How Edwin was persuaded to believe by a vision which he had once seen when he was in exile. [Circ. 616 A.D.]
THUS wrote the aforesaid Pope Boniface for the salvation of
King Edwin and his nation. But a heavenly vision, which the
Divine Goodness was pleased once to reveal to this king, when he
was in banishment at the court of Redwald, king of the Angles,
was of no little use in urging him to receive and understand the
doctrines of salvation. For when Paulinus perceived that it was a
difficult task to incline the king's proud mind to the humility
of the way of salvation and the reception of the mystery of the
life-giving Cross, and at the same time was employing the word of
exhortation with men, and prayer to the Divine Goodness, for the
salvation of Edwin and his subjects; at length, as we may
suppose, it was shown him in spirit what the nature of the vision
was that had been formerly revealed from Heaven to the king. Then
he lost no time, but immediately admonished the king to perform
the vow which he had made, when he received the vision, promising
to fulfil it, if he should be delivered from the troubles of that
time, and advanced to the throne.
The vision was this. When Ethelfrid, his predecessor, was
persecuting him, he wandered for many years as an exile, hiding
in divers places and kingdoms, and at last came to Redwald,
beseeching him to give him protection against the snares of his
powerful persecutor. Redwald willingly received him, and promised
to perform 'what was asked of him. But when Ethelfrid understood
that he had appeared in that province, and that he and his
companions were hospitably entertained by Redwald, he sent
messengers to bribe that king with a great sum of money to murder
him, but without effect. He sent a second and a third time,
offering a greater bribe each time, and, moreover, threatening to
make war on him if his offer should be despised. Redwald, whether
terrified by his threats, or won over by his gifts, complied with
this request, and promised either to kill Edwin, or to deliver
him up to the envoys. A faithful friend of his, hearing of this,
went into his chamber, where he was going to bed, for it was the
first hour of the night; and calling him out, told him what the
king had promised to do with him, adding, "If, therefore,
you are willing, I will this very hour conduct you out of this
province, and lead you to a place where neither Redwald nor
Ethelfrid shall ever find you." He answered, "I thank
you for your good will, yet I cannot do what you propose, and be
guilty of being the first to break the compact I have made with
so great a king, when he has done me no harm, nor shown any
enmity to me; but, on the contrary, if I must die, let it rather
be by his hand than by that of any meaner man. For whither shall
I now fly, when I have for so many long years been a vagabond
through all the provinces of Britain, to escape the snares of my
enemies?" His friend went away; Edwin remained alone
without, and sitting with a heavy heart before the palace, began
to be overwhelmed with many thoughts, not knowing what to do, or
which way to turn.
When he had remained a long time in silent anguish of mind,
consumed with inward fire, on a sudden in the stillness of the
dead of night he saw approaching a person, whose face and habit
were strange to him, at sight of whom, seeing that he was unknown
and unlooked for, he was not a little startled. The stranger
coming close up, saluted him, and asked why he sat there in
solitude on a stone troubled and wakeful at that time, when all
others were taking their rest, and were fast asleep. Edwin, in
his turn, asked, what it was to him, whether he spent the night
within doors or abroad. The stranger, in reply, said, "Do
not think that I am ignorant of the cause of your grief, your
watching, and sitting alone without. For I know of a surety who
you are, and why you grieve, and the evils which you fear will
soon fall upon you. But tell me, what reward you would give the
man who should deliver you out of these troubles, and persuade
Redwald neither to do you any harm himself, nor to deliver you up
to be murdered by your enemies." Edwin replied, that he
would give such an one all that he could in return for so great a
benefit. The other further added, "What if he should also
assure you, that your enemies should be destroyed, and you should
be a king surpassing in power, not only all your own ancestors,
but even all that have reigned before you in the English
nation?" Edwin, encouraged by these questions, did not
hesitate to promise that he would make a fitting return to him
who should confer such benefits upon him. Then the other spoke a
third time and said, "But if he who should truly foretell
that all these great blessings are about to befall you, could
also give you better and more profitable counsel for your life
and salvation than any of your fathers or kindred ever heard, do
you consent to submit to him, and to follow his wholesome
guidance?" Edwin at once promised that he would in all
things follow the teaching of that man who should deliver him
from so many great calamities, and raise him to a throne.
Having received this answer, the man who talked to him laid his
right hand on his head saying, "When this sign shall be
given you, remember this present discourse that has passed
between us, and do not delay the performance of what you now
promise." Having uttered these words, he is said to have
immediately vanished. So the king perceived that it was not a
man, but a spirit, that had appeared to him.
Whilst the royal youth still sat there alone, glad of the comfort
he had received, but still troubled and earnestly pondering who
he was, and whence he came, that had so talked to him, his
aforesaid friend came to him, and greeting him with a glad
countenance, "Rise," said he, "go in; calm and put
away your anxious cares, and compose yourself in body and mind to
sleep; for the king's resolution is altered, and he designs to do
you no harm, but rather to keep his pledged faith; for when he
had privately made known to the queen his intention of doing what
I told you before, she dissuaded him from it, reminding him that
it was altogether unworthy of so great a king to sell his good
friend in such distress for gold, and to sacrifice his honour,
which is more valuable than all other adornments, for the love of
money." In short, the king did as has been said, and not
only refused to deliver up the banished man to his enemy's
messengers, but helped him to recover his kingdom. For as soon as
the messengers had returned home, he raised a mighty army to
subdue Ethelfrid; who, meeting him with much inferior forces,
(for Redwald had not given him time to gather and unite all his
power,) was slain on the borders of the kingdom of Mercia, on the
east side of the river that is called Idle. In this battle,
Redwald's son, called Raegenheri, was killed. Thus Edwin, in
accordance with the prophecy he had received, not only escaped
the danger from his enemy, but, by his death, succeeded the king
on the throne.
King Edwin, therefore, delaying to receive the Word of God at the
preaching of Paulinus, and being wont for some time, as has been
said, to sit many hours alone, and seriously to ponder with
himself what he was to do, and what religion he was to follow,
the man of God came to him one day, laid his right hand on his
head, and asked, whether he knew that sign? The king, trembling,
was ready to fall down at his feet, but he raised him up, and
speaking to him with the voice of a friend, said, "Behold,
by the gift of God you have escaped the hands of the enemies whom
you feared. Behold, you have obtained of His bounty the kingdom
which you desired. Take heed not to delay to perform your third
promise; accept the faith, and keep the precepts of Him Who,
delivering you from temporal adversity, has raised you to the
honour of a temporal kingdom; and if, from this time forward, you
shall be obedient to His will, which through me He signifies to
you, He will also deliver you from the everlasting torments of
the wicked, and make you partaker with Him of His eternal kingdom
in heaven."