¹ Saint Theliau, being a worshipper of God from infancy, fought for God in prayers and vigils: he macerated himself that others might grow fat, bestowed all he possessed on the poor, and pitied others that he might obtain mercy. He was sprung of noble parents, that the nobility of the flesh might honour him among men, who was already acceptable to God in the nobility of his soul. And after the increase of age, virtues and wisdom, he was fitly named “Helios” by the wise — for helios in Greek is interpreted “sun” in Latin: for his doctrine shone like the sun, illumining the hearts of the faithful. But laymen corruptly pronouncing the end of the word, it grew customary that he was called not “Elyos” but “Eliud”. For he was instructed in the holy scriptures by St Dubricius the bishop, until he perceived the boy to be of such talent that, the Holy Spirit working with him, he perfectly unfolded the knots of the scriptures. Then the holy boy, hearing the fame of a certain wise man Paulinus, went to him and conferred the secrets of the scriptures with him: where he joined to himself St David, a man of perfect life; whom so great an affection and the grace of the Holy Spirit united that the same willing and unwilling was to them both.

² Now in the days of those saints, certain peoples who, whether from their painted garments or on account of the markings of their eyes, were called “Picts”, came with a countless fleet from Scythia to Britain, and seized with love of possessing the land, invaded the Britons rather by guile than by strength, and exercised against them for a time a wondrous tyranny. Whose prince, slaughtering the wretched inhabitants, burning houses and temples, proceeding even to Menevia, built a palace there. And seeing the holiness of life and manners of St David and Eliud and the other saints, he not only envied them, but often heaped many reproaches upon them. And he commanded his wife to send her handmaids to the saints, and by the immodest motions of their bodies and their blandishments to pervert the saints’ minds from their purpose. And they, following their mistress’s commands, while they feigned themselves mad, were made mad indeed. Which seen, that persecutor and his whole house, receiving the faith of Christ, were baptised.

³ For when St Theliau, who is also Elyud, and Madocus were engaged in readings, a certain servant came upon them, saying that wood was wanting wherewith the brethren’s supper might be prepared. And they, taking it ill at what they heard, went in haste to the wood. And look, two tame deer, meeting them as though ready to serve, submitted their necks to the yoke. And when the saints returned with the laden waggon, the holy men going far before, the deer, none urging, swiftly followed them: and much afterwards they brought wood and other necessaries to the monastery.

⁴ And the Lord sent his angel to the Saints David, Theliau and Paternus, commanding them to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and receive gifts there. Then they, trusting in the Lord alone, without scrip and staff, entered upon the journey, and leaving the traces of their holiness through the diverse provinces, relieved the pains of the feeble they met. And when robbers stood in their way, they not only peaceably yielded them their goods, but if they themselves heedless of the spoil left anything behind, they offered it to the spoilers with a cheerful countenance. And they, seeing the saints’ simplicity, restoring the spoil, asked pardon for their deeds, and conducted them to safe places.

⁵ And when they had entered Jerusalem, all the people met them singing in canticles and hymns, leading them to the temple of the Lord. For continuing three days in prayers there, they were so intent on the contemplation of heavenly things that they were utterly forgetful of earthly ones. Meanwhile the whole clergy waited attentively, watching which of the saints would choose for himself which seat when the prayer was ended, that, as they had been taught from heaven by an angel, in the choosing of the seats they might mark whom they should appoint prelate over the rest. For there were in the temple three thrones set for the elders from ancient times. The lower and more humble of which Theliau choosing, left the nobler to his brethren for reverence. Which seen, all who were present, falling prostrate on their faces before the man of God, said: “Hail, holy Theliau of God, and graciously grant that your prayers may avail for us with the Lord, since today you have been exalted above your other fellow-brethren, sitting in the seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, who preached God’s kingdom to our fathers.” The man of God, hearing this, arose with great wonder and prostrated himself on the ground, saying: “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 pestilence. And blessed be the Saviour who chose to have his seat made of wood, who by wood willed to succour the perishing world.”

⁶ All therefore asked him to tell them a parable of Christ for their instruction in the virtues, that as he had imitated him in sitting on the throne, he might imitate him in preaching the word of God. Who, seeing the love of the divine word burning in their hearts, when he was utterly unskilled in their tongue, wondrous solicitude and anguish pressed him. Yet that he might satisfy the people suppliant and their desire, he began to expound the sacred scriptures: and each of the bystanders heard him speaking in his own tongue. And when all had been so affected by such sweetness of his discourse that the longer they heard him the more they desired to hear him; lest he should seem to presume the office of preaching if he alone preached, he said to the people: “Hear now from my brethren the words of life, who are more perfect than I in life and more to be loved in doctrine.” St David and Paternus therefore arose, and preached to the people, all understanding them perfectly in their own tongue.

⁷ After these things, admonished by an angel, they were chosen by the clergy and people and raised to the pontifical dignity: and as it were in testimony of the grace which they had there received by the Lord’s bounty, three precious gifts were given them, as befitted each: to Paternus a staff and a choral cope woven of precious silk, because they had seen him an excellent cantor; and to St David a wondrous altar, well known to none of what matter it had been made; for he had celebrated more pleasantly than the rest. But to blessed Theliau they gave a bell more famous than great, more precious than beautiful, because in sweet sound it seems to excel every instrument: it condemns perjurers, cures the sick; and at every hour it sounded with none moving it, until, men’s sins demanding who rashly handled it with polluted hands, it ceased from so sweet a service. For as the bell invites all from the torpor of sleep and sloth to church, so St Theliau, made Christ’s herald, ever stirred his subjects to heaven by word and example in preaching without ceasing.

⁸ So the saints of God, prosperously returned to their region, could not long abide in the land on account of the pestilence which had destroyed nearly the whole people. Now that pestilence was called “the yellow”, because it made all whom it invaded yellow and bloodless. Which appeared to men in a column of watery cloud, sweeping one head through the earth, drawing another upwards through the air, and running through the whole region. And whatever living things it touched with its pestiferous breath either straightway died or sickened to death. And if anyone tried to apply a remedy to the sick man, the black plague drew the healer with the sick to destruction without effect of medicine. And while that pestilence raged among men and cattle, St Theliau cried to the Lord in fasting and lamentation, saying: “Spare, O Lord, spare your people, who desire not the sinner’s death but his life, and give not your heritage to perdition.” And God’s wrath being at length stilled for a time by his prayer and that of the other saints, admonished from heaven he departed with those who remained of the people into far regions, until God should deign to signify to them a return to their country. And God, whose are all things full of mercy, propitiously regarding not only at last the people’s misery but the saint interceding for the people, granted them to return from exile and to be utterly freed from peril.

⁹ And the man of God, gathering the people’s remnants, returned to his native soil, and held the primacy over all the churches of western Britain even to the end of his life. At length St Theliau, full of virtues and all holiness, in a good old age, leaving the world on the ninth of February, passed to heaven.

¹⁰ Now on the night of his laying to rest, there arose a great dissension between the three clergy of his three churches, each putting forward their own authorities and privileges for having his body. Yet at length, counsel being taken by the discreet, they agree to insist on prayers and fasts, that the supreme judge Christ, who is the true authority and privilege of the saints, would deign to show to whom the body of his saint should most worthily be committed. And in the morning a certain elder, inspecting and seeing where the saint’s body had been placed, cried out with a great voice, saying: “Our prayer has been heard, my brethren, by the Lord. Arise, and see the things that have been done by Christ the Lord for the quieting of your discord, that as in blessed confessor Theliau’s most holy life, so also in his death, miracles should be worked to God’s honour and praise.” And look, they see there three bodies, in which there was equal greatness of body, the same colour in the face, and which possessed the lineaments of the whole frame and of the vestments in nothing differing. And so the strife being stilled, each returned with joy with his own body, and buried them in diverse places with the utmost reverence. And one body is held in the church of Llandaff, another not far from the city of Carmarthen, the third in West Wales, in great honour.

A Further Story #

¹ [Added in the Tiberius manuscript.] There was a certain monk in a cave, of the utmost abstinence, flourishing with all the virtues of the spirit. And when, confident in his advances, he attributed not all to God but something to himself, the tempter, seeing this presumption, one evening feigned himself into the likeness of a woman wandering through the desert. Who, feigning weariness at the cave’s mouth as though faint, cast herself within, and clasping his knees begged him to pity her: “Night,” she said, “has overtaken me: bid me rest in a corner of your cell, lest perhaps I be made a prey to beasts.” And he, at first on the plea of pity, received her into the cave, asking the cause of her wandering through the desert. But she feigns a cause, and meanwhile interweaves the poisons of blandishments through the web of her narration, and now showing herself pitiable, now worthy of defence, by the elegance and sweetness of her discourse turned aside the man’s affection to a seductive love. Hence now more bland conversations, jests and laughter are mingled, her hand also shameless stretches to his chin and beard as though in reverence; and now more softly to touch his neck and smooth his throat. What more? At last she leads Christ’s soldier captive: for straightway boiling with the waves of lust, forgetful even of past labours and of his profession, he was now attempting to enter into obscene embraces. But she, uttering a most hideous howl, being a thin shadow, slips through the embracing hands and leaves him with the foulest derision. Then a multitude of demons, gathered in the air at this spectacle, said with a mighty cry: “O you who used to exalt yourself even to heaven, how you are plunged into hell! Learn therefore that he who exalts himself shall be humbled.” Then he, made as it were mad, and not bearing the shame of his deception, deceived himself more grievously than he had been deceived by the demons. For when he ought to have recovered himself and renewed the contest, despairing of himself, he gave himself over to all impurity and impiety.