Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.2003, Blaðsíða 170

156
Michael Chesnutt
First lesson of the Translation (§ 10a:2:l:l). When Duke Knud, belo ved of
God, reached that boundary no man can avoid, he won by his death and in ex-
change for his faith the reward and title of a precious martyr. Therefore, he hav-
ing fallen so blissfully into the sleep of death, out of respect both for his noble
lineage inasmuch as he was a king’s son, and for his high distinction inasmuch
as he was a duke and a just judge, and for his innate goodness inasmuch as he
showed himself prudent in mind, well-spoken, courageous, tall in stature, fair of
countenance, supportive of his own supporters, and true to his Maker, large
numbers of people gave him a tear-soaked burial.
Second lesson of the Translation (§ 10a:2:2:l). Many indeed were the reasons
that urged them to carry his glorious corpse to Roskilde. For that city had been
awarded the status of a bishop’s see and was therefore more excellent than
others; and obliged as it was to the protector of the country by a precious royal
grant, being the recognised burial site of both princes and prelates, it seemed to
the magnates to be the most suitable place. But fear, I tell you, of the tyrannous
king suddenly compelled them to abandon their plan, and by God’s design, be-
ing frustrated in their wish, they took the saint’s remains to Ringsted.
Third lesson of the Translation (§ 10a:2:3:l). When the bones of that great mar-
tyr had at last been laid to rest in the church of the Virgin Mother Mary, divine
kindness manifested the dead duke’s power beyond the grave. At that time two
prebendaries had charge of the holy church, and both of them were evil. Vicious
as they were, they were jealous of the powers of the martyr and strove to hide his
light, made manifest by God, under a bushel of malice. But the more powerful
force prevailed, I tell you, and untruth yielded to truth. To the denigrators’ in-
vectives against the martyr not one of the faithful would lend credence.
Fourth lesson of the Translation (§ 10a:2:4:l). Yea, persevering in their malice
these murderers of the second order, worse than the first, lay in wait to kill again
the innocent who had once been killed. And so these false prophets gave counte-
nance to old wives’ superstitions, and vainly hastened to pollute the saint’s grave
by pouring on it the decoction of an unclean beast, hoping that this mischief
might stop the miracles and put an end to the martyr’s reputation. But try as the
son of evil might to harm the innocent one, not a whit did the enemy prevail
against him, for the smoke of wrongdoing could not blacken the buming candle
of him who rested in the Lord, nor could its glowing ashes smother it.
Fifth lesson of the Translation (§ 10b:2:l:l). And so for fifteen years the bones
of the martyr lay in the earth; and as the miracles grew in number, daily his for-
tunate farne increased both far and wide. Accordingly, when all his persecutors