baffle its more calm and
searching philosophy, it _must not disdain_ that which was the
primal, almost universal, motive of human life."--Latin. Christ.,
vol. i. p. 388. Dr. Milman's decision justifies me in putting this
down as Blot _twenty-four_.

However, there is one miraculous account for which this writer makes
me directly answerable, and with reason; and with it I shall conclude
my reply to his criticisms on the "Lives of the English Saints." It
is the medicinal oil which flows from the relics of St. Walburga.

Now, as I shall have occasion to remark under my next head, these two
questions among others occur, in judging of a miraculous story; viz.
whether the matter of it is extravagant, and whether it is a fact.
And first, it is plain there is nothing extravagant in this report of
the relics having a supernatural virtue; and for this reason, because
there are such instances in Scripture, and Scripture cannot be
extravagant. For instance, a man was restored to life by touching the
relics of the prophet Eliseus. The sacred text runs thus:--"And
Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites
invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass,
as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men;
and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha. And, when the man
was let down, _and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived_, and
stood upon his feet." Again, in the case of an inanimate substance,
which had touched a living saint: "And God wrought _special miracles_
by the hands of Paul; so that _from his body_ were brought unto the
sick _handkerchiefs or aprons_, and _the diseases departed from
them_." And again in the case of a pool: "An _angel went down_ at a
certain season into the pool, and troubled the water; whosoever then
first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in, _was made whole
of whatsoever disease_ he had." 2 Kings [4 Kings] xiii. 20, 21. Acts
xix. 11, 12. John v. 4. Therefore there is nothing _extravagant_ in
the _character_ of the miracle.

The main question then (I do not say the only remaining question, but
the main question) is the _matter of fact_:--_is_ there an oil
flowing from St. Walburga's tomb, which is medicinal? To this
question I confined myself in the Preface to the volume. Of the
accounts of medieval miracles, I said that there was no
_extravagance_ in their _general character_, but I could not affirm
that there was always _evi