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ST. LAURENCE, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
HE was one of those who accompanied St. Austin
into this island, about the year 597, and was his immediate successor
in the see of Canterbury, in 608, in which he sat eleven years. When
Eadbald, son and successor to the holy king Ethelbert, not only
refused to follow his father’s example in embracing the faith,
but gave into idolatry, and incestuously took to his bed his father’s
widow, Laurence having labored hard for his conversion to no purpose,
and despairing of reclaiming him, thought of nothing but retiring
into France, as some others had already done. But he was severely
scourged by St. Peter, in a dream, on the eve of his intended
departure, with reproaches for designing to forsake that flock for
which Christ had laid down his life. This did not only prevent his
going, but had such an effect upon the king, when he was shown the
marks of the stripes he had received on this occasion, that he became
a thorough convert, doing whatever was required of him, both for his
own sanctification, and the propagation of Christianity in his
dominions. St. Laurence did not long survive this happy change, dying
in the year 619. He is mentioned in the Roman Martyrology. See Bede,
Hist. b. 2, c. 4, 6, 7.* Malmesb. 1. 1, Pontif. Angl.
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