From the Life of St. Kentigern

From the Life of St. Kentigern, Apostle to the Brythonic kingdom of Strathclyde in Scotland, bishop and patron saint of Glasgow

Therefore Saint Kentigern, having returned to his own place, arranged to live with himself in the solitude of the soul away from the confusion of men and wished not to easily show himself or to go out of doors, except for a reason of great urgency. And although he was unwilling, nevertheless Kentigern did not cease to shine forth with visible signs. Queen Languueth, abounded in riches and delights, but she did not keep faith with the royal chamber and marital couch as she ought or as is proper. For the abundance of riches and the fullness of her delights and the elevation of power accustomed her to serve the incentive and poultice of pleasure to the flesh. She turned her eyes onto a certain young soldier, who according to the rotten beauty of this rotting flesh seemed to her spring-like with a beautiful appearance and comely face and a form that was more handsome than many of her company at court. And as a man who was himself sufficiently ready and inclined for such homage, without any other goad he was easily made to sleep with her.

And as the days had passed on earth, the forbidden pleasure repeated many times had become more pleasing to both, since concealed bread was more pleasant and furtive waters, according to Solomon, seemed sweeter to them. Even as if from a thoughtless act, so too they were seized by a blind love. And she foolishly and shamelessly gave to her adulterer a royal ring of gold that enclosed a precious gem, which her legitimate husband himself had commended to her as a special sign of his marital love. Even more foolishly he accepted the ring and placed on his finger, and by such a sign he opened the gate of suspicion to those accomplices who were present.

A faithful man of the king obtained certain knowledge of the secret between the queen and the soldier, and he managed to pour it by drops into the ears of the king. But the king did not easily incline his ear or his soul to the one who reported his dishonor and the shame of his wife. And old but true proverb says, “It is difficult for a dolt to apply faith to the one uncovering the dishonor of a beloved wife, and he is more accustomed to turn his hatred back against the accuser than against the accused.” But the bearer of the adultery, as proof of the matter, showed him the ring on the soldier’s finger, and persuading him to believe in his credibility, he kindled a fiercer spirit of jealousy in the king.

Therefore, the king was more certain concerning this secret affair, and cloaking the anger of his soul against the queen and the soldier with a serene countenance, he displayed more than usual his cheerfulness and familiarity to them. However when there shone a fairer day, the king went hunting and summoning the soldier to escort him, he sought the glades and forests with a multitude of hunters and dogs. And when the dogs were unleashed and his companions had dispersed to different places, the king reached the bank of the river Clyde with the soldier. And in a shady place with grassy sod, each considered that it would be pleasing to drink in a little rest. And the soldier, being weary and in no way suspecting harm, reclined his head, stretched out his arm and opened his hand, and immediately fell asleep. But the spirit of jealously aroused the king who had feigned sleep, and it did not permit him rest or sleep. And when he saw the ring on the finger of the sleeping man, his eye was agitated by rage, and he could barely hold his hand from his sword and restrain from shedding the soldier’s blood. Nevertheless he bridled the impulse of his anger and drawing the ring off the sleeping man’s finger, he cast it into the nearby river. He then roused him to go meet his companions and ordered them to return home. The soldier, waking up from his rest and thinking nothing of the ring, obeyed the command of the king. And he took no notice of what he had lost until he entered the house.

And when the king had returned to the house, the queen came out from her chamber and saluted him in her usual manner. But from the mouth of the one she saluted she received insults and terrors and taunting reproaches. And he demanded with eyes flashing and a threatening countenance where the ring was that he had commended into her custody. She responded that she had placed it in a chest. Whereupon the king, in the sight of his advisors, commanded that she present it to him with all speed. Still being set with hope, she entered her inner chamber as if to search for the ring, but immediately directed a messenger to the soldier, and made known to him the petition of the impassioned king over the ring. And she sent word that he should quickly send the ring to her. The soldier send back word that he had lost the ring and that he was ignorant of the place where it had been lost. And also, he was afraid of the face of the king and hid himself from the court and secured for himself the benefit of concealment. Meanwhile, as she sought for diversions and was slow to produce for everyone what certainly she was not able to find, seeking uselessly for a vain nothing, the king was inflamed with wrath, calling her a vile adulteress repeatedly, and he rushed in with oaths, saying, “Let God do the same to me and add more if I do not judge you according to the law of adulteresses, and if I do not condemn you to a most shameful death. Clinging to your youthful adulterer you have set me aside, the king your husband, although I made you the consort of my bed and mistress of my kingdom. You have acted in secret but I will act openly, and in the sight of the sun I will make known your dishonor and reveal your shamefulness in your face.”

And when he had said many things in this manner, all his advisors entreated for an extension of time. And with effort he conceded to them three days, but ordered that she be delivered up into custody. Soon she was imprisoned and was imagining her death, which hovered over her now, but no less was she tormented by her guilty conscience. O very grave and unbearable punishment, the guilty testimony of the accused conscience! Although one who is situated in misdeeds may have peace outside his circle, yet he is recognized to be miserable and to dwell in disorder whom a gnawing conscience persecutes without interruption. Therefore, the spirit of the wicked wife was troubled within her, and with a contrite and humble heart and tearful prayers, she entreated God, so that He would not enter into judgment with his handmaid, but that according to his great mercy, just as long ago He had mercy on the woman seized in adultery and set before him, so also would He grant pity to her in this same case. Therefore, as the Lord inspired the woman placed in confinement, she discovered a good counsel. And sending a most trusted messenger to Saint Kentigern, she laid bare all her misfortune and entreated a remedy for him as her sole propitiator. Also she begged that he would show his power over the king on her behalf, because there was not anything so great that he would, or could, or ought to refuse him.

The holy bishop, being instructed through the Holy Spirit and the virtue on high, knew the whole sequence of events before the coming of the messenger. He ordered the messenger to continue to the banks of the above-mentioned river Clyde with a fishhook, and to cast the hook into the stream and bring back to him immediately the first fish that was baited and drawn out from the waters. The messenger fulfilled what the saint said and delivered into the presence of the man of God the fish he had captured, which is commonly called a salmon. Kentigern requested that the fish before him be cut and gutted, and he discovered the above-mentioned ring in it. And at once he sent it to the queen by that same messenger. When she saw it and took it back, her heart was filled with joy and her mouth with exaltation and thanksgiving. Her grief turned into joy and the expectation of death into the festivities of praise and deliverance. Therefore, the queen rushed into the midst of everyone’s eyes and returned the ring that had been sought by the king.

And so the king and all his court with him were made sad because of the injustices inflicted on the queen, and publicly he asked her for her pardon as he humbly kneeled. And he swore, if she so requested, the gravest vengeance or death or exile for those who would inflict accusations on her. But she, wisely understanding that mercy more than the censure of judgment was called for in respect to her accusers, desired to be merciful, just as it is proper indeed for one’s fellow servant to be served. She said, “O king, my lord, God forbid that anyone should suffer anything of this kind on my account, but if you wish that I should forgive you from my heart that which you did wrong to me, then I wish that you would send away from your soul all movement of a hard heart for my accuser even as I do.” And when this was heard, all wondered at this and rejoiced. And so the king and the queen and the informer were recalled into the grace of peace and mutual love for each other. And the queen, as fittingly as she was able, proceeded to the man of god and confessed her guilt to him. And making amends according to his decision, she zealously corrected her life for the future; for she restrained her feet from another such fall. Nevertheless she never revealed to anyone the sign by which the Lord magnified his mercy to her while her husband lived, but after his death she let it be known to all who wished.

Jocelin of Furness, Life of St. Kentigern (Mungo) 36
St. Kentigern of Glasgow, +614, commemorated 14 January
for an icon of All the Saints Who Shone Forth in Scotland: http://www.comeandseeicons.com/groups/drz19.htm