Of Derthuin, Bertherius, Anobert, Hunored, and Others, in the Year 748

A certain Boniface, Archbishop of Mayence, had been sent out as an apostle, ambassador and legate by Pope Zacharias the First, to convert the heathen to the Roman see (as it was called), and to instill into those who already belonged to it the Roman ceremonies and superstitions, and make them observe the same. Many bishops, overseers, or teachers in Germany, Bavaria, and France opposed this with spiritual weapons, namely, with reproofs from the Word of God, refusing to obey either the pope or his legate in this matter.

Among those who thus refused, these are mentioned by name: Derthuin, Bertherius, Anobert, and Hunored. These men were accused to the pope, and charged not only with the matter just named, but also, out of envy, with being greedy, proud and eager for filthy lucre. Upon this they were all deposed from their ministry, by authority of the pope and his legate; but how it ended with them is not stated, though it is to be presumed that some kind of ecclesiastical exclusion, anathematization or excommunication followed. However, since this is passed over in silence, we can conclude nothing certain about it.

In the meantime, there appears, on the one hand, the boldness of these men in reproving the Roman superstitions, and, on the other hand, the shameless arrogance of the pope and his legate, in deposing and removing those who, loving the good, could not refrain, according to the doctrine of the Word of God, from reproving the evil. See A. Mell., folio 328, column 2, compared with Aventin. Annal. Boi., book 3.