De sancto Henrico imperatore
The Divine Election and Prophetic Vision
Henry is chosen as king and receives a mysterious vision from Saint Wolfgang that unfolds over six years.
In the year 1001 after the Lord's incarnation, and 1752 from the founding of the city, Otto III died in Rome. As the royal throne stood vacant and the matter of choosing a successor was being discussed, everyone's votes were drawn by divine impulse toward the man considered the most powerful in the kingdom. For at that time there was a certain Duke of the Bavarians named Henry, the son of Henry, a duke of the same people, in whose days Saint Wolfgang served as Bishop of Regensburg, a man distinguished as much by his goodness as by his royal nobility, and renowned for the integrity of his character. He fully followed the beginning of wisdom, which is the fear of the Lord, because he was primarily grounded in the study of all literature and was entirely Catholic in his faith and actions. Therefore, he was chosen by everyone with a unanimous vote and common consent, with divine clemency arranging it so that through the support of such a kingdom, he might reach the heights of the heavenly kingdom. When the aforementioned King Henry had not yet obtained the dignity of Caesar or Emperor, Saint Wolfgang, the bishop, appeared to him in Regensburg in a vision. It seemed to him that while he was in the church of Saint Emmeram, bishop and martyr, he approached the tomb of the blessed Wolfgang, located in the same basilica, for the sake of prayer; and as he tried to entreat the Lord and Saint Wolfgang there with deep prayers, suddenly Saint Wolfgang himself seemed to stand before him and address him with these words: 'Look carefully at the letters written on the wall that is beside the tomb.' It seemed to him that there was written only: 'After six.' The king, waking up and reflecting on the vision with divine guidance, pondered the very few words of this vision. At first, he thought that he would die after six days, so he distributed many things to the poor; but when the number six had passed again and the king felt no bodily ailment, he thought the aforementioned vision referred to six months. After six months had passed, however, and he felt no infirmity, he thought the number referred to six years, and so he began to fear even more. When the full six years had passed and the day of the seventh year had returned, he received the dignity of Caesar on that very day through apostolic blessing. Then, finally realizing what his vision meant, he gave thanks to God and to Saint Wolfgang the bishop, who had deigned to reveal such a dignity to him.
A Reign of Piety and the Victory of Grace
Henry dedicates his reign to the Church and, upon his death, is defended by angels against the accusations of the devil.
Once he was anointed king, the most blessed servant of God, Henry, wasn't content with the narrow limits of an earthly kingdom; he resolved to serve the Supreme King—for whom to serve is to reign—in order to win the crown of immortality. He applied the utmost diligence to expanding the practice of religion, and began to enrich the churches of God with property and enhance them with immense ornaments. He also restored the episcopal sees—Hildesheim, where he had been raised and educated in letters from boyhood, as well as Magdeburg, Argentinan, Misnam, and Mersenburg, which had been devastated by the barbaric cruelty of the neighboring Slavs—and he distributed countless gifts in property and ornaments to these and other episcopal sees throughout the entire kingdom. Finally, when the labors of this life were finished, and after he had caused the fragrance of his good reputation to spread far and wide, and had brought the place he loved and other monasteries to perfection by enriching, adorning, and cultivating them, he was called by the Lord from the prison of the flesh to receive the unfading crown. Seeing that the day of his death was drawing near, he called to himself the parents of the most blessed Empress Kunegund, as well as certain leaders of the kingdom; he took her by the hand and commended her to them with these words, which are worthy of memory: 'Behold,' he said, 'this virgin, whom I received from you—or rather, whom I received consigned by Christ—I now resign to Christ our Lord himself and to you, immaculate.' At his passing, while the earth mourned, heaven rejoiced, as the Lord also revealed through His mercy. For in that very hour of his departure, it is said that the devil appeared in human form to a certain servant of God who was living in solitude. The man of God immediately recognized him through the Spirit and asked, 'Where are you going?' But he replied, 'I am going to the funeral of the emperor.' To which he said, 'Go and complete your business, as much as is permitted to you by the Lord, but once your duty is finished, return to me, adjured by the living God, so that I may learn from you the outcome of the matter.' After a short time, he returned and stood before the servant of God, groaning, and with a mournful voice and great wailing said, 'Alas, alas, we have been deceived, in...' '...in vain.' 'We have labored, and what is more, we have retreated in confusion by the angels of God.' Seek more on this in the legend of Saint Lawrence the martyr.
Read the original Latin
Anno ab incarnatione domini MI, ab urbe autem condita MDCCLII Ottone HL Romae defuncto, vacanti regni solio, cum de principe ageretur subrogando, Omnium vota nutu divino ad ewm inclinantur, qui tano in regno potissimus habebatur. Fuit namque eodem tempore quidam dux Bavarorum nomine Henricus, Henrici ejusdem gentis ducis filius, cujus temporibus sanctus Wolfgangus Ratisbonensium praefuit episcopus, tam bonitate quam nobilitate regia conspicuus et universa morum honestate praeclarus. Hic initium sapientiae timorem domini pleniter est secutus, quia erat omnium litterarum studio principaliter iunbutus et totus sana fide et actione catholicus. Hic ergo ab omnibus pari voto et communi consensu omnium adsciscitur, divina ntique disponente clementia, ut per talis regni suffragia ad culmen regni coelestis perlingeret. Cumque praedictus rex Henricus necdum Caesaris vel imperatoris obtineret dignitatem; apparuit ei Ratisbonae beatus Wolfgangus episcopus tali visione, Visum namque est ei, quod manens in ecclesia sancti Emmerani episcopi et martiris accederet orandi gratia ad beati Wolfgangi sepulchrum in eadem basilica situm, cumque ibidem dominum et sanctum Wolfgangum intimis precibus conaretur exorare, subito videbatur ei ipse sanctus Wolfgangus adstare eumque hujusmodi verbis appellare: intuere diligenter litteras in muro, qui est secus tumulum, scriptas. Erat autem, sicut sibi videbatur, scriptun solummodo: post sex, Evigilans antem rex retractatione divina secum revolvit paucissima hujus visionis scripta In primis ergo arbitratus, quod post sex dies esset moriturus, inulta dispensat pauperibus, cumque iterum sex nwmerus praeteriisset et nihil in se rex molestiae corporalis sensisset, putavit praedictam visionem ad sex menses pertinere. 'CTransactis vero sex mensibus cum mihil infirmitatis in se pateretur, arbitratus est, hunc numerum ad sex annos pertinere, ideoque et supra coepit timere. Cumque sex annorum numerus integer pertransiisset et septimi anni dies revolutus venisset, ipso die per apostolicam benedictionem suscepit Caesaris dignitatem, Tnnc tandem sentiens, qualis esset sua visio, gratias agit Deo sanctoque Wolfgango episcopo, qui sibi talem revelare dignatus est dignitatem.
Unctus ergo in regem beatissimus Dei famulus Henricus temporalis regni non contentus angustiis pro adipiscenda immortalitatis corona summi regis, cui servire regnare est, militare disposuit, Summam etenim diligentiam in amplificando cultu religionis adhibuit, ecclesias Dei ditare possessionibus et immensis ornatibus augere coepit, sedes quoque episcopales, Hildesheim videlicet, ubi a puero fuerat enutritus et litteris edoctus, Magdeburg et Argentinan, Misnam et Mersenburg, quae barbarica immanitate adjacentium Slavorum vastatae fuerant, restauravit et tam ipsis quam aliis episcopalibus per universum regnum in possessionibus et ornamentis innuimnera dona distribuit, Denique consummatis hujus vitae laboribus, postquam bonae opinionis odorem longe lateque redolere fecerat locunque sibi dilectum et caetera monasteria ditando et ornanda et excolendo ad perfectum adduxérat, ad percipiendam inmarcescibilemn coronam a domino vocatus est ab ergastulo carnis. Qui cernens, diem mortis sibi imminere, vocatis ad se parentibus beatissimae ünperatricis Kunegundis necnon etiam quibusdam regni prioribus, manu eam apprehendit et commendavit eam illis hujusmodi verbis memoria dignissunis: hanc ecce, inquit, mihi a vobis, imo a Christo consignatam ipsi Christo domino nostro et vobis resigno virginem immaenlatam. In ejus vero transitu terra plorante coelum exsultavit, sicut etiam dominus per suam misericordiam revelavit, In ipsa etenim hora exitus illius cuidam servo Dei in solitudine commoranti dyabolus in humana specie fertur apparuisse, Quem vir Dei per spiritum protinus agnovit et ait ad eum: quo pergis! At ille respondit: ad exsequias imperatoris: pergo. Cui ille ait: vade et comple negotimm tunm, quantum a domino tibi permittitur, verumtamen consummato officio tuo adjuratus per Deum viviun ad me revertere, ut per te rei exitnm possim cognoscere, Post modicum vero reversus coram servo Dei gemebundus adstitit et voce querula cum ingenti ejulatu dixit: heu, hen delusi summus, in. vanum. laboravinus, quin etiam ab angelis Dei confusi recessimus. De hoc require in legenda sancti Laurentii martiris,
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