3o8 Beowulf and Widsith 



episcopate by the king and several bishops.^ In 702 a great coun- 

 cil was held at Austerfield^ by Aldf rith, Berhtwald, who had suc- 

 ceeded Theodore as Archbishop of Canterbury, and nearly all the 

 bishops of England, at which Wilfrith was condemned, excom- 

 municated, and stripped of all his possessions except the monas- 

 tery of Ripon.^ By 704 he was once more at Rome, prosecuting 

 his appeal. Returning to England in 705, he bore with him the 

 decision of the Pope absolving him from guilt, and proposing 

 measures for a final settlement of the dispute.* Wilfrith, on his 

 return, dispatched two messengers to Aldfrith, requesting an 

 interview for the presentation of the documents from Rome. 

 What follows is thus translated from Wilfrith's biographer^ by 

 Bright^ : 



Aldfrith gave them a courteous reception, and appointed a day for 

 his definite answer. But when, on that day, thej^ again appeared before 

 him, he, by advice of his counselors, spoke thus : 'Venerable brothers 

 both, ask of me whatever you want for yourselves, and I will give it 

 you. But from this day forth, never ask of me anything for Wilfrith 

 your lord. For what my predecessors, and the archbishop,' witli tlieir 

 advisers, determined, and what I myself, with the archbishop^ and nearly 

 all the bishops of the nation, have decided upon, this I am resolved 

 never, while I live, to alter for any alleged writings from the Apostolic 

 see.'" 



Montalembert,^° a staunch partisan of Wilfrith, records with 



^ Eccl. Hist. s. 19. 



^ Haddan and Stubbs 3. 254; Oman, p. 316; Bright, p. 394. 



^ Eddi, chaps. 46, 47; Plummer 2. 319. 



■* Eddi, chaps. 50-54 ; Montalembert 4. 83-88 ; Bright, pp. 403 fif . ; Oman, 

 p. 316. 



^ Eddi, chap. 58. 



"Pp. 411-2; cf. Montalembert 4. 92; Oman, p. 316. 



''Meaning, according to Haddan and Stubbs (3. 266), Ecgfrith and Theo- 

 dore in 678 and 680. 



* At the council of Austerfield. 



* To a similar effect was the exclamation of Berhtwald and Aldfrith at 

 the council of Austerfield, when Wilfrith invoked the authority of Rome 

 (Montalembert 4. 80) : "He is guilty by his own acknowledgment. He is 

 worthy to be condemned, if only because he prefers the judgment of Rome 

 to that of his own country." And the king added: "If you desire it, my 

 father, I will compel him to submit by force." ' Cf . Eddi, chap. 47 ; Wm. 

 Malm., Gest. Pont., p. 235; Bright, p. 397. 



"4. 29, Z7, 69, 76, 98; cf. Eddi, chap. 54; Eccl. Hist. 3. 25; Plummer 

 2. 189. 



