¹ There was in Greater Britain, in the province of Northumbria, a certain man by race an Angle named Wilgis, leading a religious life in Christ with his wife and all his house, and at last, leaving the secular habit, he chose the monastic conversation; and not long after, the fervour of the spiritual life growing in him, he gave himself to a solitary strictness, and serving God in fastings and prayers was illustrious for many signs. For he begot by his wife Willibrord, holy, beloved of God and lovable to all. Whom when his mother had conceived, she saw as it were a new moon in the sky, which, while it seemed to be full, ever tended to increase: which she gazing upon more intently, slipping with a sudden course, fell into her mouth; and being swallowed, her inmost parts were suffused with exceeding brightness. When she related this to a certain religious priest, he answered: “The moon which you saw grow from small to great is the son whom you have conceived: who shall dispel the dark errors of shadows by the light of truth, and wherever he shall go, the splendour of the light from on high attending him, he shall draw the minds of many to himself by the holiness of his life.”

² For the boy, born and weaned, was given to the brethren of the church of Ripon to be educated in the sacred letters: and in due time made himself a monk by pious profession. Second to none of his fellows in the office of humility, inferior to none in zeal for reading: so that he transcended the tender years of boyhood by the gravity of his manners. At length, kindled with the desire of a stricter life, he went into Ireland and joined himself to St Egbert and Wictbert, who for love of the heavenly country, leaving kindred, home and fatherland, there gave themselves to contemplation. With whom he lived for twelve years in great religion and zeal for sacred reading.

³ After this, taking eleven brethren, that he might preach God’s word to the Frisian nation, crossing the sea he came to a fortress named Utrecht. But because the Frisian people with their king Rathbod were held in the rites of the pagans, the man of God went to Francia and approached Pippin, duke of the Franks. By whom being honourably received, he obtained fitting places within his kingdom, where he might root up the thorns of idolatry and scatter the purest seeds of God’s word. And when the same duke saw that many were converted to God by blessed Willibrord’s preaching, he sent him to Pope Sergius, that, having received the episcopal benediction, he might return to the work of the gospel. Now on the fourth day before he came to Rome, his coming was made known to the pope by a vision, and he was admonished to receive him with great reverence. Whom, consecrating him archbishop when received with the utmost honour, he gave him all that he asked with the greatest alacrity of mind. And when he had returned to Duke Pippin, he was sent by him to the Frisian nation to preach God’s word. There, drawn by diligence and the love of Christ, preaching through the cities and fortresses, he brought many to the knowledge of the truth, built churches and gathered companies of those serving God.

⁴ Now he was kindly received by King Rathbod; yet he could not convert him from the worship of idols, though there was in his company the venerable Wulfram, bishop of Sens, who had come there to win some souls of the heathen to God. And so blessed Willibrord turned his journey to the most savage peoples of the Danes, where a certain man named Ongendus reigned, who, though more cruel than any beast and wholly given to idolatry, yet received the man of God honourably and treated him kindly. The man of God, perceiving the unbelief of his mind, took thirty boys of that country, whom he baptized on the journey, and hastened to return to Francia.

⁵ And when he had been tossed by a certain great tempest upon a certain island consecrated to one of the gods — which was held in such veneration by the inhabitants that none of the heathen dared touch anything in it, neither the animals grazing there nor other things, nor even the spring flowing there — the man of God remained there some days, until a fit time for sailing should come. And lightly esteeming the foolish error of the inhabitants and the king’s most savage temper, who was wont to condemn the violators of those sacred things to a most atrocious death, he baptized three men in that spring in the name of the holy Trinity, and caused the animals grazing in it to be slain for his men’s food. Which the pagans seeing, judged that they would either be straightway turned into madness or perish by a sudden death. But when they saw them suffer no ill, astonished with wonder they reported to King Rathbod what had been done. Who, kindled with exceeding fury, thought to avenge the injuries of his gods on God’s priest. And the holy man, called to the king, was asked why he had violated his sacred things. To whom he answered with constant mind: “Not a god is he whom you worship, but a devil, who has seduced you, O king, into the worst error. There is no god save one, who created heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. Whosoever shall worship him with true faith shall have life everlasting. His servant I, today bear you witness that you should at last recover from the vanity of your ancient error and, believing in the almighty God himself, be baptized and, casting away all iniquity, serve him with a sincere heart, that you may be able to lay hold on eternal life. But if you despise me, know for certain that you shall sustain the punishments of perpetual death with the devil.” To this the king answered wondering: “I see that you do not fear our threats, and that your words are as your deeds.” Yet though the same king was unwilling to acquiesce in the man of God’s sound doctrine, yet he sent him back with great honour to Pippin, duke of the Franks.

⁶ At length, Pippin being dead, Charles his son succeeding subdued Frisia to himself, Rathbod being conquered: in which nation St Willibrord was placed as preacher and appointed bishop in the fortress of Utrecht. Who, having received a larger faculty of evangelising, strove to wash in the sacred baptism the people lately gained by the sword, nor did he suffer any of the ancient past and error to remain in it.

⁷ And the man of God came to a certain island where an idol was worshipped by the people. Which when he strove to shatter with the zeal of faith, the idol’s keeper, inflamed with fury, tried to slay God’s priest with a drawn sword: yet by God’s protection the holy man incurred no injury. Then when those who were with him rushed upon the impious presumer, the man of God delivered him from their hands. Yet on the same day, seized by a demon, on the third day he miserably expired. At another time also, when a keeper of the corn blasphemed the saint as he passed, and the man of God’s companions wished to slay him, the saint forbade it, unwilling that any should perish for his sake, who came to preach salvation to all: and returning by the way he had come, gave place to wrath. And on the following day the unhappy blasphemer was cut off by a sudden death.

⁸ While he went round the maritime places, where there was a want of water, he sustained a grievous burning of thirst. He therefore ordered a small ditch to be made within his tent, and with bent knees prayed the Lord that he who had brought water out of the rock for the people of Israel in the desert, would with the same mercy bring forth water for his servants from the sandy earth. And look, a clear spring, all seeing and glorifying God in his saint, began straightway to flow from the earth. And as the holy man journeyed, twelve needy men met him, asking that something be given them. Who ordered his minister to give them a flagon full of the best wine. Which received, they all drank to satiety: and they departing, the vessel was full as before.

⁹ Once the man of God came to visit his monastery and, after prayers and the greetings of the brethren, began to go round the cells, wishing to see whether there was anything in them to be amended. And it befell that he entered the cellar: where finding a cask with a little wine, prayer being poured out to God, he sent the staff of blessing into it. And straightway the wine in the cask so increased that it seemed to mount above the vessel’s brim. A girl seized by a demon he restored to her former health by his holy benediction.

¹⁰ He baptized Pippin, father of Charles the Great, and foretold that he should be more powerful than all the dukes of the Franks before him. Now blessed Willibrord was famous in all dignity, comely in stature, beautiful in face, joyful in heart, pleasant in speech, wise and provident in counsel, composed in manners, and strenuous in every work of God. At length, full of good works and every exercise of holiness, on the seventh of November he passed to the Lord: and his body was placed in a marble sarcophagus in the monastery which he himself had built in honour of the holy Trinity. Which sarcophagus indeed, because it was found insufficient for the holy body and short, the brethren hesitated what they should do in this; and look, in wondrous wise it was found so long as if it had been prepared with care to the measure of the holy body.

¹¹ To a certain religious disciple of the holy man, dwelling afar off, the day of his death was divinely revealed. For he saw the most holy father’s soul, lifted up with great brightness of light and praise by the host of angels, penetrate the heavenly kingdoms. By the anointing also of the oil which used to shine upon the saint’s body, many sick were healed; those bound in iron fetters were loosed by his merits, paralytics cured; and countless others asking his aid obtain the effect of their petition.

An Appended Story #

¹ For Vincent relates in the Mirror of History, concerning the same Rathbod king of the Frisians, that when by the preaching of Bishop Wulfram he had been induced to be baptized, having dipped one foot in the laver, drawing back the other foot he asked where the more part of his ancestors were, in hell or in paradise; and hearing that the more were in hell, he said: “It is holier that I follow the many than the few.” And when he was in much doubt, he sent to blessed Willibrord, consulting whether he should be baptized. To whom he answered: “How shall he believe me who does not believe our holy brother Wulfram? I,” he said, “saw him this night bound with a fiery chain, from where it is plain that he has now undergone eternal damnation.” And how that Rathbod had been deceived by the devil is plain in the same Mirror. For the devil appeared to him transfigured into an angel, his head covered with a golden diadem with gems, and a garment woven with gold. On whom when Rathbod looked, he said: “Strongest of men, who has so seduced you that you wish to withdraw from the worship of the gods? Do not do this, but remain in the things which you have learned, and you shall come to the golden houses which I am soon to give you eternally. Tomorrow therefore summon Wulfram, the teacher of the Christians, and ask him what that mansion of eternal brightness is which he promises. Which when he cannot show, let envoys be sent from either side, and I will be the leader of the journey and will show them the golden house and the most beautiful mansion which I promise you.” Rathbod, awakening, related all to St Wulfram. Who, saying that the devil, that deceiver, wished to delude him, answered that the duke would become a Christian if that beautiful mansion were not shown him by his god. Therefore a Frisian is straightway sent on the duke’s part, and a certain deacon on St Wulfram’s part. Who when they had gone a little way from the town, met a companion of the journey, who said to them: “Make haste quickly, for I will show you the most beautiful mansion prepared for King Rathbod.” And they going on by a most broad way and unknown places, saw a certain way decorated with polished work of diverse kinds of marble, and saw from afar a house as it were of gold, and came to the street which was before the house, paved as it were with gold and gems: and entering the house they saw it to be of wondrous beauty and incredible splendour, and in it a throne of wondrous size. Then the leader of the journey said: “This is the mansion prepared for Rathbod the duke.” At this the deacon, astonished, said: “If these things are made by God, let them remain for ever: if by the devil, let them quickly perish.” And when he signed himself with the sign of the holy cross, that conductor passed into a devil, and the golden house into mud: and the deacon and the Frisian remained in the midst of marshy places, which were full of shrubs. Therefore completing an immense journey in three days, they returned to the town: and found the duke, deluded by the demon, had perished by a sudden death; and telling St Wulfram the things they had seen, the Frisian is straightway baptized.

² For Pippin, whom St Willibrord, baptizing him, foretold should be great: succeeded his father Charles in the government of the royal house of the Franks; but when Childeric, king of the Franks, was useless and remiss, and received nothing of the kingdom save the king’s name and his living, Pippin inquired by envoys of Pope Zachary whether he ought to be king of France who, content with the royal name alone, was given to idleness. To whom the pontiff wrote back that he ought to be called king and be king who ruled the commonwealth well. By which answer the Franks being encouraged, King Childeric being thrust into a monastery and tonsured a monk, they set up Pippin.

³ Charles, the father of this Pippin, begotten of a concubine, fought strenuously with the Saracens coming from Africa, compelling them in one battle at Poitiers and in another at Narbonne to retreat to Spain. In which battles four hundred and sixty-five thousand Saracens were slain. He fought also against the Saxons and Bavarians, with Eudo, duke of Aquitaine, and Ranfred, count of Anjou. This Charles, on account of the assiduity of the wars pressing on him, gave the things of the church to laymen. For which cause St Eucherius, bishop of Orléans, being in prayer, saw the same Charles tormented in soul and body in the lower hell. And the angel who was the bishop’s guide for seeing these things, asserted that this was the judgement of all those who seize the goods of the poor and of the church: whose goods that king had seized. And so, at the bishop’s denunciation,, the abbot of St Denis and Pippin’s chaplain approached Charles’s sepulchre: and the sarcophagus being unrolled, they saw a dragon go forth, no body appearing. This Charles was the grandfather of Charles the Great.