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FROM ENGLISH CHRONICLERS 183
bishop and confessor, its intercessors, and of the rest of its
patrons, to wit saints Acca and Alcmund and Eata, bishops
and confessors, and of the other saints who rest in that church,
to its residents and
by God's help afforded the stablest peace
to all who fled to it for refuge, and was to them all the safest
shelter from all hostile attacks.
Nevertheless the Picts at first, as they advanced with a
great rush to the river Tyne, which flows near that vill,
intended to have destroyed [Hexham] like the rest. But immediately
before they crossed the aforesaid river two of their
number were slain by their *
compatriots and the rest ;
perceived
this, and turned back again in terror.
Moreover, two of the same nation of Picts came to a
2 certain oratory of St. Michael the archangel, situated on
the same northern side of the river Tyne, and pertaining to
the aforesaid church of Hexham. They broke open its door,,
and took away with them what they found there.
But the vengeance of God was not lacking. For they
were presently given up to a devil, and deprived of their
and as madness lashed them on they ranged hither and
senses ;
thither by night and by day through woods and fields, in the
sight of all and first the one broke his own neck ; upon the
stones, then the other, hamstrung by a certain man, drowned
himself in the : Tyne each of them perishing miserably,
punished in either case by death.
When thus these things had taken place the rest of the
army were terrorstricken and dared invade no more the
possessions of the aforesaid church of Hexham.
So David, king of Scotland, and his son earl Henry on
behalf of themselves and of all their followers granted their
perpetual peace to that monastery
and to its brethren
and to all that pertained to it. And this they confirmed
by their charters, which are preserved in that church : this
only being provided, that they too should preserve peace
with [David] himself and his followers. . . .
" But [David] respected the dignity and
1
J. of H., in S. of D., ii, 290 :
age of the church of Hexham, and preserved peace with it, and with all who
had taken refuge in it ; sending five Scots thither, to see that no one dared
to invade it with hostile intention."
2
St. John's Lee ; Raine, Hexh., i, 80, 16. For this incident cf. R. of H.,
D.H.E., in Raine's Hexh., i, 17. J. of H., in S. of D., ii, 290.
Cf. A. of R., speech of Espec, in Chr. of "
Ste., etc., iii, 188 : Michael
will be with us with his angels to avenge his wrong ; for they have defiled
his church with human blood, have polluted his altar by placing upon it a
human head,"