'
After fifteen years of such a life, in fever, agues, and starvation,
no wonder if St. Guthlac died. They buried him in a leaden coffin (a
grand and expensive luxury in the seventh century) which had been
sent to him during his life by a Saxon princess; and then, over his
sacred and wonder-working corpse, as over that of a Buddhist saint,
there rose a chapel, with a community of monks, companies of pilgrims
who came to worship, sick who came to be healed; till, at last,
founded on great piles driven into the bog, arose the lofty wooden
Abbey of Crowland; in its sanctuary of the four rivers, its dykes,
parks, vineyards, orchards, rich ploughlands, from which, in time of
famine, the monks of Crowland fed all people of the neighbouring
fens; with its tower with seven bells, which had not their like in
England; its twelve altars rich with the gifts of Danish Vikings and
princes, and even with twelve white bear-skins, the gift of Canute's
self; while all around were the cottages of the corrodiers, or folk
who, for a corrody, or life pittance from the abbey, had given away
their lands, to the wrong and detriment of their heirs.
Pages:
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138