Hechberactus

ON SAINT HECHBERACTUS,

IN ENGLAND.

Hechberactus in England (St.)

By G. H.

[1] Among the more illustrious manuscript Martyrologies found at Rome, we received one from the most well-stocked library of the Most Eminent Francis Cardinal Barberini — headless indeed up to the Ides of March, but of the best fidelity. From it and others, before the second volume of March, we published the genuine Martyrology of the Venerable Bede, Deposition on April 24, in the Barberini MS., and various things in it more faithfully and copiously supplied, partly from the Hieronymian Martyrology, partly from the proper fasti of various churches. In this Martyrology on this April 24, these three saints honored in England are set forth in these words: "In Britain, the deposition of Mellitus the Bishop; and the birthday of Saints Hechberactus and Ulfred." The sacred memory of the same three saints is celebrated in an ancient manuscript Codex of Trier from the most ancient monastery of St. Maximin, The Trier MS of St. Maximin, with a slight change in orthography, in this way: "In Britain, the deposition of Mellitus the Bishop; and the birthday of SS. Hecberactus and Wulfred." We add a third testimony from another Cologne manuscript, used in the collegiate church of St. Mary ad Gradus: and the Cologne of St. Mary ad Gradus. in which the names are set forth thus: "In Britain, the birthday of St. Mellitus the Bishop, Herberactus, Wulfred." Of these, best known is St. Mellitus, first Bishop of London and third Archbishop of Canterbury, who on this April 24, in the year 624, ended his life, as is manifest from the Acts already given. Also best known is St. Wilfrid, first of that name Archbishop of York, also on this April 24, in the year 709, called to heavenly glory, whose Acts we also illustrate on this day. But who, placed in the middle between these two, is to be considered — the one written Hecheractus, Hecberactus, and Herberactus — is not equally clear. We indeed note that the names are not accurately written, and for Mellitus is even written "Millet," as for Wilfrid "Wulfred" and "Ulfred"; nor is the latter's episcopal dignity added. And thus it could much more easily have happened in the less-known name of Hecheractus, Hecberactus, and Herberactus: and probably in none of the said three manuscripts is it correctly written, since no form of an Anglo-Saxon compound or appellation appears in it as so written.

[2] There is St. Herebertus the hermit, Whether he is Herebertus the hermit, a disciple of St. Cuthbert, who died in the year 687, but on March 20, on which day

we treated of him. There is Herbertus, a monk of Crowland, killed by the Danes in 870 with other monks. Concerning whom Ingulf, Abbot of Crowland, has these words: "Dom Paulinus and Dom Herbertus, both very elderly and decrepit with long age, Or is he Herbertus of Crowland, killed by the Danes? were mutilated in the very choir in their hands and tortured to death. When they had been most carefully sought there, at last in the Chapter-room they were tortured." But the saint here treated seems to have been a confessor rather than a martyr — otherwise he would also be counted among his martyred Companions, if he were meant.

[3] Venerable Bede in the Epitome of the History of England, where he weaves an index of his works, among other things writes these: "The history of the Abbots of this monastery, in which I rejoice to serve the heavenly piety, namely Benedict, Ceolfrid (add Eosterwine, Sigefrid) and Hwaetbert, I wrote in two little books." Whether Huvetbertus was Abbot of Wearmouth, These exist both separately and inserted in the second Benedictine century. Of the Abbots mentioned, Benedict Biscop is venerated on January 12, Easterwine on March 7, Ceolfrid on September 25; Sigefrid is also reported by Menardus, Maihew, and Mabillon for August 22. But no mention hitherto of Hwaetbert has been found by us in the sacred fasti, so that a thought occurred: could perhaps St. Hechberactus, proposed above, be considered to be said Hwaetbert, elected Abbot in place of Ceolfrid who had set out for Rome? From the first times of boyhood in the same monastery of St. Peter at Wearmouth, he was not only instructed in regular observance of discipline, but was exercised with no little diligence in writing, singing, reading, and teaching. He also went to Rome in the times of Pope Sergius of blessed memory, and staying there no little space of time, said, wrote, and reported what he judged necessary for himself. Furthermore, twelve years before these things, he had exercised the office of the priesthood. This man, then, having been elected Abbot by all the brethren of both aforesaid monasteries, Bishop Acca was called, and with the customary blessing confirmed him in the office of Abbot. Among innumerable rights of the monastery which his sagacious youthful zeal recovered, he did this especially, pleasing and gracious to all: he raised up the bones of Abbot Easterwine, which had been placed in the porch of the entrance to the church of the blessed Apostle Peter; and the bones of Abbot Sigfrid, his former master, which had been buried outside the sanctuary to the south; and placing both in one coffin, but divided by a wall in the middle, he placed them within the church of blessed Father Benedict. Thus there concerning the said Abbot Hwaetbert.

[4] Another is mentioned in the Life of blessed Alcuin the Abbot, a most learned disciple of blessed Bede of the English nation, Hechbertus the Bishop, like to his master in merits, Or rather Hecbertus the teacher of Blessed Alcuin, whose virtues are described there; and the name is not too different, and if two letters are erased or added, Hechberactus and Hechbertus will plainly agree. But it is said there that on the 13th day before the Kalends of December, Alcuin, bereft of his Father Hechbertus, received, by a divine gift, in place of the one lost, Elcbertus, or rather Egbert, a blessed and famous man, Archbishop of York, a master similar in all things. If the said Hechbertus were Hechberactus, we would say that the author of the Life of Blessed Alcuin, with some confusion of persons, wrongly assigned that day — the 13th day before the Kalends of December — to Hechbertus, when on that day his other Master, Archbishop Egbert, is testified to have died by Simeon of Durham in the History of the Deeds of the Kings of the English, and Roger of Howden in part 1 of his Annals, both for the year 766. This being granted, it seems possible to say that if Hwaetbert were the aforesaid St. Hecberactus, he departed this life on this April 24. About him these things are indicated in the said Life of Blessed Alcuin: "He had a flock of noble schoolboys, some of whom he was instructing in the rudiments of grammar, others in the disciplines of the arts; still others already in the liberal, and some in the sciences of the divine Scriptures. But all, by faith, hope, charity, humility, fasting, chastity, obedience, Eminent in doctrine and virtue. and by most devoted and honorable care of the offices of the Church, were being imbued with all circumspection, by words not so much as by the examples of the holy Father Hechbertus, worthy in all things of a Christian Bishop: in whom that doctrine which had shone in his own teachers shone no less. By his teachers are understood St. Gregory the Great, St. Augustine sent by him into England, St. Benedict Biscop, St. Cuthbert, St. Theodore Archbishop of Canterbury, and especially the Venerable Bede. Hechbertus, following his footsteps," says the author, "set all his treasure on the Lord's discourse, examining the inner recesses of the Scriptures. For from the rising of daylight, unless some unavoidable obstacle hindered, or some great solemnity or great festivity of saints, up to about the sixth, very often even the ninth hour, sitting on his bed, he opened to his disciples the convenient secrets of Scripture. Then rising and fleeing to most secret prayer, offering to the Lord the fat holocausts with the incense of rams, and afterwards, after the example of blessed Job, lest perchance his sons should fall into the pit of blessing, he sanctified them, offering the Body and Blood of Christ for all. And thus at last, when the evening hour was drawing near, except especially in Lent, at every time both of the age and of winter, he took a sparing meal with his own, duly prepared nevertheless, not sparing the tongue of the reader, that with the double bread both might be refreshed. You would then have seen before the Father the boys, the webs having been prepared, wearing themselves out, considering in secret what they might afterwards set forth in order in public. Does it not seem to you that of this one also it could be said, 'As the eagle provokes her young to fly, and flies over them, extending her wings, and taking them and carrying them on her shoulders'? Now all these Alcuin, adorned with flowery adolescence, preceded in humility under the reading. He, finally, the father of the poor, a great lover and helper of Christ, was accustomed twice a day to pour out most secret prayer, with the watering of a most pure fountain, with both knees bent to the ground and hands stretched for a long time to heaven in the form of a cross — before he took food, and before he celebrated Compline with all his own. This celebrated, no one of his disciples, without his blessing given to his head, dared ever to commit himself to his bed at any time. He loved all indeed, but most of all Albinus, the most faithful follower of his actions, because of the distance of his merits: to whom, among the other virtues, this was given more especially, that he chose to do nothing by himself which the authority of his Master, approving, did not confirm; and never did he sustain any machinations and snares of the enemy within, which without any shame he would not conceal outwardly from his Master." These things it pleased to set forth more broadly concerning the holy Father Hechbertus (as he is called by the author), that men learned in England may consider whether the said Father can be considered to be St. Hechberactus, proposed from the Martyrologies, and thus be counted among the saints to be venerated on this day.