Messingham, Florilegium (1624), by Walahfrid Strabo — translated from the Latin verse.

¹ [Marginal note:] Arnoldus Wion in his book De Ligno vitae, lib. 4, cap. 14: “S. Furseus, son of Philian king of Ireland, announced the word of God many years in Scotland. Et cetera, ibidem.”

³ They have deserved so great fame for their song
who then poured forth the manners and deeds of wicked men
to the heavens with the praise of an illustrious art,
painting the empty monuments of evil men!
Why do we not more gladly sing the deeds of the saints,
whom miracles declare to have pleased God —
deeds which they work through the gifts of Christ by the virtue of faith?
For the Scripture sings, the Lord promising: “Little one,
be you eager to open your mouth; I will minister the words.”
Therefore, O venerable father, dearest Felix,
ready to obey your precepts from my heart,
I, Strabo, whom the land of Alamannia sent forth by birth,
have purposed to write of the life and end of the blessed
Blathmac — whom rich Ireland bore for the world,
and, the perfection of martyrdom following, sent to heaven,
that by his merits I might obtain pardon for my sins.

⁴ Sprung of royal stock, and a sharer of the highest honour,
a royal heir, willingly he flourished in nobility —
that saint of God — leading a chaste life;
and what is accustomed to be a rare and not often seen deed,
the greater he was, the more lowly he went.
The hope of his country, the fortune of his father, a future king,
just in judgement, prudent and chaste in body,
sober, adorned, joyful, wary, honest,
noble in race, more noble still in act,
rich in obedience, better increased in virtues,
he performed as a layman what a cleric might effect.
His honourable name in the Latin tongue
is “Fair-born” [pulcher natus]; and deservedly he was worthy
of that name — he who chose the almighty Father,
and wooed God with a fair love.
Earthly things were base to his soul that sought the divine,
and the hidden secret remained in his breast alone,
until the holy will broke forth into deed.
Secretly he sought a certain monastery without witness;
and he who had lately been prince through the reins of his father,
for the name of Christ became then the servant of a lesser man;
he who had once terrified all amid the ensigns,
himself served among all the lowly without a soldier.

⁵ But fame flying perchance came to his father’s ears;
hence grief and pain compassed the parent’s mind.
He grieved that his heir was stolen away, and sent the senate,
companies, praetors, the people, precepts, and bands;
the duke and the count went, the bishop stood ready at hand,
and the band of abbots, and neighbours near in the flesh —
with this hand only striving, and by whatever art
they might cause the mind to undergo the perils of mortal life,
to go beneath another purpose; and such, though blind, his will —
he scarce drew himself from the gulf of the storms,
and the anchor, long sought, stood trembling in the haven,
nor could he yet loose the ropes of his cares
nor fix his foot upon the land, when the breeze
driven by the winds beat the ship from the sea upon the quivered shore,
and by its own force would have dissolved the trembling keel,
had He not governed the prow who governs all the ages.

⁶ Soon, embraced by all with wondrous love ever,
he strove to be made and called the minister of all —
humble in mind, a keeper of his tongue, and a norm of the good;
gladly drinking in the words of God with a shining heart,
cherishing in his breast the little studies of learning,
he thoroughly learned the divine teachings with a sagacious soul;
and so, flourishing in the splendour of doctrines and manners,
he ruled the venerable companies of many men,
approving his own sayings by examples, and counting
vain favours for nothing — to whom the praise and the glory was Christ
alone; Christ was his speech, Christ his teaching,
peace, shield, breastplate, prayers, patience, war,
the sword of God the word; hope and love his all.
He detracted from none, framed no insults for any —
why must I speak of each thing in each several word?
For whatever the Scripture taught him to shun and to do,
and whatever of vice the Scripture showed to be avoided,
doing all things happily for all men,
that he might cause all to bring back their gains to Christ,
a faithful and prudent servant through the folds of Christ,
dealing to his fellow-servants at the fixed time the measure
of the best wheat, he shone everywhere faithful.

⁷ And that nothing of merit, nothing of goodness might be wanting,
he sought the palm of martyrdom with a benign mind.
Often for this cause essaying to visit foreign lands,
he was stayed from the attempt, the people drawing him back;
therefore in his soul he resolved for a while by a fugitive path
to try the wished-for way — with a company of disciples
not great, bearing precious necklaces beneath the weight
of virtues; and, the darkness being broken, taking flight
by night he prepared to depart in haste.
Lo, the band of the followers coming upon the fugitive
dragged him back, as a captor drags sheep to the folds.

⁸ This also I will not pass in silence — what the holy spirit
revealed to him after the manner of the prophets concerning the secrets
of things; for while fame, flying far, betrayed the blessed man
to his father — his life fleeing to the things above —
he declared not what had been done, but what was to be,
taught a little after by the holy Spirit.
A certain island of the Picts is shown on the coasts,
suspended in the wandering sea, Iona by name,
where the holy Columba rests in the flesh in the Lord;
this he sought with the vow of suffering the marks of Christ.
For there a pagan band of Danes is custom
to come often, armed with malign furies.
But the saint of the Lord, purposing in his mind to try
such lions, put off death with vain fear;
and fortified with the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation,
he dreaded not the weapons of evil men.
And he could sing with the learned prophet:
“The Lord is my helper,” — the wicked fear departed.
Now also he was taught to despise, through the public wars
of the minister, the demons — him who had duly laid low
the very Tyrant, and overcame all his servants in arms.

⁹ It was the time in which the great clemency of God
purposed to join his servant among the shining companies
above the stars, and to bestow a sure crown
upon the good victor — when the holy mind of the man,
foreknowing things, perceived with lofty sense
that the wolves were hastening to come and would divide
the members of the pious sheep. “You, O companions,” he said,
“seek with me with sagacious mind, if your soul can
so endure the pains for the name of Christ;
and you who are able to await it not, I pray, arm your
mighty senses; and you in whose weak hearts the innermost parts
tremble — lo, let them hasten flight, that they may avoid
the present perils, arming their vows to better things:
the temptation of certain death stands near to us.
Let firm faith watch, held in suspense for things to come;
a less wary guard will serve the fugitive.”

¹⁰ At these words the company, smitten with compunction,
resolved what it might endure with the mind: some
beneath a firm breast rejoiced with serene mind
to offer the head to the sacrilegious hands raging with the sword;
but those to whom the confidence of mind was not yet
persuaded to suffer, take flight through the paths.
The golden dawn, scattering the darkness, shone
as they approached, and the bright sun glowed in the fair heaven,
when this holy doctor, celebrating the offices
of the mass, stood whole before the sacred altar —
a victim pleasing to God, to be offered by the threatening blade.
The rest of the company lay prostrate, commending their souls
with tears and prayers to the Thunderer, souls about to be
released from the weight of the flesh.

¹¹ Lo, the accursed raging band rushed through the open places,
dealing death to the men, threatening savage perils
to the blessed ones; and when the rest of the companions
had been slain with rabid ferocity, they came to the holy father,
compelling him to render up the precious metals
in which the holy bones of Saint Columba lay —
which had been taken from their seat and set in a hollowed
heap of earth, beneath the thick turf, knowing already
the wicked hearts. This prey the Danes coveted;
but the saint, with unarmed hand, with the striving of the mind,
taught to stand against the battle-line and to join the fight:
“Depart, barbarian, far hence; I give you such answer:
the gold you seek is unknown to me —
where it is set in the earth, covered in what hiding-places.
And if it be granted me to know by Christ’s leave,
never shall these lips of mine report it to your ears.
Barbarian, draw your swords, take the hilt — now slay me!
To your aid, kind God, I commend my humble self.”

¹² Then the pious victim was torn apart, his members
lopped; and what the fierce soldier could not value
by price, he began to search for amid the cold
wounds. Nor is it wonderful — for they ever are,
and ever rise again, whom the evil favour of the Lord
stirs to rage against his servants; but that which the censure
of Christ wrought for all, let all do for Christ,
though the deed be unequal.

¹³ He therefore, made a martyr for the name of Christ,
a witness, a fame almost — rests in the same place,
where many miracles are given to the holy merits;
where the Lord is worshipped with worthy venerating honour
among the saints, by whom I believe my sins are loosed,
to whom I have sent suppliant offerings of praises.
Nothing does Christ deny to these — for whom they bore
the greatest gains; who reigns with the pious Father
and the holy Spirit through the ages, and possesses
an endless realm of eternal beauty.