Duce igitur prestantissimo cum inuictissimis athletis infra sacras edes interempto, eodemque sacrario occisorum cruore non iam uiolato, immo iterato, ut credi fas est, consecrato, prophanorum cuneus non tam atria regalia quam et ipsa angulatim perscrutatur sacraria, dona aris nuper imposita diripiens et pridem admissa et habita longiusque conseruata non relinquens, ut, quę sacris distrahebant altaribus, ornandis inter se partirentur nuribus, ut illud propheticum etiam litteraliter impleretur: 'Dispersi sunt lapides sanctuarii in capite omnium platearum'.

Dehinc regię sedis locum circumquaque curiose perlustrantes et, ne quis regię stirpis, utpote sceleris ultor, superstes relinqueretur, prouide precauere cupientes Benedictum, tam preciosi iam martyris quam et regis fratrem germanum collegamque certaminum, ab inuestigantibus adhuc superuiuere et quam proximo seruatum hospicio cognoscunt adesse. Quo precipiti cateruatim cursu irruentes et regium iuuenem inuentumuulneribus admodum saucium, quod dictu nefas est, pedibus extrahentes in medium impietatis suę conuenticulum admittunt, ut secundum apostoli dictum 'spectaculum mundo' mundique principis administratoribus efficeretur, et per eos omne ministerium iniquitatis perficeretur.

Cumque, quo modo uel quali eum morte perderent, pertractarent, iam, ueluti uenatoribus de raptu dissidentibus, membratim distractum etiam semiuiuum, ut nichil crudelitatis imperfectum relinquerent, lanceis alii nobile corpus terrę affigunt, quidam securibus, nonnulli gladiis impetunt; et, ut nullus prophani sceleris expers existeret, quod quisque manu proximum arripuerat, adiciunt et mille uulneribus uita exemptum ac minutatim per membra secatum relinquunt, atrocitatis suę infamiam cumulantes et orbi uniuerso sese detestabiles perpetuo efficientes.

Ut enim rex propheticus protestatur, 'corrupti sunt et abhominabiles facti sunt in studiis suis', quia 'non erat in eis bonum faciens' uel impie agentes cohercere satagens; sed ob immanitatem auaricię, crudelitatis simul et malicię ueluti 'sepulcrum patens erat guttur eorum; linguis' quippe 'dolose agebant, et uenenum aspidum sub labiis eorum'. Et quomodo 'os eorum maledictione et amaritudine plenum' non erat, qui, quos poterant, ad complicium sceleris sui inuitabant, et ipsi pessima queque et nefaria perficiebant?

'Ad effundendum' uero innocentem 'sanguinem' non tam 'pedes ueloces' quam et manus exhibent procaces, deum quidem cognoscentes, sed nec eius iudicia metuentes nec 'eum inuocare' curantes, sed, quos uenerari illo iubente ac metuere deberent, impię atrocitatis ingluuie 'ut escam panis deuorantes'. 'Auerterunt enim 'tam sensus quam et oculos, ne uiderent cęlum, et ne recordarentur iudiciorum iustorum'.

'Illic' quippe 'trepidauerunt timore, ubi non erat timor'; timentes namque, ne quempiam prauitatis suę superstitem correctorem relinquendo aut a deo superimpositę potestati obaudiendo uel subiecti manendo reliquis per circuitum nationibus ęquarentur ac per hoc quasi pristinę libertatis exortes efficerentur, dum nec diuinis institutis cedere nec regię potestati obtemperare uolunt, sed cęteris potiores et prestantiores audacia simul et contumacia conantur gentibus existere, deo execrabiles, orbi detestabiles, hominibus odibiles, omnibus uiliores et contemptibiles ob peracti sceleris immanitatem efficiuntur et ipsis summę ueritatis persecutoribus non impares adiudicantur.

Idcirco 'contricio et infelicitas in uiis eorum', quia 'a uia pacis' diuertentes et diuini respectus intuitum post terga, non pre optutibus, ponentes euangelicum scandalum inciderunt, pro eo quod uicia humanę prauitatis potius exequi quam relinquere maluerunt. Quis etenim illum falli posse hesitare presumat, qui seruum scientem uoluntatem domini sui et digna non facientem plagis uapulandum quam plurimis denunciat? Ex quo namque furoris sui rabiem uesana multitudo in principem religiosum euomuit, ager frugibus sterilis, prata attenuantur herbis, silua glandibus rara, unda piscibus infecunda permansit, pestis armenta consumpsit, homines morbus debilitat, fames aggrauat, nobiles ac locupletes attenuans, inbecilles exanimans, secundum illud Iheremię:

'Defecerunt in fame in capite platearum'; et alibi: 'Deuastata sunt horrea, dissipatę sunt apothecę'. Regionem quoque uniuersam hostium metu occupante sexus uterque ueluti iam iamque ingruentium aduersariorum aduentum in dies suspicando trepidat titubat, donec preciositas interempti signis declarata diuinis emicuit, et hostis uirtutum deperiit, princepsque pacificus elementis, ut fatear, colletantibus simulque fauentibus in regnum deo prouehente surrexit Sed hęc suis in locis plenius explicanda.

With the most distinguished leader and his invincible companions slain within the sacred building — and with the sanctuary, stained with the blood of the slain, not so much desecrated as, as it may rightly be believed, consecrated anew — the band of the profane turned its attention not only to the royal residence but also to the holy places themselves. They searched the sanctuaries corner by corner, seizing the gifts that had only recently been placed upon the altars and leaving nothing that had been brought there earlier or preserved over time. The sacred objects they tore from the altars they divided among themselves, to adorn their own weddings, so that the prophetic word was fulfilled even in a literal sense: “The stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street.”

Then, carefully searching the area around the royal seat, eager to ensure that no member of the royal line might remain alive as an avenger of the crime, they learned that Benedict — brother of the now precious martyr and king, and his companion in struggle — was still alive and being sheltered nearby. Rushing upon him in frenzy, they found the young noble grievously wounded and — horrible to say — dragged him by the feet into the midst of their impious assembly, so that, as the Apostle says, he might be made a spectacle to the world, and through them every work of wickedness might be completed.

As they debated how and by what death they should destroy him, they tore him apart limb by limb, like hunters quarreling over their prey, leaving nothing of cruelty unfinished. Some pinned his noble body to the ground with spears, others struck with axes, others with swords. So that none of the profane might be free of guilt, each one joined in with whatever weapon lay nearest to hand. They left him dead after a thousand wounds, his body cut to pieces, thereby heaping disgrace upon their own brutality and making themselves forever detestable to the whole world.

As the prophetic king declares, “They are corrupt and have become abominable in their practices,” for “there was none who did good,” none who sought to restrain the wicked. Instead, through the monstrous force of greed, cruelty, and malice, “their throat was an open grave; with their tongues they dealt deceitfully, and the venom of asps was under their lips.” How could their mouths not be “full of cursing and bitterness,” when they urged others to share in their crimes and themselves carried out the worst and most unspeakable deeds? Their feet — and even more their hands — were eager to shed innocent blood. Though they knew God, they neither feared his judgments nor troubled to call upon him. Those whom God commanded them to honor and fear, they devoured with impious savagery “as one eats bread.”

They turned away both their minds and their eyes, refusing to look toward heaven or to remember righteous judgment. “There they trembled with fear where there was no fear,” afraid that if they left any survivor to correct their wrongdoing, or if they obeyed authority imposed by God and remained subject to it, they might become equal to the surrounding nations and thus lose what they imagined to be their former freedom. Refusing to submit either to divine law or to royal authority, they strove instead — through audacity and defiance — to appear greater and more powerful than other peoples. In doing so, they became detestable to God, abhorrent to the world, hateful to humankind, more contemptible than any other people, and by the enormity of their crime were judged no less guilty than the persecutors of the supreme Truth itself.

Therefore, “destruction and misery are in their ways,” for turning aside from the path of peace and placing the awareness of God’s judgment behind their backs rather than before their eyes, they fell into the scandal condemned by the Gospel — choosing to carry out the vices of human wickedness rather than to abandon them. Who, then, would dare suppose that the one cannot be deceived who declares that a servant who knows his master’s will and does not do it will be beaten with many blows?

From the moment the frenzied multitude poured out the rage of their madness upon the devout prince, the land became barren of crops, the meadows thinned of grass, the forests scarce in acorns, and the waters poor in fish. Pestilence consumed the herds; disease weakened people; famine grew heavy, wearing down the noble and wealthy and killing the weak outright — according to the words of Jeremiah: “They fainted from hunger at the head of the streets,” and elsewhere, “The storehouses are laid waste, the granaries broken down.”

Fear of enemies also seized the whole region. Men and women alike trembled daily, expecting the imminent arrival of hostile forces, until at last the precious worth of the slain prince shone forth, revealed by divine signs. The enemy of virtue was brought low, and a peaceful ruler arose, lifted to the throne by God himself, while even the elements, so to speak, rejoiced and gave their favor.

But these matters must be set forth more fully in their proper place.