This ancient cathedral city of Peterborough is most curiously situated. On first looking at the map it is extremely difficult to determine off-hand to which of the three counties, Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, or Cambridgeshire, it belongs. It is true part of the city lies in Huntingdonshire. Happily for Northamptonshire, the near proximity of the river Nene probably decided the worthy monks to select that site for the monastery. It was dedicated to St. Peter, whose saintly name was evidently borrowed to designate the name of the borough, and to displace the original appellation, which was Medeswelhamsted, or Medeshampsted, taken out of compliment to a whirlpool in the river Aufona, now the Nene. Though we are told that this monastery was founded, about 655, by a royal Christian convert, Paeda, the fifth king of Mercia, and finished by his brother, Wulfhere, in atonement for his crime in connection with the premature death of his sons for their Christian proclivities--though we are told this, nevertheless we are inclined to think that the worthy brethren were chiefly responsible for the selection of the site. If we come to consider closely the locality of each monastic institution, we generally stumble across a river, however small and humble it may appear. And why is this? Simply for the fish, which was carefully preserved and encouraged to multiply. Even to this day all monks, nuns, and strict followers of the Roman Catholic persuasion rigidly adhere to the observance of eating fish, instead of flesh, on every Friday and fast day, though nowadays it is not customary for them to catch fish in its natural element. In the good old days the holy friars had to depend principally upon the yield of the river for Friday's requirements, if perchance the monastery was situated far inland. Travelling in mediæval times was somewhat precarious and slow. This monastery would be in all probability a wooden erection of Anglo-Saxon style. Philologists demonstrate that "getimbrian"--to construct of wood--was the Anglo-Saxon word for "build." If this argument holds good, it accounts not only for the scarcity of Old English lapidary remains, but also for their peculiar character. Till the arrival of masons in 672 from the continent, the buildings had been composed mostly of wood covered with thatch. Only towards the close of the tenth century, with a better knowledge of stone-work, did architects develop a definite style in England.