ON SAINT FREMUNDUS THE KING
MARTYR IN ENGLAND.
CommentaryFremundus the King, Martyr in England (S.)
BHL Number: 3147
G. H.
The notice of S. Fremundus is recalled in various Martyrologies at this day XI of May: and first in the MS. Roman of Duke Altemps, which is Usuard's, but with the English Saints in Britain augmented, in which these things are read: In Britain the greater of S. Fresmundus King and Martyr. The sacred cult In the MS. Florarium also it is related: In England of Fremedus King and Martyr. Greven in Usuard's Auctarium printed in the year 1515 and 1521, of Fremedus King of England and Martyr. The same relate Molanus, Canisius and other more recent ones. Camden in his Britannia, treating of the County of Warwick, among other places describes Vehindon, now, Itchington and Harbury. Nor by another, he says, indeed name are these two memorable, than that between them Fremundus, son of King Offa, from an ambush nefariously once was slain: a man of great name and singular piety toward God: of the Martyrs to whom nothing else conflated envy, than that in an unhappy time with happy auspices the audacity of enemies he had crushed. Which however that fate of his to greater glory for him turned out. For buried at the palace of his father Offa (Off-Church now it is called) to posterity still surviving he is, as one who among the Indigetes related, divine honors among the multitude merited. Better and more Catholicly he would have written, who in the Album of the Saints related, the sacred honors due to the Saints in the Catholic Church merited: But continues Camden: His life in verse elegant enough by an ancient author described: from which let it not be a sacrilege these few verses to subjoin about the homicide, who by the lust of reigning stirred, him took away.
Not hoping that to the man Fremundus, of the royal honor desired, he could enjoy, he contrives against his unmerited death silently, and with sword the profane servant rushed in drawn, and of his Lord lying fearing no such thing, the head he cuts off with a savage stroke. Such at Wydford for Fremundus the palm crowns, While at once both the guilty falls and the innocent falls.
Thus Camden. From the places assigned in the County of Warwick Lang-Ichingdon in the maps of the same Camden Long-Itchingdon, in the County of Warwick: and Harbury there Harberbury are situated in the Hundred or district of Knichtlow, near the town Southam, nor far thence is distant toward the Leam river the place Off-Church. But that which in the poem is cited Wydford, on the maps Wichfort seems to be, which in the Hundred Kineton and the confines of the County of Oxford is placed. But would that that poem of the ancient author entire could be had: thence perhaps the rest of his deeds and miracles might be known.
[2] The son of a King he is reckoned, There is extant some Life of him in the Legend of John Capgrave: but in it most things so dubious, uncertain, and inconsistent are related, that we judge it unworthy, which we should wish to insert in this work. The year of the Martyrdom is assigned the eight hundred sixty-sixth. But who then a King in those parts even to decrepit age in Pagan rites detained lived? He is said Offa, by Camden and others. But there seems to be hinted Offa King of the Mercians: but he, the faith of Christ from boyhood embracing, the monasteries of Bath and St. Albans built, in the year DCCXCV dying, by whom in the territory of Warwick a church is handed down to have been founded, whence afterward emerged the town from him Off-Church called, to which the body of S. Fremundus was translated, whence he could be held the son of Offa. Him succeeded Egfrid his son; and of him, after a year and 140 days, dead by the suffrage Kenulf the King was constituted, by the fame of virtues illustrious. In vain therefore to this Offa's times would there be a recourse. Nor can be understood Offa King of the East Saxons, on account of the places and times' too great distance, as one who with Coenred King of the Mercians, the kingdom being left, in the year DCCIX to Rome to the thresholds of the Apostles having set out, Selred a peaceful successor had. Harpsfield in century 9 chapter 12, John Capgrave being cited in the margin, asserts S. Fremundus, by some the son of Count Algar: son of Algar Duke of the East Saxons, by a certain abandoned one slain in the year DCCCLXVI on the fifth of the Ides of May. The year and day of the Martyrdom Capgrave has. But with King Offa father of Fremundus he hands down to have existed at the same time in the same province Algar, who from his wife Thova a son procreated, who on the third day of his nativity about King Offa prophesied, that a son he would procreate Fremundus, who lepers would cleanse, the blind enlighten, and the fatherland from the enemies' irruption at once and slaughter free. And so the boy baptized breathed out his spirit. Why not rather the said Algar in the province of Warwick lived, than so far be banished to Essex? There was also some Count of the Mercians Algar, who Simeon of Durham being witness in the year MLVIII by King Edward the second was sent into exile. But the times by two hundred nearly years are distant. Meanwhile to Harpsfield assent Alford at the year DCCCLXVI, and Bucelin in the Menologium: which less we approve, unless other arguments to us be assigned.
[3] In the ancient poem and the more ancient Martyrologies
Fresmundus, Fremundus, whether a Petty King in the County of Warwick; or Fremedus King and Martyr he is held. There are lacking ancient historians, who after Bede in the next two centuries wrote, and among the later is praised William of Malmesbury, who omitted several Kings of Northumbria: why might not so omitted also by him be some King, who in the County of Warwick and the neighboring places for some time reigned? While Wulfher husband of S. Ermenilda the King, of the Mercians ruled, Peada his brother was King of the Middle-Anglians, or Mediterranean Angles, and another brother Merwalus was King of the West-Hecani, namely who, the Worcester writer being witness, in the Western part of the Mercians the kingdom obtained: as more largely we said on the XXIII of February at the Life of S. Milburga, Virgin and daughter of the said Merwal; and on the XIII of February, at the Life of the aforesaid S. Ermenilda the Queen. Why might not similarly be reckoned S. Fremundus a King, or a King's (whether he be Offa or by another name called) son, to whom the kingdom was due: who lest that he obtain, was slain? It is said then in Capgrave that Fremundus, a victory having gained over Inguar and Hubba, Dukes of the Danes, by whom S. Edmund King of the East Angles in the year DCCCLXX on the XX day of November was slain: and so is said Fremundus in the cited poem to have slain the guilty, the body deposited and elevated. while several thousands of enemies (Capgrave forty writes) by Christ's power he prostrated: then by a certain Oswy, who Duke of the army under his father had been, latently by a cruel stroke of the sword the head being cut off slain; but by the same, on account of a miracle of a fountain springing up, in a leaden coffin deposited, and at Off-Church to burial delivered. There are narrated also in Capgrave certain illustrious miracles, and at length is said the body with hymns and praises from the old sepulchre elevated on the V of the Kalends of April, by the authority of the Bishop of Dorchester: where the first was S. Birinus, in the year DCXXX on the III day of December dead, whose therefore name, in place of another Bishop, wrongly in that place intruded is read. The rest in Capgrave can be seen, but with great judgment to be discerned: in which lest we should think we must now labor, makes the hope through D. Dugdale of obtaining the ancient poem, of which above a specimen from Camden we gave, the whole, if we obtain it, to be given in this volume's Appendix. For it pleases to hope, that of so many illustrious, from our especially Society of Jesus, Martyrs the blood, in this in which we print year MDCLXXIX shed in England (under the pretext indeed of a certain chimerical conspiracy against the King, but truly in respect of the sole Catholic Religion, and our own profession in the Roman Church) will produce quickly in those most troubled affairs there peace and true piety, through which to those wishing to help this work let all things first be expedited, before to this Month's Appendices, after four other volumes printed, there be a proceeding.