(ABOUT 720.)
[The life of S. Egwin was written by his contemporary, S.
Brithwald, Archbishop of Canterbury. This original has not
descended to us, but a fragment of a somewhat later recension of
this life exists; and a still later life, probably an amplification
of that by Brithwald. Moreover, S. Egwin is mentioned by Matthew of
Westminster, Florence of Worcester; William of Malmesbury also
speaks of him in his Acts of the English Bishops.]
S. Egwin was of the royal blood of the Mercian kings, and was born at
Worcester, in the reign of Ethelred and Kenred. He was elected Bishop in
692. By his zeal in rebuking the illicit connexions formed by some of
the great men in his diocese, and vehemence in reforming the corrupt
morals of all, he stirred up a party against him, and with the
connivance of the King, he was expelled his diocese. Egwin, meekly
bending to his fate, determined to make a pilgrimage to Rome. According
to a popular mediaeval legend, he also resolved to expiate at the same
time certain sins of his youth, by putting iron fetters on his feet,
which were fastened with a lock, and he cast the key into the Avon. As
he neared Italy, on a ship from Marseilles, a huge fish floundered upon
deck, and was killed and cut open; when, to the surprise of the Saint,
in its belly was found the key to his fetters. He accepted this as an
expression of the will of heaven, and released his limbs. According to
another version of the story, the fish was caught in the Tiber, after S.
Egwin had appeared before the Pope in Rome; but William of Malmesbury
doubts the whole story as an idle legend.
[Illustration: S. EGWIN, BISHOP OF WORCESTER, After Cahier. [Jan. 11.]]
After his return, with the assistance of Kenred, King of Mercia, S.
Egwin founded the famous abbey of Evesham, under the invocation of the
Blessed Virgin. After this he undertook a second journey to Rome, in
company with Kenred, and Offa, King of the East Saxons. S. Egwin died on
the 30th December, 717, and was buried in the monastery of Evesham. The
translation of his relics probably took place on Jan. 11th, on which day
many English Martyrologies mark his festival.
[Illustration: Decoration]