by Bede
After he had departed to the Lord, Cuthbert became provost of that monastery, where he instructed many in the rule of monastic life, both by the authority of a master, and the example of his own behaviour. Nor did he bestow his teaching and his example in the monastic life on his monastery alone, but laboured far and wide to convert the people dwelling round about from the life of foolish custom, to the love of heavenly joys; for many profaned the faith which they held by their wicked actions; and some also, in the time of a pestilence, neglecting the mysteries of the faith which they had received, had recourse to the false remedies of idolatry, as if they could have put a stop to the plague sent from God, by incantations, amulets, or any other secrets of the Devil’s art. In order to correct the error of both sorts, he often went forth from the monastery, sometimes on horseback, but oftener on foot, and went to the neighbouring townships, where he preached the way of truth to such as had gone astray; which Boisil also in his time had been wont to do. It was then the custom of the English people, that when a clerk or priest came to a township, they all, at his summons, flocked together to hear the Word; willingly heard what was said, and still more willingly practised those things that they could hear and understand. And such was Cuthbert’s skill in speaking, so keen his desire to persuade men of what he taught, such a light shone in his angelic face, that no man present dared to conceal from him the secrets of his heart, but all openly revealed in confession what they had done, thinking doubtless that their guilt could in nowise be hidden from him; and having confessed their sins, they wiped them out by fruits worthy of repentance, as he bade them. He was wont chiefly to resort to those places and preach in those villages which were situated afar off amid steep and wild mountains, so that others dreaded to go thither, and whereof the poverty and barbarity rendered them inaccessible to other teachers. But he, devoting himself entirely to that pious labour, so industriously ministered to them with his wise teaching, that when he went forth from the monastery, he would often stay a whole week, sometimes two or three, or even sometimes a full month, before he returned home, continuing among the hill folk to call that simple people by his preaching and good works to the things of Heaven.
This venerable servant of the Lord, having thus spent many years in the monastery of Mailros, and there become conspicuous by great tokens of virtue, his most reverend abbot, Eata, removed him to the isle of Lindisfarne, that he might there also, by his authority as provost and by the example of his own practice, instruct the brethren in the observance of regular discipline; for the same reverend father then governed that place also as abbot. From ancient times, the bishop was wont to reside there with his clergy, and the abbot with his monks, who were likewise under the paternal care of the bishop; because Aidan, who was the first bishop of the place, being himself a monk, brought monks thither, and settled the monastic institution there; as the blessed Father Augustine is known to have done before in Kent, when the most reverend Pope Gregory wrote to him, as has been said above, to this effect: “But in that you, my brother, having been instructed in monastic rules, must not live apart from your clergy in the Church of the English, which has been lately, by the will of God, converted to the faith, you must establish the manner of conversation of our fathers in the primitive Church, among whom, none said that aught of the things which they possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”
CHAP. 28
Exin Cudberct crescentibus meritis religiosae intentionis, ad anchoriticae quoque contemplationis, quae diximus, silentia secreta peruenit. Uerum quia de uita illius et uirtutibus ante annos plures sufficienter et uersibus heroicis, et simplici oratione conscripsimus, hoc tantum in praesenti commemorare satis sit, quod aditurus insulam protestatus est fratribus, dicens: ‘Si mihi diuina gratia in loco illo donauerit, ut de opere manuum mearum uiuere queam, libens ibi morabor; sin alias, ad uos citissime Deo uolente reuertar.’ Erat autem locus et aquae prorsus et frugis et arboris inops, sed et spirituum malignorum frequentia humanae habitationi minus accommodus; sed ad uotum uiri Dei habitabilis per omnia factus est, siquidem ad aduentum eius spiritus recessere maligni. Cum autem ipse sibi ibidem expulsis hostibus mansionem angustam circumuallante aggere et domus in ea necessarias, iuuante fratrum manu, id est oratorium et habitaculum commune, construxisset, iussit fratres in eiusdem habitaculi pauimento foueam facere; erat autem tellus durissima et saxosa, cui nulla omnino spes uenae fontanae uideretur inesse. Quod dum facerent, ad fidem et preces famuli Dei, alio die aqua plena inuenta est, quae usque ad hanc diem sufficientem cunctis illo aduenientibus gratiae suae caelestis copiam ministrat. Sed et ferramenta sibi ruralia cum frumento adferri rogauit, quod dum praeparata terra tempore congruo seminaret, nil omnino, non dico spicarum, sed ne herbae quidem ex eo germinare usque ad aestatis tempora contigit. Unde uisitantibus se ex more fratribus hordeum iussit adferri, si forte uel natura soli illius, uel uoluntas esset superni largitoris, ut illius frugis ibi potius seges oriretur. Quod dum sibi adlatum ultra omne tempus serendi, ultra omnem spem fructificandi eodem in agro sereret, mox copiosa seges exorta desideratam proprii laboris uiro Dei refectionem praebebat.
Cum ergo multis ibidem annis Deo solitarius seruiret, (tanta autem erat altitudo aggeris, quo mansio eius erat uallata, ut caelum tantum ex ea, cuius introitum sitiebat, aspicere posset), contigit, ut congregata synodo non parua sub praesentia regis Ecgfridi iuxta fluuium Alne, in loco, qui dicitur Adtuifyrdi, quod significat ‘ad duplex uadum,’ cui beatae memoriae Theodorus archiepiscopus praesidebat, unanimo omnium consensu ad episcopatum ecclesiae Lindisfarnensis eligeretur. Qui cum multis legatariis ac litteris ad se praemissis nequaquam suo monasterio posset erui, tandem rex ipse praefatus, una cum sanctissimo antistite Trumuine, nec non et aliis religiosis ac potentibus uiris insulam nauigauit. Conueniunt et de ipsa insula Lindisfarnensi in hoc ipsum multi de fratribus, genuflectunt omnes, adiurant per Dominum, lacrimas fundunt, obsecrant; donec ipsum quoque lacrimis plenum dulcibus extrahunt latebris, atque ad synodum pertrahunt. Quo dum perueniret, quamuis multum renitens, unanima cunctorum uoluntate superatur, atque ad suscipiendum episcopatus officium collum submittere conpellitur; eo maxime uictus sermone, quod famulus Domini Boisil, cum ei mente prophetica cuncta, quae eum essent superuentura, patefaceret, antistitem quoque eum futurum esse praedixerat. Nec tamen statim ordinatio decreta, sed peracta hieme, quae inminebat, in ipsa sollemnitate paschali conpleta est Eboraci sub praesentia praefati regis Ecgfridi, conuenientibus ad consecrationem eius VII episcopis, in quibus beatae memoriae Theodorus primatum tenebat. Electus est autem primo in episcopatum Hagustaldensis ecclesiae pro Tunbercto, qui ab episcopatu fuerat depositus; sed quoniam ipse plus Lindisfarnensi ecclesiae, in qua conuersatus fuerat, dilexit praefici, placuit, ut Eata reuerso ad sedem ecclesiae Hagustaldensis, cui regendae primo fuerat ordinatus, Cudberct ecclesiae Lindisfarnensis gubernacula susciperet.
Qui susceptum episcopatus gradum ad imitationem beatorum apostolorum uirtutum ornabat operibus. Commissam namque sibi plebem, et orationibus protegebat adsiduis, et admonitionibus saluberrimis ad caelestia uocabat. Et, quod maxime doctores iuuare solet, ea, quae agenda docebat, ipse prius agendo praemonstrabat. Erat quippe ante omnia diuinae caritatis igne feruidus, patientiae uirtute modestus, orationum deuotioni solertissime intentus, affabilis omnibus, qui ad se consolationis gratia ueniebant; hoc ipsum quoque orationis loco ducens, si infirmis fratribus opem suae exhortationis tribueret;
sciens, quia, qui dixit: ‘Diliges Dominum Deum tuum,’ dixit et: ‘Diliges proximum.’ Erat abstinentiae castigatione insignis, erat gratia conpunctionis semper ad caelestia suspensus. Denique cum sacrificium Deo uictimae salutaris offerret, non eleuata in altum uoce, sed profusis ex imo pectore lacrimis, Domino sua uota commendabat.
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, attain
ed 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 Trumwine, 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 diligently intent on 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.
CHAP. 29
Duobus autem annis in episcopatu peractis repetiit insulam ac monasterium suum, diuino admonitus oraculo, quia dies sibi mortis, uel uitae magis illius, quae sola uita dicenda est, iam adpropiaret introitus; sicut ipse quoque tempore eodem nonnullis, sed uerbis obscurioribus, quae tamen postmodum manifeste intellegerentur, solita sibi simplicitate pandebat; quibusdam autem hoc idem etiam manifeste reuelabat.
Erat enim presbyter uitae uenerabilis nomine Hereberct, iamdudum uiro Dei spiritalis amicitiae foedere copulatus; qui, in insula stagni illius pergrandis, de quo Deruuentionis fluuii primordia erumpunt, uitam ducens solitariam, annis singulis eum uisitare, et monita ab eo perpetuae salutis audire solebat. Hic cum audiret eum ad ciuitatem Lugubaliam deuenisse, uenit ex more, cupiens salutaribus eius exhortationibus ad superna desideria magis magisque accendi. Qui dum sese alterutrum caelestis uitae poculis debriarent, dixit inter alia antistes: ‘Memento, frater Heriberct, ut modo, quicquid opus habes, me interroges mecumque loquaris; postquam enim ab inuicem digressi fuerimus, non ultra nos in hoc saeculo carnis obtutibus inuicem aspiciemus. Certus sum namque, quia tempus meae resolutionis instat, et uelox est depositio tabernaculi mei.’ Qui haec audiens prouolutus est eius uestigiis, et fusis cum gemitu lacrimis: ‘Obsecro,’ inquit, ‘per Dominum, ne me deseras, sed tui memor sis fidissimi sodalis, rogesque supernam pietatem, ut, cui simul in terris seruiuimus, ad eius uidendam gratiam simul transeamus ad caelos. Nosti enim, quia ad tui oris imperium semper uiuere studui, et, quicquid ignorantia uel fragilitate deliqui, aeque ad tuae uoluntatis examen mox emendare curaui.’ Incubuit precibus antistes, statimque edoctus in spiritu inpetrasse se, quod petebat a Domino: ‘Surge,’ inquit, ‘frater mi, et noli plorare, sed gaudio gaude, quia, quod rogauimus, superna nobis clementia donauit.’
Cuius promissi et prophetiae ueritatem sequens rerum astruxit euentus; quia et digredientes ab inuicem non se ultra corporaliter uiderunt, et uno eodemque die, hoc est XIIIo Kalendarum Aprilium, egredientes e corpore spiritus eorum mox beata inuicem uisione coniuncti sunt, atque angelico ministerio pariter ad regnum caeleste translati. Sed Heriberct diutina prius infirmitate decoquitur; illa, ut credibile est, dispensatione dominicae pietatis, ut, siquid minus haberet meriti a beato Cudbercto, suppleret hoc castigans longae egritudinis dolor; quatinus aequatus gratia suo intercessori, sicut uno eodemque tempore cum eo de corpore egredi, ita etiam una atque indissimili sede perpetuac beatitudinis meruisset recipi.
Obiit autem pater reuerentissimus in insula Farne, multum deprecatus fratres, ut ibi quoque sepeliretur, ubi non paruo tempore pro domino militaret. Attamen tandem eorum precibus uictus assensum dedit, ut ad insulam Lindisfarnensium relatus, in ecclesia deponeretur. Quod dum factum esset, episcopatum ecclesiae illius anno uno seruabat uenerabilis antistes Uilfrid, donec eligeretur, qui pro Cudbercto antistes ordinari deberet.
Ordinatus est autem post haec Eadberct uir scientia scripturarum diuinarum simul et praeceptorum caelestium obseruantia, ac maxime elimosynarum operatione insignis; ita ut iuxta legem omnibus annis decimam non solum quadrupedum, uerum etiam frugum omnium, atque pomorum, nec non et uestimentorum partem pauperibus daret.
Chap. XXIX.
How this bishop foretold that his own death was at hand to the anchorite Herebert. [6
87 a.d.]
Having spent two years in his bishopric, he returned to his island and hermitage, being warned of God that the day of his death, or rather of his entrance into that life which alone can be called life, was drawing near; as he, at that time, with his wonted candour, signified to certain persons, though in words which were somewhat obscure, but which were nevertheless afterwards plainly understood; while to others he declared the same openly.
There was a certain priest, called Herebert, a man of holy life, who had long been united with the man of God, Cuthbert, in the bonds of spiritual friendship. This man leading a solitary life in the island of that great lake from which the river Derwent flows at its beginning, was wont to visit him every year, and to receive from him the teaching of everlasting salvation. Hearing that Bishop Cuthbert was come to the city of Lugubalia, he went thither to him, according to his custom, seeking to be more and more inflamed in heavenly desires through his wholesome admonitions. Whilst they alternately entertained one another with draughts of the celestial life, the bishop, among other things, said, “Brother Herebert, remember at this time to ask me and speak to me concerning all whereof you have need to ask and speak; for, when we part, we shall never again see one another with bodily eyesight in this world. For I know of a surety that the time of my departure is at hand, and that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle.” Hearing these words, Herebert fell down at his feet, with tears and lamentations, and said, “I beseech you, by the Lord, not to forsake me; but to remember your most faithful companion, and entreat the mercy of God that, as we have served Him together upon earth, so we may depart together to behold His grace in Heaven. For you know that I have always endeavoured to live according to the words of your lips, and likewise whatsoever faults I have committed, either through ignorance or frailty, I have instantly sought to amend according to the judgement of your will.” The bishop applied himself to prayer, and having presently had intimation in the spirit that he had obtained what he asked of the Lord, he said, “Rise, brother, and do not weep, but rejoice greatly because the mercy of Heaven has granted what we desired.”
