ST. OSYTH— HER PARENTAGE 215 



Bishop, on the same instant they immediately expired. 

 Here we have a real counterpart, slightly varied, of 

 ' Rip Van Winkle,' which I have always regarded 

 as a most pathetic story ; and I shall never forget 

 the beautiful embodiment of the character by Mr. 

 Jefferson, the famous American actor. Wynkyn de 

 Worde, in a book printed by him in 15 16, mentions 

 St. Osyth, and other authorities say that she was born 

 at Quarrendon, in Bucks, about two miles from the 

 county town of Aylesbury. She was the daughter 

 of Frithwald, the first Christian king of the East 

 Angles, and of Wilburga, his wife, who was the 

 daughter of Penda, King of Mercia, who lived at 

 Quarrendon. When very young she was entrusted to 

 the care of St. Modwen, at Polesworth, in Warwick- 

 shire. Whilst there, she was sent with a book, from 

 her aunt, St. Eaditha, to St. Modwen, and fell off a 

 bridge into the river, where she was drowned. She 

 remained in the water three days, and was restored 

 to life by the prayers of St. Modwen. She was 

 then betrothed to Sighere, King of Essex, and on 

 the same day obtained his consent to live always as 

 a virgin. Her husband consented to her taking 

 the veil, and gave her the village of Chich, near 

 Colchester, where a nunnery was built, and she 

 became abbess. 



The Danes, under Inguar and Hubba, ravaged 

 the country, and because St. Osyth refused to 

 worship their gods, they cut off her head, when, as 

 is reported, she took up her head in her hands, and 

 proceeded to the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, 



