turning home, when on a sudden about halfway, he was seized with a
sudden distemper in his body, insomuch that he fell down, and having
lain some time, he could scarcely rise again. When at last he got up,
he felt one-half of his body from the head to the foot, struck with
palsy, and with much difficulty he got home with the help of a staff.
The distemper increased by degrees, and as night approached became
still worse, so that when day returned, he could not rise or walk
alone. In this weak condition, a good thought came into his mind,
which was to go to church, the best way he could, to the tomb of the
reverend Father Cuthbert, and there on his knees, to beg of the Divine
Goodness either to be delivered from that disease, if it were for his
good, or if the Divine Providence had ordained him longer to lie under
the same for his punishment, that he might bear the pain with patience
and a composed mind. He did accordingly, and supporting his weak limbs
with a staff, entered the church, and prostrating himself before the
body of the man of God, he with pious earnestness, prayed, that
through his intercession, our Lord might be propitious to him. In the
midst of his prayers he fell as it were, into a stupor, and as he was
afterwards wont to relate, felt a large and broad hand touch his head
where the pain lay, and by that touch all the part of his body which
had been affected with the distemper, was delivered from the weakness,
and restored to health down to his feet. He then awoke, and rose up in
perfect health, and returning thanks to God for his recovery, told the
brothers what had happened to him; and to the joy of them all,
returned the more zealously, as if chastened by his affliction, to
the service which he was wont before so carefully to perform. The very
garments which had been on Cuthbert's body, dedicated to God, either
while living, or after he was dead, were not exempt from the virtue of
performing cures, as may be seen in the book of his life and miracles,
by such as shall read it."[31] It should be noticed that in this
account God alone seemed to have been the healer.

Nearly every country had its long list of saints, each with his
special power over some organ or disease. This saintly power, however,
was not applied directly, but through their relics or through shrines
consecrated to them. Melton, in his _Astrologaster_, says: "The saints
of the Romanists have usurped the place of the zodiacal constellation