18 CHRONICLE OF DALE ABBEY. 
during the week, on every Saturday he would bring to the church 
of St. Mary and bestow on the poor for the love of God and the 
blessed Virgin Mary. And when with such pious exercises he 
(had) passed his life for many years and had been dear and 
acceptable to God, it pleased God to prove him more perfectly, 
and having proved him to crown.him more gloriously. Also it 
happened that on a certain day in autumn when he had given him- 
self up to repose at noon, there appeared to him in his dreams the 
Blessed Virgin Mary, saying ‘‘ Thy alms are acceptable before my 
Son and me. But now if you wish to be perfect, leave all that 
thou hast and go to Depedale and there thou shalt serve my Son 
and me in solitude: and when thou shalt have happily finished 
thy course, thou shalt have the kingdom of brightness mirth and 
eternal happiness, which God has prepared for those who love 
Him.” The man awaking and perceiving the Divine goodness 
which had been done towards him, giving thanks to God and the 
Blessed Virgin his comforter, spoke nothing to any man, (but) 
having left all that he possessed straightway withdrew “ Kxozwingly 
ignorant,” as it is read of the blessed Benedict ; knowingly, because 
he had learnt the name of the place ; zgworant, because he was 
entirely without knowledge where the place was. Therefore turn- 
ing his course towards the east, whilst he was passing through the 
midst of the village of Stanley, he heard a woman saying to a 
certain girl ‘‘ Take our calves with thee and drive them as far as 
Depedale and return hastily.” Having heard that, the man admir- 
ing the favour of God, and believing this voice to have been made 
as if on his own account, was astonished, and approaching near 
said: “ Tell me, good woman, where is Depedale?” Who replied 
‘Go with the girl and she, if you wish, will shew you the way.” 
Whither when he had arrived he found that the place was a marsh, 
exceedingly dreadful, and far distant from every habitation of man. 
And turning himself to the south-east of the place, under the side 
of the mountain, he cut out for himself in the rock® a very small 
dwelling, and an altar turned to the south which had been preserved 
to this day, and there, by day and night, he served God in hunger 
and thirst and cold, and nakedness. 
