was entirely destroyed by the Danes in 978, but another account, given by Thorne, fixes its destruction in the year 1011, at the time of Sweyn's invasion.

Mildgitha, the sister of Mildred, retired to the Monastery of Eastry, not far from Canterbury, which Egbert had himself built to atone for his crimes.1 At a subsequent period Eastry, the manor of which Egbert had vested in the Church, was given to Christ Church, Canterbury, by Ethelred the Unready, for the support of the monks' kitchen. An ancient tradition affirms, that the altar-tomb, placed at the east end of the little chapel which belonged to Eastry Court, was the sepulchre in which the bones of the two murdered brothers of Queen Domneva were enshrined, and over which a light constantly hovered.

The three sisters, Mildred, Mildgitha, and Milburga, foundress of the Abbey of Wenlock, in Shropshire, were all canonized.

The body of King Merowald, which had been enclosed in a wall of the church of the Abbey of Wenlock, was found at the same time as that of his daughter Milburga.3 Domneva, who is called "the virtuous mother of three virgin saints," had only one son by Merowald, who did not survive his infancy; so I also, being sprung of the same king's stock, and, by God's help, possessed of his kingdom, do deliver up the isle of Thanet, which King Egbert granted, by hereditary right, to the venerable Queen Domneva (to the mother, to wit, of St. Mildreth), as much as a hind had gone over in its course, for the slaying of her two brothers, Ethelbred and Ethelbert, whom, by order of the same king, Thunur, hateful to God, struck down by an unjust death, whom forthwith celestial vengeance terribly followed by cutting him off."-Thorne's Chronicle.

1 Butler's Lives.

2 A.D. 979, Philipott.

3

* Philipps, Bromton, Drayton.

that his crown devolved on his younger brother Mercelyn, son of Penda, who likewise dying without issue male, the little kingdom of Herefordshire became reunited to the powerful territory of Mercia.

Queen Domneva survived her husband many years, and is frequently mentioned by our historians. Besides the Monastery of Minster, this Queen was foundress of a nunnery at Ebbsfleet, in the isle of Thanet; but it was at Gloucester that she spent her remaining years after her widowhood.

1 Speed, Tanner, Dugdale.

ETHELBURGA AND FRIDOGITHA,

QUEENS OF INA AND ETHELARD.

CONTENTS.

Invasion of Ivor and Ina-Conditions of the Conquerors-Marriage of Ethelburga to Ivor-His death, and her marriage to his successor, Ina-The arch of Taunton Castle-Ealdbryht Clito besieged by Ethelburga-The "Western Key of the Kingdom The Laws of Ina-Guala-The learned men of Ina's time-The Abbey of Glastonbury, and its rich endowments-Ethelburga's pious project-The splendid banquet and the contrast-Its effect on the King-Discourse of Ethelburga-The Crown resigned— Ethelard-Preparations for a pilgrimage to Rome-Departure of the King and Queen as pilgrims—Arrival in Rome-Religious acts-The Saxon school of Ina at Rome-Romescot-Return to England of the royal pair-Death of Ina-Ethelburga at Barking -Cuthberga, Abbess of Wimbourne-Canonisation of the AbbessQueen-The three daughters of Ina-Fridogitha's liberalityHer piety and pilgrimage -Her death and canonization-St. Frideswide.

ETHELBURGA, and her brother Ethelard, the husband of Fridogitha, were descended from Cerdic, founder of the West Saxon monarchy. Their father was Ethelwald,

The ceaseless contentions of these times carry the historian in a perpetual circle of bloody wars and usurpations, until he no longer wonders that the poet

where there is a mount; then by Plas Power to Adwy'r Clawdd, near Minera, by Brymbo; crosses the Cegidog river, and through a little valley, upon the south side of Bryniorkyn mountain, to Coedtalwrn, and Cae-dwn, a farm near Treyddin Chapel, in the parish of Mold (pointing towards the Clwydian hills), beyond which there can no farther traces be discovered. It seems probable that Offa imagined that the Clwydian hills, and the deep valley that lies at their base, would serve as a continuance of this prohibitory line: he had carried his arms over most parts of Flintshire, and vainly imagined that his labours would restrain the Cambrian inroads in one part, and his orders prevent any incursions beyond these natural limits, which he had decreed to be the boundaries of his new conquests. "It is observable," says Pennant, "that, in all parts, the ditch is on the Welsh side; and that there are numbers of small artificial mounts, the sites of small forts, along its course." These were garrisoned, and seem intended for the same purpose as the towers in the famous Chinese wall-to watch the motions of their neighbours, and to repel hostile incursions. The folly of this great work appeared on the death of Offa: the Welsh, with irresistible fury, despised his toils, and carried their ravages far and wide on the English marches. Superior force often repelled them. Sanguinary laws were made by the victorious Harold against any that should transgress the limits prescribed by Offa. The Welshman that was found in arms, on the Saxon side of the ditch, was to lose his right hand.

"There is a famous thing,
Called Offa's Dyke, that reacheth farre in length,
All kind of ware the Danes might thither bring;
It was free ground, and called the Britons' strength
Watt's Dyke, likewise, about the same was set,
Between which two the Danes and Britons met,
And traffic still, but passing bounds by sleight,
The one did take the other pris'ner streight.”

The great dyke and fosse, called Watt's Dyke, is little known, notwithstanding it is equal in depth, though not in extent, to that of Offa, with which it has been frequently confounded. Of the forma

VOL. II.

G

chronicler Milton lost all patience, and exclaimed "Such bickerings to recount, met often in these our writers, what more worth is it than to chronicle the wars of kites and crows, flocking and fighting in the air ?"

"Nothing," however, observes the learned Lappenburg, "would more raise the wars of Offa above this contemptuous mention of the great epic poet of Eng

tion of this dyke, as to time or occasion, no authentic information can be found. It runs nearly in a direction with that of Offa, but at unequal distances, from five hundred yards to four miles. The space intervening between the two was considered as free ground, where the Britons, Danes, &c., might meet with safety for commercial purposes.

Watt's Dyke appears at Maesbury, and terminates at the Dee, below the Abbey of Basingwerk. The southern end of the line is lost in morassy grounds, but was probably continued to the river Severn. It extends its course from Maesbury to the Mile Oak; from thence, through a field called Maes-y-garreg Lwyd, between two remarkable pillars of unhewn stone; passes by the town, and from thence to Old Oswestry, and by Pentreclawdd to Gobowen, the site of a small fort called Bryn y Castell, in the parish of Whittington; runs by Prys Henlle and Belmont; crosses the Ceiriog, between Brynkinallt and Pont y Blew forge, and the Dee below Nant y Bela; from whence it passes through Wynn-stay Park, by another Pentreclawdd, to Erddig, where there was another strong fort on its course; from Erddig, it runs above Wrexham, near Melin Puleston, by Dolydd, Maesgwyn, Rhos-ddu, Croes-oneiras, &c.; goes over the Alun, and through the township of Llai, to Rhydin, in the county of Flint; above which is Caer Estyn, a British post; from hence it runs by Hope Church, along the side of Molesdale, which it quits towards the lower part, and turns to Mynydd Sychdyn, Monachlog, near Northop, by Northop. Mills, Bryn-moel, Coed y Llys, Nant y Flint, Cefn y Coed, through the strand-fields, near Holywell, to its termination below the Abbey of Basingwerk. A dyke and rampart, similar in appearance, and not unlike in name, runs through the counties of Wilts and Somerset, called Wans Dyke, perhaps from Gwan, a perforation.*