SOME SAXON SAINTS OF WIMBORNE. 205 



On another occasion the doors of the sisters' church at 

 Wimborne were safely locked one night before they retired 

 to rest. The portress had her keys all fastened together in 

 one bunch ; and as they were many, some being of silver and 

 others of brass and iron, they made a heavy bundle. In 

 spite of the size and weight of the bunch the keys were mislaid 

 somewhere, and could not be found in time for the church to 

 be opened for the early service. Tetta promptly arranged for 

 the service to be held elsewhere. As the sisters left the 

 oratory a small fox was found lying dead with the keys in its 

 mouth. The sisters thereupon went into the church and 

 returned thanks to God. The Bishop of Bristol,* com- 

 menting upon this story, naively remarks that we are not 

 told whether the young nuns who danced upon the grave of 

 their tyrant had anything to do with this attempt to get 

 off the midnight service and " laid the blame upon the cat.'* 



ST. LIOBA. 



We now turn to St. Lioba.f She was daughter of Dynne, 

 or Tinne, and of Ebba ; her mother being a near relative, 

 probably a sister of St. Boniface. She was born somewhere 

 in the west country, and at her baptism received the name 

 of Truthgeba ; though she also bore the name of Leobgytha, 

 or Leofe, and this pet name was the one which clung to her 

 all through her life ; for in her German days, Leofe was 

 transformed into Lioba (der Liebe, the beloved) because she 

 was beloved by every one. In early life she was committed 

 to the care of Tetta, the holy abbess of Wimborne. Here 

 by her patience, her humility, and her attractive innocence, 

 she won the hearts of all. Prayer and study were her delight ; 



* Rt. Rev. G. F. Browne, Boniface of Crediton and his Companions, 

 London, S.P.C.K., 1910, p. 169. 



f Acta Sanctorum, &c., of. pp. 245-259. Epistles of S. Boniface 

 (Ed. Jaffe), 29 cf., also Kylie, English Correspondence of S. Boniface, 

 London, Chatto and Windus, 1911, p. 110. 



