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Gloriosus ac summo regi acceptus rex Ethelbertus regali prosapia oriundus a
Redwaldo rege in Esstanglia regnante, cuius meminit sanctus Beda in Anglorum
historia orientalium Anglorum regno undecimo loco prefuit. Genitor illius rex
magnificus Ethelredus extitit, genitrix illius regina Leofruna alto sanguine progenita.
Non hos regie dignitatis summa potencia, ut crebro solet filios regni fecerat
oblivisci quam ineffabilia sint gaudia celestibus. Hec adquirere, hec possidere tota
mente affectabant.
Anno incarnationes Dominice septingentesimo, septuagesimo nono, ab adventu
Anglorum in Britanniam, trescentesimo vicesimo nono, regiis parentibus nascitur
Ethelbertus, et baptismi sacramento renascitur Cristo; ablutus aqua salutari,
confirmatus dextera pontificali, Sancti Spiritus gratiam suscipit qua benigne
preventus ad omnium virtutum incrementa in dies proficiebat. In puerili etate, nil
puerile actitare dulce habebat, set adolescenciam suam litteris et moribus sacris
studuit informare; gravitas enim quedam morum que ei divinitus innata fuerat,
nullatenus illum vanis substerni sinebat.
Processu temporis, post funus paternum, inclitus Ethelbertus heres patris factus est,
etatis | quartum decimum tunc gerens annum. Electus, et a Domino preelectus,
regni Estanglie sublimatur solio. Erat itaque hic rex iuvenis forme elegantis, deo
acceptabilis, virtute laudabilis, alloquio affabilis, pius ac benignus. Consulunt ei
optimates sui, ut dignitate regia puellam dignam accipiat in congugem. Obstat ille
tempore non modico, cor gerens signatum castitatis pudore. Tandem consilii
communis instantia rex victus, ne in aliquo regni periculo scandalum fiat suis
suorum cedit consilio. Cui unus de optimatibus suis ait, “Australe regnum Anglie
cui quondam iure regali quidam Eglan nomine preerat novi rege carere. Sola
regnat filia eius ibi virgo vocabulo, Sindritha, virgo satis honesta facie et moribus.
Hanc regali thoro dignam censeo fore.” Ad quem rex ait, “Huiusmodi consilium
acceptarem, virginis laudate speciositati me copularem, si patris eius precordia
dudum noscem sine fraudis macula subsistere. Nam cum patre meo rege Ethelredo
initum pacis fedus fraude virulenta creberrime maculavit. Abscit inquam abscit, ut
dolosi generis consortio ullatenus jungar.”
Deinde quidam comes Oswaldus nomine ita regem affatus, inquit, “Cunctis Anglie
regnis, ut michi videtur, regnum Mercie prestat. In hac rex Offa, filius Ehinferti
quondam ducis Merciorum, regnat. Etatis provecte, capud canicie circumfusus, agitur
nunc annus duodetricesimus, ex quo, Mercensibus preesse ceperat. Regine | nomen
Kynedryda; filie vero virginis decore nomen, Elphryda. Hec ut res expostulat solium
reginale conscendere digna est.” Laudatur huius consilium. Rex cum omnibus suis
illud acceptat. Sola tamen regina Leofruna mater regis id revocat et reclamat, dicens
Offam regem Merciorum tyrannum et plurimo experimento plenum dolo
pronunciat. Mercenses omnino sine fide probat unde nec illi huiusmodi placet
consilium; rex autem contra, quod tota curia consulit, quod acceptat, licet mater
eius contraveniat, fieri oportere proclamat.
Puer Dei gloriosus rex Ethelbertus iter parat in Merciam, hanc martirii sui gloria,
totam illustraturus, scutoque meritorum perpetuo tuitorus. Set ecce! Dum in
conspectu omnium, regium equum ascendit, terra dat motum maximum, exercitum
territat universum. Attonita signo vidua mater regina fit anxia et dubia, utrum vita
comitante rex filius suus unquam constat rediturus. “Dei,” tamen ait, “fiat voluntas
fiat.” Terre signo celi mox respondet signum, sol enim per orbem radios spargens
fulcerat lucide, et ecce! Obscuratur toti curie, in medio itinere, densitas nebularum
subito orbata, itinerantes sese, alterutrum videre negat. Dumtaxat vocis per sonum,
quislibet alterum novit. Obstupescit rex Ethelbertus, dum sic radiosus phebus
obtenebrascit. Ad stupidam celi curiam clamare cepit, “Genua,” inquit, “flectamus,
prece polum pulsemus ut nostri misereatur omnipotens Deus.” Vix oratione
completa, fit aurora tota, serena. Tunc rex hillaris effectus, ait, “Sit nomen Domini
| benedictum, ex hoc nunc et usque in seculum.”
Summi Patris tandem preordinante gratia, sanctus Ethelbertus iam egressus de
Estanglia, velut Abraham patriarcha de terra et cognatione sua [Genesis 12:1],
Merciam venit ubi viva hostia sancta, Deo placens offertur, sicque repromissionis
terram lacte et melle manantem cum corona martirii ingredietur. Hospitatur in
villa regia Sottone nominata, non longe a loco ubi Offa rex Merciorum tunc
temporis degebat. Eadem vero nocte rex Ethelbertus fatigatus ex itinere cum se
sopori dedisset, cuncta que illi futura erant per sompnium videbat, vidit nanque per
sompnium aule regie sue tectum decidisse; cornua eciam thalami sui in quo
quiescere solebat tectum cum parietibus subito in terram comminui; vestem quam
induebatur sanguine madefactam; trabem longam et latam in medio urbis in altum
erectam, se ipsum in avem transfiguratum et levi volatu eam supervolitasse. Quam
visionem Oswaldo comiti suo plane revelabat; et comes omnia consolandi et
obsequendi gratia interpretari satagebat. Rex tamen de dissolutione sui corporis et
regni sui desolatione hec cuncta considerans intrepide fiduciam habens in Domino,
et quicquid accideret gratias reddens, viam vitamque suam Deo comendabat.
Premiserat autem rex viros discretos cum regiis donariis ad Offam regem adventum
suum ei nunciantes. Reversis itaque amicus, tam prosperus quaque ab Offa rege
missis veniendi securitatem cum benivolencia regis reportabant. Veniens insuper
rex Ethelbertus | in apparatu regio coram Offa rege, existente regina Kynedryda cum
filia sua Elphryda regis Ethelberti pulcritudine plurimum admirantes, interloquia
diversa optinentes. Ac regina iuvenis formam conspiciens, hora captata, pudenda
cordis, vocis expressione detexit. Ille ut erat Dei plenus gratia, sponsam regis
Offe et coniugium maritale necnon animam propriam violare penitus necglexit.
Set ad Dei legem et copulam maritalem filiam suam postulavit. Videns igitur trux
belua se contemptam in beati viri necem maturat consilia. Accessit autem ad
tyrannum virum suum mulier scelera, ait, “Rumor quem hausisti olim auribus, nunc
extat verus. Ecce rex Ethelbertus manu militum stipatus venit, menia subintrat; filiam
tuam, velis nolis, in coniugem accepturus. Si non precaveris tibi regnum tuum
invadet, regnoque te omnio expellet. Surge, tibi et tuis consule, percipe vt morte
crudelissima moriatur, et obprobrium gentis nostre auferatur.”
Hiis male suasoriis verbis rex accensus dolos parat, morte scitit innocentis. Cui
quidam Gwynbertus ait, “Patratum a me homicidium, ad te o rex confugium me
eligere compulit. Ad hunc autem occidendum, dum tibi placet, peratus existo; nam
et ego in domo patris sui Ethelredi per quindecim annos nutritus | fui, et post
mortem eius filio suo Ethelberto obsequio strenue probitatis adhesi. Solus ego pre
omnibus in actubus meis, illis placui. Ergo istud melius alio, scelere effectu possum
adimplere.” Qui mercede constituta peccuniaque suscepta hospitium Ethelberti
fraudulenter adivit, inquiens ad eum, “Prospera tibi sint cuncta, princeps
desiderabilis. Quicquid petiturus accessisti, indificiliter optinebis; hoc pollicetur rex
Offa dominus meus. In accubitu enim suo illum invenies. Minuit quippe sanguinem
nec audet eius infirmitas diei admittere claritatem. Introeamus igitur pariter ad eum,
absque frequencia militari, sine strepitu et armis, adventus tui causam illi quamtocius
exposituri.” Fecit fortis atleta Dei secundum consilium viri dolosi, proditorem suis
brachiis amplectens. Cumque thalamum ad hoc provisum fuissent ingressi
exilientibus Gwynberti complicibus, capitur Ethelbertus atque ligatur. Suoque ipsius
gladio evaginato, capud Gwynbertus amputavit. Iussu autem regis Offe corpus cum
capite in paludem prope ripam fluminis Lugge proiectum est. Sic innocens
peremptus in terris rex et martir gaudia regni celestis conscendit.
Adveniens virgo regia Elphryda regem extinctum priusquam a thalamo fuerat
eiectus, spectat. Materno consilio patratum scelus exhorescit et ait, “Nullus nunciorum
ad me ulterius ingredietur, nuncians de sponsi alicuius amplexibus.” Vovens itaque
Deo virginitatem suam in | insula Cruland nomine, anachoretica conversatione vitam
finiebat.
Exurexit itaque eadem nocte super sepulcrum beati martiris Ethelberti tam inmensi
luminis splendor ut totus locus igne putaretur accensus. Quo signo viso multe regionis
illius gentes Offam tyrannum superbum graviter exterruerunt, eumque ut peniteret
ad viam humilitatis reduxerunt. Qui decimam ecclesie Dei omnium que possidebat
tribuens, facinus quod in Ethelberto exercuit penitendo deflevit. Passus est autem
beatus Ethelbertus die Dominica xiii° kalendas Iunii. Cuius gloriosa intercessio
nobis veniam porrigat delictorum.
Tercia vero nocte apparuit sanctus Ethelbertus cuidam viro Brythfrido nomine cum
inmenso lumine et ut velociter surgeret imperavit, dicens, “Vade dilectissime ad
sepulcrum meum et accipe corpus meum. Et ad Stratum Waye fluminis ferre satage
et ibidem cum honore reconde.” Expergefactus a sompno vir probus oculos aperuit,
et claritate celesti totam domum illustratam prospexit. Qui brachia sua ut sanctum
Dei comprehenderet extendit, set beatus martir cum splendore abscedens non
comparuit. Exurexit vir ille velociter, visione letus gracias agentes Deo, et advocans
Egmundum virum illustre. Perrexerunt ambo ad sepulcrum eius. Elevantes corpus
sanctum, vestibus preciosis induerunt, ac in quodam curru corpus sacrum
imponentes, versus locum assignatum abierunt. Cum autem iter inceptum agressi
fuissent, per Dei dispositionem capud sancti glorisum amiserunt. Ad quod cum
quidam cecus pedem offenderet, | sic nescius, scienter clamavit, “Adiuva me, serve
Dei Ethelberte,” statimque eadem hora in momento visum recepit. Et accipiens
gloriosum capud in manibus, Deo omipotenti et beato Ethelberto gratias referebat.
Insequitur itaque iter initum, capud deportans et ad currum sequentes clamavit,
“Expectate, et munus quod baiulo accipite!” Et narrabat eis quid acciderat. Qui
gratias agentes Deo ad locum preordinatum portaverunt ibique cum maximo honore
sepelierunt pro cuius amore maxima mirabilia altissimus operatur per infinita
seculorum secula.
|
Glorious King Ethelbert, pleasing to the highest king, arisen of royal stock from
King Redwald who ruled in East Anglia, whom saintly Bede recalls in The History of
the English, was the eleventh to hold dominion over the East Anglians. His father
was the magnificent King Ethelred, his mother Queen Leofruna born of noble
blood. The highest power of royal office did not cause, as often happens,
these children of royal power to forget how indescribable are the joys of those in
heaven. They aspired with their whole heart to acquire and possess these.
In the 779th year of the Lord’s incarnation, in the 329th year after the arrival of the
Angles in Britain, Ethelbert is born to kingly parents, and is reborn to Christ
through the sacrament of baptism; cleansed by the salvational water and confirmed
by the bishop’s right hand, he receives the grace of the Holy Ghost, under the kindly
protection of which he progressed from day to day to the increase of all virtues. In
his childhood he considered it sweet to do nothing childish, but rather he was
eager to shape his youth through book learning and sacred morals; for a certain
solemnity of morals which had been divinely innate in him permitted him in no
way to be subverted by vanities.
With the passage of time, after his father’s death, renowned Ethelbert became his
father’s heir | when he was fourteen years of age. King elect (and already elected
by the Lord), he is elevated to the throne of East Anglia. This king was a young
man of elegant appearance, pleasing to God, praiseworthy in virtue, attractive in
conversation, dutiful, and kindly. His noblemen advise him to take as wife a girl
worthy of royal office. He resists for a long time, since he had a heart distinguished
by the modesty of chastity. At length the king, overcome by the pressure of common
opinion, lest in some crisis of his reign there should be a stumbling block for his
people, gives in to the opinion of his nobles. One of them says to him: “The
southern realm of England, over which a certain man named Eglan formerly held
rule, is without a new king. His daughter rules there by herself, a maiden named
Sindritha, a maiden quite chaste in appearance and morals. I judge that she is worthy
of a king’s bed.” The king says to him, “I would accept advice of this sort, I would
join myself to the beauty of the maiden you have praised, if I could know that her
father’s heart was without the taint of deceit. For he most frequently tainted with
virulent deceit the peace treaty he had entered with my father, King Ethelred. Far
be it, I say, far be it that ever I should be joined in alliance with a treacherous king.”
Then a certain count named Oswald, having thus addressed the king, said, “As it
seems to me, the realm of Mercia is preeminent over all the realms of England. In
it reigned King Offa, son of Einfert who was formerly duke of the Mercians. His
head is encircled with the white hair of advanced age, and it is now the twenty-eighth
year from when he started to rule over the Mercians. The queen’s | name [is]
Cynethryth; the name of the daughter who has the grace of being a virgin, Alfrida.
As this circumstance demands, she is worthy to ascend a queen’s throne.” The
advice of this man is praised. The king, together with all his men, accepts it. Only
Queen Leofruna, mother of the king, rejects it and cries out against it, saying that
King Offa of the Mercians is a tyrant, and she pronounces him deceitful on the basis
of many experiences. She finds the Mercians altogether faithless and for that reason
advice of this sort does not please her; but in contrast the king, although his mother
is opposed, decrees that it is appropriate to do what the whole court advises and what
he accepts.
The renowned boy of God, King Ethelbert, journeys to Mercia, all of which he will
make illustrious with the renown of his martyrdom and which he will protect un-
ceasingly with the shield of his merits. But look! As in everyone’s view he mounts the
royal horse, the earth gives a very great quake and frightens the whole army. As-
tonished by this sign, his widowed mother, the queen, becomes anxious and doubtful
whether it is certain that her son the king is ever going to return alive. Nevertheless
she says, “Let the will of God be done.” Soon a sign in the sky replies to the sign in
the earth, for the sun, spreading its rays over the world, had shone brightly, but now
look! A thick bank of clouds is made dark before the whole court in the middle of
their route, and the sudden absence of the sun prevents them as they are journeying
from seeing each other. At best, by sound of voice does one recognize another. King
Ethelbert is stunned as the radiant sun thus grows dark. He begins to shout out to
the court, which is stunned by the sky. He says, “Let us get down on our knees and
entreat heaven with prayers that all-powerful God have mercy on us.” No sooner
had their prayer been finished than the whole sky becomes bright. Then the king,
made jubilant, says, “Blessed be the name of the Lord | for this now and forever.”
At last, foreordained by the grace of the highest Father, Saint Ethelbert, having set
forth from East Anglia, like father Abraham from his country and from his kin
[Genesis 12:1], comes to Mercia where a living holy offering — one pleasing to God
— is made, and so he will enter the promised land, dripping with milk and honey,
with the crown of martyrdom. He takes lodging in the royal palace named Sutton,
not far from the place where Offa, king of the Mercians, was then living. When on
the same night King Ethelbert, tired from the journey, had fallen alseep, he saw in
a dream everything that was going to happen to him, for he saw in the dream that
the roof of his royal hall and even the corners of his bedchamber in which he was
accustomed to rest fell down; that the roof together with the walls at once broke into
pieces; that the garment he was wearing was drenched in blood; and that he was
metamorphosed into a bird and flew over the long and broad roofbeam that had
been raised aloft in the middle of the city. He revealed this vision thoroughly to his
companion, Oswald; and the companion took pains to interpret everything for the
sake of providing solace and complaisance. The king, considering fearlessly all
these things about the dissolution of his body and the desolation of his realm, having
faith in the Lord, and rendering thanks no matter what should happen, commended
his way and his life to God.
The king had sent in advance men of discernment with royal gifts to King Offa, to an-
nounce to him his arrival. When the emissaries[?] returned from King Offa, they
brought back certainty of safe passage together with the good will of the king. More-
over, when King Ethelbert came | in royal splendor before King Offa, Queen
Cynethryth and her daughter Alfrida much admired the handsomeness of King
Ethelbert and had many conversations. And the queen, seeing the attractive appear-
ance of the young man, seized a moment and uncovered the shameful impulses of her
heart with an utterance of her voice. Inasmuch as he was filled with the grace of
God, he refrained entirely from violating the spouse of King Offa, their marriage
bond, and his own soul. Instead he requested her daughter in accord with the law of
God and marriage bonds. Seeing herself spurned, therefore, the savage beast ripens
plots to slaughter the blessed man. Moreover, the outrageous woman approached
her husband, the tyrant, and said, “The report that you once heard now shows itself
true. Look, King Ethelbert comes, surrounded by a band of soldiers, and enters the
city walls; he is going to take your daughter as wife, whether you want it or not. If you
do not watch out for yourself, he will invade your realm and will expel you altogether
from the realm. Rise up, take thought for yourself and your followers, order that he
die a death most cruel, and let the disgrace of our people be removed.”
The king, incensed by these wicked exhortations, prepares treacheries and thirsts
after the death of an innocent man. To him a certain Gwinbert says, “A murder I
committed obliged me to seek refuge with you, O king. Since it pleases you, I am
prepared to kill him; for I was raised in the home of his father Ethelred for fifteen
years, | and after his death I clung fast eagerly to his son Ethelbert in compliance
with uprightness. I alone, before all others, pleased them in my actions. Therefore
better than another, I can put this misdeed into effect.” When the reward had been
determined and the money received, he entered Ethelbert’s quarters deceitfully,
saying to him, “May everything prosper for you, desirable prince. What you have
come to seek, you will obtain without difficulty; my lord King Offa promises this.
Indeed, you will find him lying down. Truly, he had his blood let, and in his weak-
ness he does not dare admit the brightness of daylight. Therefore let us go in
together to him, without a retinue of soldiers, without the clatter of arms, to explain
to him as quickly as possible the motive of your visit.” The brave athlete of God,
embracing his betrayer in his arms, acted in accordance with the advice of the
treacherous man. And when they entered the bedroom provided for this purpose,
Ethelbert is taken and bound by the accomplices of Gwinbert who leap out. Gwinbert
cut off his head with his own unsheathed sword. At the bidding of King Offa, the
body together with the head is cast into a swamp near the bank of the river Lugg.
Thus the innocent king and martyr, having been slain on earth, ascends to the joys
of the heavenly realm.
The royal maiden Alfrida arrives and sees the murdered king before he has been
removed from the bedroom. She shudders in horror at the crime committed upon
her mother’s advice, and she says, “No messenger will approach me henceforth to
carry messages about the embraces of some betrothed.” And so devoting her
virginity to God, she ended her life on | the island named Croyland, leading an
anchorite’s existence.
And so on the same night there arose over the tomb of the blessed martyr Ethelbert
the radiance of a light so measureless that the whole place was thought to be
akindle with fire. Having seen this sign, the many peoples of that region took fright
severely at Offa, the proud tyrant, and they led him back to the way of humility to
repent. Contributing to God’s church a tithe of everything he possessed, he wept
repentantly for the misdeed he had committed against Ethelbert. Morover, blessed
Ethelbert suffered his passion on the twentieth of May. May his glorious inter-
cession grant us forgiveness for our failings.
On the third night Saint Ethelbert appeared with immeasurable light to a certain man
named Brithfrid and commanded him to rise swiftly, saying, “Go, most beloved, to
my tomb and receive my body. Endeavor to take it to the Street of the river Wye
[i.e., Hereford] and bury it there with honor.” Wakened from sleep, the righteous
man opened his eyes and looked out upon the whole house illuminated by heavenly
brightness. He stretched out his arms to embrace God’s saint, but the blessed
martyr, leaving with his radiance, was not to be found. That man arose swiftly,
joyously rendering thanks to God for the vision and calling a distinguished man,
Egmund. Both of them proceeded to his tomb. Raising up the saintly body, they
dressed it in precious garments, and, placing the sacred body on a cart, they went
off toward the designated place. But when they had set out and begun the journey,
by God’s disposition they lost the glorious head of the saint. When a certain blind
man stumbled | unknowingly upon it, he cried out knowingly, “Aid me, Ethelbert,
God’s servant,” and immediately at that instant in the very same hour he regained his
sight. Taking the glorious head in his hands, he offered thanks to all-powerful God
and to blessed Ethelbert. And so, carrying the head, he pursued the route they had
undertaken, and he cried to those following the cart, “Wait, and take the gift that
I am bearing!” And he related to them what had happened. Offering thanks to God,
they carried to the designated place and buried with greatest honor the one for love
of whom highest God works the greatest miracles for endless centuries of centuries. |
