St. Dunstan

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Archbishop and confessor, and one of the greatestsaints of the Anglo-Saxon Church; b. near Glastonbury on the estate of hisfather, Heorstan, a West Saxon noble. His mother, Cynethryth, awoman of saintly life, wasmiraculously forewarned of thesanctity of the child within her. She was in thechurch of St. Mary on Candleday, when all the lights were suddenly extinguished. Then the candle held by Cynethryth was as suddenly relighted, and all present lit their candles at thismiraculous flame, thus foreshadowing that the boy "would be the minister of eternal light" to theChurch of England. In what year St. Dunstan was born has been much disputed. Osbern, a writer of the late eleventh century, fixes it at "the first year of the reign of King Aethelstan", i.e. 924-5. This date, however, cannot be reconciled with other known dates of St. Dunstan's life and involves many obvious absurdities. It was rejected, therefore, byMabillon andLingard; but on the strength of "twomanuscripts of the Chronicle" and "an entry in an ancient Anglo-Saxon paschal table", Dr. Stubbs argued in its favour, and his conclusions have been very generally accepted. Careful examination, however, of this new evidence reveals all three passages as interpolations of about the period when Osbern was writing, and there seem to be very good reasons for accepting the opinion ofMabillon that thesaint was born long before 925. Probably his birth dates from about the earliest years of the tenth century.

In early youth Dunstan was brought by hisfather and committed to the care of theIrish scholars, who then frequented the desolate sanctuary of Glastonbury. We are told of his childish fervour, of his vision of the greatabbey restored to splendour, of his nearly fatal illness andmiraculous recovery, of the enthusiasm with which he absorbed every kind ofhumanknowledge and of his manual skill. Indeed, throughout his life he was noted for his devotion to learning and for his mastery of many kinds of artistic craftsmanship. With his parent's consent he wastonsured, receivedminor orders and served in the ancientchurch of St. Mary. So well known did he become for devotion of learning that he is said to have have been summoned by his uncle Athelm,Archbishop ofCanterbury, to enter his service. By one of St. Dunstan's earliest biographers we are informed that the young scholar was introduced by his uncle to King Aethelstan, but there must be some mistake here, for Athelm and probably died about 923, and Aethelstan did not come to the throne till the following year. Perhaps there is confusion between Athelm and his successor Wulfhelm. At any rate the young man soon became so great a favourite with the king as to excite theenvy of his kingfolk court. They accused him of studyingheathen literature and magic, and so wrought on the king that St. Dunstan was ordered to leave the court. As he quitted the palace his enemies attacked him, beat him severely, bound him, and threw him into a filthy pit (probably a cesspool), treading him down in the mire. He managed to crawl out and make his way to the house of a friend whence he journeyed to Winchester and entered the service of Bishop Aelfheah the Bald, who was his relative. Thebishop endeavoured to persuade him to become amonk, but St. Dunstan was at firstdoubtful whether he had avocation to acelibate life. But an attack of swelling tumours all over his body, so severe that he thought it wasleprosy, which was perhaps some form of blood-poisoning caused by the treatment to which he had been subjected, changed his mind. He made his profession at the hands of St. Aelfheah, and returned to live the life of ahermit atGlastonbury. Against the oldchurch of St. Mary he built a little cell only five feet long and two and a half feet deep, where he studied and worked at his handicrafts and played on has harp. Here thedevil is said (in a late eleventh legend) to have tempted him and to have been seized by the face with thesaint's tongs.

While Dunstan was living thus atGlastonbury he became the trusted adviser of the Lady Aethelflaed, King Aethelstan's niece, and at her death found himself in control of all her great wealth, which he used in later life to foster and encourage the monastic revival. About the same time hisfather Heorstan died, and St. Dunstan inherited his possessions also. He was now become aperson of much influence, and on the death of King Aethelstan in 940, the new King, Eadmund, summoned him to his court at Cheddar and numbered him among his councillors. Again the royal favour roused against him the jealousy of the courtiers, and they contrived so to enrage the king against him that he bade him depart from the court. There were then at Cheddar certain envoys from the "Eastern Kingdom", by which term may be meant either East Anglia or, as some have argued, the Kingdom of Saxony. To these St. Dunstan applied, imploring them to take him with them when they returned. They agreed to do so, but in the event their assistance was not needed. For, a few days later, the king rode out to hunt the stag in Mendip Forest. He became separated from his attendants and followed a stag at great speed in the direction of the Cheddar cliffs. The stag rushed blindly over the precipice and was followed by the hounds. Eadmund endeavoured vainly to stop his horse; then, seeing death to be imminent, he remembered his harsh treatment of St. Dunstan and promised to make amends if his life was spared. At that moment his horse was stopped on the very edge of the cliff. Giving thanks toGod, he returned forthwith to his palace, called for St. Dunstan and bade him follow, then rode straight to Glastonbury. Entering the church, the king firstknelt inprayer before the altar, then, taking St. Dunstan by the hand, he gave him thekiss of peace, led him to theabbot's throne and, seating him thereon, promised him all assistance in restoring Divine worship and regular observance.

St. Dunstan at once set vigorously to work at these tasks. He had to re-create monastic life and to rebuild theabbey. That it wasBenedictine monasticism which he established atGlastonbury seems certain. It istrue that he had not yet had personal experience of the stricter Benedictinism which had been revived on the Continent at great centres like Cluny and Fleury. Probably, also, much of theBenedictine tradition introduced bySt. Augustine had been lost in thepagan devastations of the ninth century. But that theRule of St. Benedict was the basis of his restoration is not only definitely stated by his first biographer, whoknew thesaint well, but is also in accordance with the nature of his first measures asabbot, with the significance of his first buildings, and with theBenedictine prepossessions and enthusiasm of his most prominent disciples. And the presence of secular clerks as well as ofmonks atGlastonbury seems to be no solid argument against the monastic character of the revival. St. Dunstan's first care was to reerect thechurch of St. Peter, rebuild thecloister, and re-establish themonastic enclosure. The secular affairs of the house were committed to his brother; Wulfric, "so that neither himself nor any of the professedmonks might break enclosure". Aschool for the local youth was founded and soon became the most famous of its time inEngland. But St. Dunstan was not long left in peace. Within two years after the appointment King Eadmund was assassinated (946). His successor, Eadred, appointed theAbbot of Glastonbury guardian of the royal treasure of the realm to his hands. The policy of the government was supported by the queen-mother, Eadgifu, by theprimate, Oda, and by the East Anglian party, at whose head was the great ealddorman, Aethelstan, the "Half-king". It was a policy of unification, of conciliation of theDanish half of the nation, of firm establishment of the royal authority. In ecclesiatical matters it favoured the spread of regular observance, the rebuilding of churches, the moral reform of thesecular clergy andlaity, the extirpation ofheathendom. Against all this ardour of reform was the West-Saxon party, which included most of thesaint's own relations and the Saxon nobles, and which was not entirely disinterested in its preference for established customs. For nine years St. Dunstan's influence was dominant, during which period he twice refused anbishopric (that ofWinchester in 951 and Credition in 953), affirming that he would not leave the king's side so long as he lived and needed him.

In 955 Eadred died, and the situation was at once changed.Eadwig, the elder son of Eadmund, who then came to the throne, was a dissolute and headstrong youth, wholly devoted to the reactionary party and entirely under the influence of two unprincipledwomen. These were Aethelgifu, a lady of high rank, who was perhaps the king's foster-mother, and her daughter Aelfgifu, whom she desired to marry toEadwig. On the day of hiscoronation, in 956, the king abruptly quit the royal feast, in order to enjoy the company of these twowomen. The indignation of the assembled nobles was voiced by Archbishop Oda, who suggested that he should be brought back. None, however, were found bold enough to make the attempt save St. Dunstan and his kinsman Cynesige,Bishop ofLichfield. Entering the royal chamber they foundEadwig with the two harlots, the royal crown thrown carelessly on the ground. They delivered their message, and as the king took no notice, St. Dunstan compelled him to rise and replace his crown on his head, then, sharply rebuking the twowomen, he led him back to the banquet-hall. Aethelgifu determined to be revenged, and left no stone unturned to procure the overthrow of St. Dunstan. Conspiring with the leaders of the West-Saxon party she was soon able to turn his scholars against theabbot and before long inducedEadwig to confiscate all Dunstan'sproperty in her favour. At first Dunstan took refuge with his friends, but they too felt the weight of the king'sanger. Then seeing his life was threatened he fled the realm and crossed over toFlanders, where he found himselfignorant alike of the language and of the customs of the inhabitants. But the ruler ofFlanders, Count Arnulf I, received him withhonour and lodged him in the Abbey of Mont Blandin, near Ghent. This was one of the centres of theBenedictine revival in that country, and St. Dunstan was able for the first time to observe the strict observance that had had its renascence at Cluny at the beginning of the century. But his exile was not of long duration. Before the end of 957 the Mercians and Northumbrians unable no longer to endure the excesses ofEadwig, revolted and drove him out, choosing his brother Eadzar as king of all the country north of the Thames. The south remained faithful toEadwig. At once Eadgar's advisers recalled St. Dunstan, caused Archbishop Oda toconsecrate him abishop, and on the death of Cynewold ofWorcester at the end of 957 appointed thesaint to thatsee. In the following year theSee of London also becamevacant and was conferred on St. Dunstan, who held it in conjunction withWorcester. In October, 959,Eadwig died and his brother was readily accepted as ruler of the West-Saxon kingdom. One of the last acts ofEadwig had been to appoint a successor to Archbishop Oda, who died on 2 June, 958. First he appointed Aelfsige ofWinchester, but he perished of cold in the Alps as he journeyed toRome for thepallium. In his placeEadwig nominated Brithelm,Bishop of Wells. As soon as Eadgar became king he reversed this act on the ground that Brithelm had not been able to govern even his former diocese properly. Thearchbishopric was conferred on St. Dunstan, who went toRome 960 and received thepallium fromPope John XII. We are told that, on his journey thither, thesaint's charities were so lavish as to leave nothing for himself and his attendants. The steward remonstrated, but St. Dunstan merely suggested trust inJesus Christ. That same evening he was offered the hospitality of a neighbouringabbot.

On his return fromRome Dunstan at once regained his position as virtual ruler of the kingdom. By his advice Aelfstan was appointed to the Bishopric ofLondon, and St. Oswald to that ofWorcester. In 963 St. Aethelwold, theAbbot of Abingdon, was appointed to theSee of Winchester. With their aid and with the ready support of King Eadgar, St. Dunstan pushed forward his reforms inChurch and State. Throughout the realm there was good order maintained and respect for law. Trained bands policed the north, a navy guarded the shores fromDanish pirates. There was peace in the kingdom such as had not been known within memory of living man. Monasteries were built, in some of the greatcathedrals ranks took the place of the secular canons; in the rest the canons wereobliged to live according to rule. Theparishpriests were compelled to live chastely and to fit themselves for their office; they were urged to teach parishioners not only thetruths of theCatholicFaith, but also such handicrafts as would improve their position. So for sixteen years the land prospered. In 973 the seal was put on St. Dunstan's statesmanship by the solemncoronation of King Eadgar atBath by the twoArchbishops ofCanterbury and York. It is said that for seven years the king had been forbidden to wear his crown, in penance for violating a virgin living in the care of thenunnery of Wilton. That some severepenance had been laid on him for this act by St. Dunstan is undoubted, but it took place in 961 and Eadgar wore no crown till the great day atBath in 973. Two years after his crowning Eadgar died, and was succeeded by his eldest son Eadward. His accession was disputed by his step-mother, Aelfthryth, who wished her own son Aethelred to reign. But, by the influence of St. Dunstan, Eadward was chosen andcrowned atWinchester. But the death of Eadgar had givencourage to the reactionary party. At once there was an determined attack upon themonks, the protagonists of reform. Throughout Mercia they werepersecuted and deprived of their possessions by Aelfhere, the ealdorman. Their cause, however, was supported by Aethelwine, the ealdorman of East Anglia, and the realm was in serious danger of civilwar. Three meetings of the Witan were held to settle these disputes, at Kyrtlington, at Calne, and at Amesbury. At the second place the floor of the hall (solarium) where the Witan was sitting gave way, and all except St. Dunstan, who clung to a beam, fell into the room below, not a few being killed. In March, 978, King Eadward was assassinated at Corfe Castle, possibly at the instigation of his step-mother, and Aetheled the Redeless became king. Hiscoronation onLow Sunday, 978, was the last action of the state in which St. Dunstsn took part. When the young king took the usualoath to govern well, theprimate addressed him in solemn warning, rebuking the bloody act whereby he became king andprophesying the misfortunes that were shortly to fall on the realm. But Dunstan's influence at court was ended. He retired toCanterbury, where he spent the remainder of his life. Thrice only did he emerge from this retreat: once in 980 when he joined Aelfhere of Mercia in the solemn translation of therelics of King Eadward from their mean grave at Wareham to a splendidtomb at Shaftesbury Abbey; again in 984 when, in obedience to a vision of St. Andrew, he persuaded Aethelred to appoint St. Aelfheah to Winchester in succession to St. Aethelwold; once more in 986, when he induced the king, by a donation of 100 pounds of silver, to desist from hispersecution of theSee of Rochester.

St. Dunstan's life atCanterbury is characteristic; long hours, both day and night, were spent in privateprayer, besides his regular attendance at Mass and the Office. Often he would visit the shrines ofSt. Augustine and St. Ethelbert, and we are told of a vision ofangels who sang to him heavenly canticles. He worked ever for the spiritual and temporal improvement of his people, building and restoring churches, establishingschools, judging suits, defending thewidow and theorphan, promoting peace, enforcing respect for purity. He practised, also, his handicrafts, making bells andorgans and correcting the books in thecathedrallibrary. He encouraged and protected scholars of all lands who came toEngland, and was unwearied as a teacher of the boys in thecathedralschool. There is a sentence in the earliest biography, written by his friend, that shows us the old man sitting among the lads, whom he treated so gently, and telling them stories of his early days and of his forebears. And long after his death we are told of children whoprayed to him for protection against harsher teachers, and whoseprayers were answered. On the vigil ofAscension Day, 988 he was warned by a vision ofangels that he had but three days to live. On the feast itself he pontificated at Mass and preached three times to the people: once at the Gospel, a second time at the benediction (then given after thePater Noster), and a third time after the Agnus Dei. In this last address he announced his impending death and bade them farewell. That afternoon he chose the spot for histomb, then took to his bed. His strength failed rapidly, and on Saturday morning (19 May), after thehymn atMatins, he caused theclergy to assemble.Mass was celebrated in his presence, then he received Extreme Unction and theHoly Viaticum, and expired as he uttered the words of thanksgiving: "He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: He hath given food to them that fear Him." They buried him in hiscathedral; and when that was burnt down in 1074, hisrelics were translated with greathonour byLanfranc to atomb on the south side of thehigh altar in the new church. Themonks of Glastonbury used to claim that during the sack ofCanterbury by the Danes in 1012, thesaint's body had been carried for safety to theirabbey; but this claim was disproved byArchbishop Warham, by whom thetomb atCanterbury was opened in 1508 and theholy relics found. At the Synod ofWinchester in 1029, St. Dunstan's feast was ordered to be kept solemnly throughoutEngland on 19 May. Until his fame was overshadowed by that of St. Thomas the Martyr, he was the favourite saint of the English people. His shrine was destroyed at theReformation. Throughout theMiddle Ages he was the patron of the goldsmiths' guild. He is most often represented holding a pair of smith's tongs; sometimes, in reference to his visions, he is shown with a dove hovering near him, or with a troop ofangels before him.

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