Library › Eddius Stephanus › Life of St Wilfrid

Life of St Wilfrid

Eddius Stephanus, tr. Colgrave, 1927

How the King Refused the Price When a Price Was Set Upon Him

At the same time Ebroin, duke of Theodoric, King of the Franks, sent messengers with letters to Aldgisl, King of the Frisians, saluting him with words of peace and promising under oath to give him a bushel full of gold solidi, a reward of crime indeed, if he would either send him Bishop Wilfrid taken alive or else slay him and send his head. The king at once ordered the letter to be read for all to hear, while we were present and while the messengers were feasting in the palace with his people. After the reading he took the missive in his hands, tore it up in the sight of all and threw it into the fire which was burning in front of him, saying to the bearers of the document, “Tell your master what I now say: Thus let the Creator of all things rend and destroy the realm and life of him who perjures himself before God and does not keep the covenant he has made; thus may he tear him up and consume him to ashes.” Then the ambassadors in confusion returned from the presence of a king who would not consent to commit a crime, to their own master whence they had come.