280 Bishops of Old Sarum. 



and wliat had befallen him on the way, and what were his hopes for 

 his church, whereupon in their gratitude they chanted forth with 

 joy ' Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord/ 



"Meanwhile the holy Bishop betakes him to his work, anxious 

 now to find a proper site whereon to build his church. At last he be- 

 thought himself that he might obtain one from the Abbess of Wilton, 

 by reason of the surrounding advantages of water and wood, and a 

 good town, already famous and supplied with all necessary things. 

 Accordingly he proposed to the Abbess that he should build his church 

 in a meadow close by Wilton. But when, on a certain occasion, 

 the Bishop went over to Wilton on this business, to examine the 

 proposed site, a certain old seamstress (ciuaclam vetida filatrix) said 

 to one of her companions — ' I marvel,'' quoth she, ' concerning that 

 Bishop who Cometh over so often to Wilton : perchance he meaneth 

 to marry the Abbess, for since he came from Rome he so often cometh 

 hither. Methinks the Holy Father may perhaps have granted him 

 a dispensation, so that he may take her to wif e.^ But her companion 

 answered bei', ' Nay, it is not so — it is a false report concerning the 

 holy man. He meaneth to transfer his church and his close to 

 Wilton, and therefore he cometh hither.^ Then answered that old 

 seamstress (ilia velula filatrix), 'Hath not the Bishop land of his 

 own, but that he must needs spoil the Abbess? Verily he hath 

 many more sites on which he may build his church besides this at 

 Wilton.' When the holy man heard of these words, he straightway 

 bethought himself of choosing a site on his own proper demesne [in 

 dominio sua proj)rio) . But he was troubled in mind, and so com- 

 mended himself to the Most High God, by whose Providence no 

 one is deceived, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the following 

 night he was comforted by a certain vision. There appeared to him 

 the Blessed Virgin Mary, telling him that he should choose as the 

 site whereon to build his church a place called Myrfeld. The 

 Bishop, much comforted by the vision, gave thanks to God. A few 

 days afterwards, as the Bishop, unable to recollect where there was 

 a place of the name indicated to him, was walking out. Almighty 

 God so ordering it, one of his servants exclaimed in his hearing that 

 he saw a yoke of oxen in a meadow which he called by the name of 



