The Life and Passion of William of Norwich (Penguin Classics) by Thomas of Monmouth

The Life and Passion of William of Norwich (Penguin Classics) by Thomas of Monmouth

Author:Thomas of Monmouth [Monmouth, Thomas of]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141970530
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2014-09-24T23:00:00+00:00


[XIII] HOW WILLIAM, SACRIST OF NORWICH, WAS CURED OF HEADACHE, DEAFNESS AND POOR SIGHT40

At that time William,41 sacrist of Norwich, was staying in the infirmary, detained by a great and long-lasting attack of bleeding piles. At the same time, quite frequently, a liquid came out of his male member and it issued much coagulated blood. And at that time, due to this condition of a corrupt bodily nature, he gradually declined so greatly into a wasting illness that the intensity of the pain rendered the right side of his head useless, as if his head had been halved; it disturbed the sight of one eye, which disrupted the normal course of hearing with irksome deafness, and his ear was full of ringing sounds. Therefore, on our advice, he ordered the preparation of a big wax candle of appropriate size for him, and from the first watch of the night [vigils] he came to the venerable tomb of the holy martyr, had the candle lit and offered it; and he spent the night there, ever watchful in prayer. He was praying there to the Lord that by the intercessory virtues of His glorious martyr his headache would recede and he would experience his sight and hearing restored to him. And since in his heart faith combined with hope, he deserved to receive without delay what he believed in and hoped for.

And so in the morning he sensed the weakening of his headache, while his eyes and ears felt the remedy of divine relief. And so, when he found himself to be cured in the head, he returned with delight from the curative tomb of the holy martyr to offer as many praises as he could, and did not cease from announcing them. The diligent intelligence of the reader should pay attention more to the reason and order of the act than to the malevolent babbling of detractors. When, indeed, he hears that he [William the sacrist] suffered from many ailments and was cured not completely, but only in part, what else should he think, but that no event in such cases could come without a cause? Let him reflect, I say, first with what intention he was led to go to the tomb. And second, what he asked for. And third, why he deserved to be heard. By considering these together, he may perhaps resolve the whole problem. He [William the sacrist] had arrived sick; but by the spiritual rewards of prayers he acquired a celestial medicine for the body.

Next, notwithstanding the heavy pain in his lower parts that we have described, nothing else came to light, but that once the pain in his head was relieved, his weak sight and hearing improved. Without doubt he deserved to be heard in this matter on which he made a trustworthy request. And so it is possible to conclude that if he had requested the other likewise, that, too, he would likewise have obtained. We have often heard and read that many among



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