Item iiii Nones Decembris Nobilis vir dominus Williamus de Breuse et uxor euis cum sua familia multis presentibus venirunt ad tumulum viri dei prebantes per plurimos fidedignos, quod juvenis quidam Williamus dictus Crawe de Guer in terra et domino deum memorati vi kalendus decembris fuerat suspendio simialiter
condempnatus, quod audiens Juvenis memoratur ad serin dei auxilium deuote confugit orans ut sibi ab altissimo impetraret longius spatium penitendi, et mores suos in melius commutandi, et unum denarium servo dei fecit plicari, et ecce cum ministri ad eius suspendium deputati ipsum nichilominus suspendissent; statim rupto vinculo quo pendebant ad terram decidit seminnius, et cum ipsum iterum suspendissent, in breui tempore lignum transversale patibuli in sui medio est confractum, et sic ad terram cecidit tunc mortuus ut dicebant. Ministri tamen funus leuantes, ad summitatem unius postis patibuli horribilitur trio suspenderunt, et circa ipsum cum magna multitudine hominum expectabant, dicunt de morte ipsius essent certissimi, et tunc ipsum pendentem in patibulo dimitentes, omnes ad propria redierunt. Post hic autem accesserunt amici illius suspensi ad dominum memoratum, et petierunt licentiam deponendi et sepeliendi corpus ipsius, qua optenta, et ipso deposito, et ad sepulture foucam deportato; cum illum sepelire cepissent; subito cum multorum admiracione reuixit, et manus ac pedes ad se retrahens; cepit loqui, et cum interogaretur a multis qualiter reuxisset; aperta uoce respondit dicens, mertis bi persulis Thome de Cantilupo consiteor vitam meam mihi ecce ab altissimo restitutam. Quibus verbis auditis, omnes qui ad hoc specta alium aderant dicunt et servo eius predicto deuotissimas gracis persoluerunt.
[1290] Item. On the fourth nones of November [2 December], the nobleman lord William de Briouze and his wife, with his household [and] in the presence of many, came to the tomb of the man of God. They showed through many trustworthy witnesses that a certain youth William Cragh of Gower in the land and lordship of this lord had been justly condemned to be hanged on the sixth kalends of December [26 November] and that, when he heard this, the young man devoutly sought refuge in the help of God’s servant. He prayed that he would seek for him from God on high a longer space of time to do penance and reform his ways and he had a penny bent to God’s servant. Behold! When the officers deputed to hang him had hanged him regardless, immediately the rope from which he was hanging broke and he fell to the ground, half-dead. When they had hanged him again, in a short time the transverse beam of the gallows snapped in the middle and he fell to the ground, dead at that time, as they said. Nevertheless, the officers hoisted a rope to one post of the gallows and cruelly hanged him for a third time and waited around him, with a great crowd of people, until they were absolutely certain of his death. Then everyone went home, leaving him hanging on the gallows. Afterwards, the relatives of the hanged man came to the lord and sought leave to take down his corpse and bury it. This was granted and he was taken down and carried to the grave. When they had begun to bury him, suddenly, to the amazement of all he revived, pulled in his hands and feet and began to speak. When he was asked by many of them how he had revived, he answered clearly and distinctly, ‘I confess that my life has been restored to me by God on high through the merits of the holy bishop Thomas de Cantilupe.’ When they heard this, all who were present at this sight gave most devout thanks to God and his servant.
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[1290] Item. On the fourth nones of November [2 December], the nobleman lord William de Briouze and his wife, with his household [and] in the presence of many, came to the tomb of the man of God. They showed through many trustworthy witnesses that a certain youth William Cragh of Gower in the land and lordship of this lord had been justly condemned to be hanged on the sixth kalends of December [26 November] and that, when he heard this, the young man devoutly sought refuge in the help of God’s servant. He prayed that he would seek for him from God on high a longer space of time to do penance and reform his ways and he had a penny bent to God’s servant. Behold! When the officers deputed to hang him had hanged him regardless, immediately the rope from which he was hanging broke and he fell to the ground, half-dead. When they had hanged him again, in a short time the transverse beam of the gallows snapped in the middle and he fell to the ground, dead at that time, as they said. Nevertheless, the officers hoisted a rope to one post of the gallows and cruelly hanged him for a third time and waited around him, with a great crowd of people, until they were absolutely certain of his death. Then everyone went home, leaving him hanging on the gallows. Afterwards, the relatives of the hanged man came to the lord and sought leave to take down his corpse and bury it. This was granted and he was taken down and carried to the grave. When they had begun to bury him, suddenly, to the amazement of all he revived, pulled in his hands and feet and began to speak. When he was asked by many of them how he had revived, he answered clearly and distinctly, ‘I confess that my life has been restored to me by God on high through the merits of the holy bishop Thomas de Cantilupe.’ When they heard this, all who were present at this sight gave most devout thanks to God and his servant.
