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277 ST. ERNACH 277 grant of land to St. Peter and the Abbot Samlf, free of all tribute, and to owe obedience only to Borne. To the hallow- ing of this church, Wnlphere invited all his thanes and the neighbouring kings and bishops. With his finger he signed the charter with the cross of Christ, as did his brothers and two sisters, SS. Kynebukoa (l)and Kynbswidb. About 666 Wulphere and Ermenilda received St. Wilfrid, when that bishop was out of favour with Oswy. They gave him an estate on which to build a cathedral for himsell Wulphere inherited much of the ferocious nature of his father Penda, and was subject to fits of ungovernable fury. Ermenilda partially succeeded in soften- ing his temper and making him more just and forbearing, but not before their two promising sons, Wulfade and Eufinus, had fallen victims to his unbridled rage. About this time, Werebod, a heathen thane, and great military leader, under Wulphere, wished to marry St. Wbre- BURGA, Wulphere's daughter. Her brothers, who were saintly youths, de- voted to St. Chad and his teaching, objected to their sister marrying a lieathen. Werebod, unable to defeat their opposition, poisoned the king's mind against his sons, making him be- lieve them guilty of treason. They were arrested, and finally executed. Too late the king found out the conspiracy of which he had been the dupe, and his heart was wrung with remorse. The murdered princes wore honoured as martyrs. Wereburga begged her father never again to speak of a mortal husband for her. Wulphere set about fulfilling his hitherto somewhat neglected promise to promote Christianity. He and Ermenilda were in the habit of visiting St. Chad in his cell at Lichfield, and receiving instruction from him in Chris- tian doctrine and practice. This teach- ing now bore fruit. Wulphere converted idol temples into Christian churches ; he founded a priory near his own residence at Stone, where his sons were buried ; and in 674, yielding to the wishes of his wife and daughter, and supported by the counsels of St. Chad, he consented to allow Wereburga to become the bride of Christ. He took her to Ely, making a royal progress, attended by kings, princes, and nobles, who came as to a great wedding-feast. The Abbess of Ely, Ethelreda, queen of Northumberland, with her sister, Sexburga, queen of Kent, and a great procession of nuns and clerics, came out to receive the new postulant. Wulphere died in 675, and was suc- ceeded by his brother Ethelred. After her husband's death, Ermenilda took the veil in her mother's monastery at Shep- pey, of which she became abbess when Sexburga went to Ely as second abbess. Ermenilda became third abbess of Ely after her mother's death, and was one of the great patrons of that monastery, where she was buried. Ermenilda's son, St. Eenred, suc- ceeded his uncle Ethelred as king of Mercia in 704, and ultimately became a monk at Eome. Once a master was going to whip some boys, and they fled to the tomb of Ermenilda, oalHng to her to help them. The master caught them and beat them, insulting them by asking if they thought Ermenilda would always be the patron of their faults. The next night the saint appeared to the master and bound his hands and feet, so that he could not move them until he had called the chil- dren and asked their forgiveness. He was then carried to her tomb, and re- covered the use of his limbs. Henschenius, in AA,SS. Capgrave, Legenda, St. Ermentrude, April 7. Nun at Mont Cornillon, near Liege. Towards the end of the life of B. Juliana of Liege Ermentrude was her companion. AA,SS,^ Preeter, Bucelinus. St. Hrmette is probably the same as Entmie. Possibly Erasma. St. Ermia, Enymie. St. Ermina (1), Feb. 28, V. An ancient Lrish saint. Commemorated in the Martyrology of Tamlaght, where she is said to be also called Febaria, and to be the daughter of Archennius. Un- certain. AA.SS.y Prseier, St. Ermina (2), Ibhina. St. Ernach, or Ernachuaq, Oct. 30 (AA.SS,)y is perhaps the same as the