Book Two - Chapter 6

Of a calf marked from heaven in both ears.

A CERTAIN woman, dwelling beside the Castle of Munfichet [Near Blackfriars, destroyed 1276], led a holy life, and though bound in the bond of wedlock -- as we have been told -- had given her mind to continence, and by prayers and fastings busied herself in pleasing God. She had a cow in calf, which with swelling womb drew near to the birth. And when the time was at hand at which the young should come to birth, the cow began to be tortured with internal pains and to be grievously afflicted with dire pain in its vitals, so that it was now believed to be about to die. And the godly woman, seeing this, said to her servants --

"If the glorious apostle of God, Bartholomew, with his wonted pity shall restore our cow to us sound, we will mark with a cut ear the calf we shall now get from her, and we will diligently nourish it, and when it is weaned will carry it to his church."

And forthwith, as they all approved her words, the pain was lessened and the womb being eased the calf came forth, and there happened a thing marvellous and very amazing by its novelty. For the calf which had just come to the light had the points of its ears cut when it left its mother's womb; and the mark which the woman had said she would make in one of its ears appeared made in both; and it was clear that they had been cut, for though they showed no wound a scar was on them. But by what agent or instrument they were cut we leave to him who searches the deep secrets of God, to whom nothing is impossible. All who were present marvelled, and the hearts of all were struck with immense amazement.

So this woman, worthy of God, brought up the calf, bearing in itself clear tokens of a heavenly mark, and, bringing it with her in due time to the church of the apostle, paid her vow, blessing God, who does great and inscrutable things without number, whose virtue is great and of whose wisdom there is no reckoning.

 

The Book of the Foundation of St. Bartholomew's, Smithfield Rendered into Modern English from the original Latin version preserved in the British Museum, numbered Vespasian B. IX, by Mr. Humphrey H. King and Mr. William Barnard for use in the Records of St. Bartholomew's Priory by E.A. Webb.

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