This  incident,  which  might  easily
have  happened  in  a  large  building
with  many  unglazed  windows,
was  represented  as  a  visible
descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and
an  undeniable  demonstration  of


Odo's  sanctity.  Dunstan,  accord-
ingly, never  subsequently  passed
his  tomb  without  a  reverence,
nor  spoke  of  him  but  as  the
good.  This  designation  was
readily  adopted  by  others  ;  and
it  ,had  not  worn  out  in  popular
discourse,  especially  at  Canter-
bury, when  Osbern  wrote.  Had
Odo  been  viewed  by  his  own  age,
as  one  unmanly  outrage  has
made  posterity  view  him,  Dun-
stan's  authority  would  not  have
been  sufficient  for  thus  em-
balming his  memory.
This  archbishop's  name  is  va-
riously written  Odo,  Ocia,  and
Ode.  It  seems  to  be  the  Oddj/  of
modern  English  surnames.
162  FROM    DUNSTAN  [a.D.  959.
during  the  four  years  that  he  reigned.^  He  was,  however,
evidently  quite  unequal  to  the  task  of  curbing  a  society
so  fierce  and  haughty,  as  that  which  owned  allegiance  to
his  crown :  but  this  is  no  very  serious  imputation  upon
the  memory  of  a  sovereign,  who  scarcely  reached  maturity,
and  hastily  embroiled  himself  with  such  men  as  Odo  and
Dunstan.
