ROSWITHA THE NUN 



And straightway when black night had covered the land with 

 darkness, everywhere throughout the wooded valley in the 

 which the very noble temple was destined to be built, many 

 lights were perceived, the which, with the shining splendour 

 of their exceeding brightness, cleft asunder the shades of the 

 wood and the darkness of the night alike. And thereupon, 

 standing up and rendering praise to God, they all with one 

 accord declared it meet that the place should be sanctified to 

 the worship of Him who had filled it with the light. And, 

 moreover, the Duke, mindful of his duty to Heaven, and with 

 the consent of his dear consort Oda, forthwith ordered the 

 trees to be felled and the brushwood cut away, and the valley 

 to be completely cleared. And this sylvan spot, aforetime 

 the home of fauns and monsters, he thus cleared and made 

 fitting for the glory of God. And then, before obtaining the 

 money needful for the work, he at once set out the lines of 

 a noble church as traced by the splendour of the red light. 1 



In suchwise was the building of our second Monastery to 

 the glory of God begun. But stone suitable for the structure 

 could not be found in those parts, and thus the completion of 

 the sanctuary which had been begun, suffered delay. But the 

 Abbess Hathumpda, trusting to obtain all things from the 

 LorcTby faith, oft-times, by serving God both night and day 

 with holy zeal, wore herself out with too abundant labour. 

 And with many of those placed under her care, she besought 

 the solace of speedy help from Heaven, lest the work so well 

 begun should be left unfinished. And of a sudden she became 

 aware that the divine grace which she sought was present, 

 ready to have compassion on her longings. For as she lay one 

 day prostrate nigh unto the altar, fasting and giving herself up 

 to prayer, she was bidden of a gentle voice to go forth and 

 follow a bird she would see sitting on the summit of a certain 

 great rock. And she, embracing the command with ready 

 mind, went forth, putting her trust in it with all her heart. 

 And taking with her very skilled masons, she sped swiftly 

 whither the kindly Spirit led her, until she was come to the 

 noble sanctuary which had been begun. And there she saw, 

 seated on the lofty summit of the self-same rock, a white dove, 



1 For other instances of churches laid out on lines said to have 

 been revealed in dreams or visions, .see Didron, Christian Iconography, 

 vol. i. (1886) pp. 381, 382, 460, and Sta. Maria Maggiore, Rome. 



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