He was the king who was scolded by the old woman for burning the cakes.

When Alfred came to the throne he made his old tutor bishop of
Winchester, and Swithin became a very great man indeed.

In spite of his greatness he was a very modest man, and did not care for
pomp or show.

When he died he left strict instructions to the monks of Winchester,
that he was to be buried in a "vile and unworthy place," outside the
monastery.

The monks obeyed his wishes.

The fame and piety of this good man lived after him, and when many years
had passed, and the memory of his dying wishes had grown fainter, the
monks determined to adopt the good Swithin as their patron saint, and
give him a magnificent resting-place inside the cathedral.

Some of the older monks protested, but their objections were overruled,
and a day was set apart for transferring the good man's bones to their
new resting-place.

According to William of Malmesbury this act was performed on July 15th,
and St. Swithin's bones were no sooner lifted from their humble
resting-place than the most awful storm of rain that England had ever
known burst over the country. For forty days it rained without ceasing,
until another flood was feared.

The monks were terribly frightened, and expressed great sorrow for the