Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/167

 Also they  found  in  a  monastery  on  the  way

a blind  man  who  earnestly  besought  his  cure

from the  holy  Maurus,  and  he  healed  him  through  God,

and bade  that  he  should  abide  without  wandering

in God's  service,  there  in  the  monastery,  for  ever;

and he  did  so  afterwards  from  that  day.

Again he  healed  in  another  place

a widow's  son,  who  lay  there  unconscious,

and comforted  the  mother,  and  men  wondered  thereat,

and the  boy  ran  straightway  to  Maurus,

crying out,  and  saying,  'Thou  hast  delivered  my  soul

from the  fiery  torments,'  and  he  afterwards  became  a  monk.

Maurus saw  also,  as  God  revealed  to  him,

on that  same  journey,  Benedict's  departure,

and how  he  went  to  Heaven,  though  he  was  far  away.

Then they  fared  forth  to  the  aforesaid  bishop,

who had  bidden  to  send  for  them,  but  he  was  not  then  living,

but a  few  days  before  had  departed  from  life,

and another  bishop  was  set  in  his  episcopal  chair.

Then they  were  sorrowful,  but  went  nevertheless

to the  new  bishop,  and  asked  his  counsel,

and enquired  whether  he  would  fulfil  the  other's  desire,

and establish  monasteries  for  himself,  as  the  other  had  intended.

He said  that  he  could  not  concern  himself  about  monasteries

at another  bishop's  dictation,  but  must  attend  to  his  affairs

according   to    his    own    disposing,    and    make    rules    for  his houses.

Then they  departed  from  the  bishop  of  that  diocese,

and God  provided  them,  in  another  province

of the  kingdom  of  the  Franks,  an  excellent  dwelling-place.

There was  a  wealthy  viscount  in  that  country,

named Florus,  and  he  had  been  minded

to build  a  monastery  and  to  set  monks  in  it,

if he  could  find  out  any  that  were  pious  men,

because that  Benedict's  fame  had  come  into  that  country,

and men  had  also  told  him  of  Maurus'  arrival.