Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/451

 and brought  it  to  the  monastery,  greatly  thanking  God;

and Sexburh  the  abbess  bade  pitch  a  tent

above the  burial-place,  wishing  to  collect  the  bones.

Then all  the  community  sang  psalms  and  hymns  for  the  dead

while the  grave  was  being  opened  at  the  top.

There she  lay  in  the  coffin  as  if  she  lay  asleep,

sound in  all  her  limbs,  and  the  leech  was  present

who had  opened  the  tumour,  and  examined  her  carefully.

The wound  which  the  leech  had  once  made  was  healed;

likewise the  linen  clothes  in  which  she  had  been   wound

were as  fresh  as  if  they  had  been  all  new.

Thereat her  sister  Sexburh  was  very  glad,

and afterwards  they  washed  the  soulless  body,

and wound  it  reverently  in  new  garments,

and bare  it  into  the  church,  rejoicing  with  hymns,

and laid  her  in  the  coffin  wherein  she  lieth  until  now

in great  honour,  for  men  to  marvel  at.

Wonderful was  it  also  that  by  God's  providence

the coffin  was  wrought  so  exactly  fitting  her,

even as  she  was  herself  shapen;

and at  the  head  the  stone  was  hollowed  out

as if  fitted  to  the  head  of  the  holy  maiden.

It is  evident  that  she  was  an  unspotted  virgin,

since her  body  was  not  suffered  to  moulder  in  the  earth,

and in  her,  God's  power  is  verily  manifested,

namely, to  raise  up  corruptible  bodies,

in that  He  hath  kept  her  body  uncorrupt  in  her  grave

even unto  this  day;  wherefore  to  Him  be  everlasting  glory.

By means  of  this  holy  woman  were  healed

many sick  men,  as  we  have  heard  of  old ;