Of the death of our most reverend Lord Frederic, Bishop of Utrecht.
In the year of the Lord 1423, on the Feast Day of S. Dionysius, Bishop
and Martyr, which is the ninth day of October, that most reverend and
renowned Lord Frederic of Blankenhem, the illustrious Bishop of Utrecht,
went away out of the light of this world, being about eighty years of
age.
He ruled the diocese of Utrecht strenuously and in honourable wise during
thirty years, for the grace of God Almighty succoured him: his power was
increased by many victories, and he gave the Church peace, his country
safety, and his people tranquillity before his death. This is he that
was a potentate of renown, a pillar of the priesthood, a guiding star to
Clerks, a father to the Religious, a friend to all devout persons, a
defender of the orphan, an avenger upon the unjust.
This is he that was the glory of rulers, the delight of subjects, that
upheld dignity among the aged, and uprightness amongst the young, he was
a pinnacle of learning, the ornament of the wise; he gave weapons to the
warriors and a shield to them that strove: he inspired terror in his
foes, and courage in his people; he was an ornament to the nobles, an
honour to princes, a glory to the great ones of the land. Who could tell
his praises in worthy wise, for in his days all was well ordered in the
land of Utrecht! Prelates were honest, and priests pious in the worship
of God; the religious were devout, the virgins were chaste, the people
were fervent in the faith, judges were firm, and wealth grew abundantly
in the cities. In these days also, schools for learning flourished,
especially at Deventer and Zwolle, and a vast multitude of learners came
together from divers states and regions, both near and afar off. And
because the Bishop feared God, honoured Holy Church, and loved and
defended all that served the Lord, therefore the Majesty on High
protected him from the enemies that were round about, making rebellious
nations subject to him, especially those Frisians who had invaded his
territories. Moreover, God did make his days illustrious by many
marvellous deeds, so that an age of gold seemed to have been granted to
his land of Utrecht. But this did appear more evidently after the
Bishop's death, when a schism--exceeding lawless and long enduring--arose
and increased among Clerks and people alike. And this the reverend
Bishop feared should come about, for he was a prudent man and a learned;
moreover, he knew the manners of the cities and the seditious ways of
some of the nobles whose insolence he had been able to restrain and
subdue with difficulty, and the exercise of great valour. "After my
death," said he, "they will know that they have had a good lord, for they
all wish to be masters, and to have none set over them, wherefore it
shall be ill with them." And he prophesied truly, for the whole land of
Utrecht suffered grievous loss for her sedition, and shall long mourn the
same, as will be shown briefly in the proper place.
So this illustrious ruler died in his castle that is called Horst, not
far from Utrecht, and his body was brought by a seemly train of followers
to the church at Utrecht where his predecessors were buried, and there in
company with the other bishops in an honoured tomb upon the right side of
the choir he doth rest in peace.