A.D. 1154.] MIRACLE OF ST. WULFRIC. 525 heard him, though he always spoke to men with his window closed. A remarkable miracle of cutting the coat of mail. Meanwhile the man of God, Wulfric, whom God alone really knew, broke forth like the early dawn upon the knowledge of mankind by his endeavours to forward their salvation ; for when the coat of mail, which he wore, struck against his knees, and prevented his constant genuflexions, he invited to him the knight, who was acquainted with his secrets, and spoke to him concerning the length of his coat of mail. " It shall be sent to London," said the knight, " and indented in any way you choose." The man of God replied : " That would cause too long delay ; and might be thought a proof of ostentation : take these shears in God's name, and execute the work with your own hand." Saying these words, he gave the knight a pair of shears, which had been brought from the knight's own house ; and seeing him hesitate and think that the hermit was mad, he continued. " Be bold, and do not hesitate. I will go and pray to the Lord about this business ; meanwhile do you set about it confidently. The two warriors were now busily occupied, the one in prayer, the other in cutting, and the work prospered beneath their hands ; for the knight felt as if he was cutting cloth, not iron, so great was the facility with which the shears severed it ; but when the man of God left off his prayers, the knight, who had not yet finished his work, could cut no longer. Wulfric stood by him and asked him how he succeeded. " Very well," replied the knight, "so far; but now that you are come, the shears have ceased to cut." " Be not afraid," said the hermit, " cut on, as you have begun, with the same shears." The knight, resuming confidence, finished his work with the same ease as before, and smoothed off the inequalities without any difficulty. From that time the man of God, without any shears at all, but with his own weak fingers, but with no less faith, distributed rings of the coat of mail, to heal the diseases of all who asked it of him in charity : and the knight, seeing its power, was struck with unspeakable surprise, and fell at the feet of the man of God, who in confusion raised him up, and adjured him not to tell it to any one whilst he himself should be alive ; but the fame thereof could not be concealed, since fjeveral religious men