austerity of discipline. Hence he was termed in after ages, the father of monks'. Dunstan's claims to that title might be better, but his intellect was too comprehensive, and his ordinary habits were too secular, for maturing the details which monachism required for its complete success.

It had scarcely taken root when Edred, its royal patron, prematurely died. His nephew, Edwy, a very handsome youth', succeeded to the throne. This young prince, wearied by the coarse intemperance of his coronation day, withdrew from the festive hall into a private room. Disgusted at his absence, the carousing nobles despatched a remonstrance by Dunstan, and a relation of his, Kinsy, bishop of Lichfield. On entering, the messengers found Edwy seated sportively between his wife and mother-in-law, while the crown lay negligently upon the ground. Expostulation being found unavailing to procure the youthful king's return, a scene of violence ensued. Dunstan ended it by forcing Edwy from his seat, replacing the crown upon his head, and dragging him once more to join the offended revellers. The whole transaction giving mortal offence both to the king and his fair connexions,

8

"Pater monachorum, et sidus Cleop. B. 13. 76. The queen's Anglorum."--(BROMTON. X. Script. name is usually written Elgiva: 877.) The former of these desig- the contemporary life of Dunstan nations appears to have been bor- has it Ethelgifu. Mr. Turner rowed from the Saxon Chronicle, (Hist. Angl.-Sax. ii. 252, note) which, mentioning Ethelwold's may be consulted for authorities death under the year 984, styles proving that this lady was Edwy's him muneca fæder, father of monks.

wife. She is branded as his mistress by some of the monastic writers, most probably because she was related to him within the prohibited degrees.

Dunstan was under the necessity of retiring to Glastonbury: thence he was driven soon after into exile, amidst the tears of his monks. His panegyrical biography converts this natural incident into broad caricature, by contrasting the weeping community with the grinning face of Satan, whose peals of laughter were distinctly heard, as the abbot's receding steps mournfully passed along the vestibule'. By Dunstan's disgrace, the royal vengeance was not satisfied: his abbey was dissolved, as was also that of Abingdon. Thus English monachism seemed like a meteor, that brightly flashes, then immediately disappears.

But Edwy miscalculated his power. Dunstan's establishments were nurseries of fanaticism, and studiously formed from admired continental models, both powerful holds upon popular favour: the nobles, also, whose commission the exiled abbot had executed, probably regarded him as a victim in their cause, and hence justly entitled to their protection. An irresistible conspiracy, accordingly, soon secured his triumphant return from Flanders, where he had taken refuge. Nor was this humiliation all that Edwy had to undergo: his insurgent subjects raised Edgar, a younger brother, to the throne, assigning to him, as a kingdom, all England between the Humber and the Thames': Elgiva, too, was divorced by Odo, as related to her unfortunate husband within the prohibited degrees. With even this the archbishop was not contented:

"Audita est in atrio templi vox plaudentis diaboli, quasi vox juvenculæ acriter atque minute cachinnantis." OSBERN. Angl. Sacr. ii. 105.

2 Cleop. B. 13. 78.

3“A.D. 958. This year Archbishop Odo separated Edwy and Elfgiva, because they were too nearly related."-Sax. Chr. 150. Dr. INGRAM's Transl.

he branded her upon the face, and sent her away to Ireland. A short residence there healed her unsightly wounds, and she ventured upon a return into her native island. Having reached Gloucester, she was arrested, and under Odo's authority the tendons of her legs were barbarously severed'. Of this cruel mutilation she seems never to have recovered, being soon after overtaken by the hand of death. Elgiva's sufferings have effectually blasted with posterity the memory of Odo; but one age cannot safely measure the men of another by a standard of its own. The archbishop, who has long been regarded as rather a monster than a man, was known among contemporaries as Odo the Good. His treatment of Elgiva, now ranked among the most inhuman outrages upon record, was attributed, probably, to the absolute necessity of restraining irregular passions, by occasional examples of just severity.

After a short interval, Edwy's untimely death, seemingly by violence, rendered his more fortunate brother

'OSBERN. Angl. Sacr. ii. 84. 2 Ode the Good.—(MALMESB. Script. post Bed. 115.) Osbern (Angl. Sacr. ii. 86) gives this designation in a Saxon form: "Odo se gode," (se god.) The author of this compliment was Dunstan, who is said to have seen a dove in the cathedral of Canterbury, while he was celebrating mass, on Whitsunday, which, after a time, settled on Odo's tomb. This incident, which might easily have happened in a large building with many unglazed windows, was represented as a visible descent of the Holy Ghost, and an undeniable demonstration of Odo's sanctity.

Dunstan, accordingly, never subsequently passed his tomb without a reverence, nor spoke of him but as the good. This designation was readily adopted by others; and it had not worn out in popular discourse, especially at Canterbury, when Osbern wrote. Had Odo been viewed by his own age, as one unmanly outrage has made posterity view him, Dunstan's authority would not have been sufficient for thus embalming his memory.

This archbishop's name is va riously written, Odo, Oda, and Ode. It seems to be the Oddy of modern English surnames.

master of all England. Upon the unhappy prince, thus cut off in the flower of his age, monkish writers have been immeasurably severe. Ethelwerd, however, a contemporary authority of high rank, assures us that he deserved his people's love'. He was evidently quite unequal to the task of curbing a society so fierce and haughty, as that which owned allegiance to his crown: but this is no very serious imputation upon the memory of a sovereign cut off in youth, and hastily embroiled with such men as Odo and Dunstan.

The latter of these two obtained episcopal honours in the beginning of Edgar's reign. Worcester was his first bishopric, and shortly afterwards he added London to it, both sees lying in the portion of England wrested from Edwy. During that young prince's life, a more splendid ecclesiastical prize became vacant by the death of Archbishop Odo; but Canterbury was under the authority of Edwy, and by his influence Elsin, bishop of Winchester, became the new metropolitan. This

1 "Tenuit namque quadriennio per regnum amandus."-(Script. post Bed. 483.) Edwy's death occurred in 959: that it was violent, may be inferred from probability and from the obscure language of ancient authorities. The contemporary life of Dunstan (Cleop. B. 13. f. 78) says: "Interea germanus ejusdem Eadgari, quia justa Di sui judicia deviando dereliquit, novissimum flatum miserá morte expiravit." An old manuscript chronicler, cited by Mr. Turner (Hist. Angl.-Sax. ii. 275), says, however, expressly, that he was slain in Gloucestershire. Mr. Turner gives Edwin as the name of this young sovereign, and

under a great weight of authority; but he is called Eadwig by the Saxon Chronicle, Ethelwerd, and the contemporary life of Dunstan,

2 Dunstan was advanced to the see of Worcester in 957, and in the following year London was conferred upon him, to hold with it. The next year, being that of Edwy's death, saw his translation to Canterbury. Dunstan's monastic biographers represent that he was offered that see on the two former vacancies, but declined it. Edwy's authority would, however, be likely to prevent Dunstan from receiving any such compliment within the limits of his kingdom.

prelate, a decided enemy to their order, is charged by the monks with insulting Odo's grave, and with obtaining Canterbury by simony. He died, however, on his way to Rome, whither he was proceeding for the pall. His unexpected fate arose, it is said, from extreme cold encountered in crossing the Alps; but it is represented as a judicial visitation of offended Providence. Brithelm, bishop of Wells, was tantalised by being chosen in his room; but the necessary arrangements were incomplete on Edwy's immature decease: Canterbury, therefore, was not closed against Dunstan's ambition, and the primate-elect was compelled to relinquish his claims'. Having thus attained the highest dignity within a subject's reach, Dunstan became virtually the most powerful man in England. Edgar was, indeed, a boy of sixteen when he ascended the throne, and seems ever to have been under the influence of licentious, headstrong passions. Very rarely do such men fill important stations with any degree of credit to themselves, or of advantage to society: Edgar is, however, one of these uncommon instances. Monastic writers have naturally loaded his memory with panegyric; nor can inquirers, however unfavourable to monachism, deny that his rule was glorious and beneficial. He reigned in prosperity and peace, the admitted superior over a larger portion, perhaps, of the island than any one of his ancestors".

'OSBERN. Angl. Sacr. ii. 109. | to relinquish Canterbury. "Jussus Brithelm is represented by Osbern a rege, et omni populo, Cantuariâ as a good-natured man, who knew discedit."-Ib. very well how to take care of himself, but who was unfit for active life. "Homo mansuetior quam industrior, et qui suæ magis quam alienæ vitæ nosset consulere." He seems to have been far from willing

We secgath to sothan that se tima was gesalig and winsum on Angelcynne tha tha Eadgar cynincg thone Cristendom gefyrthrode, and fela munuclifa arærde; and his cynerice was wunigende