¹ Jesus [ihs] did. If they were written one by one, I do not think the world itself could contain the books that would have to be written. [John 21:25]

Prayer after the Mandatum #

¹ Show us, Lord, your mercy [Psalm 84:8 Vg / 85:7] K Kyrie. Our Father. [Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2] We have received, O God, your mercy. [Psalm 47:10 Vg / 48:9] You have commanded your commandments [Psalm 118:4 Vg / 119:4] Be present, Lord, at the office of our service, and because you deigned to wash the feet of your disciples, [John 13:5] do not despise the works of your hands which you commanded us to retain; but just as by these the outward defilements of bodies are washed away, so through you may the inward sins of us all be washed clean. May he himself deign to grant this, who li[ve] Save me. Have mercy on me. Kyrie. And may it come upon us. [Direct] our actions.

The Chapters of the Following Book Begin #

¹ On the prayers and fasts of the parents of Saint Cungar for driving out barrenness.
On the conception and birth of the boy.
On his divine election, and on his outstanding religious devotion and departure.
On the citizens following him.
On his pilgrimage.
On the angelic revelation, and his arrival in the summer region.
On the dream through angelic warning.
On the manner of fasting and the entry into cold water.
On the reed-bed turned into a meadow.
On the staff growing into a yew tree.
On the gift of King Ine.
On the blinding of King Edgar.
On his withdrawal to Wales. [A heading cut away after this.]. On the blinding of King Poulentus.
On Prince Pebiau being liquefied.
On the death of the most holy Cungar.

On the Prayers and Fasts of the Parents of Saint Cungar for Driving Out Barrenness #

¹ When a certain emperor of Constantinople hoped to beget offspring by the empress named Luciria, he begot none. Therefore both, in sadness, grieved together over their shared lack of fruitfulness, and they began constantly to fast, to distribute alms, and faithfully and unceasingly to call upon almighty God, so that the giver of all gifts might grant them a son as heir, who could succeed his father and, after the emperor’s death, hold the empire. And so, with the help of the divine majesty, the prayers of them both were heard, and the acceptable and accepted gifts of their alms [were] received.

On the Conception and Birth of the Boy #

¹ After this, the most religious empress, by divine prompting, happily conceived, and after conception still more happily gave birth. When the birth of the boy was heard of, a cause of rejoicing to his parents and fellow-countrymen, powerful dukes, nobles, and wealthy men came to the imperial court, with one accord praising and blessing the goodwill of the highest giver, because he had heard the petition that was to be asked, and moreover had brought to completion what had been fulfilled and was to be fulfilled.

On His Divine Election, and on His Outstanding Religious Devotion and Departure #

¹ The infant was nourished and grew into boyhood, and gradually the boy, of good disposition, flourished, tending towards youthful form. His form was beautiful and beyond telling, because of which many kings and queens desired to join such a one to their daughters in marriage. For they had heard that he was a lover of generosity and adorned with lawful manners. Meanwhile, with the consent of his parents and fellow-countrymen, the daughter of a certain most noble king was betrothed to him, with honour to both kingdoms. But he, despising transient power, and rather choosing what is everlasting, preserving inviolate virginity, departed from the imperial court under a humble garment, revealing to no one what he was thinking. And consenting to no one, divinely inspired, he came to the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Alone he pressed on upon his journey, but divine companionship accompanied him. When he was supposed to hunt through the woods, he would secretly go to the divine oratory, very often repeating the Lord’s Prayer. [Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4] When he was also compelled by the courtiers to play at dice, he would leave them against their will, hastening to the sacred places of the church. Remaining there and kneeling, he prayed with outstanding devotion. He was accustomed to come not to the courtly dinner, but to the appointed supper. He often practised fasting, until all who saw and heard this [rejoiced] at the young man’s admirable religious devotion.

On the Citizens Following Him #

¹ When these things had been done, after the departure of their only son his parents mourned; and the citizens, given over to sadness, followed the young Cungar as he fled, by imperial command, so that, if they could seize him once found, they would take him captive and bring him back unwillingly to the emperor. As they came with great haste to the shore of the sea, look, a ship was ready for crossing: the young man, seeing them following, and the favouring of the winds, and the vessel prepared, entered the ship under sail; and so, coming prosperously to the shore of the sea, he escaped the hateful persecution.

On His Pilgrimage #

¹ The natives, [in]vestigating, had resolved, being instructed by the emperor, to compel the fugi[ti]ve to return: but God, foreknowing and foreseeing future things, did not wish him to be hindered from his purpose, but rather to fulfil his first intention. For from boyhood he had begun to live most chastely, to pray without ceasing, and to offend no one; and when he was invited to an equestrian contest, he did not wish to serve as a soldier. His own contest was to overcome the snares of the first adversary, to contemplate heavenly things, and to despise passing things. His parents and citizens had ele[ct]ed (him) as the future emperor; [but] he himself preferred to strive towards heavenly election. Therefore Cungar, the chosen servant of God, chose to leave his native land, beginning to go on pilgrimage, desiring to fulfil the Gospel command which you have heard and are about to hear: “Whoever has not left father or mother, brothers and sisters, children or fields, is not worthy of me.” [Matthew 10:37; Matthew 19:29] Hearing this, and not forgetting it, but firmly storing it in his heart, he did not cease until he was able to fulfil it.

On the Angelic Revelation and His Arrival in the Estiva Region #

¹ Nevertheless, the most holy Cungar, a most gentle young man, did not wish to remain near his parents, fearing that, if they heard that their son was remaining nearby, they would without delay send for him back, because he was their only and dearest child. For this reason, and through angelic exhortation, he withdrew from the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and came to Italy; from Italy across the Alps to Gaul; from Gaul by sailing to Britain. With all his effort he strove to lead a solitary life: therefore on his journey he diligently sought and enquired after places suitable for a hermit. And so, while he was striving to fulfil his vowed intention, he directed his journey to Festiva, the region which the inhabitants so named and still name. Then, warned again by angelic revelation, he came to a very pleasant place surrounded by waters and a reed-bed, afterwards named by his own name Cungresbury. For among the Britons he was called Cungar. Not undeservedly, (because) he sowed the streams of his teaching throughout the country: wherever he went, he did not cease to preach, according to the apostolic commendation. Everything that was given to him by kings and wealthy people, once given, he immediately distributed to the poor.

On the Dream Through Angelic Warning #

¹ When the most holy and most reverend Cungar had arrived, and was resolving to persevere there, it was revealed to him in a dream by an angel that wherever he saw a boar on the following day, there he should build a dwelling, and after this building should found an oratory. When he awoke, he rejoiced greatly and quickly began to go forward; and [un]expectedly he saw a boar lying in a reedy place, and the sight terrified him; frightened and fleeing, the boar withdrew at its usual run. When this had been seen according to the angelic promise, and when the most holy Cungar saw the pleasantness of the wooded and watery place, he rejoiced, uttering this joyful speech: This is the place now found which I have sought: here I shall remain, so that I may serve the holy Trinity. When these words had been spoken, he built a dwelling, from here … the cemetery. When this had been measured out, he founded an oratory in honour of the holy Trinity.

On the Manner of Fasting and the Entry (Into) Cold Water #

¹ He persevered in this place that was pleasing to him, clothed in a hairshirt, leading a blameless life in fasts and frequent prayers without impediment. Every morning hour he entered into cold water, remaining there for as long as the Lord’s Prayer was said by him three times; [Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4] then he returned to the church, keeping vigil and praying to the omnipotence of the highest Creator. At the ninth hour, however, he made use of barley bread, never enjoying dishes of food or fullness. Leanness had made his lean body thin: those who saw him in such a state said that he was weak or fevered. The hermit’s life was most sweet to him, according to the footsteps of Paul the first hermit and Anthony.

On the Reed-Bed Turned Into a Meadow #

¹ This first miracle was accomplished through divine mercy by the most righteous Cungar, and through his holiness and immaculate prayer: the watery and reedy places, wh[ich] we[re] around his cultivated land, then providing no usefulness, were turned into fields most suitable for cultivation and into flowering meadows. When this miracle was heard of everywhere throughout England, and moreover throughout all Britain, they magnified Cungar, the chosen servant of God, with outstanding reverence, saying such things in his praise and honour:

² The natives praise him, saying: We see clearly fields with meadows, where marsh-reed grew.

On the Staff Growing Into a Yew Tree #

¹ When such a great miracle had passed, one day, while the most reverend Cungar was standing in the cemetery, with his clerics standing around him, he wished that a yew might grow there, so that it could become a shelter because of the summer heat, and so that the cemetery might be adorned by the spreading of its branches. While he desired such things, holding in his hands a staff made from a yew tree, he fixed it in the ground, and left it driven into the earth, nor could he draw it back out; and on the following day, while all those standing there saw it, it put forth leaves. Afterwards it grew into a very broad tree, and, according to the petition and desire of the most holy Cungar, it became a shelter for the clerics and the people against the heat of summer. From this it was said:

² The yew stands here green, not dry nor held in the hand; what had been dry wood now puts forth wondrous leaves.

On the Gift of King Ine #

¹ When such miracles had been revealed and proclaimed everywhere, Ine, the most generous king of the English, freely granted to the venerable Cungar the whole territory situated around Cuggrisberia; [and] he himself promised that his refuge would be inviolate, and that, for as long as he reigned, Cungar would not be hindered in his prayers by the royal tumult of soldiers. After the gift of the territory, that king did not wish to visit the honourable place, lest he should cause some impediment to the honourable Cungar in his continual prayers. When these things had been done, the other kings who succeeded him did not dare, nor were they accustomed, to visit or even to see the venerable place. If it happened that they visited or saw the place that was to be avoided, after seeing it and approaching it they would either begin to fall seriously ill at once, or, once they had seen the place, they would have no longer span of life. And so many kings, wishing to see the place not to be seen by kings, came to death before long.

On the Blinding of King Edgar #

¹ One day, while King Edgar of the English was hunting in the wood, he unknowingly approached the place of the most religious man: he saw what he did not wish to look upon: after looking, he grieved from the depths of his heart, saying: “Into your hands I commend my spirit: you have redeemed me.” [Psalm 30:6 Vg / 31:5]