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.

XVIII. CHAP.* 1.1

i.2. &c. S. Cathburga Sister to King Ina: builds the Monastery of Winburn. Of her Sister S. Quenburga.

1.* 1.2 TO the year of Grace seaven hundred and thirteen is referred the founda∣tion of a Monastery of Religious Virgins at Winburn in Dorsetshire by S. Cuthburga and S. Quenburga Sisters to Ina King of the West-Saxons. The town where this Monastery was built, had been anciently called Vindoglade, but the Saxons changed the Name into Winburn. It is a Town (saith Camden) seated upon the side of a Hill,* 1.3 and in the Saxons time was very large and populous, and of great renoun. In the year seaven hundred and thirteen Cuthburga a Sister of Ina King of the West-Saxons, who had been maried to the King of the Northumbers, but upon discontent was divorced from him, built here a Monastery of Virgins.

2. The name of the King of Northumbria to whom Saint Cuthburga had been maried, is by Mathew of Westminster call Egfrid, by Florentius, Alfrid: but Chronology in the opi∣nion of F. Alford demonstrates that it was Osred: and the cause of the divorce was the Kings shamefull intemperance: For saith William of Malmsbury,* 1.4 he raigned twelve years and lead a most filthy life, frequently offring violence to consecrated Virgins.

3. Certain indeed it is, that if she built this Monastery presently after her divorce, it must needs be Osred who was her hus∣band: for it was founded in the eighth year of his raign. But Malmsbury, as like∣wise Florentius expressly affirm that King Alfrid was her husband,* 1.5 and Saint Cuth∣burga having promised her Virginity to our Lord, by earnest prayers and teares ob∣tained of him permission to perform her vow: and retired her self into the Mona∣stery of Barking, where she lived under the Discipline of the Holy Abbesse Hildelida.

But afterward (how long afterward is uncer∣tain) she her self became the Mistresse of a Mo∣nastick Rule,* 1.6 and built the Monastery of Winburn, where she spent the remainder of her days in quiet devotion. And this is the more probable, because in the Missal and Breviary of Sarum her Office is prescribed of a Virgin, and the Prayer imports the same. So that it is not likely that so licentious a Prince as Osred would suffer himself to be perswaded to per∣mitt her the accomplishing of her pro∣mise.

4. Here then wee have an example not to be paralleld in all the History of Gods Church, Of three Kings of the same King∣dom, to witt, the Northumbers, almost im∣mediatly succeeding one another, and as some Writers affirm, sons of the same Father, (King Oswy the Brother and Successour of Saint Oswald) who having received three Queens Virgins, were content to dismisse them all untouched. The first was Alcfrid the eldest son, who took to wife Saint Kineburga daughter to King Penda, who by his leave became first a Nunne, then an Abbesse of Dormancester, afterwards called Kineburg-Castle, and now contractedly Caster, about two miles distant from Peterborough. The next Brother, Egfrid who maried Saint Ethel∣reda, who with his consent first took the veyle at Coldingham; then became Abbesse at Ely: And the third this Alfrid (or Osred) who espoused S Cuthburga; and resigned her to her heavenly Bride-groom.

5. Saint Cuthburga having built her Mo∣nastery, and therein a Church to the Queen of Virgins (saith the Authour of her life in Cap∣grave) there macerated her body with almost continuall watchings and fastings.* 1.7 She was hum∣ble both to God and men, and mild to all. Many Virgins she assembled in the same place. She permitted her Body to enioy no rest, but im∣portunatly day and night her Prayers sounded in the mercifull ears of God. She happily ended her dayes in the year of Grace se••ven hundred twenty seaven:* 1.8 and her memory is celebrated by the Church on the last day of August. Her Sister dyed three years after, and is commemorated on the two and twentieth of September.

6 A great proof of the perfection of Monasticall. Disciplin observed after her death in her Monastery,* 1.9 is this. That Saint Boniface the glorious Apostle of the Germans having founded a Monastery in those parts made choice of her Disciples above all others▪ and particularly of Saint Lioba, to plant Religious observance there. This is testified by Rodul∣phus, Disciple of Rabanus Maurus in the life of S. Lioba written by him.

* 1.108. The same Writer also affirms that in the same town of Winburn there was ere∣cted likewise a Cloyster of Monks, either by Saint Cuthburga, or her Brother King Ina: And that from the beginning a Law and Decree of Religious Disciplin had been made, That excepting Preists who were to serve at the Altar, no men should be permitted to enter the Monastery of those Religious Virgins: Nor any woman into that of Religious men: And that among the other obligations of the Virgins at their Profession, this was one, never to step out of their Cloyster, except upon a necessary cause to be approved by Superiours.

9. Among the Epistles of Saint Boniface there is one inserted from one Aldhun an Abbot, and two Abbesses called Cnenburg and Coenburg (which were probably these two Princely Sisters, Saint Cuthburga and Saint Quenburga) desiring a devour Preist cal∣led Wietbert an attendant of Saint Boniface, to recommend to God in his Prayers two Religious woemen Quoengyth and Edlu, both which dyed the same day; being the Ides of September.

Notes

• * 1.1

  XVIII. C.
• * 1.2

  A. D. 713.
• * 1.3

  Camd. in Dor∣se••sh.
• * 1.4

  Malmsb. de Reg. l. 1. c. 3.
• * 1.5

  Florens. A. D. 718. Malmsb. de. Reg. l. 3.
• * 1.6

  A. D. 714.
• * 1.7

  Ap. Capgr. in S. Cuth∣burga.
• * 1.8

  Martyrlog. Angl. 31. Au∣gust lb 22. Sept.
• * 1.9

  Rudolph. in viz. S. Liobae. A. D. 790.
• * 1.10

  Idem ibid.