第一章
Chapter I traces the spiritual and literary revival within the English Church under Norman rule, using the life of S. Godric of Finchale as its central narrative thread.…
Birth and Boyhood of S. Godric
S. Godric was born in the last years of William the Conqueror or the earliest years of Henry I at Walpole, a village in the marshlands of north-western Norfolk, where his parents…
Godric as a Wandering Chapman
As a young man Godric began an independent life as a wandering chapman, trudging from village to village selling small wares to country folk as poor as himself.…
Life as a Merchant and Sailor
Entering partnership with other young men, Godric acquired a fourth share in one trading vessel and half of another, and was soon made captain of the ship.…
Pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Rome
At last Godric took the cross and made his way on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On his return, weary of independence, he entered the household of a rich man as steward and managed all…
Withdrawal into the Northumbrian Wilderness
It was in the wild Northumbria of Wilfrid and Benedict, with its trackless moors and great forests, that Godric at last found refuge from the world.…
Settlement at the Hermitage of Finchale
Seeking a place of retirement within easy reach of S. Cuthbert’s shrine, Godric was led to Finchale by the chance words of a shepherd to his comrade—“Let us go water our flocks at…
The Hermit’s Communion with Nature
With the fervour of the older asceticism Godric had caught also its poetic tenderness. Wandering through forest after forest from Carlisle to the Tees, he found, like S.…
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