which had always been most friendly to the English; infomuch that their hoftile Rage spar'd not even the Churches or Monafteries. Those Islanders, to the utmost of their Power, repell'd Force with Force, and imploring the Assistance of the Divine Mercy, long pray'd continually to be reveng'd; and tho such as curse cannot posless the Kingdom of God, it is believ'd, that those who were justly cursed on Account of their Impiety, did foon fuffer the Penalty of their Guilt from the avenging Hand of God; for the very next Year, that fame King, rafhly leading his Army to ravage the Province of the Picts, much against the Advice of his Friends, and particularly of Cuthbert of blessed Memory, who had been lately ordain'd Bishop; the Enemy making shew as if they fled, that King was drawn into the Streights of inaccessible Mountains, and flain, with the greatest Part of the Forces he had led on, in the 40th Year of his Age, and the 15th of his Reign, on the 13th of the Kalends of June. His Friends, as has been said, advis'd him not to engage in this War; but he having the Year before refus'd to give ear to the most Reverend Father, Ecgbert, advising him not to infeft the Scots, who did him no harm, it was laid upon him as a Punishment for his Sin, that he should not now regard those, who would have prevented his Death. From that Time the Hopes and Strength of the English Crown began to waver, and go retrograde; for the Pills recover'd their own Lands which had been held by the English and the Scots, that were in Britain, and fome of the Britons their Liberty, which they

have still enjoy'd for about 46 Years past. Among the many of the English Nation that then either fell by the Sword, or were made Slaves, or that escap'd by Flight out of the Country of the Pitts, the most Reverend Man of God Trumwin, who had been made Bishop over them, withdrew with his People that were in the Monastery of Ebbercurnig, seated in the Country of the English, but close by the Arm of the Sea, which parts the Lands of the English and the Scots. Having recommended his Followers wheresoever he could to his Friends in the Monafteries, he chose his own Place of Residence in the oft mention'd Monastery of Men and Women Servants of God, at Streaneshalth, and there he for several Years led a Life in all monaftical Austerity, not only to his own, but to the Benefit of many, with a few of his own People; and dying there, he was bury'd in the Church of St. Peter the Apostle with the Honour due to his Life and Rank. The Royal Virgin Elfled, with the Mother Eanfled, abovemention'd, then presided over that Monastery; but the Bishop coming thither, the devout Woman found in him extraordinary Afsistance in Governing, and Comfort to herfelf. Aldfrid fucceeded Ecgfridin the Throne, being a Man most learned in Scripture, faid to be Brother to the other, and Son to King Ofwin. He nobly retriev'd the ruin'd State of the Kingdom, tho within narrower Bounds. The fame Year, being from the Incarnation of our Lord, 685, Lothere, King of Kent, dy'd on the 8th of the Ides of February, when he had Reign'd 12 Years, after his Brother Ecgbert, who had reign'd 9 Years. He was wounded in Battle Aa 4 with

with the South-Saxons, whom Edric, the Son of Ecgberht had rais'd against him, and dy'd in the Dreffing. After him, the same Edric reign'd a Year and an half. He dying, Kings of doubtful Title, or Foreigners, for sometime wasted the Kingdom, till the lawful King, Wichtred, the Son of Ecgberht, being fettled in the Throne, by Religion and Industry, deliver'd his Nation from foreign Invafion.

CHAP. XXVII.

How the Man of God, Cuthbert, was made Bishop and how he liv'd and taught whilst still in a Monaftical Life.

Tarted this Life, ha

HE same Year that King Ecgfrid deas has been faid, promoted to the Bishoprick of the Church of Lindisfarne, the holy and venerable Cuthbert, who had for many Years led a folitary Life, in great Continence of Body and Mind, in a very small Island, call'd Farne, distant almost nine Miles from that same Church in the Ocean. He from his very Childhood had always been inflam'd with the defire of a religious Life; but in his youthful Years, he took upon him the Habit and Name of a Monk. He first enter'd into the Monaftery of Mailros, which is on the Bank of the River Twede, and was then govern'd by the Abbat Eata, a moft meek and simple Man; who was afterwards made Bishop of the Church of Hagulstad or Lindisfarne, as has been faid above; over which Monastery at that Time was plac'd Borfil, a Priest of great Virtue, and a Prophetick Spirit. Cuthbert humbly fubmitting himself to this Man's Direction, from him receiv'd both the Knowof the Holy Scriptures, and Example of good Works. After he departed to our Lord, Cuthbert, was plac'd over that Monastery, where he instructed many in regular Life, both by the Authority of a Master, and the Example of his own Behaviour. Nor did he afford Admonitions and an Example of a Regular Life to his Monastery alone, but endeavour'd to convert the People round about far and near from the Life, of foolish Custom, to the Love of heavenly Joys; for many profan'd the Faith they had receiv'd with wicked Actions, and fome also in the Time of a Mortality, neglecting the Sacraments of Faith they had receiv'd, had recourse to the false Remedies of Idolatry, as if they could have put a Stop to the Plague fent from God, by Enchantments, Spells, or other Secrets of the Hellish Art. In order to correct the Error of both forts, he often went out of the Monastery, sometimes on Horseback, but oftner a Foot, repair'd to the neighbouring Towns, and preach'd the Way of Truth to such as were gone astray; which had been also done by Boisil in his Time. It was then the Custom of the English People, that when a Clerk or Prieft came into the Town, they all, at his Command, flock'd together to hear the Word; willingly heard what was faid, and more willingly practis'd those Things that they could hear or understand. But Cuthbert was so skilful an Orator; fo fond was he of perswading what he taught, and such a Brightness appear'd in his Angelical Face, that no Man present durst prefume to conceal from him the most hidden Secrets of his Heart, but all openly confefs'd what they had done; because they thought the fame could not be conceal'd from him, and wip'd off the Guilt of what they had fo confefs'd with worthy Fruits of Penance, as he commanded. He was wont chiefly to refort to those Places, and preach in such Villages, as being seated in craggy uncouth Mountains at a great Distance, were frightful to others to behold, and whose Poverty and Barbarity render'd them inaccessible to other Teachers; the which nevertheless he, having entirely devoted himself to that pious Labour, did so industriously apply himself to polish with his Doctrine, that when he departed out of his Monastery, he would often stay a Week, fometimes two or three, and sometimes a whole Month before he returned home; continuing among the Mountains to draw that clownish People by his Preaching and Example to heavenly Employments. This venerable Servant of our Lord having thus spent many Years in the Monastery of Maitres, and there become confpicuous by many Miracles, his most Reverend Abbat Eata, remov'd him to the Iffe of Lindisfarn, that he might there also, by the Authority of a Superior and his own Example, instruct the Brethren in the Observation of regular Discipline; for the fame most Reverend Father, then govern'd that Place

i