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Life of St Wilfrid
Eddius Stephanus, tr. Colgrave, 1927
50. Concerning His Voyage on the Way to Rome
When we learned of the wretched and lamentable calamity that had befallen us, we cried to the Lord without ceasing day and night; with fasting and tears, we poured out our prayers and supplications, together with all the congregations attached to us, until the time when the preparations were made and the party embarked with our holy bishop, and, borne oversea by their ship, reached the southern shores, God going before them. Then, making their way together on foot overland, by the help of the holy Apostles, after a long journey, they arrived safely at the Apostolic See; on being presented, they urgently implored on bended knee that they would receive without disdain, as befitted their customary clemency and piety, this account of their errand, though it should appear to be written in rustic style instead of being inscribed with urbane eloquence. “For,” said they, “we wish your Excellence to know that we have come to accuse no one through envy; but nevertheless, if any comes from elsewhere into your holy council and ventures to bring forward any hostile accusation against us, we wish you to know that we are prepared so far as we are able, with the help of your clemency, to offer our defence, if the charges are false, or to confess them, if they are true. So, protected by the clemency of our Creator and the chief of the blessed Apostles, we have fled for refuge to this most glorious see, as though to our mother’s bosom, accepting whatever commands your most blessed authority shall lay upon us.”
And so our holy prelate, Bishop Wilfrid, and the most reverend priests and all the venerable clergy were received by the most blessed and Apostolic Pope John with kindly piety; they rested several days in a dwelling which had been prepared for them freely, awaiting the answer of the glorious see. Meanwhile messengers from the holy Archbishop Berhtwald as well, also sent to the Apostolic See with his written accusation, arrived at the same time, humbly begging the most glorious See to grant an audience for the mission with which they were charged. Then when the most blessed Apostolic Pope John with his fellow-bishops, gathered together from every hand, and all the venerable clergy, had come to the place of meeting, Bishop Wilfrid the beloved of God and all his venerable brethren were presented to him and the document containing his petition was first read in the presence of the whole assembly, and this is how it ran: