This song may thus be rendered in Latin:-" Sancta Maria, virgo munda, mater Jesu Christi Nazareni, suscipe, adduc, sancta, tecum in Dei regnum. Sancta Maria, Christi thala

mus, virginalis puritas, matris flos, dele mea crimina, regna in mente mea, duc me ad felicitatem cum solo Deo." This song Christ's mother told Godric to sing whenever he was fearful of being overcome by pain, sorrow, or temptation. "And when you call on me by singing it," continued she, "you shall immediately have my help." She then made the sign of the cross upon his head, and in his sight went up to heaven, leaving behind a pleasant odour.

How Saint Godric raised two dead persons to life again.

The

One day there came to the man of God a husband and wife, and besought him mercifully to restore to life their daughter who was dead, and at the same time they produced her body from a sack which they brought with them. man of God, judging himself unworthy to perform such a meritorious deed, made no answer, but went into the field to his usual labour; at which the two persons were disturbed and took their departure, leaving the body in his oratory, "for," said they, "he may keep the corpse and bury it, or else restore it to life; which he could do if he pleased. In the evening Godric returning, found the body in the corner of his oratory, and immediately began devoutly to pray God, who is the source of life and health to all, to bring back the girl to life. This he continued to do for three days and two nights; when, on the third day, whilst he was still lying prostrate before the altar, he saw the girl advance towards it; upon which he forthwith called her parents and restored her to their cares, making them at the same time swear that, so long as he lived, they would reveal this secret to no one. At another time, also, when the dead body of a boy was brought by his parents privately to the man of God, he bade them place it on the altar of the blessed virgin in his oratory, saying, "Do not suppose that the boy is dead, but kneel down with me and entreat the divine mercy for the child." When they had prayed, he told them to go and take the boy from the altar, which when they went to do, they found him alive and smiling. The man of God afterwards bound them by oath, not to reveal this deed to any one as long as he should be alive.

Of the answer which the man of God gave to one who wished to write his life.

The saint had some intimate friends among the monks of Durham, especially one whose name was N—.* This man was repeatedly urged to write the life and virtues of St. Godric for the benefit of posterity, and to obtain more certain information on the subject, he came to the man of God, to learn from him what he should write. Whilst sitting at the saint's feet, he said that he proposed to write his life, and stated the benefit which would result to posterity from a knowledge of what he had done: to which the man of God replied with much energy, "My friend, the life of Godric is as follows:-In the first place, Godric the coarse rustic, the unclean fornicator, a falsifier, deceiver, and perjurer, a vagrant, petulant and gluttonous, a foul dog, a base worm, not a hermit but a hypocrite, not a solitary but a looseminded fellow, a devourer of alms, contemptuous, a lover of pleasure, negligent, slothful, and snoring away his time, prodigal and ambitious, unworthy to serve others, and ever lashing or rebuking those who ministered to himself. These are the things, and still worse than these which you will have to write about Godric." When he had said these words, indignantly, he held his peace, and the monk retired in confusion: but when some years had intervened, he did not dare again to question the saint about his past life, until Godric himself, in compassion, or perhaps because he repented of the wrong he had done him, of his own accord told him what he wished to know, but at the same time adjured the monk, by the regard which they had for one another, to show the book to no one during his life.

Of the answer which Godric gave when asked concerning the departure of the soul, and its state after death.

Another time, when the same monk came to him at the feast of Saint John the Baptist to celebrate mass for him, he sat outside the door of his oratory, and heard Godric within singing. After vespers, the brother asked him what was the nature of the soul's departure from this world: to which he

* We learn from other sources that this man's name was Reginald. N. for nomen, is the letter commonly used by the medieval writers and copyists, to occupy the place of a name not known to them.

is said to have received this answer:-"The pious soul," said he, "departs gently from the body; but the sinful soul, as if unfit to depart, is urged thereto by many lashes. As soon as it has made its exit from the body, it mounts aloft, awaiting the pleasure of the Almighty. Now there is in the air a narrow iron gate, guarded on both sides by spirits both good and evil: through it the souls of the just are admitted by an easy passage, but those of the wicked are severely constrained and tormented, and miserably driven downwards. I this day saw the soul of a just man pass through it, and in my joy thereat, I began to sing with the angels that conducted it, and this was what you heard with so much surprize."

How St. Peter celebrated mass for St. Godric.

The same monk on another occasion, returning thither again, asked the man of God if he would like to hear a mass: to which he replied, "I have to-day heard the mass of the Holy Trinity, and received the communion from the hand of a man in white, who, descending from heaven, again ascended thither after he had admonished me to confess my sins, and I had told all that occurred to me of what I had done amiss. Thus he gave me absolution, and I received the communion from his hands, after which he raised his hands over me and ascended into heaven. Do you recommend me then, my son, after this, to receive confession or communion from your hands?" The monk said he could not dare to do so; but at the same time asked him which of the saints it was. The man of God replied that it was Peter the apostle, who had been sent by God to absolve him from his sins. "Do you, then," said he, "celebrate mass in honour of the blessed virgin, that by her mediation we may gain the favour of her Son." And the monk, giving thanks to God, joyfully did as he was bidden.

How St. Godric was released from the demons by prayer and the sign of the cross.

When Godric had spent forty years in the desert at Finchale, he was worn out with disease and old age, and drew near his latter end. For during almost eight years he kept his bed, and could not even turn on his side without

some one to help him:* his pains and temptations were at this time so numerous that it is impossible for tongue to tell or pen to write them. Two demons came to him, carrying a litter, and said to him, "We are come to carry you to hell, for you are an old madman, and from being wise are become foolish," but Godric made the sign of the cross and uttered a prayer to God, which put the demons to flight.

How the devil struck Godric on the head, and of his death.

Afterwards, when the man of God was once lying alone on his bed, the attendants, who were without, heard a voice calling them; one of them running in, found him lying naked on the floor of his oratory, and placing him back on the bed, asked him why he lay on the floor. "The devil," said Godric, "stood by me, and seeing me lying careless after a doze, he suddenly threw me out of bed, and dashed my head against the bench." As he said this, he showed them a swelling on his head, and added, "The devil came upon me so suddenly, that I had no time to protect myself by making the sign of the cross, saying, 'Ah, Godric the rustic, I could not vanquish you by the agency of my satellites, but whilst you were enjoying repose in your bed, I have now killed you.' Let every one therefore reflect how dangerous it is to give way to bodily pleasures, or to indulge in sloth; God is never found among those who live luxuriously." The venerable father Godric died on the 21st of May, which was the octave of our Lord's ascension: his life and actions seem to be more than human, and above the power of man to describe: he was buried on the north side of his oratory, before the steps of St. John the Baptist's altar, and his tomb to this day is hallowed by the performance of miracles.

The coronation of young king Henry.

At this time, namely, A.D. 1170, on the 13th of July, by the king's command, there met at Westminster, Roger archbishop of York, and all the suffragan bishops of the church of Canterbury, to crown the king's eldest son Henry; who was crowned accordingly, by Roger archbishop of York,

* This was no doubt brought on by his austerity of life, of which pains in the body are the natural result: the temptations which he endured from the devil, may be ascribed to imagination.

on the 18th of June, contrary to the prohibition of our lord the pope, who sent letters to the archbishop and the other bishops, to the following purport: "We forbid you all by our apostolical authority, from crowning the new king, if the case shall occur, without the consent of the archbishop and church of Canterbury, nor shall any of you put forth his hand, contrary to the ancient customs and dignity of that church, or in any way forward the coronation aforesaid." This prohibition, however, was of no avail, for, before the letters were promulgated, the young king had been crowned. The king immediately afterwards crossed the sea, and came to a conference with the archbishop at Montmirail, where, also, the king of France attended, and after a long negotiation about making peace between them, when they came to the kiss, the archbishop used the words, "I kiss you to the honour of God," but the king recoiled from the same, as having been only conditionally brought to agreement; for though the archbishop's conscience might be most pure, the king always objected to the forms of words which he used, as for instance, saving the honour of God, saving my order, saving God's holy faith, and the archbishop was suspicious of this caution on the king's part, lest, if the reconciliation took place, he should be thought to have acquiesced in the king's unjust customs of England.

How peace was made between king Henry and Thomas archbishop

of Canterbury.

The king of France again had a conference with the king of England, William archbishop of Sens, and the bishop of Nevers, at Freitval, whereat king Henry and the archbishop rode apart from the rest, twice dismounted from their horses, and twice mounted again; the king also twice held the stirrup whilst the archbishop was mounting; and finally, by means of Rotric archbishop of Rouen, they came to terms at Amboise; peace was made between them, and king Henry wrote the following letter to his son the young king. "This is to inform you that Thomas archbishop of Canterbury has made peace with me, to my satisfaction. I therefore command that he and all his adherents shall be unmolested: and that you cause all their goods to be restored to him, as well as to all his clerks and others who left England on his