Places is on the Bank of the River Pante, the other on the Bank of Thames, where gathering a Flock of Servants of CHRIST, he taught them to obferve the Discipline of regular Life, as far as thofe rude People were then capable. When the Institution of Heavenly Life for a confiderable Time advane'd there, to the Joy of the King and of all the People, it hapen'd that the King, at the Inftigation of the Ene my of all good Men, was murder'd by his own Kindred. They were two Brothers who did this wicked Deed; and being ask'd, What had mov'd them to it, had nothing else to answer, but that they had been incens'd against the King, and hated him, because he was too apt to Spare his Enemies, and eafily to forgive the Wrongs they had done him, upon their Intreaty. Such was the Crime for which the King was kill'd, viz. that he obferv'd the Evangelical Precepts with a devout Heart; in which innocent Death of his, however his true Offence was punish'd; according to the Prediction of the Man of God. For one of thofe Earls that murder'd him was unlawfully marry'd, which the Bifhop not being able to obftruct or amend, he excommunicated him and commanded all that would give ear to him, not to enter within his House, nor to eat of his Meat. The King made flight of this Inhibition, and being invited by the Earl, went to an Entertainment at his House, and when he was going thence, the Bishop met him. The King beholding him, immediately difmounted from his Horfe, trembling, and fell down at his Feet, begging Pardon for his Offence, for the Bifhop, who was likewife a Horfeback, had also alighted. Be

ing much incens'd, he touch'd the King lying in that humble Pofture, with the Rod he held in his Hand, and ufing his Pontifical Authority, fpoke thus, I fay to you, for as much as you would not refrain from the House of that wicked and condemn'd Perfon, you shall die in that very Houfe. Yet it is to believ'd, that fuch a Death of a religious Man did not only blot out his Offence, but alfo added to his Merit; because it hapned on a pious Account, being the observing of the Commands of CHRIST. Sigbercht was fucceeded in the Kingdom by Suidhelm; the Son of Sexbald, who was baptiz'd by the fame Cedd, in the Province of the East-Angles, at the King's Country Seat, call'd Rendlesham, that is, Rendili Manfion; and Ethilwald, King of that Nation of the Eaft-Angles, Brother to Anna, King of the fame People was his Godfather.

C

In Suffolk, Bede tells it takes its Name from the Owner, of which the Royal Paraphraser takes no Notice.

CHAP,

J

CHA P. XXIII.

The aforefaid Bishop Cedd, having a Placé given him by King Ethilwald, confecrated the fame to our Lord with Prayer and Fafting, and of his Death

HE fame Man of God, whilft he per form'd the Function of a Bishop among the Eaft-Saxons, was alfo wont feveral Times to vifit his own, that is, the Country of the Northumbrians, to make Exhortations. Ethilwald, the Son of King Ofwald, who reign'd among the Deiri, finding him an holy wife and good Man, he defir'd him to accept of fome Poffeffion of Land to build a Monaftery, to which the King himself might fre quently refort, to offer his Prayers to our Lord, and hear the Word, and be bury'd in it when he dy'd ; for he faithfully believ'd that he should receive much Benefit by the Prayers of thofe, who were to, ferve God in that Place. The King had before with him a Brother of the fame Bishop, call'd Celin, a Man no lefs devoted to God, who, being a Priest, was wont to adminifter to him the Word and the Sacraments of the Faith; by whofe means he chiefly came to know and love the Bishop. That Prelate therefore complying with the King's Defires, chofe himself a Place to build a Monaftery among the craggy and remote Moun

tains; which look'd more like the lurking Pla ces for Robbers and Retreats for wild Beafts, than Habitations for Men ; to the end, that pursuant to the Prophecy of Ifaias, In the Ha-Ifa. 35. 7. bitation of Dragons, where each lay, might be Grafs with Reeds and Rushes; that is, that the Fruits of good Works fhould fpring up, where before Beasts were wont to dwell, or Men to live after a beaftly manner. The Man of God defiring firft to cleanfe the Place for the Monaftery from former Crimes, by Prayer and Fafting, that it might be acceptable to our Lord, and fo to lay the Foundations; he requested of the King that he would give him leave to refide there all the approaching Time of Lent, to attend to Prayer. All which Days, excepting Sundays, obferving the Faft till the Evening, according to Cuftom, he then took no other Suftenance but a very little Bread, and one Hen Egg, with a little Milk mix'd with WaFor this he faid was the Cuftom of thofe of whom he had learnt the Rule of regular Difcipline; first to confecrate to our Lord by Prayer and Fafting, the Places they had newly receiv'd for building a Monaftery or a Church. When there were ten Days of Lent ftill remain-! ing, there came a Meflenger to call him to the King; and he, that the religious Work might not be intermitted, on Account of the King's Affairs, intreated his Prieft Cynebil, who was also his own Brother, to compleat that which had been piously begun. Cynebil readily complying, when the Time of Fasting and Prayer was over, he there built the Monaftery, which is now call'd Leftinghae, and form'd it in religious

ter.

R

Suppos'd to be near Whitby in Yorkshire.

ligious Customs, according to the manner of Lindisfarn, where they had been educated. Gedd for many Years having Charge of the Bifhoprick in the aforefaid Province, and taking care of this Monaftery, over which he had plac'd Superiors, it hapned that the coming to the fame at a Time when there was a Mortality, fell there fick and dy'd. He was first buried without, but in Process of Time, a Church was built of Stone in the Monaftery, in the Honour of the Mother of God, and his Body interr'd in the fame, on the Right Hand of the Altar. The Bifhop left the Monastery to be govern'd after him by his Brother Ceadda, who was afterwards made Bishop, as fhall be faid in its Place. For the four Brothers we have mention'd, viz. Cedd and Cinebil, Celin and Ceadda, which is rare to be met with, were all renowned Priefts of our Lord, and two of them alfo arriv'd to be Bifhops. When the Brethren, who were in his Monaftery, in the Province of the Eaft Saxons, heard that the Bishop was dead in the Province of the Northumbrians; about thirty Men of that Monaftery came thither, being defirous either to live near the Body of their Father, if it should pleafe God, or to be bury'd there when dead. They being lovingly receiv'd by their Brethren, and Fellow Soldiers in CHRIST, all of them dy'd there, fnatch'd away by the aforefaid Pe-ftilence, excepting one little Boy, known to have been deliver'd from Death by his Father's Prayers. For he living very long after, and applying himself to the reading of facred Writ, was at length inform'd, that he had not been regenerated by the Water of Baptifm, and be-

A