106 ROGER OF AVENDO VER. [A.D. 679. Si. Etheldrida, abbess of Ely. In the year of grace 679, Egfrid, king of the Northumbrians, and Athelred, king of the Mercians, fought a severe battle near the river Trent, in which Ascwin, brother of king Egfrid, was slain : he was a youth very dear to either province, for his sister Osrica was married to Athelred, king of the Mercians. A very fierce war having been kindled between the kings, the prelate Theodore, depending on divine aid, entirely extinguished the flame of the contest by giving a large sum of money to king Egfrid for the death of his brother. At the same time, the holy virgin Etheldrida departed out of this world, exchanging a temporal life for an eternal : she was daughter of Anna, king of the East-Angles, a worthy offspring of such an illustrious father : she was first married to Tonbert, prince of the South-Girvii ; but on his death, she continued an undefiled virgin : she was next married, by constraint of her parents, to Egfrid, king of the Northumbrians ; but, though twice married, she kept her virginity most entire. Wilfrid, the man of God, was a witness of her virginity; for when the venerable Bede questioned him on this head, he assured him that king Egfrid had promised him lands and money in abundance, if he could persuade Etheldrida, his queen, to consent to have intercourse with him. But the miraculous circumstance that her flesh when buried, and the garment which was wrapt round her most chaste flesh, could not suffer corruption, was a token that she died undefiled by intercourse with man. After having lived with the aforesaid king twelve years, during which she could by no means be softened to compliance, this most devoted virgin obtained his permission to become a nun at Coludesburch,* where Ebba, the aunt of her husband Egfrid, was abbess ; on which occasion St. Wilfrid gave her his benediction. After the lapse of a year, the virgin became abbess in the isle of Ely, where, by precept and example, she became the mother of virgins. After living there seven years in the praiseworthy service of God, she exchanged a perishable life for an eternal. Frequent miracles are still wrought in that place to the glory of God and the praise of the virgin. • Supposed by Gibson to be Coldingham in Berwickshire.