boldly upon his feet; from which time his pain ceased, and he was so perfectly restored, that when the day came on, he, without any hesitation, set forth upon his journey.

CHAP. XX. HOW THE SAME BISHOPS PROCURED THE

BRITONS ASSISTANCE FROM HEAVEN IN A BATTLE, AND
THEN RETURNED HOME.

In the meantime, the Saxons and Picts, with their Miraculous united forces, made war upon the Britons, who, being the Picts. thus by fear and necessity compelled to take up arms, and thinking themselves unequal to their enemies, implored the assistance of the holy bishops; who, hastening to them as they had promised, inspired so much courage into these fearful people, that one would have thought they had been joined by a mighty army. Thus, by these holy apostolic men, Christ himself commanded in their camp. The holy days of Lent were also at hand, and were rendered more religious by the presence of the priests, insomuch that the people being instructed by daily sermons, resorted in crowds to be baptized; for most of the army desired admission to the saving water; a church was prepared with boughs for the feast of the resurrection of our Lord, and so fitted up in that martial camp, as if it were in a city. The army advanced, still wet with the baptismal water; the faith of the people was strengthened; and whereas human power had before been despaired of, the Divine assistance was now relied upon. The enemy received advice of the state of the army, and not questioning their success against an unarmed multitude, hastened forwards, but their approach was, by the scouts, made known to the Britons; the greater part of whose forces being just come from the font, after the celebration of Easter, and preparing to arm and carry on the war, Germanus declared he would be their leader. He picked out the most active,

et e regione, qua hostium sperabatur adventus, vallem circumdatam mediis montibus intuetur; quo in loco novum componit exercitum ipse dux agminis. Et jam aderat ferox hostium multitudo, quam appropinquare intuebantur in insidiis constituti. Tum subito Germanus signifer universos admonet et prædicat ut voci suæ uno clamore respondeant; securisque hostibus, qui se insperatos adesse confiderent, "Alleluiam” tertio repetitam sacerdotes exclamabant. Sequitur una vox omnium, et elatum clamorem, repercusso aere, montium conclusa multiplicant; hostile agmen terrore prosternitur, et super se non solum rupes circumdatas sed etiam ipsam cæli machinam contremiscunt, trepidationique injectæ vix sufficere pedum pernicitas credebatur. Passim fugiunt, arma projiciunt, gaudentes vel nuda corpora eripuisse discrimini, plures etiam timore præcipites flumen, quod transierant, devoravit. Ultionem suam innocens exercitus intuetur et victoriæ concessæ otiosus spectator efficitur; spolia colliguntur exposita, et cœlestis palmæ gaudia miles religiosus amplectitur; triumphant pontifices, hostibus fusis sine sanguine; triumphant victoria fide obtenta, non viribus. Composita itaque insula securitate multiplici, superatisque hostibus vel invisibilibus vel carne conspicuis, reditum moliuntur pontifices. Quibus tranquillam navigationem et merita propria et intercessio beati martyris Albani paraverunt, quietosque eos suorum desideriis felix carina restituit.

viewed the country round about, and observed, in the way by which the enemy was expected, a valley encompassed with hills. In that place he drew up his inexperienced troops, himself acting as their general. A multitude of fierce enemies appeared, whom as soon as those that lay in ambush saw approaching, Germanus, bearing in his hands the standard, instructed his men all in a loud voice to repeat his words, and the enemy advancing securely, as thinking to take them by surprise, the priests three times cried, Hallelujah. A universal shout of the same word followed, and the hills resounding the echo on all sides, the enemy was struck with dread, fearing, that not only the neighbouring rocks, but even the very skies, were falling upon them; and such was their terror, that their feet were not swift enough to deliver them from it. They fled in disorder, casting away their arms, and well satisfied if, with their naked bodies, they could escape the danger; many of them, in their precipitate and hasty flight, were swallowed up by the river which they were passing. The Britons, without the loss of a man, beheld their vengeance complete, and became inactive spectators of their victory. The scattered spoils were gathered up, and the pious soldiers rejoiced in the success which Heaven had granted them. The prelates thus triumphed The bishops over the enemy without bloodshed, and gained a victory A.D. 429. by faith, without the aid of human force; and, having settled the affairs of the island, and restored tranquillity by the defeat, as well of the invisible, as of the carnal enemies, prepared to return home. Their own merits, and the intercession of the holy martyr Alban, obtained them a safe passage, and the happy vessel restored them in peace to their rejoicing people.

CAP. XXI.-UT, RENASCENTIBUS VIRGULTIS PELAGIANE PESTIS, GERMANUS CUM SEVERO BRITANNIAM REVERSUS, PRIUS CLAUDO JUVENI INCESSUM, DEINDE ET POPULO DEI, CONDEMNATIS SIVE EMENDATIS HÆRETICIS, GRESSUM RECUPERARIT FIDEΙ.

NEC multo interposito tempore, nunciatur ex eadem insula Pelagianam perversitatem iterato, paucis auctoribus, dilatari; rursusque ad beatissimum virum preces sacerdotum omnium deferuntur, ut causam Dei, quam prius obtinuerat, tutaretur. Quorum petitioni festinus obtemperat; namque adjuncto sibi Severo totius sanctitatis viro, (qui erat discipulus beatissimi patris Lupi, Trecassenorum episcopi, et tune Treveris ordinatus episcopus gentibus primæ Germaniæ verbum Dei prædicabat,) mare conscendit, et, consentientibus elementis, tranquillo navigio Britannias petiit.

Interea sinistri spiritus pervolantes totam insulam, Germanum venire invitis vaticinationibus nunciabant; in tantum ut Elafius quidam, regionis illius primus, in occursum sanctorum sine ulla manifesti nuncii relatione properaret, exhibens secum filium, quem in ipso flore adolescentiæ debilitas dolenda damnaverat; erat enim arescentibus nervis contracto poplite, cui per siccitatem cruris usus vestigii negabatur. Hunc Elafium provincia tota subsequitur. Veniunt sacerdotes, occurrit inscia multitudo; confestim benedictio et sermonis divini doctrina profunditur. Recognoscunt populum in ea, qua illum reliquerant, credulitate durantem; intelligunt culpam esse paucorum, inquirunt auctores, inventosque condemnant. Tum subito Elafius pedibus advolvitur sacerdotum, offerens filium, cujus necessitatem ipsa debilitas etiam sine precibus allegabat. Fit communis omnium dolor, præcipue sacerdotum, qui conceptam misericordiam ad divinam clementiam contulerunt; statimque adolescentem beatus Germanus sedere compulit, attrectat poplitem

CHAP. XXI. THE PELAGIAN HERESY AGAIN REVIVING,
GERMANUS, RETURNING INTO BRITAIN WITH SEVERUS,
FIRST HEALED A LAME YOUTH, THEN HAVING CONDEMNED
OR CONVERTED THE HERETICS, THEY RESTORED SPIRITUAL
HEALTH TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

Nor long after, advice was brought from the same Germanus island, that certain persons were again attempting to set and Severus forth and spread abroad the Pelagian heresy. The holy A.D. 447. Germanus was entreated by all the priests, that he would again defend the cause of God, which he had before asserted. He speedily complied with their request; and taking with him Severus, a man of singular sanctity, who was disciple to the most holy father, Lupus, bishop of Troyes, and afterwards, as bishop of Treves, preached the word of God in the adjacent parts of Germany, put to sea, and was calmly wafted over into Britain.

In the meantime, the wicked spirits flying about the whole island, foretold by constraint that Germanus was coming, insomuch, that one Elafius, the chief of that religion, hastened to meet the holy men, without having received any certain news, carrying with him his son, who laboured under a weakness of his limbs in the very flower of his youth; for the nerves being withered, his leg was so contracted that the limb was useless, and he could not walk. All the country followed this Elafius. The priests arrived, and were met by the ignorant multitude, whom they blessed, and preached the word of God to them. They found the people constant in the faith as they had left them; and learning that but few had gone astray they found out the authors, and condemned them. Then Elafius cast himself at the feet of the priests, presenting his son, whose distress was visible, and needed no words to express it. All were grieved, but especially the priests, who put up their prayers for him before the throne of mercy; and Germanus, causing the youth to sit down,