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Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum: The History of the Primitive Church of England. Book One, Chapter Sixteen
Translated by Rev. William Hurst, 1814.Chapter XVI The Britons, under the command of Ambrose, a Roman General, gain their first Victory over the English. After the hostile army had thus destroyed or dispersed the natives of the island, they disbanded, and retired to their habitations; when the Britons began by degrees to resume their strength and courage, and, coming out of the secret places where they had concealed themselves, unanimously prayed for the divine assistance, humbly beseeching the Almighty that they might not be utterly exterminated. On this occasion, they chose for their general, Ambrose Aurelian, a person distinguished for his good conduct, who alone probably had survived the storm in which his parents, who had been honoured with the regal dignity and title, were destroyed with the rest of the Roman people in this country. Under this commander the Britons revived, and, offering battle to the conquerors, by the favour of heaven obtained the victory: and from this period to the year of the siege of Baddesdown-hill, which was the forty-fourth after the arrival of the invaders, when they made a great slaughter of them, as we shall hereafter relate, the war continued with various success, the Britons sometimes prevailing over the English, and at other time the English prevailing over the Britons. chap 17 missing
The History of the Primitive Church of England.
Translated by Rev. William Hurst, 1814.Chapter XVIII St. Germanus restores sight to the blind daughter of a Tribune, and, going to the tomb of St. Alban, collects some of his relics, depositing others of the blessed Apostles and of other martyrs there. A Tribune and his wife, who were present at this disputation, immediately stepped forward into the midst of the assembly, offering their blind daughter, who was ten years of age, to be cured by the priests. Upon which, they ordered them to present her to their adversaries ; but they, being deterred by remorse of conscience from attempting it, joined their entreaties to those of the child's parents, beseeching the priests to cure the girl ; who, perceiving their opponents thus wavering from their false opinions, made a short prayer ; and then Germanus, inspired by the Holy Ghost, invoked the Trinity, took from his neck into his hands a small box, in which were the relics of the Saints, which he used to carry with him, in the presence of the whole assembly, and applied it to the child's eyes ; which, in a moment freed from darkness, were filled with the light of truth. The parents rejoice, the people are astonished at the miracle: and, from that day, the wicked opinions of Pelagius were so entirely obliterated from their minds, that they all embraced the doctrine of the holy prelates with the greatest fervour. The most perverse and pernicious errors being thus suppressed, and the authors of them confuted, the minds of the people being now settled in the purity of the faith, the holy preachers went to the tomb of St. Alban, to return thanks through him to God who was the author of these blessings; where Germanus, having brought with him relics of all the apostles and of different martyrs, offered up his prayers, and, ordering the tomb to be opened, deposited these precious treasures in it ; thinking it proper that the members of the Saints collected in different countries, and whose souls had all been received into the same place in heaven on account of their equal merits, should be placed together in the same sepulchre : which, when he had done, he took out of the same grave a small quantity of mould, on which the sacred gore being still preserved, bore testimony to the martyrdom of the saints, who had lately suffered there. On the same day that these things were thus performed, an immense number were converted to the true faith
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum:
Translated by Rev. William Hurst, 1814.Chapter XIX The holy Prelate, being detained by an accident in the place just mentioned, extinguishes by his prayers a fire, which was burning some houses; and is himself cured of his distemper by a vision. The insidious enemy of mankind, laying his snares for them on their return, occasioned St. Germanus to slip and hurt his foot considerably by a sprain: not knowing that his merits would be increased, as were those of holy Job were, by corporeal afflictions. Whilst he was detained here awhile through this accident, it happened that a fire broke out in a neighbouring cottage; which, having consumed several houses that were covered with reeds, was carried on by the wind to the dwelling where he lay. The people all flocked to the prelate, entreating him, with hands lifted up, to avoid the impending danger. But he, having rebuked them, relying with a firm faith and confidence on the Almighty, would not suffer himself to be removed. The crowd, terrified almost to despair, ran from all quarters to oppose and quench the fire; however, for the greater manifestation of the divine power, whatever they endeavoured to save was destroyed; but the dreadful flames flew over the house in which the Saint lay disabled, as if revering the habitation in which hospitality was exercised on so holy a guest, who thus preserved the place in which he was confined from the devouring fury of the raging element, which spread devastation on every side. The people exult at the sight of this miracle, and congratulate each other on this interposition of the divine power in their behalf, after all their exertions had proved fruitless. Then an immense multitude of them assembled, and watched whole days and nights by the door of the poor cottager; some seeking to be cured, by the holy bishop, of their corporeal, and others of their spiritual infirmities. It is impossible to relate what Christ wrought by his servant, or what wonders, though infirm, his servant performed. In the mean time, suffering no remedies to be applied to himself, to cure him of his lameness, he saw in the night a person, clothed in garments as white as snow, standing by him, and who, giving him his hand, seemed to raise him from the ground, and bid him stand boldly on his feet. From which time, his pain ceasing, he was perfectly healed; and next day, without hesitation, undertook the fatigue of a journey. Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum:
Translated by Rev. William Hurst, 1814.Chapter XX The holy Bishops, after assisting the Britons, by imploring the divine aid, to overcome their enemies in battle, return home to their native country. At this juncture, the Picts and the Scots with united forces made war on the Britons: who, being thus necessarily compelled to meet them in the field, and fearing for the event as judging themselves unequal to the contest, earnestly entreated the holy prelates to assist them; who, hastening to them as they had promised, raised their drooping spirits so much, that it seemed as if a powerful army had been sent to their succour; and Christ, by means of these apostolical leaders, aided them in the warfare. |
