the week, with the Jews', but on the Lord's day from the fourteenth day of the moon unto the twentieth, on account of his belief, to wit, in the Lord's resurrection, which he believed took place on the first day of the week, and on account of the hope of our resurrection, which he, with holy Church, believed would take place on the same first day of the week, which is now truly called the Lord's day.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Concerning the life and death of the religious king Sigberct. AT this time, after Eorpwald, the successor of Redwald, Sigberct his brother 2 ruled the kingdom of the East Angles, a good and religious man, who previously in Gaul, whilst he was living in exile to avoid the enmity of Redwald, received the washing of baptism, and, having returned to his country, when he obtained the kingdom, being desirous to imitate those things which he had seen well ordered in Gaul, founded a school in which boys might be instructed in letters; Bishop Felix, whom he had received from Kent, assisting him, and affording them pedagogues and masters, after the manner of the Kentish people *.

And so great a lover of the heavenly kingdom did that

1 It is remarkable that Christ kept the Feast of the Passover on Thursday, the Jewish High Priest on Friday.

2 Brother on the mother's side.

3 Most of the historians say that he founded schools per loca,' ' opportunis locis.' Gaul was always famous for its schools. This school has been claimed by some as the origin of the University of Cambridge.

+ It is probable that Augustine founded schools in Kent.

king become, that at last, having left the affairs of his kingdom and entrusted them to his kinsman Ecgrice, who also before this held a part of the same kingdom, he entered a monastery1 which he had built for himself, and having received the tonsure, took more care to war for an eternal kingdom. Which when he had done for a long time, it happened that the nation of the Mercians, under King Penda, went to war against the East Angles, who when they found themselves inferior to the enemy in war, asked Sigberct to go with them to battle to encourage the soldiers. He being unwilling and refusing, they took him against his will out of the monastery, and brought him to the conflict, hoping that the minds of the soldiers would waver less, and be less able to think of flight, in the presence of one who was formerly a most strenuous and noted leader. But he, being not unmindful of his profession, whilst he was engirt with a most excellent army, would hold nothing in his hand but a rod, and was killed together with King Ecgrice; and the pagans pressing on, their whole army was either slain or dispersed.

Moreover, Anna, the son of Eni, of the royal blood2, a most excellent man, and the father of a most excellent offspring, concerning whom I shall hereafter speak in their time, became their successor in the kingdom, who himself

1 Thomas of Ely in his Life of St. Etheldrith, Betrychesworde, quod nunc S. Edmundum appellant.' Now Bury St. Edmund's.

2 Florence says that Eni was Redwald's brother. He gives A.D. 636 as the year of Anna's accession.

3 Sexburga abbess of Ely, Ethelburga abbess of Brie, Etheldritha abbess of Ely, Milburga nun of Ely, Sæthrytha abbess of Brie, and Witberga nun of Ely, were daughters of Anna. He had two sons, Aldwulf and Jurmin.

also was afterwards killed by the same pagan leader of the Mercians, by whom his predecessor was slain.

CHAPTER XIX.

How Furseus built a monastery among the East Angles, and concerning his visions and sanctity, to which also his flesh remaining uncorrupted after death, gave testimony.

BUT whilst Sigberct still held the government of the kingdom, there came a holy man from Ireland, by name Furseus 1, famous for his words and actions, and remarkable for peculiar virtues, being desirous to spend his life abroad for the Lord wheresoever he found an opportunity. When he had come to the province of the East Angles, he was received honourably by the aforesaid king, and following up his usual work of preaching the Gospel, converted many unbelievers to Christ both by the example of his virtue and the incentive of his discourse, and confirmed more fully in the faith and love of Christ those who already believed.

Where, having been seized by some infirmity of body, he had the privilege of enjoying an angelic vision, in which he was admonished sedulously to persist in the ministry of the Word which he had begun, and unweariedly to apply himself to his accustomed watchings and prayers, because his death was certain, but the hour of it uncertain, the Lord

1 Jonas of Bobbio wrote a Life of Furseus, who came to England about A.D. 633, returned to France about a.d. 648, and died a.D. 650, at Mazières in Poitou. He founded two monasteries, one at Peronne, where he was buried (Gall. Christ. ix. 1035), and one at Latiniacum or Lezigny (Ib. vii. 490).

saying, Watch, therefore, because ye know not the day nor the hour1.' Being confirmed by which vision, he took care to build with all speed a monastery upon a piece of ground which he had received from the aforesaid King Sigberct, and to establish it with regular discipline. Moreover, the monastery was among woods, and pleasant by reason of the nearness of the sea, being built in a certain fortified place, which in the tongue of the Angles is called Cnobheresburg, that is, Cnobhere's Town 2, which afterwards Anna, the king of that province, and certain of his nobles, enriched with more extensive buildings and endowments. Moreover, this man was of a most noble family of the Scots, but by far nobler in the mind than in the flesh. From the time of his boyhood he gave no small attention to sacred readings and monastic discipline, and, as chiefly becomes saints, he took care diligently to do all that he had learnt ought to be done.

What need of many words? In process of time he built for himself a monastery, in which he might more freely give his time to heavenly studies. There, being seized by illness, as the book written concerning his life fully informs us, he was snatched from the body, and from evening unto cockcrowing, being apart from the body, he had the privilege of beholding the countenances of the angelic hosts and hearing their blessed praises. Moreover, he was wont to relate that among other things he clearly heard them repeating, The saints shall proceed from virtue to virtue;' and again, ‘The God

1 Matt. xxiv. 42.

2 Now Burghcastle, at the confluence of the rivers Yare and Waveney in Suffolk. Supposed to be the same as the Roman Garianonum on the Garienis. Camden, ii. 157.

of gods shall be seen in Sion.' And having been brought back to the body, he was on the third day again taken from it, and saw not only the greater joys of the blessed, but also very great conflicts of malignant spirits, who pressing upon him with many accusations, endeavoured to exclude him from the celestial way; nevertheless, they availed nothing, since the angels protected him. Concerning all which things, if any one wishes to know more fully, that is, with how great subtlety of craft the demons recounted his acts and idle words, and even his very thoughts, as if they had been written down in a book-what things whether joyful or sad he learnt from the holy angels, what things from the just men who appeared to him among the angels-let him read that book of his life concerning which I have spoken, and, as I feel sure, he will receive much spiritual benefit from it.

Amongst which things, however, there is one which I have thought it would be useful to many to insert in this History. When, then, he was carried on high, he was bidden by the angels who were conducting him to look back on the world. And he, turning his eyes downward, saw, as it were, a darksome valley situated in the lowest depth beneath him. He saw also four fires in the air, at no great distance from each other. And asking the angels what these fires were, he heard that these were the fires which should inflame and consume the world: one of falsehood, because we do not fulfil that which we promised in our baptism, to renounce Satan and all his works; another of cupidity, because we prefer the riches of the world to the love of heavenly things; a third of dissension, because we fear not to offend the minds of our neighbours even in unimportant things; a