the catalogue of the Saints. This reunion of Saints in one family, has been noticed as far from uncommon in Saxon England; it does indeed bring before us one of the highest images which the mind can conceive, a holy family, that especial development of Christian excellence which, with God's grace, might be looked for from a people with the naturally domestic character of the Saxons, and their strong regard for home affections and duties.

We have seen that when S. Willibald pursued his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Winibald, from weakness of health, remained in Rome, where he continued studying for seven years, and then returned to England, but did not stay there long. Having prevailed on his younger brother and some others to accompany him, he came back again to Rome, and resumed his studies within the seclusion of a monastery. On his third visit to Rome Boniface heard that his nephew also was there; and sending for Winibald, he obtained from him a promise that he would come and take part in his apostolic labours; while at the same time he requested the Pope to send him Willibald also. Shortly after, Winibald joined his uncle in Thuringia, and was by him ordained priest when he was nearly forty years of age, and entrusted with the care of seven churches in the same country. Not long afterwards, at the urgent request of Duke Odilo, he went and preached in Bavaria, and received from that prince many donations of money and lands. These he employed in restoring the ecclesiastical order of the country. Winibald, though of a weakly constitution, and devoted entirely to the contemplative life, was yet no feeble

and yielding reprover of irregularity and vice. Rich and poor, all were abashed at the boldness of his rebuke, and much was done towards restoring the discipline of the Church; for everywhere he found a constant proneness in the people to resume their ancient superstitious practices; the Sacraments were neglected; many had contracted unlawful marriages, and many lived in profligacy. From Bavaria he returned to Mayence, but not considering that place advantageous for the monks who were with him, by Willibald's advice he withdrew to the valley of Heidenheim, near the sources of the Danube, in the

year 751. It was a wild and savage region: the old forests stood buried in all their ancient gloom; and he and his monks, with their own hands, had to clear away a space sufficient for their church and monastery, and for a plot of garden ground to supply their daily wants. But neither here did he lead merely an inactive and contemplative life. His monastery was set to do the Church's work in the midst of a heathen people. Everywhere he found unlawful marriages, concubinage, and every kind of divination, and other superstitions; and these he fearlessly set himself to combat and overthrow. He met with a fierce resistance: many a time the pagans threatened to set fire to the monastery, and lay in wait to kill him, or sought to cut him off by poison; but holiness and truth prevailed after a while, and rage and hatred gave place to veneration and affection.

At Heidenheim also was his sister Walburga, who presided over a number of nuns, being herself subject to Winibald. When her father and brother departed

on their pilgrimage in 720, she, yet but a little child, was taken to Wimborn Minster, which had been built only two years before by Cuthberga, sister of King Ina, and wherein she, with her sister Quenburga, resided under the rule of the Abbess Tetta. Here she continued for nearly thirty years, and acquired the learning of those ages, especially the knowledge of Latin. But in the year 748 her long sojourn at Wimborn came suddenly to an end, for Boniface wrote requesting the Abbess Tetta to send Walburga with others to him in Germany. With thirty companions she set sail from England, and at length reached Mayence, where they were welcomed by Boniface and his suffragan Willibald. Having obtained permission, she went and placed herself and her companions under her brother Winibald at Heidenheim, and there they continued in holy devotion, spreading blessings around them in training the young who were committed to their care.

Among those who accompanied S. Walburga from Wimborn into Germany, were two nuns, named Tecla and Lioba, of whom the former was made Abbess of Kitzingen, which is three miles from Wurzburg. Lioba, who was of the same family with Walburga and S. Boniface, was placed over a community of nuns at Bischoffsheim, which rapidly became very numerous, and supplied many other houses which she founded in Germany.1

Of the other fellow-labourers of S. Boniface, the name of Lullus has been already mentioned. He, too,

1 The names of Bertigita and Contruda also occur as abbesses in Thuringia and Bavaria. (A. Butler in S. Boniface.)

was a monk, first of Malmesbury, then of Jarrow, where he finished his studies under the Venerable Bede. In the year 732 he came to Germany, and joined his kinsman Boniface, by whom he was soon after ordained deacon, and priest in 751. About this same time, and possibly with Lullus, Burchard, afterwards Bishop of Wurzburg, came to join in the work of conversion. Over his see he presided only ten years, for his great toil had worn out his body, and he resigned his bishopric in 752 to Megingozus, a monk of Fridislar, and disciple of S. Wigbert, who was consecrated to succeed him. He retired to a secluded spot, named Hohenburg, to spend the remainder of his days in meditation and prayer; but his labours were already near their end, and in a few months afterwards he departed out of this life in peace, and was buried in the church of a monastery which he had built and dedicated in honour of S. Andrew.

Such were the chief of that blessed company, who, with S. Boniface, carried the light of the Gospel into the dreary wilds of Germany, under whose nurture the seeds of faith took root and sprang up and bare fruit a hundred-fold, in a soil which, to human eye, might have seemed fit to produce only thorns and briars, and who indeed wrought great things, for the hand of GoD was with them.

CHAPTER VII.

LAST JOURNEY OF S. BONIFACE INTO FRISIA, AND HIS

MARTYRDOM.

A.D. 755.

"The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace."

NEARLY forty years had passed away since first the great Apostle of Germany had left his home of Nutscelle to adventure himself for the Cross of CHRIST amongst a savage and heathen people. And now, after all his weary yet blessed labour, he was at length to pass through the Red Sea of martyrdom, probably in that same land from whence at the first he had returned to England, unsuccessful, yet neither disheartened nor desponding. He formed the resolution of visiting the northernmost of the provinces committed to his care-that portion which is comprised in modern Friesland, the ancient Frisia being of far greater extent. But he felt, moreover, that now the time of his departure was at hand, and therefore he gave his final charge to Lullus, solemnly committing to his care the several churches which he had founded, and bidding him see that the sacred edifices which he had begun were duly and seemingly finished for the honour of GOD; and with especial tenderness he con