nursed him, and that, on his recovery they married, their daughter
being "prettye Bessee."

The miracles we read of, and to which reference has been made, are
many and varied. For some time the fear of royal censure and
punishment prevented cures being openly attributed to "Saint Simon,"
but it was not long before the fame of his healing power spread, and
persons were brought from all parts of the country to "be measured by"
Earl Simon and restored to health. The process of "measuring" was as
simple as it appears to have been effective. It merely consisted in a
cord which had previously been placed round the relics being made to
meet round the body of the invalid whether man or animal.

The first "miracle" we hear of concerns a dumb boy who fell asleep at
the shrine of Saint Robert at Lincoln, whither he had been taken to be
cured, and in this state he remained from the Saturday preceding the
battle until the Monday, when, suddenly awaking, gifted with the power
not only of speech but prophecy, he informed those who stood around
that Saint Robert had gone to Evesham to aid Earl Simon who would be
slain in the battle there on the morrow! The monkish manuscript goes
on to relate cures of various diseases performed on man and beast,
personal apparitions, "judgements" falling on scoffers, accounts of
the dead restored to life and many other marvels credible or
incredible according to the inclination of the reader. One of the
"judgements" may be given as an example, showing, by the way, the
manners of some of the clergy of that date.

A certain chaplain named Philip had been openly abusing the Earl, and
by way of an oath exclaimed, "If he is a saint, as reported, I wish
the devil may break my neck, or some miracle may befall me before I