"Hic pater egregiis meritis Bonifacius almis,
Cum sociis pariter fundebat sanguinis undam."
He also, in turn with Albric and two others, presided over the monastery at Utrecht for three months in every year. Once, after he had said the night office, and had laid himself down to rest, "in solario ecclesiæ," S. Salvatoris, which probably corresponded to our parvise, or prophet's chamber, abbot Gregory appeared to him in a vision, and bade him follow him. The old man cast down to him from a higher place, as it were, pieces of garments and parchments, which he bade him distribute well. Ludger gathered them into three heaps. Marchelm, the custodian of the church, in the morning interpreted the dream to mean that Ludger would be spiritual ruler over three peoples. Then Ludger exclaimed, "Would that the Lord would give me, instead, fruit in the place now entrusted to my charge."
Ludger zealously exercised his office among the Frisians, and the seeds of life, sown by him, watered by dew from above, bore abundant fruit in the hearts of many. Thus did he avenge the death of S. Boniface by bringing to the knowledge of the truth those very peoples who had shed his blood. Again was verified the old saying, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church," for that land afterwards brought forth rich crops of the corn of God's elect.
When Ludger had toiled there nearly seven years, that "root of evil," Wittikind, in 784, leader of the Saxons, drove out the servants of God, burned the churches, and made the Frisians, as far as the river Fleo, sacrifice again to the false gods. So Ludger dismissed his disciples, and taking with him his brother, Hildegrim, and another, went to Rome, where pope Adrian received him kindly, in 785. Thence he went on to S. Benedict's monastery at Monte Cassino, "for he was anxious to build a monastery on his own estate, and this was afterwards done at Werden."
Though S. Ludger's name occurs in Benedictine Martyrologies, he seems never to have become formally a monk of that order. Probably he wore their habit at Monte Cassino. The author of the Third Metrical Life says, "though he wore the cowl." "Nec hujus Regulæ, ullum observantiæ fecerat promissum." The fact that the monasteries founded by him both at Werden and Munster observed the rule of the Canons Regular, seems to settle the matter. He was called abbot simply because he presided over a Cænobium. In 787, he passed through Rome on his way home, where he obtained some relics of our Lord, of the Blessed Virgin, and of some of the saints. The news of Wittikind's conversion, or rather submission, had recalled him to his old field of labour.
Charlemagne had been at war with the Saxons, who then occupied nearly the modern circles of Westphalia and Lower Saxony, with short intervals of peace, for nearly thirty years. In 779, he defeated the Westphalians at Bochold, and received their submission, which entailed that of the Ostphali and the Angrarii. The following year he overran the country as far as the Elbe, where he encamped. Wittikind took refuge at the court of the king of Denmark, his father-in-law. The solemn sacrament of baptism was administered to an immense multitude at Horheim.
Charlemagne determined to secure the people by a systematic occupation of their territory. It was divided into districts, whither bishops, priests, and abbots were sent. The king gave them the lands, but God alone could give them the souls of the people.
The rebellion which burst out in 782, under Wittikind, was punished severely. His accomplices, 4,500 in number, were tried before their own chiefs at Verden, on the Aller; were condemned and put to death. Their relatives and all the tribes took up arms to avenge them: a bloody battle of doubtful issue was fought at Detmold. After Charlemagne had ravaged the country for two years, he offered terms of peace. Wittikind and the Saxon nobles accepted them. He submitted to be baptized at Attigny. His example brought about the submission of Saxony and Friesland. The story is told somewhat in this fashion:—On great festivals Charlemagne was wont to distribute money to all the poor who assembled at his gate. On Easter-day, Wittikind, in the dress of a beggar, penetrated into the king's tent, where Mass was being said. After mass, he came to receive alms with the rest. He was recognised in spite of his rags, arrested, and brought before the king. Then he asked to become a Christian, and ordered the chiefs of his party to lay down their arms. It is hardly necessary to add that marvels accompanied this conversion.
On S. Ludger's return, in 787, to Friesland, Charlemagne sent him to bear the glad tidings of the gospel of peace to the Frisians in the neighbourhood of Gröningen and Norden. Away in the sea to the north was a white island, so he was told, a home of hardy seamen, whither S. Willibroad had been. Ludger resolved to go to this island of Fositesland, or Heligoland, and water the little seed of life that Willibroad had sown there. He embarked in a little vessel, and a pleasant breeze springing up, the boat was wafted towards the distant isle. Ludger stood in the bows, cross in hand, and saw a dark grey fog envelope the island. But presently the veil of mist rose, and disclosed the white chalk-cliffs glittering in sunshine, and the bishop gladly took this as an omen of success. He landed, preached the faith, and destroyed the temples, erecting churches in their stead. The people gladly heard the Word, and Ludger baptized them in the waters of the very fountain in which S. Willibroad had baptized three of the islanders on a former occasion. A son, also, of one of the chiefs embraced the faith, and became a teacher of the Frisians and the founder of a monastery.