The church-history of Brittany from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman conquest under Roman governours, Brittish kings, the English-Saxon heptarchy, the English-Saxon (and Danish) monarchy ... : from all which is evidently demonstrated that the present Roman Catholick religion hath from the beginning, without interruption or change been professed in this our island, &c. / by R.F., S. Cressy of the Holy Order of S. Benedict.

* 1.1XXIII. CHAP.

1.2. The Plague in Ireland.

3.4. &c. The Gests of S. Egbert a Saxon Preist: He reduces the Scotts to Catholick conformity: his death.

1. THere are severall other Saints com∣memorated in our Martyrologe, whose death is assigned to this year, as the two Royall Martyrs Ethel••ed and Ethelbert, Sons of Wulfere King of the Mercians▪ of whom we have already treated, demonstrating that their Martyrdom could not fall so late. Like∣wise two Royall Virgins, S. Mildreda and Saint Milburga, Neices of the same King by his Brother Merevald, of whom we shall treat more commodiously hereafter.

2. Following therefore the progresse of this Pestilence, it will lead us into Ireland, were we shall find matter proper for our present Subiect, and related by S. Beda, in the manner following. The same killing infe∣ction, faith he,* 1.2 with equall destruction raged in Ireland. Now there were at that time in the same Island many persons both of noble extraction and meaner state, who in the times of Finan and Col∣man Bishops, leaving their native countrey, re∣tired thither, some to gain instruction, and others to attend to their Spirituall Exercises and Morti∣fication. Severall of them therefore undertook a Monasticall Profession: and not a few going from Cell to Cell where learned Masters inhabited, ad∣dicted themselves to Reading and Study. All these were freely and with a good will entertained by the Scotts, who afforded them upon free cost both dayly nourishment, books to read, and instru∣ction likewise.

3. Among these there were two Noble young men of vertuous and towardly disposition: Their names were Edelhum and Egbert. The former of these was Brother of Edilhum or Ethelwin▪ a man of great Sanctity, who likewise the year following went into Ireland to enrich his mind with lear∣ning: and being well instructed, returned into his Native countrey, Brittany, where he was ordained Bishop of Lindisse; or Lindesfare, and worthy go∣verned that Church many years: (of whom we shall treat more at large hereafter.)

4. The said two young men being in a Monaste∣ry; which the Scotts (or Irish) call Rathmesige, where all their companions were either taken out of the world by the infection, or dispersed in other places, they likewise both of them were struck with the same disease, and greivously affected. And of these two, Egbert (as a certain grave and sincere Preist, who professed that he heard it from Egbert himself, assured mee) beleiving that he should not escape, went one morning out of the In∣firmary into a retired place, where ••itting alone, he began seriously to call to mind his former actions, and feeling great compunction by the me∣mory of his past sins, he bedewd his face with teares, and from the depth of his soule prayed to Almighty God not to take him out of the world till he had more perfectly performed Pennance for his past negligences and faults committed in his child hood and youth, and till he had more plen∣tifully exercised himself in good works. He made a Vow likewise that he would live all his days a stranger, and never return into Brittany where he was born: likewise that besides the Solemn Canoni∣call Office, he would every day recite the whole Psalter in memory of the Divine praises, and also every week passe one whole day and night in fa∣sting, except he should be hindred by some bodily infirmity.

5. Having concluded his weeping, prayer and Vows, he returned to his Cell, where finding his companion asleep, he likewise layd himself on his bed, and falling into a slumber, he was presently awaked by his companion, who looking earnestly upon him, said,

O Brother Egbert▪ what have you done? I hoped we should both together have gone to heaven: But know▪ that the things thou so earnestly prayed for, are granted thee. For he had learnt by a Vision both the subiect of Egberts prayers, and that God would perform his desires.

In a word, the following night Edelhum died.

6. But Egbert in a short time shaking off the pains of his disease, recovered▪ and lived many years after. He received the degree and Order of Preisthood, which he adorned by many good actions suitable to that Profession, and according to his desire being full of vertue and piety, he a little while since, to witt, in the year of our Lords Incarnation seaven hundred twenty nine, being fourscore and ten years old, went to everla∣sting ioyes.

7. He lead a life with all perfection of Humility, meeknes, continence, simplicity and iustice: In∣somuch as both by the example of his life▪ by his assiduity in teaching, zeale in correcting, and li∣berality in giving what he had received from rich men, he was very beneficiall both to his own countreymen, and also to the Scotts and Picts among whom he lived.

8. He added likewise to his forementioned Vows, this, Of never tasting any thing in Lent but once a day, and then also onely bread, and a small mea∣sure of thin milk. Which milk his custom was to putt the day before in a glasse, and when the night was past, to take off the cream, and drink the rest with a small portion of Bread. The like mea∣sure of abstinence he was w••nt likewise to observe forty days before our Lords Nativity, and as many after Pentecost.

9. This is that S. Egbert who was the first and cheif mover of the glorious design of twelve Apostolicall English Preists to convert certain German Nations our Primitive Ance∣stors

to the Christian Faith, which they under∣took, and in a great measure performed. These were S. Su••bert, S. Willebrord, S. Boniface and the rest of their illustrious companions.* 1.3 S. Egbert was desirous to have ioynd in their labours and dangers, but was miraculously forbidden and hindred, as we shall shew more at large when we come to the season of that Mission. For Almighty God designed him for another employment, which was the reducing of the Scottish Monks and Clergy to a conformity with the Catholick Church in the Celebration of Easter, in Canonicall Ton∣sure and other Rites. How this was effected, S. Beda thus relates:

* 1.410. Not long after, saith he, those Monks also which inhabited the Island of Hy, of the Scottish nation, together with all the Monasteries subiect to them, were by Gods Providence brought to the Catholick Observance of Easter and Canonicall Tonsure. For in the year after our Lords Incarna∣tion seaven hundred and sixteen, in which after that Osred King of the Northumbers was slain, Coe••red governed there, there came to them out of Ireland the holy and Venerable Preist Egbert (of whom we spoke before) and was with great reve∣rence and ioy received by them. He being a very winning Teacher, and moreover one who devoutly practised what he taught, was willingly hearkned to by them all, and by his diligent and pious ex∣hortations changed the inveterate Tradition of their Ancestours: to whom we may apply that saying of the Apostle, That they had a zeale of God, but not according to knowledge: and taught them to celebrate the Prime Christian Solemnity, and to receive the Canonicall Tonsure after the Catholick and Apostolick manner. And herein we may admire the mercifull dispensation of Di∣vine Providence, that the same Nation which for∣merly had with great willingnes communicated to our Ancestours the Light of Divine knowledge, should afterward by our English Nation be brought to a perfect form of living, in things whereof they were formerly ignorant. As on the other side, the Brittains, who refused to communi∣cate to the English the knowledge of the Christian Faith, now that the same English were perfectly instructed in the Rule of Christianity, yet they re∣maind in their inveterate Errours, and celebra∣ted Christian Solemnities and Rites in a manner different and opposite to the Vniversal Church.

11. Now the said Monks of Hy by the teaching of Egbert received the Catholick Rites when Dunchad (the tenth from S. Columba) was Abbot of that Monastery, and about fourscore years after they had sent Aidan to preach the Gospell to the English Nation. The man of God Egbert remaind thirteen years in the said Island, which he had consecrated as it were anew to our Lord, by bringing among them the Spirit of Chri∣stian communion and peace.

12. At length in the year of our Lords Incar∣nation seven hundred twenty nine, in which the Paschall Solemnity fell on the eighth before the Calend•• of May,* 1.5 when he had solemnly celebrated Masse in Memory of the said Resurrection of our Lord, the same day he likewise went to heaven, and there in the Society of our Lord and his Apo∣stles finished the ioy of that highest Festivity, which he had begun on earth with his Brethren whom he had converted to Vnity: Yea now he never ceases to celebrate it without end.

13. And truly it was a wonderfull dispensation of the Divine Providence, that this Venerable man not only passed out of this world to the Eter∣nal Father upon the Paschal Feast, but when that Feast was celebrated aright on such a day, as it never had been before in those places. This was great ioy to the Monks that they were arrived to the certain Catholick time of that Feast, and that they were assured to enioy the Protection of the same Venerable Father by whom they were recti∣fied. And it was a ioy to him that he was preser∣ved alive till he might see his Disciples solem∣nise that day together with him, which formerly they had always avoyded. Thus being assured of their amendment, the most Reverend Father exulted to see that day of our Lord: he saw it, and was glad. Thus happily he dyed, and both in the Roman and other Martyrologes his name is recited among the Saint on the four and twentieth of April.* 1.6

Notes

• * 1.1

  XXIII. C.
• * 1.2

  Bed. l. 3. c. 27.
• * 1.3

  See l.
• * 1.4

  Bed l. 5. c. 2▪
• * 1.5

  Id. ib.
• * 1.6

  Martyrolog. Angl. 14. April.