A Story of Old Hereford,
by Charles W. Whistler
. HOW WILFRID MET ECGBERT THEATHELING.
. HOW WILFRID MET THE FLINT FOLK,AND OTHERS.
. HOW ETHELBERT THE KING WENTTO HIS REST.
. HOW JEFAN THE PRINCEGUARDED HIS GUESTS.
Hereford Cathedral bears the name of Ethelbert of East Anglia,king and martyr, round whose death, at the hands of the men of Offaof Mercia, this story of his comrade centres, and dates itsfoundation from Offa's remorse for the deed which at least he hadnot prevented. In the sanctuary itself stands an ancient batteredstatue--somewhat hard to find--of the saint, and in the pavementhard by a modern stone bears a representation of his murder. Thedate of the martyrdom is usually given as May 20, 792 A.D.
A brief mention of the occurrence is given under that date inthe "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," and full details are recorded by laterhistorians, Matthew of Westminster and Roger of Wendover being themost precise and full. The ancient Hereford Breviary preservesfurther details also, for which I am indebted to my friend the Rev.H. Housman, B.D., of Bradley.
These authorities I have followed as closely as possible, onlyslightly varying the persons to whom the portents, socharacteristic of the times, occurred, and referring some--as isquite possible, without detracting from their significance to menof that day--to natural causes. Those who searched for the body ofthe king are unnamed by the chroniclers, and I have, therefore, hadno hesitation in putting the task into the hands of the hero of thetale. The whole sequence of events is unaltered.
Offa's own part in the removal of the hapless young king isgiven entirely from the accounts of the chroniclers, and thecharacters of Quendritha the queen and her accomplice G