Modern British English translation. The captured text begins part-way through chapter 1.

[…end of chapter 1 — concerning the mutinous monks who left Attala:] …to give drink, striving to soften their swollen hearts. And when he could not hold them back with him, troubled in grief of mind he followed them with many prayers and the obsequy of piety, that they should not leave him nor depart from the path of the arduous journey, and that they should remember the fathers possessed the kingdom of heaven through mortification and contempt of the present life. When he saw he was profiting nothing, and that they could not be drawn elsewhere nor entangled in the meshes of his company, he let the obstinate go: and after they were separated from him, some of them were received by the sea’s inlets, others sought a place in the wilderness for the sake of having liberty. These, set in that state of rashness and arrogance, soon felt the loss deliberately. For while they tarried in those places and mangled the man of God with their detractions, one of them — called Eoccolenus, who was believed to minister the increases of the quarrels — suddenly kindled with the stroke of fever’s fire, began to cry amid the very flames that, if he could, he would go to the blessed Attala and assuage the loss of his admitted crime with the remedy of penitence. And no delay: scarcely had he been able to say this when he fell dumb and gave up his last breath. But those who were present, seeing the injuries done to the man of God avenged by divine vengeance — very many of them returned to the man of God and confessed their offences, promising that they would amend all things if they were received. Whom the holy man received with wondrous joy, as sheep rescued from the wolves’ jaws, and restored to their places confessing their own faults. But the others, who — prevented by shame or stained by the fault of rashness and pride — refused to return and despised the place of penitence granted them, were carried off by various deaths: so that it was manifestly given to be understood that they had been his associates in stirring the increases of contumacy whom the divine vengeance struck, and therefore they had not deserved pardon with the rest. For one of them, Theudemund by name, was smitten by a secure blow and perished; another, while crossing the bed of a small river, his knees entangled, was choked by the stream’s shallow wave; a third, called Theutharius, when he had entrusted himself to a boat to be carried over the sea, was drowned. Those who still survived, seeing these things, cast shame aside and followed their comrades back to the blessed Attala — who, received by him like the others above, were saved.

2. Of the river’s recession by divine power #

¹ Other miracles wrought by him are attested by the witness of all the brethren in the aforementioned monastery — among whom I, being placed, was held assigned to the blessed man’s ministry. At a certain time the streamlet of which we made mention above, named the Bobbio, flowing down violently and with rapacious course in swollen masses of water — as torrents are accustomed to do, sliding from the Alpine summits and increased by the pouring of rains — heaped up crags of rocks and a congeries of trees, swelling with excessive force, and strove to undermine the monastery’s mill with rapid course and to drown the whole workshop, now shaken. Which crash being heard, the mill’s keeper, Agibodus by name, went to the mill to see whether the mass of such great crashes would breed loss and damage there; and when he came he saw all things would be carried off unless speedy aid came, and hastening he thought it should be reported to the father, that he might afford solace and free them by timely help from the waves of the waters. To whom the man of God said: “Go — call me Sinoald the deacon; and do you, received into your bed, take sleep nor yield your heart to grief held by any fear.” For it was early morning, before the dawn shed its welcome light upon the lands. Sinoald therefore came to the man of God, to whom the blessed Attala said: “Taking the staff by which I am supported, go to the Bobbio and, the sign of the Lord’s cross being carried before you, say in a commanding voice that it cease to undermine those banks and not fill up the presumptuous audacity of its course — but yielding to other slopes, let it leave these unharmed and know itself to be about to recede at the Lord’s bidding.” Hearing the man of God’s command, the aforementioned man obediently went with faith’s help; setting the staff on the bank he commanded — from the man of God’s precepts, divine power consenting — that the river be moved from that place and yield to other slopes of the hill. And the river, at once obeying, leaving its bed and yielding its flood to the hill’s slopes, sustained its waters through the steep flanks of the hill as though on straitened wings, until the hollow of a channel opened wherein the sustained liquid might flow. And now the dawn, breaking forth to spread light upon the world, arose; and Sinoald began to say within himself: “I will go and see whether the violent flood obeys the man of God” — and coming to the river-bed’s bank and seeing it empty, he watched how it would yield to the other hill-slope to open itself a channel wherein to flow. And hastening he came to the man of God and announced the trophy of the victory won. To whom the man of God: “While I live in this world, presume not to tell it to anyone” — doubtless lest the favour of flatterers should stain hearts full of virtues. Which vice, though they be enriched with various virtues, must be studiously fled by all the saints — for the cunning foe maliciously strives that, while he cannot stain God’s saint in greater and certain faults, he may at least pollute him in hidden ones which seem smaller.

3. Of the severed thumb healed by the man of God’s prayer #

¹ It came to pass thereafter, at a certain time, that one of the monks named Fraimeris was tilling the earth with the ploughshare to receive the crops, when suddenly the hardness of the tough glebe broke and shattered the strength of the beam. And when the aforementioned brother was trying to mend it, suddenly with an unexpected stroke of the iron implement he cut off the thumb of his left hand — and laying it in the ground with a clod set over it, he committed it as it were a corpse to burial; and leaving the ploughshare he went to the monastery and, prostrate on the ground in confession, revealed it to the father. Which the man of God seeing: “Where,” said he, “is the part of the severed thumb?” And he confessed that he had buried it in the earth, entombed in the furrow. “Ill have you done,” said he; “why did you not bring it me? Go therefore with quick step, telling the cause to no one, and having taken it up carry it here.” He therefore going out went, and carried back the bidden loss of the thumb — for the space was about a mile over the flexuous path across the steep mountain-ridge, or across the channel of the intervening Trebbia. Then the man of God, taking the thumb’s fragment, anointed it with his own spittle and joined it to the hand — and the joined thumb adhered by the glue of the flesh as it had been before, and he bade him in silent silence to depart. O wondrous power of the Almighty, that He should so glorify His own on earth as to restore cold and severed limbs to their former comeliness by their intercession!

4. Of the sick man healed near Milan #

¹ When he had come to the city of Milan, a certain man set in anxieties awaited only life’s end; whose parents, hearing of the blessed Attala’s coming, hastened to him and prayed him to come to their aid. And when the man of God would have feigned unwillingness, they compelled him with tears and terrible oaths to go to him before the noxious burning should strip him of his last breath. He therefore, anxious and fleeing the rumours of popular favour, said: “Go you — I will follow you as I can.” Coming therefore he went round the basilicas and the saints’ places, praying for the sick man that he might at once be restored to health. Then, to fulfil the effect of promised faith, he came in haste to the sick man; and entering the house secretly, lest any herald of the bounty should exist, he touched the sick man — and at once the divine power, favouring the holy prayers, restored the sufferer to his former health. The parents together rendered thanks to the Creator, who so inclines the ears of His piety to the petitions of His servants.

² For this man was gracious to all — of singular fervour, singular alacrity, singular charity toward pilgrims and the poor; he knew how both to resist the proud and to be subject to the humble, to render fitting things to the wise and to open mysteries to the simple; sagacious in solving and posing questions, vigorous and solid against the tempests of heretics, strong in adversities, sober in prosperities, temperate in all things, discreet in everything. Love and fear overflowed in his subjects, doctrine was fragrant in his disciples; none beside him was worn by grief nor lifted up by excessive joy.

5. Of the foretelling of his departure #

¹ And when the Creator of things now willed to free him from the world’s hardships, He willed to show him in a vision that he was about to go out of the world, with a space of fifty days suspended wherein he might prepare the journey to come. But the man of God’s mind did not openly know whether that journey would be the exit of life or a progress to some other place — the man of God prepared for both. He thickened the monastery’s fences, renewed the coverings, strengthened all things — that if he should depart he would leave nothing infirm; he cherished the horses quietly, fastened the books with bindings; he bade the movables be washed, the rent things sewn, the ruined things mended, the shoes made ready — that all might be at hand. And he himself afflicted his body with fasting and vigils and prayers, so that he was never seen to sweat more intently in prayer before.

² And lest it should seem ridiculous to anyone, I will relate what this same man did in me. When I had now lived in the monastery through the space of nine years, and my parents had often asked — but had not obtained — that I should visit them by his permission, no mention being made of it, he said: “Go quickly, son, and visit your mother and brother; and take care to return with no delay hindering.” And when I put it off, saying the season’s opportunity would come soon — for it was a time of exceeding cold, the month of February — he said: “Hasten to accomplish the journey I told you of; you know not whether it will be permitted afterwards.” Companions being given therefore — the priest Blidulf and the deacon Hermenoald, of whose religion nothing was doubted — we came to the destined place. For the place was Susa, a noble city, once a Turin colony, distant 140 miles from the monastery. When we arrived there, I was gladly received by my mother after the interval of so many years — but not long did my mother enjoy the desired gift. For that same night, seized by fever, I began to cry amid the burning that I was tormented by the man of God’s prayers lest I should tarry there against his interdict — that if they did not quickly remove me, I would return to the monastery by whatever effort I could, lest death prevent me. My mother at this: “It is better for me, son, to know you alive there than to weep you dead here.” I confess it was long to wait for the day’s coming. Scarcely had the dawn broken when we hastened to return back; and taking no food for three days until we reached the places about the middle of the journey — while we hastened, the road pressing, I recovered health again; and coming to the monastery we found the father already held by fevers and near death — at the sight of us he rejoiced. And so we knew openly that the man of God’s prayers had prevailed in this: that the force of the fevers urged me quickly back to the monastery before his departure.

6. Of the opening of heaven, the divine consolation, and his death #

¹ And when he was now fulfilling the last hours of the present life, while the vigorous breath still remained, he bade himself be carried outside the cell; and rising from the bed as he could, supported on every side by the brethren, he went out of the cell. Beholding the cross which he himself had commanded to be set in that place — that, going out and entering the cell, he might fortify his forehead with its touch — he began in sadness to pour forth tears and to commemorate the trophy of the cross: “Hail, gracious cross, which did bear the world’s ransom, which bear eternal banners! you have brought the medicine of our wounds; you are anointed with the blood of Him who, to save the human race, descended from heaven into this vale of tears — who in you stretched forth the wrinkle of the first Adam long ago, and even now the second Adam, washing away the stain in His basin.” And while he did this, he prayed all to depart and return to the cell and give him a little space. All departing therefore, one only — named Blidemund — stood behind the man of God’s back with silent panting, thinking lest the man of God’s knees, being feeble, should give way with broken strength — ready to support him. And when he thought none remained, he began to beseech the Creator’s clemency with abundance of tears, that He would bestow on him, though unworthy, the gifts of His bounty; and blotting out the old stains, would restore all things to salvation, and exercising His ancient mercy, would not dismiss him from the heavenly gifts. Amid mournful sighs and flowing tears, gazing at the heavens, he saw them opened to him — which for the space of many hours beholding, he brought forth copious sighings of heart. Then he rendered thanks to the Almighty, because He had shown him the gates of heaven open, which his soul, divested a little later of the body’s members, was about to penetrate; making from there a sign that the brethren should come to return him to the cell. These things the aforementioned brother related to us the same day. For this consolation He showed His servant, that his last breath, secure of the coming mercy — no, glory — he might dismiss rejoicing. Which the man of God would have hidden, had not the aforementioned Blidemund remained concealed behind his back. On the next day, bidding farewell to all the brethren and exhorting them not to leave the journey begun but, strengthened in better deeds, to confirm it daily by perseverance — having consoled them all, he was loosed from the bonds of the present life and rendered his soul to heaven [on the sixth of the Ides of March]. Rightly does the Creator of things adorn His saints with the abundance of virtues — as it is written, “His Spirit adorned the heavens” — since they, panting for the heavenly life, strive to obey His precepts, that from the labour of obedience they may receive the fruit of eternal life.

7. Of Eustasius’s government, and of the light restored to a girl’s eyes with her body’s health #

¹ Therefore the venerable Eustasius, returned — as we said above — from St Columbanus in Italy, ruled the troops of monks subject to him with fatherly affection and equal right…

[The captured text breaks off here, at the opening of chapter 7 — the account of Eustasius’s abbacy at Bobbio. The remainder was not included in this file.]