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Thomas av Monmouth, Life and Miracles of St William of Norwich (1150-årene)

VII.17

DVM hec et alia huiusmodi ad gloriosi martiris laudem et gloriam Norwici contingerent magnalia, in mari quoque uirtus eiusdem insignis patuit et gloriosa. Maris etenim seuientibus nimium procellis, quedam longe a continent! periclitabatur nauis. Immanes siquidem fluctuum globi tum in ima depressi quendam horridum faciebant hiatum, tum se in altum preter morem extollentes subitum fragili carine minabantur precipitium. Vnde nunc quasi in celum efferebatur nauis, nunc ruine patebat honibili. Porro ingruente magis ac magis uentorum rabie, imbrium inundantia, turbatur celum, turbantur maria, et interitum minantur uniuersa. Rudentes et antenne rumpuntur, uelum scissum dissoluitur, malus egre se continet, mortem solam superstitem nauis titubans persuadet. Desperatus itaque nauta quid faciat prorsus ignorat.<p. 277> Potiori tamen usus consilio, derelictum nauis applustre arripiens, proram ad continentem conuertit, cursum deatinatum pretermisit, ac persuadentibus sociis et maxime presbitero quodam Thetfordensi qui cum eis de Norweia aduenerat, beati martiris Willelmi opem inuocauit. Se quippe omnes et sua omnia pariter cum naui eius committunt patrociniis et sic directo cursu ad proximum tenditur litus. Quid plura ? Inuocata sancti martiris ope, continue uentorum cepit conquiescere rabies; in serenum aer et pelagus in planitiem paulatim redigitur. Currens uero propero cursu nauis, estu secedente marino, non longe a continents prominentem arenarum incurrit molem, et absorbenti insidit sabulo. Fere nusquam tuta securitas. In maris perturbati profunditate periculum euaserat, in uadosa planitie incurrebat. Quo uiso, turbati conclamant naute, atque naui tunc maxime diffidentes, immo et quassatam estimantes, quam intus habebant scapham exponunt, et solis saltem saluandis consulunt corporibus. Corporum igitur saluti consulentes, sua omnia et nauem cum uelo erecto deserunt, sancti martiris Willelmi tuitioni uniuersa committunt, eique omnium que intus habebant si conseruentur, decimam uouentes repromittunt. Ventis, inquam, et mari nauis eminus exponitur, et appulsa littori cum nautis nauicula conser<p. 278>uatur. Sero erat, et incumbentibus iam tenebris nox imminebat. Mira res et pene incredibilis! Nauis siquidem tota nocte fluctibus exposita pro marini estus uicissitudine nunc sabulo imprimitur, nunc in altum tollitur, sed diuine uirtutis anchora quasi littori affixa tenetur. Illuscescente diluculo, ad reuisendam nauem concurritur, et non submersam admirantur. Ingressi ergo nauiculam, tranquilli maris famulante unda, ad nauem nauigio properant, quam saluam reperientes et integram, obstupescentes exultant. Nec mora; quisque pro uiribus unanimiter communi feruent negotio. Velo nempe quamtotius reparato refectisque funibus ad uelificandum accinguntur. Estu quoque fauente et aura, portui qui Charlefluot dicitur cursu prospero inuehuntur. Appuisi uero, deo sanctoque Willelmo conseruatori suo gratias agunt, et, ut uouerant, que in naui habebant uniuersa decimarunt. Decimarum collectum precium per manus memorati Thetfordensia presbiteri et quorundam consodalium Norwicum sancto martiri transmittunt, et 
se illius commendant patrociniis.


VII.17 [Of certain saved at sea]
Whilst these and other like miracles were happening at Norwich to the honour and praise of the glorious martyr, his power was also brilliantly shewn forth upon the sea. For once when a great storm was raging, a certain ship, far from land, was in great peril. Huge masses of waves sometimes sinking away opened a horrid gulf, and again rising to unwonted heights threatened instant destruction to the frail bark: so the ship at one moment was raised as I may say to heaven, and at the next was exposed to a frightful plunge. The rage of the winds and the pouring of the rain increased, sea and sky were in confusion and everything threatened destruction: cables and yards were snapped, the sail was rent, the mast hardly held its place, and the reeling of the vessel convinced all that death alone remained: the despairing captain was at his wits' end. Yet coming to better mind, he seized the tiller, which had been abandoned, turned her head to land, leaving their projected course, and at the advice of his comrades and especially of a priest of Thetford who had come with them from Norway, called on the blessed martyr William for aid. To his protection all on board committed themselves, their goods and the ship, and so headed straight for land. What more? When the holy martyr's help had been invoked, the rage of the winds began to be soothed, the air to clear and the sea to calm. The ship, however, running quickly with the ebbing tide, grounded on a sandbank not far from the mainland and settled on a quicksand. Scarce anywhere was there safety: she had escaped danger in the stormy deep only to run into it in the shallows. Seeing this, the sailors cried out in terror, and no longer trusting the ship — nay, believing her to be breaking up, — they got out their boat, and took measures to save their bare lives. With this in view, they abandoned their goods and left the vessel with her sails set, committing everything to the protection of the holy martyr William, and vowing him a tenth of all they had, if it were preserved. The ship, I say, was left exposed to winds and waves, and the boat and sailors got safe to land. It was late, and darkness and night were coming on. What happened is hardly credible. The ship exposed all night to the waves was now dashed on the sand, now raised high above it, according as the tide ebbed or flowed, but was held fixed to the shore as by the anchor of God's power. At dawn, all ran to look for the ship, and marvelled that she had not sunk. They took boat, and aided by a calm sea, speedily reached the ship: and finding her safe and sound were filled with joy and amazement. All at once set to work, repaired the sail, replaced the rigging and set sail. So, with favouring wind and tide, they reached the harbour called Charlfleet. On landing they gave thanks to God and their preserver Saint William, and as they had vowed, set aside a tenth of all that was in the ship. They then sent the value of this tithe to Norwich to the holy martyr by the hands of the aforesaid priest of Thetford and some of their companions; and commended themselves to the saint's protection.


(The Life and Miracles of St William of Norwich by Thomas of Monmouth, ed. and transl. Augustus Jessopp and Montague Rhodes James, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1896), s. 276-278)


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