XX.
JUNE 23. SAINT ÆTHELTHEYTH, VIRGIN,
[See Becia, Eccles. Hist. bk. iv. c. 19.]
We will now write, wonderful though it be,
concerning the holy Æthelthryth, the English maiden,
who had two husbands and nevertheless remained a virgin,
as the miracles show which she often worketh.
Her father, the king of the East Angles, was called Anna,
a very religious man, even as he showed by his deeds,
and his whole family was honoured by God.
Æthelthryth was given to a certain alderman [Tondbyrht] to wife;
but Almighty God would not that her virginity should be
destroyed through cohabitation, but preserved her in continence,
because He is God Almighty and can do all that He will,
and in divers ways showeth His might.
The alderman died when God would,
and she was given in 'marriage to King Ecfrid.
And twelve years she lived in wedlock with the king,
yet continued an unpolluted maiden ; even as evident miracles
often make known her sacred relics and her virginity.
She loved the Saviour who kept her unspotted,
and honoured God's servants; one of these was bishop Wilfrid,
whom she especially loved, and he told Beda
that king Ecfrid often promised him much
in lands and money if he would persuade
Æthelthryth his wife to brook the marriage-connection.
Now the holy Beda who wrote this book
saith that Almighty God might easily cause,
even now in our days, that Æthelthryth should remain
a pure maiden, though she had a husband,
as whilom in the old days it formerly befell,
through the (grace of the) same God, who continueth ever
with His chosen saints, even as He Himself hath promised.
Æthelthryth desired to forsake all worldly things,
and earnestly besought the king that she might serve Christ
in the monastic life, as her disposition prompted her.
Then the king permitted her, though it was rather long (first),
to do that which she desired, and then bishop Wilfrid
gave her the nun's veil, and she lived afterwards in a convent [at
Coldingham]
about twelve months; and she was then again instituted
as abbess in the monastery of Ely,
and [set] over many nuns, whom she trained as a mother
by her good example in the religious life.
It is written of her that she well ordered her own life,
fasting save for one meal in the day unless it were a feast-day,
and she greatly loved solitary prayer,
and wore woollen garments. She would seldom
bathe her body save at high festivals,
and then she would first bathe all the rest
who were in the convent, and would wait upon them
with menial service, and then wash herself (last).
Then in the eighth year after she was made abbess,
she was grievously afflicted, as she had herself foretold;
for a large tumour grew on her throat
just under her chin-bone, and she earnestly thanked God
in that she suffered a pain in her neck,
saying: 'I know verily that I am well deserving
that my neck should be afflicted with so great a malady,
because in my youth I adorned my neck
with manifold neck-chains, and now me thinketh
that God's justice may cleanse my guilt,
since now I have this swelling, which shineth instead of gold,
and this scorching heat instead of sparkling gems.'
Amongst that faithful band there was a certain leech
named Cynefrith, and some of them said
that the leech ought to lance the tumour;
he did so forthwith, and there came out matter.
They thought then that she might recover,
but she gloriously departed out of this world to God
on the third day after the tumour was opened,
and was buried, as she herself had asked and bidden,
amongst her sisters, in a wooden coffin.
Then, after her death, her sister Sexburh
was consecrated as the abbess,
who had been aforetime queen in Canterbury.
After sixteen years Sexburh desired
to take up her sister's bones from their burial-place
and translate them into the church. Then she sent the brethren
to seek a stone suited to that purpose,
because in the fen-country there are few hewn stones.
They rowed to Grantchester, and God forthwith prospered them
so that they found there a great coffin,
standing against the wall, wrought of marble
all of white hue, above ground,
with a lid fitted excellently unto it,
also of white marble, even as if God had made it.
Then the brethren joyfully took the coffin
and brought it to the monastery, greatly thanking God;
and Sexburh the abbess bade pitch a tent
above the burial-place, wishing to collect the bones.
Then all the community sang psalms and hymns for the dead
while the grave was being opened at the top.
There she lay in the coffin as if she lay asleep,
sound in all her limbs, and the leech was present
who had opened the tumour, and examined her carefully.
The wound which the leech had once made was healed;
likewise the linen clothes in which she had been wound
were as fresh as if they had been all new.
Thereat her sister Sexburh was very glad,
and afterwards they washed the soulless body,
and wound it reverently in new garments,
and bare it into the church, rejoicing with hymns,
and laid her in the coffin wherein she lieth until now
in great honour, for men to marvel at.
Wonderful was it also that by God's providence
the coffin was wrought so exactly fitting her,
even as she was herself shapen;
and at the head the stone was hollowed out
as if fitted to the head of the holy maiden.
It is evident that she was an unspotted virgin,
since her body was not suffered to moulder in the earth,
and in her, God's power is verily manifested,
namely, to raise up corruptible bodies,
in that He hath kept her body uncorrupt in her grave
even unto this day; wherefore to Him be everlasting glory.
By means of this holy woman were healed
many sick men, as we have heard of old ;
those also who touched any part of the shroud
in which she had been wound, were instantly cured; ii
and likewise the coffin wherein she had first lain
greatly benefited many persons, as the teacher Beda
said in the book which he wrote concerning this holy woman.
In like manner have laymen also, as books tell us,
preserved often their chastity in the marriage-state, for the love of Christ,
as we might relate if ye cared to hear it.
However, we will tell you of a certain thane,
who lived thirty years with his wife in continence;
he begat three sons, and thenceforward they both lived
for thirty years without cohabitation,
giving much alms, until the husband
entered the monastic life, and God's angels
came just at his death, and carried his soul
with song to heaven, as the books tell us.
Many examples of such are there in books,
how oftentimes men and their wives have lived wondrously,
and dwelt in chastity, to the glory of Jesus,
who consecrated virginity, even Christ our Saviour;
to whom be honour and glory for ever. Amen.