Fortissimis igitur heroibus hostiles acies a foribus basilicę deturbantibus, ad orientem sanctuarii, ubi principem deuotissimum precibus insistentem introspexerant, uersi gladiis et securibus postibus secandis et diruendis insistunt capsulasque reliquiarum preciosorum martyrum, Albani scilicet necnon et Oswaldi, cum cruce sacra interposita, poste ad ima uergente, solo deiciunt. Inter hęc cęlesti sponso secretorum suorum iam proxime conscium futurum ad ęternum aduocante cubiculum, rege insignissimo pectore simul ad aram et ore conuerso, quidam ex impiorum caterua lancea per fenestram intromissa latus eius perforat et edem sacram sanguine innocentis cruentat.

At ipse, Christi etiam post uulnus exitiabile non immemor, Benedicto fratre suo, certaminum collega, uulneribus admodum saucio assistente amplexato et pacis osculo dato, brachiis in crucis modum extensis membrisque solo ante aram sacram expositis, sanguinis uena ex uulnere lateris emanante, uoce adhuc superstite Ihesum interpellat ac spiritum creatori commendans preciosi glebam cadaueris sanguine consecratam reliquit et secretum misericordię sempiternę ab his tumultibus perpetuo pausaturus intrauit.

Constantissimi uero commilitones duce interempto non modo hostibus non cedere, uerum etiam adinuicem exhortando animos incitare, uires exercere, per aperta irruentibus haud segniter occurrere, armis arma uiriliter referre, cędentibus uicem rependere, gloriose magis occumbere quam tanto principe amisso eligentes superuiuere. Quibus, multitudine hostili cateruatim accrescente, non tam stratis quam et, uicissim opprimentibus aduersariis, suffocatis edes sacra cruore conspergitur, templi solum unda sanguinis irrigatur, et illud propheticum impletur, quo dicitur: 'Venerunt gentes in hereditatem tuam, polluerunt templum sanctum tuum, effuderunt sanguinem sanctorum tuorum in circuitu'.

Unde nec inmerito (ut in subsequentibus habetur) 'facti sunt obprobrium uicinis, subsannatio et derisus in circuitu consistentium, commotio capitis in populis'. Quis enim principem religiosum a populo prophano insidiis impetitum et lacessitum non detestetur? quis regem a gente propria interemptum non execretur? Ut enim quędam ex antiquis referam, Agamemnonem durissimum, bis quinis annis et amplius Argiuos bello pelagoque a propriis retinentem, Grecia sustinuit; Hannibalem ferocissimum, nobilium cedibus cruentatum, Ispania pertulit; Herodem atrocissimum, lucis auctorem et uniuersorum creatorem persequentem, crimen parricidale paruipendentem, nobiles ergastulis recludentem, lactantium turbam innocuam maternis uberibus abstractam impie iugulantem, Iudea tolerauit;

Neronem crudelissimum, materna uiscera ense rimantem, fratrem interimentem, urbem inflammantem, eiusdemque senatores urbis et patres orbis exicialiter exterminantem, ipsa mundi caput Roma pati duxit: principem religiosum, diuina exequentem, utilia et liberalia indicentem, a seruilibus gestis uulgum cohercere studentem, Dacia contumax sufferre non ualuit. O superbia execranda! o contumacia detestanda! o ceruix rigida! quę, dum in presenti flecti contempnis, sempiternis postmodum suppliciis cohercenda et flectenda reseruaris.

Cum enim tua uicia redarguentem uita presenti extorsisti, temetipsam beatitudinis uitę perpetuę exortem effecisti; et quę te gentibus cęteris immerito, non uirtute sed elatione, preferebas, huiuscemodi indiciis cunctis te infideliorem et infeliciorem necnon etiam detestabiliorem demonstrabas. Principis quippe a deo prepositi dum iuri subici recusas, illius te dicioni hunc deiciendo mancipas, de quo sacri eloquii protestatur ueritas: 'Omne sublime uidet, et ipse est rex super uniuersos filios superbię'. Qui autem in excelsis residens humilia respicit et alta a longe cognoscit, falli non potest; qui etiam in euangelio humiles confortans et superbis minitans dicit:

'Omnis, qui se exaltat, humiliabitur, et qui se humiliat, exaltabitur.’ Petro uero, apostolorum summo, acclamante: 'deum timete, regem honorificate', qua te fronte deum timere et regem honorificare contendis, qui regię potestati honorem diuinitus imperatum impendere contempnis? Sed, dubio procul posito, Ysaię in populum antiquum exprobratio, quam dominus Ihesus Iudeis improperans opponit, de te quoque expressa manifestatur: 'Populus hic labiis me honorat, cor autem eorum longe est a me. Sine causa autem colunt me, docentes doctrinas et mandata hominum'. Quis autem te nesciat christianę religionis fidem uerbis et ore quam facundissime extollere, sed diuinis legibus propria tamen statuta preponere?

Et cui incognitum, eiusdem te fidei religionem ipsiusque religionis denunciatores non tam uilipendere, immo dolis et uersutia, fraudibus et inuidia impugnare? Fides enim tua, secundum Iacobi attestationem, sine operibus mortua est, quia, etsi facta quedam fidei congrua nonnunquam exercere uidearis, non minus pro humanis ea fauoribus quam patris in abscondito uidentis remuneratione efficere probaris. Quapropter cupito laudis humanę fauore exhibito et temporali mercede recepta remuneratione priuaris ęterna. Verum his de infidelitate et infelicitate impiorum hactenus exaratis ad proposita persequenda redeamus.

When the bravest of the defenders had driven the hostile ranks back from the doors of the basilica, the attackers turned toward the eastern end of the sanctuary, where they had seen the most devout prince deep in prayer. With swords and axes they set about hacking and tearing down the doorposts, and they cast to the ground the shrines containing the relics of the precious martyrs — Alban and Oswald — together with the holy cross set between them, as the collapsing doorframe gave way.

At that moment, as the heavenly bridegroom was already calling the king — soon to be made a sharer in divine mysteries — into the eternal chamber, the most illustrious ruler stood with both heart and face turned toward the altar. Then one of the impious mob thrust a spear through a window, piercing his side and staining the sacred building with the blood of the innocent.

Yet even after receiving the mortal wound, he did not forget Christ. Embracing his brother Benedict, his companion in struggle, who stood nearby grievously wounded, he exchanged with him the kiss of peace. Then, stretching out his arms in the form of a cross and laying his body upon the ground before the holy altar, as blood flowed from the wound in his side, he still had breath enough to call upon Jesus. Committing his spirit to his Creator, he left behind the precious ground, consecrated by his blood, and entered the hidden refuge of eternal mercy, there to rest forever from these tumults.

His steadfast companions, seeing their leader slain, did not yield to the enemy. Instead, they encouraged one another, summoned their strength, met those who burst in through the openings without hesitation, answered weapon with weapon, repaid blow for blow, and chose rather to fall gloriously than to survive after losing so great a prince. As the hostile crowd continued to grow in number, they were not merely struck down but overwhelmed in turn by the attackers. The sacred building was drenched with blood, the floor of the temple flooded like water, and the prophetic word was fulfilled:

“The nations have entered your inheritance;

they have defiled your holy temple;

they have poured out the blood of your saints all around.”

Therefore it is no wonder — as will be shown later — that they “became a reproach to their neighbors, a mockery and a derision to those around them, a shaking of the head among the peoples.”

For who would not detest a devout prince attacked and hunted by a profane populace? Who would not curse a king slain by his own people?

To recall a few examples from antiquity: Greece endured Agamemnon, harsh as he was, who for ten years and more held the Argives in war by land and sea. Spain tolerated Hannibal, ferocious and stained with the blood of nobles. Judea endured Herod, who persecuted the author of light and creator of all, made little of the crime of kinslaying, imprisoned nobles, and impiously slaughtered innocent infants torn from their mothers’ breasts. Rome herself, the head of the world, endured Nero, most cruel of all, who cut into his mother’s body with the sword, murdered his brother, set the city aflame, and destroyed senators and fathers of the world.

But Denmark could not endure a devout prince — one who practiced divine worship, proclaimed what was useful and honorable, and sought to restrain the common people from base and servile conduct.

O accursed pride! O detestable stubbornness! O stiff-necked people! Because you refuse to bend in the present, you are reserved to be bent and broken by eternal punishments. For when you drove from this life the one who rebuked your vices, you deprived yourselves of the hope of eternal blessedness. And you, who exalted yourselves above other peoples not by virtue but by arrogance, proved yourselves by these acts more faithless, more wretched, and more detestable than all.

For when you refused to submit to the authority of a prince set over you by God, you handed yourselves over to the dominion of the one whom Scripture declares to be “king over all the sons of pride.” But the one who dwells on high and looks upon the lowly, who sees the exalted from afar, cannot be deceived. He who strengthens the humble and threatens the proud also says in the Gospel: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

And when Peter, the chief of the apostles, proclaims, “Fear God, honor the king,” with what face do you claim to fear God and honor the king, when you scorn to render the honor divinely commanded to royal authority?

Indeed, beyond any doubt, the rebuke once spoken by Isaiah against the ancient people — and repeated by the Lord Jesus against the Jews — is shown to apply to you as well:

“This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me.

They worship me in vain,

teaching human doctrines and commandments.”

For who does not know that you praise the Christian faith eloquently with words and speech, yet place your own statutes above divine law? And who is unaware that you do not merely disregard the faith and its teachers, but actively attack them with deceit, cunning, fraud, and envy?

For your faith, according to the witness of James, is dead without works. Even if you sometimes appear to perform deeds consistent with faith, it is evident that you do so no less for human favor than for the reward of the Father who sees in secret. Therefore, having received the praise of people and your temporal reward, you forfeit eternal recompense.

But having written enough about the faithlessness and misery of the wicked, let us return to the course of events we have set out to recount.