§ 10. BUT it now became the wish of the saint to provide a resting place for his body, and to release his servants from their seven years’ labour: wherefore the impious King Halfdene was by God’s justice made to pay the penalty for the cruelty which he had shown towards the church of the saint himself, and the possessions of the other saints. For his mind was struck with madness, and at the same time his body was attacked by dreadful torments, whence also an intolerable stench was occasioned, which made him offensive to all his army. All, therefore, spurned him and cast him off; whereupon he fled from Tyne with only three ships, and not long afterwards perished with all his men. Upon this, the attendants of St. Cuthbert carried his body to a monastery which was formerly in their village, called Creca, and were there very hospitably received by the abbot, whose name was Geve, and resided there four months, quite as if they had been at home. Meanwhile the army, and those who remained of the natives, were in much commotion for want of a king; whereupon the blessed St. Cuthbert appeared in a dream to the pious Abbot Eadred, whom we have so often mentioned, and, to provide rest at length for his people, told him to act as follows. “Go, said he, “to the Danish camp, and say that it was I who sent you to them, and ask them where you may find a boy named Guthred, son of Hardecnut, whom they sold to a widow. When you have found him and paid the widow his price for him, bring him before the whole army, and say that it is my wish and my command that he shall have the bracelet placed upon his right arm in Oswiesdune, (that is, in Oswy’s Mount,) and be elected their king.” The abbot, when he awoke, told all this to his companions, and immediately went and did as he had been commanded. He produced the young man in public, and all, both natives and barbarians, listened obediently to the words of St. Cuthbert, and unanimously raised the youth from slavery to a throne; which honour had no sooner been thus obtained by the favour and good-will of all, than the disturbances were ended, tranquillity restored, and the episcopal see, which was before at Lindisfarne, was revived at Cuncacester. Thither, therefore, they also brought the incorruptible body of the saint, at the end of the four months, from Creca; and at the same time there were instituted men to perform God’s holy service there; and the excellent Prelate Eardulphus,<--has Eardulph earlier--> a man who through good and evil had adhered to St. Cuthbert, was the first who ascended the episcopal throne in that place. King Guthred, too, conferred no few honours and donations on that church, and with devout humility submitted himself to him, who from a slave had made him a king. Wherefore whatever he ordained for the privileges and liberties of his church, and for the sustenance of those who served him, this faithful minister hastened to fulfil. Lastly, the saint appeared in a vision to the aforesaid abbot, and said to him, “Tell the king to grant the perpetual possession of all the land between the Were and the Tyne to me and those who serve in my church, that they may receive subsistence from it, and not suffer from want. Bid him furthermore make my church a place of asylum for those who flee to it, so that whoever shall, for any cause, take refuge with my corpse, shall have peace for thirty days, on no account to be infringed.”