XVI. How the same Aidan, by his prayers, saved the royal
city when it was fired by the enemy. [Before 651 A.D.]
CHAP. XV. How Bishop Aidan foretold to certain seamen
that a storm would arise,
and gave them some
holy oil to calm it. [Between 642 and 645 AD.
How great the merits of Aidan were, was made manifest by the Judge of the heart,
with the testimony of miracles, whereof it will suffice to mention three, that
they may not be forgotten. A certain priest, whose name was Utta,2 a man of
great weight and sincerity, and on that account honoured by all men, even the
princes of the world, was sent to Kent, to bring thence, as wife for King Oswy,
Eanfled, the daughter of King Edwin, who had been carried thither when her
father was killed. Intending to go thither by land, but to return with the
maiden by sea, he went to Bishop Aidan, and entreated him to offer up his
prayers to the Lord for him and his company, who were then to set out on so long
a journey. He, blessing them, and commending them to the Lord, at the same time
gave them some holy oil, saying, "I know that when you go on board ship, you
will meet with a storm and contrary wind; but be mindful to cast this oil I give
you into the sea, and the wind will cease immediately; you will have pleasant
calm weather to attend you and send you home by the way that you desire.
All these things fell out in order, even as the bishop had foretold. For first,
the waves of the sea raged ,and the sailors endeavoured to ride it out at
anchor, but all to no purpose; for the sea sweeping over the ship on all sides
and beginning to fill it with water, they all perceived that death was at hand
and about to overtake them. The priest at last, remembering the bishop’s words,
laid hold of the phial and cast some of the oil into the sea, which at once, as
had been foretold, ceased from its uproar. Thus it came to pass that the man of
God, by the spirit of prophecy, foretold the storm that was to come to pass, and
by virtue of the same spirit, though absent in the body, calmed it when it had
arisen. The story of this miracle was not told me by a person of little credit,
but by Cynimund, a most faithful priest of our church,who declared that it was
related to him by Utta, the priest, in whose case and through whom the same was
wrought.
CHAP. XVI. How the same Aidan, by his prayers, saved the royal city when it was
fired by the enemy. [Before 651 A.D.]
ANOTHER notable miracle of the same father is related by many such as were
likely to have knowledge thereof; for during the time that he was bishop, the
hostile army of the Mercians, under the command of Penda, cruelly ravaged the
country of the Northumbrians far and near, even to the royal city,which has its
name from Bebba, formerly its queen. Not being able to take it by storm or by
siege, he endeavoured to burn it down; and having pulled down all the villages
in the neighbourhood of the city, he brought thither an immense quantity of
beams, rafters, partitions, wattles and thatch, wherewith he encompassed the
place to a great height on the land side, and when he found the wind favourable,
he set fire to it and attempted to burn the town.
At that time, the most reverend Bishop Aidan was dwelling in the Isle of
Fame,which is about two miles from the city; for thither he was wont often to
retire to pray in solitude and silence; and, indeed, this lonely dwelling of his
is to this day shown in that island. When he saw the flames of fire and the
smoke carried by the wind rising above the city walls, he is said to have lifted
up his eyes and hands to heaven, and cried with tears, "Behold, Lord, how great
evil is wrought by Penda!" These words were hardly uttered, when the wind
immediately veering from the city, drove back the flames upon those who had
kindled them, so that some being hurt, and all afraid, they forebore any further
attempts against the city, which they perceived to be protected by the hand of
God.
