ITO ROGER OF AVENDO VER. [Λ.Γι. lips. use on the morrow ; they also lived according to the rides of the apostles, and whatever they had abundance of at their tables from charitable gifts, this they immediately bestowed on the poor ; thcv went about shod in the preaching of the gospel, slept in their clothes, used hard beds, and put stones under their heads for pillows. Of the wonderful penitence oj Hugh bishop of Chester. In the same year Hugh tie Xunant. bishop of Coventry or Chester, fell very ill when on his way to lloine ; and when, by bis illness gaining ground, be knew that his death was approaching, he sent for the religious men of all Normandy, abbats and priors, as many as be could, ami in the hearing of all of them, and purely and with a contrite bean, he in tears confessed aloud all the sins, faults, and offences, which occurred to his recollection. So great was bis penitence and contrition, that all those who stood by and looked at him were moved to tears : and at length in tears and lamentations be with clasped hands besought all the priests, by God's virtue, to inflict a fitting repentance and atonement on him. a penitence for the great crimes of which he had been guilty. Hut the religions men who stood by his bed bearing of studi a wicked life in a bishop, and at the same timi» beholding his excessive contrition of heart, looked at one another and were all silent, not knowing what advice to give him, or what answer to make on a sudden. The bishop on seeing this, said to them, " I know, I know, that now you have heard of such great offences, you arc doubting amongst yourselves as to what you should inflict on me by way of atonement ; but I beseech you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, by way of penance you adjudge me. for the remission of my sins, to remain, according to the will of God, in the tortures of purgatory till the day of judgment, that, by the mercy of our Redeemer, whose compassion always exceeds his judgment, I may then be saved." This advice pleased them all, except always the divine clcnicncv. which desires all to be preserved, and not one to be lost. Then the bishop, in the hearing of them all, acknowledged with great grief that he had expelled the monks from Coventry, and, to add to all his faults, had introduced irreligious priests in their stead ; to atone for which fault, he found no