o three
Benedictine monks, who each handed the secret down to a successor. The
other tradition places the knowledge of the place of burial in the hands
of the Roman Catholic bishops of the Northern Province. One of these
traditions was made public in the year 1867, and gave the place of
interment as being under the second and third steps leading to the tower
from the south transept. This place was excavated and examined, but no
trace of any burial could be found there. It is to these traditions
that Scott refers, in _Marmion_, in the following lines:--

Chester-le-Street, and Ripon saw
His holy corpse, ere Wardilaw
Hailed him with joy and fear;
And after many wanderings past,
He chose his lordly seat at last,
Where his cathedral, huge and vast,
Looks down upon the Wear.
There deep in Durham's Gothic shade
His relics are in secret laid;
But none may know the place,
Save of his holiest servants three,
Deep sworn to solemn secrecy,
Who share that wondrous grace.

In May 1827 the grave in the Nine Altars Chapel was opened in the
presence of two of the church dignitaries and other persons. Dr Raine,
who was also present, has left a careful account of the discoveries then
made.[3] The outer coffin, that made in 1542, was first removed,
revealing a second and much decayed coffin and many bones. After the
removal of these relics the lid of a third oak coffin was revealed, in a
very advanced state of decay. This innermost coffin was covered over its
entire surface with carvings of human figures, the heads surrounded by a
nimbus. When this coffin was removed the skeleton was exposed to view,
wrapped in coverings, the outer of which had been of linen. The robes
beneath were much decayed, and only portions of them could be preserved.
On the breast of the body, among the robes, a comb was found, answering
exactly to that described by Reginald in 1104. Among the most
interesting of the finds were a stole and maniple.

[3] Raine. S. Cuthbert.

The stole is of very early date, and is of needlework in colours and
gold. The centre design is a quatrefoil, inside which is a lamb with
nimbus, and the letters AGNV DI. On either side are figures of Old
Testament prophets, with their names. Near the ends the embroidery
occurs on both sides of the stole, on the back of one of which among
foliage is the inscription AELFFLAED FIERI PRECEPIT, which is continued
on the back of the opposite end,