THIS saint was a great model of Christian perfection to the church, both of England, her native country, and of Germany. She was descended of an illustrious English-Saxon family, and born among the West-Saxons at Winburn, which name signifies fountain of wine. Ebba, her pious mother, was nearly related to St. Boniface of Mentz, and though she had been long barren, and had no prospect of other issue, when Lioba was born, she offered her to God from her birth, and trained her up in a contempt of the world. By her direction our saint was placed young in the great monastery of Winburn in Dorsetshire, under the care of the holy abbess Tetta, a person still more eminent for her extraordinary prudence and sanctity, than for being sister to a king. 1 Lioba made great progress in virtue, and took the religious veil. She understood Latin, and made some verses in that language, as appears from her letters to St. Boniface: but she read no books but such as were proper to nourish piety and devotion in her soul. St. Boniface, who had kept up an epistolary correspondence with her, and was perfectly acquainted with her distinguished virtue and abilities, became an earnest suitor to her abbess, and bishop, that she might be sent to him with certain pious companions, in order to settle some sanctuaries and nurseries of religion for persons of their sex in the infant church of Germany. Tetta regretted the loss of so great a treasure, but could not oppose so urgent a demand.
Butler’s Lives of the Saints
