XXVIII. How the same St. Cuthbert, living the life of an Anchorite,
by his prayers obtained a spring in a dry soil, and had a crop from
seed sown by the labour of his hands out of season. [676 A.D.]
CHAP. XXVIII.
How the same St. Cuthbert, living the life of an Anchorite, by his prayers
obtained a spring in a dry soil, and had a crop from seed sown by the labour of
his hands out of season. [676 A.D.]
AFTER this, Cuthbert, as he grew in goodness and intensity of devotion, attained
also to a hermit's life of contemplation in silence and solitude, as we have
mentioned. But forasmuch as many years ago we wrote enough concerning his life
and virtues, both in heroic verse and prose,it may suffice at present only to
mention this, that when he was about to go to the island, he declared to the
brothers, "If by the grace of God it shall be granted to me, that I may live in
that place by the labour of my hands, I will willingly abide there; but if not,
God willing, I will very soon return to you." The place was quite destitute of
water, corn, and trees; and being infested by evil spirits, was very ill suited
for human habitation; but it became in all respects habitable, at the desire of
the man of God; for at his coming the wicked spirits departed. When, after
expelling the enemy, he had, with the help of the brethren, built himself a
narrow dwelling, with a mound about it, and the necessary cells in it, to wit,
an oratory and a common living room, he ordered the brothers to dig a pit in the
floor of the room, although the ground was hard and stony, and no hopes appeared
of any spring. When they had done this relying upon the faith and prayers of the
servant of God, the next day it was found to be full of water, and to this day
affords abundance of its heavenly bounty to all that resort thither. He also
desired that instruments for husbandry might be brought him, and some wheat; but
having prepared the ground and sown the wheat at the proper season, no sign of a
blade, not to speak of ears, had sprouted from it by the summer. Hereupon, when
the brethren visited him according to custom, he ordered barley to be brought
him, if haply it were either the nature of the soil, or the will of God, the
Giver of all things, that such grain rather should grow there. He sowed it in
the same field, when it was brought him, after the proper time of sowing, and
therefore without any likelihood of its bearing fruit; but a plentiful crop
immediately sprang up, and afforded the man of God the means which he had
desired of supporting himself by his own labour.
When he had here served God in solitude many years, the mound which encompassed
his dwelling being so high, that he could see nothing from it but heaven, which
he thirsted to enter, it happened that a great synod was assembled in the
presence of King Egfrid, near the river Alne, at a place called Adtuifyrdi,
which signifies "at the two fords," in which Archbishop Theodore, of blessed
memory, presided, and there Cuthbert was, with one mind and consent of all,
chosen bishop of the church of Lindisfarne. They could not, however, draw him
from his hermitage, though many messengers and letters were sent to him. At last
the aforesaid king himself, with the most holy Bishop and other religious and
powerful men, sailed to the island; many also of the brothers from the isle of
Lindisfarne itself, assembled together for the same purpose: they all knelt, and
conjured him by the Lord, with tears and entreaties, till they drew him, also in
tears, from his beloved retreat, and forced him to go to the synod. When he
arrived there, he was very reluctantly overcome by the unanimous resolution of
all present, and compelled to take upon himself the duties of the episcopate;
being chiefly prevailed upon by the words of Boisil, the servant of God, who,
when he had prophetically foretold all things that were to befall him, had also
predicted that he should be a bishop. Nevertheless, the consecration was not
appointed immediately; but when the winter, which was then at hand, was over, it
was carried out at Easter, in the city of York, and in the presence of the
aforesaid King Egfrid; seven bishops coming together for his consecration, among
whom, Theodore, of blessed memory, was Primate. He was first elected bishop of
the church of Hagustald, in the place of Tunbert,who had been deposed from the
episcopate; but because he chose rather to be placed over the church of
Lindisfarne, in which he had lived, it was thought fit that Eata should return
to the see of the church of Hagustald, to which he had been first ordained, and
that Cuthbert should take upon him the government of the church of Lindisfarne.
Following the example of the blessed Apostles, he adorned the episcopal dignity
by his virtuous deeds; for he both protected the people committed to his charge
by constant prayer, and roused them, by wholesome admonitions, to thoughts of
Heaven. He first showed in his own life what he taught others to do, a practice
which greatly strengthens all teaching; for he was above all things inflamed
with the fire of Divine charity, of sober mind and patient, most dilig
entlyintenton devout prayers, and kindly to all that came to him for comfort. He
thought it stood in the stead of prayer to afford the weak brethren the help of
his exhortation, knowing that he who said "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,"
said likewise, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour." He was noted for penitential
abstinence, and was always through the grace of compunction, intent upon
heavenly things. And when he offered up to God the Sacrifice of the saving
Victim, he commended his prayer to the Lord, not with uplifted voice, but with
tears drawn from the bottom of his heart.
