Fremundus the King
Acta Sanctorum, May 11
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-11/fremundus-the-king.html
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ON SAINT FREMUNDUS THE KING
MARTYR IN ENGLAND.

[Commentary]

Fremundus 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.
