CHAPTER 6: He receives the Roman form of tonsure from Archbishop Dalfinus. The archbishop’s martyrdom [658]
CHAPTER 6
He receives the Roman form of tonsure from Archbishop Dalfinus. The archbishop’s martyrdom [658]
FINDING Archbishop Dalfinus1 safe and sound he went in to greet him like a son, and recounted all the events of the journey, one after another, to let him see how many blessings he had received. The bishop thanked the Lord for having watched over him in his travels and brought him safe home. The boy stayed on for three years with him. Making sound progress under his learned tutors, and their love for each other steadily grew. Wilfrid had an ardent desire to receive St Peter’s, that is the Roman, form of tonsure, which goes round the head in the shape of Christ’s own crown of thorns. The archbishop gave it him. As he placed his hands on wilfrid’s head he intended to make him his heir. Should God will it; but God had it in mind rather to benefit our own nation.
At that time the wicked Queen Baldhild was persecuting the Church just like Jezebel who killed the prophets of old. She spared priests and deacons but had nine bishops put to death, one of whom was Dalfinus. The dukes, carrying out their evil plan, ordered him to appear before them. He arrived quite undaunted at his trial, though he knew full well what was coming. Our servant of God insisted on accompanying him, despite Dalfinus’s prohibition. With joy he exclaimed: ‘What better than that father and son die at once and go to Christ together!’ The holy bishop received the crown of martyrdom, but the dukes, seeing Wilfrid stripped and ready to receive his palm of martyrdom, asked who was the handsome youth preparing himself for death. ‘A foreigner from across the sea, an Englishman,’ they were told. ‘Then do not lay hands on him. Spare him,’ came their answer. So Wilfrid in his youth was already worthy to be counted a confessor1 like St John the Evangelist, who sat unscathed in a cauldron of boiling oil and drank deadly poison without taking hurt. Of him and his brother James the Apostle, Jesus said: ‘Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?’2