violence to the earth, except Dunstan alone, who remained standing on the only plank which kept its place, and so he escaped uninjured. All the rest of the adverse party were either killed or suffered a long illness. This miracle, which was wrought, as were others of the kind, by the grace of God, gave rest to the blessed Dunstan and the monks from the attacks of the clerks and others. Appearance of a comet, followed by a famine. A.D. 976. A comet appeared and was followed by a dreadful famine. In the same year Benedict sat in the Roman chair, which he filled nine years and six months. In the same year died Algar, bishop of Crediton, and was succeeded by Alwold. King EadwarWs goodness. A.D. 977. Alfdritha, the step-mother of Eadward the new king, strove with all her power to raise her son to the throne, and laboured to inveigle Eadward with her flattery. But the latter, treading in the steps of his religious and pious father, retained only the name of king, allowing his brother Ethelred and his mother to order all the affairs of the kingdom. Passion of St. Eadward, king and martyr. A.D. 978. As king Eadward was one day weary with hunting and very thirsty, leaving his attendants to follow the dogs, and hearing that his step-mother and his brother were living in a certain village named Corvesgate, he rode thither unattended in quest of something to drink, in his innocence suspecting no harm, and judging of the hearts of others by his own. Seeing him coming, his step-mother allured him with her caresses, and kissing him offered him a cup, and as the king eagerly quaffed it, he was stabbed with a dagger by one of her attendants. The king, finding himself mortally wounded, set spurs to his horse to regain his friends, who learnt his death by the track of the blood. The wicked woman Alfdritha and her son Ethelred ordered the corpse of the king and martyr St. Eadward to be ignominiously buried at Wareham in the midst of public rejoicing and festivity, as if they had buried his memory and his body together; for now that he was dead they grudged him