A.D. 804. ] SUCCESSION OF BISHOPS. 171 end to him by poison, which the king also ignorantly tasted and suddenly expired ; for though she had not designed the deadly cup for the king, but for the youth, yet both partook of the poisonous draught and perished together. The king being in this manner killed, that most wicked woman was frightened, and fled beyond sea with inestimable treasures unto Charles king of the Franks, to whom she made numerous presents. As that most wicked, although most beautiful, woman was standing among the ladies, the king thus addressed her, " Choose, Eadburga, whom you will accept for a husband, myself, or my son who stands by me in the gallery;" without any deliberation, and throwing aside all modesty, she answered and said, " If I might chose whom I would, I would chose your son rather than yourself, because he is the younger." Perceiving that she sought only the gratification of her lust, the king very properly replied, "If," said he, " you had chosen me, you should have had my son ; but because you have chosen him, you shall have neither him nor me." Nevertheless, on account of her wickedness and exceeding beauty, the king conferred on her a noble monastery of females, where, laying aside her secular drees, she hypocritically assumed the garb of the nuns, and discharged the office of abbess for a very few years ; for, after a short time, hating her holy duties, she is said to have yielded herself to a low fellow of her own nation ; and being taken in adultery, the king commanded her to be expelled the holy monastery; after which she spent the rest of her days in miserable poverty, and came to a disgraceful end. On the death of king Brithric, Egbert succeeded him in the kingdom and reigned thirty-six years. Sprung from the royal stock of that nation, he brought many kingdoms under his powerful sway. In the same year died Eadbert, bishop of London, and was succeeded by Ëadgar. Death of bishop Higbald. In the year of our Lord 803 died Higbald, bishop of Lindisfarne, and was succeeded by Egbert. This Higbald was engaged in the province of the Northumbrians at the time of the ravages of the Danes above mentioned. In the year of our Lord 804, Beornred, bishop of Rochester, ended his days, and was succeeded in the bishopric by Puthric.