Page:Historical Works of Venerable Bede vol. 2.djvu/144

 72 departure, which he now knew to be at hand, by partaking of the body and blood of Christ; and when he had lifted up his eyes to heaven, and stretched out his hands above him, his soul, intent upon heavenly praises, sped his way to the joys of the heavenly kingdom.

CHAPTER XL.

§ 67. I Went out, and told the brethren, who had passed the whole night in watchfulness and prayer, and chanced at that moment in the order of evening service to be singing the 59th Psalm, which begins,  "O Lord, thou hast rejected us and destroyed us; thou hast beenangry and hast pitied us." One of them instantly lighted two candles, and holding one in each hand, ascended a lofty spot to show to the brethren who were in the monastery of Lindisfarne, that the holy man was dead; for they had agreed beforehand that such a signal should be made. The brother, who had waited an hour on an opposite height in the island of Lindisfarne, ran with speed to the monastery, where the brethren were assembled to perform the usual ceremonies of the evening service, and happened to be singing the above-named Psalm, when the messenger entered. This was a Divine dispensation, as the event showed. For, when the man of God was buried, the church was assailed by such a blast of temptation, that several of the brethren left the place rather than be involved in such dangers.

§ 68. At the end of a year, Eadbert was ordained Bishop. He was a man of great virtues, learned in the