. trophe; for upon the confession of the thieves and the contrition which they professed, St. Kentigern not only relieved the one offender from the stone head, (which, says the legend, is preserved to this day, in the same place, a proof of the miracle,) but presented the party with the living, though headless carcase. Two other notable miracles he performed in his latter days. He made a cross of sea-sand without the admixture of any other material; it was compact, solid and durable, and many persons who came to visit it in devotion, were healed of many diseases by its virtue. And he erected a mill upon the Clyde which would neither work on a Sunday, nor grind any stolen corn. The Saint lived and flourished in miracles till he attained the prodigious age of an hundred and eighty five. The Bollandists candidly admit that there may be reason to doubt this part of his history, and Father Cressy, the Camel-gulper, (following, as usual, his guide Father Alford,) lopt off the hundred, in conformity, he says, to the true computation of Bishop Ushher. Yet methinks this longevity might be admitted without hesitation by all who believe the beginning of the legend, or the end, or any of the intermediate adventures. And indeed the close of the legend requires that it should be admitted, for it states that, in consequence of the extreme relaxation produced by this extreme old age, it was necessary to support his under jaw with a chin-stay. At length he perceived that the hour of his departure was nigh, and called together his disciples to give them his last benediction. But the death of St. Kentigern was to be not less portentous in all its circumstance than his birth. One of the disciples, in the name of all his brethren, interrupted the valediction, and said, "Father and master, we know that it is thy desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ; nevertheless, we beseech thee, have mercy upon us who are thy children in the Lord! When at any time we have through human frailty erred and gone astray, we have confessed our fault in thy sight, and endeavoured to amend it according to thy directions. Ask therefore now for us of the Lord, that we may be permitted to leave this vale of tears with thee, and enter with thee into his joy; for of a truth we believe that whatsoever thou shalt ask, the Lord will grant. And it seemeth to us not fitting that a prelate without his clergy, a pastor without any of his flock, a father without his children, should enter into the joy of his Lord." This proof of their affection moved the departing Saint, and collecting breath as he could, he replied, "The will of God be done with you and with me, and let Him dispose of us as to Him seems best." This was all that he expressed in words, but inwardly and in spirit he prayed that their desire might be granted. Behold an Angel appeared, and said, “Kentigern, elect and beloved of God, rejoice thou and be glad, for the desire of thy heart is heard, and it shall be done to thy disciples according to thy prayer. To-morrow ye shall go out from the body of this death into everlasting life, and the Lord will be with you, and ye with him, for evermore. And forasmuch as thine whole life in this world hath been a continued martyrdom, it hath pleased the Lord that thou shouldst have a gentler dissolution than other men. Give order therefore that a warm bath be made ready to-morrow, and go thou into it; and there, without pain, thou shalt render up thy spirit into the hands of the Lord in peace. Let thy brethren enter afterwards, and they also, being delivered from the bonds of death, shall ascend with thee, in the splendour of holiness, to the kingdom of Heaven.' دو Accordingly, so it was done. The bath was made ready, and the Saint being placed in it, lifted up his hands and eyes to heaven, then bowed his head, and fell asleep in the Lord. As soon as his body was removed, one of the brethren entered to take his place, and expired there in like manner; and thus one after the other, all in turn went into the bath, before the water was cold, and died there; and all in company with their spiritual father ascended to the celestial abodes. When our Kalendar was purged at the Reformation, directions were given that respect should be had to Saints of the bloodroyal. This must have been the chief reason why St. Kentigern's name was inserted (though not indeed in red letters) in the Kalendar, prefixed to that liturgy which gave occasion for the Scotch covenant, and fired the train of rebellion that had been laid through both kingdoms. Perhaps another motive was, that as his other name Mungo had become not uncommon in Scotland, his memory, owing to that circumstance, might still have been popular. Yet we may reasonably wonder that any motives should have prevailed for its insertion, seeing how entirely fabulous the legend is in all its parts. 31 PART II. THE REFORMATION.-DISSENTERS.- I was walking alone in Howray, looking upon the Church and upon Skiddaw behind it, which was then in all the glory of a midsummer sunset. Sir Thomas approached, and laid his hand upon my shoulder; I started, not at his appearance, (for I had seen him coming,) but because I felt the touch. What, said he, with a smile, did you suppose that I could not make myself sensible to tact as well as sight, and assume corporeality as easily as form?... But tell me, where were your thoughts when I recalled them? MONTESINOS. Where I shall soon be myself, Sir Thomas,.. with those that are departed. The weight of time and of eternity was on my spirit. I was contemplating that Church and yonder Mountain. Seven centuries have gone by since the Church was founded, and there Skiddaw has |