St Mungo (3)

St. mungo's Journey to Glasgow.

 HOLDING on his way, Kentigern, '' on the same night in which he departed from St. Serf, was lodged, at a place supposed to be Carnwath, in the house of Fergus, an aged Christian, who, Simeon-like, is said to have received a "revelation that in the presence of the holy Kentigern he should pass away from the world. And when be was dead the blessed Kentigern . . . laid his body on a waggon, to which he yoked unbroken oxen, with no one to guide them: and so, following the waggon, he arrived at a place which is called Glasgow, where he buried the body, and where, serving God, he, by divine revelation, took up his abode."

 The body of Fergus was buried beneath some ancient trees, near a forsaken cemetery that had been consecrated by St. Ninian. On that very spot it is said was afterwards reared the transept of our noble Cathedral, and the aisle or crypt of which was dedicated to Fergus.

St. Mungo and King Morken 

MORKEN, who was then King of Cumbria, seems to have derived no benefit from the spiritual teaching of the holy man, as it is related that the brotherhood of whom St. Mungo was head, being scarce of corn, application was made by the saint to the king for a supply. But he impiously and mockingly replied to the holy man, in the language of Scripture: "Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He will sustain thee, since nothing is lacking to them that fear God, as thou hast been accustomed to teach others." 

After further talk in a like strain of irony, and a suitable reply by the holy man, the king said: "If, trusting in thy God, and without human assistance, thou shalt be able to tmnsfer to thine own mansion all the corn which thou seest contained in the barns, I willingly consent; and as to the rest, I will devoutly comply with thy demands."

 On hearing this, the saint, "with hands and eyes lifted up to heaven, poured out a prayer with tears to the Lord. And lo! in the same hour the river Clyde, rushing from below, began suddenly to swell and overflow its banks, and carried along with it the entire barns of the king, with the com in them, up to the vcry place, Molendinar by name, where the saint was accustomed to reside."

Morken, though literally taken at his word, was so furious and mad with rage that he lifted his kingly foot and made the saint measure his length on the ground. But retribution was at hand, as the king was immediately after attacked with gout in the foot he had used in such a rash and undignified manner against the person of the saint, and from this disease, in a very acute form, he died in a short time after.

As the relatives of the deceased king denounced the saint as a. sorcerer, and sought to lay violent hands on him, he retired for some time into Wales. 

part 2 here - Glasgow Historical ( & beyond ) (bygoneglasgow.blogspot.com)

part 1 here - Glasgow Historical ( & beyond ) (bygoneglasgow.blogspot.com)