XIX. How Fursa built a monastery among the East Angles,
and of his visions and sanctity, to
CHAP. XVIII. Of the life and death of the religious King Sigbert [Circ. 631
A.D.]
AT this time, the kingdom of the East Angles, after the death of Earpwald, the
successor of Redwald, was governed by his brother Sigbert, a good and religious
man, who some time before had been baptized in Gaul, whilst he lived in
banishment, a fugitive from the enmity of Redwald. When he returned home, as
soon as- he ascended the throne, being desirous to imitate the good institutions
which he had seen in Gaul, he founded a school wherein boys should be taught
letters, and was assisted therein by Bishop Felix, who came to him from Kent,
and who furnished them with masters and teachers after the manner of the people
of Kent.
This king became so great a lover of the ‘heavenly kingdom, that at last,
quitting the affairs of his kingdom, and committing them to his kinsman Ecgric,
who before had a share in that kingdom, he entered a monastery, which he had
built for himself, and having received the tonsure, applied himself rather to do
battle for a heavenly throne. A long time after this, it happened that the
nation of the Mercians, under King Penda, made war on the East Angles; who
finding themselves no match for their enemy, entreated Sigbert to go with them
to battle, to encourage the soldiers. He was unwilling and refused, upon which
they drew him against his will out of the monastery, and carried him to the
army, hoping that the soldiers would be less afraid and less disposed to flee in
the presence of one who had formerly been an active and distinguished commander.
But he, still mindful of his profession, surrounded, as he was, by a royal army,
would carry nothing in his hand but a wand, and was killed with King Ecgric; and
the pagans pressing on, all their army was either slanghtered or dispersed.
They were succeeded in the kingdom by Anna,the son of Eni, of the blood royal, a
good man, and the father of good children, of whom, in the proper place, we
shall speak hereafter. He also was afterwards slain like his predecessors by the
same pagan chief of the Mercians.
CHAP. XIX. How Fursa built a monastery among the East Angles, and of his visions
and sanctity, to
which, his flesh remaining uncorrupted after death bore testimony. [Circ. 633
A.D.]
WHILST Sigbert still governed the kingdom, there came out of Ireland a holy man
called Fursa, renowned both for his words and actions, and remarkable for
singular virtues, being desirous to live as a stranger and pilgrim for the
Lord’s sake, wherever an opportunity should offer. On coming into the province
of the East Angles, he was honourably received by the aforesaid king, and
performing his wonted task of preaching the Gospel, by the example of his virtue
and the influence of his words, converted many unbelievers to Christ, and
confirmed in the faith and love of Christ those that already believed.
Here he fell into some infirmity of body, and was thought worthy to see a vision
of angels; in which he was admonished diligently to persevere in the ministry of
the Word which he had undertaken, and indefatigably to apply himself to his
usual watching and prayers; inasmuch as his end was certain, but the hour
thereof uncertain, according to the saying of our Lord, "Watch therefore, for ye
know neither the day nor the hour." Being confirmed by this vision, he set
himself with all speed to build a monastery on the ground which had been given
him by King Sigbert, and to establish a rule of life therein. This monastery was
pleasantly situated in the woods, near the sea; it was built within the area of
a fort, which in the English language is called Cnobheresburg, that is,
Cnobhere’s Town; afterwards, Anna, king of that province, and certain of the
nobles, embellished it with more stately buildings and with gifts.
This man was of noble Scottishblood, but much more noble in mind than in birth.
From his boyish years, he had earnestly applied himself to reading sacred books
and observing monastic discipline, and, as is most fitting for holy men, he
carefully practised all that he learned to be right.
Now, in course of time he himself built a monastery, wherein he might with more
freedom devote himself to his heavenly studies. There, falling sick, as the book
concerning his life clearly informs us, he fell into a trance, and quitting his
body from the evening till cockcrow, he accounted worthy to behold the sight of
the choirs of angels, and to hear their glad songs of praise. He was wont to
declare, that among other things he distinctly heard this refrain: "The saints
shall go from strength to strength."And again, "The God of gods shall be seen in
Sion." Being restored to his body, and again taken from it three days after, he
not only saw the greater joys of the blessed, but also fierce conflicts of evil
spirits, who by frequent accusations wickedly endeavoured to obstruct his
journey to heaven; but the angels protected him, and all their endeavours were
in vain. Concerning all these matters, if any one desires to be more fully
informed, to wit, with what subtlety of deceit the devils recounted both his
actions and idle words, and even his thoughts, as if they had been written down
in a book; and what joyous or grievous tidings he learned from the holy angels
and just men who appeared to him among the angels; let him read the little book
of his life which I have mentioned, and I doubt not that he will thereby reap
much spiritual profit.
But there is one thing among the rest, which we have thought it may be
beneficial to many to insert in this history. When he had been taken up on high,
he was bidden by the angels that conducted him to look back upon the world. Upon
which, casting his eyes downward, he saw, as it were, a dark valley in the
depths underneath him. He also saw four fires in the air, not far distant from
each other. Then asking the angels, what fires those were, he was told, they
were the fires which would kindle and consume the world. One of them was of
falsehood, when we do not fulfil that which we promised in Baptism, to renounce
the Devil and all his works. The next was of covetousness, when we prefer the
riches of the world to the love of heavenly things. The third was of discord,
when we do not fear to offend our neighbour even in needless things. The fourth
was of ruthlessness when we think it a light thing to rob and to defraud the
weak. These fires, increasing by degrees, extended so as to meet one another,
and united in one immense flame. When it drew near, fearing for himself, he said
to the angel, "Lord, behold the fire draws near to me." The angel answered,
"That which you did not kindle will not burn you; for though this appears to be
a terrible and great pyre, yet it tries every man according to the merits of his
works; for every man’s concupiscence shall burn in this fire; for as a man burns
in the body through unlawful pleasure, so, when set free from the body, he shall
burn by the punishment which he has deserved."
Then he saw one of the three angels, who had been his guides throughout both
visions, go before and divide the flaming fires, whilst the other two, flying
about on both sides, defended him from the danger of the fire. He also saw
devils flying through the fire, raising the flames of war against the just. Then
followed accusations of the envious spirits against himself, the defence of the
good spirits, and a fuller vision of the heavenly hosts; as also of holy men of
his own nation, who, as he had learnt, had worthily held the office of
priesthood in old times, and who were known to fame; from whom he heard many
things very salutary to himself, and to all others that would listen to them.
When they had ended their discourse, and returned to Heaven with the angelic
spirits, there remained with the blessed Fursa, the three angels of whom we have
spoken before, and who were to bring him back to the body. And when they
approached the aforesaid great fire, the angel divided the flame, as he had done
before; but when the man of God came to the passage so opened amidst the flames,
the unclean spirits, laying hold of one of those whom they were burning in the
fire, cast him against him, and, touching his shoulder and jaw, scorched them.
He knew the man, and called to mind that he had received his garment when he
died. The holy angel, immediately laying hold of the man, threw him back into
the fire, and the malignant enemy said, "Do not reject him whom you before
received; for as you received the goods of the sinner, so you ought to share in
his punishment." But the angel withstood him, saying, "He did not receive them
through avarice, but in order to save his soul." The fire ceased, and the angel,
turning to him, said, "That which you kindled burned you; for if you had not
received the money of this man that died in his sins, his punishment would not
burn you." And he went on to speak with wholesome counsel of what ought to be
done for the salvation of such as repented in the hour of death.
Being afterwards restored to the body, throughout the whole course of his life
he bore the mark of the fire which he had felt in the spirit, visible to all men
on his shoulder and jaw; and the flesh openly showed, in a wonderful manner,
what the spirit had suffered in secret. He always took care, as he had done
before, to teach all men the practice of virtue, as well by his example, as by
preaching. But as for the story of his visions, he would only relate them to
those who, from desire of repentance, questioned him about them. An aged brother
of our monastery is still living, who is wont to relate that a very truthful and
religious man told him, that he had seen Fursa himself in the province of the
East Angles, and heard those visions from his lips; adding, that though it was
in severe winter weather and a hard frost, and the man was sitting in a thin
garment when he told the story, yet he sweated as if it had been in the heat of
mid-summer, by reason of the great terror or joy of which he spoke.
To return to what we were saying before, when, after preaching the Word of God
many years in Scotland, he could not well endure the disturbance of the crowds
that resorted to him, leaving all that he looked upon as his own, he departed
from his native island, and came with a few brothers through the Britons into
the province of the English, and preaching the Word there, as has been said,
built a famous monastery.When this was duly carried out, he became desirous to
rid himself of all business of this world, and even of the monastery itself, and
forthwith left the care of it and of its souls, to his brother Fullan, and the
priests Gobban and Dicull,and being himself free from all worldly affairs,
resolved to end his life as a hermit. He had another brother called Ultan, who,
after a long monastic probation, had also adopted the life of an anchorite. So,
seeking him out alone, he lived a whole year with him in self-denial and prayer,
and laboured daily with his hands.
Afterwards seeing the province thrown into confusion by the irruptions of the
pagans,and foreseeing that the monasteries would also be in danger, he left all
things in order, and sailed over into Gaul, and being there honourably
entertained by Clovis, king of the Franks, or by the patrician Ercinwald, he
built a monastery in the place called Latineacum,2and falling sick not long
after, departed this life. The same Ercinwald, the patrician, took his body, and
kept it in the porch of a church he was building in his town of Perrona, till
the church itself should be dedicated. This happened twenty-seven days after,
and the body being taken from the porch, to be re-buried near the altar, was
found as whole as if he had died that very hour. And again, four years after,
when a more beautiful shrine had been built to receive his body to the east of
the altar, it was still found without taint of corruption, and was translated
thither with due honour; where it is well known that his merits, through the
divine operation, have been declared by many miracles. We have briefly touched
upon these matters as well as the incorruption of his body, that the lofty
nature of the man may be better known to our readers. All which, as also
concerning the comrades of his warfare, whosoever will read it, will find more
fully described in the book of his life.
