Page:Historical Works of Venerable Bede vol. 2.djvu/277

 Rh certain brother of this monastery, by name Gamelo, a simple and humble-minded man, who now sleeps in the Lord.

§ 23. Furthermore, this priest, thus celebrated for his good and religious life, in obedience to orders which he had received in a vision, went about to all the old monasteries and churches, in the province of Northumberland, and took up the bones of the saints which he knew were buried there, and left them above ground to be shown to the people, and venerated by them. Such were the bones of the hermits Balthen and Bilfrid, of Acca and Alcmund, Bishops of Hagulstad, of King Oswin, and the venerable Abbesses Ebba and Eteligitha. Some parts of the relics of these saints he carried to Durham, and placed with the body of St. Cuthbert. Moreover, he went to the monastery of Melrose, in obedience to a revelation, and transferred from thence the bones of St. Boisil, who had formerly been the preceptor of St. Cuthbert in that monastery, and brought them to the church of Boisil's pupil. Moreover, he knew that in the monastery of Jarrow lay the bones of the learned Bede, who had lived and died there; wherefore he used to go there every year, on the anniversary of his death, and practise therein rigid prayer and fasting. On one occasion of his doing this, he remained several days alone in the church, praying and fasting; and early in the morning, without the knowledge of his companions, he returned alone to Durham. This he had never done before, and it seemed as if he wished to have no participator in his secret. For though he lived many years after, yet he never again desired to visit that monastery; wherefore it seemed as if he had gained what he wanted. He was often asked by his brethren, where the bones of Venerable Bede lay; to which his reply was, "No one can tell that better than I. Do not doubt what I say, my beloved brethren, but believe it most firmly; the same coffin contains the body of St. Cuthbert, and the