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Life of St Wilfrid
Eddius Stephanus, tr. Colgrave, 1927
58. How King Aldfrith Perished for Despising Him
Not long afterwards, on the advice of his friend Aethilred, our holy bishop sent chosen messengers well known to himself, Badwini, a priest and abbot, and Alfrith the teacher, to Aldfrith, King of Northumbria, and sent him messages to this effect:
“Our holy bishop salutes you with words of peace and asks you to grant him permission to come into your presence with letters of greeting from the Apostolic See and the judgments decreed in his case by the Apostolic authority.”
The first time, the king did not make them a harsh or stern answer, but arranged a meeting and a day for them to come back to him and promised to give his answer then. So the brethren came back a second time on the day of the meeting, in accordance with his command, and asked him what his answer would be. The king replied as his counsellors persuaded him. “Brethren, both of whom I respect, ask of me anything that you need for yourselves and I will give it out of regard for you. But in the matter of Wilfrid your lord, from this day importune me no more about it. My predecessors, the kings and the archbishop, with their counsellors, arrived at a certain decision which was agreed to by myself and the archbishop who was sent forth from the Apostolic See with almost all the prelates of our people of Britain. This, I say, as long as I live I will never change because of writings sent from the Apostolic See as you declare.” This declaration he entirely changed later on and sincerely repented.