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Life of St Wilfrid
Eddius Stephanus, tr. Colgrave, 1927
8. How Alhfrith Gave Him the Monastery at Ripon
As love grew between them from day to day, Alhfrith first gave St Wilfrid the confessor an estate of ten hides at Stanforda, and shortly afterwards, for the good of his own soul, he granted him the monastery at Ripon together with thirty hides of land, and he was ordained abbot. And now, even as the door of this world was being opened wide by the Lord and the holy Apostle Peter, so ever more widely opened the door for the giving of alms in the Lord’s name to the poor, the orphan and widow, and those who were afflicted by any kind of infirmity; thus he clearly proved what his intention had been in the days of his poverty.
Behold, brethren, see and wonder at the great benefit God bestows upon the king, who “found a goodly pearl and straightway bought it.” Not only did King Alhfrith love St Wilfrid the abbot, but all the people both high and low looked upon him as a prophet of God, as indeed he was.