york00orns

84 YOkK.
CHAPTER
VII.
For nine years after Wilfrid's death John occupied
the episcopal chair of York. By his name of St.
John of Beverley he is even yet remembered as one
of the best and holiest of Yorkshire's sons. He is
said to have been born of honourable parentage at
Harpham, in the East Riding of that county. In his
youth he was a pupil of Archbishop Theodore, and
was afterwards one of Hilda's monks at Whitby,
" which," as Fuller quaintly says, " soundeth something
to her honour and nothing to his disgrace,
seeing eloquent Apollos himself learned the prinaer of
his Christianity partly from Priscilla." He was a
diligent student and expounder of Holy Scripture,
which he preached to the people with an eloquence
and earnestness whicli rivetted their attention, accompanied
as it was by the example of a pure and spotless
life. He had many pupils. Bede was one of them,
and he afterwards received ordination at the hands of
his old master, of whom he speaks in terms of the
deepest veneration.
John presided over Hexham about eighteen years,
but little is known of his work there. His name
is most especially associated with Beverley, where
he became the owner of land and made additions
to a small church already standing in Deira-