These ancient manuscripts have afforded us much of our knowledge of the world’s history.

William of Malmesbury, to whose patient care we are indebted for the story of St. Swithin, was a monk in the monastery of Malmesbury, a town in England, about fifty miles from Stratford-on-Avon where Shakespeare was born.  It is situated on the Lower Avon, a branch of the same river which flows through Stratford.

William was librarian of the monastery of Malmesbury, and was also a noted historian.  He was born in 1095, and died in 1142.

His “History of the English Kings” and “Modern History” have formed the foundation of the later histories of England that have been written.

William also wrote several other books telling the history of his church, and it is in one of these that the story of St. Swithin is found.

In those days the people were very superstitious, and believed in signs and wonders, and frightened themselves silly with every strange noise or unusual occurrence, for everything that occurred was supposed to be a sign that something was going to happen.

According to the record of William of Malmesbury, Swithin was a great scholar in his day, and was chosen by King Ethelwulf as the tutor of his son Alfred.  This was the Alfred who afterward became Alfred the Great.  He was the king who was scolded by the old woman for burning the cakes.

When Alfred came to the throne he made his old tutor bishop of Winchester, and Swithin became a very great man indeed.

In spite of his greatness he was a very modest man, and did not care for pomp or show.

When he died he left strict instructions to the monks of Winchester, that he was to be buried in a “vile and unworthy place,” outside the monastery.

The monks obeyed his wishes.

The fame and piety of this good man lived after him, and when many years had passed, and the memory of his dying wishes had grown fainter, the monks determined to adopt the good Swithin as their patron saint, and give him a magnificent resting-place inside the cathedral.

Some of the older monks protested, but their objections were overruled, and a day was set apart for transferring the good man’s bones to their new resting-place.

According to William of Malmesbury this act was performed on July 15th, and St. Swithin’s bones were no sooner lifted from their humble resting-place than the most awful storm of rain that England had ever known burst over the country.  For forty days it rained without ceasing, until another flood was feared.

The monks were terribly frightened, and expressed great sorrow for the mischief they had done, but they did not give up their prize.  The bones of St. Swithin were kept in Winchester Cathedral, rain or no rain.

Ever since then, according to the same chronicler, if it rained on the 15th of July, or St. Swithin’s day, it was sure to rain every day for forty days.