People gathered outside the new cathedral to take part in the translation ceremony and, to catch a glimpse of the saint and the crowd became so dense that the procession of Cuthbert’s coffin perambulated around the edifice with great difficulty. Meanwhile, Bishop Ranulf preached a sermon on resurrection, at last proclaiming the incorruption of the saint’s body. Exactly four hundred and eighteen years had passed, he explained, since Cuthbert’s death. With a dramatic flourish, the bishop held up the hermit’s copy of St John’s Gospel and Kenrick thrilled to see the brilliant leather-working of his distant ancestor, Aella.
Prior Thurgot leant and whispered into his sub-prior’s ear.
“This sermon is mostly irrelevant to this occasion and he’s droning on endlessly.”
“Ay, that he is, said Aldwi
