1841.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL, 



377 



Edgar were supplied with pastors. A prayer for the prosperity of 

 Abingdon remains as a monument of Etlielwold's lo%'e for that institu- 

 tion, and as a testimonial of his scholarship. 



In 9G3 Brithelm, Bishop of Winchester, having died, Ethelwold was 

 appointed to succeed liim, and thus became bishop of his native city, 

 wliich as before said was then the metropolis of the country. On .St. 

 Andrew's eve in this year which fell on a Sunday, Ethelwold was conse- 

 crated bv Archbishop Dunstan, and inunediately entered on !iis labours, 

 finding his cathedral greatly needing repair, and what ali'ected liiin 

 more his canons of irregular life. In 9G4 we find Bishop Etlielwold's 

 signature to three charters of Worcester Abbey, and it was in the 

 same year that he was engaged in the restoration of Chertsey monas- 

 tery in Surrey, sending to Abingdon for thirteen monks of whom Ord- 

 bert, a fellow townsman of the Bishop's, and originally of Glastonbury 

 monastery, was appointed Abbot. In 91)5 we find the Bishop busy 

 with the reform of the two monasteries at Winchester, in which he 

 had great difficulties to contend with. Only three of the canons, Edsy, 

 Wulsy and W^ilstan could be induced to put on the cowl, the others 

 retired, and were re]ilaced with monks from Abingdon. Some of the 

 displaced canons attempted to revenge their disgrace by giving tlie 

 bishop a poisoned cup, but he soon recovered from the consequences. 

 The result of these discussions was the liolding of the two celebrated 

 councils of Winchester and of Calne, at the first of which the cause 

 was given against the seculars by a miraculous voice from a crucifix, 

 and at the latter, on Dunstan appealing to God, the floor sank down and 

 the adversaries of the monks were precipitated among the ruins, Dun- 

 stan and his friends remaining safe. In the preparation for this second 

 miracle it is more than probable that Bishop Ethelwold was concerned. 



Ethelwold was now high in power, holding one of the chief episco- 

 pal dignities, a minister, confident and confessor of the king, he took 

 a great part in public events. Ethelwold is described with some pre- 

 judice by Sharon Turner as a man bred up by Dunstan himself, and of 

 a temper to execute all his schemes. Dunstan was about the same 

 age as Ethelwold, if anything rather younger, and although associates 

 iu their youth, and at Glastonbury, it could not with justice be said 

 either by Florence of Worcester, or Adelard, that Ethelwold was 

 brought up by Dunstan. Oswald, was like St. Dunstan, of high con- 

 nexions, a native of Winchester, and partly educated there, and these 

 two with Ethelwold formed a cabinet, which however obnoxious it 

 might be for some of its schemes, yet it is not to be denied that it 

 greatly promoted the prosperity of the country. Edgar and his minis- 

 try greatly patronized foreigners and trade, delivered the country 

 from the scourge of wolves, reformed the coin, improved tlie navv, 

 and the administration of justice. To return to the immediate exer- 

 tions of Ethelwold, we learn that he rebuilt and re-established the 

 Abbey of Benedictine Nuns at Winchester, and placed over it, Ethel- 

 dritha, who had been his nurse. He also rebuilt the other two Bene- 

 dictine monasteries. In 9;J6 the site of the monastery of Medham- 

 stead was bought by Ethelwold, and a magnificent abbey built, which 

 was named by him Peterborough. According to Hugh Whyte, the 

 Bishop was warned of God in the night that he should go to the Mid- 

 land English or Mercians and repair the monastery of St. Peter, and 

 that taking his joumey into those parts he came to Oundle, supposing 

 that to be the place, but was warned a second time, that he shoulil 

 follow the course of the river, he came to Medhamstead, and here the 

 Lord appeared to him a third time and directed him by a singular 

 omen, how he should proceed. Having cleared the site of the church, 

 which he found used as a recejitacle for herds of cattle, he returned to 

 Winchester to make preparations for the restoration of the monastery. 

 When having put up fervent prayers to God to incline the hearts of 

 King Edgar and his queen and his court, to contribute their assistance 

 to this work, he was overheard by the queen, w ho thenceforth solicited 

 the king for its reparation, and he accordingly patronized the under- 

 taking. Ethelwold among other measures purchased the fourth part 

 of Whittleseameiv, and many other endowments. In this same year 

 he signed a charter for Croyland Abbey, and for the abbey of Hyde, 

 at Winchester, and at London in the end of the same year, he united 

 with the archbishops and bishops in a deed threatening the censures 

 of the church on any disturbers of Croylaml. 



In yGS the Bishop attached his signature to two charters of Wilton 

 Abbey, and it was most probably about this lime that he received at 

 that convent the vows of .St. WiKrude or Wulftrude, the mother of 

 St. Edith. In 9G9, the distinguished scholar Alfric who was a pupil 

 of Ethelwold's, was appointed Abbot of St Alban's. In 1)70 the Bishop 

 translated the relics of .St. Svvithin from the churchyard of Winchester 

 to the cathedral. In this same year although much occupieil with his 

 disputes with the monks at Winchester, Ethelwold was appointed by 

 the king to restore the convent "f Ely, and having obtained th'' Isle of 

 Ely free of reg:d jurisdiction, he dismisseil the priests, gave orders for 

 repairing the thuich, and established therein a convent of monks. 



Brithnoth, who had been prior of Winchester, was appointed Abbot, 

 and was succeeded at Winchester by Leo the provost. Brithnoth who 

 was consecrated by Dunstan and Ethelwold, was afterwards unfortu- 

 nately assassinated by order of the Queen Dowager Elfrida for refus- 

 ing to comply with her passions. For Ely the Bishop obtained 

 many grants of land, and he was a subscribing witness to two of its 

 charters. In this year Ethelwold succeeded in completing Peter- 

 borough, and King Edgar being desirous to see it went thither, with 

 the Archbishops Dunstan and Oswald, and attended by most of the 

 nobility and clergy cf England, who all approved and applauded both 

 the place and llie work. It was Etlielwold's happiness also to dis- 

 cover some very ancient charters bestowing great privileges on the 

 place. It is to be remarked that at this time the prelate was con- 

 stantly engaged travelling about, superintending the works, and ex- 

 amining the convents. During one of these journies it is related that 

 performing mass in a country parish, the priest whose duty it was to 

 take care of the sacred oil, having left the vessel behind him on the 

 road, went back to find it, and to his surprise not only found it safe, 

 but marvellously replenished. 



In 971 the Bishop attached his signature to two charters for Ely, 

 and the next year lie prevailed upon Edulf, chancellor of King Edgar, 

 instead of going to Rome, to labour in the restoration of St. Peter's 

 church at Peterborough. Edulf approving of this advice, accompanied 

 the king to Burgh, ottered all his wealth to the monastery, assumed the 

 monk's habit, and became first abbot of Peterborough, which he after- 

 wards left for the archiepiscopal seal of York. In 973 Ethelwold sub- 

 scribed the charters of Ramsey andThorney. In the succeeding year 

 the Bishop was at Wilton, signed one of the charters, and received the 

 vows of St. Edith, natural daughter of King Edgar and St. Wulftrude. 

 The Bishop used to visit Wilton from time to time, and on one occa- 

 sion reproved St. Edith for wearing splendid garments, not .being 

 aware that she had haircloth next the skin. Edith replied that the 

 Almighty looked not to the garment, but to the soul, and that he would 

 as well receive her with splendid robes as in the attire of povertv. The 

 Bishop in this year (974j translated the relics of St. Withbufga and 

 other saints into the new church at Ely. This same year Ethelwold 

 was applied to to use his influence with the king respecting the found- 

 ation of St. Neot's in Huntingdonshire, which was begun by Earl Alric 

 and his countess Etlielfleda. Ethelwold also consecrated the church 

 and took it under his protection, sending monks from Ely and Thornev. 



In 975 a charter was obtained for Winchester by the Bishop aiid 

 subscribed by him, and sliortly afterwards King Edg'ar died. During 

 the reign of this prince Ethelwold also signed charters for Westmin- 

 ster, Rochester, Ramsey and York. Dunstan and Ethelwold immedi- 

 ately crowned Edward the Second, surnamed the Martyr, as King, but 

 they soon found in the Queen Dowager Elfrida a powerful antagonist, 

 bt-nt upon their ruin. One of the results of these discussions was as 

 before mentioned, the holding of the councils of Winchester and Calne, 



and the country was distracted both with civil and religious broils. 



in 978 Elfrida proceeding to greater extremities, murdered the king, 

 who was succeeded by Ethelred, surnamed the Unready. This prince 

 was crowned on the Sunday fortnight after Easter, in 979, at Kin<rston, 

 by Dunstan, Oswald, Ethelwold, and nine other prelates. 



In 980 Ethelwold completed one of his great works, the cathedral of 

 Winchester, which he rebuilt from the ground, obliging the monks 

 themselves to assist with their own hands in the wo\:^. It is related 

 that one of them njined Guth, being at the top of a high scattbld at 

 work fell down, but by the protecting influence of our saint, received 

 no injury, climbing up again and resuming his labours, as if nothino- 

 had happened. In this year Ethelwold added to the cathedral the 

 crypts or vaults under the east end of the church, and the walls, pillars, 

 and groining of which remain in mucli the same state in which he left 

 them, and are executed in a firm and bold, though simple and un- 

 adorned manner that gives no contemptible idea of Saxon art. A 

 w eather cock and organ are enumerated among his performances, and 

 he enriched the church with the shrines of St. Swithin, Birin, Brinstan, 

 St. Alfege and St. Edburg, when a farther rededication took place 

 with great splendour, in the presence of King Ethelred, Archbishop 

 Dunstan, and eight bishops. In 981 the Bishop of Winchester signed 

 the charter for I'avistock, and ordained Elsy as Abbot of Ely. 



It was in this year that the Danes attacked and plundered South- 

 ampton, and put Winchester itself in peril, and in the next year our 

 prelate buried Alderman Eihelmer. In 9bj Ethelwold visited Dunstan 

 at Canterbury, and th.it saint foretold to him his approaching death. 

 In 9b 1 we find his last public act in his attestation to the charter of 

 Shaftesbury, and in that year being taken ill at Beddington, in the 

 county of Surrey, he dieil there on the 1st of August 981, his death 

 being it is said accompanied with miraculous circumstauces, his body 

 having all the freshness of life, and his face the rosy hue of that of a 

 young boy. His body was transported with great pomp to Winches 



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