The church-history of Brittany from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman conquest under Roman governours, Brittish kings, the English-Saxon heptarchy, the English-Saxon (and Danish) monarchy ... : from all which is evidently demonstrated that the present Roman Catholick religion hath from the beginning, without interruption or change been professed in this our island, &c. / by R.F., S. Cressy of the Holy Order of S. Benedict.

XXII. CHAP.* 1.1

1.2. &c. S. Wilfrids cause again iudged at Rome: to his advantage.

8. &c. His miraculous recovery from a sicknes in France.

1. SAint Wilfrid arriving at Rome the year following,* 1.2 expected awhile his accu∣sers: who being also come, they presēted their state of the present Controversy in Epistles sent by Arch-bishop Brithwald & other Bishops of Brittany to Pope Iohn: and S. Wilfrid declared his cause in a Petition or Memoriall which he humbly offred to the same Pope.

2. The summ of which Petition, extant in William of Malmsbury,* 1.3 is this:

He first shewd how he had been obliged to appeal to the See Apostolick for iustice against the Vsurpers of his Bishoprick, Monasteries and other posses∣sions contrary to the Decrees of the late Holy Popes Agathon and Sergius: Which Decrees he humbly desired the present Pope to confirm: yet withall professing that he was ready to suffer the severity of Ecclesiasticall Canons, in case he could not disprove any accusations layd against him. Moreover he humbly re∣quested that letters in his behalf might be written from the See Apostolick to Ethelred King of the Mercians desiring him to protect in peace all the Monasteries in his Kingdom: and moreover to Alfrid King of the Nor∣thumbers, requiring a restitution of all that belonged to him: Or in case that he might not be suffred to enioy his Bishoprick of York, he besought the Pope to take care that a fit∣ting person might be ordained there. But as for the two Monasterses founded by him at Rippon (Ripis Hagulstaniae) in that Province, he would by no means quitt his right to them. These things being granted, he con∣cluding protested all due obedience to such Decrees of Arch-bishop Brithwald, as were not contrary to to those of the Popes Predecessours.

3. This Petition being read, his Accusers were commanded to shew what they could alledge against it.* 1.4 The principall thing that they insisted on was this, That he was guilty of a capitall crime, having publickly and contumaciously said in a Synod assembled in Brittany, that he would not obey the Decrees of Arch-bishop Brithwald. As touching this accusation, the Holy Bishop standing in the midst of the assembled cleared himself saying, That it was not true that he had answered so in∣definitly but only that he would not obey such De∣crees as were contrary to the Ecclesiasticall Canons: Now nothing is more contrary to them, then that a Bishop should be compelled to depose himself, no crime being layd to his charge.

4. This Answer so simple, easy and al∣lowable

was by the Romans received with ioyfull applause: and his Accusers being unable to disprove it were commanded to return home, the Roman Bishops telling them, That though by the Canons it was ordred, that an accuser▪ failing in the proof of the first point of his charge, should not be admitted to make good the rest, yet for the reverence they bore to the Arch bishop Brithwald, they would not forbear to discusse all their alle∣gations in order. And so in effect they did, insomuch as for the space of four months seaventy assemblies of Bishops wee made cheifly about this Controversy: the end of which was glorious to S. Wilfrid, and igno∣minious to his accusers: for the Romans ex∣ceedingly admired their impudence, and his eloquence who without any study, only by the help of God and his own innocence, with the first moving of his lips dissipated and broke asunder like cobwebs, all th••ir obie∣ctions and accusations. But especially the Roman Bishops condemned the bold rashnes of those English pleaders, in that being lay∣men all of them, except one, who was a Deacon, they presumed to accuse a Venerable Prelat seaventy years old, whose Eloquence flowed like a torrent. Therefore discour∣sing a long time among themselves in the Greek tongue, at last turning themselves to the Plaintives & Defendant, they in Latin pronounced. That the English Messengers de∣served prison, and that he who sent them was unwise: on the other side they declared S. Wilfrid innocent of any crime whatsoever.

5 I would here add (saies the same Authour) how great an advantage came to his cause by the reading of the Acts of the Synod assem∣bled formerly by Pope Agathon: And after by a miracle hapning to him in his return from Rome homeward at Meaux a Citty of France, Eastward from Paris, where falling greivously sick▪ he was restored to health in an Angeli∣call Vision: but that the Venerable Historian Beda, who for the sobriety of his stile deserves cre∣dit, has already recorded it. For my design is breifly to relate such particulars as have been omitted by him.

6. These two passages pretermitted by William of Malmsbury we will here adioyn out of S. Be∣da:

Who as touching the former thus writes: One thing there was which brought great advantage to the clearing of S. Wilfrid, which was the reading of the Synod of Pope Agathon of blessed memory: For when by command of Pope Iohn the Acts of that Synod came to be read before a great multitude of Nobles and other inferiour people, and that the Reader was come to that passage before related, to witt, Wilfr••d the pious Bishop of York appea∣ling to the See Apostolick, was by full autho∣rity of this Synod declared innocent and ab∣solved from all matters layd to his charge, certain or uncertain, &c. an astonishment seised on all the hearers, and they began to ask one another, Who that Bishop Wilfrid was?* 1.5 Then Boniface one of the Popes counsel∣lors and severall others who had seen him at Rome in the days of Pope Agathon, said, That this was the same Wilfrid now again come to Rome with his accusers to be iudged by the See Apostolick. At his former coming, said they, his cause was fully heard, and the alle∣gations on both sides eyamined, and in the end he was by Pope Agathon of blessed me∣mory pronounced to have been uniustly ex∣pelled from his Bischoprick: Moreover he was entertaind by the said Holy Pope with so much honour, that he assigned him a place in a Sy∣nod of Bishops, as being a man of incorrupt Faith and probity. When these things were heard, the whole Synod together with the Pope pronounced, That a man of such authority, who for the space of forty years had worthi∣ly administred the Episcopall Charge, could not with any iustice be condemned, but ought to be dismissed with honour, as innocent and free from all crimes falsly imputed to him.

7 Now before wee add the other passage for which we are referred to S. Beda, touching the Miracle hapning to S. Wilfrid in his voyage back towards Brittany, wee will insert out of William of Malmsbury what befell S. Wilfrid be∣fore he quitted Rome:

Although, saith he, the Holy Bishop had clearly obtaind his cause, yet he made it his earnest suit that he might be permitted to remain the short time he had to live, at Rome, that so he might breath forth his decaying Spirit at the feet of his Holines. But Pope Iohn would not yeild to his pious request, giving this reason, That such a man as he was necessary to the English ••hurch and Kingdom: and therefore he enioynd him to employ the remainder of his age in procu∣ring the commodity of his own countrey & not spend it unproffitably in a forrain aire.

8. S. Wilfrid having been thus honourably dis∣missed from Rome, in his way through France the Miracle befell him thus related by S. Beda:* 1.6 Whilst he was travelling through France an infirmity suddenly seised on him, which day∣ly encreasing brought him to that extremity that he could not so much as ride on horse∣back, but by his servāts was caried in a hand∣litter. In this māner he was brought to Meaux (Meldum) a Citty of France, where four days and nights together he lay as one dead, and a faint breathing, scarce perceptible, shewd only that he was yet alive. Thus long conti∣nuing without meat or drink, without spea∣king or hearing any thing spoken, at last a∣bout day-break on the fifth day, he awaked as from a deep sleep, and sate up in his bed. Then opening his eyes he saw about him his Brethren singing Psalms and weeping: And sighing a little he demanded where Acca the Preist was. Presently therefore he was called for, and seeing the Holy Bishop pretty well recovered and able to speak, he kneeled down, and the other Brethren with him, and gave thanks to God for so great a blessing.

9. After this they sate down together, and

entred into discourse concerning the terrour of Divine iudgments:* 1.7 which discourse having continued awhile, the Holy Bishop commanded all the rest to leave the room except Acca, to whom directing his coun∣tenance and speech, he said, A terrible Vision lately hapned to mee which I intend to di∣scover to thee, but which thou must conceale till I see how it shall please God to dispose of mee. There stood before mee a certain person in a glo∣rious shining vestment, who said he was the Archangell Michael, and that he was sent to recall mee from death. For, sayd he, our Lord moved by the Prayers and tears of thy Brethren and Disciples, and by the Intercession of his most Blessed Virgin Mother, has given thee life. There∣fore I assure thee that thou shalt for the present recover of this sicknes: but be prepared, for four years hence I will visit thee. Thou shalt arrive safe in thy native countrey, and there receive the greatest part of thy possessions, and conclude thy life in great tranquillity.

10. The event shewed this Vision to have been no illusion: for presently the Holy Bi∣shop perfectly recovered his health to the great ioy of all, who gave humble thanks to God for it, And not long after renewing his iourney, he came safe into Brittany. But because he arrived not there till the year following, wee will here interpose a Narration of the great chāges hap∣ning in this Island in the mean time, which gave a new course to the Holy Bishops affaires.

Notes

• * 1.1

  XXII. CH
• * 1.2

  A. D. 704.
• * 1.3

  Malmsb. de Pont. l. 3.
• * 1.4

  Id. ibid.
• * 1.5

  A. D. 705.
• * 1.6

  Bed. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sup▪
• * 1.7

  A. D. 704.