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Life of St Wilfrid
Eddius Stephanus, tr. Colgrave, 1927
Preface
In the name of our Lord Christ Jesus. Here begins the humble apology of Stephen the priest, who writes concerning the life of St Wilfrid, the bishop worthy before God.
Constrained as I am by the weight of your commands, my venerable masters, Bishop Acca, and Abbot Tatberht, and by the urgency of the whole community, I would that the result might be as good as my intentions. For this task is great and my powers of understanding and eloquence are small; but, although these faculties are ill able to perform the task you have allotted me, at any rate they will have fulfilled the debt of obedience I owe you. For what greater proof could there be of my respect for you, than that it is my wish to devote myself to your commands, even though they exceed my powers? So, if I produce anything which shall justify your choice, it will assuredly be by the help of the divine gift; because there is no doubt that it will be brought to a successful close, thanks to the faith of those at whose request it was taken up. Who will fail to understand that the task undertaken at your request was one which you believe even me to be capable of carrying through?
In fact, this very task of preserving the blessed memory of Bishop Wilfrid is of great gain and value to myself. Indeed it is in itself a ready path to virtue to know what he was. So, to be brief, even though you believe all the claims that popular report has made for him—and you may well do so—yet be sure that even then you have heard very little about matters that are very great, for I am certain that no one could know them all. So I beseech my readers to believe my report, neglecting the thousand envious pricks of the ancient foe and reflecting on what has been eloquently proclaimed. For boldness ever has its rivals in public places—“the lightnings strike the tops of the mountains.” Nor let it be thought that I have written rashly anything which has not been received on good authority and tested by trustworthy men. Else I would rather hold my peace than state what is false. And now let us start upon the journey which we have undertaken at your request.