XXV.

In the monastery of this abbess there was a brother specially

remarkable and distinguished by the divine grace. For he was wont to

compose suitable songs, tending to religion and piety, so that whatever

he had learnt through scholars of the divine writings, he presently

embellished in poetic compositions of the greatest sweetness and

fervour, well expressed in the English language. And by his songs many

men’s minds were often fired to disregard the world and attach

themselves to the heavenly life. And also many others after him in

England began to compose pious Songs: none however could do that like

him. For he had not been taught of men or through man to acquire the

art of song, but he had divine aid and received the art of song through

God’s grace. And for this reason he never could compose anything

frivolous, nor any idle poetry, but just that only which tended to piety,

and which it became his pious tongue to sing. The man had lived in the

world till the time that he was of advanced age, and never had learnt

any poetry. And as he was often at a beer drinking, when it was

arranged, to promote mirth, that they should all in turn sing to the harp,

whenever he saw the harp come near him, he arose out of shame from

the feast and went home to his house. Having done so on one occasion,

he left the house of entertainment, and went out to the fold of the cattle,

the charge of which had been committed to him for that night. When in

due time he stretched his limbs on the bed there and fell asleep, there

stood by him in a dream a man, who saluted and greeted him, calling on

him by name: ‘Cedmon, sing me something.’ Then he answered and said:

‘I cannot sing anything; and therefore I came out from this entertainment

and retired here, as I know not how to sing.’ Again he who spoke to him

said: ‘Yet you could sing.’ Then said he: ‘What shall I sing?’ He said:

‘Sing to me the beginning of all things.’ On receiving this answer, he at

once began to sing, in praise of God the Creator, verses and words

which he had never heard, the order of which is as follows: ‘Now should

we praise the guardian of the heavenly kingdom, the power of the

Creator and the counsel of his mind, the works of the Father of glory,
how he, the eternal Lord, originated every marvel. He the holy Creator

first created the heaven, as a roof for the children of the earth; then the

eternal Lord, guardian of the human race, the Almighty ruler, afterwards

fashioned the world as a soil for men.’ Then he arose from his sleep, and

he had firmly in his memory all, that he sang while asleep. And to these

words he soon added on many others in the same style of song worthy

of God. Then he came in the morning to the steward of the manor, who

was his superior: and told him what gift he had received; and he at once

brought him to the abbess and made the matter known to her. Then she

ordered all the best scholars and the students to be assembled: and in

their presence bade him relate the dream, and sing the song, that by the

judgment of all it might be determined, what or whence this gift was.

Then it seemed to all, as indeed it was, that a heavenly grace had been

vouchsafed him by the Lord himself. Then they set forth and stated to

him a holy narrative and some word of divine doctrine, and directed

him, if he could, to turn it into the harmony of verse. Having undertaken

the task, he went home to his house; and returning in the morning

recited and presented to them, what had been delivered to him,

composed in excellent verse. Then the abbess began to welcome and find

a pleasure in God’s grace in the man; and she admonished and enjoined

him to leave the world and become a monk: and he readily assented.

And she admitted him with his property into the monastery, and

attached him to the congregation of God’s servants; and she directed,

that he should be taught the whole round of sacred history and

narrative. And he retained in his memory, whatever he learnt by

hearing: and, like a clean animal, he ruminated and converted all into the

sweetest music. And his song and his music were so delightful to hear,

that even his teachers wrote down the words from his lips and learnt

them. He sang first of the earth’s creation and the beginning of man and

all the story of Genesis, which is the first book of Moses; and afterwards

about the departure of the people of Israel from the land of Egypt and

their entry into the land of promise; and about many other narratives in
the books of the canon of Scripture; and about Christ’s incarnation; and

about his passion; and about his ascension into heaven; and about the

coming of the Holy Ghost, and the teaching of the apostles: and again

about the day of judgment to come, and about the terror of hell torment,

and about the sweetness of the kingdom of heaven, he composed many a

song. And he also composed many others about the divine blessings and

judgments. In all these he earnestly strove to draw men from the love of

sin and transgression, and to rouse them to love and zeal for good

deeds. For the man was very pious and humbly submissive to regular

discipline. And towards those who would act otherwise, he was

inflamed with a zeal of great fervour. And he accordingly concluded and

ended his life by a fair close. For when it grew near the time of his

departure and decease, fourteen days previously he was oppressed and

afflicted with bodily infirmity, yet to such a moderate extent, that he

could all the time speak and move about. There was there close at hand a

house for the sick, into which it was their custom to bring those who
were more infirm, and those who were at the point of death, and tend

them there together. Then he directed his attendant on the evening of

the night, on which he was to depart from the world, to prepare a place

for him in the house, that he might rest. Then the attendant wondered,

why he asked this, for it seemed to him his death was not so near:

however he did, as he said and directed. And when he went to bed

there, and cheerfully spoke and jested along with those in the house,