Then paufing awhile, the faid again, If it canpoffibly be to day, I beg the Delay may not be long. And holding her Peace a fhort while, the concluded thus, If it is pofitively fo decreed, and the Refolution cannot be alter'd, I beg that it may be no longer deferr'd than this next Night. Having fo faid, and being ask'd by thofe about her, to whom she talk'd, With my most dear Mother Ethilburg, said she. By which they understod, that she was come to acquaint her, that the Time of her Departure was at hand. For, as fhe had defir'd, after one Day and Night, being deliver'd from the Bonds of the Flesh and her Infirmity, the enter'd the Joys of eternal Sal

vation.

CHAP. X.

How a blind Woman praying in the Buryal Place of that Monaftery, was reftor'd to her Sight.

ILDELID, the devout Servant of God

Hucceeded Ethilburga in the Office of Ab

befs, and prefided over that Monastery many Years, that is, to a very great Age, with extraordinary Conduct, in the Obfervance of regular Difcipline, and in the Care of providing all Things for the publick Ufe, She by reafon of the Streightnefs of the Place where the Monaftery is built, having thought fit that the Bones of the Male and Female Servants of CHRIST, which had been there bury'd, should

be

be taken up, and all of them tranflated into the Church of the Bleffed Mother of God, and interr'd in one Place; whofoever will read it, may find in the Book from which we have gather'd thefe Things, how often a Brightness of Heavenly Light was feen there, and a Fragrancy of wonderful Odour fmelt, and what other Miracles wrought. However, I think it by no means fit to pass by the miraculous Cure, which the fame Book informs us was wrought at that Buryal Place of the Congregation de dicated to God. There liv'd in that Neigh bourhood a certain Earl, whofe Wife being feiz'd with a Dimness in her Eyes, at length the fame daily increafing, came to fuch an height, that she could not fee the least Glimpse of Light. Having continu'd fome Time confind under this Night of Darkness, on a fudden fhe bethought herself that he might recover her loft Sight, if being carry'd to the Monaftery of the Nuns, fhe fhould pray there for the fame, at the Relicks of the Saints. Nor did the lofe any Time in performing what she had thought of; for being conducted by her Maids to the Monaftery, which was very near, profeffing that fhe had perfect Faith that fhe fhould be there heal'd, he was led into the buryal Place. And having long pray'd there on her Knees, did not fail to be heard; for rifing from Prayer, before fhe went out of the Place, the receiv'd the Grace of defir'd Sight; and having been led thither by her Servants, return'd home joyfully without Help; as if fhe had loft her Sight to no other End, than that fie might make it appear, how great

Light the Saints enjoy'd in Heaven, and how great the Power of their Virtue was.

CHA P. XI.

How Sebbi King of that fame Province ended bis Life in Monaftical Converfation.

A

T that Time, as the fame little Book informs us, Sebbi, a Man much devoted to God, of whom mention has been made above, govern'd the Kingdom of the Eaft-Saxons. He was much addicted to religious Actions, frequent Prayer, and pious Alms; preferring a private and Monaftical Life before all the Wealth and Honours of his Kingdom, which fort of Life he would also long before have undertaken, had not the pofitive Temper of his Wife refus'd to be divorc'd from him; for which reafon many were of Opinion, (as has been often faid,) that a Perfon of fuch a Difpofition ought rather to have been made a Bishop than a King. When he had been thirty Years a King, as a Soldier of the Heavenly Kingdom, he fell into a violent Sickness, of which he dy'd, and admonish'd his Wife, that they should then at least jointly devote themselves to the Service of God, fince they could no longer enjoy, or rather ferve the World. Having with much Difficulty obtain'd this of her, he repair'd to Waldhere, Bishop of the City of London,

who had fucceeded a Erconwald, and with his Bleffing receiv'd the Habit of Religion, which he had long defir'd. He also carry'd to him a confiderable Sum of Mony, to be bestow'd on the Poor, referving nothing for himself, but rather coveting to remain poor in Spirit for the fake of the Kingdom of Heaven. When, the aforefaid Diftemper increafing upon him, he perceiv'd the Day of his Death to draw near, being a Man of a Royal Difpofition, he began to apprehend, left Death coming on, when under fo much Pain, he might be guilty of any Thing unworthy of his Perfon, either in Words, or any Motion of his Limbs. Wherefore calling to him the aforefaid Bishop of the City of London, where he then was, he intreated him that none might be prefent at his Death, beside the Bifhop himself, and two of his Attendants. The Bishop having promis'd, that he would most willingly perform the fame; not long after, that Man of God having compos'd himself to fleep, faw a comforting Vifion, which took from him all Anxiety for the aforefaid Uneafinefs; and moreover fhow'd him on what Day he was to depart this Life. For, as he afterwards related himself, he saw three Men in bright Garments come to him; one of whom fitting down before his Bed, the other Companions he had brought with him, standing

and

and enquiring about the State of the fick Man they came to fee, he told them, That his Soul fhould depart his Body without any Pain, and with a great Splendor of Light; and declar'd that he fhould die the third Day after; both which Particulars hapned, as he had been inform'd by the Vision; for on the third Day after, on a fudden falling as it were into a Slumber, he breath'd out his Soul without any Sense or Pain. A ftone Coffin having been provided for burying of his Body, when they came to lay it in the fame, they found his Body a Span longer than the Coffin. Hereupon hewing the Stone, they made the Coffin about two Fingers longer; but neither would it then contain the Body. This Difficulty of entombing him, occurring, they had Thoughts either to get another Coffin, or elfe, to fhorten the Body, by bending it at the Knees, if they could. But a wonderful Accident, and which was only owing to Heaven, prevented the executing of either of those Designs; for on a sudden, in the Prefence of the Bishop, a Monk, and the fame King's Son, Sighard, who reign'd after him, with his Brother Suefred, and a confiderable Number of Men, that fame Coffin was found to answer the Length of the Body, infomuch that a Pillow might also be put in at the Head; but at the Feet the Coffin was four Fingers longer than the Body. He was bury'd in the Church of the Bleffed b Apostle of the Gentils, by whose Instructions he had learnt to hope for Heavenly Things.

to This Tomb was to be seen in St. Paul's till the Conflagration in 1666.

X 2

CHAP.