HIS father was an officer in the armies of king Dagobert, and the saint
spent some years in the court of king Clotaire III., and of his mother
St. Bathildes, but occupied his heart only on God, despising worldly
greatness as empty and dangerous, and daily advancing in virtue in a
place where virtue is often little known. His estate of Maurilly he
bestowed on the abbey of Fontenelle, or St. Vandrille, in Normandy. He
was chosen and consecrated archbishop of Sens, in 682, which diocese he
governed during two years and a half with great zeal and sanctity. A
tender compassion for the blindness of the idolaters of Friseland, and
the example of the English zealous preachers in those parts, moved him
to resign his bishopric with proper advice, and, after a retreat at
Fontenelle, to enter Friseland in quality of a poor missionary priest.
He baptized great multitudes, with a son of king Radbod, and drew the
people from the barbarous custom of sacrificing men to idols. The lot
herein decided, on great festivals, who should be the victim; and the
person was instantly hanged, or cut in pieces. The lot having fallen on
one Ovon, St. Wulfran earnestly begged his life of king Radbod: but the
people ran tumultuously to the palace, and would not suffer what they
called a sacrilege. After many words, they consented that if the God of
Wulfran should save Ovon's life, he should ever serve him, and be
Wulfran's slave. The saint betook himself to prayer, and the man, after
hanging on the gibbet two hours, being left for dead, by the cord
breaking, fell to the ground; and being found alive was given to the
saint, and became a monk and priest at Fontenelle. Wulfran also
miraculously rescued two children from being drowned in the sea, in
honor of the idols. Radbod, who had been an eye-witness to this last
miracle, promised to become a Christian, and was instructed among the
catechumens. But his criminal delays rendered him unworthy such a mercy.
As he was going to step into the baptismal font, he asked where the
great number of his ancestors and nobles were in the next world. The
saint replied, that hell is the portion of all who die guilty of
idolatry. At which the prince drew back, and refused to be baptized,
saying, he would go with the greater number. This tyrant sent afterwards
to St. Willebrord, to treat with him about his conversion; but before
the arrival of the saint, was found dead. St. Wulfran retired to
Fontenelle, that he might prepare himself for death, and died there on
the 20th of April, in 720. His relies were removed to Abbeville, where
he is honored as patron. See his life, written by Jonas, monk of
Foutenelle, eleven years after his death, purged from spurious additions
by Mabillon, {630} saec. 3, Ben. Fleury, b. 41, t. 9, p. 190. See also
the history of the discovery of his relics at St. Vandrille's,
accompanied with miracles, and their translation to Rouen in 1062, well
written by an anonymous author who assisted at that ceremony, several
parts of which work are published by D'Achery, Spicil. t. 3, p. 248, the
Bollandists, and Mabillon. The Bollandists have added a relation of
certain miracles, said to have been performed by the relics of this
saint at Abbeville.