ebration of his feast, was held on the 4th.
Lambmes or Lammas was the ancient name of this feast of St. Peter and
was derived from the Saxon _hlaf_ (loaf). It had its origin in the
offering at Mass of a loaf made from the first-fruits of the harvest.
{114}

6--Blessed Alexander, Monk, A.D. 1229.

In the account given of St. Matilda (April 11) allusion was made to
her brother Alexander, who, concealing his royal origin, entered the
Cistercian monastery of Foigni, in the diocese of Laon, France. He
died some years before his holy sister on May 4th, 1229. His feast is
celebrated by his Order on this day. A fair was formerly held in his
honour at Keith, in Banffshire.

9--St. Oswald, King and Martyr, A.D. 642.

This illustrious King was the son of a pagan. Ethelfrid, King of
Northumbria. He was compelled on the death of his father to seek
safety in the north, and took refuge with his two brothers at Iona,
where all three received baptism. Eanfrid, the eldest, obtained the
throne of Northumbria, but relapsed into paganism. He met with a
violent death at the hands of the British prince, Cadwalla, and
Oswald succeeded him as king. Cadwalla was defeated near Hexham by
Oswald's inferior army, the Christian prince having previously
erected a large wooden cross on the field of {115} battle, before
which he knelt in prayer for the success of his arms, and promised,
with the consent of his soldiers, that all would embrace Christianity
should God grant them the victory.

On ascending the throne Oswald procured a missionary for his people
from Iona in the person of Aidan, who became eventually the first
Bishop of Lindisfarne. The saintly King did not disdain to act as
interpreter to his people of the instructions given by Aidan in the
Celtic tongue. Oswald reigned but eight years, yet they were years of
blessing for the nation The King led the way in the practice of the
Christian virtues, especially of charity to the poor. It was on the
occasion of the distribution to a hungry multitude at the palace
gates of the food prepared for the King's repast, and the division of
the costly silver dish itself amongst the poverty-stricken people,
that St. Aidan, who was about to join the King at a banquet, cried
out enthusiastically as he seized Oswald's right hand, "May this hand
never corrupt!" The utterance was prophetic, as the sequel will show.
{116}

The saintly King met his death on the field of battle, when resisting
the invasion