A Mirror of Faith :: :: University of Virginia Library

Saint Wulfstan stands at Westminster,
before the Bastard's throne;
The tyrant will have Worcester
for a minion of his own:
So accusations, false as hell,
upon his head they lay,
And men of Belial stand to swear
his name and fame away.

Then out and spake King William:
“Now lay the Mitre down;
By good Saint Luke, 'twere rashly done
to match it with the Crown.

The Bishop's crook may serve his turn
to rule his silly sheep,
But to clash it with the sceptre
will make the Bishop weep.”

Then out and spake Saint Wulfstan:
“God aid me in my need!
The Helper of the helpless
my righteous judgment plead!
From good Saint Edward I received
the staff that is thine aim;
To Saint Edward I will therefore
again restore the same.

At the Confessor's shrine he stands:
“O Holy King, to thee
I yield the staff thou gav'st me once,
and now they seek from me.
Lo! there it lieth, lordlings,
ye may take it from the spot:
Saint Edward, if him list, shall yield
the thing that I will not.”

He struck his staff upon the shrine:
it rooted in the stone;
And not a hand in all that band
can bear it off alone.
Then knights and thanes together
try all with might and main;
But only he that set it there
can pluck it forth again.

Thus God made clear His servant's cause,
and did the helpless right,
Confounding those his enemies,
and vanquishing their spite.
—As ill fall those would late have made
old Sodor's glory bow,
As ill fall those would do the same
to holy Bangor now!