Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

IMMA'S CHAINS. " 77
has to relate on the subject. In 679 King Egfrid
of Xorthumbria was at war with ^Edilfrid, King of
Mercia. In the battle which was fought between
them, Imma, a young noble of Northumbria, remained
wounded on the field. He lay for a day and
a night amongst the slain. At last he came to him-
self, bound up his wounds as best he could, and
managed to get away in the hope of securing friendly
aid. In doing this he was captured by the enemy,
and questioned as to his identity. Fearing to betray
himself, he pretended to be a poor peasant, and that
his wife was following the army in order to pick up
a living. This story was believed by King
general, who received him into * his house, and dressed
his wounds. When Imma began to recover, the
general or earl, as Bede calls him, ordered that to
prevent his escape by night he was to be chained to
the >pot. But some hidden power wras at work.
o sooner had those who bound him departed, than
his chains fell off.
In the meantime, Imma's brother, Tunna, who
was abbot at a place in the neighbourhood, came to
search for his brother on the battle-field. He found
.-i corpse which he believed to be that of Imma from
its remarkable likeness to him, and took it reverently
to his monastery. Then, after the last rites had
been performed, he offered up frequent masses for
the departed soul. We are told that God receives
all prayers for the dead per inodum suffragii. Tun-
na's masses were applied to his living brother : they