Nova Legenda Anglie (John of Tynemouth/Capgrave), ed. Horstmann 1901 — translated from the Latin.

² The venerable confessor of Christ Brithun, deriving his origin from the stock of the English, remained long in the diaconate of Saint John, bishop of Beverley; whom, for the sanctity of his life and the laudable conversation of his manners, he held always more familiar and dear than the rest, and made him abbot in the monastery of Deirwode, that is, “the wood of the Deiri” — which is now called Beverley — built from its foundations by the same Saint John. For Saint John, burdened with old age, leaving the bishopric, passed four years in his aforementioned monastery by the counsel of the venerable abbot Brithun in angelic conversation, and finished his life. When he was translated to the heavens, the venerable abbot Brithun, all the time of his life, like a good pupil and an imitator of his master, persevered in all purity of life, in vigils, fastings, prayers and the other good works until the end of his life. For he was a lover of virtues, a persecutor of vices, a despiser of this world, a desirer of the heavenly kingdom, a faithful keeper and instructor of the flock committed to him, an unwearied executor of justice and piety, given to the largess of alms and to hospitality; and in the things in which he knew how to please God, he took care diligently to minister and to give his service. And when, serving God in all good works until a decrepit age, he had completed his most holy life with a laudable end, on the Ides of May [15 May] he left the world and ascended to the heavenly things, and received burial in his monastery with great honour. In process of time, his merits growing famous and the signs of frequent miracles, by the consent of the clergy and the people his holy body was translated from the earth; whose relics are kept divided in two shrines beside the shrine of his master and instructor Saint John the bishop, at his altar in the church of Beverley.

[MS. Tibb. adds: Narrative]

³ For when Attila, king of the Huns, infesting France and miserably lacerating it with plunderings and slaughters, was besieging the city of Troyes, the blessed Lupus, bishop of the same city, going up upon the gate, cried out who he was that thus molested the inhabitants. To whom he said: “I am Attila, the scourge of God.” But the humble bishop, sighing, said: “And I am Lupus, the devourer of the flock of God, and in need of the scourge of God”; and at once he bade the gates be unbarred. But they, divinely blinded, passed through from gate to gate, seeing and hurting none.

⁴ “Andrew, bishop of the city of Fondi, while he permitted a certain holy woman to dwell with him, the old enemy began to imprint the image of her upon the eyes of his mind, so that he thought wicked things in his bed. Now on a certain day a certain Jew, coming to Rome, when he saw that the day was now declining and could not find where he might stay, betook himself to lodge in a certain temple of Apollo. And fearing the sacrilege of the place, though he had not the faith of the cross, he took care to fortify himself with the sign of the cross. Now waking at midnight, he saw Satan sitting and all his militia standing by him. And one of the malign spirits came and adored him. To whom he said: “From where come you?” And he: “I have been in a certain province, and there I stirred up very many wars and made many troubles and shed much blood, and I come to tell you.” And Satan said: “In how long a time did you this?” And he: “In thirty days.” And Satan said: “Why did you it in so many days?” And he said to them that stood by: “Go and beat him with scourges and smite him the harder.” And a second coming adored him, saying: “I was in the sea, lord, and raised the greatest storms, and sinking many ships I slew very many men.” And he said: “In how long a time did you this?” And he: “In twenty days.” And he commanded this one likewise to be scourged, saying: “In so great a time did you labour so little?” And a third coming said: “I was in a certain city and stirred up brawls at a certain wedding, and made a great effusion of blood, and slew the bridegroom himself, and I come to tell you.” To whom also he said: “In how long a time did you this?” And he: “In ten days.” When therefore each of the spirits declared what he had done, one leapt forth into the middle and asserted that he had moved the mind of Andrew to a certain temptation of the flesh concerning the holy woman, adding that from the vesper hour of yesterday until now he had drawn his mind, so that caressing her back he had given her a blow. Then the malign spirit exhorted him that he should accomplish what he had begun, that he might hold the singular palm of that man’s ruin among the rest, and commanded that they should seek who that man was that had presumed to lie in the temple. And when the spirits that were sent saw that he was signed with the mystery of the cross, terrified they began to cry: “A vessel empty indeed, but signed.” And at once all that crowd of malignants disappeared. The Jew told all things to the bishop, who removed every woman from his house and baptized the Jew.”

⁵ Of Saint Bertellin the hermit and confessor. [The file ends here.]