Letter 20: To his beloved son Abbot Duddo, Boniface also called Wynfrith, servant of the servants of God, heartfelt and loving...

[Context: Duddo is known only through a rather suspect charter. He was probably abbot of a monastery in the west of England.] To his beloved son Abbot Duddo, Boniface also called Wynfrith, servant of the servants of God, heartfelt and loving greetings in Christ. I hope, my dear son, that you recall the saying of a certain wise min, " keep thy old friend", and forget not in old age the early friendship we formed in youth and have kept up tiff now. Remember your father, now failing in strength and going the way of all flesh. Though I was but poorly equipped as a teacher, yet I tried to be the most devoted of them all, as you yourself well know. Be mindful of my devotion and take pity on an old man worn out by troubles in this German land. Support me by your prayers to God, and help me by supplying me with the Sacred Writings and the inspired works of the Fathers. It is well known that books are most helpful to those who read the Holy Scriptures, so I beg you to procure for me as an aid to sacred learning part of the commentary on the Apostle Paul which I need. I have commentaries on two Epistles-that to the Romans and the First to the Corinthians. If you have anything in your monastic library which you think would be useful to me and of which I may not be aware, or of which I have no copy, pray let me know about it; help me as a loving son might an ignorant father, and send me also any notes of your own. Let us also agree mutually to render such service to each other. In accordance with what my son, the priest Eoban,[] the bearer of my letters, may tell you about the marriage of a woman to the godfather of her children, kindly search the records to find out by what authority this is held to be a capital crime at Rome. If you find in ecclesiastical writings any discussion of this sin, please let me know at once. Eoban is probably to be identified with the Bishop Eoban of Utrecht, who later suffered martyrdom with Boniface at Dokkum. Health and prosperity in Christ. (Tangl, 34)

Duddo is known only through a rather suspect charter. He was probably abbot of a monastery in the west of England. To his beloved son Abbot Duddo, Boniface also called Wynfrith, servant of the servants of God, heartfelt and loving greetings in Christ. I hope, my dear son, that you recall the saying of a certain wise min, " keep thy old friend", and forget not in old age the early friendship we formed in youth and have kept up tiff now. Remember your father, now failing in strength and going the way of all flesh. Though I was but poorly equipped as a teacher, yet I tried to be the most devoted of them all, as you yourself well know. Be mindful of my devotion and take pity on an old man worn out by troubles in this German land. Support me by your prayers to God, and help me by supplying me with the Sacred Writings and the inspired works of the Fathers. It is well known that books are most helpful to those who read the Holy Scriptures, so I beg you to procure for me as an aid to sacred learning part of the commentary on the Apostle Paul which I need. I have commentaries on two Epistles-that to the Romans and the First to the Corinthians. If you have anything in your monastic library which you think would be useful to me and of which I may not be aware, or of which I have no copy, pray let me know about it; help me as a loving son might an ignorant father, and send me also any notes of your own. Let us also agree mutually to render such service to each other. In accordance with what my son, the priest Eoban,[] the bearer of my letters, may tell you about the marriage of a woman to the godfather of her children, kindly search the records to find out by what authority this is held to be a capital crime at Rome. If you find in ecclesiastical writings any discussion of this sin, please let me know at once. Eoban is probably to be identified with the Bishop Eoban of Utrecht, who later suffered martyrdom with Boniface at Dokkum. Health and prosperity in Christ. (Tangl, 34)