found them set forth in detailed particulars, with the exception of the following miracle, which is recorded there amongst others.

The very day on which, as it is stated before, the celebration of the translation of archbishop Thomas fell, a certain knight happened to be voyaging by sea for the purpose of proceeding unto Canterbury; he was hight Robert, and had with him on board the craft his young son, who by reason of his youth, knew but badly how to take care of himself when the vessel got under way, sweeping along before a full wind at will. Now it came to pass, the youth being left unlooked-after, that he behaved so heedlessly as to tumble overboard into the billows. The knight soon catcheth sight of this, swiftly as it came to pass, and tarrieth therefore not in calling upon an intercessor for the youth, and forthwith the Lord's friend heareth his calling, for as soon as the youth had had one dive from the first tumble, when he was cast overboard, he emerged high out of the sea, and forthwith regaineth his presence of mind, and understandeth where he might look for saving aid, and speaketh thus: "Holy Thomas, thou mayest help me, if thou wilt." And after this it was as if he sat on the sea, no kind of immersion taking place at all. This miracle was all the greater for this reason, that the wind was so brisk that, as the book relateth the matter, the ship had swept the length of two arrow-shots past the youth, before the crew could take in the sail at the first cry of the knight. Thus the youth sat for one whole hour, because his salvors had great labour in pulling against the wind, before they might save him, as any sensible man may well understand from the swift-blowing wind. And as they bring

K 541.

1

sitr á bylgjunum, taka þeir hann heilan upp í
skipit. Enn er faðer hans spurði, hverja grein hann
hafði á lífgjöf sinne svo langri, svaraði hann rösk-
mannligum 2 orðum ok sagði, at nökkur virðuligr
maðr kom til hans í sjónum ok frjálsaði hann af 5
dauðligum háska bæði fyr ok síðar. Enn fyrer þessa
sögn fékk hinn heilagi Thomas enn um sinn
makligt lof sinne mildi bæði þar innbyrðis ok í
Kanntúaría sem þeir frammkvomu samdægris. Prýdd-
ist þá enn sú signaða hátíð at auk annars með 10
þessum andligum fagnaði. Má þat ætla, ef líkar, at
riddari Robert mundi ofra sælum Thomasi nokkura
gullpeninga fyrer svo mykla vináttu ok velgjörð, sem
hann hafði veitt honum.

6

8

Var þessi translacio heilags Thóme síðan haldin 15 árliga með skipan herra páfans um alla Angliam ok um fleiri lönd, er lítit leið frá upptöku,10 þat er á næsta dag efter 11 octauam apostolorum Petri et Pauli.12

The shrine of St. Thomas.

KAP. CIV.

AF HERRA STEPHANUM.

20

Herra Stephanus Kantúariensis erkibyskup ferr þessu næst með sinne góðfýse til þeirar ráðagjörðar at víkja offr hins heilaga Thóme honum til skríngjörðar. Ok sem þat er stöðugt 13 með áeggjan kon- 25 ungsins ok annars stórmennis í landinu, kostar erki

the ship to where he sits on the waves, they rescue him hale and sound into the vessel. But when his father asked him, what account he could give of his life having so long been saved, he frankly answered and said, that some venerable man came unto him, whereas he was in the sea, and delivered him from the deadly peril from first to last. But for this story the holy Thomas got once more a worthy praise for his mercy, both on board the vessel and in Canterbury on their arrival there the same day. That blessed feast was thus still further adorned, in addition to the rest, by this spiritual joy. If you like, you may well think that knight Robert would fain offer unto the blessed Thomas some golden pennies, for so great a mercy and benefit which he had conferred upon him.

By the command of the lord pope this Feast of the Translation of the holy Thomas was sithence held yearly throughout all England, as well as throughout other countries a short time after the date of the translation itself, that is to say on the next day after the octave of the Apostles Peter and Paul.

CHAP. CIV.

OF LORD STEPHEN.

The next thing done by lord Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, was that, in his devotion he resolved to convert the offerings made to the holy Thomas into a shrine for him. And when this had been settled by the urging of the king and other mighty folk in the land,

The famous

carbuncle

of the

French

becomes

attached to

5

9

byskupinn þar til þann vildasta meistara, er fást
mátti í þeim löndum.2 Enn er almúginn í Englandi3
fekk 4
sanna vissu hèr um, birtust vinsælder
heilags Thóme svo myklar með fólkinu, at þeir
vilja skrín hans af öngum málmi steypast' láta nema 5
gulli einu, ok þat fór framm.8 par af flytja svo
pílagrímar heilags Thome or fall Englismanna, at
aldri hafi England orðit svo gullríkt sem áðr, ok
þakka þeir þar Guði fyrer. Nú með svo dýrum
kosti ok völdum 10 meistaradóm varð skrínit hit 10
vænsta 11
verk, er menn hafa sè,12 alt steinsett
umbergis, þar sem bezt mátti bera til fegrðar ok
ásýndar. Sem skrínit er algjört, leggr erkibyskup
þar í heilagan dóm virðuligs píslarvotts Thóme ok
skipar yfer miðju háaltare, eigi hæra enn þat stóð 15
niðr á efri tabulam, horfði annat brjóst í austr, enn
annat í vestr.

Nú svo virðuligt sem vær höfum 13 skrifat af skríngjörð ok setning Thóme, sýnist honum enn

4

regalia alt eins á skorta nökkut, ok því krefr nauðsýn, at 20 miraculously vær minnumst, hvar upp gafst forðum, hversu fór í the shrine. millum Thómas erkibyskups ok Loviss Frakka konungs, þá er hann beiddist at eignast karbunkulum í þeira skilnaði, enn fèkk eigi. par af er svo skrifat fyrr í bókinne, at heilagr Thómas sagðist fá mundu 25 steininn, þó at síðar væri. Er nú tími kominn, at sú spásaga fyllist með þeiri atferð,15 sem hèr stendr. Vær sögðum 16 fyr, hversu Philippus Frakka konungr var óstyrkrar heilsu ok kendi líkþrár þegar í

1 villdazta, T.

2 laundum, T.

3 Einglandi, T.

4 fieck, T.

5 hier, T.

6

aungum, T.

9 Einglismanna, T.

10 vauldum, T.

11 vænnzta, T.

12 sied, T.
13 haufvm, T.

14 nauckut, T.

5

the archbishop procureth for the work the greatest master in the craft who could be found within those lands. But when the commonalty of England got full certainty of this, the love which the people bore to St. Thomas was soon revealed, since they would hear of his shrine being made of no other metal but gold alone, which, indeed, had to be done. Hence the pilgrims to St. Thomas's shrine repeat the saw of the English, that after that time England never grew so wealthy in gold as before, and for that they give thanks unto God. Now by this mighty expense and choice workmanship the shrine was the most excellent work of art that had ever been seen, being set all round with stones, wherever beauty and effect might thereby be best set off. When the shrine was finished the archbishop depositeth therewithin the holy relics of the worthy martyr archbishop Thomas, and placeth it above the middle of the high altar, only so high that it rested on the upper table thereof, one face of it pointing to the east, the other to

the west.

Now worthy as have been the things which we have already written of the translation and the enshrining of Thomas, it seemeth to him none the less that something still is wanting; and therefore necessity demandeth that we should revert to the story, where we left it aforetime, when it was shown, how matters went between archbishop Thomas and Louis the king of the French, when the former desired to have that carbuncle at their parting, but got it not. Concerning this matter, it was written before in this book, that holy Thomas said he would have the stone, although it might come to pass later on. Now the time hath come for that prophesy to be fulfilled, as, indeed, it did become, according to the manner hereinafter related. We mentioned before in how feeble health Philip the king of the French was, having been inclined to leprosy from his youth