E06547: Aldhelm, in his prose On Virginity, names *John (the Apostle and Evangelist, S00042) as an exemplary virgin, noting the belief of some that he may have never died and that the breathing from his tomb produces an exhalation of dust. Written in Latin in southern Britain, for the nuns at the monastery at Barking (south-east Britain), c. 675/686.

Aldhelm, prose On Virginity, 23

Iohannes, quadripertitae scriptor historiae et verax evangelicae relationis tetrarcha, quem salvator, unica mundi redemptio et conservandae castitatis alma praefiguratio, propter virginalis pudicitiae gloriam inter ceteros peculiariter pio dilexit affectu, miris virtutum signis per totum orbem claruit. Etenim vimina virgultorum silvestria e frondosis nemoribus allata mutavit in obrizum flaventis auri metallum, teretes quoque scopulorum glareas et rotundos scruporum lapillulos de arenosis litorum sablonibus adductos contra creaturae ritum in rubicundas gemmarum congeries superna potestate fretus facillime convertit. Nec non dispersa gemmarum fragmina, quae decepta germanorum simplicitas secundum stolidissimi sofistae monita ad spectaculum vulgi minutatim in frusta friabat, in pristinum reformavit statum, sed et matronam, quam suprema sors gemina mortis multaverat urna, turbis pauperculorum subnixa prece poscentibus, quos sumptuosa erogatae stipis alimonia sustentabat, oratione sequestra de letifero sopore suscitavit, cumque furibunda paganorum ferocitate crudeliter cogeretur, ut mortiferum poculi haustum, in quo dirorum virulentus graminum sucus simulque truculenta regulorum et aspidum venena atque quadripedis robetae et spalagii pestifera confectio humanae naturae nocitura habebatur, potando consummaret, praemisso Christi labaro tutus et Christi vexillo armatus nec venenata draconum detrimenta tremibundus extimuit nec horrida mortis discrimina pallidus expavit. Gemina quoque defunctorum cadavera, quos letale virus crudeli mortis exitio perniciter prostraverat, in pristinum vitae statum restituit et sic in castitate florens usque cicneam vetulae senectutis canitiem feliciter permansit. Nonnulli vero eundem non generali morte defunctum, sed speciali somno soporatum in sarcofago vitaliter quiescere contendunt, pro eo quod salvator dixerit: Sic eum volo manere, donec veniam, praesertim cum de sepulcri tumba pulvis ebulliat et quasi reciproco spirantis flatu in superficie antri sensim scaturiat?


'JOHN, the author of the fourth part of the (Gospel) story and the true tetrarch of the evangelical narrative, whom our Saviour, the unique redemption of the world and the benign model of how to preserve chastity, loved specially among the other (disciples) with holy affection because of the glory of his virginal purity, was famous through the entire world by the wondrous signs of his virtues. For he changed the branches of forest shrubs, brought to him from leafy groves, into the purest metal of yellow gold; relying on heavenly power, he also with the greatest ease converted the smooth pebbles of the cliffs and the the rounded grains of little rock fetched from the sandy gavel of beaches, against the customary laws of creation, into rubied heaps of jewels. In addition, he reformed to their pristine state the scattered fragments of jewels which the duped simplicity of (two) brothers, following the advice of an extremely stupid sophist, had smashed into tiny bits as a public spectacle. But by means of intermediating prayer he also raised from deadly sleep the matron, whom the final destiny had destined with a double urn of death, at the entreaties, with earnest supplication, of crowds of peasants whom (the matron) had sustained with the lavish nourishment of donated alms. And when he was cruelly compelled by the insane ferocity of pagans to consume by drinking the deadly draught of a cup in which contained the virulent juice of deadly herbs together with the grim poisons of adders and asps and a pestilent confection of the venomous four-footed toad and of the poisonous fly harmful to mankind, protected by the ensign of Christ going on before an armed with Christ's standard he did not shrink trembling from poisonous contagion of the serpents nor did he dread with pallor the terrifying perils of death. He also restored to their original state of vitality two corpses of dead people whom a lethal venom had suddenly aid low with the cruel onslaught of death; and so, flourishing in chastity, he persisted in blessedness up to the snowy whiteness of old age.

Certain people contend indeed that he did not depart according to the usual death, but that he lies alive in the tomb, put to sleep in a special trance, because of that which the Saviour had said: "So I will have him to remain till I come" [John 21:22] - particularly since the dust bubbles up from the vault of his crypt as if with the alternating inhalations of someone breathing.'

Text: Ehwald 1919, 254-5. Translation: Lapidge and Herren 1979, 80-81.