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288 288 Life and Miracles of Saint Cuthbert

another time of his life and miracles; which promise, in my present work, I have, as far as God has allowed me, done my best to perform.

Wherefore it is my prayer for you, that Almighty God may deign to guard your holinesses in peace and safety, dearest brethren and masters of mine. — Amen !

CHAPTER I

HOW CUTHBERT, THE CHILD OF GOD, WAS WARNED BY A CHILD OF HIS FUTURE BISHOPRIC

The beginning of our history of the life of the blessed Cuthbert is hallowed by Jeremy the prophet, who, in exal- tation of the anchorite's perfect state, says, "It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth; he shall sit alone, and shall be silent, because he shall raise himself above himself." For, inspired by the sweetness of this good, Cuthbert, the man of God, from his early youth bent his neck beneath the yoke of the monastic institution ; and when occasion presented itself, having laid fast hold of the anachoretic life, he rejoiced to sit apart lor no small spaqe of time, and for the sweetness of divine meditation to hold his tongue silent from human colloquy. But that he should be able to do this in his advanced years, was the effect of God's grace inciting him gradually to the way of truth from his early childhood ; for even to the eighth year of his life, which is the first year of boyhood succeeding to infancy, he gave his mind to such plavs and enjoyments alone as boys delight in, so that it might be testified of him as it was of Samuel, " Moreover Cuthbert knew not yet the Lord, neither had the voice of the Lord been revealed to him." Such was the panegyric of his boyhood, who in more ripened age was destined perfectly to know the Lord, and opening the ears of his mind to imbibe the voice of God. He took delight, as we have stated, in mirth and clamour; and, as was natural at his age, rejoiced to attach himself to the company of other boys, and to share in their sports : and because he was agile by nature, and of a quick mind, he often prevailed over them in their boyish contests, and frequently, when the rest were tired, he alone would hold out, and look triumphantly around to see if any remained to contend