$ 160. ST. LIUDGER. 693
767 he received further instruction from A leu in at York, and was ordained a deacon (c. 9). In 708 he was in Utrecht; but for the next three years and a half with Aleuin, although Gre gory had been very loath to allow him to go the second time. He would have staid longer if a Frisian trader had not mur dered in a quarrel a son of a count of York. The ill feeling which this event caused, made it unsafe for any Frisian to re main in York, and so taking with him " many books" (copiam librorum), he returned to Utrecht (c. 10). Gregory had died during his absence (probably in 771), and his successor was his nephew, Albric, a man of zeal and piety. Liudger was im mediately on his return to York pressed into active service. He was sent to De venter on the Yssel in Holland, where the saintly English missionary Liafwin had just died. A horde of pagan Saxons had devastated the place, burnt the church and apparently undone Liaf win's work (c. 13). Liudger was com missioned to rebuild the church and to bury the body of Liaf win, which was lost. Arrived at the spot he was at first unsuc cessful in finding the body, and was about to rebuild the church without further search when Liafwin appeared to him in a vision and told him that his body was in the south wall of the church, and there it was found (c. 14). Albric next sent him to Frisia to destroy the idols and temples there. Of the enorm ous treasure taken from the temples Charlemagne gave onethird to Albric. In 777 Albric wras consecrated bishop at Cologne, and Liudger at the same time ordained a presbyter.
For the next seven years Liudger was priest at Doccum in the Ostergau, where Boniface had died, but during the three autumn months of each year he taught in the cloister school at Utrecht (c. 15). At the end of this period Liudger wras fleeing for his life, for the pagan "VVutukint, duke of the Saxons, in vaded Frisia, drove out the clergy, and set up the pagan altars. Albric died of a broken heart, unable to stand the cruel blow. Liudger with two companions, Hildigrim and Gerbert, retired
694 FOURTH PERIOD. A. D. 590-1049.
to Rome, where for two and a half years he lived in the great Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino (c. 18). There he not only had a pleasant retreat but also opportunity to study the working of the Benedictine rule. He did not, however, take monastic vows.
His fame for piety and learning had meanwhile reached the ears of Charlemagne, — probably through Alcuin, — and so on his return the emperor assigned to his care five Frisian dis tricts (Hugmerchi, Hunusga, Fuulga, Emisga, Fedirga) upon the eastern side of the river Labekus (Lauwers), and also the island of Bant. His success as missionary induced him to under take an enterprise in which even Willibrord had failed. He sailed over the German Ocean to Heligoland, then called Fosetelant (the land of the god Fosete). His confidence was justified by events. He made many converts, among them the son of the chief of the island who became a priest and a missionary. Shortly after on the mainland there was another irruption of pagans from East Frisia, and the usual disheartening scenes of burnt churches, scattered congregations, and martyred brethren were enacted. But once more the Christian faith conquered (c. 19). Charle magne's continued regard for Liudger was proved by his gift to him of the abbey Lothusa (probably Zele, near Ghent in Belgium), in order that its revenues might contribute to his support, or that being far from Frisia he might retreat thither in times of danger ; and further by his appointment of him to the bishopric of Mimigernaford (later form Mimigardevord, now Miinster, so called from the monasterium which he built there), in Westphalia, which was now sufficiently christianized to be ruled ecclesiastically. He still had under his care the five districts already named, although so far off. At first these charges were held by him as a simple presbyter, and in that capacity he carried out one of his darling purposes and built the famous monastery of Werden1 on the Ruhr, formerly called
1 C. 18. Migne, I c. col. 778. Erat enim cu piens hcsreditate sua coenobium