MATTHEW OF WEBTMHTSTEB. A.D. 1012. of life : for in a monastery of none in that city there was & certain damsel, brought there rather in consequence of the wish of her parents, than of any devotion of her own ; and by her profane gestures and engaging conversation she attracted many lovers to herself,—one of whom, whom his great wealth and nigh blood had inflamed to lust, carried the damsel off, and kept her, and loved her as his lawful wife. A long time elapsed ; but the deed was related to archbishop Herebert ; but after that, in compliance with his mandate, the sheep had been restored to the fold. Not long afterwards, in the absence of the archbishop, she was again carried off from the monastery by the same youth. Then a sentence of excommunication was pronounced against him, so that none of his fellow-citizens dared to converse or to eat with him. But the young man disregarding this sentence, departed to some distant estates of his, where he lived a wicked life with his excommunicated mistress. But when at length God saw fit j to call the archbishop to himself, and he lay on his bed stricken with a sore disease, his fellow-countrymen came j around him from all quarters, to enjoy the last benediction of the blessed man. That lustful man alone did not presume to come, but suborned others to speak for him, that he might deserve absolution. But when the archbishop heard the name of the young man he groaned, and uttered these words : " If that wretched man leaves that cursed woman, let him be absolved ; if he remains obstinate, then let him be prepared, in the next year, on the same day and hour that I depart, to render an account of his sins before God. But you will see me depart from the body when the clock strikes the sixth hour." Nor did the words of the man of God want confirmation, but he died at the hour which he had foretold ; and that wretched young man, at the lapse of a year, died on the same day and at the same hour, being struck by lightning together with his mistress. The same year, Benedict became pope, and filled the chair at Rome twelve years. The same year, Living, who is called Athelstan, bishop of Wells, succeeded to the archbishopric of Canterbury, and Ethelwin was consecrated bishop of Wells in his stead. This year, also, a person of the name of Huna, the commander of the army of Ethelred, kins of England, a vigorous and warlike man, who had undertaken the management of the affairs of the kingdom under the king, seeing the inso