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28 SCOTTISH ANNALS
661
BEDE, VITA S. CUDBERCTI, IX; IN ENGL. His. Soc. ED.,
VOL. II, PP. 67-68. l
How zealous Cuthbert was toward the ministry of the word.
After the death therefore of the priest Boisil, beloved of
God, Cuthbert received the said office of prior ;
2 and em-
ploying spiritual industry, as befitted a saint, for some years
not only offered to the monastery precept as well as example
of regular life, but also laboured to turn the populace in the
far and wide from the life of foolish custom
neighbourhood
to the love of divine joys. For both many profaned the
faith which they had by works unworthy of it ; and some,
at a time of pestilence, even neglected the sacrament of the
faith with which they had been imbued, and betook themselves
to false remedies of idolatry, as though they could
check a scourge sent by God its author by incantations, or
amulets, or any other charms of diabolic art. 3
Therefore to correct the error of both classes he went
forth frequently from the monastery, sometimes on horse-
back, but oftener going on foot ;
and came to the villages in
the neighbourhood, and preached to the wandering the way
of truth, as in his time Boisil also had accustomed him to
do.
It was indeed a custom at that time of the peoples of the
Angles, when a cleric or a priest came to the village, for all to
flock together at his command to hear the word ; to listen
willingly to what was said, and more willingly to follow in
practice what they were able to hear and understand. More-
over Cuthbert had so great skill in teaching, 4 so great love of
persuading when he had begun [to teach], such light in his
angelic countenance, that none of those present dared to conceal
from him the secrets of his heart ; and all in confession
declared openly what they had done, because they thought
that by no means were these things hidden from him ; and
removed what they had confessed, as he commanded, by
fitting fruits of penitence.
1
Cf. Bede, H.E., IV, 27 ; i, 269-270. So also in his life as prior of
Lindisfarne ; references s.a. 664, note.
" And strove by daily progress in virtue to emulate or even to surpass
" and trained
him " ; S. of D., H.D.E., i, 23. Bede, H.E., IV, 27 ; i, 269 :
very many to the regular life, both by his authority as teacher and by the
example of his own performance."
3 Cf . the hostility to the monks betrayed by the populace of Tyningham
(Tynemouth ?) in Bede, V.S.C., III ; E.H.S. ed., ii, 53-55.
4 "
In speaking," Bede, H.E., IV, 27 ; i, 269.