0047 “Gif seo hringe nele up þurh his anes tige 0048 “þonne ne sceall he nates hwon þinre sage gelyfan. 0049 “Sege him eac siððan, þæt he sylf geriht-læce 0050 “his dæda and þeawas to his drihtnes willan, 0051 “and efste anmodlice to þam ecan life. 0052 “Sege eac eallum mannum þæt sona swa hi 0053 “geopeniað mine byrgene, þæt hi magon ðær findan 0054 “swa deorwurðne hord, þæt heora dyre gold 0055 “ne bið naht wurð wið þa foresædan maðmas." 0056 Se halga Swyðun þa ferde fram þam smið up, 0057 and se smiðe ne dorste secgan þas gesihðe ænigum [menn, 0058 nolde beon gesewen unsoðsagul boda. 0059 Hwæt ða se halga wer hine eft gespræc 0060 and git þryddan siðe, and swyðe hine þreade, 0061 hwi he nolde gehyrsumian his hæsum mid weorce. 0062 Se smið þa æt nextan eode swa ðeah to his byrgene, 0063 and genam ane hringan earhlice swa ðeah, 0064 and clypode to Gode þus cwæðende mid wordum, 0065 "Eala ðu Drihten God ealra gesceafta scyppend, 0066 “getiða me synfullum þæt ic ateo þas hringan 0067 “up of ðysum hlyde, gif se lið her on innan 0068 “seðe me spræc to on swæfne þriwa." 0069 He teah ða þæt isen up swa eaðelice of ðam stane 0070 swilce hit on sande stode, and he swyðe þæs [wundrode. 0071 He ða hit eft sette on þæt ylce þyrl, 0072 and þyde mid his fet, and hit swa fæste eft stod 0073 þæt nan man ne mihte hit þanon ateon. 0074 Þa eode se smið geegsod þanon, 0075 and gemette on cypincge þæs Eadzies mann, 0076 and sæde him gewislice hwæt Swyðun him bebead, 0077 and bæd hine georne þæt he hit abude him. 0078 He cwæð þæt he hit wolde cyðan his hlaforde, 0079 and ne dorste swa ðeah hit secgan æt fruman, 0080 ærþan ðe he beþohte þæt him ðearflic nære 0081 þæt he ðæs halgan hæse forhule his hlaforde; 0082 sæde þa be endebyrdnysse hwæt Swyðun him bebead. 0083 Þa onscunode se Eadsige Aðelwold þone bisceop 0084 and ealle ða munecas þe on ðam mynstre wæron, 0085 for þære utdræfe þe he gedyde wið hi, 0086 and nolde gehyran þæs halgan bebod, 0087 þeah ðe se sanct wære gesib him for worulde. 0088 He gebeah swa þeah binnan twam gearum 0089 to þam ylcan mynstre and munuc wearð þurh God, 0090 and þær wunode oðþæt he gewat of life. 0091 Geblætsod is se ealmihtiga God þe geeadmed þone [modigan, 0092 and ða eadmodan ahæfð to healicum geðincþum, 0093 and gerihtlæcð þa synfullan, and symle hylt ða godan 0094 þe on hine hihtað forðan þe he Hælend is. |
Three years before the Saint was brought
into the church out of the stone coffin that stands now within the new building, came the venerable Swithin to a certain faithful smith, appearing in a vision worshipfully apparelled, and said to him these words, “Do you know the priest who is called Eadsige, who with the other priests was driven out of the old monastery for their misconduct, by bishop Æthelwold?” The smith then answered the venerable Swithin thus, “Long ago I knew him, sir, but he departed hence, and I do not know for certain where he dwells now.” Then again the holy man said to the old smith, “Verily he now dwells settled at Winchelcomb, and I now adjure you in the name of Christ that you speedily announce my errand to him, and tell him truly that Swithin the bishop has commanded him to go to bishop Æthelwold, and say that he must himself open my grave and bring my bones within the church, for to him it is vouchsafed that in his time I should be made known to men.” And the smith said to him, “Oh, sir, Eadsige will not believe my words.” Then said the bishop again, “Let him go to my grave and draw up a ring out of the coffin; and if the ring yields at the first tug, then shall he know for a truth that I have sent you to him. If the ring will not come up at his unaided tug, then shall he in no way believe your words. Say to him also afterwards that he himself amend his deeds and conduct according to his Lord’s will and hasten with single mind to the eternal life. Say also to all men that as soon as they open my grave, they shall find there so valuable a hoard that their precious gold shall be worth nothing when compared with the aforesaid treasures.” The holy Swithin then vanished from the smith’s [sight], and the smith did not dare to tell this vision to anyone, not wishing to be looked upon as an untruthful messenger. So then the holy man spoke to him again and yet a third time, and reproved him severely because he would not actively obey his commands. Then however at last the smith went to his burial-place and took hold, though fearfully, of a ring, and cried to God, saying these words, “O Lord God, maker of all creatures, grant to me, a sinful man, that I may pull up this ring out of this lid, if he lies here within who thrice spoke to me in a dream.” Thereupon he drew the iron out of the stone as easily as if it had stood in sand, and greatly wondered thereat. Afterward he replaced it in the same hole, and pressed it with his foot, and it again stood so fast that no man was able to draw it therefrom. Then the smith went thence awestricken, and in the market-place met a serf of this Eadsige and told him exactly what Swithin bade him, and earnestly prayed him to report it to him. He [the serf] said that he would make it known to his lord, but however did not dare to tell it at first, until he bethought him that it would not be well for him if he hid the saint’s command from his lord; he then told him in order what Swithin had enjoined him. At that time this Eadsige shunned bishop Æthelwold and all the monks who were in New Minster because of the ejection that he had made regarding them, and [therefore] did not want to obey the saint’s command though the saint was of worldly kindred to him. Nevertheless, he retreated within two years to that same monastery and became a monk by God’s grace, and remained there until he departed this life. Blessed is the Almighty God who humbles the proud and exalts the humble to a high state and corrects the sinful, and for ever preserves the good who hope in Him, because he is the Saviour. |
| 0095
Eft wæs sum earm ceorl egeslicc gehoferod, 0096 and ðearle gebiged þurh ðone bradan hofor. 0097 Þam wearð geswutelod on swefne gewislice, 0098 þæt he sceolde gefeccan æt Swyðunes byrgene 0099 his lichaman hæle, and þære alefednysse. 0100 He aras ða on mergen micclum fægnigende, 0101 and mid twam criccum creap him to Wynceastre, 0102 and gesohte ðone sanct swa swa him gesæd wæs, 0103 biddende his hæle gebigdum cneowum. 0104 He wearð þa gehæled þurh þone halgan bisceop, 0105 swa þæt næs gesyne syððan on his hricge 0106 hwær se hofor stode þe hine gehefegode oðþæt. 0107 Þa nyston þa munecas be ðam mæran halgan, 0108 and wendon þæt sum oðer halga gehælde þone mann, 0109 ac se ceorl sæde þæt Swyðun hine gehælde, 0110 forðan þe he sylf wiste gewissost be ðam. |
Again, there was a poor peasant, awfully
humpbacked, painfully stooped as a consequence of the broad hump. To him was revealed in a dream as truth that he should obtain his bodily health (99) at Swithin’s sepulchre (98), and [recovery from] his crippledness. He arose then in the morning, greatly rejoicing, and crept to Winchester with two crutches and sought the saint as it was told to him, praying for his health on bended knees. Whereupon he was healed by the holy bishop so that thereafter it could not be seen on his back where the hump had stood that had oppressed him till then. At that time the monks did not know about the great saint and [therefore] thought that some other saint healed the man, but the peasant said that Swithin had healed him, because he himself was very certain about that matter. |
| 0111
Sum wer wæs geuntrumod swiðe yfelum broce, 0112 swa þæt he earfoðlice þa eagan undyde, 0113 and uneaðe mihte ænig word gecweðan, 0114 ac læg swa geancsumod orwene his lifes. 0115 Ða woldon his freond ealle hine ferian to niwan mynstre 0116 to þam halgan Iudoce, þæt he him hæle forgeafe; 0117 ac him sæde sum man þæt him selra wære 0118 þæt hi to ealdan mynstre þone adligan feredon 0119 to Swyðunes byrgene, and hi dydon swa sona. 0120 Hi wacodon ða þa niht wið þa byrgene mid him, 0121 biddende þone ælmihtigan God, þæt he ðam adligan [menn 0122 his hæle forgeafe, þurh þone halgan Swyðun. 0123 Se untruma eac wacode oðþæt hit wolde dagian, 0124 þa wearð he on slæpe and seo wurðfulle byrgen 0125 þæs ðe him eallum þuhte eall bifigende wæs, 0126 and þam adlian þuhte swylce man his ænne sco 0127 of ðam fet him atuge and he færlice awoc. 0128 He wæs ða gehæled þurh ðone halgan Swyðun, 0129 and man sohte þone sco swyðe geornlice, 0130 ac hine ne mihte nan man gemetan þær æfre; 0131 and hi gewendan þa ham mid þam gehæledan menn. 0132 Þær wurdon gehælede æt ðære halgan byrgene 0133 eahta untrume menn, ærðan þe he of ðære byrgene 0134 up genumen wære, wundorlice þurh God. |
A certain man was afflicted with a very bad
disease so that he could open his eyes with difficulty only, and he could hardly utter a single word, but lay thus tormented, dispairing of his life. Then all his friends wished to carry him to the New Minster to Saint Judoc that he might give him health; but someone told them that it would be better for them to take the sick man to the Old Minster to Swithin’s grave, and thereupon they did so. That night they then kept vigil at the grave with him, praying Almighty God that He would grant to the sick man his health through Saint Swithin. The infirm man also watched until it was becoming day, then he fell asleep, and the worshipful tomb, as it seemed to them all, was all rocking, and to the sick man it seemed as if some man was dragging his one shoe off his foot, and he suddenly awoke. He was then healed by the holy Swithin, and they sought for the shoe very carefully, but no man was ever able to find it there; and then they went home with the man who had been healed. There were healed there, at the holy tomb, eight sick men before he was taken up out of the tomb, miraculously, by the power of God. |
| 0135
Eadgar cyning þa æfter ðysum tacnum 0136 wolde þæt se halga wer wurde up gedon, 0137 and spræc hit to Aðelwolde þam arwurðan bisceope, 0138 þæt he hine up adyde mid arwurðnysse. 0139 Þa se bisceop Aðelwold mid abbodum and munecum 0140 dyde up þone sanct mid sange wurðlice, 0141 and bæron into cyrcan, sancte Petres huse. 0142 Þær he stend mid wurðmynte and wundra gefremað. 0143 Þær wurdon gehælede þurh ðone halgan wer 0144 feower wanhale menn binnan ðrym dagum, 0145 and geond fif monþas feawa daga wæron 0146 þæt ðær næron gehælede huru ðry untrume, 0147 hwilon fif oððe syx, seofon oððe eahta, 0148 tyn oððe twelf , syxtyne oððe eahtatyne. 0149 Binnon tyn dagum þær wurdon twa hund manna [gehælede, 0150 and swa fela binnan twelf monðum þæt man hi getellan [ne mihte. 0151 Se lictun læg afylled mid alefedum mannum, 0152 swa þæt man eaðe ne mihte þæt mynster gesecan; 0153 and þa ealle wurdon swa wundorlice gehælede 0154 binnan feawa dagum, þæt man þær findan ne mihte 0155 fif unhale menn of þam micclan heape. |
After these signs King Edgar then desired that the holy man should be exhumed, and said so to the venerable bishop Æthelwold, namely that he should translate him with great pomp. Then bishop Æthelwold, with abbots and monks, solemnly took up the saint with chanting, and bore him into the church, St Peter’s house. There he abides in honour and works miracles. Then there were healed by the holy man four sick men within three days, and during five months there were only few days when there were healed less than three sick persons, sometimes five or six, or seven or eight, ten or twelve, sixteen or eighteen. Within ten days two hundred men were healed, and so many within twelve months that no man could count them. The burial-ground lay filled with crippled folk, so that people could hardly get into the Minster; and they were all so miraculously healed within a few days, thatone could not find there five unsound men out of that great crowd. |
| 0223
Aþelwold þa se arwurða and se eadiga bisceop, 0224 þe on ðam dagum wæs on Winceastre bisceop, 0225 bead his munecum eallum þe on ðam mynstre [wunodon, 0226 þæt hi ealle eodon endemes to cyrcan, 0227 and mid sange heredon þæs sanctes mærða, 0228 and God mærsodon swa on þam mæran halgan, 0229 swa oft swa ænig wanhal mann wurde gehæled. 0230 Þa dydon hi sona swa, and sungon þone lofsang, 0231 oðþæt heom laðode eallum þæt hi swa oft arisan, 0232 hwilon þrywa on niht, hwilon feower syðum, 0233 to singenne þone lofsang þonne hi slapan sceoldon; 0234 and forleton ealle endemes þone sang, 0235 forðam þe se bisceop wæs bysig mid þam cynincge, 0236 and nyste butan hi sungon þone lofsang forð on. 0237 Hwæt ða se halga Swyðun sylf com on swefne 0238 wundorlice geglencged to sumum godan menn and [cwæð, 0239 "Gang nu to ealdan mynstre, and þam munecum sege 0240 “þæt Gode swyðe oflicað heora ceorung and slæwð, 0241 “þæt hi dæghwamlice geseoð Drihtnes wundra mid him, 0242 “and hi nellað herian þone hælend mid sange, 0243 “swa swa se bisceop bebead þam gebroðrum to donne, 0244 “and sege gif hi nellað þone sang gelæstan, 0245 “þonne geswicað eac sona ða wundra, 0246 “and gif hi þone lofsang willað æt þam wundrum [singan, 0247 “swa oft swa wanhale menn þær wurðað gerihte, 0248 “þonne wurðaþ mid him wundra swa fela, 0249 “þæt nan man ne mæg gemunan on life 0250 “þæt ænig man gesawe swylce wundra ahwær." 0251 Þa awæcnode se wer of þam wynsuman slæpe, 0252 and swyðe besargode þæt he geseon ne moste 0253 ne nan læncg brucan þæs beorhtan leohtes, 0254 þe he mid Swiðune hæfde ða gesewen. 0255 He aras swaðeah and swiðe hraðe ferde 0256 to Aþelwolde bisceope, and him eall þis sæde. 0257 Aþelwold þa asende sona to þam munecum 0258 of cyninges hyrede, and cwæð þæt hi sceoldon 0259 þone lofsang singan, swa swa he geset hæfde, 0260 and se þe hit forsawe, sceolde hit mid fæstene 0261 seofon niht on an swarlice gebetan. 0262 Hi hit heoldon þa syððan symle on gewunon, 0263 swa swa we gesawon sylfe for oft, 0264 and þone sang we sungon unseldon mid heom. |
Then Æthelwold, the venerable and
blessed bishop who in those days was bishop of Winchester, bade all his monks who dwelt in the monastery that they should all go in procession to church and praise with hymns the merits of the saint and thus magnify God on behalf of the great saint as often as any sick man should be healed. Forthwith they then did so, and sang the Te Deum, until they all loathed to arise so often, sometimes three and sometimes four times in a night, to sing the Te Deum when they were expected to sleep; and at last they all left off the chanting, because the bishop was busy with the king and did not know but that they continued to sing the praise. Behold then, the holy Swithin himself appeared in a vision wondrously adorned to a certain good man and said, “Go now to the Old Minster and say to the monks that God greatly mislikes their murmuring and sloth, in that they daily see God’s wonders among them and yet will not praise the Saviour with chanting even as the bishop bade the brethren do, and say if they will not perform the chanting, then straightaway the miracles will cease [to occur]; and if they will sing the Te Deum at the miracles, as often as sick men will there be made whole, then so many miracles will be done among them that no man shall be able to remember in his lifetime that any man has seen such miracles anywhere.” Then the man awoke from his happy sleep and greatly lamented that he could no longer see nor any longer enjoy the bright light which he had seen around Swithin. Nevertheless he arose and very quickly went to Bishop Æthelwold, and told him all this. Æthelwold thereupon immediately sent to the monks from the king’s court, and said that they should sing the song of praise as he had appointed, and he that neglected it should heavily atone for it (261) by fasting (260) for seven days continuously. Thenceforth they ever observed the custom, as we ourselves have very often seen it, and have often sung this hymn with them. |
| 0424
Ne mage we awritan ne mid wordum asecgan 0425 ealle þa wundra þe se halga wer Swiðun, 0426 þurh God gefremode on ðæs folces gesihþe, 0427 ge on gehæftum mannum, ge on unhalum mannum, 0428 mannum to swutelunge þæt hi sylfe magon 0429 Godes rice geearnian mid godum weorcum, 0430 swa swa Swiþun dyde, þe nu scinð þurh wundra. 0431 Seo ealde cyrce wæs eall behangen mid criccum, 0432 and mid creopera sceamelum, fram ende oð oþerne 0433 on ægðrum wage, þe ðær wurdon gehælede, 0434 and man ne mihte swa ðeah macian hi healfe up. 0435 Þyllice tacna cyþað þæt Crist is ælmihtig God 0436 þe his halgan geswutelode þurh swylce weldæda, 0437 þeah ðe ða Iudeiscan þurh deofol beswicene 0438 nellon gelyfan on þone lyfigendan Crist, 0439 ærðan þe Antecrist ofslagen bið þurh God. 0440 Þonne bugað þa earmingas on ende þysre worulde 0441 ðe þær to lafe beoð mid geleafan to Criste, 0442 and ða ærran losiað þe ær noldon gelyfan. |
We cannot write nor recount in words all the miracles which the holy man Swithin worked by the power of God in the sight of the people, both on prisoners and on sick men, to manifest to men that they themselves may merit the kingdom of heaven by good works, even as Swithin did who now shines through his miracles. The Old Church was hung all round with crutches and with the stools of cripples (from one end to the other on both walls) who had been healed there, and not even so could they put half of them up. Such tokens declare that Christ is Almighty God who revealed His saint by such good deeds, though the Jews, deceived by the devil, will not believe in the living Christ until Antichrist will be destroyed by God. Then shall those miserable people who remain (441) at the end of this world (440) submit with faith to Christ, and the men of old will be lost who formerly would not believe. |