Series 1 > History of Greater Britain, as well England as Scotland

86 JOHN MAJOR’S HISTORY [book ii.
and-twenty years. In his days came Saint Columba from
Ireland, and gave to Brude, king of the Piets, full instruction
in the faith, and built in Scotland many monasteries. A con-
Columba. temporary of Columba, and his very dear friend, was the
Kentigern. Blessed Kentigern, who was renowned for many miracles. He
Glasgow rests in Glasgow. In honour of him was founded the church
c urc of Glasgow, second to no church in Scotland for its beauty, the
multitude of its canons, and the wealth of its endowments.
Not long time thereafter the chapter of Glasgow had gained
so great a fame for wise and weighty counsel that men of
renown among the Westerns were ready in a doubtful suit to
place the whole decision of the same in its hands. About this
Baldred buried time lived Saint Baldred. It is related of him that his body
in three places. wag entire jn three churches not far distant one from the
other: Aldhame, namely, Tyninghame1, and Preston; of which
the two first named are villages distant from Gleghornie about
one thousand paces; the third, one league. In these three
places Saint Baldred taught the people by word and example,
and on his death all three fall to arms in strife for the posses-
Whetheradaody sion of his body. The same body was found numerically2
rent places. in different parts of the house, and thus each of these
villages rejoices at this day in the possession of Saint Baldred’s
body. I know that there are not wanting theologians who
deny that such a thing as this is possible to God, namely, that
the same body can be placed circumscriptive3 in different places;
1 Tynigamen.
2 ‘numero’. Cf. Signoriello : Lexicon peripaieticum, pp. 150, 151, s.v. ge-
nerice—specifice—numerice : ‘ A specific difference is formal, since it takes
place in respect of the form; a numerical difference is called material, because
matter is the principle whence proceed several individuals of the same species.’
3 ‘ Circumspective ’ is opposed to ‘ definitive ’ and ‘ reflective’. Cf. Signoriello
u.s. pp. 64, 65 : ‘ That thing is said to be “ circumscriptive ” or “ commensura-
ative ” in a place, which occupies that place by contact of dimensive quantity; in
in such fashion, indeed, that each of its parts corresponds to the single parts of
the place, and so that the whole is included in the whole place. “ Definitive ” is
said of that which is in a certain place, but which does not occupy space per con-
tactum virtutis, but by operation, as is the case with angels, or per informationem,
like as the soul is within the body. “ Reflective ” is said of that which knows no
determination of place, but is whole in every place and whole in every part of a
place; and that belongs to God alone. It is fitting that the body and an
Angel and God should be occupants of place in differing fashions.’