and was his interpreter, because he knew Irish well,
and bishop Aidan could not as yet turn his speech
into the Northumbrian dialect quickly enough.
The bishop then went preaching
faith and baptism throughout all Northumbria,
and converted the people to God's faith,
and he ever set them a good example by [his] works,
and himself so lived as he taught others.
He loved self-restraint and holy reading,
and zealously drew on young men with knowledge,
so that all his companions, who went with him,
had to learn the Psalms or some reading,
whithersoever they went, preaching to the people.
He would seldom ride, but travelled on his feet,
and lived as a monk among the laity
with much discretion and true virtues.
King Oswald became very charitable
and humble in manners, and in all things bountiful,
and they reared churches everywhere in his kingdom,
and monastic foundations with great zeal.
It happened upon a certain occasion that they sat together,
Oswald and Aidan, on the holy Easter Day;
then they bare to the king the royal meats
on a silver dish. And anon there came in
one of the king's thegns who had charge of his alms,
and said that many poor men were sitting in the streets,
come from all quarters to the king's alms-giving.
Then the king immediately sent to the poor
the silver dish, victuals and all,
and bade men cut the dish in pieces and give it to the poor,
to each of them his portion, and they then did so.
Then the noble bishop Aidan
