Book I.] ST. ETHELDREDA. 15 



her in marriage ; but as the princess had already formed in 

 her mind a different scheme of life, and was bent on a 

 religious retirement from the world, she declined every offer 

 that could be made of that kind. Many difficulties still lay 

 in her way that thwarted her inclinations, and seemed to 

 require an alteration of her purpose ; for Tonbert, a prominent 

 nobleman among the East-Angles, whom the Venerable Bede 

 calls Prince of the South-Gervii, then in high favour with the 

 king her father, asked her of him in marriage, and obtained 

 his consent ; so that, with much reluctance on her part, she 

 was at length prevailed upon by the authority of her parents, 

 to give up her will, and was accordingly married to that 

 prince in the year 652 ; and by this marriage had the Isle of 

 Ely settled on her in dower. 



Etheldreda, who was now engaged in the bonds of marriage, 

 did not, however, despair of accomplishing her design, but 

 made use of all the arguments she was mistress of to persuade 

 her husband, who is said to have been a person of great virtue 

 and piety, to acquiesce in her opinion ; and by prayers and 

 entreaties gained his permission that she might enjoy her own 

 way, and at length prevailed on him to follow her example, 

 in a total and voluntary abstinence from the nuptial bed. In 

 this manner they lived together, by mutual consent, about 

 three years ; and after that Tonbert died ; and by his death 

 the Princess Etheldreda came into full possession of the Isle 

 of Ely, according to the settlement made before her marriage 

 with that prince. 



The Princess Etheldreda being now at liberty to indulge 

 her natural disposition to solitude and devotion, retired from 

 Exning to her Isle of Ely, where she was attended only by 

 a i&v^ particular friends that she had made choice of on 

 account of their religious qualifications. When she thus with- 

 drew from the world it was her real intention to return no 

 more to it, but — whilst her temporal affairs were carried on 

 by her chief minister, Ovin, to whom she had committed the 

 administration of them — to give herself up wholly to the 

 exercise of devotion and all other religious duties. The place 

 she had chosen seemed very proper for her purpose ; for as an 



