One night she had continued longer than usual in prayer and contemplation, and, overcome with fatigue, fell asleep; nor did she awake till the rays of the morning sun fell upon her. Then she started up so suddenly that the sacred veil fell from her head, but a slanting sunbeam caught it ere it touched the ground, and held it suspended in mid-air until she had time to rouse herself. Then she perceived the divine manifestation, and gave thanks to God, praising and magnifying Him.
Upon another occasion, when she was alone in her oratory, a widow came in carrying her dead child, and fell down at the feet of the holy virgin, and with many tears implored her to intercede for her, that her child might be restored to life. Milburgh rebuked her for making such a strange request, and recommended submission to the divine will. "Go," she said, "and bury thy dead, then prepare to follow thy son, for man is born to die." But the widow refused to go. "No, I will not leave thee, unless thou restore my child to life." When the holy virgin saw the woman's faith, she prostrated herself in prayer by the body of the child. Immediately she was surrounded by fire, which came down from heaven, and so entirely enveloped her, that it seemed impossible that she could escape being consumed by it. One of the sisters coming in, cried out to her to fly, but she had no sooner spoken, than all trace of fire was gone, and S. Milburgh, rising from her knees, presented the now living child to his mother.
S. MILBURGH. After Cahier.
Feb. 23.
S. Milburgh is represented as having authority over the birds of the air, and protecting crops from their ravages. In the parable, the fowls that came and devoured the good seed, were, we know, evil spirits.
After many years spent in good works and holy exercises, she was further purified and fitted, by long and painful illnesses, for those eternal mansions for which her soul longed. When the time of her departure drew near, she called together the whole community, and exhorted them all to have ever before them those two heavenly sentences: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." She then recommended them to choose the most pious of the sisters for their future abbess. Taking leave of them, she said, "Most dear sisters, I have loved you as my own bowels, and have been over you, as a mother over her children, with pious care. A higher call now in mercy invites me, I go the way of all flesh, and commend you to God and the Blessed Virgin." Having armed herself for her passage with the holy sacraments, she gave up her pure soul into the hands of her Maker, on Feb. 23rd, 722, and was buried with honour near the altar, in the church of the monastery.
The monastery was afterwards destroyed by the Danes, and, in course of time, all trace of the tomb of the saint was lost. But many ages after, when it was being re-built by some Cluniac monks, two boys who were playing there, fell through the pavement, and sunk down to their knees in the ground. This accident occasioned some surprise, and the monks had the ground opened, and found human bones in the very foundation of the altar. An odoriferous exhalation, as of a most precious balsam, perfumed the whole church when the tomb was opened, and numerous miracles are said to have taken place at the tomb of the saint; so many, that of all the crowds who went to it, none came away without receiving some benefit. On May 26th, 1501, the relics were enclosed in a costly chest, and deposited in a conspicuous and eminent place in the same monastery, where they remained till its destruction in the time of Henry VIII.
Some ruins of the abbey church, built in the year 1080, may still be seen at Wenlock. They consist of south aisle and transept, and part of the cloister, sufficient to shew the magnificence of the ancient building.