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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. I. B.C. 4004 to A.D. 1066.
page 349
MATTHEW OF WESTMTJrsTEB. A.D. 704.
bishop of Canterbury, into Britain, he when he came brought with him many relics of the saints. And afterwards, when he became united with Egfrid, King of Northumberland, the king gave him an estate sufficient for sixty families, to found a monastery in honour of Peter the chief of the apostles, at the mouth of the river Wira, A.D. 674, in the second indiction. Another monastery, in honour of Paul, the teacher of the Gentiles, is founded in Girwi, not far from the other, and the same king also enriched that with estates sufficient for sixty families, and the bishop took care to enrich it abundantly, and filling these monasteries with religious monks, he ordained Ceolfnd as president of the one, and Eaeterwin as president of the other ; and he did this with the view of having a regular order preserved in them both, as well when he was absent as when he was present. It was to this servant of God, Benedict, that the venerable Bede, that teacher of the English, was entrusted to be educated by him, and it was under him
that he is related to have been advanced to the order of the priesthood. He is said to have gone to Rome five times, and as he always returned enriched with divine improvement, he laboured to educate those under his authority, both by his actions and by his example. At length, after a laudable life, Benedict, the conqueror of the vices, that most pious confessor of Christ, yielded to the infirmity of the flesh, and rendered up his spirit to his Creator, on the 12th of January. He was succeeded in his burdensome honours by a holy man, a pupil of his own, Ceolfrid, under whom Bede, the servant of Christ, most admirably filled up the labour which he had begun, by sacred descriptions, to the advantage of the universal church.
A.D . 704. Hedda, bishop of Winchester, who had succeeded Leutherius, died, and in the place where he died many miracles were wrought, on account of the merits of his sanctity ; for the men of that province were accustomed to throw dust that they took up from that spot into the water, for the sake of those who were sick, and then by having this water brought to them or sprinkled on them, both men and cattle were delighted to find that they recovered their health. And after his death his bishopric was divided into two parts, one of which, that is, the bishopric of Winchester, was given to Daniel, and he held it to the time of Bede. The other diocese, that of Sherborne, was given to Aldelm, who held it four years, and there remained to the bishop of Winchester only two provinces, those, namely, of Hampton and Surrey. But the other had
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