Nova Legenda Anglie (John of Tynemouth/Capgrave), ed. Horstmann 1901 — translated from the Latin. [Abridged, as the editor notes, from the Vita in MS. Claud. A. V., edited from a MS. of Bec in Mabillon IV. ii. 337, AASS Boll. Jul. VII. 330; the oldest life is an Anglo-Saxon text in MS. Vesp. D. XIV.]

² There was a certain king of the West Angles and of Kent named Ealdwulf, given rather to excellent liberality than serving worldly greed. For he bestowed much of his substance upon churches and the poor, and freely opposed a shield of defence against all who assailed the church. But the Lord, who being high yet has respect to the lowly and knows the proud far away away, looked upon his works and gave him a son named Neot. This Neot therefore, sprung of royal stock, when the years of his infancy were past, was delivered to be instructed in letters and manners. For neither the delight of the flesh, nor wantonness, nor pride of mind, nor the ambition of worldly pomp called him back from the study of virtues and divine disciplines. The splendour and glory of costly clothing and all luxury he utterly abhorred. And when he had reached the years of military service, he would not be entangled in secular warfare, but rather choosing to be an outcast in the house of his God than to glory in a royal palace, he was made a monk in the monastery of Glastonbury under Abbot Dunstan. To so great a height of religion did he ascend in a brief space that nothing of virtue and grace was believed to be wanting in him. For by the observance of fastings and parsimony, by vigils and prayers, he strengthened his spirit and subdued the pride of the flesh. To the thirsty he proffered the cups of the word of God, from bodies possessed he drove out demons, and to the sick and weak he brought the medicine of health. The multitudes flocked to him in crowds, some craving bodily, others spiritual healing. Moreover he was illustrious in virtues and manners, eloquent in speech, discreet in word, praiseworthy in learning, wonderful in doctrine, useful in counsel, and made beloved by all; angelic in countenance, but in shortness of body a second Zacchaeus — for he celebrated masses with an iron footstool placed beneath him. And being made sacristan, when a certain powerful man knocked hard at the door, he went quickly to open swiftly to him that knocked; yet by reason of the shortness of his stature he could not reach the bar set on high. And see, the bar, let down by divine power, was brought down even to his girdle; and so he opened to him that would enter, glorifying God who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens, who in his works is ever to be glorified by all and everywhere.

³ At length, seeking to escape the concourse and favour of the people, being forewarned by a divine oracle, within the confines of Cornwall he sought remote places of solitude, content with the company of one disciple named Barius, whom he had made privy to his secret, and who, ever faithful, forsook him not either in life or in death; and by his leading he came to the place prepared for him by God — “for that hermitage is distant from the monastery of St Petroc in Cornwall about ten miles, and the place is called by the inhabitants Neotstoke, a name drawn from the man of God himself.” Now that place was wooded, clear of streams, and near the sea. And having passed seven years in that place in great perfection of life, he journeyed to Rome and was honourably received by Pope Martin; and each being refreshed by the solace of the other, having obtained his petitions with a blessing, he returned home, and building a monastery he gathered monks, and was found worthy to be consoled by frequent visitations of angels.

⁴ For in that place was a well of running water, in which the man of God found three little fishes, and presumed not to touch them until he should learn by divine revelation what was to be done with them. For that blessed man received from an angel an answer and admonition from heaven, that day by day, or as often as need were, taking one little fish only, he should ever keep the remaining two unharmed. And when one had been taken, two always remained unharmed, and the next day the aforementioned number of little fishes was found again by divine power. Now it befell that the man of God, held by sickness of body, could scarce feed on any food; therefore his servant Barius, grieving and pitying him, took two little fishes from the well — one roasted, the other boiled — and set them before his lord on a dish, praying and urging him to eat thereof. And when the man of God had asked from which the fishes had been brought, Barius, simple and innocent, showed him what had been done simply. “Therefore, father,” says he, “I took two little fishes from the well and prepared them for you in various wise to eat, that if perchance you can not feed upon the one, you may at least be refreshed by the other.” Then the saint said: “Why have you done this? Why, rashly taking away the food divinely granted us, have you presumed to act against the will and sentence of God?” And when the fishes had been restored to the well at his command, he lay prone upon the ground and ceased not from prayer until it was announced to him that the little fishes were swimming alive in the well as before. Then he bade one be brought again and set before him prepared for food. And when he had tasted a little of it, he was at once made whole and recovered.

⁵ When the oxen of the holy man had been stolen by theft, and the brethren had gone forth to the fields to labour for such need, see very many deer coming out of the wood in a troop drew near to them most tame, applauding them. Which thing seen, Neot commanded that their necks be put under the yoke and be set to the ploughs; and for a long time they supplied the place of oxen in unwonted wise. But the thieves, hearing this, restored what they had stolen, and humbly imploring pardon, henceforth cleaving to his counsel, amended their lives. Moreover some assert that those deer, and all that come forth of their stock, even to this day in memory of this thing bear a whiteness appearing about the places where the straps touched. This I neither contend to assert, nor, distrusting the power of God, presume to deny.

⁶ And it happened that the same servant of the Lord stood as his custom was in the well in which he used to recite the whole psalter, when a certain hind, fleeing through the wild ways of the woods from pursuing dogs, hastened to him with immoderate bounds; falling down at the feet of the man of God beside the well, she lay prostrate until he bade her go from there free. But the dogs also, as though stricken by a bite or a wound, every one turned back in flight. And the hunter, seeing this, prostrate upon the earth worshipped Saint Neot, and putting on the new man, received the holy habit from him; and in the church of St Petroc his horn was laid up in the place of relics.

⁷ Once there came to the man of God Alfred, king of the West Saxons, humbled in body and in mind, demanding his blessing. Whom blessing, he taught and instructed him in knowledge, showing him the way of prudence; and rebuking his perverse deeds, he bade him turn to the better — and the more confidently as he was drawn the nearer of his blood. And at another time the holy Neot sharply rebuked the same king for the wickedness of his tyranny and the proud rigour of his rule. He set before him holy David, whom the Lord had taken from following the ewes great with young to rule, a meek king and a pattern of humility to all, chosen and approved for his humility; and he set forth Saul, reprobate for his pride, who, when he was little in his own eyes, was made head over the tribes of Israel. “Why do you glory,” says he, “in malice, who are mighty in iniquity? you are lifted up a little, and shall not stand; and as the tops of the ears of grain shall you be crushed. Where is your glorying? Though it be not yet shut out, yet one day it shall be shut out. For in that very principate of rule wherein you exceed yourself in vainglory, you shall shortly be deprived. For barbarians bursting into this region, and triumphing by God’s permission, you, scarce escaping alone, shall be a wanderer and a fugitive upon the earth; and thus poor and needy you shall hide yourself a while, fearing lest every one that finds you slay you. But when you shall have known the fulfilment of this misfortune, be of good comfort and be strong: do manfully and let your heart take courage. In all things you shall remember the mercy of God, for when he is angry he will remember mercy. For know that I have obtained by devout intercessions with God that, when the importunity of so great adversity is at last suppressed, you shall again rejoice in the pleasure of your former prosperity and in the full restoration of your rule — if only you cease to do perversely and repent with worthy satisfaction. Now therefore sending ambassadors to Rome with all speed, fail not to enlarge Pope Martin with great gifts, humbly praying that he deny not to bestow upon the English school in that city its freedom, that through this benefit succour may the more graciously be afforded you amid adversities. But I shall shortly go the way of all flesh; and what I foretell you as things to come, doubt not to believe.” Sending ambassadors therefore to Rome, he obtained what he sought. And the pope sent him, with many relics of the saints, no small portion of the holy cross.

⁸ At length the holy confessor of the Lord, the angels applauding on high, being loosed into the death that is due to the human race, was joyfully received into heaven, on the day before the kalends of August [31 July]. For the fragrance of his odour rendered so great and so delectable a mildness of the air far and wide, that those who came from far away confessed themselves at once renewed by the sweetness, and all the sick healed. The earth indeed of his sepulchre, given to the sick with pious veneration, is known to have profited many by way of medicine. For when tasted for any kind of sickness, it made both men and beasts to recover.

⁹ Now when, according to the prophecy of the man of God, England was vexed by barbarians bursting in, and King Alfred — as is more clearly set forth in his deeds — had been made a wanderer, a fugitive and humbled, in the depth of night, when the same king, bereft of all rest, was compassed about with gnawing cares, Saint Neot the confessor of God drew near, irradiating the place with the brightness of his countenance and habit. And he, fixing his eyes upon the saint unmoved and steadfast, that he might the more surely know who he was, was roused by him with such words as these: “Why, O king,” says he, “are you cast down by so many straits? Know you not that the thoughts of men are vain, and that they who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall take wings as eagles, they shall fly and not faint? Why, forgetful of the one thing needful, are you tossed in mind by so many and so great troubles? Be secure; for if you have done good, you shall without doubt receive good; but if evil, you have already suffered judgement: for the Lord will not judge twice for the same thing. Put therefore a measure to your sadness, and henceforth enjoy the gladness you have desired. For to this end has the Lord sent me from the heavenly rest of the saints, that your misery may now be ended — if only, living justly, you yield to my counsels. If then you shall be a follower of continence, of peace, of piety and innocence, and an emulator of all justice after the example of the fathers that reigned before you, you shall shortly be restored to the royal throne. And lest you should think this vision a delusion, I am that Neot, the worshipper and friend of God, who foretold you that these mischances should come upon you for your sins. Yet ever mindful of your trouble, I have never ceased to intercede with the Lord for you. But God has for a little while as it were forsaken you, that in his mercies he may take you up. you shall not only triumph victorious over the tyrannical rage, but the tyrant himself, made a Christian, you shall deliver to Christ; and taking from him all his arms wherein he trusted, you shall distribute his spoils as pleases you. In the seventh week therefore after the Lord’s resurrection, an army being gathered against them, you shall rejoice with me going before you and protecting you, until all things that I promise are happily fulfilled.” These things said, the saint, received again into glory, disappeared.

¹⁰ And when King Alfred was preparing himself for battle with Guthrum king of the Danes, see in the night Saint Neot, in angelic form, with snow-white hair, in shining and fragrant garments, appeared visibly to King Alfred, bearing arms of war with him. For the king, anxious and devout, was longing for the promised coming and succour of the saint; to whom he said: “Arise and delay not; prepare for the palm of victory. For as I was your forewarner in straits, so shall I be your guide no less in the way. Now therefore, as brave men most skilled in wars, go forth tomorrow and the Lord will be with you. For the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, who gives salvation to kings, will enrich you through me his servant with the longed-for triumph and with salvation. I will go before you and will humble the glorious and the proud, and your enemies shall fall by the sword in my sight.” The battle therefore being joined, King Alfred saw and knew Saint Neot breaking his enemies in pieces and rendering them helpless, and turning to his men in a brief word he burst forth in these words: “My fellow-soldiers,” says he, “you renowned warriors, see not him who breaks our enemies in pieces? If you desire to know, he is without doubt Neot, the most invincible soldier of Christ, through whom today the palm of victory is ready in our hands.” The Danish king therefore being vanquished, and besieged in a certain place with his men, with thirty of his chiefs and others as it were innumerable, laying aside his ferocity he came to King Alfred subdued, and being instructed in the faith of Christ received baptism, and returned to his own land with his people. But King Alfred, raised again to the royal throne, following justice fasted from guilt, and adorned the rest of his life with most holy commerce, ruling piously under the most pious King by whom he was piously ruled. O how holy a remembrance, how worthy to be extolled a praise, how pious is the commendation of Saint Neot! Through him a king is corrected for the better, is restored to his kingdom, tyrannical rage is turned to meekness, the worship of demons is emptied away, the catholic flock is increased.

¹¹ A certain venerable matron named Lewina, lady of Eynesbury, which is now called St Neot’s town — where once the sod or relics of the body of the same saint had been brought by his disciple Barius, warned by heaven — fearing the hostility of the barbarians, compelled by brotherly love brought the relics of Saint Neot to the monastery of Crowland, over which her brother Osketel presided, as is openly shown in writing in the same monastery. Whereupon afterwards, certain brethren doubting of this, the abbot [Henry], breaking open the little chest with great devotion and fear, the candles being kindled, found the crown of the head, bones of the neck, of the shoulder-blades, of the breast, and certain bones of the legs and thighs. For these the aforementioned lady had brought with her, certain bones with ashes being left in the former place. Now those bones were translated by Abbot Henry and set beside an altar built in his honour, in the year of our Lord 1213.

[The MS. adds this incident:]

¹² The venerable Stephen, a priest of the province of Vaurie, when he had returned home one day from a journey, speaking negligently commanded his servant, saying: “Come, devil, take off my shoes.” At his words the latchets of his shoes at once began to loose themselves with the utmost speed; so that it was plainly evident that the devil himself, who had been named, had obeyed him to draw off the shoes. Which when the priest immediately saw, he was greatly afraid, and began to cry with a loud voice, saying: “Depart, wretch, depart: for it was not to you but to my servant that I spoke.” At his voice he at once departed. Whereby it may be gathered how ready the old enemy is to our bodily deeds, how insistently he besets our thoughts with snares.

[Here follows in the original: Of Saint Ninian, bishop and confessor.]