acquired is not certainly
known, some thinking that this period is too early a date to assign to
its acquisition. Bede relates[30] "that this Oswald, King of
Northumberland, was very free and liberal in giving of alms to the poor;
and one day whilst he sate at meat, one of his servants told him of a
great number of poor people come to his gate for relief; whereupon King
Oswald sent them meat from his own table, and there not being enough to
serve them all, he caused one of his silver dishes to be cut in pieces,
and to be distributed amongst the rest; which Aydanus, a Bishop (who
came out of Scotland to convert, and instruct those Northern parts of
England), beholding, took the King by the right hand, saying, _nunquam
inveterascat haec manus_, let this hand never wax old, or be corrupted;
which came to pass. This arm was first deposited at Bamburgh, a
religious place in Yorkshire.[31] Walter of Whittlesey writing the story
thereof, tells that it was brought to the monastery of Burgh by
Winegotus of Bebeberch, but saith not when, therefore I cannot
conjecture better than that it was by the procurement of this Abbot
Elsinus. It is said that this arm wrought many cures upon several
diseased folk; and that it was of such fame in the days of King
Stephen, as that he himself came to Peterburgh purposely to see it; and
offered his ring to S. Oswald, and also remitted to the monastery the
sum of forty marks wherein it was indebted unto him." It is specially
recorded in the Chronicle that this abbot took advantage of the poverty
of an abbey in Normandy, the district having been afflicted with a
grievous famine, and purchased from it the body of S. Florentinus, with
the exception of the head, for one hundred pounds of silver.

He was succeeded by =Arwinus= (1055-1057), a monk of the house, but he
resigned the government in two years. Next came =Leofric= (1057-1066), a
very eminent man, said to have been of royal descent. He was nephew to
Leofric, Earl of Coventry. In the time of this abbot, William of
Normandy invaded England, and Leofric was for some time with the English
army. But in consequence of ill health he was obliged to leave it and
return to his monastery, where he died the same year. He is highly
praised in the Chronicle as "_pulcherrimus Monachorum, flos et decus
Abbatum_."

=Brando= (1066-1069), succeeded, and greatly offended King William by
applying to Edgar Atheling for confirmation of his appointment. He was
unc