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Gloriosus ac summo regi acceptus rex Ethelbertus regali prosapia oriundus a Redwaldo rege in Esstanglia regnante, cuius meminit sanctus Beda in Anglorum historia orientalium Anglorum regno undecimo loco prefuit. Genitor illius rex magnificus Ethelredus extitit, genitrix illius regina Leofruna alto sanguine progenita. Non hos regie dignitatis summa potencia, ut crebro solet filios regni fecerat oblivisci quam ineffabilia sint gaudia celestibus. Hec adquirere, hec possidere tota mente affectabant. Anno incarnationes Dominice septingentesimo, septuagesimo nono, ab adventu Anglorum in Britanniam, trescentesimo vicesimo nono, regiis parentibus nascitur Ethelbertus, et baptismi sacramento renascitur Cristo; ablutus aqua salutari, confirmatus dextera pontificali, Sancti Spiritus gratiam suscipit qua benigne preventus ad omnium virtutum incrementa in dies proficiebat. In puerili etate, nil puerile actitare dulce habebat, set adolescenciam suam litteris et moribus sacris studuit informare; gravitas enim quedam morum que ei divinitus innata fuerat, nullatenus illum vanis substerni sinebat. Processu temporis, post funus paternum, inclitus Ethelbertus heres patris factus est, etatis | quartum decimum tunc gerens annum. Electus, et a Domino preelectus, regni Estanglie sublimatur solio. Erat itaque hic rex iuvenis forme elegantis, deo acceptabilis, virtute laudabilis, alloquio affabilis, pius ac benignus. Consulunt ei optimates sui, ut dignitate regia puellam dignam accipiat in congugem. Obstat ille tempore non modico, cor gerens signatum castitatis pudore. Tandem consilii communis instantia rex victus, ne in aliquo regni periculo scandalum fiat suis suorum cedit consilio. Cui unus de optimatibus suis ait, “Australe regnum Anglie cui quondam iure regali quidam Eglan nomine preerat novi rege carere. Sola regnat filia eius ibi virgo vocabulo, Sindritha, virgo satis honesta facie et moribus. Hanc regali thoro dignam censeo fore.” Ad quem rex ait, “Huiusmodi consilium acceptarem, virginis laudate speciositati me copularem, si patris eius precordia dudum noscem sine fraudis macula subsistere. Nam cum patre meo rege Ethelredo initum pacis fedus fraude virulenta creberrime maculavit. Abscit inquam abscit, ut dolosi generis consortio ullatenus jungar.” Deinde quidam comes Oswaldus nomine ita regem affatus, inquit, “Cunctis Anglie regnis, ut michi videtur, regnum Mercie prestat. In hac rex Offa, filius Ehinferti quondam ducis Merciorum, regnat. Etatis provecte, capud canicie circumfusus, agitur nunc annus duodetricesimus, ex quo, Mercensibus preesse ceperat. Regine | nomen Kynedryda; filie vero virginis decore nomen, Elphryda. Hec ut res expostulat solium reginale conscendere digna est.” Laudatur huius consilium. Rex cum omnibus suis illud acceptat. Sola tamen regina Leofruna mater regis id revocat et reclamat, dicens Offam regem Merciorum tyrannum et plurimo experimento plenum dolo pronunciat. Mercenses omnino sine fide probat unde nec illi huiusmodi placet consilium; rex autem contra, quod tota curia consulit, quod acceptat, licet mater eius contraveniat, fieri oportere proclamat. Puer Dei gloriosus rex Ethelbertus iter parat in Merciam, hanc martirii sui gloria, totam illustraturus, scutoque meritorum perpetuo tuitorus. Set ecce! Dum in conspectu omnium, regium equum ascendit, terra dat motum maximum, exercitum territat universum. Attonita signo vidua mater regina fit anxia et dubia, utrum vita comitante rex filius suus unquam constat rediturus. “Dei,” tamen ait, “fiat voluntas fiat.” Terre signo celi mox respondet signum, sol enim per orbem radios spargens fulcerat lucide, et ecce! Obscuratur toti curie, in medio itinere, densitas nebularum subito orbata, itinerantes sese, alterutrum videre negat. Dumtaxat vocis per sonum, quislibet alterum novit. Obstupescit rex Ethelbertus, dum sic radiosus phebus obtenebrascit. Ad stupidam celi curiam clamare cepit, “Genua,” inquit, “flectamus, prece polum pulsemus ut nostri misereatur omnipotens Deus.” Vix oratione completa, fit aurora tota, serena. Tunc rex hillaris effectus, ait, “Sit nomen Domini | benedictum, ex hoc nunc et usque in seculum.” Summi Patris tandem preordinante gratia, sanctus Ethelbertus iam egressus de Estanglia, velut Abraham patriarcha de terra et cognatione sua [Genesis 12:1], Merciam venit ubi viva hostia sancta, Deo placens offertur, sicque repromissionis terram lacte et melle manantem cum corona martirii ingredietur. Hospitatur in villa regia Sottone nominata, non longe a loco ubi Offa rex Merciorum tunc temporis degebat. Eadem vero nocte rex Ethelbertus fatigatus ex itinere cum se sopori dedisset, cuncta que illi futura erant per sompnium videbat, vidit nanque per sompnium aule regie sue tectum decidisse; cornua eciam thalami sui in quo quiescere solebat tectum cum parietibus subito in terram comminui; vestem quam induebatur sanguine madefactam; trabem longam et latam in medio urbis in altum erectam, se ipsum in avem transfiguratum et levi volatu eam supervolitasse. Quam visionem Oswaldo comiti suo plane revelabat; et comes omnia consolandi et obsequendi gratia interpretari satagebat. Rex tamen de dissolutione sui corporis et regni sui desolatione hec cuncta considerans intrepide fiduciam habens in Domino, et quicquid accideret gratias reddens, viam vitamque suam Deo comendabat. Premiserat autem rex viros discretos cum regiis donariis ad Offam regem adventum suum ei nunciantes. Reversis itaque amicus, tam prosperus quaque ab Offa rege missis veniendi securitatem cum benivolencia regis reportabant. Veniens insuper rex Ethelbertus | in apparatu regio coram Offa rege, existente regina Kynedryda cum filia sua Elphryda regis Ethelberti pulcritudine plurimum admirantes, interloquia diversa optinentes. Ac regina iuvenis formam conspiciens, hora captata, pudenda cordis, vocis expressione detexit. Ille ut erat Dei plenus gratia, sponsam regis Offe et coniugium maritale necnon animam propriam violare penitus necglexit. Set ad Dei legem et copulam maritalem filiam suam postulavit. Videns igitur trux belua se contemptam in beati viri necem maturat consilia. Accessit autem ad tyrannum virum suum mulier scelera, ait, “Rumor quem hausisti olim auribus, nunc extat verus. Ecce rex Ethelbertus manu militum stipatus venit, menia subintrat; filiam tuam, velis nolis, in coniugem accepturus. Si non precaveris tibi regnum tuum invadet, regnoque te omnio expellet. Surge, tibi et tuis consule, percipe vt morte crudelissima moriatur, et obprobrium gentis nostre auferatur.” Hiis male suasoriis verbis rex accensus dolos parat, morte scitit innocentis. Cui quidam Gwynbertus ait, “Patratum a me homicidium, ad te o rex confugium me eligere compulit. Ad hunc autem occidendum, dum tibi placet, peratus existo; nam et ego in domo patris sui Ethelredi per quindecim annos nutritus | fui, et post mortem eius filio suo Ethelberto obsequio strenue probitatis adhesi. Solus ego pre omnibus in actubus meis, illis placui. Ergo istud melius alio, scelere effectu possum adimplere.” Qui mercede constituta peccuniaque suscepta hospitium Ethelberti fraudulenter adivit, inquiens ad eum, “Prospera tibi sint cuncta, princeps desiderabilis. Quicquid petiturus accessisti, indificiliter optinebis; hoc pollicetur rex Offa dominus meus. In accubitu enim suo illum invenies. Minuit quippe sanguinem nec audet eius infirmitas diei admittere claritatem. Introeamus igitur pariter ad eum, absque frequencia militari, sine strepitu et armis, adventus tui causam illi quamtocius exposituri.” Fecit fortis atleta Dei secundum consilium viri dolosi, proditorem suis brachiis amplectens. Cumque thalamum ad hoc provisum fuissent ingressi exilientibus Gwynberti complicibus, capitur Ethelbertus atque ligatur. Suoque ipsius gladio evaginato, capud Gwynbertus amputavit. Iussu autem regis Offe corpus cum capite in paludem prope ripam fluminis Lugge proiectum est. Sic innocens peremptus in terris rex et martir gaudia regni celestis conscendit. Adveniens virgo regia Elphryda regem extinctum priusquam a thalamo fuerat eiectus, spectat. Materno consilio patratum scelus exhorescit et ait, “Nullus nunciorum ad me ulterius ingredietur, nuncians de sponsi alicuius amplexibus.” Vovens itaque Deo virginitatem suam in | insula Cruland nomine, anachoretica conversatione vitam finiebat. Exurexit itaque eadem nocte super sepulcrum beati martiris Ethelberti tam inmensi luminis splendor ut totus locus igne putaretur accensus. Quo signo viso multe regionis illius gentes Offam tyrannum superbum graviter exterruerunt, eumque ut peniteret ad viam humilitatis reduxerunt. Qui decimam ecclesie Dei omnium que possidebat tribuens, facinus quod in Ethelberto exercuit penitendo deflevit. Passus est autem beatus Ethelbertus die Dominica xiii° kalendas Iunii. Cuius gloriosa intercessio nobis veniam porrigat delictorum. Tercia vero nocte apparuit sanctus Ethelbertus cuidam viro Brythfrido nomine cum inmenso lumine et ut velociter surgeret imperavit, dicens, “Vade dilectissime ad sepulcrum meum et accipe corpus meum. Et ad Stratum Waye fluminis ferre satage et ibidem cum honore reconde.” Expergefactus a sompno vir probus oculos aperuit, et claritate celesti totam domum illustratam prospexit. Qui brachia sua ut sanctum Dei comprehenderet extendit, set beatus martir cum splendore abscedens non comparuit. Exurexit vir ille velociter, visione letus gracias agentes Deo, et advocans Egmundum virum illustre. Perrexerunt ambo ad sepulcrum eius. Elevantes corpus sanctum, vestibus preciosis induerunt, ac in quodam curru corpus sacrum imponentes, versus locum assignatum abierunt. Cum autem iter inceptum agressi fuissent, per Dei dispositionem capud sancti glorisum amiserunt. Ad quod cum quidam cecus pedem offenderet, | sic nescius, scienter clamavit, “Adiuva me, serve Dei Ethelberte,” statimque eadem hora in momento visum recepit. Et accipiens gloriosum capud in manibus, Deo omipotenti et beato Ethelberto gratias referebat. Insequitur itaque iter initum, capud deportans et ad currum sequentes clamavit, “Expectate, et munus quod baiulo accipite!” Et narrabat eis quid acciderat. Qui gratias agentes Deo ad locum preordinatum portaverunt ibique cum maximo honore sepelierunt pro cuius amore maxima mirabilia altissimus operatur per infinita seculorum secula.

Glorious King Ethelbert, pleasing to the highest king, arisen of royal stock from King Redwald who ruled in East Anglia, whom saintly Bede recalls in The History of the English, was the eleventh to hold dominion over the East Anglians. His father was the magnificent King Ethelred, his mother Queen Leofruna born of noble blood. The highest power of royal office did not cause, as often happens, these children of royal power to forget how indescribable are the joys of those in heaven. They aspired with their whole heart to acquire and possess these. In the 779th year of the Lord’s incarnation, in the 329th year after the arrival of the Angles in Britain, Ethelbert is born to kingly parents, and is reborn to Christ through the sacrament of baptism; cleansed by the salvational water and confirmed by the bishop’s right hand, he receives the grace of the Holy Ghost, under the kindly protection of which he progressed from day to day to the increase of all virtues. In his childhood he considered it sweet to do nothing childish, but rather he was eager to shape his youth through book learning and sacred morals; for a certain solemnity of morals which had been divinely innate in him permitted him in no way to be subverted by vanities. With the passage of time, after his father’s death, renowned Ethelbert became his father’s heir | when he was fourteen years of age. King elect (and already elected by the Lord), he is elevated to the throne of East Anglia. This king was a young man of elegant appearance, pleasing to God, praiseworthy in virtue, attractive in conversation, dutiful, and kindly. His noblemen advise him to take as wife a girl worthy of royal office. He resists for a long time, since he had a heart distinguished by the modesty of chastity. At length the king, overcome by the pressure of common opinion, lest in some crisis of his reign there should be a stumbling block for his people, gives in to the opinion of his nobles. One of them says to him: “The southern realm of England, over which a certain man named Eglan formerly held rule, is without a new king. His daughter rules there by herself, a maiden named Sindritha, a maiden quite chaste in appearance and morals. I judge that she is worthy of a king’s bed.” The king says to him, “I would accept advice of this sort, I would join myself to the beauty of the maiden you have praised, if I could know that her father’s heart was without the taint of deceit. For he most frequently tainted with virulent deceit the peace treaty he had entered with my father, King Ethelred. Far be it, I say, far be it that ever I should be joined in alliance with a treacherous king.” Then a certain count named Oswald, having thus addressed the king, said, “As it seems to me, the realm of Mercia is preeminent over all the realms of England. In it reigned King Offa, son of Einfert who was formerly duke of the Mercians. His head is encircled with the white hair of advanced age, and it is now the twenty-eighth year from when he started to rule over the Mercians. The queen’s | name [is] Cynethryth; the name of the daughter who has the grace of being a virgin, Alfrida. As this circumstance demands, she is worthy to ascend a queen’s throne.” The advice of this man is praised. The king, together with all his men, accepts it. Only Queen Leofruna, mother of the king, rejects it and cries out against it, saying that King Offa of the Mercians is a tyrant, and she pronounces him deceitful on the basis of many experiences. She finds the Mercians altogether faithless and for that reason advice of this sort does not please her; but in contrast the king, although his mother is opposed, decrees that it is appropriate to do what the whole court advises and what he accepts. The renowned boy of God, King Ethelbert, journeys to Mercia, all of which he will make illustrious with the renown of his martyrdom and which he will protect un- ceasingly with the shield of his merits. But look! As in everyone’s view he mounts the royal horse, the earth gives a very great quake and frightens the whole army. As- tonished by this sign, his widowed mother, the queen, becomes anxious and doubtful whether it is certain that her son the king is ever going to return alive. Nevertheless she says, “Let the will of God be done.” Soon a sign in the sky replies to the sign in the earth, for the sun, spreading its rays over the world, had shone brightly, but now look! A thick bank of clouds is made dark before the whole court in the middle of their route, and the sudden absence of the sun prevents them as they are journeying from seeing each other. At best, by sound of voice does one recognize another. King Ethelbert is stunned as the radiant sun thus grows dark. He begins to shout out to the court, which is stunned by the sky. He says, “Let us get down on our knees and entreat heaven with prayers that all-powerful God have mercy on us.” No sooner had their prayer been finished than the whole sky becomes bright. Then the king, made jubilant, says, “Blessed be the name of the Lord | for this now and forever.” At last, foreordained by the grace of the highest Father, Saint Ethelbert, having set forth from East Anglia, like father Abraham from his country and from his kin [Genesis 12:1], comes to Mercia where a living holy offering — one pleasing to God — is made, and so he will enter the promised land, dripping with milk and honey, with the crown of martyrdom. He takes lodging in the royal palace named Sutton, not far from the place where Offa, king of the Mercians, was then living. When on the same night King Ethelbert, tired from the journey, had fallen alseep, he saw in a dream everything that was going to happen to him, for he saw in the dream that the roof of his royal hall and even the corners of his bedchamber in which he was accustomed to rest fell down; that the roof together with the walls at once broke into pieces; that the garment he was wearing was drenched in blood; and that he was metamorphosed into a bird and flew over the long and broad roofbeam that had been raised aloft in the middle of the city. He revealed this vision thoroughly to his companion, Oswald; and the companion took pains to interpret everything for the sake of providing solace and complaisance. The king, considering fearlessly all these things about the dissolution of his body and the desolation of his realm, having faith in the Lord, and rendering thanks no matter what should happen, commended his way and his life to God. The king had sent in advance men of discernment with royal gifts to King Offa, to an- nounce to him his arrival. When the emissaries[?] returned from King Offa, they brought back certainty of safe passage together with the good will of the king. More- over, when King Ethelbert came | in royal splendor before King Offa, Queen Cynethryth and her daughter Alfrida much admired the handsomeness of King Ethelbert and had many conversations. And the queen, seeing the attractive appear- ance of the young man, seized a moment and uncovered the shameful impulses of her heart with an utterance of her voice. Inasmuch as he was filled with the grace of God, he refrained entirely from violating the spouse of King Offa, their marriage bond, and his own soul. Instead he requested her daughter in accord with the law of God and marriage bonds. Seeing herself spurned, therefore, the savage beast ripens plots to slaughter the blessed man. Moreover, the outrageous woman approached her husband, the tyrant, and said, “The report that you once heard now shows itself true. Look, King Ethelbert comes, surrounded by a band of soldiers, and enters the city walls; he is going to take your daughter as wife, whether you want it or not. If you do not watch out for yourself, he will invade your realm and will expel you altogether from the realm. Rise up, take thought for yourself and your followers, order that he die a death most cruel, and let the disgrace of our people be removed.” The king, incensed by these wicked exhortations, prepares treacheries and thirsts after the death of an innocent man. To him a certain Gwinbert says, “A murder I committed obliged me to seek refuge with you, O king. Since it pleases you, I am prepared to kill him; for I was raised in the home of his father Ethelred for fifteen years, | and after his death I clung fast eagerly to his son Ethelbert in compliance with uprightness. I alone, before all others, pleased them in my actions. Therefore better than another, I can put this misdeed into effect.” When the reward had been determined and the money received, he entered Ethelbert’s quarters deceitfully, saying to him, “May everything prosper for you, desirable prince. What you have come to seek, you will obtain without difficulty; my lord King Offa promises this. Indeed, you will find him lying down. Truly, he had his blood let, and in his weak- ness he does not dare admit the brightness of daylight. Therefore let us go in together to him, without a retinue of soldiers, without the clatter of arms, to explain to him as quickly as possible the motive of your visit.” The brave athlete of God, embracing his betrayer in his arms, acted in accordance with the advice of the treacherous man. And when they entered the bedroom provided for this purpose, Ethelbert is taken and bound by the accomplices of Gwinbert who leap out. Gwinbert cut off his head with his own unsheathed sword. At the bidding of King Offa, the body together with the head is cast into a swamp near the bank of the river Lugg. Thus the innocent king and martyr, having been slain on earth, ascends to the joys of the heavenly realm. The royal maiden Alfrida arrives and sees the murdered king before he has been removed from the bedroom. She shudders in horror at the crime committed upon her mother’s advice, and she says, “No messenger will approach me henceforth to carry messages about the embraces of some betrothed.” And so devoting her virginity to God, she ended her life on | the island named Croyland, leading an anchorite’s existence. And so on the same night there arose over the tomb of the blessed martyr Ethelbert the radiance of a light so measureless that the whole place was thought to be akindle with fire. Having seen this sign, the many peoples of that region took fright severely at Offa, the proud tyrant, and they led him back to the way of humility to repent. Contributing to God’s church a tithe of everything he possessed, he wept repentantly for the misdeed he had committed against Ethelbert. Morover, blessed  Ethelbert suffered his passion on the twentieth of May. May his glorious inter- cession grant us forgiveness for our failings. On the third night Saint Ethelbert appeared with immeasurable light to a certain man named Brithfrid and commanded him to rise swiftly, saying, “Go, most beloved, to my tomb and receive my body. Endeavor to take it to the Street of the river Wye [i.e., Hereford] and bury it there with honor.” Wakened from sleep, the righteous man opened his eyes and looked out upon the whole house illuminated by heavenly brightness. He stretched out his arms to embrace God’s saint, but the blessed martyr, leaving with his radiance, was not to be found. That man arose swiftly, joyously rendering thanks to God for the vision and calling a distinguished man, Egmund. Both of them proceeded to his tomb. Raising up the saintly body, they dressed it in precious garments, and, placing the sacred body on a cart, they went off toward the designated place. But when they had set out and begun the journey, by God’s disposition they lost the glorious head of the saint. When a certain blind man stumbled | unknowingly upon it, he cried out knowingly, “Aid me, Ethelbert, God’s servant,” and immediately at that instant in the very same hour he regained his sight. Taking the glorious head in his hands, he offered thanks to all-powerful God and to blessed Ethelbert. And so, carrying the head, he pursued the route they had undertaken, and he cried to those following the cart, “Wait, and take the gift that I am bearing!” And he related to them what had happened. Offering thanks to God, they carried to the designated place and buried with greatest honor the one for love of whom highest God works the greatest miracles for endless centuries of centuries.