A.D. 555. An appearance like that of lances was seen in the air, reaching from the north to the west. A.D. 556. Saint Medard, a bishop of Nismes, a man illustrious for his virtues, departed to the Lord, and was buried at Soissons. A.D. 557. Queen Radegund, the wife of Clothaire, formerly king of the Franks, assumed à new garment, and became eminent for every kind of holiness. At this tane, there were a great many battles between the Britons and the Angles, and a great many soldiers were slain on each side, the victory declaring for both parties in turn. A.D. 558. Gregory, son of Gordian, a senator, arrived at man's estate at Rome. He founded six monasteries in Sicily, and a seventh at Rome in his own house, out of his patrimony ; and, from having been praetor of the city, became a monk, and was exceedingly eminent for learning, wisdom, doctrine, and holiness. A.D. 559. Kenric, king of the West Saxons, died, and Cevalinus, his son, reigned in his stead, and was king thirty years, A.D. 560. Ida, king of the Northumbrians, died, and his realm was divided into two kingdoms. Ella, the son of Ifius, a most valiant general, began to reign in Deira, and gave that name to his kingdom, and reigned over it for thirty yean* While Adda, the son of Ida, succeeded his father in the kingdom of the Bernicians, and reigned seven years. That Ella, king of the Deiri, is the same who is mentioned in the life of the blessed pope Gregory, as will be seen in the subsequent pages of this history. The same year, a certain Jew carried off by stealth a statue of the Saviour out of a church, and took it privily to his own house, and there pierced it with a dart. And as he was going to burn it in the fire, he found himself covered with blood irosa the image, and, being awe-struck, he hid it And the Chriatians sought for it, and found it by means of the traces left by the blood, and recovered it all stained with blood, and stoned the Jew. The same year, Ethelbert, the great king of Kent, according to some authors, with whom Bede agrees, began to reign. Bat the opinion of the others appears more probable. A.D. 561. Saint Brendan flourished in Scotland, who, during