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Chap. VI.
ST. NIELS.
89
The thief had come from Horsens, and intended to return
immediately; but he wandered all night, and at dawn
he met a priest, who told him he was still in the
churchyard of St. Olaf, never having left the same spot. But
when he had confessed his sin, and given back the silver
eyes, he found easily his way back to Horsens. Numerous
and marvellous are the miracles related to have been
worked in the name of this holy man—the only, I
may say, respectable, well-conducted saint of the Danish
calendar, and great were the riches deposited by the
grateful pilgrims in his coffers. Valdemar II., not
overparticular, coolly emptied this coffer from time to time,
taking possession of all that was valuable, money, silver
eyes and ears, &c., leaving those of wax and baser metal
to the saint as his portion. The King declared to the
priests who remonstrated, that, as St. Niels was of his
own blood, he became by law his rightful heir, and that
they should share and share alike.
Well, matters went on prosperously: the shrine
became richly endowed notwithstanding his cousin’s
peculations, when, in the reign of Erik Glipping, the
clergy, fearing that the perfume from his tomb, as well
as the riches of his shrine, might attract the cupidity
of Marsk Stig and his robber band from the isle of
Hjelm, which lies not far from Aarhuus, determined to
remove his shrine to the cathedral church. But the
saint was greatly incensed at this conduct, and from
that time he has wrought no more miracles; all the
sweet odour from his bones vanished, and never returned,
notwithstanding, to appease his wrath, the Bishop wrote
to Rome to request the Pope to canonise him, which
prayer was granted. Such is the legend of St. Niels,
patron saint of Aarhuus.
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