Then the sick man reflected that he did not wish to do evil
save only to those who before had done evil to him,
and that he wished to do well to those who before had done well to him.
But St. Swithhun knew how his heart reasoned,
and said blithely to him, ' Brother, I tell thee,
do not, as thou thinkest, harm to any man
though he may harm thee, but imitate thy Lord,
Who would not curse those who put Him to death,
and bade His followers pray for their enemies.
Likewise saith Paul the Apostle to all Christian men,
"If thine enemy hunger, feed him with meats,
or if he thirst, give thou him drink." '
Then said the bedridden man again to the bishop,
' Oh sir, tell me what manner of man thou art,
since thou canst so discern men's hearts.'
Then said the holy Swithhun, 'I am he who now newly came,'
as if he had said, 'I was now newly made known.'
Then again said the bedridden man to the bishop,
' How art thou called ] ' and the saint said to him,
' When thou comest to Winchester, thou shalt know my name.'
Then immediately the man was brought again to his bed,
and awoke from sleep, and told his wife
all the vision that he had seen.
Then said the woman to him, 'that it was Swithhun
who had instructed him in this holy lore,
and whom he had seen so glorious in the church.'
Then she said to her husband, ' It would now be full well
that men should carry thee to church, and thou shouldst pray to the saint
that he would heal thee through his holy merits.'
Then straightway they bare him from his bed to a church
in the Isle of Wight, and he was instantly healed
