Att text: The Life of St. Teilo is attributed in a manuscript rubric to Magister Galfridus, which Evans and Rhys (1893) identified with Geoffrey of Monmouth. However, modern scholarship considers the work to be anonymous (Sims-Williams, 2003; Guy, 2023).

Evans, J.G. and Rhys, J. (1893) The Text of the Book of Llan Dâv. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Sims-Williams, P. (2003) The Celtic Inscriptions of Britain: Phonology and Chronology. Oxford: Blackwell.
Guy, B. (2023) The Making of the Early Welsh Church. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

¹ This holy man, dearly beloved brethren, was from his infancy a worshipper of God; and this is no wonder, for even before his infancy God had predestined him to be his servant. He predestined those whom he elected; he elected those whom he loved; and he crowned his beloved with the victory of a true confession [Romans 8:29–30; 2 Timothy 4:7–8]. The man of God therefore carried on his warfare by perseverance in prayer to God and by giving to the poor all that he possessed. What more shall I say? He diligently fulfilled the six works of mercy [Matthew 25:35–36]. The servant was never idle in matters of ecclesiastical observance. All that was his own he refused to treat as his own, and what was not his own he made his own. For leaving nothing of his own to himself, he exchanged what perishes for what is eternal.

² O how great a man, and what a merchant he was, who gave his own to God so that he might receive a hundredfold [Matthew 19:29]. O precious merchandise! O commendable usury! O interest without sin! O gain without reproach! Let us ourselves acquire such profit, so that, as lenders, we may not lose our return [Luke 6:35]. O what wisdom and understanding he possessed: he distributed to others so that he himself might be enriched; he made himself poor so that he might make others wealthy [2 Corinthians 8:9]; he exercised mercy so that he might obtain mercy [Matthew 5:7]. It is certain that these were the principles of this holy man, in which he persevered without interruption until the end of his life. He was therefore an eminent confessor, who, on account of his virtues, had nothing to confess: for in infancy he was good, in youth he was better, and in old age he was best of all.

³ But lest there be silence concerning the lineage of so great a man, as though it were unknown, we know that he was descended from noble parents; and the nobility of the flesh raised him high among men, while the nobility of his mind made him acceptable to God also. When he had grown in years, virtue, and wisdom, he was called by discerning men by the fitting name of Elios; and Elios, in Greek, is rendered in Latin as Sol, that is, the Sun, for his learning shone like the sun by illuminating the doctrine of the faithful. But unlearned men, corruptly pronouncing the ending of the word, brought it about in the course of time that he was called not Elios but Eliud. We read that in his childhood he was instructed in the Holy Scriptures by Saint Dubricius the Archbishop, whose successor he later became, until at length Dubricius saw him to be a boy of such ability that he judged himself not only inferior to him in knowledge, but perceived that, with the co-operation of the Holy Spirit, he surpassed all others in the explanation of the obscure passages of Scripture. Observing this, Saint Dubricius—who had previously been his teacher—and understanding that he could no longer teach him, desired that he should succeed him in the mastership, because he excelled him in learning and talent.

⁴ But such modesty accompanied him, and such zeal for the study of sacred learning stirred him, that although he was now able to be a teacher to others, he nevertheless sought a teacher for himself. This he did both because he preferred to live under the discipline of another rather than without restraint, and because he wished to understand the mysterious and obscure passages of Scripture not in the manner of foolish philosophers, in order to confound others, but so that he might refute the errors of heretics. And thus he both confuted heresies and corrected the errors of many.

⁵ He benefited the faithful more by his plain and universal manner of reasoning than any philosopher ever did by subtle arguments; for they, while seeking the way, continually wandered from it, whereas he never departed from the path of truth, but walked along it as though a lamp went before him [Psalm 119:105], and with no one hindering him, he came to him who is the true light [John 1:9]. For he travelled through him who is the way [John 14:6], and was taught by him who is wisdom [1 Corinthians 1:24]. Then, hearing of the reputation of a certain distinguished man named Paulinus, he went and stayed with him for some time, so that by conversing together on the obscure passages of Scripture which he did not yet understand, they might come to a true and faithful interpretation of them all.

⁶ And there he had as a companion Saint David, a man of the most perfect life, to whom he was bound by such love and by the grace of the Holy Spirit that in their undertakings they shared the same judgement, both as to what should be done and what should be left undone. Look, dearly beloved brethren, how God unites his saints on earth, whom he chooses to be citizens in heaven [Philippians 3:20]: he chose two, so that through two he might choose many. O blessed life of these two, through which the souls of many were refreshed.

⁷ In the days of those holy men, a certain people from Scythia, who from their painted garments or from the colour of their eyes were called Picts, came to Britain in a very great fleet; and, seized with a desire to possess the land because of the abundance of good things with which it then excelled all islands, they invaded the country of the Britons, more by treachery than by force, and for some time exercised grievous tyranny over them. Nor is it surprising that the Britons were overcome by them; for the nation of the Picts was cunning and well trained in many engagements both by sea and by land, while the other, though endowed with bodily strength, was simple and peaceable, unaccustomed to attack, ignorant of warfare, and therefore the more easily subdued. Whoever desires a fuller account will find it in the history of Gildas, the historian of the Britons.

⁸ And when a certain prince of that impious nation arrived from the seaport, and by slaughtering the unfortunate inhabitants and burning the houses and churches of the saints advanced as far as the city of St Davids, he halted there and built himself a palace. And when he observed the uprightness of the life of Saint Teilo and Saint David, and of the other servants of God who lived with them, he not only envied them—as it is ever the habit of the wicked to envy the good—but also, seeing how diligently they were devoted to the service of God, he uttered many reproaches against them, seeking to separate them from Christ. And since he could not accomplish his purpose by threats and abuse, he attempted to tempt them by various devices, judging that this could best be done by the allurements of women.

⁹ He therefore commanded his stewardess to send her female servants to the holy men and expose themselves to their sight, so that by immodest behaviour and meretricious enticements they might endeavour to draw the minds of the holy men away from their holy resolve. But while they carried out the orders of their mistress and feigned madness, they became truly mad, as it is said, “Let the filthy become more filthy” [Revelation 22:11]. When the same persecutor and all his household perceived this, they, through the favour of the servants of God, received the catholic faith and were baptised by them in the name of Christ. Thus he was blessed: he who knowingly persecuted the just, became just in ignorance; he who tempted the holy was himself made holy; he who contended with men was reconciled to God; he who despised the humble came at last to delight in humility.

¹⁰ After God had punished those impudent women with incurable disgrace, he adorned those holy men with another marvellous work, worthy of remembrance. For when the blessed Saint Teilo and Saint Maidoc were reading in the courtyard of the monastery—not the fictions of poets nor the histories of the ancients, but the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah, so that they might be more deeply inflamed with love for the heavenly country—a certain servant came and told them that wood was lacking for the preparation of the brethren’s supper. This troubled them, not because they were unwilling to serve the brethren, but because they feared they could not return from the forest in time for the meal. They therefore hastened eagerly to the wood, anxious to return quickly and to bring as much as would suffice for several days, so that they might afterwards devote themselves for longer to holy reading and prayer. Then two exceedingly gentle stags, yoked together, met them, and by the direction of God offered their necks to be harnessed, as though they were saying: “God, seeing your eagerness, has taken away our wildness and made us tame, so that we might carry out the labour you have undertaken.” When they were harnessed, Saint Teilo and Maidoc praised the Lord, saying: “Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has mercifully regarded his servants labouring for the brethren, by making the wild beasts of the forest tame, so that they might bear the burden of our work”.

¹¹ And when the holy men had loaded their cart and were returning home, they did not, as is the usual custom, urge on the laden stags to hasten their pace, but went a long way ahead of them, while the stags, with no one driving them, followed of their own accord. And so that their prayer might no longer be interrupted by such necessities, those same wild animals, for a long time afterwards, by the direction of God, brought wood to them and whatever else was required for the use of the holy men. Who, then, can doubt that those men were holy, to whom God granted that stags should thus minister? Others may indeed kill wild animals, but they cannot tame them in this manner. When they drew near to their dwelling, all the inhabitants of the place came out to meet them and said, “O holy brethren, how manifestly you have been distinguished this day by divine grace, since irrational creatures have become your servants. We, therefore, are wretched men, who did not obey the saints until we were taught by brute beasts to obey them.”

¹² Meanwhile Saint David, coming out of his tent, found before its door a book lying open, which the brethren had carelessly left there; and although a violent rain had fallen, it was in no way damaged by the water. Marvelling at this, he said, “God is wonderful among his saints, and holy in his works” [Psalm 68:35]. And lest so great a good should be buried in silence, but rather spread far and wide, he immediately summoned the elders of the people, so that, seeing the wonderful works of God, they might offer prayers and vows to the Lord and proclaim to others the holiness of the brethren, because God had preserved their book from the rain.

¹³ So that these men might be ever more clearly distinguished by miracles through the faith of Christ, just as God once caused water to flow from the rock for the thirsty Israelites [Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11], so he commanded fresh springs to arise for the thirsty saints. And as we have heard from the elders of that place, those who drank from these fountains declared that they seemed not to drink water but wine, so delightful was its taste. On account of these wondrous works, which divine power worked on their behalf, they were soon everywhere renowned as men of goodness and merit. God therefore, seeing that they were adorned with so many virtues, judged them worthy to be raised to ecclesiastical dignity; and he sent his angel to the holy men to announce to them that they must go to the holy city of Jerusalem and there receive the reward of their warfare.

¹⁴ The holy men—namely Saint Teilo and Saint David—being in all things obedient to their God, did not dare to resist the divine command; but taking with them Saint Padarn, a man dear to God, the three of them, in the name of the Holy Trinity, set out upon the appointed journey. Yet they travelled not, as many do, with an abundance of money or provisions, but without staff or scrip, placing their trust in him who “gives food to the cattle and feeds the young ravens when they cry” [Luke 9:3; Psalm 147:9]. Nor was that trust misplaced, for God, through his faithful servants, provided for them in due season all that they required. They were adorned with the light of heavenly grace, so that their arrival was welcome everywhere and their presence brought healing to the sick. Passing through many regions, they left behind them signs of their holiness by curing the ailments of all who came to meet them, who sought relief for their infirmities in the name of Christ and trusted that by his power they would be restored to health. And when robbers encountered them on the road, they not only surrendered their possessions peacefully, but if the thieves carelessly left anything behind, they handed it back to them with cheerful countenance. Seeing the guileless goodness of the holy men, the robbers asked forgiveness for what they had done, and not only returned what they had taken, but escorted them safely on their way; so that by those unknown to them they were made known, and robbers became their greatest friends.

¹⁵ Having at length completed so long a journey, they came to Jerusalem; and as they entered the city, all the people came out to meet them, singing psalms and hymns because of their arrival, and thus with great solemnity they were led into the church of the Lord. Although wearied by so great a journey, they did not ask for soft beds on which to rest, but laying themselves upon the bare pavement of the church, they continued in prayer for three days, so intent upon heavenly things that they were altogether forgetful of earthly concerns.

¹⁶ Meanwhile, all the clergy watched closely to see which seats they would choose when their prayer was ended; for by the choice of the seats they would know—having been forewarned by an angel from heaven—which of them should first be appointed bishop. For there were in the church, from ancient times, three seats set apart by the elders: two fashioned of various metals with skilful workmanship, and the third made of cedar, possessing no outward adornment beyond that which nature itself had given. This humble seat the humble Saint Teilo—also called Eliud—chose for himself, yielding the more splendid ones to his brethren. When this was seen, all who were present fell upon their faces before Saint Teilo, saying, “Hail, holy Teilo, and may your prayers to the Lord be profitable to us; for today you are exalted above your fellow brethren, since you have sat in the seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, in which he preached the kingdom of God to our fathers.”

¹⁷ The holy man, hearing this, rose up in great astonishment and, casting himself upon the ground, said: “Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful” [Psalm 1:1]. And again he said, “Blessed be the Saviour, who chose that his seat should be made of wood, and who by means of wood brought help to a perishing world.” Thus, being humble, he humbly venerated the seat—indeed, rather him who had sat upon it—because, being himself a creature, he regarded it as the seat of the Creator.

¹⁸ Whereupon they begged him that, for their instruction in virtue, he would speak to them a word concerning Christ, so that as he had imitated him in sitting upon the chair, he might also imitate him in preaching. Seeing them inflamed with divine love, Saint Teilo was troubled in a marvellous way, not because he did not know what to teach, but because he doubted what would be fitting for them, since he was wholly ignorant of their language. Yet the holy man, in order to satisfy the people who implored him, began to expound the Scriptures; and each of those who stood around heard him speak in his own tongue [Acts 2:6].

¹⁹ All who heard him preaching were so delighted by the sweetness of his discourse that the longer they listened, the more eagerly they desired to hear him still. At length, when they had all been refreshed by his saving doctrine, lest he should seem presumptuous in exercising the office of preaching alone, he said to the people: “Hear now the words of life from my brethren, who surpass me in uprightness of conduct and are more advanced in learning.” Then Saint David and the most humble servant of God, Saint Padarn, rose and preached to the people, placing their trust in the Lord who said, “When you are brought before kings and rulers, do not prepare beforehand how or what you shall say; for in that hour it will be given to you what you are to say” [Luke 12:11–12]. Thus the holy men, preaching in turn, refreshed the minds of their hearers as though with varied dishes; and if any among them wavered in the faith, they were brought, through the grace of the preaching of the holy men, to hold firmly and steadfastly the faith of the Holy Trinity.

²⁰ After these events they were elected by all the people and raised to the episcopal dignity, as the angel had foretold: Saint Teilo in the place of Saint Peter, and Saint David in that of Saint James. And as a testimony to the grace they received there—granted by the Lord himself—three precious gifts were bestowed upon them, each suited to the person who received it. To Saint Padarn was given a staff and a choral cap made of exceedingly fine silk, because they observed that he excelled in sacred song. To David was given a wondrous altar, of which no one knew the material from which it was made; nor was it bestowed without reason, for he celebrated the divine mysteries with greater fervour than the others.

²¹ Last of all, the holy prelate Teilo received his gift, which was by no means the least: a bell, more renowned than great, and more precious in reality than in appearance, for it surpassed every instrument in sweetness of sound. It condemned the perjurer, healed the sick, and—most marvellous of all—rang of its own accord at every hour, without any human hand setting it in motion, until it was stopped by the sin of men, who rashly handled it with unclean hands, and thus caused it to cease from its sweet ringing. Nor was such a gift unfitting for him; for just as a bell calls men from the depths of sleep and sloth to the church, so the eminent prelate Teilo, made a preacher of Christ, by unceasing proclamation summoned souls to heaven. Thus adorned with these glorious gifts, and blessings exchanged on either side, they returned with the greatest prosperity to their own country.

²² Saint Teilo received the pastoral care of the Church of Llandaff, to which he had been consecrated, together with all the neighbouring dioceses that had formerly belonged to his predecessor Saint Dubricius; yet he was unable to remain there long because of a pestilence that almost destroyed the entire nation. It was called the Yellow Pestilence, because all who were struck by it became yellow and bloodless; and it appeared to men like a column of watery cloud, with one end trailing along the ground and the other raised aloft, moving through the air and sweeping across the land like a shower passing through the depths of valleys. Whatever living creatures it touched with its deadly blast either perished at once or sickened to death; and if anyone attempted to apply remedies to the afflicted, not only were the medicines useless, but the dreadful disease brought both physician and patient to their end. It struck Maelgwn, king of North Wales, and laid waste his land; and so fiercely did this devastation rage throughout the nation that it left the country almost deserted.

²³ Meanwhile, while this plague raged not only against men but also against beasts and creeping creatures, Saint Teilo cried out to the Lord with fasting and lamentation, saying: “Spare, O Lord, spare your people; you who do not will the death of the sinner, but rather that he should live, and do not give your inheritance over to destruction” [Ezekiel 33:11; Joel 2:17]. Then the anger of the Lord, through his prayers and those of other holy persons, was for a time appeased; and Teilo was warned from heaven and, together with those who were the remnant of the nation, departed into distant lands. Some of them went to Ireland, but many—under his leadership—removed into France, until God should make known to them that they were to return to their own land. And an angel spoke and commanded Saint Teilo, saying: “Arise, and go beyond the sea, and gather the remnant of your people, that they may follow you, until God, rich in mercy, [Ephesians 2:4] seeing the misery of your nation and you, his servant, labouring for them in prayers and fasting, will grant that, when this persecution has been removed from both them and you, you may return from exile and be delivered from such danger for ever.” And again the angel said: “Go without hesitation, for an angel of the Lord will accompany you both in going and in returning, and will bring you back again with your followers to your own country in prosperity.”

²⁴ Therefore Saint Teilo arose and took with him some of his suffragan bishops, men of other ecclesiastical orders, and also lay people of both sexes, men and women; and he came first to the land of Cornwall, where he was honourably received by Gerennius, king of that region, who treated both him and his company with great respect. During the time of his hospitality, King Gerennius spoke familiarly with Bishop Teilo and said to him, “I ask and desire that you will hear my confession and be my confessor in the Lord.” The bishop consented, heard his confession, and confidently promised him that he would not see death before he had received the Body of the Lord which he himself would consecrate.

²⁵ When these things had been accomplished, the holy man departed with his companions to the Armorican lands, where he was also kindly received. Saint Samson, archbishop of the church of Dol, hearing of the arrival of his fellow bishop in the country, went out joyfully to meet him; for they had been born in the same region, shared the same language, and had been taught together by Saint Dubricius, by the laying on of whose hands Saint Samson had been consecrated bishop, as is related in his Life. Samson asked Teilo to dwell with him, and he agreed, remaining there for a long time and leaving behind beneficent signs of his holiness, among them a life-giving spring called Cai, which he obtained from the Lord to flow. Besides the healings that the sick received from it in the name of God and of Teilo, one remarkable wonder remains to this day: for the sailors of that Armorican land, wishing to obtain favourable winds so that their ships might sail directly wherever they intended, were accustomed to cleanse that healing spring; and often, through the intercession of the holy bishop, the Lord granted their request, giving wind to their sails, so that they sailed smoothly and pleasantly across the calm sea to their desired destination.

²⁶ He also left there another witness of his patronage; for he and the same Saint Samson planted a great grove of fruit-bearing trees, extending for three miles, from Dol as far as Cal. These woods are honoured by their names to this day, being called the groves of Teilo and Samson. From that time onward the bishopric of Dôl has been held in honour and celebrated by the testimony of all the Armorican Britons, because of the life and reverence of Saint Teilo.

²⁷ Meanwhile, while these things were being done, Christ in his mercy ordained that the pestilence called the Yellow should depart and vanish from the whole island of Britain. When faithful Teilo heard this, he rejoiced greatly; and being prompted by the Holy Spirit, he sent messengers throughout France, and beyond the Alps into Italy, wherever he knew that his countrymen had fled, and gathered them together, so that, with the pestilence extinguished and peace restored on every side, all might return to their own land. He therefore prepared three very large ships for the crossing of the great multitude. As the holy man came down to the harbour, the people wept and mourned because of the departure of so great a father; and while they waited for a favourable wind for their voyage, look, the king of that region, Budic by name, came out to meet him with a great host of Armoricans. Immediately the king and his entire army knelt before him; and when Teilo asked the reason for this, the king replied, “We bend our knees for this cause, that you may intercede with God for me and for my land, because of the calamity we now suffer; for a great viper has recently appeared, which has almost laid waste a third part of my kingdom.”

²⁸ The holy bishop hesitated for a time and feared to go with them, for dreadful reports were told of the viper; but suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to him and, comforting him, said: “Do not fear to go with them, for the power of Christ will be with you, and by your hands it will destroy the viper; and for your sake the Redeemer and Saviour will preserve and deliver the whole land.” Following the counsel of the angel, the holy prelate dared to approach the flying and winged dragon; and being inspired from heaven, he at once removed one of his vestments, bound it about the creature’s neck, and by the command of the Lord ordered it to follow him as far as the sea and to cease emitting its poison and deadly breath. Then the pestilential beast, obedient to the bishop’s command, became mild and gentle: it did not raise its wings to terrify, nor bare its teeth to gnash, nor extend its tongue to breathe forth fire. Immediately the devout prelate went towards the sea, leading behind him the enormous monster by the strip of his vestment with which he had bound it, and there, in the name of the Lord, he fastened it to a great rock in the midst of the sea.

²⁹ When the Armoricans saw this, they took counsel with Saint Samson and said to him: “Holy father, have care for us; for if that man of God departs from us, the serpent will return and destroy both us and our land. We therefore beg you to keep him with us and earnestly entreat him to consent to remain, lest we perish from this calamity.”

³⁰ The pious father, hearing that Saint Samson and Budic, together with the people, had taken counsel to detain him by their entreaties for a time, was displeased and resolved within himself not to comply with what they had planned and proposed. But look, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the night and said: “Do not hesitate to remain with them, for through you the land shall receive protection and help; and this shall be a sign to you that I am sent from the Lord. Tomorrow the king and the same bishop will come to you with a great multitude of people, and with humble supplication will earnestly offer you the episcopal care and authority over all Armorica. According to my counsel, consent to them and accept what they offer you for a time; meanwhile your countrymen, who are still scattered on every side, will be gathered together. Say to them: ‘I will remain with you for as long as it shall please God, while I await the assembling of all my exiled people.’”

³¹ And again the angel said: “Look, another sign shall be shown to you from God through me. Tomorrow the bishop and the king, with a great company, will come to meet you, that they may lead you honourably and with rejoicing to the episcopal seat; and when they eagerly offer you the best of their horses on which to ride, do not accept it from them. For at once, as a token of divine permission, a most noble steed shall be sent to you by God through me; and mounting it gladly and in triumph, you shall go with them to the bishopric of Dol, which has been prepared and predestined by God for you.”

³² All these things therefore came to pass on the following day, just as the angel had foretold. For the king and the bishop, with a great multitude of people, came to meet him in order to lead him with fitting honour to the episcopal see of Dol and to raise him to the bishop’s seat; and look, just as the heavenly messenger had promised, when they offered him one of their finest horses and he refused to accept it from them, there suddenly appeared beside him a most beautiful steed, sent to him by God. Mounting it, he went with them to Dôl, and there, as he had been commanded by God, he consented to remain until the time appointed beforehand by God the Father. At that very moment he summoned Budic, and after bestowing many blessings upon him, gave him the same horse. Then, before all the people, the bishop Saint Teilo humbly prayed to God and earnestly entreated that the soldiers of Armorica might surpass all other nations in horsemanship, so that they might defend their land gain victory over their enemies. And this privilege, which Saint Teilo obtained from the Lord to be granted through his prayer, remains to this day, according to the testimony and historical memory of the elders of that land; for the Armoricans are seven times more valiant as horsemen than as foot soldiers.

³³ Meanwhile, while these events were unfolding, the bishop Saint Teilo summoned his household—that is, the people of his own nation—and speaking with them familiarly, at last said: “Know, my little children, that our king Gerennius is afflicted with a grave illness, and I believe, as an angel has informed me, that he will die of this sickness. When I passed through his land, I visited him, and he received me and my companions honourably, showing us hospitality for several days. And I pledged myself to him, promising in the Lord that he should not see death nor reach his final hour until he had received from my hand the Body of the Lord, and that then he should depart from this world. Prepare therefore our ship, so that, by divine foreknowledge granted to us, we may return to our native land, long desired and promised to us by God.”

³⁴ Accordingly, a large ship was made ready; and when seven years and seven months had passed, during which Saint Teilo had remained among the Armoricans, he embarked in it with many learned teachers and several other bishops, by whose holiness the British people were to be refreshed after the pestilence. Then he commanded his companions, saying: “Take with you this stone coffin, so that the body of Gerennius may be buried in it.” They marvelled and replied that they could not obey the command because of its great weight, saying that scarcely ten yoke of oxen could move it from its place. But he, trusting in the Lord and in the prayers of his bishops and people, ordered that it should be cast into the sea before the prow of the ship, and that by the power of God it would be brought to shore without the use of oars. This was done accordingly.

³⁵ As they were sailing in mid-sea, another vessel met them; and when the sailors spoke together, a bishop sent by King Gerennius reported that the king was near death, yet awaited the arrival of Saint Teilo. Sailing on together, they came to a harbour called Dingerein; and look, at once the stone which had been cast into the sea appeared between the two ships, having reached that place, and thus, according to the faith of Christ’s holy pastor, manifested the glory of God’s majesty. Saint Teilo came to the king and found him still alive; and when Gerennius had received from his hand the Body of the Lord, he departed joyfully to the Lord. His body was then reverently laid in the same stone coffin and, by his holy confessor, committed to God.

³⁶ After these events, the holy man returned to his own episcopal see, accompanied by a great number of clergy and people; and there he remained until the end of his life, exercising primacy over all the churches of the whole of southern Britain, according to the ordinance of the fathers who had consecrated him at Jerusalem, as has been related above. Though the nation then consisted of only a small remnant, it quickly increased into a great multitude, and this because they were obedient in all things to the commands of the holy man. Thus the holy Church, which for a long time had been scattered, was restored and exalted by the coming of Saint Teilo, most holy among holy men.

³⁷ To him there came those who had been disciples of Saint Dubricius—namely Lunapeius, Gwrmaet, Cynmur, Teulydog, Llywel, Fidehis, Ismael, Tyfei, Oudoceus, and many others—so that they might imitate him both in manner of life and in doctrine. Of these, he consecrated Saint Ismael as bishop and sent him to govern the church of Menevia, which had been left without a shepherd after Saint David had departed to the Lord. Many others of the same rank he likewise raised to the episcopacy, sending them throughout the land assigning dioceses to them according to what best served the needs of both clergy and people.

³⁸ Now the miracles which we know to have been worked by him we commit to writing and to memory; for by remaining silent about the miraculous power of God and of his saints, we are gravely negligent in our duty, whereas by proclaiming it we fulfil that duty. He had three pack-horses which, without anyone accompanying them, went to the forest, and when they had been loaded by the woodmen, returned in the same manner without a driver, thus serving the brethren daily. It is said that he raised from the dead a man named Distinnic by the river Cowin; that one afflicted with paralysis was healed by him in the church of Radh, before all the people, on the Sabbath day; and that whatever sickness afflicted the infirm, they were healed by the laying on of his hands.

³⁹ But those who in any way harmed him were either long afflicted or struck down at once. Thus a bold and impious woman who offended him died suddenly before the people. Likewise a certain petty king named Gwaeddan violated his sanctuary in one of his churches, commonly called Llandeilo Fechan; and while raging there and committing this act of violence, he immediately met a shameful death within the same cemetery. Yet those who acknowledged their offences were at once restored to health and obtained pardon through the prayers of the holy man.

⁴⁰ On the night of his passing there arose a great dispute among the clergy of three of his churches, each asserting its own authority and privilege to claim his body. One was Pennalun, which claimed the right because his ancestors had been buried there and therefore held it by hereditary custom. The second church, situated on the banks of the River Towy, laid claim because it was the place of his dwelling, where he had lived in retirement and where he had gloriously ended his life. The third was Llandaff, which pressed its claim on account of its being his episcopal see, its privileges and dignities, its consecrations and obedience, the unanimous voice of the whole diocese, and above all its ancient standing and the appointment made by Saint Dubricius and the other fathers.

⁴¹ At length, following the counsel of prudent men, they resolved to have recourse to fasting and prayer, that Christ, the great judge and the true authority and privilege of holy persons, might declare by some manifest sign to whom he wished the holy body of the saint to be entrusted. And in the morning a certain elder, looking toward the place where the body lay, cried out with a loud voice: “Our prayer, brethren, has been heard by the Lord, who defrauds no one of his reward. Arise and see what Christ, the Mediator between God and man, has done, that our dispute might be resolved; and that, as in the life, so also in the death of the holy confessor Teilo, miracles should be worked” [1 Timothy 2:5]. For look, they saw there three bodies, alike in stature, alike in the beauty of their countenance, and—what more may be said—identical in every feature of the whole frame, without any distinction. Thus peace being restored, each party returned home with its own body and buried it with the greatest reverence in its respective place.

⁴² It was, however, known to all the people—both through the great number of miracles and through the testimony of ancient writers—that he was indeed laid to rest at Llandaff; for at the tomb of this eminent prelate the sick were very often healed of their diseases, sight was restored to the blind, and hearing to the deaf.

⁴³ These things, and more than these, dearly beloved brethren, the divine power of miracles worked for the most holy confessor Saint Teilo. Therefore celebrate the feast of so great a man with all the affection of your hearts; frequent his church, and according to the ability of each of you, give from your substance to the poor in his name. For he receives great things in exchange for small, and small things for great; just as he accepted a cup of cold water as though it were a priceless gift [Matthew 10:42], and as he received the offering of the woman of Samaria as if she had given treasures beyond measure [John 4:7–14]. Thus, by imitating him in good works, you may be found worthy to be glorified with him in the heavenly places, through the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns for ever and ever [Ephesians 2:6]. Amen.

⁴⁴ During his lifetime, the Church of Llandaff, through his holiness both of life and of teaching, increased in churches and in lands, which were granted to it—with full liberty, dignity, and privilege—by the kings of his own time: Tewdrig son of Teithfallt, Iddon son of Ynyr Gwent, Gwrgan Mawr, Maelgwn, Aircol Lawhir, Cadwgan, Tredecil, Rhun, and many other kings and princes of southern Britain. These grants were confirmed by the naming of the churches with their lands and endowments, by the setting forth of their boundaries, and by the witness of authorised persons.