Page:Historical Works of Venerable Bede vol. 2.djvu/282

 210 not molest him whilst he continued therein: but when he went out, the serpent again fastened on his neck, and thus he endured this affliction for a long time, until by a happy device, he spent three whole days and nights in the church praying, and so freed himself entirely from the serpent.

§ 29. About the same time, a servant came with his master to celebrate the Holy Confessor's festival, and seeing a large quantity of pennies lying on the tomb, from the offerings of the faithful, he instantly thought of stealing some of them. He therefore approached, and escaping the notice of the bystanders, took four or five pieces of money in his mouth, whilst he was kissing the tomb. Immediately his mouth began to burn, so that he seemed, as he said afterwards, as if he had iron hot from the fire in his mouth. He tried to spit the money out, but could not open his mouth. Being thus tormented most horribly with the pain, he ran up and down the church, and alarmed all present, so that they thought he was mad. At length he rushed out of the church, through the midst of the people, and running to and fro, gave sufficient evidence, by his gestures and nods, that he was suffering intense pain, for he was unable to speak a word. At last recovering himself, he returned in haste to the tomb, and prostrating himself before it, he asked pardon of the Saint, and offered to give him all that he possessed. As he kissed the sepulchre and placed his oblation thereon, the money fell out of his mouth upon it. Thus released from his pain, he mounted his horse and rode away, and never again returned to Durham; for, though his master offered him a large sum, if he would go there with him, he not only refused to go, but would not even approach so near to the town, as to be able to see the church,

§ 30. In the year of our Lord's incarnation one thousand and sixty-nine, which was the seventy-fourth after the translation of the Saint's body by Aldun to