olatry. At which the prince drew back, and refused to be baptized,
saying, he would go with the greater number. This tyrant sent afterwards
to St. Willebrord, to treat with him about his conversion; but before
the arrival of the saint, was found dead. St. Wulfran retired to
Fontenelle, that he might prepare himself for death, and died there on
the 20th of April, in 720. His relies were removed to Abbeville, where
he is honored as patron. See his life, written by Jonas, monk of
Foutenelle, eleven years after his death, purged from spurious additions
by Mabillon, {630} saec. 3, Ben. Fleury, b. 41, t. 9, p. 190. See also
the history of the discovery of his relics at St. Vandrille's,
accompanied with miracles, and their translation to Rouen in 1062, well
written by an anonymous author who assisted at that ceremony, several
parts of which work are published by D'Achery, Spicil. t. 3, p. 248, the
Bollandists, and Mabillon. The Bollandists have added a relation of
certain miracles, said to have been performed by the relics of this
saint at Abbeville.

MARCH XXI.

ST. BENEDICT, ABBOT,

PATRIARCH OF THE WESTERN MONKS.

From St. Gregory, (Dial. l. 2, c. 1,) who assures us that he received
his account of this saint from four abbots, the saint's disciples;
namely, Constantine, his successor at Monte Cassino, Simplicius, third
abbot of that house, Valentinian, the first abbot of the monastery of
Lateran, and Honoratus, who succeeded St. Benedict at Subiaco. See the
remarks of Mabillon, Annal. Ben. l. 1, p. 3, and l. 2, p. 38. and Act.
Sanct. Bened. t. 1, p. 80. Also Dom. Mege, Vie de St. Benoit, avec one
Histoire Abregee de son Ordre, in 4to. An. 1690. Haeften's Disquisitions,
and abbot Steingelt's abridgment of the same, and Ziegelbauer and
Legipont, Historia Literaria Ord. S. Benedicti, Ann. 1754, t. 1, p. 3,
and principally t. 3, p. 2.

A.D. 543.

ST. BENEDICT, or KENNET, was a native of Norcia, formerly an episcopal
see in Umbria, and was descended from a family of note, and born about
the year 480. The name of his father was Eutropius, and that of his
grandfather, Justinian. When he was fit for the higher studies, he was
sent by his parents to Rome, and there placed in the public schools. He,
who till that time knew not what vice was, and trembled at the shadow of
sin, was not a little shocked at the licentiousness which he observed in
the conduct of some of the Roman youth, with whom he was obliged to
converse; and h