A.D. 1095.] LIFE OF WULSTAN. ture to benefices, and all clerks who presumed to receive it at their hands. The archbishop then left the council, and lived in exile at Lyons until the death of king William. Of the life and death of St. Wuhtan. A.D. 1095. The venerable Wulstan bishop of Worcester was taken to the Lord. His saintly and religious character makes it necessary that I should say a few words about his laudable career, for the edification of my hearers. He was born of religious parents in the province of Warwick, his father's name was Estan and his mother's Wulgen. He received his education in the noble monastery of Peterborough. His parents were so devoted to religion, that, before they died, they separated themselves from the world and from each other under a vow of chastity, and so passed in holiness the remainder of their life. The young man, led by their example, and principally his mother's, left the world and received the monastic habit, in the same monastery to which his father had retired, from its abbat the venerable Brithege, by whom also he was promoted successively to deacon's and priest's orders. Here he at once embraced all the severity of the monastic life : he was unwearied in watching, in prayer, and fasting, and became to all a model of virtue ; for which reason he was appointed to take care of the novices, and at length, also, from his knowledge of ecclesiastical business, he became their treasurer. Having now an opportunity of showing his zeal for the Lord, by reason that he had the custody of the church, he gave himself wholly up to a life of contemplation, and was earnest in prayer and study both by night and by day ; he subdued his flesh by fasting two or three days together ; and practised holy vigils to such an extent that he continued therein not only the night but the following day also, and, as I heard from his own mouth, he even passed four days and nights in watching, without taking food ; by these means he would have incurred much danger to his health, by reason of his brains being dried up, if he had not from time to time refreshed his body by sleep ; .but even when he slept, he used no bed or bedstead, but when fatigued with reading the Scriptures he enjoyed a little repose with his head leaning on his hand. At length, after some time had elapsed, prior Egelwin died, VOL. I. Β Β