THE P EN G U IN C L A S SIC S

F O U N D E R E D IT O R ( 1 9 4 4 - 6 4 ) : E. V. R IEU

b d it o r : Betty Radice

Bede (Baeda) was probably bom in a .d . 673. He himself

tells us that when he reached the age o f seven he was placed
under the care o f Abbot Benedict, but when the monastery
o f St. Paul was established as a joint-foundation at Jarrow in
682, he seems to have been transferred to the care o f its first
abbot, Ceolfrid, and to have remained a monk there for the
rest o f his life. He has been described as the ‘Father o f English
History* and wrote A History of the English Church and
People (a Penguin Classic), Lives of the Saints (a Penguin
Classic) and Lives of the Abbots. Bede died in 73 5.
 BEDE

A H IS T O R Y
OF TH E
E N G L IS H
CHURCH
AND
PEO PLE

Translated and with an Introduction by

Leo Sherley-Price
R evised by R . E . Latham

P E N G U I N BOOKS
 Penguin Books L td , Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England
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This translation first published 1955

Reprinted 1956, i960, 1962, 1964
Reprinted with revisions 1965
Revised editions 1968
Reprinted 1970, 19 7 2 ,19 7 4 . 1975* 19 7 6 ,19 7 7 ,1978

Copyright O Leo Sherley-Price, 19 55,19 6 8

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 CONTENTS

IN T RO D U C TIO N 15

a u t h o r ’s p r e f a c e : T o the Most Glorious King Ceolw ulf 33

map 36

B ook O ne
1 The situation o f Britain and Ireland: their earliest inhabi­
tants 37
2 On Gaius Julius Caesar, the first Roman to reach Britain 40
3 Claudius, the second Roman to reach Britain, annexes the
Isles o f Orkney to the Roman Empire: under his direction
Vespasian subdues the Isle o f W ight 41
4 Lucius, a British king, writes to Pope Eleutherus and asks
to be made a Christian 42
5 Severus divides Roman Britain from the rest by an earth­
work 43
6 The reign o f Diocletian: his persecution o f the Christian
Church 43
7 The martyrdom o f Saint Alban and his companions, who
shed their life-blood for Christ at this time 44
8 The Church in Britain enjoys peace from the end o f this
persecution until the time o f the Arian heresy 48
9 During the reign o f Gratian, Maximus is created Emperor
in Britain, and returns to Gaul with a large army 48
10 During the reign o f Arcadius the Briton Pelagius pre­
sumptuously belittles the grace o f God 49
1 1 During the reign o f Honorius, Gratian and Constantine
set up as despots in Britain: the former is killed shortly
afterwards in Britain, and the latter in Gaul 50
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12 The Britons, harassed by the Scots and Piets, seek help
from the Romans, who come and build a second wall
across the island. Notwithstanding, these enemies again
break in and reduce the Britons to worse straits 51
13 During the reign o f Theodosius the Younger, Palladius is
sent to the Christians among the Scots. The Britons make
an unsuccessful appeal to the Consul Aetius 53
14 The Britons, made desperate by famine, drive the Barbar­
ians out o f their land. There soon follows an abundance o f
com, luxury, plague, and doom on the nation 54
15 The Angles are invited into Britain. At first they repel the
enemy, but soon come to terms with them, and turn their
weapons against their own allies 55
16 Under the leadership o f Ambrosius, a Roman, the Britons
win their first victory against the Angles 57
17 Bishop Germanus sails to Britain with Lupus: with God’s
help he quells two storms, one o f the sea, the other o f the
Pelagians 58
18 Germanus gives sight to the blind daughter o f a tribune.
He takes some relics from the tomb o f Saint Alban, and
deposits relicso f the Apostles and other Martyrs 60
19 Germanus is detained by illness. He puts out a fire among
houses by his prayer, and is healed o f his sickness by a vision 61
20 The two bishops obtain God’s help in battle, and return
home 62
2 1 The Pelagian heresy revives, and Germanus returns to
Britain with Severus. He heals a lame youth, and after
denouncing or converting the heretics, restores the British
Church to the Catholic Faith 64
22 The Britons enjoy a respite from foreign invasions, but
exhaust themselves in civil wars and plunge into worse
crimes 65
23 The holy Pope Gregory sends Augustine and other monks
to preach to the English nation, and encourages them in a
letter to persevere in their mission 66
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24 Pope Gregory writes commending them to the Bishop o f
Arles 67
25 Augustine reaches Britain, and first preaches in the Isle o f
Thanet before King Ethelbert, who grants permission to
preach in Kent 68
26 The life and doctrine o f the primitive Church are followed
in Kent: Augustine establishes his episcopal see in the king’s
city 70
27 Augustine is consecrated bishop: he sends to inform Pope
Gregory what has been achieved, and receives replies to
his questions 71
28 Pope Gregory writes to the Bishop o f Arles, asking him to
help Augustine in his w ork for God 84
29 Gregory sends Augustine the pallium, a letter, and several
clergy 84
30 A copy o f the letter sent by Pope Gregory to Abbot
Mellitus on his departure for Britain 86
31 Pope Gregory writes to Augustine, warning him not to
boast o f his achievements 88
32 Pope Gregory sends letters and gifts to King Ethelbert 89
33 Augustine repairs the Church o f Our Saviour and builds a
monastery o f Saint Peter the Apostle. A note on Peter, its
first Abbot 91
34 Ethelfrid, King o f the Northumbrians, defeats the Scots
and drives them out o f England 92

B ook T wo
1 On the death o f Pope Gregory 94
2 Augustine urges the British bishops to cement Catholic
unity, and performs a miracle in their presence. Retribu­
tion follows their refusal 100
3 Augustine consecrates Mellitus and Justus as bishops: his
own death 104
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4 Laurence and his fellow-bishops urge the Scots to main­
tain the unity o f the Church, particularly in the observ­
ance o f Easter: Mellitus visits Rome 105
5 At the deaths o f Ethelbert and Sabert their successors revive
idolatry: on this account, both Mellitus and Justus leave
Britain 107
6 Laurence is reproved by Saint Peter, and converts King
Eadbald to Chnst. Mellitus and Justus are recalled no
7 The prayers o f Bishop Mellitus put out a fire in his city in
8 Pope Boniface sends the pallium with a letter to Justus,
Mellitus’ successor 112
9 The reign o f King Edwin: Paulinas comes to preach the
Gospel to him, and first administers the Sacrament o f
Baptism to his daughter and others 11 4
10 Pope Boniface writes to the king, urging him to accept the
Faith 117
1 1 The Pope writes to theQueen, urging her to exert her influ­
ence to obtain the king’s salvation 120
12 King Edwin is moved to accept the Faith by a vision seen
during his exile 122
13 Edwin holds a council with his chief men about accepting
the Faith o f Christ. The high priest destroys his own altars 126
14 Edwin and his people accept the Faith, and are baptized by
Paulinus " 128
15 The Province o f the East Angles accepts the Christian
Faith 130
16 Paulinus preaches the W ord o f God in the Province o f
Lindsey. The reign o f King Edwin 13 1
17 Pope Honorius sends a letter o f encouragement to King
Edwin, and the pallium to Paulinus 133
18 On succeeding Justus in the See o f Canterbury, Honorius
receives the pallium and a letter from Pope Honorius 134
19 Pope Honorius, and later Pope John, write letters to the
Scots about Easter and the Pelagian heresy 136
20 King Edwin is killed, and Paulinus returns to Kent, where
he receives the Bishopric o f Rochester 138

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B ook T hree
1 King Edwin’s immediate successors abandon their people’s
Faith and lose their kingdom: the most Christian King
Oswald restores both 14 1
2 Before engaging the heathen in battle, King Oswald sets
up a wooden cross: a young man is later healed by a por­
tion o f it, and innumerable other miracles take place 142
3 Oswald asks the Scots to send him a bishop: when Aidan
arrives, he grants him the island o f Lindisfame as his
episcopal see 144
4 H ow the Piets received the Faith o f Christ 146
5 The Life o f Bishop Aidan 148
6 The wonderful devotion and piety o f King Oswald 150
7 The West Saxons accept the Faith through the teaching o f
Birinus and his successors Agilbert and Leutherius 15 1
8 Earconbert, King o f Kent, orders the destruction o f idols.
His daughter Earcongota and his kinswoman Ethelberga
dedicate themselves to God as nuns 153
9 Miraculous cures take place at the site o f Oswald’s death.
A traveller’s horse is cured, and a paralytic girl healed 155
10 How the earth from this place has power over fire 157
1 1 A heavenly light appears all night over Oswald’s tomb,
and folk are healed from demonic possession 158
12 A little boy is cured o f ague at Saint Oswald’s tomb 160
13 A man in Ireland is recalled from death’s door by means
o f Oswald’s relics 16 1
14 On the death o f Paulinus, Ithamar succeeds to his Bishop­
ric o f Rochester. An account o f the wonderful humility o f
King Oswin, who was treacherously murdered by Oswy 163
15 Bishop Aidan foretells a coming storm, and gives seafarers
holy oil to calm the waves 166
16 Aidan’s prayers save the royal city when fired by the
enemy 167
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17 The wooden buttress o f the Church against which Aidan
leaned as he died is untouched when the rest o f the Church
is burned down. His spiritual life 168
18 The life and death o f the devout King Sigbert 170
19 Fursey establishes a monastery among the East Angles: the
incorruption o f his body after death attests to his visions
and holiness 17 1
20 On the death o f Honorius, Deusdedit succeeds him as
Archbishop o f Canterbury. The succession o f the bishops
o f the East Angles and o f Rochester 176
21 The Province o f the Middle Angles, under its king Peada,
becomes Christian 176
22 The East Saxons, who had apostatized from the Faith
under King Sigbert, are re-converted by the preaching o f
Cedd 178
23 Cedd receives the site for a monastery from King Ethel-
wald, and hallows it to our Lord with prayer and fasting:
his death 180
24 On the death o f Penda, the Province o f the Mercians
accepts the Faith o f Christ: in gratitude for his victory,
O swy gives endowments and lands to God for the building
o f monasteries 182
25 Controversy arises with the Scots over the date o f Easter 185
26 After his defeat Colman returns home and Tuda succeeds
to his bishopric: the condition o f the Church under these
teachers 193
27 Egbert, an Englishman o f holy life, becomes a monk in
Ireland 195
28 On Tuda’s death, W ilfrid is consecrated bishop in Gaul
and Chad among the West Saxons, to be bishops in the
Province o f the Northumbrians 197
29 The priest Wighard is sent from Britain to Rome to be
made archbishop: letters from the apostolic Pope tell o f
his death there 198
30 During a plague the East Saxons lapse into idolatry, but
are quickly recalled from their errors by Bishop Jaruman 201
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B ook F our
1 On the death o f Archbishop Deusdedit, Wighard is sent to
Rome to be consecrated in his stead: on the latter’s death
there, Theodore is consecrated Archbishop and sent to
Britain with Abbot Hadrian 203
2 Theodore makes a general visitation: the English churches
begin to receive instruction in Catholic truth, and sacred
study is fostered. Putta succeeds Damian as Bishop o f
Rochester 206
3 Chad is appointed Bishop o f the Mercians: his life, death,
and burial 207
4 Bishop Colman leaves Britain, and founds two monasteries
in the land o f the Scots, one for the Scots, and another for
the English whom he had taken with him 213
5 The death o f King O swy and King Egbert. Archbishop
Theodore presides over a Synod held at Hertford 214
6 W ynfrid is deposed, and Sexw ulf appointed to his see:
Earconwald is made Bishop o f the East Saxons 2 17
7 A heavenly light indicates where the bodies o f the nuns o f
Barking should be buried 218
8 A little boy, dying in the convent, announces the approach­
ing death o f one o f the sisters. A nun about to depart this
life, sees a glimpse o f future glory 219
9 Signs from heaven appear when the Mother o f the Com ­
munity departs this life 220
10 A blind woman regains her sight while praying in the
convent burial-ground 222
1 1 Sebbi, King o f the East Saxons, ends his days as a monk 223
12 Haeddi succeeds Leutherius as Bishop o f the West Saxons:
Cuichelm succeeds Putta in the See o f Rochester, and is
himself succeeded by Gebmund. The succession o f the
Northumbrian bishops 225
13 W ilfrid converts the Province o f the South Saxons to
Christ 227
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14 A fatal epidemic is halted by the intercession o f King
Oswald 229
15 King Cadwalla o f the Gewissae kills King Ethelwalh and
devastates his province with plundering and slaughter 232
16 The Isle o f W ight receives Christian settlers. T w o young
princes o f the island are killed immediately after Baptism 232
17 Theodore presides over a Synod held in the Plain o f
Hatfield 234
18 John, Arch-cantor o f the apostolic see, comes to teach in
Britain 236
19 Queen Etheldreda preserves her virginity, and her body
remains incorrupt in the grave 238
20 A hymn in honour o f Etheldreda 241
2 1 Archbishop Theodore makes peace between King Egfrid
and King Ethelred 243
22 A prisoner’s chains fall off when Masses are sung on his
behalf 243
23 The life and death o f Abbess Hilda 245
24 A brother o f the monastery is found to possess God’s gift
o f poetry 250
25 A man o f God sees a vision portending the destruction o f
Coldingham monastery by fire 254
26 On the death o f King Egfrid and King Hlothere 257
27 Cuthbert, a man o f God, is made bishop: his life and
teaching as a monk 259
28 Cuthbert becomes a hermit: his prayers obtain a spring
from dry ground, and a crop from seed sown out o f season 261
29 Cuthbert foretells his own death to the hermit Herebert 263
30 After eleven years in the grave, Cuthbert’s body is found
incorrupt. His successor departs this life soon afterwards 265
31 A brother is cured o f paralysis at Cuthbert’s tomb 267
32 The relics o f Saint Cuthbert heal another brother’s diseased
eye 268
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B ook F ive
1 The hermit Ethelwald, Cuthbert’s successor, calms a storm
by his prayers when some brethren are in clanger at sea 270
2 The blessing o f Bishop John cures a dumb man 271
3 Bishop John heals a sick girl by his prayers 273
4 The Bishop cures a thane’s wife with holy water 274
5 The Bishop’s prayers recall the servant o f a thane from
death’s door 275
6 B y his prayers and blessing, Bishop John saves from death
one o f his clergy who had been bruised in a fill 276
7 Cadwalla, King o f the West Saxons, goes to R om e for
Baptism: his successor Ini also makes a pilgrimage o f devo­
tion to the shrine o f the Apostles 279
8 On the death o f Theodore, Bertwald becomes Arch­
bishop: among bishops consecrated by him is Tobias,
Bishop o f Rochester, a man o f great learning 281
9 Egbert, a holy man, plans to travel to Germany and preach,
but is prevented. Subsequently Wictbert goes, but meeting
with no success, returns to his native Ireland 282
10 Wilbrord preaches in Frisia and converts many to Christ:
his companions the Hewalds suffer martyrdom 284
1 1 The venerable Suidbert in Britain, and W ilbrord in Rome,
are consecrated bishops for Frisia 287
12 A man in the Province o f the Northumbrians returns from
the dead, and tells o f the many dreadful and many desirable
things that he saw 289
13 Devils show another man a record o f his sins before his
death 295
14 Another man about to die sees the place o f punishment
reserved for him in Hell 297
15 Under Adamnan’s influence, many churches o f the Scots
adopt the Catholic Easter. He writes a book on the Holy
Places 299
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1 6 Descriptions from this book o f the sites o f our Lord's Birth,
Passion, and Resurrection 300
17 The site o f our Lord's Ascension, and the tombs o f the
patriarchs 302
18 The South Saxons receive as their bishops Eadbert and
Ealla, and the West Saxons Daniel and Aldhelm. The
writings o f Aldhelm 3°3
19 Coenred, King o f the Mercians, and OfFa, King o f the East
Saxons, end their days in Rome as monks. The life and
death o f Bishop W ilfrid 305
20 Albinus succeeds the devout Abbot Hadrian, and Acca
succeeds to W ilfrid's bishopric 3J 3
21 Abbot Ceolfrid sends church architects to the King o f the
Piets, and with them a letter about the Catholic Easter and
tonsure 314
22 The monks o f Iona and the monasteries under its jurisdic­
tion begin to adopt the canonical Easter at the preaching o f
Egbert 328
23 The present state o f the English nation and the rest o f
Britain 329
24 A chronological summary o f the whole book, and a
personal note on the author 332

notes 339

GENEALOGIES OF ENGLISH KINGS 349

IN DE X 353
 INTRODUCTION

T he L ife of B ede

T ) e d e (Baeda) was probably bom in the year o f the Council o f

^ H e r t fo r d (a .d . 673) on lands that were shortly afterwards
granted by King Egfrid o f Northumbria to S. Benedict Biscop's
new monastery o f Saint Peter at Wearmouth. He himself tells us
(v. 24) that when he reached the age o f seven, his parents- o f whom
w e know nothing - placed him under the care o f Abbot Benedict
for his education and upbringing. But when the monastery o f Saint
Paul was established as a joint-foundation at Jarrow in the year 682,
Bede seems to have been transferred to the care o f its first abbot,
Ceolfrid, and to have remained a monk there for the remainder o f
his life.
T o have served under abbots o f such learning and ability as Bene­
dict and such holiness as Ceolfrid (whose biographies Bede was to
write in his Lives o f the Abbots) can have had no small influence on
Bede’s own life and activities, and his own inborn love o f learning
and devotion to the spiritual life must have received constant stimu­
lation and encouragement. A touching incident which almost'cer-
tainly refers to Bede's boyhood is preserved in the anonymous Life
o f Abbot Ceolfrid, which tells how the plague o f 686 attacked Ceol-
frid’s monastery and swept away all the choir monks capable o f
maintaining the regular services o f the Church ‘ with the exception
o f the Abbot himself and one boy reared and educated by him, who
is now a priest o f the same monastery and commends the Abbot's
admirable doings both verbally and in writing to all who desire to
learn them. Greatly distressed by this catastrophe, the Abbot decided
to discontinue their usual practice, and to recite and sing all the
psalms without antiphons except at Vespers and Matins. But when
they had done this for a week with great sorrow and regret, he could
bear it no longer and directed that the psalms and their antiphons
were to be restored in their appointed course. So with the help o f all
15
 Introduction
[survivors], he and the aforesaid boy carried his decision with no
Httle trouble until such time as he could either train or procure from
elsewhere sufficient numbers to assist at the Divine Office.’ Only a
boy as naturally scholarly and devout as Bede would have been
capable o f performing the duties o f a choir-monk in this way, and
the story almost certainly refers to him. This early training endowed
Bede with a deep and lasting love for the Church’s regular Hours o f
worship, and in a letter written by Alcuin to the Wearmouth com­
munity, he says in reference to Bede’s latter years: ‘ It is told how
blessed Bede, our master and your patron, said “ I know that die
angels are present at the canonical Hours, and what i f they do not
find me among the brethren when they assemble? W ill they not say,
Where is Bede? W hy does he not attend the appointed devotions
with his brethren?” *
Benedict Biscop, who founded and ruled both Wearmouth and
Jarrow , was o f noble birth, and a man o f wide learning and culture.
He had been trained at Lerins, and had accompanied Archbishop
Theodore and Abbot Hadrian from Rom e in 669, when the former
had been consecrated to the Archbishopric o f Canterbury. His
learning and artistic knowledge was to influence all England, and
greatly enriched both Church and national life. Not only was he a
Greek and Latin scholar, and taught theology, astronomy, art, and
music, but he also made many visits to the Continent and Rome,
from which he brought back treasures for the English churches -
books, altar-vessels, paintings, and vestments - which had no small
influence on native standards. He also brought stone-masons and
glaziers from Gaul to build and furnish the churches, and in order
that they might teach their crafts to the English, who had hitherto
built almost exclusively in timber. Further, with the approval o f
Pope Agatho, he brought John, the Arch-cantor o f Saint Peter’s, to
team his monks the liturgical chant sicut ad sanctum Petrum Romae
agebatur (iv. 18), a visit that had widespread influence on the de­
velopment o f English church music, since many monasteries sent
monks to Wearmouth to receive instruction from him, while others
invited him to visit them for the purpose.
Bede tells us that he was made deacon at the age o f nineteen by
Bishop John o f Hexham (later known as Saint John o f Beverley).
And since canon law laid down the age o f twenty-five as the norm
for admission to the diaconate, Bede’s scholarship and devotion
16
 Introduction
must have been recognized as exceptional for him to have been pre­
sented by Abbot Ceolfrid six years early. He was advanced to the
priesthood by Bishop John eleven years later, and tells us that ‘ from
the time o f m y receiving the priesthood until m y fifty-ninth year, I
have worked, both for m y own profit and that o f m y brethren, to
compile extracts from the works o f the venerable Fathers on holy
scripture, and to make commentaries on their meaning and inter­
pretation/ During all these years, Bede was doubtless gathering
material for his History, which he completed in 731.
Both in his History and in his Lives o f the Abbots Bede gives us
much valuable information about the daily life o f a monastery in
Saxon times, as well as many illuminating character-sketches. From
abbot to lay-brother, all took an active share in the well-ordered day
o f w ork and prayer, and Bede tells how Abbot Eosterwin, a former
King’s Thane, ‘ remained so humble that he loved to thresh and
winnow, milk the cows and ewes, and occupied himself obediently
in the bakery, garden, kitchen, and all the w ork o f the monastery'.
At the same time, this humble and democratic abbot ‘ corrected
offenders with regular discipline' and exercised unquestioned auth­
ority. Apart from any specialized w ork that monks were directed to
undertake in accordance with their knowledge and capabilities,
whether writing, copying and illuminating manuscripts, cooking or
care o f the infirm, the life o f the whole community centred around
its church, with the offering o f Mass and the maintenance o f the
regular Hours o f prayer, beginning with Matins and Lauds in the
early hours o f the morning, and closing with Compline as darkness
ended the activities o f the day. A post o f considerable importance
under the Abbot and Prior (Praepositus) was that o f Guestmaster,
for there was a constant coming and going between monasteries,
while persons o f all walks o f life from king to peasant were assured
o f simple hospitality in a monastery when on their travels. Among
visitors o f interest Bede certainly met Adamnan, abbot o f the Celtic
monastery o f Iona (v. 15) who came to visit King Alfrid and to
‘ observe the rites o f the Church canonically performed'; which
visit resulted in his adoption o f the Roman usages. Thanks to the
artistic tastes o f Abbot Benedict and his journeys to the Continent
and Rome, the church in Bede's own monastery was built o f stone,
and well furnished with service-books, vestments, relics, and pic­
tures. Bede describes these latter in his Lives o f the Abbots as ‘ vividly
17
 Introduction
portraying tile relationship o f the Old and N ew Testaments, such
as Isaac carrying the w ood for his own sacrifice, and our Lord carry­
ing the cross on which He was to suffer/
Bede’s life centred on his own monastery o f Jarrow , and it does
not seem likely that he left it very frequently, although he paid visits
to other monastic houses from time to time. He is known to have
visited Lindisfame, and he stayed for a short while with his friend
Egbert, Archbishop o f York. He also probably visited King Ceol-
w u lf o f Northumbria, a ruler o f considerable learning, who resigned
his crown three years after Bede’s death and became a monk at Lin-
disfame. The story that Bede visited Rome at the invitation o f Pope
Sergius is very unlikely, and rests on a statement by William o f
Malmesbury which has never been satisfactorily explained.
In the year 735 Bede fell ill, and the day drew near that he had so
often described in his account o f others as their ‘ heavenly birthday’.
W e are fortunate in possessing a touching eyewitness account o f his
last days in a letter written by Cuthbert, one o f Bede’s scholars and
later Abbot o f Wearmouth and Jarrow, to his friend and contem­
porary Cuthwin. I have no hesitation in quoting this moving
account in fu ll
‘ T o his fellow teacher Cuthwin, most beloved in Christ, from his
school-friend Cuthbert. Health for ever in God.
‘ I was delighted to receive your little gift, and was pleased to read
your devout and learned letter in which I learned that, as I had
greatly hoped, you are diligently offering Masses and holy prayers
for our father and master Bede, whom God loved so well. Out o f
love for him rather than any confidence in m y ability to do so, I am
glad to give you a short account o f his passing from this world, since
I understand that you wish and request this.
‘ For nearly a fortnight before the Feast o f our Lord’s Resurrection
he was troubled by weakness and breathed with great difficulty,
although he suffered little pain. Thenceforward until Ascension Day
he remained cheerful and happy, giving thanks to God each hour
day and night. He gave daily lessons to us his students, and spent the
rest o f the day in singing the psalms so far as his strength allowed.
He passed the whole night in joyful prayer and thanksgiving to God,
except when slumber overcame him; but directly he awoke, he con­
tinual to meditate on scriptural themes, and never failed to thank
God with hands outstretched. I can truthfully affirm that I have
18
 Introduction
never seen or heard o f anyone who gave thanks so unceasingly to
the living God as he. O truly blessed m an! He used to repeat the
saying o f the holy Apostle Paul, It is a fearful thing to fa ll into the
hands o f the living God, and many other sayings from holy scripture,
and in this manner he used to arouse our souls by the consideration
o f our last hour. Being well-versed in our native songs, he described
to us the dread departure o f the soul from the body by a verse in our
own tongue, which translated means: “ Before setting forth on that
inevitable journey, none is wiser than the man who considers - be­
fore his soul departs hence - what good or evil he has done, and
what judgement his soul will receive after its passing.” T o comfort
both us and himself, he also used to sing antiphons, one o f which is,
“ O King o f glory, Lord o f might, W ho on this day ascended in
triumph above all heavens, do not leave us orphaned, but send to us
the Spirit o f truth, the promise o f the Father. Alleluia.” And when
he reached the words “ do not leave us orphaned” , he broke into
tears and wept much. An hour later he began to repeat what he
had begun and so continued all day, so that w e who heard him
sorrowed and wept with him. In such grace we passed the days o f
Lent until the above day, and he remained full o f jo y , thanking God
that he had deserved this weakness. He often quoted, “ God scour-
geth every son that He receiveth” , arid Saint Ambrose’s saying, “ I
have not lived so that I am ashamed to live among you, and I do not
fear to die for God is gracious.” 1
‘ During these days, in addition to the daily instruction that he
gave us and his recitation o f the psalter, he was working to complete
two books worthy o f mention. For he translated the Gospel o f Saint
John into our own language for the benefit o f the Church o f God as
far as the words but what are these among so many. He also made some
extracts from the works o f Bishop Isidore (of Seville), saying “ I do
not wish m y sons to read anything untrue, or to labour unprofitably
after m y death.” But on the Tuesday before our Lord’s Ascension
his breathing became increasingly laboured, and his feet began to
swell. Despite this he continued cheerfully to teach and dictate all
day, saying from time to time, “ Learn quickly. I do not know how
long I can continue, for m y Lord may call me in a short while.” It
seemed to us that he might well be aware o f the time o f his depar­
ture, and he spent that night without sleeping, giving thanks to God.
i. Paulinus* Life of Saint Ambrose, chap. 45.
19
 Introduction
When dawn broke on Wednesday, he told us to write diligently
what w e had begun, and w e did this until Terce. After Terce we
walked in procession with the relics o f the Saints as the customs o f
the day required, but one o f us remained with him, who said,
“ There is still one chapter missing in the book that you have been
dictating; but it seems hard that I should trouble you any further.”
“ It is no trouble,” he answered: “ Take your pen and sharpen it,
and write quickly.” And he did so. But at None he said to me, “ I
have a few articles o f value in m y casket, such as pepper, linen and
incense. Run quickly and fetch the priests o f the monastery, so that
I may distribute among them the gifts that God has given me.” In
great distress I did as he bid me. And when they arrived, he spoke
to each o f them in turn, requesting and reminding them diligently
to offer Masses and prayers for him. They readily promised to do so,
and all were sad and wept, grieving above all else at his statement
that they must not expect to see his face much longer in this world.
But they were heartened when he said, “ I f it be the will o f m y
Maker, the time has come when I shall be freed from the body and
return to Him W ho created me out o f nothing when I had no being.
I have had a long life, and the merciful Judge has ordered it graci­
ously. The time o f m y departure is at hand, and m y soul longs to see
Christ m y King in His beauty.” He also told us many other edifying
things, and passed his last day happily until evening. Then the same
lad, named Wilbert, said again: “ Dear master, there is one sentence
still unfinished.” “ Very well,” he replied: “ write it down.” After
a short while the lad said, “ N ow it is finished.” “ You have spoken
truly,” he replied: “ It is well finished. N ow raise m y head in your
hands, for it would give me great jo y to sit facing the holy place
where I used to pray, so that I may sit and call on m y Father.” And
thus, on the floor o f his cell, he chanted “ Glory be to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit ” to its ending, and breathed his last.
‘ W e may confidently believe that as he had devoted himself with
such ardour to the praises o f God here on earth, his soul was borne
by the angels to the longed-for joys o f Heaven. And all who saw and
heard o f the death o f our father Bede declared that they had never
known anyone end his days in such deep devotion and peace. For as
you have learned, as long as his soul remained in his body, he said
“ Glory be to the Father” and other chants to the glory o f God,
offering unceasing thanks to God with hands outstretched. And
20
 Introduction
although m y lack o f eloquence renders this present account brief,
you should know that many other things could be related o f him.
However, in due course I hope with God’s help to describe all that
I have seen and heard more fully.’
Bede passed away on the evening o f M ay the twenty-fifth, 735,
after First Vespers o f the Feast o f the Ascension. He is commemo­
rated in the Church’s Calendar on M ay the twenty-seventh.
Bede’s body was first laid to rest in the south porch o f his monas­
tery church, but was later translated to a place o f honour near the
altar. About the year 1020, a Durham monk named Aelred stole his
relics and brought them secretly to Durham, where they were
placed in the tomb o f Saint Cuthbert and became a cherished pos­
session o f that church. During the episcopate o f Bishop Hugh Puiset
they were enshrined in a silver and gold reliquary set on a marble
base supported by five pillars in the Galilee, and were carried in pro­
cession at great festivals. During the spoliation o f the monasteries
by Henry VIII the reliquary was seized, but the bones are said to
have been secreted in a tomb in the Galilee, where certain remains
were discovered when the tomb was examined in 18 31. But the
principal and lasting memorial o f the first o f English historians,
whom Saint Boniface described as Candela ecclesiae quam illuxit Spiri­
tus Sanctus is the inspiration o f his holy life and the value o f the great
work that he bequeathed to posterity.

B ede as a n H ist o r ia n
The centuries on which Bede concentrates are a crucial and forma­
tive period in our island history, during which the future shape and
pattern o f the English Church and nation were beginning to emerge.
Once the shield o f Roman protection was withdrawn, the Celtic
peoples o f Britain were steadily forced to yield ground before the
ever increasing pressure o f the incoming Angles, Saxons, and Jutes,
and were driven westward into the remote and inaccessible regions
along the storm-swept Atlantic coast. Even here they enjoyed little
security, and were harried by raiding parties o f Irish pirates, as Saint
Patrick, himself a victim, describes in his Confessions. Here in Devon
and Cornwall, Wales, Cumberland, and south-west Scotland the
Romano-Britons clung desperately to the shreds o f their native
independence and customs. Many were sustained by the Christian
21
 Introduction
faith, brought to this island centuries before Augustine (a .d . 597) in
the more peaceful days when Britain enjoyed the protection and
administration o f Rome as an integral Provincia o f the Empire. Ral­
lied by such contrasting leaders as Ambrosius, ‘ last o f the Romans *
(1. 16), Saint Germanus (1. 20) and the semi-legendary King Arthur,
the Britons won sufficient successes against the Saxons to maintain a
constantly menaced independence, but were isolated from the re­
mainder o f Christendom by their heathen enemies, for whom they
felt nothing but bitterness and contempt. Meanwhile the Piets and
Scots in their northern fastnesses remained as hostile to Briton and
Saxon as they had to the legions o f Rome. Bede traces the gradual
conversion o f all these mutually antipathetic peoples to the religion
o f Christ, and illustrates the enriching influence o f the Catholic
Church, which brought them into contact with the rest o f Christen­
dom, and, in so doing, brought to these semi-barbaric peoples the
wisdom, art, and civilization o f Christian Rome. During these vital
centuries we see Columba and Aidan bring the Gospel to the north;
Ninian to the Piets; Patrick to the Irish; David and his contem­
poraries to the Celts o f Wales and Cornwall; and Augustine to the
newly established Saxon peoples.
In Bede’s pages w e trace the gradual decay o f the Celtic tribal and
monastic systems, and their supersession by the highly developed
and centralized system o f the Roman Church. As Dom Louis
Gougaud shows in his Christianity in Celtic Lands, the principal differ­
ence between the Celtic and Roman system o f church administration
was that the former was monastic, while the latter was diocesan. In
the Celtic churches the highest administrative officer was the Abbot,
who might or might not be in episcopal orders, and who, as in the
case o f die Abbot o f Iona, ruled the churches over a considerable
provincia. A striking example o f this is Saint Columba, who never
received episcopal consecration, but who exercised a wide and un­
questioned authority. The Celtic bishop, as a member o f a monastic
community, was subject to his abbot, and exercised his spiritual
functions at the latter’s request and direction (see m. 4). It was the
abbot who chose and presented candidates for ordination or conse­
cration to the bishop (iv. 24), and appointed members o f the com­
munity to their various tasks inside or outside the monastery. The
duties o f the Celtic bishop, therefore, w erew holly spiritual, in con­
trast to those o f the Roman prelate, who gradually acquired or had
22
 Introduction
thrust upon him onerous administrative responsibilities, not only in
ecclesiastical but in national and provincial affairs. This Celtic em­
phasis on the spiritual and apostolic nature o f the episcopal office
might well be borne in mind in these days when bishops are over­
burdened by countless financial and administrative details, and their
true function obscured. However, although one can readily appreci­
ate that the free-lance methods o f the learned and saintly Celtic
missionaries were supremely effective in breaking new ground and
winning converts for Christ, they were not such as would develop
and administer a growing Christian community o f nation-wide
extent. None will deny the holiness o f the wandering Celtic saints
or their appeal to the imagination, but they were bound to give
place to the more regular, stable, and disciplined ways o f life intro­
duced and practised by the monks o f Saint Benedict. And while
much was lost as Celtic Christianity and culture declined, even more
was gained. For although the leaders o f the British Church rejected
Augustine’s claim to jurisdiction and refused their cooperation in
evangelizing the pagan Saxons, contacts between the Roman and
Celtic Churches increased as time went on. Mutual appreciation
began to heal the wounds o f suspicion and controversy, and a com­
mon belief in Christ gradually drew together the peoples o f Britain
into the English nation.
A decisive step towards this national and spiritual unity was taken
in A.D. 664 at the Council o f W hitby (iv. 25), described by R. H.
Hodgkin in his History o f the Anglo-Saxons as ‘ one o f the great turn­
ing-points in the history o f the race. . . . The Synod turned the
scales, and decided that the English should take their religion and
their civilization from the Roman world rather than from what
W ilfrid called “ one remote comer o f the most remote island” . ’
From that day the Celtic cause was doomed to gradual extinction.
These bonds o f national unity were to be greatly tempered and
strengthened in the fiery trials o f the Danish invasions that began
sixty years after Bede’s death, when under the devoted leadership o f
Alfred, noblest o f England’s kings, one may fairly say that the spirit
o f England was bom. This unification o f many races into one people
is the imperishable memorial o f this great king, who said: T have
always striven to live worthily, and at m y death to leave to those
who follow me a worthy memorial o f m y deeds.’ And in Bede w e
see how Christian leaders and scholars such as Aidan, Cuthbert, and
23
 Introduction
Augustine became the pastors and counsellors o f king and peasant
alike, laying the foundations o f that close alliance between the power
spiritual and the power temporal which was to bring such strength
and stability to the English nation in centuries to come.
It is almost certain that the first (partial) translation o f Bede’s
History from Latin into the vernacular was made by Ring Alfred
himself, who, despite his countless pressing problems and responsi­
bilities, made time for this task in order to inform and inspire his
English subjects. This high tribute is evidence that the History
quickly established itself as a unique and authoritative record o f our
national history. Even during his lifetime Bede’s reputation for
learning extended far into Europe, and for generations after his
death his Commentaries, Martyrology, and other works were recog­
nized as standard works o f reference in the West. That a new transla­
tion o f his History is published in the Penguin Classics today testifies
that the w ork which he compiled with such skill and labour over
twelve centuries ago still retains its value and freshness for readers
o f this age.
There should be few in these islands to whom the name o f Bede
is unknown, but there are perhaps many who do not realize the
greatness o f our debt to him. Nevertheless, were it not for the rich
fund o f information that he gathered and sifted with such care, our
knowledge o f the vital and stirring centuries that he describes would
be scanty, while a treasury o f tales loved by every English child
would have been lost for ever. So any readers who take up this book
for the first time can rest assured that they will not find it a dreary
chronicle o f events and dates; on the contrary, a rich living tapestry
will unfold before them, and they will discover a source o f interest
and enjoyment that may well be lifelong, and stimulate them to
learn more about the storied past on which our present and future
is built. Such is the interest o f the subject-matter and the vividness
o f Bede’s characteristic style that the scenes and folk o f long ago live
again. W e are transported back into the fens and forests, highlands
and islands o f Celtic Britain and Saxon England, and w e feel
strangely ‘ at home’. These are our own people and our own land,
and with a little imagination and historical sense w e have little diffi­
culty in picturing the contemporary scene, or in appreciating the
viewpoint, plans, and problems o f the kings, saints, and lesser folk
whom Bede describes so well. W e can understand Augustine’s sense
 Introduction
o f inadequacy when summoned from his quiet Roman cloister and
directed to the tremendous task o f converting the heathen Saxons
about whom he had heard such grim rumours (i. 23). W e can visual­
ize the tense scene as the heathen high-priest Coifi rides out before
King Edwin and his thanes to defy his gods and defile their temple
(n. 13). W e can stand beside the gallant King Oswald at Heavenfield
as he sets up a great oaken cross with his own hands, and summons
his army to prayer before engaging the heathen hordes in desperate
battle (m. 2). Above all, w e cannot but be impressed and deeply
moved by the selfless Christ-like lives o f the northern Celtic saints
- Columba, Cuthbert, and Aidan—and their disciples. Men o f great
personal gifts and radiant faith, they fearlessly carried the Gospel
alone among alien peoples, gladly accepting lifelong ‘ exile for
Christ* as his apostles. Redoubtable travellers by sea and land, able
scholars, scribes, and craftsmen, the loveliness o f their hard and holy
lives has won the admiration and captured the imagination o f all
succeeding centuries. When w e read Bede’s account o f such men
and their doings, we realize ever more clearly that the past is not
dead and done with, but a force to be reckoned with, silently moul­
ding the present and the future.
As already mentioned, Bede’s History belongs to his latter years,
when he had already won a wide reputation by his many other
works, a list o f which he appends to the closing chapter o f the His­
tory. But it is by the latter that he is best known today, and by which
he has richly earned the title o f ‘ Father o f English History’. For
Bede was not content to compile a bare chronicle o f events and
dates, or to restrict himself to hagiography as his predecessors had
done. He set himself to examine all available records, to secure ver­
bal or written accounts from reliable living authorities, to record
local traditions and stories, to interpret significant events, and, in
short, to compile as complete and continuous a history o f the English
Church and people as lay within his power. He was the first to con­
ceive or attempt such a formidable project, and posterity acknow­
ledges his pioneer w ork as a remarkably successful achievement.
In order to accomplish his purpose, Bede sets out his History in
five convenient periods or ‘ books’ . In the first Book, after a pre-
liminary geographical survey o f Britain drawn entirely from earlier
authorities such as Pliny, Orosius, and Gildas, and a brief account o f
the Roman occupation, Bede proceeds to tell the story o f Christian­
25
 Introduction
ity in Britain up to the period immediately preceding the death o f
its great apostle Gregory the Great. The second Book continues the
story from his death up to the death o f King Edwin and the over­
throw o f the Northumbrian kingdom by the pagan chieftain Penda.
The third Book recounts the Church’s struggle against heathenism
in the North, and the planting o f the Faith among the Mercians and
East Saxons. The fourth Book records the appointment o f Theodore
the Greek to the Archbishopric o f Canterbury and his reform and
reorganization o f the English Church; the lives o f Cuthbert and
W ilfrid; and the progress o f the Church in the south-eastern pro­
vinces. The fifth Book carries on the story from the time o f Bishop
John o f Beverley up to the date o f the w ork’s completion in a . d .
731.
B e d e ’s T r e a t m e n t of M a t er ia l

As he mentions in his Preface, Bede was encouraged to undertake

the writing o f a history by ‘ the learned and reverend Abbot Albi­
nus’, who succeeded Archbishop Theodore’s colleague Hadrian as
abbot o f the monastery o f Saint Peter and Saint Paul at Canterbury
in the year a . d . 709. Abbot Albinus was a close and valued friend o f
Bede, who addresses him elsewhere as his ‘ best and most beloved
father in Christ’, and who received great assistance from the latter’s
researches into the history o f the Church in Kent and the adjoining
provinces. Bede’s Preface affords concise information on his sources,
and testifies to his careful treatment o f all material, whether written
or verbal. He tells how Nothelm, ‘ a devout priest o f the Church in
London’ (later Archbishop o f Canterbury, a .d . 735-40), had made
a journey to Rome and obtained permission from Pope Gregory II
to examine the papal archives, and to make copies o f all letters rele­
vant to the mission o f Augustine and the subsequent progress o f the
Church in England. Doubtless a considerable number o f documents
were also available at Canterbury. Bede also mentions that he had
sought and obtained assistance from various provincial bishops. He
mentions in particular Bishop Daniel o f the West Saxons, who had
provided information about that province and the Isle o f W ight;
Abbot Esius, who gave facts about East Anglia; and the monks o f
Lastingham, w ho did the same for Mercia. And while Bede is natur­
ally best acquainted with events in his own Northumbria, he is care­
ful to supplement and check his facts by recourse to ‘ innumerable
26
 Introduction
witnesses’, such as his friend Bishop Acca and the monks o f Lindis-
fame, to whom he submitted the draft o f his Life o f Saint Cuthbert
for their comment and approval.
Bede’s industry and scholarship are generally acknowledged, but
his most significant achievement lies in his inspired ability to select
and integrate the vast mass o f facts and traditions that he had gath­
ered into a single framework. He doubtless rejected much material
as unreliable or irrelevant, but all that he retained he welded together
into a coherent and eminently readable unity. Even a modem his­
torian, with the advantage o f greatly superior facilities and assisted
by the researches o f many generations o f experts, faces a formidable
task when compiling a history covering several centuries. And when
we consider Bede’s limited facilities and resources, it is clear that his
achievement is unique. For although Bede’s monastery at Jarrow
possessed a library, it would seem insignificant by modem standards,
and while it contained theological works o f the Greek and Latin
Fathers, there was little material useful for Bede’s purpose except
Gildas’ History and a number o f individual Lives, such as Constan­
tius’ Life o f Saint Germanus and Possidius’ Life o f Saint Augustine.
Furthermore, in addition to the slowness and uncertainty o f com­
munications, the physical conditions under which the writers o f that
day had to work were extremely inconvenient and austere during
the long northern winters. Writing to Lullus, Archbishop o f Mainz,
not long after Bede’s death, Abbot Cuthbert o f Wearmouth apolo­
gizes for the delay in sending copies o f Bede’s works for which the
Archbishop had asked, and explains that the hands o f the scribes had
been so numbed by the bitter winter weather that they had been
forced to discontinue their w ork for considerable periods. And it is
easy to visualize the ageing Bede himself, wrapped in a sheepskin
cloak, busily working away under such conditions with a pile o f
documents on his desk, and rising from time to time to beat his
frozen limbs into restored circulation. But it is noteworthy that
despite the many difficulties under which it was written, Bede’s
History contains relatively few errors, and modem research has con­
firmed the accuracy o f most o f his statements. In his Preface Bede
himself concedes that there may be unintentional inaccuracies in his
pages, and begs the reader not to blame him too severely since, ‘ as
the laws o f history demand, I have laboured honestly to transmit
whatever I could learn from common report for the instruction o f
27
 Introduction
posterity/ And although he is remarkably accurate and well in­
formed on events in his own north country where he is able to check
facts and interrogate responsible persons, he is naturally on less sure
ground when dealing with happenings in far distant provinces.
Nevertheless he makes every attempt to verify facts and present
them in an orderly sequence, and to give us an accurate insight into
the beliefs, customs, and everyday life o f the times.
Like all writers, Bede is influenced by the circumstances and out­
look o f his own day, and some o f his personal convictions are clearly
indicated in his interpretations o f events. The modem reader may
find it difficult to envisage the intensity o f feeling aroused by such
matters as the paschal controversy, or he may consider Bede unduly
prejudiced when he describes the Britons as perfida gens - a faithless
race - because o f their refusal to admit Augustine’sjurisdiction (n. 2).
In such matters Bede reflects the viewpoint o f his race and genera­
tion as w e o f our own, but he is free from all pettiness and personal
rancour, and never stoops to misrepresent the actions o f those whose
convictions he cannot share. For instance, although a convinced up­
holder o f Roman customs as against Celtic, he records the lives and
holiness o f the Celtic saints with unstinted admiration, and writes o f
the Roman and Celtic leaders with equal justice and appreciation.
An eloquent tribute to these noble qualities in Bede was paid by
Bishop Hensley Henson o f Durham in 1935 on the twelve hun­
dredth anniversary o f the former’s death: ‘ The more closely Bede’s
career is studied, the more amazing it appears. In him two streams
o f spiritual influence seemed to meet and blend - the evangelistic
passion o f the Celtic missionaries, and the disciplined devotion o f
the Benedictine monks. He was near enough to the original con­
version to have personal links with those who had companied with
the missionaries from Iona, and to feel the thrill o f their triumphant
enthusiasm: and yet he was remote enough to have grown up in
another atmosphere, and to have been shaped by the system which
disallowed and replaced theirs. He was too near not to know their
merits; too generous not to recognize them; too religious not to
revere their sanctity; too wise not to perceive their defects. So he
stood at the point o f a new departure - a Benedictine monk in the
yet living tradition o f Celtic piety, an English student in the rich
treasury o f Celtic learning, a disciple o f Rome inspired by the in­
tellectual passion o f Ireland.’
28
 Introduction

T he M ir a c u l o u s E le m e n t in B ede’s H ist o r y
The age o f Bede was an age o f faith. Almighty God was acknow­
ledged as the Source o f all life; the world was God’s world, and
Christians were God’s people. The workings o f God were recog­
nized in everyday life, and any unusual or striking events, whether
storms and comets, victories and recoveries o f health, were regarded
as signs o f his direct intervention in human affairs. God heard and
answered prayer, and the holiness o f his saints enabled them to draw
upon the hidden powers o f the spiritual world in order to w ork
wonders and miracles in his Name. The veil separating the seen from
the unseen world was not impenetrable, and mortal man might at
times have converse with angels and with saints departed. It would
therefore be very strange i f w e found no miracles and wonders
among the events and traditions recorded by Bede. But while the
modem reader will subject these stories to closer scrutiny than Bede’s
earlier readers, there is no need to question his sincerity or to assume
that he uncritically accepted them all as o f equal accuracy. It should
be remembered that Bede not only records historical events, but
also preserves the stories and legends current in his day. In this w ay
he gives us some account o f what people thought and believed,
which is a most valuable contribution to our knowledge o f the
times. He records nothing that he has not subjected to careful con­
sideration, whether it be a description o f events or the telling o f a
popular tale. A t the same time, he has a deep respect for tradition
and long-established beliefs, and he reproduces current tales and
legends o f wonder-working relics i f he thinks them interesting or
edifying to his readers. In this respect Bede is more careful and less
credulous than many later medieval writers.
Lest the inclusion o f miracles may cause any reader to jum p to the
unjustified conclusion that all Bede’s statements are suspect, let us
see briefly how he deals with his sources in this respect. Firstly, these
sources are o f greatly varying historical value. Some material - such
as the legend o f Saint Alban - Bede has taken direct from an early
manuscript o f unknown authorship. Other miracle-stories are based
on current traditional stories. Others were reported to Bede by those
who claimed to have personal acquaintance either with the saint
performing the miracle or with the persons benefiting from it.
29
 Introduction
Secondly, Bede does not write as an eyewitness o f everything that
he records, but simply gives an account o f what is reliably said to
have happened, whether miraculous or otherwise. And it is note­
worthy that when describing events or persons o f which he had
direct personal knowledge, as in his Lives of the Abbots, Bede does
not record any miracles, although in the preface to his poem on
Saint Cuthbert he claims to have been healed by that Saint, saying:
‘ Fresh miracles occur daily through his relics. . . one o f which took
place in m y own case, when I was cured [of an impediment?] in my
tongue while I was writing in praise o f his miracles/ On the other
hand, when recording the miracles o f such saints as Oswald and
Chad, he mentions the source o f his information, while in the pro­
logue to his Life o f Saint Cuthbert he expressly states that he has made
a careful investigation into the events described and submitted his
draft to the monks o f Lindisfame for their comment and approval.
So Bede can be acquitted o f carelessness or undue credulity.
W hen w e examine the miracles themselves, w e find that some
may be discounted as plagiarisms o f Gospel miracles, and originally
introduced in order to emphasize the similarity between the life o f
Christ and that o f his saintly follower. Others are clearly pious for­
geries woven into the life o f an historic person such as Saint Alban
(i. 7) to impress the pagans with the superiority o f the Christian
saints over the old heathen gods. Others may spring from perfervid
imagination or from coincidence. Others, again, may be due to
causes that would not be regarded as miraculous today. But even
when ruthless pruning has greatly reduced their number, there re­
mains an indissoluble core that cannot be explained by any known
natural means, and attributable solely to the supernatural power o f
God displayed in and through His saints. And this is as it should be.
For a true miracle (and who may doubt that such occur?) is not due
to the supersession or inversion o f the natural laws o f the universe
ordained by the Creator, but to the operation o f cosmic laws as yet
unrealized by man, activated by non-material forces whose potency
is amply demonstrated in the Gospels.
In his valuable work Psychology, Religion, and Healing, Dr Leslie
Weatherhead defines a miracle as ‘ a law-abiding event by which
God accomplishes His redemptive purposes through the release o f
energies which belong to a plane o f being higher than any with
which w e are normally familiar*. And what w e term a miracle,
30
 Introduction
whether occurring in the second century or the twentieth, may take
place as a result o f the interaction o f many forces and factors such as
faith in God, the influence o f mind over matter, and the power o f
suggestion. In a miracle a combination o f spiritual and mental forces
acts upon the material, and modem medicine and psychology are
only beginning to recognize the potency o f those forces today. God
is not bound or restricted in the means by which he manifests his
power or answers the prayer o f faith, and the well-attested miracles
that occur today should be a salutary reminder to our materialistic
generation that greater things are effected by prayer and faith than
we can ever know or comprehend. It is an indication o f the temper
o f the age in which we live that some who profess and call them­
selves Christians have so little faith in the reality o f God’s power and
mercy that they regard an unmistakable answer to prayer as some­
thing unlooked for and extraordinary, almost indecent. It was
otherwise among the Christians o f Bede’s day.

T he P r e s e n t T ranslation

I have been moved to undertake this task by the realization that

increasing numbers o f people in all walks o f life are finding interest
and pleasure in historical matters. This is evident in the widespread
reading o f historical works, biographies, novels, and articles, and in
the popular appeal o f historical pageants and films, as well as in the
interest taken in historical buildings and sites both o f regional and
national significance. This is largely due to the fortunate circum­
stance that England has several contemporary historians o f the first
rank, whose work has shown that historical studies can be o f absorb­
ing interest and significance not only to the expert, but to ordinary
folk as well. But the foundation o f all modem English historical
writing was well laid long ago by the Father o f English History,
and the reading o f his unique w ork will prove a valuable ground­
w ork and prelude to anyone who wishes to read and appreciate
history today.
The present translation is based on the annotated Latin text o f
Bede’s works prepared by Charles Plummer, and first published by
the Clarendon Press. M y purpose is to offer an accurate and readable
version in modem English, and with this in mind I have restricted
notes to the minimum. Where these are necessary to elucidate a
3i
 Introduction
statement, the word or passage is marked by an asterisk, and the note
can be found under its page number at the end o f the book. Place
names are normally left in their original form, but where the ancient
name is not readily recognizable, its modem form is placed as a foot­
note. In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge m y indebtedness
to D r E. V. Rieu, C .B.E., Editor o f the Penguin Classics, for much
patience and wise guidance during the preparation o f this work.
LEO S H E R L E Y -P R IC B

3*
 PREFACE

5 To the M ost Glorious K ing C eoltvu lf*

Bede the Priest and Servant
o f Christ

o m e w h ile ago, at Y o u r M ajesty’ s request, I g la d ly sent

S y o u the history o f the E nglish C h u rch and P eople w h ich
I had recently com pleted, in order that y o u m igh t read it and
g iv e it y o u r approval. I n o w send it once again to be trans­
cribed, so that Y o u r M ajesty m ay consider it at greater leisure.
I w a rm ly w elcom e the diligent zeal and sincerity w ith w h ich
y o u study the w o rd s o f H o ly Scripture and y o u r eager desire
to k n o w som ething o f the doings and sayings o f m en o f the
past, and o f fam ous m en o f ou r o w n nation in particular. For
i f history records g o o d things o f go o d m en, the thoughtful
hearer is encouraged to im itate w hat is g o o d : o r i f it records
evil o f w icked m en, the devout, religious listener o r reader is
encouraged to avo id all that is sinful and perverse and to fo llo w
w h at he kn ow s to be go o d and pleasing to G od . Y o u r M ajesty
is w ell aw are o f this; and since y o u feel so deeply responsible
fo r the general g o o d o f those o ver w h o m divine Providen ce
has set y o u , y o u w ish that this history m ay be m ade better
k n o w n both to y o u rse lf and to y o u r people.
B u t in order to avo id an y doubts in the m ind o f yourself,
o r o f an y w h o m ay listen to o r read this history, as to the
accuracy o f w h at I have w ritten, allo w m e briefly to state the
authorities upon w h o m I chiefly depend.
M y principal auth ority and adviser in this w o rk has been
the m ost reverend A b b o t A lb in u s,* an em inent scholar edu­
T - H .E.C. - B 33
 A u th o rs Preface
cated in the church o f C an terb u ry b y A rchbishop T h eodo re
and A b b o t H adrian, both o f them respected and learned men.
H e carefu lly transm itted to m e v erb a lly o r in w ritin g through
N o th elm , a priest o f the church o f L on d o n , an yth in g he con­
sidered w o rth y o f m ention that had been done b y disciples
o f the blessed P op e G re g o ry in the p rovin ce o f K en t or the
surrounding regions. Such facts he ascertained either fro m
records o r fro m the recollection o f older m en. N o th elm him ­
s e lf later visited R o m e , and obtained perm ission fro m the
present P o p e G re g o ry (II) to exam in e the archives o f the h o ly
R o m a n C h u rch . H e fo u n d there letters o f P op e G re g o ry (I)
and other Popes, and w h en he returned, the reverend father
A lbin us advised h im to b rin g them to m e fo r inclusion in this
history. S o fro m the period at w h ich this v o lu m e begins until
the tim e w h en the E nglish nation received the Faith o f C hrist,
I have d raw n exten sively on the w o rk s o f earlier w riters
gathered fro m various sources. B u t fro m that tim e until the
present, I o w e m uch o f m y in fo rm ation about w h at w as done
in the C h u rch o f C an terb u ry b y the disciples o f P op e G re g o ry
and their successors, and under w h at kings events occurred,
to the in dustry o f the said A b b o t A lbin us m ade k n o w n to m e
throu gh N o th elm . T h e y also p ro v id ed som e o f m y in fo r­
m ation about the bishops fro m w h o m the provin ces o f the
East and W est Saxons, the East A n gles and the N orthum brian s
received the grace o f the G ospel, and the kings w h o w ere then
reignin g. Indeed, it w as m ain ly o w in g to the persuasion o f
A lbin us that I w as en couraged to begin this w o rk . A lso the
m ost reverend B ish o p D an iel o f the W est Saxons, w h o is still
alive, sent to m e in w ritin g certain facts about the h istory o f
the C h u rch in his p rovin ce, in the ad joinin g p rovin ce o f the
South Saxons, and in the Isle o f W ig h t. I have learnt b y careful
en quiry fro m the brethren o f Lastin gham m onastery h o w b y
the m inistration o f the h o ly priests C ed d and C h ad, their
founders, the faith o f C h rist cam e to the p rovin ce o f the
M ercians, w h ich had n ever k n o w n it, and returned to that o f
the East Saxon s, w h ich had let it die out, and h o w these h o ly
34
 Author s Preface
fathers lived and died. In addition, I have traced the progress
o f the C h u rch in the p rovin ce o f the East A ngles, p artly fro m
w ritin gs or old traditions and w ritin gs, and p artly fro m the
account given b y the m ost reverend A b b o t Esi. T h e g ro w th
o f the Christian Faith and succession o f bishops in the p rovin ce
o f Lindsey I have learned either fro m the letters o f the m ost
reverend B ish op C yn ib ert, or b y w o rd o f m outh fro m other
reliable persons. W ith regard to events in the various districts
o f the p rovin ce o f the N orthum brian s, fro m the tim e that it
received the Faith o f C h rist up to the present day, I am not
dependent on an y one author, but on countless faithful w it­
nesses w h o either k n o w or rem em ber the facts, apart fro m
w h at I k n o w m yself. In this connexion, it should be noted
that w h atever I have w ritten concerning ou r m ost h o ly father
and Bish op C uthbert, w hether in this b o o k or in m y separate
account o f his life and doings, I have in part taken and accur­
ately copied fro m a L ife already com piled b y the brethren o f
the C h urch o f Lindisfarn e; and I have carefu lly added to this
w hatever I could learn fro m the reliable accounts o f those w h o
k n ew him . Should the reader discover any inaccuracies in
w hat I have w ritten, I h u m b ly beg that he w ill not im pute
them to m e, because, as the law s o f history require, I have
laboured honestly to transm it w h atever I could ascertain fro m
com m on report fo r the instruction o f posterity.
I earnestly request all w h o m ay hear or read this history o f
our nation to ask G o d ’ s m ercy on m y m an y failings o f m ind
and bo d y. A n d in return fo r the diligent toil that I have b e­
stow ed on the recording o f m em orable events in the various
provinces and places o f greater note, I beg that their inhabitants
m ay grant m e the favo u r o f frequent m ention in their devout
prayers.

35
 BOOK ONE

chapter i : T h e situation o f Britain and Irela n d : their

earliest inhabitants*

, fo rm erly k n o w n as A lbion , is an island in the

B
r it a in

ocean, lyin g tow ards the north w est at a considerable

distance fro m the coasts o f G erm any, G aul, and Spain, w hich
together fo rm the greater part o f Europe. It extends 800 miles
northw ards, and is 200 in breadth, except w here a num ber o f
prom ontories stretch further, so that the total coastline ex­
tends to 3600 miles. T o the south lies B e lg ic G aul, to w hose
coast the shortest crossing is fro m the city k n o w n as R utubi
Portus, w h ich the English have corrupted to Reptacaestir.1
T h e distance fro m there across the sea to Gessoriacum ,2 the
nearest coast o f the M orin i, is fifty miles, or, as som e have
w ritten , 450 furlongs. O n the opposite side o f B ritain , w hich
lies open to the boundless ocean, lie the isles o f the O rcades.3
B ritain is rich in grain and tim b er; it has g o o d pasturage fo r
cattle and draught animals, and vines are cultivated in various
localities. T h ere are m an y land and sea birds o f various species,
and it is w ell k n o w n fo r its plentiful springs and rivers
abounding in fish. Salm on and eels are especially plentiful,
w h ile seals, dolphins, and som etim es w hales are caught. There
are also m an y varieties o f shell-fish, such as mussels, in w hich
are often foun d excellent pearls o f several colours, red,
purple, violet, and green, but m ain ly w hite. W helks are
abundant, and a beautiful scarlet d ye is extracted fro m them
w h ich rem ains unfaded b y sunshine or rain ; indeed, the older
the cloth, the m ore beautiful its colour. T h e country has both
1. Richborough. 2. Boulogne. 3. The Orkneys.
37
L *] Description o f Britain
salt springs and hot springs, and the w aters flo w in g fro m
them p rovid e hot baths, in w h ich the people bathe separately
accordin g to age and sex. A s Saint B a a l say s: ‘ W ater receives
heat w h en it flo w s across certain metals, and becom es hot, and
even scalding.’ T h e land has rich veins o f m an y m etals, includ­
in g copper, iron, lead, and silver. T h ere is also m uch je t o f fine
quality, a black je w e l w h ich can be set on fire and, w h en
burned, drives a w a y snakes and, like am ber, w h en it is
w arm ed b y friction, it holds fast w h atever is applied to it. In
o ld times, the co u n try had tw en ty-eigh t noble cities, besides
innum erable strongholds, w h ich also w ere guarded b y w alls,
tow ers, and barred gates.
Since B ritain lies far north to w ard the pole, the nights are
short in sum m er, and at m idn ight it is hard to tell w hether the
even in g tw iligh t still lingers o r w hether daw n is approaching,
since the sun at n igh t passes not far b e lo w the earth in its
jo u rn e y round the north back to the east. C o n seq u en d y the
days are lo n g in sum m er, as are the nights in w in ter w h en the
sun w ith d raw s into A frican regions, as lon g in fact as eighteen
hours, w hereas the sum m er nights and w in ter days are v e ry
short, and last o n ly six hours. In A rm enia, M acedonia, and
Italy, and other countries o f that latitude, the longest day or
night lasts o n ly fifteen hours a n d the shortest nine.
A t the present tim e there are in B ritain , in h arm on y w ith
the fiv e books o f the divin e la w , fiv e languages and fou r
nations - English, British, Scots,* and Piets. Each o f these have
their o w n lan gu age; b u tall are united in their study o f G o d ’s
truth b y the fifth - Latin - w h ich has becom e a com m on
m edium through the study o f the scriptures. A t first the o n ly
inhabitants o f the island w ere the B riton s, fro m w h o m it
takes its nam e, and w h o , according to tradition, crossed into
B ritain fro m A rm o ric a,1 and occupied the southern parts.
W h e n they had spread n orthw ards and possessed the greater
part o f the island, it is said that som e Piets fro m Scythia2 put
to sea in a fe w longships, and w ere d riven b y storm s around
I. Brittany. a. Here probably Scandinavia.

3«
Description o f Britain [l i

the coasts o f B ritain , arrivin g at length on the north coast o f

Ireland. H ere they foun d the nation o f the Scots, fro m w h o m
they asked perm ission to settle; but their request w as refused.
Ireland is the largest island after B ritain , and lies to the w est o f
it. It is shorter than B ritain to the north, but extends far
b eyon d it to the south tow ards the northern coasts o f Spain,
although a w id e sea separates them . These Pictish seafarers, as
I have said, asked fo r a grant o f land so that they too could
m ake a settlement. T h e Scots replied that there w as not roo m
fo r them both, but said: ‘ W e can g iv e y o u go o d advice. W e
k n o w that there is another island not far to the east, w h ich
w e often see in the distance on clear days. I f y o u choose to go
there, y o u can m ake it fit to live in ; should y o u m eet resist­
ance, w e w ill com e to y o u r h e lp / So the Piets crossed into
B ritain , and began to settle in the north o f the island, since
the Briton s w ere in possession o f the south. H a v in g no w o m en
w ith them , these Piets asked w ives o f the Scots, w h o con ­
sented on condition that, w h en any dispute arose, they should
choose a kin g fro m the fem ale royal line rather than the m ale.
Th is custom continues am ong the Piets to this day. A s tim e
w ent on, B ritain received a third nation, that o f the Scots,
w h o m igrated fro m Ireland under their chieftain R euda and
b y a com bination o f force and treaty, obtained fro m the Piets
the settlements that they still hold. F ro m the nam e o f this
chieftain, they are still k n o w n as D alreudians, for in their
tongue dal means a division.
Ireland is far m ore favou red than B ritain b y latitude, and b y
its m ild and healthy clim ate. S n o w rarely lies lon ger than
three days, so that there is no need to store h ay in sum m er fo r
w inter use or to build stables fo r beasts. T h ere are no reptiles,
and no snake can exist there; fo r although often brough t o ver
fro m B ritain , as soon as the ship nears land, they breathe the
scent o f its air, and die. In fact, alm ost everyth in g in this isle
confers im m un ity to poison, and I have seen that fo lk suffering
fro m snake-bite have drunk w ater in w h ich scrapings fro m
the leaves o f books fro m Ireland had been steeped, and that
39
L 2] The Roman occupation
this remedy checked the spreading poison and reduced the
swelling. The island abounds in milk and honey, and there is
no lack of vines, fish, and birds, while red deer and roe are
widely hunted. It is the original home of the Scots, who, as
already mentioned, later migrated and added a third nation
to the Britons and Piets in Britain.
There is a very extensive arm of the sea,1 which originally
formed the boundary between the Britons and the Piets. This
runs inland from the west for a great distance, where there
stands to this day the strongly fortified British city of
Alcluith.2 It was to the northern shores of this firth that the
Scots 'a me and established their new homeland.

c h a p t e r 2: O n G aius Ju liu s Caesar, thejirst Roman to

reach Britain

r i t a i n rem ained u n kn o w n and unvisited b y the R om an s

B until the tim e o f G aius Ju liu s Caesar, w h o becam e C onsul

w ith Lucius Bibulus 693 years after the foun d in g o fR o m e , and
six ty years before the birth o f our L ord . D u rin g a cam paign
against the G erm ans and Gauls, w hose com m on boun dary
w as the R hin e, he entered the p rovin ce o f the M o rin i, fro m
w h ich is the nearest and quickest crossing into B ritain . H ere
he assembled about eig h ty transports and galleys, and crossed
into B ritain , w h ere his forces suffered in a fierce battle. N e x t,
encountering a violen t gale, he lost m ost o f his fleet and m an y
troops, including alm ost all his cavalry. So he returned to
G aul, dispersed his legions to w in ter quarters, and g ave orders
fo r the construction o f 600 vessels o f both types. W ith these
he m ade a second attem pt on B ritain in the sp rin g ; but w h ile
he w as ad vancing against the en em y w ith large forces, the
fleet ly in g at anchor w as struck b y a storm , and the ships w ere
either dashed against each other, o r driven on the sands and
destroyed. F o rty ships w ere w recked , and the rem ainder w ere
i. Firth of Clyde. 2. Dumbarton.
40
The Roman occupation [l 3
o n ly repaired w ith great difficulty. A t the first encounter,
Caesar’s cavalry suffered a defeat at the hands o f the Britons,
and the tribune Labienus w as killed. In a second battle, w h ich
in vo lved considerable risk, he put the B riton s to flight. H is
n ext ob jective w as the Tham es, w h ere a vast host o f the en em y
under Cassobellaunus w as holdin g the far bank, and had con­
structed a defence system o f sharpened stakes w h ich ran along
the bank, and under w ater across the ford . Traces o f these
stakes can still be seen; cased in lead and thick as a m an’s thigh,
they w ere fixed im m o v a b ly in the river-bed. B u t they w ere
noticed and avoided b y the R om an s, and the barbarians, un­
able to resist the charge o f the legions, hid them selves in the
forests and harassed the R om ans b y frequent fierce sorties.
M ean w h ile the strongest city o f the T rin o vantes and its com ­
m ander A n d rogius surrendered to Caesar and gave him fo rty
hostages. F o llo w in g its exam ple, several other cities cam e to
term s w ith the R om ans and, acting on their inform ation,
Caesar, after a severe struggle, captured the stronghold o f
Cassobellaunus, w h ich w as sited betw een tw o sw am ps,
flanked b y forests and w ell provisioned. A fter this, Caesar left
B ritain fo r G a u l; but no sooner had he sent his legions into
w in ter quarters than he w as suddenly troubled and distracted
b y sudden w ars and revolts on all sides.

chapter 3 : C lau diu s, the second Rom an to reach B rita in ,

annexes the Isles o f O rk n ey to the R om an E m p ire : under
his direction Vespasian subdues the Isle o f W ight

the 798th year after the foun din g o f R o m e, Claudius,

I
n
fourth em peror in the succession beginning w ith Augustus,
w ishin g to p ro ve h im self a benefactor to the State, applied
h im self to w a r and conquest on a gran d scale, and undertook
an expedition against B ritain w h ich had been roused to revolt
b y the R o m an refusal to g iv e up certain deserters. B e fo re
C laudius no R o m an , either before or since Ju liu s Caesar, had
41
i- 4] A B ritish king writes to the Pope
dared to land on the island; yet, w ith in a fe w days, w ith out
battle or bloodshed, he received the surrender o f the greater
part o f the island. H e also annexed to the Em pire the Isles o f
O rk n e y ,* w h ich He in the ocean beyon d B rita in ; and return­
in g to R o m e o n ly six m onths after his departure, he granted
his son the title o f Britannicus. H e brough t this cam paign to a
close in the fourth year o f his reign, and in the fo rty-sixth year
after the birth o f our L o rd . T h is w as the year in w h ich a v e ry
serious fam ine occurred in Syria, w h ich is m entioned in the
A cts o f the Apostles as h avin g been foretold b y the prophet
A gabus. Vespasian, w h o w as to succeed N ero as E m p eror, was
sent b y the same C laudius, and brough t the Isle o f W ig h t
under R o m an Tule. Th is island lies o f f the south coast o f
B ritain and is about thirty miles in length fro m east to west,
and tw elve fro m north to south. S ix miles o f sea separate it
fro m the m ainland at its eastern end, but o n ly three at the
w est. W h en N e ro succeeded C laudius as E m p eror, he attem p­
ted no m ilitary expeditions, and in consequence, apart fro m
countless other injuries to the R o m an State, he nearly lost
B ritain , fo r during his reign tw o m ost noble tow ns there w ere
taken and destroyed.

chapter 4 : Lucius, a B ritish kin g, writes to P o p e Eleutherus

and asks to be made a Christian

n the year o f our L o rd ’s Incarnation 15 6 , M arcus Antoninus

I Verus, fourteenth fro m A ugustus, becam e E m p ero r jo in tly

w ith his brother A urelius C o m m o d u s. D u rin g their reign,
and w hile the h o ly Eleutherus ruled the R o m an C h urch,
Lucius, a B ritish kin g, sent h im a letter, asking to be m ade a
Christian b y his direction. T h is pious request w as quickly
granted, and the B riton s received the Faith and held it peace­
fu lly in all its p u rity and fullness until the tim e o f the E m peror
D iocletian.

42
chapter 5 : S everu s divides R om an B ritain fro m the rest by
an earthwork

n the year o f our L o rd 18 9, Severus, an A frican b o m at

I Leptis in the p rovin ce o f T ripolitania, becam e seventeenth

E m p ero r fro m A ugustus and ruled seventeen years. Harsh b y
nature, he w as engaged in alm ost constant w arfare, and ruled
the State w ith courage, but w ith great difficulty. H e w as vic­
torious in the grave civil w ars that troubled his reign. H e w as
com pelled to com e to B ritain b y the desertion o f n early all
the tribes allied to R o m e, and after m an y critical and hard-
fou gh t battles he decided to separate that portion o f the island
under his control fro m the rem aining unconquered peoples.
H e did this not w ith a w all, as som e im agine, but w ith an
earthw ork. F or a w all is built o f stone, but an earthw ork,
such as protects a cam p fro m en em y attack, is constructed
w ith sods cut fro m the earth and raised h igh ab ove groun d
level, fronted b y the ditch fro m w h ich the sods w ere cut, and
surm ounted b y a strong palisade o f logs. Severus built a ram ­
part and ditch o f this type fro m sea to sea and fortified it b y a
series o f tow ers. A fter this he w as taken ill and died in Ebora­
cu m ,1 leavin g tw o sons, Bassianus and Geta. T h e latter w as
subsequently condem ned to death as an enem y o f the State,
but Bassianus becam e E m p ero r w ith the cognom en o f
Antoninus.

chapter 6: T h e reign o f D iocletian: his persecution o f the

Christian Church

n the year o f our L o rd 286, D iocletian, a nom inee o f the

I arm y, becam e thirty-th ird in the succession o f Augustus. H e

ruled tw en ty years, and chose M axim ian , k n o w n as H ercu-
lius, as his co-E m p ero r. D u rin g their reign, Carausius, a m an
I. York
43
i* 7] Diocletian persecutes the Church
o f hum ble birth but a capable and energetic soldier, w as
appointed to protect the sea-coasts, w h ich w ere then being
ravaged b y Franks and Saxons. B u t he put his o w n interests
b efore those o f the R ep ublic, and suspicion arose that he w as
deliberately p erm itting the en em y to raid the fron tiers: any
loot that he recovered fro m the pirates w as not restored to its
righ tfu l ow ners, but retained fo r his o w n advantage. M a x i-
m ian ordered his execution, but Carausius assumed the im ­
perial purple and seized B ritain , w h ich he w o n and held fo r
seven years w ith great daring. H e lost his life through the
betrayal o f his colleague Allectus, w h o then held the island
fo r three years, after w h ich he w as defeated b y Asclepiodotus,
Prefect o f the Praetorian G u ard , w h o thus restored B ritain to
the E m p ire after ten years.
M ean w h ile D iocletian in the East and H erculius in the W est
ordered all churches to be destroyed and all Christians to be
hunted out and killed. T h is w as the tenth persecution since
N e ro , and w as m ore protracted and horrible than all that had
preceded it. It w as carried out w ith ou t an y respite fo r ten
years, w ith the burning o f churches, the ou tlaw in g o f inno­
cent people, and the slaughter o f m artyrs. B u t at length the
g lo ry o f these m artyrs’ d evoted lo y a lty to G o d w as to light
even B ritain .

chapter 7 : T h e martyrdom o f S ain t A lb a n and his com­

panions, w ho shed their life-blood fo r C h rist at this time
[ a .d . 3 0 1]

this coun try occurred the suffering o f Saint A lban, o f

I
n
w h o m the priest Fortunatus in his Praise o f Virgins, in w hich
he m entions all the blessed m artyrs w h o cam e to G o d from
ev ery part o f the w o rld , says:
In fertile Britain’s land
Was noble Alban bom.

44
The martyrdom o f S. Alban [l 7
W h en these unbelieving Em perors w ere issuing savage edicts
against all Christians, A lban, as yet a pagan, gave shelter to a
Christian priest fleeing fro m his pursuers. A n d w h en he o b ­
served this m an ’s unbroken activity o f p rayer and v ig il, he
w as suddenly touched b y the grace o f G o d and began to
fo llo w the priest’s exam ple o f faith and devotion. G radually
instructed b y his teaching o f salvation, A lban renounced the
darkness o f id olatry, and sincerely accepted C hrist. B u t w h en
the priest had lived in his house som e days, w o rd cam e to the
ears o f the evil ruler that C h rist’s confessor, w hose place o f
m artyrd om had not y et been appointed, lay hidden in A lb an ’s
house. A cco rd in g ly he gave orders to his soldiers to m ake a
thorou gh search, and w hen they arrived at the m arty r’s house,
h o ly A lban , w earin g the priest’s lon g cloak, at once surren­
dered h im self in the place o f his guest and teacher, and w as led
bound before the ju d g e .
W h en A lb an w as brough t in, the ju d g e happened to be
standing before an altar, offerin g sacrifice to devils. Seeing
A lban, he w as furious that he had presum ed to put h im self in
such hazard b y surrendering h im self to the soldiers in place o f
his guest, and ordered him to be d ragged before the idols
w here he stood. ‘ Since y o u have chosen to conceal a sacri­
legious rebel,’ he said, ‘ rather than surrender him to m y
soldiers to p a y the w ell-d eserved p enalty fo r his blasphem y
against ou r gods y o u shall undergo all the tortures due to him
i f y o u dare to abandon the practice o f ou r religio n .’ B u t Saint
A lban , w h o had freely confessed h im self a Christian to the
enemies o f the Faith, w as un m oved b y these threats, and
arm ed w ith spiritual strength, op en ly refused to o b ey this
order. ‘ W h at is y o u r fam ily and race ?’ dem anded the ju d g e .
‘ H o w does m y fam ily concern y o u ? ’ replied A lb a n ; ‘ i f y o u
w ish to k n o w the truth about m y religion , k n o w that I am a
Christian, and carry out C hristian rites.’ ‘ I dem and to k n o w
y o u r n am e,’ insisted the ju d g e , ‘ tell m e at once.’ ‘ M y parents
nam ed m e A lb a n ,’ he answ ered, ‘ and I w orship and adore the
livin g and true G o d , w h o created all things.’ T h e ju d g e w as
45
l 7] The martyrdom o f S. Alban
v e ry an gry, and said: ‘ I f y o u w an t to en joy eternal life, sacri­
fice at once to the great go d s.’ A lban rep lied : ‘ Y o u are offering
these sacrifices to devils, w h o cannot help their suppliants, nor
answ er their prayers and v o w s. O n the con trary, w hosoever
offers sacrifice to idols is d oom ed to the pains o f h ell/
Incensed at this rep ly, the ju d g e ordered G o d 's h o ly con­
fessor A lban to be flo gged b y the executioners, declaring that
he w o u ld shake his constancy o f heart b y w ounds, since w ords
had no effect. B u t, fo r C h rist’ s sake, he bore the m ost horrible
torm ents patiently and even glad ly, and w h en the ju d g e saw
that no torture could break him or m ake him renounce the
w orsh ip o f C hrist, he ordered his im m ediate decapitation.
L ed out to execution, the saint cam e to a riv er w h ich flo w ed
sw iftly betw een the w all o f the to w n and the arena w h ere he
w as to die. T h ere he saw a great c ro w d o f m en and w o m en o f
all ages and conditions, w h o w ere doubtless m o v ed b y G o d ’s
w ill to attend the death o f his blessed confessor and m artyr.
T h is cro w d had collected in such num bers and so blocked the
bridge that he could h ard ly have crossed that even in g, and so
m an y people had com e out fro m the city that the ju d g e w as
left unattended. Saint A lban , w h o ardently desired a speedy
m artyrd om , approached the river, and as he raised his eyes to
heaven in p rayer, the riv er ran d ry in its bed and left him a
w a y to cross. W h en am o n g others the appointed executioner
h im self saw this, he w as so m o v ed in spirit that he hurried to
m eet A lb an at the place o f execution, and th ro w in g d o w n his
d raw n sw ord , fell at his feet, b e ggin g that he m igh t be thought
w o rth y to die w ith the m artyr i f he cou ld n ot die in his place.
W h ile this m an changed fro m a persecutor to a com panion
in the true Faith, and other executioners hesitated to pick up
his sw ord fro m the groun d, the m ost reverend confessor o f
G o d ascended a hill about fiv e hundred paces fro m the arena,
accom panied b y the cro w d . T h is hill, a lo v e ly spot as befitted
the occasion, w as clad in a g a y m antle o f m an y kinds o f
flow ers. H ere w as neither c liff n or crag, but a gen tly rising
slope m ade sm ooth b y nature, its beauty p ro v id in g a w o rth y
46
The martyrdom o f S. Alban [1 . 7
place to be h allow ed b y a m arty r’s blood. A s he reached the
sum m it, h o ly A lb an asked G o d to g iv e h im w ater, and at
once a perennial spring bubbled up at his feet - a sign to all
present that it w as at the m arty r’s p rayer that the riv e r also
had dried in its course. F or it w as not lik ely that the m artyr
w h o had dried up the w aters o f the riv er should lack w ater
on a hill-top unless he w illed it so. B u t the river, h avin g per­
form ed its due service, gave p r o o f o f its obedience, and
returned to its natural course. H ere, then, the gallant m artyr
m et his death, and received the cro w n o f life w h ich G o d has
prom ised to those w h o lo v e him . B u t the m an w hose im pious
hands struck o f f that pious head w as not perm itted to boast o f
his deed, fo r as the m arty r’s head fell, the execution er’s eyes
dropped out on the ground.
T h e soldier w h o had been m o v ed b y divin e intuition to
refuse to slay G o d ’s confessor w as beheaded at the sam e tim e
as A lban . A n d although he had not received the purification
o f Baptism , there w as no doubt that he w as cleansed b y the
shedding o f his o w n blood , and rendered fit to enter the kin g­
dom o f heaven. Astonished b y these m an y strange m iracles,
the ju d g e called a halt to the persecution, and w hereas he had
fo rm erly fou gh t to crush d evotion to C hrist, he n o w began
to honour the death o f his saints.
Saint A lban suffered on the tw enty-second d ay o f Ju n e
near the city o f V eru lam iu m , w h ich the English n o w call
V erlam acaestir or V aeclingacaestir. H ere, w h en the peace o f
Christian times w as restored, a beautiful church w o rth y o f his
m artyrd om w as built, w h ere sick fo lk are healed and frequent
m iracles take place to this day.
In the sam e persecution suffered A a ro n and Ju liu s, citizens
o f the C it y o f L eg io n s,1 and m an y others o f both sexes
throughout the land. A fte r they had endured m an y horrible
physical tortures, death bro u gh t an end to the struggle, and
their souls entered the jo y s o f the h eaven ly C ity .
1. Possibly Caerleon-on-Usk.

47
chapter 8: T h e Church in B ritain enjoys peace fro m the
end o f this persecution until the time o f the A ria n heresy

h e n this storm o f persecution cam e to an end, faithful

W Christians, w h o during the tim e o f danger had taken

refuge in w ood s, deserted places, and hidden caves, cam e into
the open, and rebuilt the ruined churches. Shrines o f the m ar­
tyrs w ere founded and com pleted and open ly displayed every­
w h ere as tokens o f vic to ry. T h e festivals o f the C h u rch w ere
observed, and its rites p erform ed reverently and sincerely.
T h e Christian churches in B ritain continued to en joy this
peace until the tim e o f the A rian h eresy.* T h is poisonous
error after corruptin g the w h o le w o rld , at length crossed the
sea and infected even this rem ote island; and, once the door­
w a y had been opened, ev ery sort o f pestilential heresy at once
poured into this island, w hose people are read y to listen to
an ything n ovel, and n ever hold firm ly to anything.
A t this tim e, Constantius, a m an o f exceptional kindness
and courtesy, w h o had govern ed G aul and Spain during the
lifetim e o f D iocletian, died in Britain . His son Constantine,
the child o f H elena his concubine, succeeded him as ruler o f
G aul. Eutropius w rites that Constantine, proclaim ed E m p eror
in B ritain , succeeded to his father’s dom ains. In his tim e, the
A rian heresy sprang up, and although it w as exposed and con­
dem ned at the C o u n cil o f N icaea, the deadly poison o f its
false teaching nevertheless infected, as w e have said, not o n ly
the continental churches, but even those o f these islands.

chapter 9 : D u rin g the reign o f G ra tia n , M a x im u s is

created E m p eror in B rita in , and returns to G a u l w ith a large
army

the year o f ou r L o rd 377, Gratian, fortieth in line fro m

I
n
Augustus, ruled as E m p ero r fo r six years fro m the death o f
V alen s; he had already reigned as co-E m p ero r w ith his uncle
48
 The Pelagian heresy fc io
V alens and his brother V alentinian. Finding the affairs o f the
State in grave disorder and approaching disaster, he chose the
Spaniard Theodosius to restore the E m p ire in its need, invest­
in g him w ith the ro yal purple at Sirm ium , and creating him
E m p ero r o f T h race and the East.
A t this ju n ctu re, h o w ever, M axim us, an able and energetic
m an, w ell fitted to be E m p ero r had not am bition led h im to
break his oath o f allegiance, w as elected E m p ero r b y the a rm y
in B ritain alm ost against his w ill, and he crossed into G au l at
its head. H ere he treacherously killed the E m p ero r G ratian
w h o had been dum bfounded at his sudden attack, and w as
attem pting to escape into Italy. H is brother the E m p ero r
V alentinian w as d riven ou t o f Italy, and took refuge in the
east, w h ere Theodosius received him w ith fatherly affection.
W ith in a short tim e, h o w e v er, he regained the E m p ire, and
trapping the despot M axim u s in A quileia, he captured h im
and put him to death.

chapter i o : D uring the reign o f Arcadius, the Briton

Pelagius presumptuously belittles the grace o f G od

the year o f ou r L o rd 394, Arcadius, son o f Theodosius,

I
n
fo rty-th ird in line fro m A ugustus, becam e jo in t-E m p ero r
w ith his brother H onorius, and ruled fo r thirteen years. In his
tim e, the B rito n P elagiu s* spread far and w id e his noxious and
abom inable teaching that m an had no need o f G o d ’s grace,
and in this he w as supported b y Ju lia n o f C am pania, a deposed
bishop eager to reco ver his bishopric. Saint Augustine and
other o rth o d o x fathers quoted m an y thousand C ath olic
authorities against them , but they refused to abandon their
fo lly ; on the con trary, their obstinacy w as hardened b y con­
tradiction, and they refused to return to the true faith. Prosper
"the rhetorician has ap tly expressed this in heroic verse:
Against the great Augustine see him crawl,
This wretched scribbler with his pen o f gall!
49
l «] E n d o f R om an rule in B rita in
In what black caverns was this snakeling bred
That from the dirt presumes to rear its head?
Its food is grain that wave-washed Britain yields,
Or the rank pasture o f Campanian fields.

c h a p t e r i i : D u rin g the reign o f H onoriu s, G ratian and

Constantine set up as despots in B rita in : the fo rm er is killed
shortly afterwards in B rita in , and the latter in G a u l

the year 407, H onorius, the yo u n g er son o f Theodosius,

I
n
w as E m p ero r, and the fo rty-fo u rth in line fro m Augustus.
T h is w as tw o years before the invasion o f R o m e b y A laric,
K in g o f the G oths, on w h ich occasion the nations o f the A lan i,
Su evi, Vandals, and m an y others defeated the Franks, crossed
the R h in e, and devastated all G aul. A t this ju n ctu re, G ratian,
a citizen o f the island, set h im self up as a despot and w as killed.
In his place Constantine, a co m m o n troop er o f no m erit, w as
chosen E m p ero r solely on account o f his auspicious nam e.
O nce he had obtained p o w er, he crossed into G aul, w h ere he
w as h o od w in ked into m an y w orthless treaties b y the bar­
barians and caused great harm to the com m on w ealth . B e fo re
lo n g, at the orders o f H onorius, C o u n t Constantius entered
G aul w ith an arm y, besieged Constantine in the city o f A rles,
captured him , and put him to death. H is son Constans, a m on k
w h o m he had created Caesar, w as also put to death b y C o u n t
G erontius in V ienne.
R o m e fell to the G oths in the 116 4 th year after its founda­
tion. A t the same tim e R o m an rule cam e to an end in B ritain ,
alm ost 470 years after the landing o f Gaius Ju liu s Caesar. T h e
R om an s had occupied the cou n try south o f the earthw ork
w h ich , as I have said, Severus built across the island, as cities,
forts,1 bridges, and p aved roads bear witness to this d a y : they
also held nom inal jurisdiction o v er the m ore rem ote parts o f
B ritain and the islands b eyon d it.
1. Or 'lighthouses*.
50
chapter 1 2 : T h e B ritons, harassed by the Scots and Picts 9
seek help fro m the R om ans, w ho come and build a second
w a ll across the island. N otw ithstanding, these enemies again
break in and reduce the Britons to worse straits

e n c e f o r w a r d , the part o f B ritain inhabited b y the

H Briton s w h ich had been h u rried ly stripped o f all troops

and m ilitary equipm ent and robbed o f the flo w er o f its yo u n g
m en, w h o had been led aw a y b y am bitious despots and w ere
n ever to return, lay w h o lly exposed to attack, since its people
w ere untrained in the science o f w ar. C onsequently fo r m any
years this region suffered attacks fro m tw o savage extraneous
races, Scots fro m the northw est, and Piets fro m the north.
I term these races extraneous, not because they cam e fro m
outside B ritain , but because their lands w e re sundered fro m
that o f the B rito n s : for tw o sea estuaries lay betw een, one o f
w hich runs broad and deep into the cou n try fro m the sea to
the east and the other fro m the w est, although they do not
actually meet. In the m iddle o f the eastern estuary stands the
city o f G iu d i,1 w h ile on the righ t bank o f the w estern stands
the city o f A lclu ith ,2 w h ich in their lan guage means ‘ the rock
o f C lu ith ’ , as it stands near a riv er o f that nam e.
W h en these tribes in vaded them , the B rito n s sent messen­
gers to R o m e w ith m o v in g appeals fo r help, p rom ising per­
petual subm ission i f o n ly the R om an s w o u ld d rive out their
enemies. A n arm ed L eg io n w as q u ick ly dispatched to the
island, w h ere it engaged the enem y, inflicted h e av y losses on
them , and d rove the survivors out o f the territo ry o f R o m e ’s
allies. H a v in g thus freed the B riton s fo r a tim e fro m dire
oppression, the R om an s advised them to construct a protec­
tive w all across the island fro m sea to sea in order to keep
their foes at bay. T h e victoriou s L eg io n then returned hom e.
T h e islanders built this w all as they had been instructed, but
h avin g no engineers capable o f so great an undertaking, they
built it o f t u r f and not o f stone, so that it w as o f sm all value.
i. The island of Inchkeith. 2. Dumbarton.
51
i - 12 ] The building o f the Roman wall
H o w e ver, they built it fo r m an y miles betw een the tw o ab ove-
m entioned estuaries or inlets, hopin g that w h ere the sea pro­
vided no protection, they m igh t use the ram part to preserve
their borders fro m hostile attack. C lear traces o f this w ide and
lo fty earthw ork can be seen to this day. It begins about tw o
miles w est o f the m onastery o f A e b b ercu m ig 1 at a place w h ich
the Piets call Peanfahel and the English P enneltun,2 and runs
w estw ard to the vicin ity o f the city o f A lcluith. B u t as soon as
the old enemies o f the B riton s saw that the R o m an forces had
left, they m ade a seaborne invasion, breaking in and destroy­
in g w holesale, slaughtering righ t and left as m en cut ripe co m .
T h e B riton s therefore sent m ore en voys to R o m e w ith pitiful
appeals fo r help, w ith ou t w h ich their un h appy land w o u ld be
utterly ravaged and the nam e o f a once illustrious R o m an
p rovin ce be bro u gh t into disgrace and obliterated b y bar­
barous tribes, w h o year b y y ear w ere carryin g o f f their
plunder unchecked. O nce m ore a L eg io n w as dispatched,
w h ich arrived un expectedly in autum n and inflicted h eavy
casualties on the invaders, fo rcin g all w h o su rvived to escape
b y sea.
T h e R om an s, h o w e v er, n o w in fo rm ed the B rito n s that
they could no lon ger undertake such troublesom e expeditions
fo r their defence, and urged them to take up arm s fo r their
o w n part and cultivate the w ill to figh t, p oin tin g out that it
w as solely their lack o f spirit w h ich gave their enem ies an
advantage o v er them . In addition, in order to assist these allies
w h o m they w ere forced to abandon, they built a strong w all
o f stone d irectly fro m sea to sea in a straight line betw een the
tow ns that had been built as strong-points, w h ere Severus had
built his earthw ork. T h is fam ous and still conspicuous w all
w as built fro m public and p rivate resources, w ith the B riton s
lending assistance. It is eight feet in breadth, and tw e lve in
h eigh t; and, as can be clearly seen to this day, ran straight
fro m east to w est. W h en the w all w as com pleted, the R om an s
gave firm advice to the dispirited Briton s, together w ith
i. Abercom. 2. Old Kilpatrick.
52
B ritain overrun by Piets and Scots fr 13
instructions on the m anufacture o f w eapons. In addition, they
built tow ers at intervals o verlo o k in g the south coast w here
their ships lay, because there w as a danger o f barbarian raids
even fro m this quarter. T h en they bade farew ell to their allies,
w ith no intention o f ever returning.
O n the departure o f the R om an s, the Piets and Scots,
learning that they did not m ean to return, w ere quick to
return them selves, and becom ing bolder than ever, occupied
all the northern and outer part o f the island up to the w all, as
i f it belonged to them . H ere a dispirited B ritish garrison
stationed on the fortifications pined in terror night and day,
w h ile fro m beyon d the w all the en em y constantly harassed
them w ith hooked w eapons, d raggin g the co w ard ly defen­
ders d o w n fro m their w all and dashing them to the ground.
A t length the B riton s abandoned their cities and w all and fled
in disorder, pursued b y their foes. T h e slaughter w as m ore
ghastly than ever before, and the w retched citizens w ere to m
in pieces b y their enemies, as lam bs are to m b y w ild beasts.
T h e y w ere d riven fro m their homesteads and farm s, and
sought to save them selves fro m starvation b y rob b ery and
violence against one another, their o w n internal anarchy
adding to the miseries caused b y others, until there w as no
food left in the w h o le land except w h atever could be obtained
b y hunting.

chapter 1 3 : D u rin g the reign o f Theodosius the Younger,

Palladius is sent to the Christians among the Scots. T he
Britons make an unsuccessful appeal to the C on sul A etiu s
[a . d . 446]

the year o f ou r L o rd 423, Theodosius the Y o u n g er, next

I
n
after H onorius and fo rty-fifth in succession fro m Augustus,
ruled the E m p ire fo r tw en ty-six years. In the eighth year o f his
reign, the R o m an P o n tiff Celestine sent Palladius* to the
Scots w h o believed in C h rist to be their first bishop. In the
53
Lh] The groans o f the Britons
tw en ty-th ird year o f his reign, A ed us, an illustrious patrician,
becam e Consul fo r the third rim e together w ith Sym m achus.
T o him the w retched rem nant o f the B riton s sent a letter,
w hich com m ences: ‘ T o Aerius, thrice C onsul, com e the
groans o f the B rito n s’ , and in the course o f the letter they de­
scribe their calam ities: ‘ T h e barbarians drive us into the sea,
and the sea drives us back to the barbarians. B etw een these,
tw o deadly alternatives confront us, drowaning or slaughter.’
B u t even this plea cou ld not obtain h e lp ; fo r at the rime Aerius
w as already engaged in tw o serious w ars writh Blaedla and
A ttila, the kings o f the Huns. A n d although Blaedla had been
assassinated the previous year through the treachery o f his
brother A ttila, the latter rem ained so dangerous an enem y to
the State that he devastated nearly all Europe, in vadin g and
destroying cities and strongholds alike. D u rin g this period
there w as a fam ine at Constantinople, fo llo w ed closely b y a
plague, and m uch o f the w alls o f that city and fifty-seven
tow ers fell into ruin. M a n y other cities fell into disrepair, and
the polluting stench o f rotting corpses spread disease am ong
m en and beasts alike.

CHAPTi r T4: T h e Britons, made desperate by fa m in e, drive

the Barbarians out o f their land. There soon fo llo w s an
abundance o f corn, lu x u ry , plagu e, and doom on the nation

the fam ine w h ich left a lasting m em o ry o f

M
eanw hile
its horrors to posterity distressed the B rito n s m ore and
m ore. M an y w ere com pelled to surrender to the invaders;
others, trusting in G o d ’s help w here no hum an hand could
save them , continued their resistance. M ak in g frequent sallies
fro m the m ountains, caves, and forests, they began at length
to inflict severe losses on the enem y w h o had plundered their
cou n try fo r so m an y years. T h ereupon the Irish pirates depar­
ted to their hom es unabashed, intending to return after a short
interval, w h ile the Piets rem ained inactive in the northern
54
T h e E n glish invited into B ritain fc 15
parts o f the island, save fo r occasional raids and forays to
plunder the Britons.
W h en the depredations o f its enemies had ceased, the land
enjoyed an abundance o f c o m w ith ou t precedent in form er
years; but w ith plen ty cam e an increase in lu x u ry , fo llo w ed
b y every kind o f crim e, especially cruelty, hatred o f truth, and
love o f falsehood. I f anyone happened to be m ore k in d ly or
truthful than his neighbours, he becam e a target fo r all w eap ­
ons o f m alice as though he w ere an en em y o f Britain . A n d not
o n ly the laity w ere gu ilty o f these things, but even the L o rd ’s
flock and their pastors. G iv in g them selves up to drunkenness,
hatred, quarrels, and violence, they threw o f f the easy y o k e
o f Christ. Suddenly a terrible plague struck this corrupt
people, and in a short w h ile destroyed so large a num ber that
the livin g could not b u ry the dead. B u t not even the death o f
their friends or the fear o f their o w n death w as sufficient to
recall the survivors fro m the spiritual death to w h ich their
crim es had doom ed them . So it w as that, not lon g afterw ards,
an even m ore terrible retribution o verto o k this w ick ed
nation. For they consulted h o w they m igh t obtain help to
avo id or repel the frequent fierce attacks o f their northern
neighbours, and all agreed w ith the ad vice o f their kin g, V o r-
tigem , to call on the assistance o f the S axo n peoples across the
sea. Th is decision, as its results w ere to show , seems to have
been ordained b y G o d as a punishm ent on their wickedness.

chapter 1 5 : T h e A n gles are invited into B ritain. A t first

they repel the enem y, but soon come to terms with them, and
turn their weapons against their ow n allies

the year o f ou r L o rd 449, M artian becam e E m p ero r w ith

I
n
Valentinian, the fo rty-sixth in succession fro m Augustus,
ruling fo r seven years. In his tim e the A ngles or Saxons cam e
to B ritain at the invitation o f K in g V o rtig e m in three lo n g -
ships, and w ere granted lands in the eastern part o f the island
55
i* 15] Angles , Saxons and Jutes
on condition that they protected the co u n try : nevertheless,
their real intention w as to subdue it. T h e y engaged the enem y
advancing fro m the north, and h avin g defeated them , sent
back new s o f their success to their hom eland, adding that the
cou n try w as fertile and the B riton s co w ard ly . W hereu pon a
larger fleet q u ickly cam e o v er w ith a great b o d y o f w arriors,
w h ich , w h en jo in e d to the original forces, constituted an in­
vin cible arm y. These also received fro m the B riton s grants o f
land w h ere they could settle am ong them on condition that
they m aintained the peace and security o f the island against all
enem ies in return fo r regular pay.
These n ew -com ers w ere fro m the three m ost form idable
races o f G erm an y, the Saxons, A n gles, and Jutes. From the
Ju tes are descended the people o f K en t and the Isle o f W ig h t
and those in the p rovin ce o f the W est S ax o n so p p o site th e lsle o f
W ig h t w h o are called Ju tes to this day. F ro m the Saxons - that
is, the cou n try n o w k n o w n as the land o f the O ld Saxons -
cam e the East, South and W est Saxons. A n d fro m the A n gles
- that is, the cou n try k n o w n as A n gulus, w h ich lies betw een
the provinces o f the Ju tes and Saxons and is said to rem ain
unpopulated to this d ay - are descended the East and M iddle
A n gles, the M ercians, all the N orth u m b rian stock (that is,
those peoples livin g n orth o f the riv er H um ber), and the other
English peoples. T h eir first chieftains are said to have been the
brothers H engist and H orsa. T h e latter w as subsequently
killed in battle against the B riton s, and w as buried in east
K en t, w h ere a m onum ent bearing his nam e still stands. T h e y
w ere the sons o f W ic tg ils, w h ose father w as W itta, w hose
father w as W ecta, son o f W o d en , fro m w hose stock sprang
the royal house o f m an y provinces.
It w as not lon g before such hordes o f these alien peoples
vied together to cro w d into the island that the natives w h o
had invited them began to five in terror. T h en all o f a sudden
the A ngles m ade an alliance w ith the Piets, w h o m b y this tim e
they had driven som e distance aw a y, and began to turn their
arm s against their allies. T h e y began b y dem anding a greater
56
T h e Britons rally against the invaders [l i 6
supply o f provision s; then, seeking to p ro vo k e a quarrel,
threatened that unless larger supplies w ere forthcom in g, they
w o u ld term inate their treaty and ravage the w h ole island.
N o r w ere they slo w to carry out their threats. In short, the
fires kindled b y the pagans p roved to be G o d ’s ju st punish­
m ent on the sins o f the nation, ju st as the fires once kindled b y
the Chaldeans destroyed the w alls and buildings o f Jerusalem .
For, as the ju st Ju d g e ordained, these heathen conquerors
devastated the surrounding cities and countryside, extended
the conflagration fro m the eastern to the w estern shores
w ith out opposition and established a stranglehold over nearly
all the doom ed island. Public and private buildings w ere
razed; priests w ere slain at the altar; bishops and people alike,
regardless o f rank, w ere destroyed w ith fire and sw ord, and
none rem ained to b u ry those w h o had suffered a cruel death.
A fe w w retched survivors captured in the hills w ere butchered
w holesale, and others, desperate w ith hunger, cam e out and
surrendered to the en em y fo r food , although they w ere
doom ed to lifelon g slavery even i f they escaped instant mas­
sacre. Som e fled overseas in their m isery; others, clinging to
their hom eland, eked out a w retched and fearful existence
am ong the m ountains, forests, and crags, ever on the alert fo r
danger.

chapter 1 6 : U nder the leadership o f Am brosius, a R om an,

the Britons w in their fir s t victory against the A ngles
[ c. a .d . 493]

h e n the victorious invaders had scattered and de­

W stroyed the native peoples and returned to their o w n

dw ellings, the B riton s slo w ly began to take heart and recover
their strength, em ergin g fro m the dens w here they had hidden
themselves, and jo in in g in p rayer that G o d m ight help them
to avoid com plete exterm ination. T h eir leader at this tim e
w as A m brosius Aurelianus, a m an o f go o d character and the
57
1.17] S. Germanus sails fo r Britain
sole su rvivo r o f R o m a n race fro m the catastrophe. A m o n g
the slain had been his o w n parents, w h o w ere o f ro yal birth
and title. U n d er his leadership the B rito n s to o k up arm s,
challenged their conquerors to battle, and w ith G o d ’s help
inflicted a defeat on them . T h en cefo rw ard v ic to ry sw u n g first
to one side and then to the other, until the battle o f B a d o n H ill,
w h en the B riton s m ade a considerable slaughter o f the in­
vaders. T h is took place about fo rty -fo u r years after their
arrival in B rita in : but I shall deal w ith this later.

chapter 1 7 : B ish op G erm anus sails to B ritain w ith L u p u s:

w ith G o d ’s help he quells two storms, one o f the sea, the
other o f the Pelagians [a . d . 429]

w years b efore their arrival, the P elagian heresy in tro ­

A
fe
duced b y A g rico la, son o f Severianus a P elagian prelate,
had seriously infected the faith o f the B ritish C h u rch . A l­
though the B ritish rejected this perverse teaching, so blas­
phem ous against the grace o f C h rist, they w ere unable to
refute its plausible argum ents b y controversial m ethods, and
w isely decided to ask help fro m the bishops o f G aul in this
spiritual conflict. T hese sum m oned a great synod, and con­
sulted together as to w h o m they should send to support the
Faith. T h eir unanim ous choice fell upon the apostolic bishops
G erm anus o f A u x e rre and L upus o f T ro ye s, w h o m they ap­
pointed to visit the B rito n s and to con firm their b e lie f in G o d ’s
grace. T h e tw o bishops read ily accepted the com m ands and
decisions o f H o ly C h urch, and put to sea. T h e y had safely
sailed h a lf-w a y on their v o y a g e fro m G aul w ith a favou rable
w in d w h en they w ere suddenly subjected to the hostile p o w er
o f devils, w h o w ere furious that such m en as they should dare
to recall the B rito n s to the w a y o f salvation. T h e y raised
violent storm s and turned d ay into n ight w ith black clouds.
T h e sails w ere to m to shreds b y the gale, the skill o f the sailors
w as defeated, and the safety o f the ship depended on p rayer
5«
5 . Germanus confronts the Pelagians fc 17
rather than on seamanship. G erm anus their leader and bishop,
spent and exhausted, had fallen asleep, w h en the storm
reached a fresh pitch o f violence, as though relieved o f its
opponent, and seem ed about to o v erw h elm the vessel in the
surging w aves. A t this ju n ctu re, Lupus and his com panions
roused their leader, and an xiou sly begged h im to oppose the
fu ry o f the elements. M o re resolute than they in the face o f
im m inent disaster, he called upon C h rist and cast a fe w drops
o f h o ly w ater on the w aves in the N am e o f the Sacred T rin ity ,
en couraging his com panions and directing them all to jo in
him in prayer. G o d heard their c ry and their adversaries w ere
put to flig h t; the storm w as stilled, the w in d veered round to
help them on their course and, after a sw ift and peaceful pas­
sage, they arrived safely at their destination. H ere great crow ds
gathered fro m all quarters to greet the bishops, w hose arrival
had been foretold even b y the predictions o f their opponents.
For w hen the evil spirits had been expelled b y the bishops
fro m the persons o f those w h o m they had possessed, they
disclosed their fears and revealed the origin o f the storm s
and perils they had raised, ack n o w led g in g them selves over­
com e b y the m erits and p o w e r o f the saints.
M eanw hile, the island o f B ritain w as rap id ly influenced b y
the reasoning, preaching, and virtues o f these apostolic bish­
ops, and the w o rd o f G o d w as preached d aily not o n ly in the
churches, but in streets and fields, so that C atholics every­
w h ere w ere strengthened and heretics corrected. T h eirs w as
the honour and au th ority o f apostles b y their h o ly witness,
the truth b y their learning, the virtu e b y their m erits. So the
m ajority o f the people read ily accepted their teaching, w h ile
the authors o f false doctrines m ade them selves scarce, grievin g
like evil spirits o v e r the people w h o w ere snatched fro m their
grasp. A t length, after due deliberation, they dared to challenge
the saints and appeared w ith rich ornam ents and m agnificent
robes, supported b y crow d s o f flattering follow ers. For they
preferred to hazard a trial o f strength rather than subm it in
sham eful silence before the people w h o m they had subverted,
59
1 18 ] S. Germanus heals a blind girl
lest they should appear to ad m it defeat. A n im m ense gather­
in g had assem bled there w ith their w iv es and children to
w atch and ju d g e , but the contestants w ere greatly dissim ilar
in bearing. O n one side hum an presum ption, on the other
divine fa ith ; on one side pride, on the other p ie ty ; on one side
Pelagius, on the other C hrist. T h e h o ly bishops ga ve their
adversaries the ad vantage o f speaking first, w h ich they did at
great length, fillin g the tim e, and the ears o f their audience,
w ith em p ty w ord s. T h e venerable bishops then fed the
torrents o f their eloquence fro m the springs o f the Apostles
and evangelists, con firm in g their o w n w o rd s b y the w o rd o f
G o d , and supporting their principal statements b y quotation
fro m the scriptures. T h e conceit o f the Pelagians w as pricked,
their lies exposed, and unable to defend any o f their argum ents,
they adm itted their errors. T h e people, w h o w ere acting as
their ju d g es, w ere hard ly restrained fro m violence, and con­
firm ed their verd ict w ith acclam ation.

chapter 1 8 : G erm anus g iv e s sight to the blind daughter o f

a tribune. H e takes some relicsfrom the tomb o f S ain t A lb a n ,
and deposits relics o f the A postles and other M artyrs

m m e d i a t e l y after this, a m an w h o held the status o f a

I tribune cam e fo rw ard w ith his w ife and asked the bishops
to cure his blind daughter, a child o f ten. T h e y directed him
to take her to their opponents, but the latter, sm itten b y g u ilty
consciences, jo in e d their entreaties to those o f the g irl’s parents
and begged the bishops to heal her. Seeing their opponents
yield , they offered a short p ra y e r; then Germ anus, being filled
w ith the H o ly G host, called on the T rin ity, and taking into
his hands a casket containing relics o f the saints that hung
around his neck, he applied it to the g irl’s eyes in the sight o f
them all. T o the j o y o f the parents and the am azem ent o f the
cro w d , the child’s sight w as em ptied o f darkness and filled w ith
the light o f truth. T h en cefo rw ard all erroneous argum ents
60
S. Germanus triumphs over illness [*• *9
w ere expunged fro m the m inds o f the people, w h o eagerly
accepted the teaching o f the bishops.
O nce this abom inable heresy had been put d ow n , its
authors refuted, and the people established in the pure faith o f
Christ, the bishops paid a visit to the tom b o f the blessed m ar­
tyr A lban to return thanks to G o d through him . Germ anus,
w h o had w ith him relics o f all the Apostles and several m artyrs,
first offered prayer, and then directed the tom b to be opened,
so that he could deposit these precious gifts w ith in it. For he
thought it fittin g that, as the equal merits o f the saints had
w o n them a place in heaven, so their relics should be gathered
together fro m different lands into a com m on resting-place.
A n d w hen he had reverently deposited these relics, Germ anus
took a w a y w ith him a portion o f earth fro m the place w here
the blessed m artyr’s blood had been shed. This earth w as seen
to have retained the m artyr’s blood , w h ich had reddened the
shrine w here his persecutor had g ro w n pale w ith fear. A s a
result o f these events, a great num ber o f people w ere con­
verted to our L o rd on the same day.

chapter 1 9 : G erm anus is detained by illness. H e puts out

a fir e am ong houses by his p ra y er, and is healed o f h is
sickness by a vision

h i l e they w ere returning from this place, the ever-

W w atchful D ev il, h avin g set his snares, con trived that

Germ anus should fall and break a leg, not k n o w in g that his
merits, like those o f the blessed Jo b , w o u ld be enhanced b y
bo d ily affliction. W h ile he w as thus detained b y illness, fire
broke out in a cottage near his lod gin g , and after destroying
the adjoining dw ellings w h ich at that place w ere thatched
w ith reeds fro m the marshes, it w as carried b y the w in d to the
cottage w here he lay. T h e people ran to pick up the bishop
and carry him to a place o f safety; but, full o f trust in G od , he
reproved them and w o u ld not allo w them to do so. In despair,
61
i. 20] T h e Britons take heart
the people ran o f f to fig h t the fire ; but to afford clearer evi­
dence o f G o d 's p o w er, w h atever the c ro w d endeavoured to
save w as destroyed. M ean w h ile the flames leaped o ver the
house w here the saint lay disabled and helpless; but, although
they raged all around it, the place that sheltered him stood un­
touched am id a sea o f fire. T h e c ro w d w as o v e ijo y e d at the
m iracle and praised G o d fo r this p r o o f o f his p o w er, w hile
innum erable p o o r fo lk kept v ig il outside his cottage day and
night hopin g fo r healing o f soul or bo d y.
It is im possible to relate all that C hrist effected through his
servant, and w h at w on ders the sick saint perform ed. A n d
w h ile he refused any treatm ent fo r his o w n illness, he saw
beside him one n ight a being in shining robes, w h o seemed to
reach out his hand and raise him up, ordering him to stand on
his feet. Fro m that m om ent his pain ceased, his fo rm er health
w as restored, and w h en d aw n cam e he continued on his
jo u rn e y undaunted.

c h a p t e r 2 0 : T h e two bishops obtain G o d 's help in battle,

and return home [a .d . 4 2 9 ]

e a n w h i l e the S axons and Piets j oined forces and m ade

M w a r on the B riton s, w h o m necessity had com pelled to

arm ; and since the latter feared that their strength w as un­
equal to the challenge, they called on the saintly bishops fo r
help. T h e y cam e at once as they had prom ised, and put such
heart into the tim id people that their presence w as w o rth a
large arm y. U n d er these apostolic leaders, C hrist h im self
com m anded in the cam p. It also happened that the h o ly season
o f Lent w as beginning, and w as so reverently kept under the
bishops’ direction that the people cam e each day for instruc­
tion and flocked to receive the grace o f Baptism . M ost o f the
arm y sought H o ly B ap tism , and in readiness fo r the Feast o f
our L o rd ’s R esurrection a church w as constructed o f inter­
laced boughs and set up in that arm ed cam p as though it w ere
62
T h e A lle lu ia victory [i. 20
a city. Stron g in faith and fresh fro m the w aters o f Baptism ,
the arm y ad vanced; and w hereas they had fo rm erly despaired
o f hum an strength, all n o w trusted in the p o w er o f G od. T h e
preparation and disposition o f the B ritish forces w as reported
to the enem y, w h o , anticipating an easy v ic to ry o ver an ill-
equipped arm y, advanced rap id ly, closely observed b y the
British scouts.
A fter the Feast o f Easter, w h en the greater part o f the
B ritish forces, fresh fro m the font, w ere preparing to arm and
em bark on the struggle, G erm anus prom ised to direct the
battle in person. H e picked out the m ost active m en and,
h avin g surveyed the surrounding cou n try, observed a valley
am ong the hills lyin g in the direction fro m w h ich he expected
the en em y to approach. H ere he stationed the untried forces
under his o w n orders. B y n o w the m ain b o d y o f their re­
morseless enemies w as approaching, w atched b y those w h o m
he had placed in am bush. Sud d enly G erm anus, raising the
standard, called upon them all to jo in him in a m ig h ty shout.
W h ile the enem y advanced confidently, expecting to take the
Briton s unawares, the bishops three times shouted, ‘ A lle lu ia ! ’
T h e w h o le arm y jo in e d in this shout, until the surrounding
hills echoed w ith the sound. T h e en em y colum n panicked,
thinking that the v e r y rocks and sky w ere fallin g on them ,
and w ere so terrified that th ey could not run fast enough.
T h ro w in g aw a y their w eapons in headlong flight, they w ere
w ell content to escape naked, w h ile m an y in their hasty flight
w ere d row n ed in a river w h ich they tried to cross. So the
innocent B ritish arm y saw its defeats avenged, and becam e an
inactive spectator o f the v ic to ry granted to it. T h e scattered
spoils w ere collected, and the Christian forces rejoiced in the
trium ph o f heaven. So the bishops overcam e the enem y
w ith out bloodshed, w in n in g a v ic to ry b y faith and not b y
force.
H avin g restored peace to the island and overcom e all its
enemies, both visible and invisible, the bishops prepared to
return hom e. T h eir o w n m erits and the prayers o f the blessed
63
L 2I1 5 . Germanus9 second visit to Britain
m artyr A lban obtained them a peaceful v o y a g e , and a p ro ­
pitious vessel restored them to their o w n w elco m in g people.

chapter 2 i : T h e P elagian heresy rev iv es, and G erm anus

returns to B rita in w ith S everu s. H e heals a lam e youth, and
after denouncing or converting the heretics, restores the
B ritish C hurch to the C ath olic F a ith [? a . d . 4 35 - 4 4 ]

no great interval, new s cam e fro m B ritain that

A
fter
certain people w ere again prom ulgatin g the Pelagian
heresy. O nce again all the clerg y requested blessed Germ anus
to defend G o d ’s cause as before. P ro m p tly assenting, he took
ship and m ade a peaceful crossing to B ritain w ith a favou rin g
w in d , taking w ith him a m an o f great holiness nam ed Severus.
Severns had been a disciple o f the m ost blessed father Lupus,
Bish op o f T ro y e s; he subsequently becam e B ish op o f T rier,
and preached the W o rd in western G erm an y.
M eanw hile evil spirits throughout the land had been reluc­
tantly com pelled to foretell G erm anus’ com in g, so that a local
chieftain nam ed Elaphius hurried to m eet the saints before
receiving any definite new s. H e brough t w ith him his son,
w h o in the v e ry flo w er o f his you th w as crippled b y a painful
disease o f the leg, w hose muscles had so contracted that the
lim b w as entirely useless. A cco m p an yin g Elaphius w as the
w h o le population o f his provin ce. T h e bishops on arrival
w ere m et b y the ignorant fo lk , to w h o m they spoke and ga ve
their blessing. A n d having assured them selves that the people
as a w h ole rem ained loyal to the Faith as they had left them ,
and that the error wras restricted to a m in ority, th ey sought
out its adherents and rebuked them . Sud d enly Elaphius threw
h im self at the bishops’ feet, and presented to them his son, the
sight o f w hose in firm ity proclaim ed his need louder than
w ords. A ll w ere m oved to p ity at the spectacle, especially the
bishops, w h o earnestly p rayed G o d to show m ercy. Blessed
Germ anus then asked the y o u th to sit d o w n , and d raw in g out
64
C iv il wars o f the Britons fc 22
the leg bent w ith disease, he passed his healing hand o ver the
afflicted area, and at his touch health sw iftly returned. T h e
w ith ered lim b filled, the muscles regained their p o w er, and
in the presence o f them all the lad w as restored healed to his
parents. T h e people w ere am azed at this m iracle, and the
C ath olic Faith w as firm ly im planted in all their hearts. G er­
manus then w arn ed them to live better and to shun all error.
A n d the false teachers, w h o b y com m on consent had been
condem ned to banishm ent, w ere b rough t before the bishops
to be taken to the C ontinent, so that the co u n try m igh t be rid
o f them and they them selves brough t to recognize their error.
H en cefo rw ard , the Faith w as m aintained uncorrupted in
B ritain fo r a lon g tim e.
H a vin g settled all these matters, the blessed bishops re­
turned hom e as successfully as they had com e.
G erm anus subsequently visited R aven n a to obtain peace
fo r the people o f A rm o ric a .1 T h ere he w as received w ith
honour b y the E m p ero r V alentinian and his m other Placidia,
and w h ile still in this city he departed to C h rist. H is b o d y w as
carried back w ith a splendid escort to his o w n city and m an y
signs o f his holiness w ere show n. N o t lo n g afterw ards, in the
fifth year o f M arcian ’s reign, Valentinian w as m urdered b y
supporters o f the patrician Aetius, w h o m he had executed,
and w ith him fell the E m p ire o f the W est.

chapter 22: T h e B riton s en jo y a respite fro m fo reig n in­

vasions, but exhaust them selves in c iv il w ars and p lu n ge
into worse crim es

e a n w h i l e B ritain enj o y ed a rest fro m foreign, though

M not fro m civil, w ars. A m id the w reckage o f deserted
cities destroyed b y the enem y, the citizens w h o had survived
the en em y n o w attacked each other. So lon g as the m em ory
o f past disaster rem ained fresh, kings and priests, com m oners
1. Brittany.
T —FLE.C.—C 65
L 23] Mission o f S. Augustine to the English
and nobles kept their proper rank. B u t w h en those w h o
rem em bered died, there g re w up a generation that k n ew
n othing o f these things and had experienced o n ly the present
peaceful order. T h en w ere all restraints o f truth and justice so
utterly abandoned that n o trace o f them rem ained, and v e r y
fe w o f the people even recalled their existence. A m o n g other
unspeakable crim es, recorded w ith so rro w b y their o w n
historian G ildas, th ey added this - that they n ever preached
the Faith to the Saxon s o r A n gles w h o d w elt w ith them in
B ritain . B u t G o d in his goodness did n ot utterly abandon the
p eople w h o m h e had chosen; fo r he rem em bered them , and
sent this nation m ore w o rth y preachers o f truth to b rin g them
to the Faith.

chapter 23: The holy Pope G regory sends Augustine and

other monks to preach to the English nation, and encourages
them in a letter to persevere in their mission [a j >. 596]

the year o f our L o rd 582, M au rice, fifty -fo u rth in succes­

I
n
sion fro m A ugustus, b ecam eE m pero r, and ruled fo r tw e n ty-
one years. In the tenth year o f his reign, G re g o ry , an em inent
scholar and adm inistrator, w as elected P o n tiff o f the apostolic
R o m an see, and ruled it fo r thirteen years, six m onths, and
ten days. In the fourteenth year o f this E m p ero r, and about
the one hundred and fiftied i year after the com in g o f the
E nglish to B ritain , G re g o ry w as inspired b y G o d to send his
servant A ugu stin e w ith several other G o d -fearin g m onks to
preach the w o rd o f G o d to the E nglish nation. H a v in g under­
taken this task in obedience to the P o p e’s com m and and p ro­
gressed a short distance on their jo u rn e y , they becam e afraid,
and began to consider returning hom e. For they w ere appalled
at the idea o f g o in g to a barbarous, fierce, and pagan nation,
o f w h ose v e r y lan gu age they w ere ignoran t. T h e y unani­
m ou sly agreed that this w as the safest course, and sent back
A ugustin e - w h o w as to be consecrated bishop in the event o f
66
Letters from Pope Gregory [l 24
their being received b y the English - so that he m igh t h u m b ly
request the h o ly G re g o ry to recall them fro m so dangerous,
arduous, and uncertain a jo u rn e y . In rep ly, the P op e w ro te
them a letter o f encouragem ent, u rgin g them to proceed on
their m ission to preach G o d ’s w o rd , and to trust them selves
to his aid. T h is letter ran as fo llo w s:
‘ G regory, Servant o f the servants o f G o d , to the servants
o f our L o rd . M y v e r y dear sons, it is better never to undertake
an y h igh enterprise than to abandon it w h en once begun. So
w ith the help o f G o d y o u m ust carry out this h o ly task w h ich
y o u have begun. D o not be deterred b y the troubles o f the
jo u rn e y or b y w h at m en say. B e constant and zealous in carry­
in g out this enterprise w h ich , under G o d ’s guidance, y o u have
undertaken: and be assured that the greater the labour, the
greater w ill be the g lo ry o f y o u r eternal rew ard. W h en
A ugustin e y o u r leader returns, w h o m W e have appointed
y o u r abbot, o b ey h im h u m b ly in all things, rem em bering
that w h atever he directs y o u to do w ill alw ays be to the go o d
o f y o u r souls. M a y A lm ig h ty G o d protect y o u w ith His
grace, and grant m e to see the result o f y o u r labours in our
heaven ly hom e. A n d although m y office prevents m e from
w o rk in g at y o u r side, yet because I lo n g to do so, I hope to
share in y o u r jo y fu l rew ard . G o d keep y o u safe, m y dearest
sons.
‘ D ated the tw en ty-th ird o f Ju ly , in the fourteenth year o f
the reign o f the m ost pious E m p ero r M au rice Tiberius
A ugustus, and the thirteenth year after his C onsulship: the
fourteenth indiction.’

chapter 2 4 : P o p e G reg o ry w rites com m ending them to the

B ish op o f A rles

he venerable P o n tiff also w rote to Etherius, A rchbishop

T o f Arles, asking him to offer a kin d ly w elcom e to A u gus­
tine on his jo u rn e y to B ritain . T h is letter reads:
67
i. 25] S. Augustine arrives in Kent
‘ T o his m ost reverend and h o ly brother and fellow -bishop
E therius: G re g o ry , servant o f the servants o f G o d .
‘ R eligiou s m en should require no com m endation to priests
w h o exhibit the lo v e that is pleasing to G o d ; but since a
suitable op p ortu n ity to w rite has arisen, W e have w ritten
this letter to y o u , ou r brother, to certify that its bearer, G o d ’s
servant A ugustin e, w ith his com panions, o f w hose zeal w e are
assured, has been directed b y us to proceed to save souls w ith
the help o f G o d . W e therefore request Y o u r H oliness to assist
them w ith pastoral care, and to m ake speedy p rovision for
their needs. A n d in order that y o u m ay assist them the m ore
readily, w e have particularly directed A ugustine to g iv e y o u
full in form ation about his m ission, being sure that w h en y o u
are acquainted w ith this, y o u w ill supply all their needs for
the lo ve o f G od . W e also com m en d to y o u r lo ve the priest
Candidus, our com m on son in C hrist, w h o m w e have trans­
ferred to a sm all p atrim o n y in our church. G o d keep y o u
safely, m ost reverend brother.
‘ D ated the tw en ty-th ird d ay o f Ju ly , in the fourteenth year
o f the reign o f the m ost pious E m p ero r M au rice Tiberius
A ugustus, and the thirteenth year after his C onsu lship : the
fourteenth in d iction.’*

chapter 2 5 : A u gu stin e reaches B rita in , and fir s t preaches

in the Isle o f T h anet before K in g E th elb ert9 w h o grants
perm ission to preach in K en t [ a . d . 597]

e a s s u r e d b y the encouragem ent o f the blessed father

R G re g o ry , A ugustin e and his fellow -servan ts o f Christ
resum ed their w o r k in the w o rd o f G o d , and arrived in
Britain . A t this tim e the m ost p o w erfu l k in g there w as Ethel-
bert, w h o reigned in K en t and w hose dom ains extended
northw ards to the riv er H u m ber, w h ich form s the boun dary
betw een the north and south A n gles. T o the east o f K en t lies
the large island o f Thanet, w h ich b y E nglish reckon ing is six
6S
S. Augustine preaches in Kent [i. 25
hundred hides* in e x ten t; it is separated fro m the m ainland b y
a w a te rw a y about three furlon gs broad called the W antsum ,
w h ich jo in s the sea at either end and is fordable o n ly in tw o
places. It w as here that G o d ’s servant A ugustine landed w ith
com panions, w h o are said to have been fo rty in num ber. A t
the direction o f blessed P op e G re g o ry , th ey had brough t
interpreters fro m am o n g the Franks, and they sent these to
Ethelbert, sayin g that they cam e fro m R o m e bearing v e ry
glad new s, w h ich in fallib ly assured all w h o w o u ld receive it
o f eternal j o y in heaven and an everlasting k in gd o m w ith the
livin g and true G o d . O n receivin g this m essage, the kin g
ordered them to rem ain in the island w h ere they had landed,
and ga ve directions that they w ere to be p ro vid ed w ith all
necessaries until he should decide w h at action to take. For he
had already heard o f the Christian religion , h avin g a Christian
w ife o f the Frankish ro yal house nam ed B erth a, w h o m he had
received fro m her parents on condition that she should have
freedom to hold and practise her faith unhindered w ith
B ish op Liud hard, w h o m they had sent as her helper in the
faith.
A fter som e days, the kin g cam e to the island and, sitting
d o w n in the open air, sum m oned A ugustine and his com ­
panions to an audience. B u t he took precautions that they
should not approach him in a house; fo r he held an ancient
superstition that, i f they w ere practisers o f m agical arts, they
m igh t have op p ortu n ity to deceive and m aster him . B u t the
m onks w ere en d ow ed w ith p o w er fro m G o d , not fro m the
D e v il, and approached the kin g carryin g a silver cross as their
standard and the likeness o f ou r L o rd and Saviou r painted on
a board. First o f all they offered p rayer to G od , singing a litany
fo r the eternal salvation both o f them selves and o f those to
w h o m and fo r w hose sake they had com e. A n d w hen , at the
k in g ’ s com m and, they had sat d o w n and preached the w o rd
o f life to the kin g and his court, the kin g said: ‘ Y o u r w ord s
and prom ises are fair in d eed ; but they are n ew and uncertain,
and I cannot accept them and abandon the age-old beliefs that
69
!•2<sl S. Augustine established in Canterbury
I have held together w ith the w h o le English nation. B u t since
y o u h ave travelled far, and I can see that y o u are sincere in
y o u r desire to im part to us w h at y o u believe to be true and
excellent, w e w ill not harm y o u . W e w ill receive y o u hos­
p itab ly and take care to sup p ly y o u w ith all that y o u need;
n o r w ill w e forb id y o u to preach and w in any people y o u can
to y o u r religio n .’ T h e kin g then granted them a d w ellin g in
the city o f C an terb u ry, w h ic h w as the c h ie f city o f all his
realm , and in accordance w ith his prom ise he allow ed them
provisions and did not w ith d ra w their freedom to preach.
T rad itio n says that as th ey approached the city, bearing the
h o ly cross and the likeness o f ou r great K in g and L o rd Jesus
C h rist as w as their custom , they sang in unison this litan y:
‘ W e p ray T h ee, O L o rd , in all T h y m ercy, that T h y w rath
and anger m ay be turned a w a y fro m this c ity and from T h y
h o ly house, fo r w e are sinners. A llelu ia.’

chapter 2 6 : T h e life and doctrine o f the p rim itiv e C hurch

are fo llo w e d in K e n t: A u gu stin e establishes his episcopal
see in the k in g ’s city

s soon as they had occupied the house given to them they

A l began to em ulate the life o f the apostles and the p rim itive
C h urch. T h e y w ere constantly at p ra y e r; th ey fasted and kept
v ig ils; they preached the w o rd o f life to w h o m so ever they
could. T h e y regarded w o rld ly things as o f little im portance,
and accepted on ly the necessities o f life fro m those they taught.
T h e y practised w h at they preached, and w ere w illin g to
endure an y hardship, and even to die fo r the truth w h ich they
proclaim ed. B e fo re lo n g a n um ber o f heathen, ad m iring the
sim plicity o f their h o ly lives and the co m fo rt o f their heaven ly
m essage, believed and w ere baptized. O n the east side o f the
city stood an old church, built in honour o f Saint M artin
during the R o m an occupation o f B ritain , w h ere the Christian
queen o f w h o m I have spoken w en t to p ray. H ere they first
70
B aptism o f K in g E th elb ert [i. 27
assembled to sing the psalms, to p ray, to say M ass, to preach,
and to baptize, until the k in g ’s o w n conversion to the Faith
gave them greater freedom to preach and to build and restore
churches everyw h ere.
A t length the kin g him self, am ong others, edified b y the
pure lives o f these h o ly m en and their gladdening prom ises,
the truth o f w h ich they confirm ed b y m an y m iracles, believed
and w as baptized. T h en ceforw ard great num bers gathered
each day to hear the w o rd o f G od , forsaking their heathen
rites and entering the unity o f C h rist’s h o ly C h u rch as b e­
lievers. W h ile the kin g w as pleased at their faith and conver­
sion, it is said that he w o u ld not com pel anyone to accept
C h ristian ity; fo r he had learned fro m his instructors and
guides to salvation that the service o f C hrist m ust be accepted
freely and not under com pulsion. N evertheless, he show ed
greater favou r to believers, because they w ere fellow -citizens
o f the kin gd o m o f heaven. A n d it w as not lon g before he
granted his teachers in his capital o f C an terbu ry a place o f
residence appropriate to their station, and gave them pos­
sessions o f various kinds to supply their wants.

chapter 27: A ugustin e is consecrated bish op: he sends to

inform P o p e G reg o ry w hat has been achieved, and receives
replies to his questions

e a n w h i l e G o d ’s servant Augustine visited Arles and,

M in accordance w ith the h o ly father G re g o ry ’s directions,
w as consecrated archbishop o f the English nation b y Etherius,
archbishop o f that city. O n his return to Britain , he sent the
priest Laurence and the m on k Peter to R o m e to in fo rm the
blessed P ope G re g o ry that the E nglish had accepted the Faith
o f Christ, and that he h im self had been consecrated bishop.
A t the same tim e, he sought advice on certain current prob­
lems. T h e P op e answ ered his enquiries w ith out delay, and I
have thought it proper to record these replies in m y history.
7i
L 27] Pope Gregory s letter to S. Augustine
I. T h e first question o f A ugustine, B ish o p o f the C h u rch o f
C a n terb u ry : W h a t is to be the relation betw een the bishop
and his clerg y ? A n d h o w are the offerings m ade b y the faithful
at the altar to be apportioned? A n d w h at are the functions o f a
bishop in his church?
G re g o ry , P o p e o f the C ity o f R o m e , replies: H o ly Scrip ­
ture, w ith w h ich y o u are certain ly w ell acquainted, offers us
guidance in this m atter, and in particular the letters o f blessed
Paul to T im o th y , in w h ich he carefu lly instructs him on a
bishop’s duties in the house o f G o d . B u t it is the custom o f the
A p ostolic See to instruct all n e w ly consecrated bishops that
all m o n ey received is to be allocated under fo u r h eads: one
fo r the bishop and his household, fo r hospitality and other
com m itm en ts; another fo r the c le rg y ; a third fo r the p o o r;
and a fourth fo r the upkeep o f churches. In y o u r case, m y
brother, h avin g been trained under m onastic n ile , y o u should
not live apart fro m y o u r c le rg y in the church o f the English,
w h ich b y G o d ’s help has lately been bro u gh t to the Faith. Y o u
are therefore to fo llo w the w a y o f life practised b y o u r fo re­
fathers o f the p rim itive C h u rch , am o n g w h o m none said that
an yth ing w h ich he possessed w as his o w n , but they had all
things com m on . I f there are an y clerics* w h o have not re­
ceived Sacred O rders and w h o cannot accept a life o f conti­
nence, let them m arry and receive their stipends outside the
com m on fu n d ; fo r it is w ritten o f the fathers w h o m w e have
m entioned, that ‘ distribution w as m ade unto e v e ry m an
according as he had need’ . So g iv e consideration to the p ro ­
vision o f their stipends, and see that they observe the C h u rch ’s
discipline and liv e ord erly, attend to the singing o f the Psalter,
and b y G o d ’s help preserve them selves in thought, w o rd , and
deed fro m everyth in g u n law fu l. B u t to those w h o five as a
C o m m u n ity there should be n o need fo r us to m ention allo­
cating portions, exercising hospitality, and sh ow in g m ercy.
E ve ryth in g that can be spared is to be devoted to h o ly and re­
ligious purposes, as the L o rd and M aster o f all bid s; ‘ G iv e alms
o f such things as y e h ave; and behold, a ll things are clean unto you.9
72
Pope G regorys letter to S. Augustine [l 27
II. A ugu stin e’s second question: Since w e hold the sam e
Faith, w h y do custom s v a r y in different C hurches? W h y , fo r
instance, does the m ethod o f sayin g M ass differ in the h o ly
R o m an C h u rch and in the Churches o f G aul?
P op e G re g o ry ’s re p ly : M y brother, y o u are fam iliar w ith
the usage o f the R o m an C h urch , in w h ich y o u w ere brough t
up. B u t i f y o u have foun d custom s, w hether in the C h u rch o f
R o m e or o f G aul or an y other that m ay be m ore acceptable
to G od , I w ish y o u to m ake a careful selection o f them , and
teach the C h u rch o f the English, w h ich is still y o u n g in the
Faith, w h atever y o u have been able to learn w ith profit fro m
the various Churches. F o r things should not be lo v ed fo r the
sake o f places, but places fo r the sake o f g o o d things. T h erefore
select fro m each o f the Churches w h atever things are devout,
religious, and rig h t; and w h en y o u h ave bound them , as it
w ere, into a Sheaf, let the m inds o f the English g r o w accus­
tom ed to it.
III. A u gu stin e’s third question: W h at punishm ent should
be aw arded to those w h o ro b churches?
P op e G r e g o r y ’s r e p ly : T h e punishm ent m ust depend on
the circum stances o f the offender. F o r som e com m it theft
although they have m eans o f subsistence, and others out o f
p o verty. Som e, therefore, should be punished b y fines, others
b y b eatin g; som e severely, and others m ore len iendy. B u t
w h en the punishm ent has to be severe, let it be adm inistered
in charity, not in an g er; fo r the purpose o f such correction is
to save the w ick ed fro m hell-fire. W e m ust m aintain discipline
am ong the faithful as g o o d fathers am o n g their children, w h o m
they beat fo r w ro n g d o in g , and yet choose fo r their heirs,
w h ile they preserve their possessions fo r the benefit o f those
w h o m they appear to treat harshly. So charity m ust alw ays
be our m otive and indicate the means o f correction, so that w e
m ay do nothing unreasonable. Y o u m ay add that thieves are to
restore w h atever they have taken fro m churches, but G o d for­
bid that the C h u rch should recover w ith interest any w o rld ly
goods she m ay lose, or seek any gain fro m these em p ty things.
73
i. 27] Pope G regorys letter to S. Augustine
IV . A ugustin e’ s fou rth question: Is it perm issible fo r tw o
brothers to m a rry tw o sisters, p ro vid ed that there be n o blood
ties betw een the fam ilies?
P op e G re g o ry ’ s re p ly : T h is is quite perm issible. T h ere is
nothin g in h o ly Scripture that seems to forb id it.
V . A u gu stin e’s fifth question: T o w h at degree m a y the
faithful m a rry w ith their kin dred? A n d is it law fu l fo r a m an
to m a rry his step-m other o r sister-in-law ?
P o p e G re g o ry ’s re p ly : A n earthly la w o f the R o m an state
perm its first-cousins to m arry . B u t experience show s that
such unions do n ot result in children, and sacred la w forbids
a m an to ‘uncover the nakedness o f his kindred.’ N ecessity there­
fore forbids a closer m arriage than that betw een the third o r
fourth generation, w h ile the second generation, as w e have
said, should w h o lly abstain fro m m arriage. B u t to w ed on e’s
step-m other is a grave sin, fo r the L a w say s: ‘ Thou shalt not un­
cover the nakedness o f thy fa th er.' N o w the son cannot uncover
the nakedness o f his fath er; but since it says, ‘ They shall be one
flesh.’ , w h o so ever presum es to w e d his step-m other, w h o w as
one flesh w ith his father, thereby com m its this offence. It is
also forbidden to m arry a sister-in-law , since b y a form er
union she had becom e one w ith his o w n b ro th er: it w as fo r
denouncing this sin that Jo h n the Baptist w as beheaded and
m et his h o ly m artyrd om . F o r Jo h n w as not ordered to deny
C hrist, but w as in fact put to death as a confessor o f Christ.
F o r since our L o rd Jesus C h rist said : T am the Truth’, Jo h n shed
his blood fo r C h rist in that he gave his life fo r the truth.
B u t since there are m an y am ong the E nglish w h o , w hile
they w ere still heathen, are said to have contracted these unlaw ­
fu l m arriages, w h en they accept the Faith they are to be in­
structed that this is a grave offence and that they m ust abstain
fro m it. W a rn them o f the terrible ju d g em en t o f G o d lest fo r
their b o d ily desires th ey jn cu r the pains o f eternal punishm ent.
N evertheless, they are not on that account to be deprived o f
the C o m m u n io n o f the B o d y and B lo o d o f C hrist, lest they ap­
pear to be punished fo r sins com m itted u n k n o w in g ly before
74
Pope Gregory's letter to S. Augustine [i- 27
they received the purification o f B ap tism . F o r in these days
the C h u rch corrects som e things strictly, and allow s others
out o f len ien c y; others again she deliberately glosses o ver and
tolerates and b y so doing often succeeds in checking an evil o f
w h ich she disapproves. B u t all w h o com e to the Faith are to be
w arn ed against d oin g these things, and should any subse­
quently be g u ilty o f them , they are to be forbidden to receive
the C o m m u n io n o f the B o d y and B lo o d o f our L ord . For
w h ile these offences m ay to som e extent be condoned in those
w h o acted in ignorance, they m ust be severely punished in
those w h o presum e to sin k n o w in g ly.
V I. A u gu stin e’s sixth question : I f a lon g jo u rn e y is in volved ,
so that bishops cannot easily assemble, is it perm issible fo r a
bishop to be consecrated w ith ou t other bishops being
present?
P op e G re g o ry ’s r e p ly : In the church o f the E nglish w h ere
as y e t y o u are the o n ly bishop, y o u cannot do otherw ise than
consecrate a bishop w ith o u t other bishops being present. F o r
w h en do bishops fro m G aul p a y a visit, so that they can be
present as witnesses to the consecration? It is our w ish, brother,
that y o u should so establish bishops that they are not un­
necessarily far apart: so that at a bishop’s consecration other
pastors, w hose presence is certainly desirable, m ay be readily
sum m oned. T h erefore, w h en in G o d ’s g o o d tim e bishops are
appointed in various places at no great distance fro m one
another, no consecration is to take place except in the presence
o f three or fou r bishops. F o r in spiritual matters w e m ay often
w ith advantage fo llo w the custom s o f the w o rld , so that w e
m ay arrange things carefu lly and w isely. W h en a w ed d in g is
celebrated, m arried fo lk are invited , so that those w h o have
already travelled som e w a y d o w n the path o f m arriage m ay
share the j o y o f the n ew couple. So, at this spiritual conse­
cration, w h en a m an is jo in e d to G o d in the sacred m inistry,
w h y should not those be invited w h o w ill take pleasure in the
elevation o f the n ew bishop, or offer their prayers to G o d for
his protection?
75
i. 27] Pope Gregory s letter to S. Augustine
V II. A u gu stin e’s seventh question: W h at are to be our
relations w ith the bishops o f G aul and B ritain ?
P op e G re g o ry ’ s re p ly : W e g iv e y o u no au thority o v e r the
bishops o f G aul, fo r since the tim e o f m y early predecessors
the B ish op o f A rles has received the p alliu m *, and his authority
is to be in no w a y im paired. If, therefore, y o u have occasion
to cross o v er into the p rovin ce o f G aul, y o u are to consult w ith
the B ish op o f A rles h o w to correct an y faults am ong the
bishops; and should he be remiss in adm inistering discipline,
inspire h im w ith y o u r o w n zeal. W e have already w ritten to
him , requesting him to offer y o u ev ery assistance w h en ever
y o u visit G aul and to ensure that his bishops observe no
custom s con trary to the law s o f G o d ou r M aker. A lth o u gh
w e g iv e y o u no auth ority o v er the bishops o f G aul, y o u
should nevertheless advise, encourage and sh ow them a go o d
exam ple. R ecall the m inds o f an y w ro n g-d o ers to the pursuit
o f holiness, fo r it is w ritten in the L a w : ‘ W hen thou comest into
the standing corn o f thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears
u/ith thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle into thy neigh­
bour s standing corn.9 S im ilarly, y o u m ay not use the sickle o f
auth ority in the field entrusted to another m an, but use y o u r
go o d influence to separate the L o rd ’s w heat fro m the ch a ff o f
their sins, and b y y o u r teaching and persuasion assimilate them
into the b o d y o f the C h u rch . B u t no official action is to be
taken w ith ou t the au th ority o f the B ish op o f A rles, so that the
longi-established institutions o f ou r fathers m a y not fall into
disuse. A ll the bishops o f B ritain , h o w e v er, w e com m it to
y o u r charge. U se y o u r au th ority to instruct the unlearned, to
strengthen the w eak , and correct the m isguided.
y m . A u gu stin e’s eighth question: M a y an expectant
m other be baptized? H o w soon after childbirth m ay she enter
church? A n d h o w soon after birth m ay a child be baptized i f
in danger o f death? H o w soon after child-birth m ay a husband
have relations w ith his w ife ? A n d m ay a w o m an p ro p erly
enter church at the tim e o f m enstruation? A n d m ay she
receive C o m m u n io n at these tim es? A n d m ay a m an enter
76
Pope Gregory s letter to S. Augustine fc *7
church after relations w ith his w ife before he has w ashed? O r
receive the sacred m ystery o f C o m m u n io n ? These uncouth
English people require guidance on all these matters.
P ope G re g o ry ’s re p ly : I have no doubt, m y brother, that
questions such as these have arisen, and I think I have already
answ ered y o u ; but doubtless y o u desire m y support fo r yo u r
statements and rulings. W h y should not an expectant m other
be baptized? - the fruitfulness o f the flesh is no offence in the
sight o f A lm ig h ty G od . F or w h en ou r first parents sinned in
die G arden, they ju s tly forfeited G o d ’ s gift o f im m ortality.
B u t although G o d d eprived m an o f im m ortality fo r his sin,
he did not destroy the hum an race on that account, but o f his
m erciful goodness left m an his ability to continue the race.
O n w h at grounds, then, can A lm ig h ty G o d ’s free g ift to
m an be excluded fro m the grace o f H o ly B ap tism ? For it
w o u ld be foolish to suppose that his g ift o f grace is con­
trary to the sacred m ystery b y w h ich all gu ilt is w ashed
aw a y.
A s to the interval that m ust elapse after childbirth before a
w o m an m ay enter church, y o u are fam iliar w ith the O ld
Testam ent ru le: that is, fo r a m ale child thirty-three days and
fo r a fem ale, sixty-six. B u t this is to be understood as an alle­
g o ry , fo r w ere a w o m an to enter church and return thanks in
the v e ry hour o f her d elivery, she w o u ld do n othing w ro n g.
T h e fault lies in the b o d ily pleasure, not in the p ain ; the
pleasure is in the b o d ily union, the pain is in the birth, so that
E ve, the m other o f us all, w as to ld : ‘ In sorrow thou shalt bring
forth children.9If, then, w e fo rb id a w o m an w h o is delivered o f
a child to enter church, w e m ake this penalty into a sin. T h ere
is no obstacle to the B ap tism either o f a w o m an w h o has been
delivered, or o f a n ew b o rn babe, even i f it is adm inistered to
her in the v e r y h our o f her d elivery, or to the child at the hour
o f its birth, p rovid ed that there be danger o f death. For as the
grace o f tins sacred m ystery is to be offered w ith great
deliberation to the livin g and conscious, so is it to be adm inis­
tered w ith ou t d elay to the d y in g ; fo r i f w e w ait to offer them
77
>• 27] Pope Gregory s letter to S. Augustine
this m ystery o f redem ption, it m a y be too late to find anyone
to be redeem ed.
A m an should not approach his w ife until her child is
w eaned. B u t a had custom has arisen in the beh aviou r o f
m arried people that w o m en disdain to suckle their o w n chil­
dren, and hand them o v e r to other w o m en to nurse. T h is
custom seems to have arisen solely th rou gh in con tin en cy; fo r
w h en w o m en are u n w illin g to be continent, they refuse to
suckle their children. S o those w h o observe this bad custom
o f g iv in g their children to others to nurse m ust not approach
their husbands until the tim e o f their p urification has elapsed.
F o r even apart fro m childbirth, w o m en are forbidd en to do
so d u ring their m o n th ly courses, and the O ld L a w prescribed
death fo r a n y m an w h o approached a w o m a n d u ring this
tim e. B u t a w o m an should not be forbid d en to enter church
d in in g these tim es; fo r the w o rk in g s o f nature cannot be
considered culpable, and it is n ot ju st that she should be
refused adm ittance, since her con dition is b eyo n d her control.
W e k n o w that the w o m a n w h o suffered an issue o f blood ,
h u m b ly approaching behind o u r L o rd , touched the hem o f
his rob e and w as at once healed o f her sickness. If, therefore,
this w o m a n w as righ t to touch ou r L o rd ’s robe, w h y m a y n ot
one w h o suffers nature’s courses be perm itted to enter the
church o f G o d ? A n d i f it is objected that the w o m an in the
G ospels w as com pelled b y disease w h ile these latter are boun d
b y custom , then rem em ber, m y brother, that everyth in g that
w e suffer in this m ortal b o d y throu gh the in firm ity o f its
nature is ju s tly ordained b y G o d since the Fall o f m an. For
hunger, thirst, heat, cold, and w eariness originate in this
in firm ity o f ou r n ature; and ou r search fo r fo o d against
hunger, drink against thirst, coolness against heat, clothing
against cold, and rest against w eariness is o n ly ou r attem pt to
obtain som e rem ed y in o u r w eakness. In this sense the
m enstrual flo w in a w o m an is an illness. S o , i f it w as a laudable
presum ption in the w o m an w h o , in her disease, touched o u r
L o rd ’s robe, w h y m a y not the sam e concession be granted to
7»
Pope G regorys tetter to S. Augustine f c *7
all w o m en w h o endure the weakness o f their nature?
A w o m an , therefore, should not be forbidd en to receive
the m ystery o f C o m m u n io n at these times. I f an y out o f a deep
sense o f reverence do not presum e to do so, this is com m end­
able ; but i f they do so, they do nothin g b lam ew orth y. Sincere
people often ackn o w led ge their faults even w h en there is no
actual fault, because a blameless action m ay often spring fro m
a fault. For instance, eating w h en w e are h u n gry is no fault,
but being h u n gry originates in A d am ’ s sin; sim ilarly, the
m on th ly courses o f w o m en are no fault, because nature causes
them . B u t the defilem ent o f our nature is apparent even w hen
w e have no deliberate intention to do evil, and this defilem ent
springs fro m sin; so m ay w e recognize the ju d g em en t that our
sin has brough t on us. A n d so m ay m an, w h o sinned w illin g ly ,
bear the punishm ent o f his sin u n w illin g ly. T h erefore, w h en
w o m en after due consideration do not presum e to approach
the Sacram ent o f the B o d y and B lo o d o f the L o rd during their
courses, they are to be com m ended. B u t i f they are m o ved b y
devout lo v e o f this h o ly m ystery to receive it as pious custom
suggests, they are not to be discouraged. F o r w h ile the O ld
Testam ent m akes o u tw ard observances im portant, the N e w
Testam ent does not regard these things so h ig h ly as the inw ard
disposition, w h ich is the sole true criterion fo r allotting pun­
ishm ent. F o r instance, the L a w forbids the eating o f m an y
things as unclean, but in the G ospel ou r L o rd says: ‘N ot that
which goeth into the mouth dejileth a man; but that which cometh
out o f the mouth, this dejileth a man.9 H e also said: *Out o f the
mouth proceed e v il thoughts9H ere A lm ig h ty G o d clearly shows
us that evil actions spring fro m the root o f evil thoughts.
S im ilarly, Saint Paul says: ‘ Unto the pure all things are pure; but
unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure.9 A n d
later, he indicates the cause o f this corruption, ad d in g : ‘For
even their mind and conscience is defiled.9 If, therefore, no food is
unclean to one o f a pure m ind, h o w can a w om an w h o endures
the law s o f nature w ith a pure m ind be considered im pure?
It is not fittin g that a m an w h o has approached his w ife
79
i. 27] Pope Gregory's letter to S. Augustine
should enter church before he has w ashed, n or is he to enter
at once, thou gh w ashed. T h e ancient L a w prescribed that a
m an in such cases should w ash, and forbade h im to enter a
h o ly place before sunset. B u t this m ay be understood spiritu­
a lly ; fo r w h en a m an ’s m ind is attracted to those pleasures b y
lawless desire, he should not regard h im self as fitted to jo in in
Christian w orsh ip until these heated desires cool in the m ind,
and he has ceased to labour under w ro n g fu l passions. A n d
although various nations have differing v iew s on this m atter
and observe different custom s, it w as alw ays the ancient
R o m an usage fo r such a m an to seek purification and out o f
reverence to refrain aw hile fro m entering a h o ly place. In
m ak in g this observation, w e do not condem n m arriage itself,
but since law fu l intercourse m ust be accom panied b y b o d ily
desire, it is fittin g to refrain fro m entering a h o ly place, since
this desire itse lf is not blameless. F o r D a vid , w h o said: ‘Behold,
I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive m e\
w as not h im self b o m o f an y illicit union, but in law fu l w ed ­
lock. B u t k n o w in g h im self to have been conceived in iniquity,
he grieved that he had been b o m in sin, like a tree bearing in
its branches the sap o f evil d raw n up fro m its roo t. In saying
this, he does not term the b o d ily union o f m arried people
in iqu ity, but the desire o f such union. F o r there are m an y
things that are law fu l and legitim ate, and yet in the doing o f
them w e are to som e extent contam inated. F or exam ple, w e
often correct faults under stress o f anger and thereby disturb
our peace o f m in d ; and though w e are righ t to do so, it is not
g o o d that w e should lose ou r peace o f m ind in the process. H e
w h o said: ‘M m e eye is troubled because o f anger91 had been
roused b y the crim es o f evil m en, and because o n ly a quiet
m ind can rest in the light o f contem plation, he regretted that
his eye w as troubled b y anger, so that he w as disquieted and
prevented fro m contem plating h eaven ly things so lon g as he
w as distracted b y indignation at the w ick ed doings o f m en.
1. In the Authorized Version this passage (Psalm 6. 7) reads: ‘ Mine eye
is consumed because of grief.*
80
Pope Gregory s letter to S. Augustine fc *1
So w h ile anger against evil is com m endable, it is harm ful to a
m an because in being disturbed b y it he is conscious o f som e
guilt. L a w fu l intercourse should be fo r the procreation o f o f f ­
spring, and not fo r m ere pleasure; to obtain children, and not
to satisfy lust. B u t i f an y m an is not m oved b y a desire fo r
pleasure, but o n ly b y a desire fo r children, he is to be left to
his o w n ju d g em en t either as to entering church, or to receiv­
in g the C o m m u n io n o f the B o d y and B lo o d o f our L o rd ; fo r
w e have no righ t to debar one w h o does not yield to the fires
o f tem ptation. B u t w h en lust takes the place o f desire fo r
children, the m ere act o f union becom es som ething that the
pair have cause to re g re t; and although the h o ly teachings g iv e
them perm ission, yet this carries a w arn in g w ith it. For w hen
the A postle Paul said: ‘I f they cannot contain, let them marry9, he
at once added, ‘ I speak this by perm ission, and not o f command­
ment.9Th is concession m akes it law fu l, yet not g o o d ; so w hen
he spoke o f perm ission, he indicated that it w as not blameless.
It should be carefu lly considered that, w h en G o d w as about
to speak to the people on M o u n t Sinai, he first ordered them
to abstain fro m w o m en . A n d i f such a degree o f b o d ily purity
w as required in those w h o w ere to hear the w o rd o f G o d
w h en he spoke to m en throu gh a subject creature, h o w m uch
the m ore should w o m en preserve them selves in p u rity o f
b o d y w h en about to receive the B o d y o f A lm ig h ty G o d him ­
self, lest they be o verw h elm ed b y the v e ry greatness o f this
inestim able m ystery? F or this reason the priest instructed
D a vid that, i f his m en w ere clean in this respect, they m ight
be given the shew bread, w h ich w o u ld have been entirely
forbidden had not D a v id first certified that they had kept
them selves fro m w om en . S im ilarly the m an w h o has cleansed
h im self w ith w ater after intercourse w ith his w ife is allow ed
to approach the m ystery o f H o ly C o m m u n ion , since he m ay
enter church in accordance w ith this decision.
IX . A u gu stin e’s ninth question: M a y a m an receive com ­
m union after a sexual illusion in a d ream ; or, i f a priest, m ay
he celebrate the h o ly m ysteries?
81
i . 27] Pope Gregory's letter to S. Augustine
P op e G re g o ry ’ s re p ly : T h e T estam ent o f the O ld L a w , as I
have already m entioned, speaks o f such a m an as unclean and
does not perm it h im to enter church until even in g and after
purification. B u t this is to be understood spiritually in another
sense; fo r a m an m a y be under a delusion and tem pted to im ­
p u rity in a dream , because, h avin g yield ed to tem ptation, he
is defiled b y real m ental im aginin gs. T h en he m ust cleanse
h im self w ith w ater, thus w ashin g a w a y his sinful thoughts
w ith tears. A n d , unless the fire o f tem ptation dies earlier, he
should regard h im self as unclean until even in g. B u t w e should
carefu lly exam ine the orig in o f such illusions in the m ind o f a
sleeper; fo r som etim es th ey arise fro m over-eatin g, som etim es
fro m excess o r lack o f b o d ily v ig o u r, and som etim es fro m
im p ure thoughts. W h en such illusion occurs throu gh excess
o r lack o f b o d ily v ig o u r, it need not be feared, because it is to
be deplored rather as som ething the m in d has u n w ittin gly
suffered than as som ething it has done. B u t w h en a greed y
appetite runs riot and overloads the repositories o f the b o d ily
fluids, the m in d is to blam e, alth ou gh not to the extent that a
m an m ust be forbidd en to receive the h o ly m ystery, o r to say
mass w h en a feast-d ay requires it, o r w h en necessity dem ands
that he adm inister the sacram ent in the absence o f another
priest. B u t i f there are others w h o can p erfo rm this m inistry,
then this illusion caused b y greed need n ot debar a m an fro m
receivin g the h o ly m ystery unless the m ind o f the sleeper has
been excited b y im p ure thoughts; but I think that h u m ility
should m o ve h im to refrain fro m offerin g the h o ly m ysteries
under these circumstances. F o r there are som e w h o are not
m entally disturbed b y im pure thoughts, alth ou gh subject to
these illusions. In these things there is ju s t one thing that show s
that the m ind is not innocent even in its o w n ju d g e m e n t:
although it rem em bers n othing that occurs during sleep, yet
it does rem em ber its greed y appetites. B u t i f the sleeper’s
illusion springs fro m indecent thoughts w h en aw ake, his guilt
stands clear in his m ind and he recognizes the source o f his sin,
because he has unconsciously, experienced w h at has been in
82
Pope G regorys letter to S. Augustine [*• *7
his conscious thoughts. B u t the question arises w hether an evil
thought m erely suggests itse lf to a m an, o r w hether he p ro ­
ceeds to take pleasure in it, or, w orse still, to assent to it. F o r
all sin is consum m ated in three w ays, that is, b y suggestion,
pleasure, and consent. Suggestion com es through the devil,
pleasure th rou gh the flesh, and consent through the w ill. T h e
Serpent suggested the first sin, and E v e , as flesh, took physical
pleasure in it, w h ile A d am , as spirit, consented; and great
discernm ent is needed i f the m ind, in ju d g in g itself, is to
distinguish betw een suggestion and pleasure, and betw een
pleasure and consent. F o r w h en the E v il Spirit suggests a sin,
no sin is com m itted unless the flesh takes pleasure in it; but
w h en the flesh begins to take pleasure, then sin is b o m ; and i f
deliberate consent is g iven , sin is com plete. T h e seed o f sin,
therefore, is in suggestion, its g ro w th in pleasure, and its com ­
pletion in consent. It often happens, h o w ever, that w hat the
E v il Spirit sow s in the m ind and the flesh anticipates w ith
pleasure, the soul rejects. A n d although the b o d y cannot
experience pleasure w ith ou t the m ind, y et the m ind, in con­
tending against the desires o f the b o d y, is to som e extent
u n w illin g ly chained to them , h avin g to oppose them fo r con­
science sake, and stro n gly regretting its bondage to bo d ily
desires. It w as fo r this reason that Paul, that great soldier in
G o d ’s arm y, confessed w ith s o rro w : T see another law in my
members warring against the law o f my mind, and bringing me into
captivity to the law o f sin, which is in my members.’ N o w i f he
w as a captive, he fo u g h t but little; y et he did fight. So he w as
bo th cap tive and also figh tin g w ith the la w o f the m ind, to
w h ich the la w o f the b o d y is opposed. A n d i f he fough t thus,
he w as no captive. S o one m ay say that a m an is both captive
and fre e ; free th rou gh the la w o f righ t w h ich he loves, and
captive through the la w o f b o d ily pleasure, o f w hich he is an
u n w illin g victim .

83
c h a p t e r 2 8 : Pope Gregory writes to the Bish ' o f Arles ,
asking him to help Augustine in his work for Goa [a .d . 601]

u ch w ere the blessed P ope G re g o ry ’s replies to the ques­

S tions o f the m ost reverend B ish op A ugustine. T h e P ope
also w ro te a letter to the B ish op o f A rles, w h ich w as delivered
to V ergilius, successor to Etherius. Th is ran as fo llo w s:
4T o our m ost reverend and h o ly brother V ergiliu s, our
fello w -b ish o p : G re g o ry , servant o f the servants o f G od .
4It is w ell established that brethren w h o visit us on their
o w n initiative should be w a rm ly w elcom ed , since m ost visi­
tors are in vited out o f affection. T h erefore, i f B ish op A u gu s­
tine, w h o is brother to us both, happens to visit y o u , I beg y o u
to receive h im w ith p rop er affection and kindness, so that he
m ay be encouraged b y y o u r g o o d w ill and that others m ay
learn h o w bro th erly lo v e is to be cultivated. A n d since it often
happens that an independent observer sees w h at needs correc­
tion sooner than the m an on the spot, I ask that, should he
brin g to y o u r notice an y w ro n g -d o in g am o n g c lerg y o r others,
y o u m ake careful en q uiry into these m atters w ith his help. In
this w a y y o u w ill show y o u rse lf strict and alert against all abuses
that offend G o d and incur His displeasure, so that the g u ilty
m ay be corrected, the innocent vindicated, and others m end
their w ays. G o d keep y o u safe, m ost reverend brother.
‘ D ated the tw enty-second d ay o f Ju n e , in the nineteenth
year o f ou r m ost pious L o rd and E m p ero r M au rice Tiberius
Augustus, and the eighteenth year after his C o n su lsh ip : the
fo u rth indiction.

chapter 2 9 : G reg o ry sends A u g u stin e the p a lliu m , a letter,

and severa l clergy [a . d . 601]

e a r i n g fro m B ish op A ugustine that he had a rich

H harvest but fe w to help him gather it, P ope G re g o ry sent
w ith his en voys several colleagues and c lergy , o f w h o m the
84
Pope Gregory sends the p a lliu m to S. Augustine [i. 29

principal and m ost outstanding w ere M ellitus, Justus,

Paulinus, and R ufinianus. T h e y brough t w ith them every­
thing necessary fo r the w orship and service o f the C h urch,
including sacred vessels, altar coverings, church ornam ents,
vestm ents fo r priests and clergy, relics o f the h o ly Apostles
and m artyrs, and m an y books. G re g o ry also sent a letter to
A ugustine, tellin g h im that he had dispatched the pallium to
him , and g iv in g h im directions on the appointm ent o f bishops
in B ritain . T h is letter runs as fo llo w s:
‘ T o our m ost reverend and h o ly brother and fellow -bishop
A u g u stin e: G re g o ry , servant o f the servants o f G od .
‘ W h ile A lm ig h ty G o d alone can grant His servants the
ineffable jo y s o f the k in g d o m o f heaven, it is proper that w e
should rew ard them w ith earthly honours, and encourage
them b y such recogn ition to devote them selves to their spiri­
tual labours w ith redoubled zeal. A n d since the n ew C h urch
o f the English has n o w , throu gh the goodness o f G o d and
y o u r o w n efforts, been bro u gh t to the grace o f G od , w e grant
y o u the p rivilege o f w earin g the pallium in that C h urch w hen ­
ever y o u p erform the solem nities o f the M ass. Y o u are to
consecrate tw e lv e bishops in different places, w h o w ill be
subject to y o u r ju risd ictio n : the bishop o f the city o f Lon don
w ill thenceforw ard be consecrated b y his o w n synod, and
w ill receive the honour o f the pallium fro m this apostolic See
w hich, b y divine decree, w e at present occu p y. W e w ish y o u
also to send a bishop o f y o u r o w n choice to the city o f Y o rk ,
and i f that city w ith the adjoining territory accepts the w o rd
o f G od , this bishop is to consecrate tw e lv e other bishops, and
hold the d ign ity o f M etropolitan . I f w e live to see this, w e in­
tend to grant h im the pallium also, but he is to rem ain subject
to y o u r authority. A fter y o u r death, h o w ever, he is to preside
o ver the bishops w h o m he has consecrated and to be w h o lly
independent o f the B ish op o f L on d on. Then ceforw ard,
seniority o f consecration is to determ ine w hether the Bishop
o f Lon don or Y o r k takes precedence; but they are to consult
one another and take united action in all matters concerning
85
L 30] Pope Gregory s letter to M ellitus
the Faith o f C h rist, and take and execute all decisions w ith out
m utual disharm ony.
‘ Y o u , m y brother, are to exercise auth ority in the N am e o f
our L o rd and G o d Jesus C hrist both o v er those bishops w h o m
y o u shall consecrate, and any w h o shall be consecrated b y the
B ish op o f Y o r k , and also o v er all the B ritish bishops. Let Y o u r
G race’s w ord s and exam ple sh ow them a pattern o f righ t
b e lief and h o ly life, so that they m ay execute their office in
righ t b e lie f and practice and, w h en G o d w ills, attain the k in g ­
dom o f heaven. G o d keep y o u safe, m ost reverend brother.
‘ D ated the tw enty-second o f Ju n e , in the nineteenth year
o f our m ost pious L o rd and E m p ero r M au rice T ib eriu s
A ugustus, and the nineteenth after his C o n su lsh ip : the fourth
indiction.’

chapter 3 0 : A copy o f the letter sent by P o p e G reg o ry to

A bb ot M ellitu s on his departure fo r B rita in [a .d . 601]

these messengers had left, the'holy father G re g o ry

W
hen
sent after them letters w o rth y o f our notice, w h ich
show m ost clearly his u n w earyin g interest in the salvation o f
our nation. T h e letter runs as fo llo w s:
‘ T o our w ell lo ved son A b b o t M ellitu s: G re g o ry , servant
o f the servants o f G od .
‘ Since the departure o f those o f ou r fellow ship w h o are
bearing y o u com p an y, w e have been seriously anxious, be­
cause w e have received no new s o f the success o f y o u r jo u rn e y .
T h erefore, w h en b y G o d ’s help y o u reach ou r m ost reverend
brother, B ish o p A ugustine, w e w ish y o u to in fo rm him that
w e have been g iv in g careful thought to the affairs o f the
English, and have com e to the conclusion that the tem ples o f
the idols am ong that people should on no account be des­
troyed. T h e idols are to be destroyed, but the tem ples them ­
selves are to be aspersed w ith h o ly w ater, altars set up in them ,
and relics deposited there.* F o r i f these tem ples are w ell-built,
86
Pope Gregory’s letter to M ellitus [i- 30
they m ust be p urified fro m the w orship o f dem ons and dedi­
cated to the service o f the true G od . In this w a y , w e hope that
the people, seeing that their temples are not destroyed, m ay
abandon their error and, flockin g m ore readily to their
accustom ed resorts, m a y com e to k n o w and adore the true
G o d . A n d since they have a custom o f sacrificing m an y oxen
to dem ons, let som e other solem nity be substituted inits place,
such as a d ay o f D ed ication o r the Festivals o f the h o ly m artyrs
w h ose relics are enshrined there. O n such occasions they
m igh t w ell construct shelters o f boughs fo r themselves around
the churches that w ere once tem ples, and celebrate the solem ­
n ity w ith devout feasting. T h e y are no lon ger to sacrifice
beasts to the D e v il, but they m ay k ill them fo r fo o d to the
praise o f G o d , and g iv e thanks to the G iv e r o f all gifts fo r the
plenty they en joy. I f the people are allow ed som e w o rld ly
pleasures in this w a y , they w ill m ore readily com e to desire
the jo y s o f the spirit. F or it is certainly im possible to eradicate
all errors fro m obstinate m inds at one stroke, and w h o ever
wishes to clim b to a m ountain top clim bs gradually step b y
step, and not in one leap. It w as in this w a y that the L o rd
revealed H im self to the Israelite people in E g y p t, perm itting
the sacrifices fo rm erly offered to the D e v il to be offered
thenceforw ard to H im self instead. So H e bade them sacrifice
beasts to H im , so that, once they becam e enlightened, they
m igh t abandon one elem ent o f sacrifice and retain another.
For, w hile they w ere to offer the same beasts as before, they
w ere to offer them to G o d instead o f to idols, so that they
w o u ld no lon ger be offering the same sacrifices. O f y o u r kind­
ness, y o u are to in fo rm ou r brother A ugustine o f this policy,
so that he m ay consider h o w he m ay best im plem ent it on the
spot. G o d keep y o u safe, m y v e ry dear son.
‘ D ated the seventeenth o f Ju n e , in the nineteenth year o f
the reign o f ou r m ost pious L o rd and E m p eror M aurice
Tiberius Augustus, and the eighteenth after his Consulship:
the fourth indiction.’

87
c h a p t e r 3 1 : Pope Gregory writes to Augustine , warning
him not to boast o f his achievements [a.d . 601]

t the same tim e, hearing that A ugu stin e had perform ed

A l m iracles, P op e G re g o ry sent h im a letter in w h ich he
w arn ed h im not to fall into the peril o f pride on this account.
H e w ro te :
‘ M y v e r y dear brother, I hear that A lm ig h ty G o d has
w o rk e d great w on d ers th rou gh y o u fo r the nation w h ich H e
has chosen. T h erefo re let y o u r feeling be one o f fearfu l j o y
and jo y fu l fear at G o d ’s h eaven ly gifts - j o y that the souls o f
the English are bein g d raw n th rou gh o u tw ard m iracles to
in w ard g ra ce; fear lest the frail m in d becom es p roud because
o f these w on d erfu l events. F o r w h en it receives public reco g­
nition, it is liable to fall throu gh senseless conceit. W e should
rem em ber h o w the disciples returned fro m their preaching
full o f jo y , and said to their h eaven ly M aster: ‘Lord, even the
devils are subject unto us, through thy name.’ B u t th ey received
the p rom p t rejo in d er: ‘/» this rejoice not. B u t rather rejoice
because your names are ivritten in heaven.’ F o r w h en the disciples
rejoiced at these m iracles, th ey w ere thin kin g o f their transi­
to ry personal j o y ; but C h rist recalled them fro m personal to
universal, and fro m transitory to eternal j o y , say in g : ‘In this
rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.’ F o r G o d ’s
chosen do not all w o r k m iracles, y et the nam es o f all are
w ritten in heaven. F o r those w h o are disciples o f the truth
should rejoice o n ly in that g o o d thing w h ich they share w ith
all m en, and w h ich they shall en jo y fo r ever.
‘ Finally, dearest brother, in all the o u tw ard actions w h ich
b y G o d ’s help y o u p erform , alw ays strictly exam ine y o u r
inner dispositions. C le a rly understand y o u r o w n character,
and h o w m uch grace is in this nation fo r w h ose conversion
G o d has given y o u the p o w e r to w o r k m iracles. A n d i f y o u
rem em ber that y o u have ever offended ou r C reato r b y w o rd
or action, let the m em o ry o f y o u r sin crush an y tem ptation
to pride that m ay arise in y o u r heart. A n d bear in m ind that
88
Pope Gregory s letter to K ing Ethelbert [ i 3*
w h atever p ow ers to p erform m iracles y o u have received or
shall receive fro m G o d are entrusted to y o u solely fo r the
salvation o f y o u r p eop le.’

chapter 32: P o p e G reg o ry sends letters and g ifts to K in g

E th elbert

ope G r e g o r y also sent a letter to K in g Ethelbert w ith

P m an y gifts o f different kinds, w ish in g to bestow earthly
honours on this k in g w h o b y his exertions and zeal, and to his
great jo y , had been b ro u gh t to k n o w led g e o f h eaven ly g lo ry .
A co p y o f this letter fo llo w s.
‘ T o ou r excellent son, the m ost glorious K in g Ethelbert,
K in g o f the E n g lish : the B ish o p G re g o ry .
‘ T h e reason w h y A lm ig h ty G o d raises g o o d m en to go vern
nations is that throu gh them H e m a y b estow the gifts o f H is
m ercy on all w h o m th ey rule. W e k n o w that this is so in the
case o f the English nation, o v e r w h o m y o u reign so gloriously,
so that b y means o f the g o o d gifts that G o d grants to y o u H e
m a y bless y o u r people as w ell. T h erefore, m y illustrious son,
zealously foster the grace that G o d has g iv e n y o u , and press on
w ith the task o f exten d in g the C h ristian Faith am ong the
people com m itted to y o u r charge. M ak e their conversion
y o u r first co n cern ; suppress the w orship o f idols, and destroy
their shrines; raise the m oral standards o f y o u r subjects b y
y o u r o w n innocence o f life, en couraging, w arn in g, persuad­
in g, correcting, and sh ow in g them an exam ple b y y o u r go od
deeds. G o d w ill m ost surely grant y o u H is rew ards in heaven
i f y o u faith fu lly p roclaim H is N am e and truth upon earth;
and H e w hose honour y o u seek and uph old am ong yo u r
peoples w ill m ake y o u r o w n nam e glorious to posterity.
‘ So it w as that the d evo ut E m p ero r Constantine in his day
turned the R o m an State fro m its ignorant w orship o f idols b y
his o w n subm ission to ou r m ig h ty L o rd and G o d jesu s C hrist,
and w ith his subjects accepted H im w ith all his heart. T h e
89
1 3»] Pope Gregory s letter to King Ethelbert
result is that his glorious reputation has excelled that o f all his
iredecessors, and he has outshone them in reputation as great-
( y as he surpassed them in g o o d w o rk s. N o w , therefore, let
Y o u r M ajesty m ake all speed to b rin g to y o u r subject princes
and peoples the k n o w led ge o f the O ne G o d , Father, Son and
H o ly Spirit, so that y o u r o w n m erit and repute m ay excel
that o f all the fo rm er kings o f y o u r nation. A n d w h en y o u
have thus cleansed y o u r subjects fro m their sins, y o u w ill bear
the load o f y o u r o w n sins w ith greater confidence before the
ju d g em en t seat o f G od .
‘ O u r m ost reverend brother B ish o p Augustine has been
trained under m onastic R u le, has a com plete kn o w led ge o f
h o ly scripture, and, b y the grace o f G o d , is a m an o f h o ly life.
T h erefo re I beg y o u to listen to his advice u n g ru d g in g ly,
fo llo w it exactly and store it carefu lly in y o u r m e m o ry ; fo r i f
y o u listen to h im w h en he speaks in G o d ’s nam e, G o d h im self
w ill listen m ore read ily to the p rayers he utters on y o u r behalf.
B u t i f y o u ign o re his ad vice - w h ich G o d forb id - and dis­
regard h im w h en he speaks fo r G o d , h o w should G o d p ay
attention w h en he speaks fo r y o u ? W o r k sincerely and w h o le­
heartedly w ith him in ferven t faith, and support his efforts
w ith all the strength G o d has -given y o u , so that y o u m ay
receive a place in the k in g d o m o f C h rist, W h o se Faith y o u
profess and up h old in y o u r o w n realm .
‘ W e w o u ld also have Y o u r M ajesty k n o w w h at w e have
learned fro m the w o rd s o f A lm ig h ty G o d in h o ly Scripture,
that the end o f this present w o rld is at hand and the everlasting
k in g d o m o f the Saints is ap p roach in g.* W h en the end o f the
w o rld is near, unprecedented things occu r - portents in the
sky, terrors fro m heaven, unseasonable tempests, w ars, fam ­
ines, pestilences, and w idespread earthquakes. N o t all these
things w ill happen during o u r o w n lifetim es, bu t w ill all ensue
in due course. T h erefo re, i f an y such filin gs occu r in y o u r o w n
cou n try, do not be anxious, fo r these portents o f the end are
sent to w arn us to consider the w elfare o f our souls and
rem em ber ou r last end, so that, w h en ou r Ju d g e com es, H e
90
Church and monastery at Canterbury fc 33
m a y find us prepared b y g o o d lives. I have m entioned these
m atters in this short letter, m y illustrious son, in the hope
that as the C hristian Faith g ro w s m ore strong in y o u r kin g­
dom , ou r correspondence w ith y o u m a y becom e m ore fre­
quent. So m y pleasure in addressing y o u w ill keep pace w ith
the j o y in m y heart at the glad new s o f the com plete con­
version o f y o u r people.
‘ I have sent som e small presents, w h ich w ill not appear
small to y o u , since y o u w ill receive them w ith the blessing o f
the blessed A postle Peter. M a y A lm ig h ty G o d continue to
perfect y o u in H is grace, p ro lo n g y o u r life fo r m an y years,
and after this life receive y o u am o n g the citizens o f our
heaven ly hom e. M a y the grace o f heaven preserve Y o u r
M ajesty in safety.
‘ D ated the tw enty-second d ay o f Ju n e , in the nineteenth
y ear o f ou r m ost pious lord and E m p ero r M au rice Tiberius
A ugustus, and the eighteenth after his C o n su lsh ip : the fourth
indiction.’

chapter 3 3 : A u gu stin e repairs the C hurch o f O u r S a vio u r

and builds a m onastery o f S a in t P eter the A p o stle. A note
on P eter, its fir s t A bb ot [a .d . 602]

been granted his episcopal see in the ro yal capital,

H
aving
as already recorded, A u gu stin e proceeded w ith the
k in g ’s help to repair a church w h ich he w as in form ed had
been built lo n g ag o b y R o m an Christians. T h is he h allow ed
in the N am e o f ou r Saviou r, G o d , and L o rd Jesus C h rist,*
and established there a d w ellin g fo r h im self and his successors.
H e also built a m onastery a snort distance to the east o f the
city, w h ere at his suggestion K in g Ethelbert erected fro m the
foundations a church dedicated to the blessed Apostles Peter
and Paul, enriching it w ith m an y gifts. It w as here that the
bodies o f Augustine and all the Archbishops o f C anterbu ry
9i
*• 34] D eath o f abbot P eter
and o f the K in g s o f K en t w ere to rest. T h is church w as not
consecrated b y A u gu stin e him self, h o w e v er, but b y
Lauren ce his successor.
T h e first abbot o f this m on astery w as the priest Peter, w h o
w as sent on a m ission to G au l and w as d ro w n ed at sea in a
b a y called A m fleat,1 w h ere the local inhabitants buried h im
w ith o u t ho n o ur. B u t, as evidence o f his h o ly life, A lm ig h ty
G o d caused a h eaven ly fight to appear o v e r his gra ve e v e ry
n igh t, until the local peop le saw it and, realizing that a h o ly
m an la y bu ried there, m ade enquiries as to w hose the b o d y
m igh t be. T h en th ey to o k up d ie b o d y and interred it in a
church in the c ity o f B o u lo g n e w ith the honours due to so
great a m an.

c h a p t e r3 4 : E th e lfrid , K in g o f the N orthum brians, defeats

the Scots an d d rives them out o f E n g la n d [ a . d . 603]

b o u t this tim e, E thelfrid , a v e r y p o w erfu l and am b i-

A ktious k in g, ruled the k in g d o m o f the N orthum brian s. H e

ravaged the B rito n s m o re cru elly than all other English
leaders, so that he m igh t w e ll be com p ared to Saul the K in g
o f Israel, except o f course that he w as ign oran t o f true religion.
H e o verran a greater area than an y other kin g o r ealdorm an,
exterm in atin g o r enslaving the inhabitants, m ak in g their
lands either tributary to the E n glish o r read y fo r English
settlem ent. O n e m igh t fa irly ap p ly to h im the w o rd s o f the
patriarch Ja c o b ’ s blessing o f his son : ‘Benjam in shall ravin as
a w o lf; in the morning he shall devour the p rey, and at night he
shall divide the spoil.’
A larm ed at his advance, A id an , k in g o f those Scots w h o
live d in B ritain , cam e against h im w ith a large and strong
arm y , but w as defeated and fled w ith v e ry fe w , h avin g lost
alm ost his entire a rm y at a fam ous place k n o w n as D egsastan,
that is, D eg sa’ s Stone. In this battle, E th elfn d ’s brother T h e o d -
i. Ambletcuse.
92
N orthum brian victory over the Scots fc 34
bald and all his fo llo w in g w ere killed. Ethelfrid w o n this figh t
in the year o f our L o rd 603, the eleventh o f his reign, w h ich
lasted tw en ty-fo u r years. It w as also the first year o f the reign
o f Phocas, w h o then occupied the throne o f the R o m an
Em pire. F ro m that d ay until the present, no kin g o f the Scots
in B ritain has dared to do battle w ith the English.

93
 BOOK TW O

c h a p t e r i '. O n the death o f P o p e G reg o ry

this tim e, in the year o f ou r L o rd 605, having

A
bo u t

. ruled the apostolic R o m a n C h u rch m ost illustriously fo r

thirteen years, six m onths, and ten days, the blessed P ope
G re g o ry died and w as taken up to his eternal hom e in heaven.
A n d it is fittin g that he should receive fuller m ention in this
history, since it w as throu gh his zeal that our E nglish nation
w as brough t fro m the bondage o f Satan to the Faith o f Christ,
and w e m ay rig h tly term h im ou r o w n apostle. F o r during his
pontificate, w h ile he exercised suprem e auth ority o ver all the
churches o f C hristendom that had already lo n g since been
converted, he transform ed our still idolatrous nation into a
church o f C hrist. S o V e m ay righ tly describe him b y the
term apostle; fo r i f he is not an apostle to others, y et doubt­
less he is to us, and w e are the seal o f his apostleship in the
Lord.
G re g o ry w as R o m an -b o m , son o f G ord ian, and descended
fro m ancestors not o n ly n oble but devout. A m o n g them w as
Felix, once bishop o f the sam e apostolic see, a m an o f h igh
distinction in the C h u rch o f C hrist, and G re g o ry m aintained
this fam ily tradition b y the n o b ility and d evotion o f his
religious life. B y G o d ’ s grace, he turned his aptitude fo r
w o rld ly success w h o lly to the attainm ent o f h eaven ly g lo ry .
F o r he suddenly retired fro m secular life and sought admission
to a m onastery. T h ere he entered upon a life o f such perfection
in grace that in later years he used to recall w ith tears h o w his
m ind w as set on h igh things, soaring above all that is trans­
ito ry, and h o w he w as able to devote h im self entirely to
94
Pope Gregory s early career [n. i
thoughts o f heaven. R em ain in g in the b o d y, he could y e t
transcend its lim itations in contem plation, and looked for­
w ard to death, w h ich m ost m en regard as a punishm ent, as the
ga te w a y to life and rew ard o f his labours. H e used to m ention
this, not in order to call attention to his increase in virtue, but
lam enting rather the decrease in virtu e that he believed him ­
self to have suffered through his pastoral responsibilities. O ne
day, in private conversation w ith his deacon Peter, G re g o ry
described his form er spiritual state, then sadly continued:
‘ M y pastoral responsibilities n o w com pel m e to have dealings
w ith w o rld ly m en, and after the unclouded beauty o f m y
form er peace, it seems that m y m ind is bespattered w ith the
m ire o f daily affairs. For w hen it has squandered itself in atten­
tion to the w o rld ly affairs o f num berless people, even though
it turns in w ard again to m editate on spiritual things, it does so
w ith unm istakably lessened pow ers. S o w h en I com pare w hat
I n o w endure w ith w h at I h ave lost, and w h en I w eigh that
loss, m y burden seems greater than e v e r.’
H o ly G re g o ry spoke in this w a y fro m deep hum ility. Y e t
w e cannot but believe that he lost none o f his m onastic per­
fection through his pastoral cares, and indeed m ade greater
spiritual progress b y his labours fo r the conversion o f souls
than in his form er peaceful life, especially since, even w hen he
becam e Pope, he ordered his house as a m onastery. W h en he
w as first sum m oned fro m his m onastery, ordained to the
m inistry o f the altar, and sent to Constantinople as repre­
sentative o f the apostolic see, he n ever abandoned his spiritual
exercises even am id the concourse o f an earthly palace. For
som e o f his fello w -m o n k s w ere so devoted to him that they
accom panied him to the Im perial city, and he began to m ain­
tain a regular religious observance w ith them . In this w ay ,
as he records, their exam ple p ro ved an anchor-cable that held
him fast to the peaceful shore o f p rayer w h ile he w as tossed
on the restless w aves o f w o rld ly affairs, and his studies in their
com p an y enabled him to refresh a m ind distracted b y earthly
concerns. B y their fellow ship he w as not o n ly strengthened
95
n. i] Pope Gregory s writings
against the tem ptations o f the w o rld , but inspired to ever
greater spiritual activity.
W h en these com panions urged him to w rite a m ystical
com m en tary on the often obscure b o o k o f Jo b , he could not
refuse a task im posed on h im b y b ro th erly affection, w h ich
w o u ld be o f help to m an y people. S o in a w o r k o f th irty-five
sections he ga v e a m arvellou sly clear exposition, sh ow in g
first the literal m eaning o f the b o o k , then h o w it refers to the
sacraments o f C h rist and the C h u rch , and in w h at sense it
applies to each one o f the faithful. H e began this w o rk w h en
Papal representative in the Im perial city, and com pleted it in
R o m e after he becam e Pope. D u rin g his stay in Constanti­
nople he encountered a n ew heresy about our state at the
resurrection and aided b y the grace o f C ath olic truth crushed
it in the v e r y m om en t o f birth. For E utychius, bishop o f that
city, w as proclaim in g that ou r bodies w ill then be im palp­
able, o f finer texture than w in d and air: but w h en G re g o ry
heard this, he p ro ved both b y the light o f reason and b y the
exam ple o f our L o rd ’s R esurrection that this opinion is utterly
opposed to o rth o d o x belief. F o r the C ath olic b e lie f is that
the b o d y, w h en transfigured in the g lo ry o f im m ortality, is
indeed m ade finer b y the operation o f spiritual p o w er, but
rem ains palpable b y reason o f its nature. T h is is exem plified
in ou r L o rd ’s risen b o d y, o f w h ich he said to the disciples:
4Handle M e, and see; fo r a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see
M e have.9In defence o f the Faith, ou r venerable father G re g o ry
contested this rising heresy so effectively that, w ith the
help o f the devout E m p ero r T ib erius Constantine, it w as
entirely suppressed, and no one has since been foun d to rev iv e
it.
G re g o ry also w ro te a notable b o o k , The Pastoral Office, in
w hich he describes in clear term s the qualities essential in
those w h o rule the C h u rch , sh ow in g h o w they should liv e ;
w ith w hat discernm ent they should instruct their various
pupils; and w ith w hat constant awareness they should d aily
call to m ind their o w n frailty. H e also com piled fo rty Homilies
96
H is genius and sanctity [n. i
on the Gospel, w h ich he divided into tw o volum es o f equal
size. H e w rote fou r books o f Dialogues, in w hich, at the request
o f his deacon Peter, he assembled the m ost splendid achieve­
ments o f saints in Italy kn ow n or reported to him , to serve as
patterns o f h o ly life fo r posterity. So, whereas in his Com­
mentaries he show ed w hat virtues w e should strive for, in
describing the m iracles o f the saints he m ade clear the splend­
our o f those virtues. In tw e n ty-tw o hom ilies he also revealed
the illum ination latent in the early and latter parts o f the
prophet Ezekiel, w h ich had hitherto rem ained v e ry obscure.
Further, he com piled a b o o k o f answers in rep ly to the ques­
tions o f Saint A ugustine, first bishop o f the English nation,
w h ich I have already m entioned and quoted in full in this
history. In conjunction w ith the bishops o f Italy he also com ­
piled the short Synodical Book, w h ich deals w ith the adm ini­
stration o f the C hurch. T o these must be added his personal
letters. T h e extent o f his w ritin gs is all the m ore am azing
w hen one considers that throughout his youth, to quote his
o w n w ords, he w as often in ag o n y from gastric pain, perpetu­
ally w o rn out b y internal exhaustion and frequently troubled
b y a slo w but chronic fever. B u t in all these afflictions he
reflected that h o ly scripture says: ‘ The Lord scourgeth every
son whom H e receivetW, and the greater his w o rld ly sufferings,
the greater his assurance o f eternal jo y .
M uch m igh t be said o f his im perishable genius, w hich was
unim paired even b y the m ost severe physical afflictions; for
w hile other popes devoted themselves to building churches
and adorning them w ith go ld and silver, G re g o ry ’s sole con­
cern w as to save souls. W h atever m on ey he had he bestow ed
zealously to relieve the poor, in order that ‘his righteousness
might endure fo r ever, and his horn be exalted with honour\ Like
Jo b , he m igh t ju stly claim , ‘ When the ear heard me, then it
blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me, because
I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had
none to help him. The blessing o f him that was ready to perish
came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing fo r jo y . I put
T — H.E.C.— D 97
n. i] Pope Gregory s concern fo r the English
on righteousness, and it clothed me; my judgement was as a robe
and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.
I was afather to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched
out. A n d I brake the ja w s o f the wicked, and plucked the spoil out
o f his teeth.9 A n d again, ‘ I have not withheld the poor from their
desire, nor caused the eye o f the widow to f a il; nor have I eaten
my morsel m yself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof.
For in my youth compassion grew up with me, and it came forth
with me from my mother s womb.9
A m o n g his deeds o f kindness and justice, this also finds a
place, that he saved our nation fro m the grasp o f the ancient
E n em y b y the preachers w h o m he sent us, and brough t it
into the abiding liberty o f G od . H e w as full o f j o y at its con­
version and salvation, as he m entions w ith fitting com m enda­
tion in his C o m m en tary on J o b : ‘ T h e tongue o f Britain ,
w h ich fo rm erly k n ew o n ly the utterance o f barbarity, has
som e tim e since begun to c ry the H eb rew A lleluia to the praise
o f G od . T h e once restless sea n o w lies quiet beneath the feet
o f H is saints, and its un governable rages, w h ich no earthly
princes could tam e b y the sw ord, are n o w quelled at the sim ple
w o rd o f His priests in the fear o f G od . H eathen nations w h o
n ever trem bled before arm ed hosts n o w accept and o b ey the
teachings o f the hum ble. F or n o w that the grace o f the k n o w ­
ledge o f G o d has enlightened them and His heavenly w ord s
are received and m iracles too are published abroad, the fear o f
G o d restrains them fro m their form er wickedness, and they
desire w ith all their hearts to w in the prize o f eternal life /
In these w ord s G re g o ry proclaim s that the h o ly Augustine
and his com panions guided the English nation to kn ow led ge
o f the truth not o n ly b y their preaching but also b y the display
o f miracles.
A m o n g m an y other matters, blessed Pope G re g o ry decreed
that M ass should be said o ver the tom bs o f the h o ly Apostles
Peter and Paul in their churches. H e also introduced into the
C anon o f the M ass three petitions filled w ith the utm ost
p erfectio n : Order our days in Thy peace, preserve usfrom eternal
98
The story o f the English slave-boys [n. i
damnation, and number us in the Jlock o f Thine elect, Through
Christ our Lord.
G re g o ry ruled the C h urch during the reigns o f the E m per­
ors M aurice and Phocas, and in the second year o f the latter’s
reign he passed fro m this life and entered the true life o f
heaven. H is bo d y w as laid to rest on M arch the tw elfth in the
church o f Saint Peter the A postle before the sacristy, w hence
he w ill one d ay rise in g lo ry w ith other shepherds o f H o ly
C hurch. O n his tom b w as inscribed this epitaph:

Receive, O earth, the body that you gave,

Till G o d’s lifegiving power destroy the grave.
O ver his heaven-bound soul death holds no sway
W h o steps through death into a fairer day.
The life o f this high Pontiff, here at rest,
W ith good deeds past all reckoning was blest.
He fed the hungry, and he clothed the chill,
And by his teaching shielded souls from ill.
W isdom was in his words, and all he wrought
W as as a pattern, acting what he taught.
T o Christ he led the Angles, b y G od’s grace
Swelling Faith’s armies with a new -w on race.
O holy pastor, all your w ork and prayer
T o G od you offered with a shepherd’s care.
Triumphant no w you reap your just reward,
Raised to high place, the consul o f the Lord.I

I must here relate a story, handed d o w n to us b y the

tradition o f our forebears, w h ich explains G re g o ry ’s deep
desire fo r the salvation o f our nation. W e are told that one
day som e m erchants w h o had recently arrived in R o m e dis­
played their m any w ares in the m arket-place. A m o n g the
cro w d w h o thronged to b u y w as G reg o ry , w h o saw am ong
other m erchandise som e boys exposed fo r sale. These had fair
com plexions, fine-cut features, and beautiful hair. L o o k in g
at them w ith interest, he enquired fro m w hat country and
w hat part o f the w o rld they cam e. ‘ T h e y com e fro m the
island o f B ritain ,’ he w as told, ‘ w here all the people have this
99
n. 2] S. Augustine makes overtures to the British
appearance/ H e then asked w hether the islanders w ere C h ris­
tians, o r w hether they w ere still ignorant heathens. ‘ T h e y are
pagan s/ he w as in form ed. ‘A la s ! * said G re g o ry w ith a heart­
felt sigh : ‘ h o w sad that such bright-faced fo lk are still in the
grasp o f the A u th o r o f darkness, and that such graceful
features conceal m inds v o id o f G o d ’s g r a c e ! W h at is the nam e
o f this race ?’ ‘ T h e y are called A n g les/ he w as told. ‘ T h at is
appropriate/ he said, ‘ fo r they have angelic faces, and it is
righ t that they should becom e join t-h eirs w ith the angels in
heaven. A n d w h at is the nam e o f the p rovin ce fro m w h ich
they have been b ro u g h t?’ ‘ D e ira / w as the answ er. ‘ G oo d .
T h e y shall indeed be rescued de ira - fro m w rath - and called
to the m ercy o f C hrist. A n d w h at is the nam e o f their k in g ? ’
‘ A e lle / he w as told. ‘ T h e n / said G re g o ry , m aking p lay on the
nam e, ‘ it is righ t that their land should echo the praise o f G o d
our C reato r in the w o r d A llelu ia.’
A p p roach in g the P op e o f the apostolic R o m an see - fo r he
w as not yet P op e h im self - G re g o ry b egged him to send
preachers o f the w o rd to the English people in B ritain to con­
vert them to C hrist, and declared his o w n eagerness to attem pt
the task should the P op e see fit to direct it. Th is perm ission
w as not forthcom in g, for although the P ope h im self w as
w illin g , the citizens o f R o m e w o u ld not allo w G re g o ry to go
so far aw a y fro m the city. B u t directly G re g o ry succeeded to
the P ap acy him self, he put in hand this lon g cherished project.
H e sent other missionaries in his place; but it w as his prayers
and encouragem ent that m ade their mission fruitful. A n d I
have thought it fitting to include this traditional story in the
history o f our C hurch.

chapter 2: A ugustine urges the B ritish bishops to cement

Catholic u n ity, and perform s a miracle in their presence.
Retribution fo llo w s their refusal [a . d . 603]

e a n w h i l e , w ith the aid o f K in g Ethelbert, Augustine

M sum m oned the bishops and teachers o f the nearest
100
Conference at Augustine's Oak [n. 2
B ritish p ro v in ce* to a conference at a place still k n o w n to the
E nglish as A ugustin e’s O ak, w h ich lies on the border betw een
the H w iccas and the W est Saxons. H e began b y urgin g them
to establish bro th erly relations w ith him in C ath olic un ity, and
to jo in w ith h im in G o d ’s w o rk o f preaching the Gospel to
the heathen.
N o w the Briton s did not keep Easter at the correct tim e,
but betw een the fourteenth and tw entieth days o f the m oon
- a calculation depending on a cycle o f eig h ty-fo u r years.
Furtherm ore, certain other o f their custom s w ere at variance
w ith the universal practice o f the C hurch. B u t despite pro­
tracted discussions, neither the prayers nor the advice nor the
censures o f A ugustine and his com panions could obtain the
com pliance o f the Briton s, w h o stubbornly preferred their
o w n customs to those in universal use am ong Christian
Churches. A ugustine then brough t this len gth y and fruitless
conference to a close, sa y in g : ‘ L et us ask our L o rd , who makes
men to be o f one mind in H is Father’ s house, to grant us a sign
fro m heaven and show us w h ich tradition is to be fo llo w ed ,
and b y w h at roads w e are to hasten ou r steps tow ards H is
kin gd om . B rin g in som e sick person, and let the beliefs and
practice o f those w h o can heal h im be accepted as pleasing to
G o d and to be fo llo w ed b y all.’ O n the reluctant agreem ent o f
his opponents, a blind Englishm en w as led in and presented to
the British priests, fro m w hose m inistry he obtained no heal­
in g or benefit. T h en Augustine, as the occasion dem anded,
knelt in p rayer to the Father o f ou r L o rd Jesus Christ, im p lor­
in g that the m an ’s lost sight m igh t be restored and p ro ve the
means o f brin gin g the light o f spiritual grace to the minds o f
countless believers. Im m ediately the blind m an’s sight w as
restored, and all acknow led ged A ugustine as the true herald o f
the light o f Christ. T h e Briton s declared that, w hile they had
learnt that w hat A ugustine taught w as the true w a y o f right­
eousness, they could not abandon their ancient customs w ith­
out the consent and approval o f their o w n people, and therefore
asked that a second and fuller conference m ight be held.
101
n- 21 S. Augustine s demands anger the Britons
This w as arranged, and seven B ritish bishops and m any
v e ry learned m en are said to have attended, w h o cam e m ainly
fro m their m ost fam ous m onastery w hich the English call
B a n co m ab u rg ,1 then ruled b y A b b o t D in oo t. Those sum­
m oned to this council first visited a w ise and prudent herm it,
and enquired o f him w hether they should abandon their o w n
traditions at A u gu stin e’s dem and. H e an sw ered : ‘ I f he is a m an
o f G od , fo llo w h im .’ ‘ B u t h o w can w e be sure o f this?’ they
asked. ‘ O u r L o rd says, Take M y yoke upon you and learn o f
M e, fo r I am meek and lowly in heart,9 he replied. ‘ T h erefore
i f Augustine is m eek and lo w ly in heart, it show s that he bears
the y o k e o f C hrist him self, and offers it to yo u . B u t i f he is
haugh ty and unbending, then he is not o f G od , and w e should
not listen to h im .’ T h en they asked, ‘ B u t h o w can w e k n o w
even th is?’ ‘A rran ge that he and his follow ers arrive first at
the place appointed fo r the conference,’ answ ered the herm it.
‘ I f he rises courteously as y o u approach, rest assured that he is
the servant o f C h rist and do as he asks. B u t i f he ignores y o u
and does not rise, then, since y o u are in the m ajority, do not
co m p ly w ith his dem ands.’
T h e B ritish bishops carried out his suggestion, and it hap­
pened that A ugustine rem ained seated in his chair. Seeing this,
they becam e an gry, accusing him o f pride and taking pains
to contradict all that he said. A ugustin e then declared: ‘ T h ere
are m an y points on w h ich y o u r custom s conflict w ith ours,
o r rather w ith those o f the universal C hurch. N evertheless, i f
y o u w ill agree w ith m e on three points, I am ready to counten­
ance all y o u r other custom s, although they are con trary to our
ow n . These points are: to keep Easter at the correct tim e ;* to
com plete the Sacram ent o f Baptism , b y w hich w e are reborn
to G od , according to the rites o f the h o ly, R om an , and
apostolic C h u rch ; and to jo in w ith us in preaching the w o rd
o f G o d to the E nglish.’ B u t the bishops refused these things,
nor w o u ld they recognize A ugustine as their archbishop, say­
in g am ong them selves that i f he w o u ld not rise to greet them
I. Bangor-js-Coed, co. Flint.
102
Northumbrian victory over the Britons [n. 2
in the first instance, he w o u ld have even less regard fo r them
once they subm itted to his authority. W hereupon Augustine,
that m an o f G o d , is said to have answ ered w ith a threat that
w as also a p ro p h ecy : i f they refused to accept peace w ith
fellow -C hristian s, they w o u ld be forced to accept w ar at the
hands o f enem ies; and i f they refused to preach to the English
the w a y o f life, they w o u ld eventually suffer at their hands
the penalty o f death. A n d , b y divine ju d gem en t, all these
things happened as Augustine foretold.
Som e w h ile after this, the p ow erfu l kin g Ethelfrid, w h o m
I have already m entioned, raised a great arm y at the C ity o f
Legion s - w h ich the English call Legacestir1, but w hich the
B riton s m ore correctly nam e C arlegion - and m ade a great
slaughter o f the faithless Britons. B e fo re battle w as join ed , he
noticed that their priests w ere assembled apart in a safer place
to p ray fo r their soldiers, and he enquired w h o they w ere and
w hat they had com e there to do. M ost o f these priests cam e
fro m the m onastery o f B a n g o r, w h ere there are said to have
been so m an y m onks that although it w as divided into seven
sections, each under its o w n head, none o f these sections con­
tained less than three hundred m onks, all o f w h o m supported
themselves b y m anual w o rk . M ost o f these m onks, w h o had
kept a three-day fast, had gathered to p ray at the battle,
guarded b y a certain B ro cm ail, w h o w as there to protect
them fro m the sw ords o f the barbarians w hile they w ere intent
on prayer. As soon as K in g Ethelfrid was inform ed o f their
purpose, he said: ‘ I f they are cryin g to their G o d against us,
they are fightin g against us even i f they do not bear arm s/ H e
therefore directed his first attack against them , and then
destroyed the rest o f the accursed arm y, not w ith out heavy
loss to his o w n forces. It is said that o f the m onks w h o had
com e to p ray about tw elve hundred perished in this battle,
and o n ly fifty escaped b y flight. B ro cm ail and his men took
to their heels at the first assault, leaving those w h o m they
should have protected unarm ed and exposed to the sw ord-
1. Chester.
103
n. 3] 5 . Augustine consecrates M ellitus and Justus
strokes o f the enem y. Th us, lon g after his death, w as fulfilled
Bishop A ugustin e’s prophecy that the faithless Britons, w h o
had rejected the offer o f eternal salvation, w o u ld incur the
punishm ent o f tem poral destruction.

c h a p t e r 3 : A ugustine consecrates M ellitu s and Ju stu s as

bishops: his ow n death [a . d . 604]

the year o f our L o rd 604, A ugustine, A rchbishop o f

I
n
B ritain , consecrated tw o bishops, M ellitus and Justus.
M ellitus w as appointed to preach in the p rovin ce o f the East
Saxons, w h ich is separated fro m K en t b y the river Tham es,
and bounded on the east b y the sea. Its capital is the city o f
Lon d o n , w h ich stands on the banks o f the Tham es, and is a
trading centre fo r m an y nations w h o visit it b y land and sea.
A t this tim e Sabert, Ethelbert’s nephew throu gh his sister
R icula, ruled the provin ce under the suzerainty o f Ethelbert,
w h o , as already stated, go vern ed all the English peoples as fa r
north as the H um ber. W h en this p rovin ce too had received
the faith through the preaching o f M ellitus, K in g Ethelbert
built a church dedicated to the h o ly A postle Paul in the city o f
Lon don, w h ich he appointed as the episcopal see o f M ellitus
and his successors. Augustine also consecrated Justus as bishop
o f a Kentish city w hich the English call H rofescaestir1 after an
early chieftain nam ed H ro f. T h is lies nearly tw en ty-fo u r m iles
w est o f C anterbu ry, and a church in honour o f Saint A n d re w
the A postle w as built here b y K in g Ethelbert, w h o m ade
m an y gifts to the bishops o f both these churches as w ell as to
C an terb u ry; he later added lands and p rop erty fo r the m ain­
tenance o f the bishop’ s household.
W h en our father Augustine, the b eloved o f G od , died, his
b o d y w as laid to rest ju st outside the church o f the h o ly
Apostles Peter and Paul, since the church w as not yet com ­
pleted or consecrated. B u t as soon as it w as dedicated, his b o d y
1. Rochester.
104
Death o f S . Augustine [n. a
w as brough t inside and buried in the north porch w ith great
honour. Th is is also the last resting-place o f all succeeding
archbishops except T h eod o re and B ertw ald , w hose bodies
lie inside the church, no space rem aining in the porch. A lm ost
in the centre o f the church stands an altar dedicated in honour
o f blessed P op e G re g o ry , at w hich a priest o f the place says
solem n mass in their m em o ry each Saturday. O n the tom b o f
A ugustine is inscribed this epitaph:
4H ere rests the L o rd A ugustine, first A rchbishop o f Canter­
b u ry, w h o , h avin g been sent here b y blessed G re g o ry , P o n tiff
o f the C ity o f R o m e, and supported b y G o d w ith miracles,
guided K in g Ethelbert and his people fro m the w orship o f
idols to the Faith o f Christ. H e ended the days o f his duty in
peace, and died on the tw en ty-sixth day o f M a y in the above
K in g ’s reig n .’

c h a p t e r4 : Laurence and his fe llo w -b ish o p s urge the

Scots to maintain the unity o f the Churchy particularly in
the observance o f E a ster: M ellitu s visits R om e [ a .d . 605]

ugustine w as succeeded in the archbishopric b y

A l Laurence, w h o m he had consecrated during his o w n
lifetim e; fo r he feared that even a short interval w ith ou t a
pastor m ight cause a setback to the n e w ly established C hurch.
In so doing, he fo llo w ed the precedent set b y the C h u rch ’s first
Pastor, blessed Peter, Prince o f the Apostles, w h o , having
established the C h urch in R o m e, is said to have consecrated
C lem ent as his assistant and successor. O n receivin g the dig­
n ity o f archbishop, Laurence gave constant encouragem ent
and a h o ly exam ple to his flock, w o rk in g tirelessly to perfect
the edifice o f the C h u rch w hose foundations he had seen so
n obly laid. N o r w as his interest lim ited to the C h urch n ew ly
recruited fro m the E n glish ; fo r he sought also to extend his
pastoral care to the original inhabitants o f B ritain , and to the
Scots o f Ireland adjacent to this island o f B ritain . For having
10 5
n. 4] T h e E n g lish bishops' letter to the Scots
learned that in their o w n cou n try the life and practice o f the
Scots and o f the B riton s w ere in m an y respects u n orthodox -
particularly in the observance o f Easter, w hich, as p reviou sly
explained, they did not keep at the righ t tim e, but betw een
the fourteenth and tw entieth days o f the m oon - he w rote
them a letter jo in tly w ith his fellow -bishops, urgin g them to
jo in in m aintaining the un ity, peace, and C ath olic custom s o f
the C hristian C h u rch established throughout the w o rld . This
letter com m ences:
‘ T o ou r dear brothers the lo rd bishops and abbots through­
out Scottish lands: fro m Laurence, M ellitus, and Justus,
servants o f the servants o f G od .
‘ W h en , in accordance w ith its custom , w h ich holds go o d
throughout the w o rld , the apostolic see sent us to the western
lands to preach the G ospel to the heathen peoples, w e cam e to
this island o f B ritain . U n til w e realized the true situation, w e
had a h igh regard fo r the devotion both o f the B riton s and o f
the Scots, believin g that they fo llo w ed the custom s o f the
universal C h urch. O n further acquaintance w ith the Britons,
w e im agined that the Scots m ust be better. W e have n ow ,
h o w ever, learned through B ish op D agan on his visit to this
island, and through A b b o t C oluihbanus in G aul, that the Scots
are no different fro m the B riton s in their practices. For w hen
B ish op D agan visited us, he refused not o n ly to eat w ith us but
even to take his m eal in the same house as ourselves/
Laurence and his fellow -bishops also w ro te a dignified
letter to the British bishops, in w h ich he tried to brin g them
into C ath olic u n ity; but the present state o f affairs shows h o w
little he succeeded.
A t this tim e M ellitus, B ish op o f L on d on , visited R o m e
to acquaint the P op e w ith the affairs o f the C h urch o f the
E n g lish . T h is m ost reverend P op e had sum m oned a council
o f the bishops o f Italy to d raw up regulations fo r m onastic
life and discipline, and M ellitus sat w ith them at this council,
w h ich took place on the tw enty-seventh o f February 6 10 in
the eighth year o f the E m p ero r Phocas. T h e presence o f
106
Death o f King Ethelbert [n. 5
M ellitus enabled him to subscribe to all the regular decisions
o f the council and con firm them w ith his authority, and to
co n vey them to the Churches o f the English fo r their accep­
tance and prom ulgation on his return to Britain . H e also
brought back letters fro m the Pope both to G o d ’s beloved
Archbishop Laurence and all his clergy, and to K in g Ethel­
bert and his people. This P ope w as B o n iface [IV ], third bishop
o f R o m e after G re g o ry , w h o persuaded the E m p eror Phocas
to g iv e the Christian C h u rch the R o m an tem ple anciently
k n o w n as the Pantheon, as though it w ere em blem atic o f all
the gods. A fter solem n purification, B o n iface consecrated
it as the C h urch o f the H o ly M oth er o f G o d and all Christian
M arty rs; and once its com p an y o f devils had been cast out,
it becam e a m em orial to the C o m p a n y o f Saints.

chapter S ' A t the deaths o f Ethelbert and Sabert their suc­

cessors reviv e idolatry: on this account, both M ellitu s and
Ju stu s leave B ritain [ a .d . 616]

the year o f our L o rd 6 16 - the tw enty-first year after

I
n
A ugustine and his com panions w ere dispatched to preach
to the English nation - K in g Ethelbert o f the Kentish folk died
after a glorious earthly reign o f fifty -six years, and entered the
eternal jo y s o f the k in gd o m o f heaven. H e w as the third
English kin g to hold sw ay o ver all the provinces south o f the
river H um ber, but he w as the first to enter the k in gd o m o f
heaven. T h e first kin g to hold such overlordship w as A elle,
K in g o f the South Saxon s; the second w as C aelin, K in g o f the
W est Saxons, k n o w n in the speech o f his people as C eau lin ;
the third, as I have m entioned, w as Ethelbert, K in g o f the
Kentish fo lk ; the fourth w as R ed w ald , K in g o f the East
A ngles, w h o even in the lifetim e o f Ethelbert w as w inning
pre-em inence for his o w n people. T h e fifth was E d w in , K in g
o f the N orthum brians, that is, the people livin g north o f the
H um ber, w h o w as a p o w erfu l kin g, and ruled all the peoples
107
n. 5] King Eadbald rejects the faith
o f B ritain , both A n gles and Briton s, w ith the exception o f the
Kentish folk. H e also brough t under English rule the British
M evan ian Isles,1 w h ich lie betw een Ireland and Britain . T h e
sixth w as O sw ald , also K in g o f the N orthum brians but a most
Christian one, w h o m aintained the same fron tiers; the seventh
w as his brother O s w y ,* w h o fo r a w hile ruled the same
territo ry, and to a large extent conquered and m ade tributary
the Piets and Scots in the northern parts o f Britain. B u t I shall
speak o f these kings later.
K in g Ethelbert died on the tw en ty-fou rth o f February,
tw en ty-o n e years after em bracing the Faith, and w as buried
in Saint M artin ’s P orch in the C h urch o f the blessed Aposdes
Peter and Paul, w h ere B erth a his queen also rests. A m o n g the
m an y benefits that his w isd om conferred on the nation, he
introduced w ith the consent o f his counsellors a code o f law
inspired b y the exam ple o f the R om ans, w h ich w as w ritten in
English, and rem ains in force to this day. T h e first o f his law s is
designed to protect those w hose persons and doctrines he had
em braced, and prescribes w h at satisfaction must be m ade b y
any person w h o steals p rop erty fro m the C h urch, the bishop,
or other clergy.
Ethelbert w as son o f Irm inric, son o f O cta, and after his
grandfather O eric, sum am ed Oise, the kings o f the Kentish
fo lk are co m m o n ly k n o w n as O iscings. T h e father o f
O eric w as H engist, w h o first cam e to B ritain w ith his son
O eric at the invitation o f V o rtig e m , as I have already
related.
T h e death o f Ethelbert and the accession o f his son Eadbald
p ro ved to be a severe setback to the gro w th o f the yo u n g
C h u rch ; fo r not o n ly did he refuse to accept the Faith o f
C hrist, but he w as also g u ilty o f such fornication as the Apostle
Paul m entions as being unheard o f even am ong the heathen,
in that he took his father’s (second) w ife as his o w n . H is im ­
m orality w as an incentive to those w h o , either out o f fear or
favo u r to the k in g his father, had subm itted to the discipline
1. Man and Anglesey.
10 8
The East Saxons expel M ellitus [n. 5

o f faith and chastity, to revert to their form er uncleanness.

H o w e ver, this apostate kin g did not escape the scourge o f
G o d ’s punishm ent; fo r he w as subject to frequent fits o f
insanity and possessed b y an evil spirit.
T h e death o f the Christian K in g Sabert o f the East Saxons
aggravated the upheaval; for, w hen he departed for the
heavenly kin gd om he left three sons, all pagans, to inherit his
earthly kin gd om . These w ere quick to profess idolatry,
w hich they had pretended to abandon during the lifetim e o f
their father, and encouraged their people to return to the old
gods. It is told that w hen they saw Bish op M ellitus offering
solem n M ass in church, they said w ith barbarous presum p­
tion : ‘ W h y do y o u not offer us the w h ite bread w hich y o u
used to g iv e to our father Saba (for so they used to call him ),
w h ile y o u continue to g iv e it to the people in ch u rch ?’ T h e
Bish op answered, ‘ I f y o u w ill be w ashed in the w aters o f
salvation as y o u r father w as, y o u m ay share in the consecrated
bread, as he d id ; but so lon g as y o u reject the w ater o f life, y o u
are quite unfit to receive the B read o f L ife .’ T h e y retorted:
‘ W e refuse to enter that font and see no need fo r it; but w e
w ant to be strengthened w ith this bread.’ T h e Bishop then
carefully and repeatedly explained that this w as forbidden,
and that no one w as adm itted to receive the m ost h o ly C o m ­
m union w ith out the m ost h o ly cleansing o f Baptism . A t last
they g re w v e ry an gry, and said: ‘ I f y o u w ill not oblige us b y
granting such an easy request, y o u shall no lon ger rem ain in
our^kingdom .’ A n d they drove him into exile, and ordered all
his follow ers to leave their borders.
A fter his expulsion, M ellitus cam e to K en t to consult w ith
his fellow -bishops Laurence and Justus on the best course o f
action; and they decided that it w o u ld be better fo r all
o f them to return to their o w n cou n try and serve G od in free­
dom , rather than to rem ain im potently am ong heathen w h o
had rejected the Faith. M ellitus and Justus left first and settled
in G aul to aw ait the outcom e o f events. B u t the kings w ho
had driven out the herald o f truth did not lon g rem ain un-
109
“ • 61 Laurence converts King Eadbald
punished fo r their w orship o f dem ons; fo r they and their
arm y fell in battle against the W est Saxons. N evertheless, the
fate o f the instigators did not cause their people to abandon
their evil practices, or to return to the sim ple faith and love
to be foun d in C h rist alone.

chapter 6 : Laurence is reproved by S a in t Peter, and con­

verts K in g E a db ald to C hrist. M ellitu s and Ju stu s are
recalled [a . d . 6 i 6 ]

the v e r y night before Laurence too w as to fo llo w

O
n
M ellitus and Justus fro m B ritain , he ordered his bed to be
placed in the C h u rch o f the blessed A postles Peter and Paul,
o f w h ich w e have spoken several times. H ere after lo n g and
ferven t prayers fo r the sadly afflicted C h u rch he lay d o w n and
fell asleep. A t dead o f night, blessed Peter, Prince o f the
Apostles, appeared to him , and set about h im fo r a lon g tim e
w ith a h e av y scourge, dem anding w ith apostolic sternness
w h y he w as abandoning the flock entrusted to his care, and
to w h ich o f the shepherds he w o u ld com m it C h rist’s sheep
left am o n g the w o lves w h en he fled. ‘ H ave y o u forgotten m y
e x am p le ?’ asked Peter. ‘ F or the sake o f the little ones w h o m
C h rist entrusted to m e as p r o o f o f H is lo ve, I suffered chains,
b low s, im prisonm ent, and pain. Fin ally, I endured death, the
death o f cru cifixion , at the hands o f unbelievers and enemies
o f C hrist, so that at last I m igh t be crow n ed w ith H im .’
D ee p ly m o ved b y the w ord s and scou rgin g o f blessed Peter,
C h rist’s servant Laurence sought audience w ith the kin g early
n ext m orn in g, and rem o vin g his garm ent, show ed him the
m arks o f the lash. T h e k in g w as astounded, and enquired w h o
had dared to scourge so em inent a m an ; and w h en he learned
that it w as fo r his o w n salvation that the archbishop had
suffered so severely at the hands o f C h rist’s o w n A postle, he
w as greatly alarm ed. H e renounced his id olatry, gave up his
un law ful w ife , accepted the C hristian Faith, and w as baptized,
no
Death o f Laurence; succession o f M ellitus [n. 7

h enceforw ard p ro m o tin g the w elfare o f the C h u rch w ith

e v e ry m eans at his disposal.
T h e k in g also sent to Gaul and recalled M ellitus and Justus,
g iv in g them free perm ission to return and set their churches
in o rd er: so, the year after they left, they returned. Justus
cam e back to his o w n city o f R och ester; but the people o f
Lon d o n preferred their o w n idolatrous priests, and refused
to accept M ellitus as bishop. A n d since the k in g ’s authority
in the realm w as not so effective as that o f his father, he w as
pow erless to restore the bishop to his see against the refusal
and resistance o f the pagans. A fter his conversion, h o w ever,
he and his people w ere zealous to observe the teachings o f our
L o rd , and in the m onastery o f the m ost blessed Prince o f the
Apostles he built a church to the H o ly M oth er o f G o d , w hich
w as consecrated b y A rch bishop M ellitus.

chapter 7 : T h e p rayers o f B ish op M ellitu s p u t out a fir e

in his city [a .d . 619]

O N the second day o f Feb ru ary in the same k in g ’s reign,

the blessed A rch bishop Laurence passed to the kin gd om
o f heaven, and w as buried in the m onastery church o f the
h o ly A postle Peter next to his predecessor. M ellitus, Bish op
o f Lon don , becam e the third A rchbishop o f C an terbu ry in
the succession o f A ugustine, w h ile Justus, w h o w as still livin g,
ruled the C h urch o f Rochester. W h ile these bishops w ere
gu id in g the C h u rch o f the English w ith great care and energy,
they received letters o f encouragem ent fro m B o n iface, Bish op
o f the apostolic R o m an see, w h o succeeded Deusdedit in the
year o f our L o rd 6 19 . A n d although M ellitus becam e crippled
w ith the gout, his sound and ardent m ind overcam e his
troublesom e in firm ity, ever reaching above earthly things to
those that are heaven ly in lo ve and devotion. N o b le b y birth,
he w as even nobler in m ind.
I record one am ong m an y instances o f his virtue. O ne day
h i
n. 8] Death o f M ellitus
the city o f C an terb u ry w as set on fire th rou gh carelessness,
and the spreading flam es threatened to destroy it. W ater
failed to extin guish the fire, and already a considerable area
o f the city w as destroyed. A s the rag in g flam es w ere sw eeping
rap id ly tow ards his residence, the bishop, trusting in the help
o f G o d w h ere m an ’s help had failed, ordered h im self to be
carried into the path o f its leaping and darting advance. In the
place w h ere the flames w ere pressing m ost fiercely stood the
C h u rch o f the Four C ro w n e d M a rty rs.* H ither the bishop w as
borne b y his attendants, and here b y his prayers this in firm
m an averted the danger w h ic h all the efforts o f strong m en
had been pow erless to check. F o r the southerly w in d , w h ich
had been spreading the flames throughout the city, suddenly
veered to the north, thus saving the places that lay in their
path: then it dropped altogether, so that the fires burned out
and died. T h us M ellitus, the m an o f G o d , afire w ith lo ve fo r
him , because it had been his practice b y constant prayers and
teaching to fend o ff storm s o f spiritual evil fro m h im self and
his people, w as deservedly em p ow ered to save them fro m
m aterial w ind s and flames.
H a v in g ruled the C h u rch fiv e years, M ellitus likew ise
departed to the heaven ly k in gd o m in the reign o f K in g Ead-
bald, and w as laid to rest w ith his predecessors in the same
m onastery church o f the h o ly A postle Peter on the tw e n ty-
fourth day o f A p ril, in the year o f ou r L o rd 624.

chapter 8 : Pope Boniface [ V ] sends the p a lliu m with a

letter to Justus , M ellitus 9 successor [ a . d . 624]

u s t u s , B ish op o f Rochester, at once succeeded M ellitus

J as archbishop. H e consecrated R om an us as B ish op o f

Rochester in his place, h avin g received authority to consecrate
bishops fro m P op e B o n iface, successor to P ope D eusdedit.
T h is letter o f au thority runs as fo llo w s;
‘ B o n i f a c e , to his w ell belpved brother Justus. T h e con­
112
Pope Boniface sends the p a lliu m to Justus [n. 8
tents o f y o u r letter and the success granted to y o u r w o rk are
double evidence o f y o u r d evotion and diligence in spreading
the G ospel o f C hrist. A lm ig h ty G o d has not been unm indful
o f the honour due to H is N am e, or o f the rew ard due to y o u r
labours; fo r H e has faith fu lly prom ised the preachers o f the
G ospel, “ Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end o f the
world.” T h is prom ise H e has o f H is m ercy especially fulfilled
in y o u r o w n m inistry, open in g the hearts o f the nations to
receive the m ystery o f the G ospel through y o u r preaching.
For H e has cro w n ed the w o n d erfu l progress o f y o u r g o o d
w o rk w ith H is blessing, and has granted a plentiful increase
to the faithful em p lo ym en t o f the talents entrusted to y o u ,
w h ich w ill set y o u r seal on m an y generations to com e. Th is is
the ju st rew ard o f the constancy w ith w h ich y o u have held to
y o u r appointed m ission, w h ile w ith com m endable patience
y o u aw ait the redem ption o f this nation, so that it m ay profit
through the merits o f those w h o w o rk fo r its salvation; for
ou r L o rd H im self has said, “ He that endureth to the end shall
be saved.” B y y o u r patient hope and courageous endurance
y o u have been saved, so that y o u m a y cleanse the hearts o f
the heathen fro m the ills im planted b y nature and b y super­
stition, and obtain m ercy fo r them fro m their Saviou r.
W e learn, fu rtherm ore, fro m the letters o f ou r son K in g
E th elw ald ,1 h o w y o u r p rofou nd kn o w led ge o f G o d ’s h o ly
w o rd has guided him to a real con version and acceptance o f
the true Faith. W e firm ly trust in G o d ’s patience and m ercy,
and are confident that y o u r preaching and m inistry w ill effect
a com plete conversion o f his o w n people and also o f their
neighbours. In this w a y , as the Scripture says, w ill y o u receive
the rew ard o f a task w ell done fro m the L o rd and G iver o f all
g o o d things, and the universal profession o f the nations, after
receivin g the m ysteries o f the C hristian Faith, w ill proclaim :
“ Their sound is gone out through all the earth, and their words to
the end of the world.”
‘ M o v e d b y y o u r devotion , m y brother, w e are sending
i. i.e. Eadbald.
“ • 9] Edwin K ing o f the Northumbrians
y o u b y the bearer o f this letter the pallium , w h ich w e grant
y o u the p riv ileg e o f w earin g o n ly w h en y o u celebrate the
H o ly M ysteries. W e also gran t y o u au th ority, under the
gu id in g m ercy o f o u r L o rd , to consecrate bishops as occasion
m a y require, in ord er that the G osp el o f C h rist m a y be diffused
b y the m ouths o f m an y preachers am o n g all nations as yet
unconverted. W e are confident that y o u w ill m aintain w ith
w hole-hearted sincerity this d ig n ity granted y o u b y the
favo u r o f the A p ostolic See, bearin g in m ind all that is
sym bolized b y this highest o f honours w h ich y o u have
received to w ear on y o u r shoulders. A n d , as y o u im p lore
G o d ’s m ercy, end eavour so to liv e and labour that w h en y o u
stand before the ju d g em en t seat o f G o d , y o u m a y display this
honour w h ich w e grant y o u not o n ly unstained but enhanced
b y the witness o f all the souls w h ich y o u have w o n .
‘ G o d keep y o u in safety, m y dearest brother.’

chapter 9 : The reign o f K ing E d w in : Paulinus comes to

preach the Gospel to him , and first administers the Sacra­
ment o f Baptism to his daughter and others [a . d . 625]

t this tim e, the people o f the N orthum brian s, the

A . E nglish liv in g n orth o f the H u m ber, under E d w in their

k in g received the Faith throu gh the m in istry o f Paulinus,
w h o m I have already m entioned. A s a sign that he w o u ld
com e to the Faith and the heaven ly k in gd o m , K in g E d w in
received w id e additions to his earthly realm , and brough t
under his sw ay all the territories inhabited either b y English
o r b y B riton s, an achievem ent unm atched b y an y previous
English kin g. H e also b ro ugh t the Isles o f A n glesey and M an
under E nglish ru le: o f these, the southern island is the larger
and m ore fertile, and b y E nglish reckon ing, extends to nine
hundred and sixty hides, w h ile the other island extends to
rather m ore than three hundred.
T h e N orth u m b rian people’ s acceptance o f the Faith o f
Edwin marries a Christian princess [n. 9

C hrist cam e about through their k in g ’ s alliance w ith the

kings o f K en t b y his m arriage to Ethelberga, k n o w n as Tata,
a daughter o f K in g Ethelbert. E d w in sent an em bassy o f nobles
to her brother Eadbald, then k in g o f the K entish fo lk, to
request her hand in m arriage, but received the rep ly that it w as
not perm issible fo r a Christian m aiden to be given in m arriage
to a heathen husband, lest the Christian Faith and Sacram ents
be profaned b y her association w ith a kin g w h o w as w h o lly
ignorant o f the w orship o f the true G od . W h en E d w in ’s m es­
sengers returned w ith this rep ly, he gave an assurance that he
w o u ld place no obstacles in the w a y o f the Christian Faith, and
w o u ld afford com plete freedom to Ethelberga and her atten­
dants, both m en and w om en , priests and servants, to live and
w orship in accordance w ith Christian b e lief and practice. H e
also professed h im self w illin g to accept the religion o f C hrist
if, on exam ination, his advisers decided that it appeared m ore
h o ly and acceptable to G o d than their ow n .
O n this understanding, the m aiden w as betrothed and sent
to E d w in ; and in accordance w ith the agreem ent Paulinus,
a m an beloved o f G od , w as consecrated bishop, so that he
could accom pany the princess as her chaplain and b y daily
Mass and instruction preserve her and her com panions fro m
corruption b y their association w ith the heathen.
Paulinus w as consecrated bishop b y Archbishop Justus on
Ju ly 2 1 st, 625, and cam e to E d w in w ith the princess as her
spiritual counsellor in the m arriage. B u t he w as further deter­
m ined to brin g the nation to w hich he w as sent to the k n o w ­
ledge o f the Christian truth, and to fulfil the A postle’s saying,
4to espouse her to one husband, that he might present her as a chaste
virgin to Christ’ . Th erefore, directly he entered the province
he began to toil unceasingly not o n ly b y G o d ’s help to main­
tain the faith o f his com panions unim paired, but i f possible
to brin g som e o f the heathen to grace and faith b y his teaching.
B u t although he laboured lon g, yet as the Apostle says, ‘ the
god o f this world blinded the minds o f them which believed not, lest
the light o f the glorious Gospel o f Christ should shine unto them9.
n. 9] A n attempt on Edwin s life
D u rin g the fo llo w in g year, an assassin nam ed E um er w as
sent into the p rovin ce b y C u ich elm , K in g o f the W est
Saxons, in order to rob E d w in both o f his k in gd om and his
life. T h is m an had a d ouble-edged, poisoned dagger, to ensure
that i f the w o u n d itse lf w ere not m ortal, the poison w o u ld
com plete its w o rk . O n Easter D a y E u m er arrived at the royal
residence b y the D erw en t, and w as adm itted into the k in g ’s
presence on the p retext o f deliverin g a m essage fro m his
m aster. A n d w h ile he w as artfu lly deliverin g his pretended
m essage, he suddenly sprang up, and d raw in g the dagger fro m
beneath his clothes, attacked the kin g. S w ift to see the k in g ’s
peril, Lilia, his counsellor and best friend, h avin g no shield to
protect the kin g, interposed his o w n b o d y to receive the
b lo w ; but even so, it w as delivered w ith such force that it
w ou n ded the k in g through the b o d y o f his w arrio r. T h e
assassin w as im m ediately attacked on all sides, but killed yet
another o f the k in g ’s m en nam ed Fordhere in the ensuing
struggle.
O n the same h o ly n ight o f Easter D a y , the queen w as
delivered o f a daughter, to be nam ed E anfled; and as the kin g
thanked his gods in the presence o f Bish op Paulinus fo r the
birth o f his daughter, the bishop gave thanks to Christ, and
told the kin g that it w as C hrist w h o had given the queen a
safe and painless d elivery in response to his prayers. T h e kin g
w as greatly pleased at his w ord s, and prom ised that i f G od
w o u ld grant him life and v ic to ry o ver the kin g his enem y
w h o had sent the assassin, he w o u ld renounce his idols and
serve C h rist; and as a pledge that he w o u ld keep his w o rd he
gave his infant daughter to Paulinus to be consecrated to
Christ. A cco rd in g ly, on the Feast o f Pentecost this infant,
together w ith tw elve others o f her household, w as the first o f
the N orthum brian s to receive Baptism .
W h en the k in g had recovered fro m the assassin’ s w ou nd,
he sum m oned his forces, m arched against the W est Saxons,
and in the ensuing cam paign either slew or forced to surrender
all those w h o had plotted his m urder. R etu rn in g hom e
116
Character o f Edwin [n. io

victorious, the kin g w o u ld not receive the Sacram ent o f

Christian B ap tism at once or w ith out due consideration,
although he had already abandoned idol-w orship w hen he
prom ised that he w o u ld serve C hrist. B u t he w ished first to
receive a fu ll course o f instruction in the Faith from the
venerable Paulinus, and to discuss his proper course w ith
those o f his counsellors on w hose w isd om he placed most
reliance. F or the kin g w as b y nature a w ise and prudent man,
and often sat alone in silent converse w ith h im self fo r long
periods, turning o ver in his inm ost heart w hat he should do
and w hich religion he should fo llo w .

c h a p t e r io : P o p e Boniface writes to the k in g , urging him

to accept the Faith

bou t this tim e, the kin g received a letter fro m Bon iface,
A . Bish op o f the apostolic R o m an see, u rgin g him to accept
the Faith. H ere fo llo w s a co p y o f this letter, sent b y the blessed
and apostolic Pope B o n iface o f the C h u rch and C ity o f R o m e
to the illustrious E d w in , K in g o f the E n glish :
!T o the illustrious E d w in , K in g o f the E n glish : Bon iface,
Bish op, servant o f the servants o f G od .
‘ T h e w ord s o f m an can never express the p o w er o f the
suprem e D iv in ity , abiding in His o w n greatness, invisible,
inscrutable, eternal, such that no hum an intelligence can
understand or define h o w great it is. Nevertheless, G o d ’s
hum anity h aving opened the doors o f m an’s heart to adm it
H im , m ercifully infuses into their m inds b y secret inspiration
som e k n o w led ge o f H im self. A cco rd in gly, w e have under­
taken to extend ou r priestly responsibility to disclose to y o u
the fullness o f the Christian Faith, in order that w e m ay
im part to y o u r senses also the Gospel o f Christ, w hich our
Saviou r com m anded to be preached to all nations, and m ay
offer y o u the m edicine o f salvation.
‘ T h e clem ency o f the D iv in e M ajesty, w h o b y His W o rd
117
n - j °] Letter from Pope Boniface to Edwin
alone created and established the heavens and the earth, the
sea and all that in them is, has ordained the law s b y w h ich
they subsist; and b y the counsel o f H is co-etem al W o rd in the
un ity o f the H o ly Spirit H e has fo rm ed m an after H is o w n
im age and likeness fro m the dust o f the earth. H e has further
granted him a m ost excellent p rerogative, placing h im above
all other creatures in ord er that he m ay inherit eternal life b y
obedience to H is com m andm ents. T h is G o d - Father, Son,
and H o ly Spirit - the undivided T rin ity - is adored and
w orship p ed b y the hum an race fro m east to w est, w h ich con­
fesses H im b y the faith that brings salvation as C reato r o f all
things and M ak er o f all m en. T o him are subject all im perial
p o w er and au th o rity; fo r it is b y h im that kingship is con­
ferred. O f H is bountiful m ercy and fo r the w ell-b ein g o f all
his creatures, H e has been pleased to w a rm w ith H is H o ly
Spirit the frozen hearts o f the m ost distant nations o f the
w o rld in a m ost w o n d erfu l m anner to k n o w led ge o f H im self.
‘ W e presum e that Y o u r M ajesty has heard in fuller detail,
as fro m a n eigh bou ring territo ry, h o w ou r R edeem er in H is
m ercy has b ro ugh t light to ou r excellent son Eadbald and the
nations subject to him . W e therefore trust that H eaven ’s
m ercy w ill grant this w o n d erfu l g ift to y o u as it has to him ,
m ore especially as w e understand that y o u r gracious Q ueen
and true partner is already end ow ed w ith the gift o f eternal
life throu gh the regeneration o f H o ly Baptism . In this letter
w e affectionately u rge Y o u r M ajesties to renounce idol-
w orsh ip , reject the m u m m ery o f tem ples and the deceitful
flattery o f om ens, and believe in G o d the Father A lm ig h ty ,
and in H is Son Jesus C hrist, and in the H o ly Spirit. T h is Faith
w ill free y o u fro m Satan’s bondage, and through the libera-
tive p o w er o f the h o ly and undivided T rin ity y o u w ill inherit
eternal life.
‘ T h e p rofou n d gu ilt o f those w h o perversely cling to per­
nicious superstition and idolatrous w orship is clearly show n
b y the dam nable exam p le o f those they adore. O f such the
Psalm ist says: “ A ll the gods o f the nations are idols; but the Lord
118
Letter from Pope Boniface to Edwin [n. io
made the heavens” A n d again : “ Eyes have they, but they see
not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they
smell not; they have hands, but they handle not; feet have they,
but they walk not. They that make them are like unto them; so is
everyone that trusteth in them ” H o w can such objects have
p o w er to help y o u , w hen they are m ade fo r y o u fro m perish­
able materials b y the labour o f y o u r o w n subjects and
servants? E ven their inanim ate resem blance to livin g shapes
is due solely to m an’s craftsmanship. Unless y o u m ove them
they cannot m ove, but are like a stone fixed in its place: they
are m anufactured, but have no intelligence, being utterly
insensible and h avin g no p o w er to hurt or help. W e cannot
understand h o w people can be so deluded as to w orship as
gods objects to w h ich they them selves have given the likeness
o f a bo d y.
‘ A ccept therefore the sign o f the H o ly Cross, b y w hich the
entire hum an race has been redeem ed, and exorcize fro m yo u r
heart the dam nable crafts and devices o f the D evil, w h o
jealo u sly opposes all the w o rk in gs o f G o d ’s goodness. O ver­
th row and destroy these artificial gods o f y o u r o w n m ak in g;
and the v e ry destruction o f these things, w h ich never d rew
the breath o f life and could n ever receive understanding fro m
their m akers, w ill itself afford y o u clear evidence o f the
nothingness o f these objects o f y o u r form er w orship. C o n ­
sider, y o u yourselves, to w h o m G o d has given the breath
o f life, are nobler than these m an-m ade things; for A lm ig h ty
G o d has ordered y o u r descent through countless generations
fro m the first m an that H e created. T h erefore accept the
k n o w led ge o f y o u r C reato r, w h o breathed into yo u r fram e
the breath o f life, and w h o sent His on ly-begotten Son for
y o u r redem ption, that H e m igh t deliver y o u fro m original
sin and the evil p o w e r o f the D e v il, and grant y o u the prize
o f H eaven.
‘ A ccept the message o f the Christian teachers and the G o s­
pel that they proclaim . B e liev e in G o d the Father A lm igh ty,
and in Jesus C h rist H is Son and in the H o ly Spirit, the in­
n- ii] Pope Boniface s letter to Queen Ethelberga
separable T rin ity . Spu rn the tem ptations o f the D e v il, and
reject all the suggestions o f ou r m alicious and deceitful
en em y. T h us, b o m again b y w ater and the H o ly Spirit, y o u
w ill be em p ow ered b y G o d ’s generous aid to abide in the
splendour o f eternal g lo r y w ith H im in w h o m y o u shall
com e to believe.
4W e im p art to y o u the blessing o f y o u r protector, blessed
Peter, Prince o f the A postles. W ith it w e send y o u a tunic
w ith a go ld en ornam ent, and a cloak fro m A n cy ra, asking
Y o u r M ajesty to accept these gifts w ith the sam e g o o d w ill as
that w ith w h ich w e send th em /

chapter i i : The Pope writes to the Queen , urging her to

exert her influence to obtain the king's salvation

P op e also w ro te to Q ueen Ethelberga as fo llo w s. A

he

T c o p y o f the letter o f the blessed and apostolic B o n iface,

P o p e o f the C it y o f R o m e , to E thelberga, Q ueen o f K in g
E d w in :
4T o his illustrious daughter, Q ueen Ethelberga, fro m
B ish o p B o n iface, servant o f the servants o f G o d .
4In H is great providen ce, ou r lo v in g R ed eem er has offered
a savin g rem ed y to the hum an race, w h ich H e has saved fro m
the D e v il’s enslaving tyran n y b y the shedding o f H is o w n
precious B lo o d . C h rist has m ade H is N am e k n o w n to the
nations in various w a y s, so that they m a y ack n o w led ge their
C reato r b y accepting the m ysteries o f the C hristian Faith.
G o d in H is m ercy has revealed this truth to Y o u r M ajesty’s
o w n m ind in y o u r o w n m ystical cleansing and regeneration.
W e have been greatly encouraged b y G o d ’s goodness in
gran tin g y o u , throu gh y o u r o w n profession o f faith, an
op p ortun ity to kindle a spark o f the true religion in y o u r
husband; fo r in this w a y H e w ill m ore sw iftly inspire not o n ly
the m in d o f y o u r illustrious C o n sort to lo v e o f H im , but the
m inds o f y o u r subjects as w ell.
120
Pope Boniface9s letter to Queen Ethelberga [n. u
‘ W e have been in form ed b y those w h o cam e to report the
laudable conversion o f ou r glorious son K in g Eadbald that
Y o u r M ajesty, w h o has also received the w on d erfu l sacra­
m ent o f the Christian Faith, show s a shining exam ple o f go od
w o rk s, pleasing to G od . W e also k n o w that y o u carefully
shun idol-w o rsh ip and the allurem ents o f tem ples and divina­
tions; and that, h avin g given y o u r allegiance to Christ, y o u
are unshakeably devoted to the lo v e o f our R edeem er and
labour constantly to propagate the Christian Faith. O u t o f
pastoral affection, w e particularly enquired about y o u r
illustrious husband and learned that he still serves abom inable
idols and is slo w to listen to the teaching o f the preachers. It
has caused us deep g r ie f to hear that y o u r partner rem ains a
stranger to the k n o w led ge o f the m ost h igh and undivided
T rin ity . O u r paternal responsibility m oves us to u rge Y o u r
Christian M ajesty, im bued w ith the force o f divine inspira­
tion, not to avo id the d u ty im posed on us in season and out o f
season, in order that, w ith the assistance and strength o f our
L o rd and Saviou r Jesus C hrist, the K in g also m ay be added
to the Christian fold. O n ly in this w a y w ill y o u en joy the full
privileges o f m arriage in perfect u n ion; fo r the Scripture says,
“ The two shall become onef l e s h ” B u t h o w can it be called a true
union betw een y o u , so lon g as he rem ains alienated fro m the
daylight o f y o u r Faith b y the barrier o f dark and lam entable
error?
‘ Let it therefore be y o u r constant p rayer that G od o f His
m ercy w ill bless and enlighten the K in g , so that yo u , w h o are
united in one flesh b y the ties o f b o d ily affection, m ay after
this fleeting life rem ain united fo r ever in the bond o f faith.
M y illustrious daughter, persevere in using every effort to
soften his heart b y teaching him the com m andm ents o f G od .
H elp him to understand the excellence o f the m ystery that
y o u have accepted b y believin g and the m arvellous w orth o f
the rew ard that y o u have been accounted w o rth y to receive
in this n ew birth. M elt the coldness o f his heart b y teaching
him about the H o ly Spirit, so that the w arm th o f divine faith
121
n * I21 Edwin recalls an experience o f his youth
m ay set his m ind on fire through y o u r constant encourage­
m ent and rem ove the n um bin g and deadening errors o f
paganism . I f y o u do this, the witness o f the H o ly Spirit w ill
m ost certainly be fulfilled in y o u , that “ the unbelieving
husband shall be saved through the believing w ife ." For this is w h y
y o u have received our L o rd ’s m erciful goodness, in order that
y o u m ay restore to y o u r R edeem er w ith increase the fruits
o f faith and o f the boundless blessings entrusted to yo u . W e
shall not cease fro m constant p rayer that G o d w ill assist and
guide y o u to accom plish this.
‘ H avin g m entioned this m atter, as fatherly d u ty and
affection dem ands, w e beg y o u to in fo rm us, as soon as a
suitable m essenger is available, w h at m easure o f success G o d ’s
goodness grants y o u in the conversion o f y o u r husband and
the people o ver w h o m y o u reign. G o o d new s w ill greatly
relieve our m ind, w hich an xiously awaits the lon ged -for sal­
vation o f y o u and yours. A n d w h en w e see the g lo ry o f the
divine atonem ent spreading ever m ore w id e ly am o n g yo u , w e
shall g ive glad and heartfelt thanks to G o d , the G iv e r o f all
go o d things, and to blessed Peter, Prince o f the Apostles.
‘ W e im part to y o u the blessing o f y o u r protector, blessed
Peter, Prince o f the Apostles. W ith it w e send y o u a silver
m irror, together w ith a go ld and iv o r y com b, asking Y o u r
M ajesty to accept these gifts w ith the sam e g o o d w ill as that
w ith w h ich w e send them .’

chapter 1 2 : K in g E d w in is m oved to accept the F a ith by a

vision seen during his e x ile [ a .d . 625]

w as the letter w ritten b y P op e B o n iface on the sal­

S
uch
vation o f K in g E d w in and his people. B u t the principal
factor influencing the kin g to study and accept the truths o f
salvation w as a h eaven ly vision w h ich G o d in his m ercy had
once granted the kin g w h en he w as an exile at the court o f
R ed w ald , K in g o f the A ngles. F or although Paulinus found
122
H is desperate flight as an exile [n. 12
it difficult to brin g the k in g ’s proud m ind to accept the
h u m ility o f the w a y o f salvation or to acknow led ge the m ys­
tery o f the life -g iv in g C ross, he nevertheless continued, b y
w ord s o f exhortation addressed to m en and w ord s o f sup­
plication addressed to the divine com passion, to strive fo r the
conversion o f the kin g and his nation. It seems m ost likely
that Paulinus fin ally learnt in the spirit the nature o f the
vision p reviou sly vouchsafed to the kin g. W hereu pon he lost
no tim e in u rgin g the k in g to im plem ent the prom ise that he
had m ade at the tim e o f the vision, and w h ich he had under­
taken to fulfil should he be delivered out o f his troubles
and ascend the throne o f the kin gd om .
N o w the vision w as this. W h en his predecessor Ethelfrid
w as persecuting him , E d w in w andered as an un kn ow n
fu g itive fo r m an y years throu gh m an y lands and kingdom s,
until at length he cam e to R e d w a ld and asked him fo r pro­
tection against the plots o f his p o w erfu l enem y. R ed w ald gave
him a ready w elcom e and prom ised to do everythin g he asked.
B u t as soon as Ethelfrid heard that he had arrived in that pro­
vince and that he and his com panions w ere livin g at the k in g ’s
court as his friends, he sent messengers to offer R ed w ald a
large sum o f m on ey to m urder him . O btaining no satisfac­
tion, he sent a second and third time, offering even heavier
bribes and threatening w a r i f his dem and w ere refused. A t
length R ed w ald , either intim idated b y his threats or corrupted
b y his bribes, agreed to his dem and and prom ised either to
kill E d w in or to surrender him to E thelfrid ’s en voys. T h is plot
w as discovered b y a lo yal friend o f E d w in , w h o w en t to his
ro o m early one n igh t w h en he w as about to retire and, calling
him out, w arn ed h im o f the k in g ’s w ick ed intentions, ad d in g:
‘ I f y o u are w illin g , I w ill guide y o u at this v e ry hour out o f
this provin ce and take y o u to som e place w here neither
R ed w ald nor Ethelfrid can find y o u .’ E d w in replied: ‘ Thank
y o u for y o u r g o o d w ill. B u t I cannot act as y o u suggest. I can­
not be the first to break the agreem ent that I have m ade w ith
so great a kin g, w h o has so far done m e no harm nor show n
123
n. 12] E d w in s vision and promise
an y hostility tow ards m e. I f I m ust die, I w o u ld rather die b y
his hand than b y a hand less noble. F o r w h at refuge rem ains
fo r m e, w h o have already w an dered fo r so m an y years in
e v e ry co m er o f B ritain , tryin g to escape the m achinations o f
m y enem ies?’ W h en his friend had left, E d w in rem ained,
sitting sadly alone outside the palace, tossed upon conflicting
tides o f thought, and n ot k n o w in g w h at to do o r w h ere to
turn.
H e had rem ained fo r a lo n g tim e in silent thought, tor­
m ented b y in w a rd fires that bro u gh t n o ligh t, w h en suddenly,
at dead o f n ight, he saw a m an approaching w hose face and
appearance w ere strange to h im and w h ose unexpected arrival
caused h im considerable alarm . B u t the stranger cam e up and
greeted h im , asking w h y he w as sitting sadly on a stone,
w ak e fu l and alone at an h o u r w h en everyo n e else w as at rest
and asleep. E d w in asked w h at concern it m igh t be o f his
w h eth er he passed the n ight indoors o r ou t o f doors. In rep ly,
the m an said: ‘ D o n ’t think that I am un aw are w h y y o u are
sad and sleepless and w h y y o u are keepin g w atch outside
alone. I k n o w v e r y w e ll w h o y o u are, w h at y o u r troubles are,
and w h at im p en d ing evils y o u dread. B u t tell m e this: w h at
rew ard w ill y o u g iv e the m an, w h o e v er he m ay be, w h o can
deliver y o u fro m y o u r troubles and persuade R ed w ald not to
harm y o u o r b etray y o u to death at the hands o f y o u r
enem ies?’ E d w in answ ered that he w o u ld g iv e an y rew ard in
his p o w e r in return fo r such an outstanding service. T h en the
other w en t o n : ‘A n d w h at ifh e also prom ised, and not in vain,
that y o u should becom e k in g, crush y o u r enemies, and en joy
greater p o w e r than an y o f y o u r forbears, greater indeed than
an y k in g w h o has ever been am o n g the English n ation ?’
H eartened b y these enquiries, E d w in readily prom ised that,
in return fo r such blessings, he w o u ld g iv e am ple proofs o f
his gratitude. T h e stranger then asked a third question: ‘ I f the
m an w h o can truth fully foretell such g o o d fortune can also
g iv e y o u better and w iser guidance fo r y o u r life and salvation
than an yth ing k n o w n to y o u r parents and kinsfolk, w ill y o u
H e is reminded o f them by Paulinus [n. 12
prom ise to o b ey him and fo llo w his salutary ad vice ?’ E d w in
at once prom ised that he w o u ld faith fully fo llo w the guidance
o f anyone w h o could save him out o f so m an y troubles and
raise him to a throne. O n this assurance, the m an w h o
addressed him laid his righ t hand on E d w in ’s head, sayin g:
‘ W h en y o u receive this sign, rem em ber this occasion and our
conversation, and do not delay the fulfilm ent o f y o u r pro­
m ise.’ H ereupon, it is said, he vanished, and E d w in realized
that it w as not a m an but a spirit w h o had appeared to him .
T h e y o u n g prince w as still sitting there alone, greatly
heartened b y w h at he had heard, but puzzling o ver the iden­
tity and origin o f the being w h o had talked w ith him , w hen
his loyal friend approached w ith a cheerful greeting, and said:
‘ Get up and com e inside. Y o u can n o w cast aside y o u r cares and
sleep w ith out fear; fo r the kin g has had a change o f heart. H e
n o w intends y o u no harm , and means to keep the prom ise that
he m ade y o u . F or w h en he p rivately told the queen o f his
intention to deal w ith y o u as I w arn ed, she dissuaded him , say­
ing that it w as u n w o rth y in a great k in g to sell his best friend
in the hour o f need fo r go ld , and w orse still to sacrifice his
royal honour, the m ost valuable o f all possessions, for love o f
m o n ey.’ In brief, the kin g did as she advised, and not on ly
refused to surrender the exiled prince to the envoys o f his
en em y but assisted him to reco ver his kin gd om . As soon as
the en voys had gone hom e, he raised a great arm y to m ake w ar
on Ethelfrid and allo w in g him no tim e to sum m on his full
strength, encountered him w ith a great preponderance o f
force and killed him . In this battle, w h ich w as fought in
M ercian territory on the east bank o f the river Idle, Raegenhere,
son o f R ed w ald , also m et his death. So E d w in , as his vision
had foretold, not o n ly escaped the plots o f his enem y but
succeeded to his throne at his death.
W h ile kin g E d w in hesitated to accept the w o rd o f G od at
Paulinus’ preaching, he used to sit alone fo r hours, as I have
said, earnestly deliberating w h at he should do and w hat
religion he should fo llo w . O n one o f these occasions, the
125
n - 13] Edwin summons his Council
m an o f G o d cam e to him and, layin g his righ t hand on his
head, enquired w hether he rem em bered this sign. T h e kin g
trem bled and w o u ld have fallen at his feet; but Paulinus
raised him and said in a frien d ly v o ic e : ‘ G o d has helped y o u to
escape fro m the hands o f the enemies w h o m y o u feared, and it
is through His boun ty that y o u have received the kin gd om
that y o u desired. R em em ber the third prom ise that y o u m ade,
and hesitate no longer. A ccept the Faith and keep the com ­
m ands o f H im w h o has delivered y o u fro m all y o u r earthly
troubles and raised y o u to the g lo ry o f an earthly kin gdom .
I f y o u w ill henceforw ard ob ey His w ill, w h ich he reveals to
y o u through m e, he w ill save y o u likew ise fro m the everlast­
ing doom o f the w icked and g iv e y o u a place in His eternal
kin gd om in heaven.’

chapter 1 3 : E d w in holds a council w ith his c h ie f men about

accepting the Faith o f C hrist. T h e high priest destroys his
own altars [ a .d . 627]

h e n he heard this, the kin g answ ered that it w as his

W w ill as w ell as his duty to* accept the Faith that Paulinus
taught, but said that he m ust still discuss the m atter w ith his
principal advisers and friends,* so that, i f they w ere in agree­
m ent w ith him , they m ight all be cleansed together in Christ
the Fount o f L ife. Paulinus agreed, and the kin g kept his
prom ise. H e sum m oned a council o f the w ise m en, and asked
each in turn his opinion o f this strange doctrine and this n ew
w a y o f w orshipping the godhead that w as being proclaim ed
to them.
C o ifi, the C h ie f Priest, replied w ith out hesitation: ‘ Y o u r
M ajesty, let us g iv e careful consideration to this n ew teach­
ing ; fo r I fran k ly adm it that, in m y experience, the religion
that w e have hitherto professed seems valueless and pow erless.
N o n e o f y o u r subjects has been m ore devoted to the service
o f our gods than m y self; yet there are m any to w h o m y o u
12 6
H is c h ie f p riest declares fo r the new Faith [n. 13
show greater favo u r, w h o receive greater honours, and w ho
are m ore successful in all their undertakings. N o w , i f the
gods had an y p o w er, they w o u ld surely have favoured m y­
self, w h o have been m ore zealous in their service. Therefore,
i f on exam ination y o u perceive that these n ew teachings are
better and m ore effectual, let us not hesitate to accept them /
A n other o f the k in g ’s ch ie f men signified his agreem ent
w ith this prudent argum ent, and w ent on to say: ‘ Y o u r
M ajesty, w hen w e com pare the present life o f m an on earth
w ith that tim e o f w hich w e have no kn ow led ge, it seems to
m e like the sw ift flight o f a single sparrow through the
banqueting-hall w here y o u are sitting at dinner on a w inter’s
day w ith y o u r thanes and counsellors. In the midst there is a
com fortin g fire to w arm the hall; outside, the storms o f
w in ter rain or sn ow are ragin g. This sparrow flies sw iftly in
through one door o f the hall, and out through another. W h ile
he is inside, he is safe fro m the w inter storm s; but after a few
m om ents o f com fort, he vanishes fro m sight into the w in try
w o rld fro m w hich he cam e. E ven so, m an appears on earth
fo r a little w h ile ; but o f w hat w en t before this life or o f w hat
fo llo w s, w e k n o w nothing. T h erefore, i f this n ew teaching
has brough t any m ore certain kn ow led ge, it seems on ly right
that w e should fo llo w it.’ T h e other elders and counsellors o f
the kin g, under G o d ’s guidance, gave sim ilar advice.
C o ifi then added that he w ished to hear Paulinus’ teaching
about G o d in greater detail; and w hen, at the k in g ’s bidding,
this had been given , he exclaim ed : ‘ I have lon g realized that
there is nothing in our w a y o f w o rsh ip ; for the m ore diligently
I sought after truth in our religion, the less I found. I n ow
publicly confess that this teaching clearly reveals truths that
w ill afford us the blessings o f life, salvation, and eternal
happiness. Th erefore, Y o u r M ajesty, I subm it that the tem­
ples and altars that w e have dedicated to no advantage be
im m ediately desecrated and burned.’ In short, the king
granted blessed Paulinus full permission to preach, renounced
idolatry, and professed his acceptance o f the Faith o f Christ.
127
n. 14] Baptism o f Edw in
A n d w h en he asked the C h ie f Priest w h o should be the first to
profane the altars and shrines o f the idols, together w ith the
enclosures that surrounded them , C o ifi rep lie d : ‘ I w ill do this
m y se lf; fo r n o w that the true G o d has granted m e kn ow led ge,
w h o m ore suitably than I can set a public exam ple and destroy
the idols that I w orshipped in ign o ran ce?’ S o he fo rm ally
renounced his em p ty superstitions and asked the kin g to give
him arm s and a stallion - fo r hitherto it had not been law ful
fo r the C h ie f Priest to carry arm s o r to ride an ything but a
m are - and, thus equipped, he set out to destroy the idols.
G irded w ith a sw o rd and w ith a spear in his hand, he m ounted
the k in g ’s stallion and rode up to the idols. W h en the cro w d
saw him , they thought he had gone m ad ; but w ith ou t
hesitation, as soon as he reached the tem ple, he cast into it the
spear he carried and thus profaned it. T h en , full o f j o y at his
kn o w led ge o f the w orship o f the true G o d , he told his com ­
panions to set fire to the tem ple and its enclosures and destroy
them . T h e site w here these idols once stood is still show n, not
far east o f Y o r k , beyon d the riv er D erw en t, and is k n o w n
today as G oodm anham . H ere it w as that the C h ie f Priest,
inspired b y the true G o d , desecrated and destroyed the altars
that he had h im self dedicated.'

chapter 1 4 : Edw in and his people accept the Faith , and are
baptized by Paulinas [ a j >. 627]

S o K in g E d w in , w ith all the n ob ility o f his kin gd om and

a large num ber o f hum bler fo lk , accepted the Faith
and w ere w ashed in the cleansing w aters o f Baptism in the
eleventh year o f his reign, w h ich w as the year o f our L o rd
627, and about one hundred and eig h ty years after the first
arrival o f the English in B ritain . T h e k in g ’s Baptism took
place at Y o r k on Easter D a y , the 12 th o f A p ril, in the church
o f Saint Peter the A postle, w h ich the kin g had hastily built o f
tim b er* during the tim e o f his instruction and preparation fo r
12 8
A nd o f many other Northumbrians [n. u
B ap tism ; and in this city he established the see o f his teacher
and bishop Paulinus. Soon after his Baptism , at Paulinus’
suggestion, he gave orders to build on the same site a larger
and m ore noble basilica o f stone, w hich w as to enclose the
little orato ry he had built before. T h e foundations w ere laid,
and the w alls o f a square church began to rise around this
little o ra to ry; but before they reached their appointed height,
the cruel death o f the kin g left the w o rk to be com pleted b y
O sw ald his successor. T h en ceforw ard for six years, until the
close o f E d w in ’ s reign, Paulinus preached the w o rd in that
p rovin ce w ith the k in g ’s full consent and approval, and as
m an y as w ere predestined to eternal life believed and w ere
baptized. A m o n g these w ere O sfrid and Eadfrid, sons o f
K in g E dw in , w h o w ere both b o m to him in exile o f
C o en burg, daughter o f C earl, K in g o f the M ercians.
A t a later date, other children o f his b y Q ueen Ethelberga
w ere also baptized: these included a son, Ethelhun; a
daughter, E th elth ryd ; and another son, W uscfrea. T h e tw o
form er w ere snatched fro m life w h ile still w earin g their w hite
baptism al robes, and w ere buried in the church at Y o rk .
Y ffi, son o f O sfrid, w as also baptized, and m any others o f
noble and princely rank. Indeed, so great w as the fervou r o f
faith and desire fo r baptism am ong the N orth um b rian people
that Paulinus is said to have accom panied the kin g and
queen to the ro yal residence at A d -G e frin 1 and rem ained
there th irty-six days constantly occupied in instructing and
baptizing. D u rin g this period, he did nothing fro m daw n to
dusk but proclaim C h rist’s saving m essage to the people, w h o
gathered fro m all the surrounding villages and countryside;
and w h en he had instructed them , he w ashed them in the
cleansing w aters o f Bap tism in the n earby R iv e r Glen. This
residence w as abandoned b y the later kings, w h o built another
at a place called M aelm in .
These events to o k place in the province o f B em icia. In the
p rovince o f D eira, w h ere Paulinus often stayed w ith the king,
i. Yeavering, in Glendale.
T —H.E.C. —B 129
n. is] The East Saxon K ing accepts the Faith
he baptized in the R iv e r S w ale, w h ich flo w s near the villa g e o f
C a tterick ; fo r d u ring the in fan cy o f the church in those parts
it w as not y e t possible to bu ild oratories o r baptisteries. A
basilica w as bunt at the ro y al residence o f C a m p o d o n u m ;1
but this, together w ith all the buildings o f the residence, w as
burned b y the pagans w h o killed K in g E d w in , and later kings
replaced this seat b y another in the v ic in ity o f L oid is.2 T h e
stone altar o f this church survived the fire, and is preserved in
the m onastery that lies in Elm et W o o d and is ruled b y the
m ost reverend priest and abbot T h ry d w u lf.

ch apter 1 5 : The Province o f the East Angles accepts the

Christian Faith [a . d . 627]

S o great w as E d w in ’s zeal fo r the true Faith that he per­

suaded K in g E arp w ald , son o f R edw ald,. K in g o f the East
A n gles, to abandon his superstitious id olatry and accept the
Faith and Sacram ents o f C h rist w ith his w h o le p rovin ce. H is
father R e d w a ld had in fact lo n g b efore this received Christian
B ap tism in K en t, but to no g o o d p urp ose; fo r on his return
hom e his w ife and certain perverse advisers persuaded h im
to apostatize fro m the true Faith. S o his last state w as w orse
than the first: fo r, like the ancient Sam aritans, he tried to
serve both C h rist and the ancient gods, and he had in the sam e
tem ple an altar fo r the h o ly Sacrifice o f C h rist side b y side
w ith an altar on w h ic h victim s w ere offered to devils.
A ld w u lf, k in g o f that p rovin ce, w h o lived into ou r o w n
times, testifies that this tem ple w as still standing in his day
and that he had seen it w h en a b o y . T h is K in g R ed w ald w as
a m an o f n oble descent but ign ob le in his actions: he w as son
o f T y tila , and grandson o f W u ffa , after w h o m all kin gs o f
the East A n gles are called W uffin gs.
N o t lo n g after E arp w ald ’ s acceptance o f C hristianity, he
I. Possibly Doncaster, or Slack near Huddersfield.
2. Leeds.
130
M ission o f Paulinus to Lindsey [“• i<s
w as killed b y a pagan nam ed R icbert, and fo r three years
the p rovin ce relapsed into heathendom , until E arp w ald ’s
brother S igb ert succeeded to the kingship. Sigbert w as a
devo ut C hristian and a m an o f learning, w h o nad been an
exile in G au l d in in g his brother’ s lifetim e, and w as there
con verted to the C h ristian Faith, so that w h en he began his
reign, he laboured to b rin g about the conversion o f his w h o le
realm . In this enterprise he w as n o b ly assisted b y B ish op Felix,
w h o cam e to A rch bishop H onorius fro m the B u rgu n d ian
region , w h ere he had been b ro ugh t up and ordained, and, b y
his o w n desire, w as sent b y h im to preach the w o rd o f life to
this nation o f the A n gles. N o r did he fail in his purpose; fo r,
lik e a g o o d farm er, he reaped a rich harvest o f believers. H e
delivered the entire p rovin ce fro m its age-old wickedness
and infelicity, b ro u gh t it to the C hristian Faith and w o rk s o f
righteousness and - in full accord w ith the significance o f his
o w n nam e - guid ed it tow ard s eternal felicity. H is episcopal
see w as established at D u n w ic h ; and after rulin g the p rovin ce
as its bishop fo r seventeen years, he ended his days there in
peace.

chapter 1 6 : P a u lin u s preaches the W ord o f G o d in the

P ro vin ce o f L in d sey . T h e reign o f K in g E d w in [ a . d . 628]

a u l i n u s alsop reach ed the w o rd o f G o d to the p rovince

P o f Lin dsey, w h ich lies im m ed iately south o f the H um ber,

and extends to the sea. H is first con vert w as Blaecca, R eeve o f
the city o f L in coln , w ith all his fam ily. In this city he also built
a stone church o f fin e w orkm ansh ip, w h ich today, either
throu gh neglect o r en em y dam age, has lost its ro o f, although
the w alls are still standing. A n d each year m iracles o f healing
occur in this place fo r the benefit o f those w h o seek it in faith.
W h e n Justus nad departed to C hrist, it w as in this church that
Paulinus consecrated H onorius as bishop in his stead, as I w ill
describe in due course.
n. 16] E d w in s beneficent rule
T h e priest D ed a, abbot o f the m onastery o f P artney and
a m ost reliable au thority, w h en relating the story o f the Faith
in this p rovin ce, told m e that one o f the oldest inhabitants
had described to him h o w he and m an y others had been
baptized b y Paulinus in the presence o f K in g E d w in , and h o w
the cerem ony took place at n oon in the river T rent, close to
the city w h ich the E nglish call T io w u lfm gacaestir. H e used to
paint a verbal portrait o f Paulinus as a tall m an h a v in g a slight
stoop ,w ith black hair, an ascetic face, a thin hooked nose, and
a venerable and aw e-in spirin g presence. Paulinus w as also
assisted in his m in istry b y the deacon Jam es, a m an o f great
en ergy and repute in C h rist’s C h u rch , w h o lived until our
o w n day.
So peaceful w as it in those parts o f B ritain under K in g
E d w in ’s jurisd iction that the p roverb still runs that a w o m an
could carry her n ew -b o rn babe across the island fro m sea to
sea w ith ou t an y fear o f harm . Such w as the k in g ’s concern
fo r the w elfare o f his people that in a n um ber o f places w here
he had noticed clear springs adjacent to the h ig h w a y he
ordered posts to be erected w ith brass b o w ls hanging fro m
them , so that travellers could drink and refresh them selves.
A n d so great w as the people’s affection fo r him , and so great
the aw e in w h ich he w as held, that no one w ished o r ventured
to use these b o w ls fo r any other purpose. S o ro y a lly w as the
k in g ’s dign ity m aintained throughout his realm that w hether
in battle or on a peaceful progress on horseback through city,
to w n , and countryside in the com p an y o f his thanes, the ro yal
standard w as alw ays borne before him . E ven w h en he passed
through the streets on foot, the standard k n o w n to the
R om ans as a T u fa * and to the English as a T ufi w as carried
in front o f him .

132
chapter 1 7 : Pope Honorius sends a letter o f encouragement
to K ing Edw in , and the p a lliu m to Paulinus [ a .d . 634]

t this tim e, H onorius had succeeded B o n iface as Bish op

A . o f the apostolic see. Learning that the N orthum brian

people and their k in g had been converted to the Faith and
confession o f C hrist b y the labours o f Paulinus, he sent him
the pallium and w ith it a letter o f encouragem ent to K in g
E d w in , u rgin g him w ith fatherly affection to ensure that his
people m aintained and m ade progress in the true Faith that
they had received. Th is letter ran as fo llo w s :
‘ T o his m ost excellent son, the m ost illustrious E d w in ,
K in g o f the English, fro m B ish op H onorius, servant o f the
servants o f G od , G reeting.
‘ Y o u r sincere Christian character, afire w ith ardent faith
in the w orship o f y o u r C reato r, has shone out far and w ide.
It has been spoken o f throughout the w o rld and has reaped
a rich harvest fo r y o u r labours. F or y o u w h o are kings
acknow led ge y o u r kingship w h en b y y o u r w orship o f G o d
y o u express b e lief in y o u r o w n k in g and creator according to
the true teaching w h ich y o u have received about H im and, so
far as hum an nature allow s, serve H im w ith a sincere and
devout m ind. A n d w h at m ore can w e offer G o d than our
perseverance in doin g go o d , ou r w orsh ip and confession o f
H im as C reato r o f the hum an race, and the zealous fulfilm ent
o f ou r v o w s? A cco rd in gly, m ost n oble son, ou r paternal love
rig h tly m oves us to u rge y o u to labour w ith vigilan t m ind
and constant p rayer to preserve y o u rs e lf w h o lly in that state
o f grace to w h ich G o d in H is m erc y has called y o u . H e w h o
in this w o rld has deigned to d eliver y o u fro m all error, and
led y o u to the k n o w led ge o f H is N am e, w ill thus also prepare
a place fo r y o u in ou r h eaven ly hom e. M ak e a regular study
o f the w ritin gs o f y o u r teacher and m y m aster G re g o ry o f
apostolic m em o ry, and constantly bear in m ind the lo vin g
teaching w h ich he so g lad ly g a v e fo r the benefit o f y o u r
souls, so that his prayers m ay obtain an increase in y o u r
13 3
n. 18] Pope Honorius sends the p a lliu m to Paulinus
kin gd o m and people, and b rin g y o u blameless to A lm ig h ty
G od .
‘ W e are glad to accede to y o u r requests on b e h alf o f y o u r
bishops w ith o u t delay, and in so d oin g w e p ay tribute to the
sincerity o f y o u r o w n faith, w h ich has often been m ost h ig h ly
praised b y the bearers o f this letter. A cco rd in g ly, w e have
sent tw o pallia, one to each o f the M etropolitans, H onorius
and Paulinus, so that, w h en ever either o f them shall be sum ­
m on ed fro m this w o rld to his M ak er, the su rv iv o r m a y have
ou r auth ority to appoint another bishop in his place. W e
have been induced to grant this p rivilege not o n ly out o f
regard fo r y o u , but also in the realization o f the great and w id e
p rovinces that separate us, so that w e m ay sh ow ou r recogni­
tion o f y o u r devotion in all m atters and accede to y o u r pious
w ishes.
‘ M a y the grace o f G o d preserve Y o u r M ajesty in safety.’

chapter 1 8 : O n succeedingJustus in the See o f Canterbury

627-31], Honorius receives the pallium and a letter
[ a .d .
from Pope Honorius [ a . d . 634]

e a n w h i l e , A rch bishop Ju stu s w as taken up into the

M h eaven ly k in g d o m o n N o v e m b e r the tenth, and

H onorius w as elected to the see in his place. H e therefore
cam e to Paulinus to be ordained and, m eetin g h im at Lin coln,
w as there consecrated fou rth successor to A ugu stin e in the
See o f C an terb u ry. P o p e H onorius sent h im the pallium and
a letter con firm in g the arrangem ent already m ade in his
letter to K in g E d w in : n am ely, that on the death o f either o f
the A rchbishops o f C an terb u ry o r Y o r k , the su rv iv o r w as to
have au th ority to appoint a successor in place o f the deceased
archbishop, w h ich p rivileg e w o u ld ob viate the necessity o f
a w earisom e sea and land jo u rn e y to R o m e on e v e ry occasion
fo r consecration. I h ave thought it p rop er to include the text
o f the letter in this history.
134
A nd to archbishop Honorius [n. 18
‘ H o n o r i u s , to his w ell-b elo v ed brother H onorius.
‘A m o n g the m an y g o o d gifts w h ich the m ercy o f ou r
R edeem er has deigned to grant H is servants, His generous
lo ve is n ever m ore evident than w h en H e perm its us to display
o u r m utual lo v e in b ro th erly converse, as it w ere face to face.
F o r this blessing w e constantly g iv e thanks to H is D ivin e
M ajesty and earnestly p ray that H e w ill con firm y o u r liv in g
labours in preaching the G ospel w ith constant and lasting
results and that, in fo llo w in g the rule o f y o u r master and
patron the h o ly G re g o ry , y o u m a y bear m uch fruit, so that,
throu gh y o u r m inistry, G o d w ill bless H is C h u rch w ith ever-
increasing strength ; that the souls already w o n b y y o u and
y o u r predecessors, begin nin g w ith the L o rd G re g o ry , m ay be
established and g r o w ever stronger in faith and g o o d w orks,
and in reverence and lo v e fo r G o d ; and that in due tim e the
prom ises o f ou r L o rd Jesu s C h rist m a y be fulfilled in y o u , and
H is vo ice sum m on y o u to eternal j o y , sayin g: “ Come to M e,
a ll ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I w ill g iv e you rest."
A n d again, “ W ell done, thou good and fa ith fu l servant; because
thou hast been fa ith fu l over a fe w things, I w ill make thee ruler
over many things. Enter thou into the jo y o f thy Lord.” O ur con­
stant lo v e urges us to offer y o u these prelim in ary w ords o f
encouragem ent, dearest brothers, and w e shall not fail here­
after to grant an y privileges that w e think likely to benefit
y o u r churches.
‘ In response to y o u r request and that o f our sons you r
kings, w e hereby, in the nam e o f blessed Peter, Prince o f the
Apostles, grant that w h en ever G o d ’s m ercy shall sum m on
either o f y o u to H im self, the su rv iv o r shall have authority to
appoint a bishop in his place. A s p r o o f o f this authority w e
have sent to each o f y o u r Lordships the pallium to w ear at
such a consecration, so that b y ou r perm ission and direction
y o u m ay p erform it in a m anner acceptable to G o d . T h e great
expanses o f land and sea that separate us m ake it necessary for
us to grant y o u this authority, in order that troubles m ay not
arise on e v e ry such occasion in y o u r churches, but rather the
135
n. 19] Letters to the Scots from Pope Honorius
d evo tion o f the people com m itted to y o u r charge m ay be
further enlarged. G o d keep y o u in safety.
‘ G iv e n the eleventh d ay o f Ju n e , in the tw en ty-fou rth year
o f the reign o f ou r L o rd H eraclius A ugustus, and the tw e n ty-
third after his consulship: and in the tw en ty-th ird y ear o f his
son Constantine, and the third after his consulship: and in the
third y ear o f the m ost illustrious Caesar H eraclius, his son :
the seventh in d ictio n : the y ear o f ou r L o rd 6 3 4 /

ch apter 1 9 : P o p e H o n oriu s [a . d . 634], and later P o pe

Jo h n [a .d . 640], w rite letters to the Scots about E aster and
the P ela g ia n heresy

o p e H o n o r i u s also w ro te to the Scots, w h o m he

P learned to be in erro r about the observance o f Easter, as

I m entioned earlier. H e earnestly w arn ed them not to im agine
that their little com m u n ity, isolated at the utterm ost ends o f
the earth, had a w isd o m exceedin g that o f all churches ancient
and m o d em th rou ghout the w o rld , and he u rg ed them n ot
to keep a different Easter, con trary to paschal calculations and
the synodical decrees o f all th e bishops o f the w o rld .
S im ilarly Jo h n [IV ], w h o succeeded Severinus, successor
to H onorius, w h ile still p o n tiff elect, sent them authoritative
and learned letters to correct this error, sh ow in g clearly h o w
Easter D a y m ust be sought betw een the fifteenth and tw e n ty-
first days o f the m oon, as w as agreed at the C o u n cil o f N icaea.
In this letter he p articularly w arn ed them to bew are o f and
suppress the heresy o f Pelagius, w h ich , he learned, w as
re v iv in g am o n g them . T h e letter begins as fo llo w s:
‘ T o ou r w ell-b elo v ed and h o ly T o m ian u s,* C olum banus,
C rom an us, D im naus, and Baithanus, bishops: to C rom anus,
E m ianus, Laistranus, Scellanus, and Segenus, priests: to
Saranus and the other Scottish teachers and abbots. G reetings
fro m H ilarus, A rch -priest and G uardian (during its vacancy)
o f the h o ly A p ostolic S e e : Jo h n , deacon and (Pope) elect in the
136
A n d fro m P o p e Jo h n [n. 19

N am e o f G o d : Jo h n , First Secretary and G uardian o f the h o ly

A postolic See: and Jo h n , servant o f G od , C ounsellor o f the
A postolic See.
‘ C ertain letters addressed to P ope Severinus, o f blessed
m em ory, rem ained unansw ered at the tim e o f his death.
Therefore, lest an y pressing matters should rem ain lon g un­
considered, w e opened them and learned that certain persons
in y o u r p rovin ce are attem pting to revive a n ew heresy fro m
an old one, con trary to the orth o d o x faith, and that in the
dark cloud o f their ignorance they refuse to observe ou r
Easter on w h ich C hrist w as sacrificed, arguin g that it should
be observed w ith the H eb rew Passover on the fourteenth day
o f the m o o n /
F ro m the beginning o f this letter it is evident that this
heresy had arisen o n ly in v e r y recent times and that the error
w as restricted to a lim ited num ber o f persons in the nation.
H a vin g therefore explained the prop er calculation o f Easter,
they add this on Pelagianism :
‘ W e learn also that the pernicious Pelagian heresy has once
again revived am o n g y o u , and w e stro n gly urge y o u to expel
the v en o m o f this w ick ed superstition fro m y o u r m inds. Y o u
cannot be unaw are that this detestable heresy has already been
condem ned ; fo r not o n ly has it been suppressed these tw o
hundred years, but it is d aily laid under the ban o f our perpetual
anathem a. W e therefore beg y o u not to rake up the ashes
o f controversies lo n g since burned out. F or w h o can do other
than condem n the insolent and im pious assertion that m an can
live w ith ou t sin o f his o w n free w ill and not o f G o d ’s grace?
In the first place, it is blasphem ous fo lly to say that an y m an
is sinless; fo r no one can be sinless save the one M ediator be­
tw een G o d and m an, the M an Jesus C hrist, w h o w as conceived
and b o m w ith o u t sin. A ll other m en are b o m in original sin
and bear unm istakeable evidence o f A d am ’s fall, even w h en
they are innocent o f actual sin. For, as the prophet says,
“ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother
conceive me ” 9
137
chapter 2 0 : King Edwin is killed, and Paulinas returns to
Kent, where he receives the Bishopric of Rochester [ a .d . 633]

h e glorious reign o f E d w in o ver E nglish and B riton s alike

T lasted seventeen years, during the last six o f w h ich , as I

have said, he laboured fo r the k in gd o m o f C hrist. T h en the
B ritish K in g C a d w a lla * rebelled against him , supported b y
Penda, a w a rrio r o f the M ercian ro y al house, w h o fro m then
on w ards ruled that nation w ith v a ry in g success fo r tw e n ty -
tw o years. In a fierce battle on the field called H aethfelth1 on
the tw elfth o f O ctober 633, w h en he w as 48 years old, E d w in
w as killed, and his entire a rm y destroyed o r scattered. In the
sam e battle, O sfrid , a gallant y o u n g w arrior, one o f E d w in ’ s
sons, w as killed before his father. A n other son, Eadfrid, w as
com pelled to subm it to Penda, w h o subsequently in breach
o f a solem n prom ise put h im to death during the reign o f
O sw ald.
A t this tim e a terrible slaughter took place am o n g the
N orth u m b rian church and nation, the m ore horrible because
it w as carried out b y tw o com m anders, one o f w h o m w as a
pagan and the other a barbarian m ore savage than an y pagan.
F o r Penda and all his M ercians w ere id ol-w orshippers
ign oran t o f the nam e o f C h rist; but C ad w alla, although he
professed to call h im self a C hristian, w as utterly barbarous in
tem peram ent and behaviou r. H e w as set upon exterm inating
the entire E nglish race in B ritain , and spared neither w o m en
n or innocent children, puttin g them all to horrible deaths w ith
ruthless savagery, and continuously ravagin g their w h o le
cou n try. H e had no respect fo r the n e w ly established religion
o f C hrist. Indeed even in ou r o w n days the B riton s p a y no
respect to the faith and religion o f the English and have no
m ore dealings w ith them than w ith the heathen. T h e head o f
K in g E d w in w as carried to Y o r k and subsequently placed in
the church o f the blessed A postle Peter, w h ich he had begun to
b u ild , but w h ich his successor O sw ald com pleted, as I have
I. Hatfield, near Doncaster.
138
Paulinus appointed Bishop o f Rochester [n. 20
related above. It rested in the p orch dedicated to the h o ly Pope
G re g o ry , fro m w hose disciples he had received the w o rd o f
life.
A s a result o f this disaster, the affairs o f the N orthum brians
w ere in such utter disorder that flight offered the sole hope o f
safety. Paulinus took Q ueen Ethelberga, w h o m he had p revi­
ously accom panied to the provin ce, and returned b y sea to
K en t, w here he w as m ost h onourably received b y A rch ­
bishop H onorius and K in g Eadbald. O n his jo u rn e y he w as
escorted b y Bassus, a gallant w arrio r o f K in g E d w in , and
brough t w ith him Eanfled, E d w in ’ s daughter, and W uscfrea
his son; also Y ffi, son o f O sfrid his son, w h o m his m other,
fearing Eadbald and O sw ald, later sent o ver to G aul to be
brough t up b y her friend, K in g D agob ert. T h e tw o children,
h o w ever, both died in in fan cy and w ere buried in church
w ith the honour due to royal children and innocents in Christ.
Paulinus also brough t aw a y w ith him m an y precious things
belon gin g to K in g E d w in , am ong them a great cross o f go ld
and a golden chalice h allow ed fo r the use o f the altar. These
are still preserved and can be seen in the church at C anterbu ry.
A t this tim e, the church o f Rochester w as in great need o f
a pastor, since R om an us its bishop, w h o had been sent b y
A rchbishop Justus to P ope H onorius as his representative,
had been d row n ed at sea o fflta ly . T h erefore, at the request o f
A rchbishop H onorius and K in g Eadbald, Paulinus assumed
this charge, w h ich he held until he too departed to the kin g­
dom o f heaven w ith the glorious fruit o f his labours. W h en he
died he left in the church o f Rochester the pallium that he had
received fro m the R o m an Pontiff.
Paulinus left behind his deacon Jam es to care fo r the church
o f Y o r k . Jam es w as a h o ly churchm an w h o rem ained a long
tim e in that church, teaching and baptizing, and snatching
m uch p rey fro m the clutches o f our old enem y the D evil. T h e
village close to C atterick, w here he usually lived, bears his
nam e to this day. H e had a w id e kn o w led ge o f church m usic;
and w hen peace w as at length restored to the province and
139
n. 20] D eath o f D eacon Ja m es
the num ber o f believers increased, he began to teach m an y
people to sing the m usic o f the C h u rch after the Uses o f R o m e
and C an terbu ry. A t last, old and fu ll o f days as the Scripture
says, he w en t the w a y o f his fathers.

140
 BOOK THREE

chapter i : K in g E d w in s im m ediate successors abandon

their p eo p le 's F a ith and lose their kingdom : the most
C h ristian K in g O sw a ld restores both [ a . d . 633-4]

f t e r E d w in ’ s death in battle, the kin gd om o f D eira,

A . to w h ich his fam ily belonged and w h ere he began his

reign, d evo lved upon O sric, son o f E d w in ’s uncle E lfric, w h o
had been baptized into the C hristian Faith b y Paulinus. B u t
the kin gd om o f B e m icia - fo r the kin gd o m o f the N o rth ­
um brians had anciently been divided into these tw o provinces
- fell to Eanfrid, son o f E thelfrid, w h o claim ed descent from
the ro yal fam ily o f that p rovin ce.
D u rin g the w h o le o f E d w in ’s reign the sons o f Ethelfrid
his predecessor together w ith m an y y o u n g nobles lived in
exile am ong the Scots or Piets and w ere there instructed in the
teachings o f the Scottish C h u rch and received the grace o f
Baptism . B u t on the death o f their en em y E d w in , they
received perm ission to return to their o w n land, and Eanfrid,
as eldest son, inherited the cro w n o f B em icia. A s soon as they
had obtained control o f their earthly kingdom s, h o w ever,
both these kings apostatized fro m the faith o f the kin gd om
o f heaven w h ich they had accepted, and reverted to the
corruption and dam nation o f their form er idolatry.
N o t lon g afterw ards they w ere ju stly punished b y m eeting
their death at the hands o f the godless C ad w alla, kin g o f
the Britons. First O sric n ext sum m er w as rashly besieging
him in a strong city w hen C ad w alla, m aking a sudden sally
w ith his entire force, caught him o ffh is guard and destroyed
him w ith his w h o le arm y. A fter this, fo r a full year, C adw alla
m . 2] K ing O sw ald opposes Cadwalla
ruled the N orth u m b rian provinces, n ot as a victorious k in g
but as a savage tyrant, rav a g in g them w ith ghastly slaughter
until at len gth he also destroyed Ean frid, w h o had un w isely
visited bim to negotiate peace accom panied o n ly b y tw e lve
picked soldiers. T h is y e a r rem ains accursed and hateful to all
g o o d m en, not o n ly on account o f the apostasy o f d ie English
kings, b y w h ich they divested them selves o f the sacraments
o f the Faith, but also because o f the savage tyran n y o f the
B ritish k in g. H ence all those calculating the reigns o f kin gs
have agreed to exp u n ge the m e m o ry o f these apostate kin gs
and to assign this y ear to the reign o f their successor K in g
O sw ald , a m an b elo ved o f G o d . T h is kin g, after the death o f
his brother E an frid , m ustered an arm y sm all in num bers but
strong in the faith o f C h rist; and despite C ad w alla’ s vast forces,
w h ich he boasted o f as irresistible, d ie infam ous B ritish leader
w as killed at a place k n o w n b y the E nglish as D enisesbum ,
that is, d ie B r o o k o f D enis.

c h a p t e r 2 : Before engaging the heathen in battle, King

Oswald sets up a wooden cross: a young man is later healed
by a portion o f it, and innumerable other miracles take place
[A .D . 634]

K in g O sw a ld w as about to g iv e batde to the

W
h en

heathen, he set up the sign o f the h o ly cross and, kneel­

in g d o w n , asked G o d m at H e w o u ld gran t his h eaven ly aid
to those w h o trusted in H im in their dire need. T h e place is
pointed ou t to this d a y and held in great veneration. It is told
that, w h en the cross had been h u rried ly m ade and a hole d u g
to receive it, the d evo u t k in g w ith ardent frith to o k the cross
and placed it in position, h o ld in g it up righ t w ith his o w n
hands until the soldiers had th ro w n in the earth and it stood
firm . T h is done h e sum m oned his a rm y w ith a loud shout,
cry in g , ‘ L e t us all kneel together, and ask the true and livin g
G o d A lm ig h ty o f H is m erc y to protect us fro m d ie arrogan t
14 a
A n d defeats him at Heauenfield [m. a

savagery o f ou r enem ies, since H e kn ow s that w e figh t in a

ju st cause to save ou r nation.’ T h e w h o le arm y did as he
ordered and, ad vancing against the en em y at the first light o f
daw n , w o n the v ic to ry that their faith deserved. A t this spot
w h ere the k in g p rayed , innum erable m iracles o f healing are
k n o w n to have been p erform ed , w h ich serve as a rem inder
and a p r o o f o f the K in g ’s faith. E ve n to this d ay m an y fo lk
take splinters o f w o o d fro m this h o ly cross, w h ich they put
into w ater, and w h en an y sick m en o r beasts drink o f it or are
sprinkled w ith it, they are at once restored to health.
T h is place is called in E nglish H efenfelth, m eaning ‘ the
h eaven ly fie ld ’ , w h ich nam e, bestow ed upon it lon g ago, w as
a sure om en o f events to com e, porten ding that there the
heaven ly sign w o u ld be set up, a heaven ly v ic to ry w o n , and
heaven ly w on ders show n. It lies on the northern side o f the
w all w h ich the R om an s built fro m sea to sea, as I have related,
to protect B ritain fro m the attacks o f the barbarous peoples.
T h e brothers o f the church o f H exh am , w h ich lies not far
aw a y, have lon g been accustom ed to m ake a y e a rly p ilgrim ­
age here on the eve o f the anniversary o f O sw ald ’s death in
order to keep v ig il fo r the w elfare o f his soul, to recite the
psalter, and to offer the H o ly Sacrifice fo r h im at daw n. B y a
further developm ent o f this g o o d custom , the brothers have
recently built a church on the spot, w h ich has m ade it
honoured and hallow ed ab ove all others. T h is is v e r y fittin g,
fo r w e k n o w that there w as n o em blem o f the C hristian Faith,
no church, and n o altar in the w h o le o f B e m icia until the n ew
Christian leader O sw ald , m o v ed b y his d evotion to the Faith,
set up this standard o f the h o ly cross before g iv in g batde to
his relentless enemies.
It is not irrelevant to m ention one o f the m an y m iracles that
have taken place at this cross. A fe w years ago, one o f the
brothers o f the church o f H exh am nam ed B o th elm , w h o is
still livin g , w as w alk in g u n w arily on the ice at night, w hen
he suddenly fell and fractured an arm . H e suffered such
agonizing pain fro m it that he could not even raise his hand
143
m. 3] Aidatt sent from Iona to O swald
to his m outh. A t length, hearing that another brother had
decided to g o up n ext d ay to the site o f the cross, he begged
him to b rin g back a piece o f its revered w o o d , saying that b y
this m eans he trusted that G o d w o u ld grant him healing. T h e
brother carried out his request, and as he returned at night
w h en the brothers w ere seated at their even in g m eal, he
passed the sick m an a bit o f the old m oss that g re w on the
surface o f the cross. B e in g at table, the brother had now here
to keep the proffered gift, so he thrust it n ext his breast, and
w h en he retired, fo rg o t to take it out. B u t, w a k in g up in
the m iddle o f the n ight, he felt som ething cold at his side, and
thrusting in his hand to feel w h at it w as, foun d that his arm w as
w h o le and sound as i f he had n ever suffered such great pain.

chapter 3 : O sw a ld asks the Scots to send him a b ish op :

w h e n A id a n arrives, he grants him the islan d o fL in d isfa rn e
as h is episcopal see [a . d . 635]

A
s soon as he becam e k in g, O sw ald greatly w ished that
. all the people w h o m he ruled should be im bued w ith the
grace o f the C h ristian Faith, o f w h ich he had received such
signal p r o o f in his v ic to ry o v er the heathen. S o he sent to the
Scottish elders am o n g w h o m he and his com panions had
received the sacram ent o f B ap tism w h en in exile, asking them
to send h im a bishop b y w hose teaching and m in istry the
E nglish people o v er w h o m he ruled m igh t receive the bless­
ings o f the C h ristian Faith and the sacraments. H is request
w as granted w ith o u t delay, and they sent h im B ish o p A idan,
a m an o f outstanding gentleness, holiness, and m oderation.
H e had a zea l in G od, but not according to knowledge, in that he
kept Easter in accordance w ith the custom s o f his o w n nation,
w h ich , as I have several tim es observed, w as betw een the
fourteenth and tw entieth days o f the m oon. F o r the northern
p rovin ce o f the Scots and all the Piets still observed these
custom s, believin g that th ey w ere fo llo w in g the teachings
144
H e establishes his see at Lindisfarne [m . 3

o f the h o ly and praisew orth y father Anatolius, although the

true facts are evident to an y scholar. B u t the Scots in the
south o f Ireland had already con form ed to the injunctions o f
the B ish op o f the apostolic see, and learnt to observe Easter
at the canonical tim e.
O n A id an ’s arrival, the kin g appointed the island o f Lindis-
fam e to be his see at his o w n request. A s the tide ebbs and
flow s, this place is surrounded b y sea tw ice a d ay like an island,
and tw ice a d ay the sand dries and jo in s it to the m ainland. T h e
kin g alw ays listened h u m b ly and read ily to A id an ’s advice
and diligen tly set h im self to establish and extend the C h urch
o f C h rist throughout his kin gd om . A n d w h ile the bishop,
w h o w as not fluent in the E nglish language, preached the
Gospel, it w as m ost delightful to see the kin g h im self inter­
preting the w o rd o f G o d to his ealdorm an and thanes; fo r he
h im self had obtained perfect com m and o f the Scottish tongue
during his lon g exile. H en cefo rw ard m an y Scots arrived day
b y day in B ritain and proclaim ed the w o rd o f G o d w ith great
devotion in all the provinces under O sw ald ’s rule, w h ile those
o f them w h o w ere in priest’s orders m inistered the grace o f
Baptism to those w h o believed. Churches w ere built in
several places, and the people flocked g lad ly to hear the w o rd
o f G od , w h ile the k in g o f his b o u n ty gave lands and en dow ­
ments to establish m onasteries, and the English, both noble
and sim ple, w ere instructed b y their Scots teachers to observe
a m onastic life.
For m ost o f those w h o cam e to preach w ere m onks, A idan
h im self being a m on k sent fro m the island o f H ii,1 w hose
m onastery w as fo r a lo n g tim e the principal m onastery o f
n early all the northern Scots and all the Piets and exercised a
w idespread au th ority.* T h e island itself belongs to Britain ,
and is separated fro m the m ainland o n ly b y a n arrow strait;
but the Piets livin g in that part o f B ritain gave it to the Scots
m onks lon g ago, because they received the Faith o f Christ
through their preaching.
1. Iona.
145
chaptbr 4 : How the Piets received the Faith o f Christ
[A J> . 565 ]

I
N the year o f our L o rd 565, w h en Ju stin the Y o u n g e r
succeeded Justin ian and ruled as E m p ero r o f R o m e , a priest
and abbot nam ed C o lu m b a, distinguished b y his m onastic
habit and life, cam e fro m Ireland to B ritain to preach the
w o rd o f G o d in the p rovinces o f the n orthern Piets, w h ich
are separated fro m those o f the southern Piets b y a ran ge o f
steep and desolate m ountains.1
T h e southern Piets, w h o liv e on this side o f the m ountains,
are said to have abandoned the errors o f id o latry lo n g before
this date and accepted the true Faith th rou gh the preaching
o f B ish o p N in ia n ,* a m ost reverend and h o ly m an o f B ritish
race, w h o had been reg u larly instructed in the m ysteries o f
the C hristian Faith in R o m e . N in ian ’s o w n episcopal see,
nam ed after Saint M artin and fam ous fo r its stately church, is
n o w held b y the English, and it is here that his b o d y and those
o f m an y saints lie at rest. T h e place belongs to the p rovin ce
o f B ernicia and is co m m o n ly k n o w n as Candida Casa, the
W h ite H ouse,2 because he built the church o f stone, w h ich
w as unusual am o n g the B r it o n s ..
C o lu m b a * arrived in B ritain in the ninth year o f the reign
o f the pow erfvd Pictish k in g, B rid e son o f M e ilo ch o n ; he
con verted that people to the Faith o f C h rist b y his preaching
and exam ple, and received fro m them the island o f Iona on
w h ich to foun d a m onastery. Iona is a sm all island, w ith an
area o f about fiv e hides according to E nglish reckoning, and
his successors hold it to this day. It w as here that C o lu m b a
died and w as buried at the age o f seventy-seven, som e th irty-
tw o years after he had com e into B ritain to preach. B e fo re
he cam e to B ritain , he had foun ded a n oble m onastery in
Ireland k n o w n in the Scots lan gu age as Dearmach, the H eld
o f O aks,) because o f the oak forest in w h ic h it stands. F ro m
both o f these monasteries C o lu m h a’ s disciples w en t ou t and
1. The Grampians. 2. Whithorn. 3. Durrow.
146
Iona and its customs [m. 4.
founded m an y others in B ritain and Irelan d; but the m on­
astery on the isle o f Iona, w h ere his b o d y lies, rem ains the ch ie f
o f them all.
Iona is alw ays ruled b y an abbot in priest’s orders, to w hose
auth ority the w h o le p rovin ce, including the bishops, is sub­
je c t, con trary to the usual cu stom .* T h is practice w as estab­
lished b y its first abbot C o lu m b a, w h o w as not a bishop
lim self, but a priest and m on k. H is life and sayings are said to
lave been recorded in w ritin g b y his disciples. B u t w h atever
typ e o f m an he m a y have been, w e k n o w fo r certain that he
left successors distinguished fo r their p u rity o f life, their lo ve
o f G o d , and their lo y a lty to the m onastic rule. In observing
the great Feast o f Easter they fo llo w ed doubtful rules; fo r
bein g so isolated fro m the rest o f the w o rld , there w as n o one
to acquaint them w ith the synodical decrees about the keeping
o f Easter. B u t they d iligen tly fo llo w ed w h atever pure and
devout custom s they learned in the prophets, the Gospels,
and the w ritin gs o f the Apostles. T h e y held to their o w n
m a n n e r o f keepin g Easter fo r another 15 0 years, until the
y ear o f ou r L o rd 7 15 .
In that year the m ost reverend and h o ly father, B ish op
E gb ert, an Englishm an, w h o had spent m an y years o f exile in
Ireland fo r lo v e o f C hrist, and w as m ost learned in the
scriptures, and ren ow n ed fo r lifelo n g holiness cam e and cor­
rected their error, and they changed to the righ t canonical
custom s fo r ob serving Easter. T h is erro r w as that they kept
Easter not, as som e supposed, on the fourteenth d ay o f the
m oon, as do the Je w s , but on the Sun d ay o f the w ro n g w eek.
F o r as Christians they k n e w w ell that the R esurrection o f our
L o rd took place on the first d ay after the Sabbath and should
alw ays be kept on that day. B u t bein g barbarous and sim ple,
they had not learned w h en this first d ay after the Sabbath,
w h ich is n o w called the L o rd ’s D a y , should occur. Y e t, since
they did not fail in the ferven t grace o f charity, th ey w ere
w o rth y to learn the fu ll truth in this m atter, in accordance
w ith the A postle’ s prom ise, w h en he said: ‘A n d i f in anything
147
 $] A id a ris unw orldliness
ye be otherwise minded, G o d shall reveal even this unto you * B u t
I shall speak o f this m ore fu lly in its p rop er place.

c h a p t e r 5 : T h e L ife o f B ish op A id a n [o iE D a .d . 651]

T w as fro m this island and fro m this com m u n ity o f m onks

I (w hile the abbot and priest Segenus w as ru lin g there) that
A id an w as sent, w h en he had been m ade bishop, to preach the
Faith o f C h rist to a p ro vin ce o f the English. A m o n g other evi­
dences o f h o ly life, he gave his cle rg y an inspiring exam p le o f
self-discipline and continence, and the highest recom m enda­
tion o f his teaching to all w as that he and his fo llo w ers lived
as they taught. H e n ever sought o r cared fo r an y w o rld ly
possessions, and lo v e d to g iv e a w a y to the p o o r w h o chanced
to m eet h im w h atever he received fro m kings o r w ealth y folk.
W h eth er in to w n o r cou n try, he alw ays travelled on fo o t
unless com pelled b y necessity to rid e; and w h atever people
he m et on his w alks, w h eth er h igh o r lo w , he stopped and
spoke to them . I f they w ere heathen, he urged them to be
baptized; and i f they w ere Christians, he strengthened their
faith, and inspired them b y w o rd tm d deed to live a go o d life
and to be generous to others.
H is life is in m arked contrast to the apathy o f ou r o w n
times, fo r all w h o w alk ed w ith him , w hether m onks or la y -
fo lk , w ere required to m editate, that is, either to read the
scriptures o r to learn the Psalm s. T h is w as their d aily occupa­
tion w h erever they w e n t; and if, on rare occasions, he w as
in vited to dine w ith the kin g, he w en t w ith one or tw o clerics,
and w h en he had eaten sparingly, he left as soon as possible
to read o r p ray w ith them . M a n y devout m en and w o m en
o f that day w ere inspired to fo llo w his exam ple, and adopted
the practice o f fasting until N o n e on W ednesdays and
Fridays throu ghout the year, except d in in g the fifty days
after Easter. I f w ealth y people did w ro n g , he n ever kept
silent out o f respect o r fear, but corrected them outspokenly.
14 8
H is patience and tact [m. 5
N o r w o u ld he offer m o n ey to influential people, although
he offered them fo o d w h en ever he entertained them as host.
B u t, i f the w ealth y ever gave him gifts o f m on ey, he either
distributed it fo r the needs o f the p oor, as I have m entioned,
o r else used it to ransom an y w h o had un jusd y been sold as
slaves. M a n y o f those w h o m he had ransom ed in this w a y
later becam e his disciples; and w h en th ey had been instructed
and trained, he ordained them to the priesthood.
It is said that w h en K in g O sw ald orig in ally asked the Scots
to send a bishop to teach the Faith o f C h rist to h im self and
his people, they sent h im another m an o f a m ore austere dis­
position. A fter som e tim e, m eeting w ith no success in his
preaching to the English, w h o refused to listen to him , he
returned hom e and reported to his superiors that he had been
unable to achieve an yth ing b y teaching to the nation to w h o m
they had sent him , because they w ere an ungovernable people
o f an obstinate and barbarous tem peram ent. T h e Scots fathers
therefore held a great conference to decide on the wisest course
o f action ; fo r w h ile they regretted that the preacher w h o m
they had sent had not been acceptable to the E nglish, they still
w ished to m eet their desire fo r salvation. T h en A id an , w h o
w as present at the conference, said to the priest w hose efforts
had been unsuccessful: ‘ B ro th er, it seems to m e that y o u w ere
too severe on y o u r ignorant hearers. Y o u should have fol­
lo w ed the practice o f the Apostles, and begun b y g iv in g them
the m ilk o f sim pler teaching, and grad ually nourished them
w ith the w o rd o f G o d until they w ere capable o f greater per­
fection and able to fo llo w the loftier precepts o f C h rist.’ A t
this the faces and eyes o f all w h o w ere at the conference w ere
turned tow ards h im ; and they paid close attention to all he
said, and realized that here w as a fit person to be m ade bishop
and sent to instruct the ignorant and unbelieving, since he w as
p articularly en d ow ed w ith the grace o f discretion, the m other
o f virtues. T h e y therefore consecrated him bishop, and sent
him to preach. T im e w as to show that A id an w as rem arkable
not o n ly fo r discretion, but fo r the other virtues as w ell.
149
chapter 6 : T h e w on derju l devotion and p ie ty
O sw a ld

u c h then w as the bishop w h o bro u gh t kn o w led ge o f the

S Faith to K in g O sw ald and the E nglish people under his
rule. T h us instructed, O sw ald not o n ly learned to hope fo r
the kin gd o m o f heaven, w h ich had been un kn o w n to his
ancestors, but w as also granted b y A lm ig h ty G o d , C reato r
o f heaven and earth, an earthly k in gd o m greater than they
enjoyed. F o r at length he bro u gh t u n d er his sceptre all the
peoples and provinces o f B ritain speaking the fo u r languages,
British, Pictish, Scottish, and English.
A lth o u gh he reached such a height o f p o w er, O sw ald w as
alw ays w o n d erfu lly hum ble, kin d ly, and generous to the p o o r
and strangers. T h e story is told h o w on the Feast o f Easter one
year, O sw ald sat d o w n to dine w ith B ish op A idan . A silver
dish o f rich fo o d w as set before him , and they w ere on the poin t
o f raising their hands to bless the fo o d , w h en the servant w h o
w as appointed to relieve the needs o f the p o o r cam e in sud­
denly and in form ed the kin g that a great c ro w d o f needy fo lk
w ere sitting in the road outside b e ggin g alm s o f the kin g.
O sw ald at once ordered his ow n -fo od to be taken out to the
poor, and the silver dish to be broken up and distributed
am ong them . T h e bishop, w h o w as sitting beside him , w as
deeply m o ved to see such generosity, and taking hold o f the
k in g ’s righ t hand, exclaim ed. *M a y this hand never w ith er
w ith age.’ Later events p roved that his p rayer w as heard;
fo r w h en O sw ald w as killed in battle, his hand and arm w ere
severed fro m his b o d y, and they rem ain uncorrupted to this
day. T h e y are preserved as venerated relics in a silver casket
at the church o f Saint Peter in the ro yal city, w h ich is called
after a form er queen nam ed B e b b a .1
T h ro u g h K in g O sw a ld ’s d iplom acy the provinces o f D eira
and B e m icia, fo rm erly hostile to each other, w ere peacefully
united and becam e one people. O sw ald w as nephew to K in g
i. Bcbbanburh, now Bamburgh.
IJO
The W est Saxons evangelized by Birinus [m. 7
E d w in b y his sister A c h a ; and it is fittin g that so great a
1 cessor should have had so w o rth y a m an o f his o w n
C to m aintain his religion and his throne.

chapter 7: T h e W est S a xo n s accept the F a ith through

the teaching o f B irin u s and his successors A g ilb ert and
L eu th eriu s [ a .d . 635]

t that tim e, during the reign o f C y n ig ils, the W est

A . Saxons, anciently k n o w n as the G ew issae, accepted the
Faith o f C h rist throu gh the preaching o f B ish op Birinus. H e
had com e to B ritain at the direction o f P o p e H onorius [I],
h avin g prom ised in his presence that he w o u ld so w the seeds
o f our h o ly Faith in the m ost inland and rem ote regions o f the
English, w h ere n o other teacher had been before him . H e w as
accord in gly consecrated bishop b y Asterius, Bish op o f Genoa,
at the P o p e’s co m m a n d ; but w h en he had reached Britain and
entered the territory o f the G ew issae, he foun d them com ­
pletely heathen, and decided that it w o u ld be better to begin to
preach the w o rd o f G o d am o n g them rather than seek m ore
distant converts. H e therefore evangelized that p rovin ce, and
w hen he had instructed its kin g, he baptized him and his
people. It happened at the tim e that the m ost h o ly and
victoriou s O sw ald w as present, and greeted K in g C y n igils
as he cam e fro m the font, and offered h im an alliance m ost
acceptable to G o d , taking h im as his godson and his daughter
as w ife . T h e tw o kings gave B ish op B irin u s the city o f D o rc ic 1
fo r his episcopal see, and there he built and dedicated several
churches and bro u gh t m an y people to G o d b y his h o ly
labours. H e also died and w as buried there; and m an y years
later, w h en H aed d i* w as bishop, his b o d y w as translated to
V en ta2 and laid in the church o f the blessed Apostles Peter
and Paul.
O n the death o f C y n ig ils, his son C o en w a lh succeeded to
1. Dorchester (Oxon.). 2. Winchester.
ni. 7] The see o f Winchester is established
the throne, but refused to accept the Faith and sacraments o f
the h eaven ly kin gd om . N o t lon g afterw ards he lost his earthly
k in gd o m also. F or he put aw a y his w ife , w h o w as sister o f
Penda, K in g o f the M ercians, and took another w o m an . Th is
led to w ar, and C o en w a lh w as driven out o f his kin gd o m b y
Penda and took refuge w ith A n n a, K in g o f the East A ngles.
T h ere he lived in exile fo r three years, during w h ich he
learned the Christian Faith and received Baptism . For A n n a
his host w as a g o o d m an and blessed w ith go o d and h o ly
children, as I shall m ention later.
W h en C o en w a lh had been restored to his kin gd om , there
arrived in the p rovin ce a bishop fro m G aul nam ed A g ilb ert,
w h o had been studying the scriptures in Ireland fo r m an y
years. T h is bishop cam e to the k in g and vo lu n tarily under­
to o k to evangelize the cou n try. A p p reciatin g his learning and
enthusiasm, the kin g asked h im to accept an episcopal see and
rem ain in the p rovin ce as his c h ie f bishop. A g ilb ert acceded
to the k in g ’s request and presided as bishop fo r m an y years.
Later, h o w e v er, the k in g, w h o understood o n ly Saxon , g re w
tired o f the bishop’ s foreig n speech, and in vited to the p ro­
vin ce a bishop o f his o w n ton gue called W in i, w h o had also
been consecrated in G a u l; and d ivid in g his k in gd o m into tw o
dioceses, he g a v e W in i the c ity o f V en ta - k n o w n b y the
Saxons as W intancaestir - as his see. T h is action gra v ely
offended A g ilb ert, as the k in g had not consulted him in the
m atter, and he returned to G aul, w h ere he becam e B ish op o f
Paris and ended his days there at an advanced age. N o t m an y
years after A g ilb e rt’s departure fro m B ritain , W in i w as also
driven fro m his bishopric b y the kin g, and took refuge w ith
W u lfh e re , K in g o f the M ercians, to w h o m he offered m o n ey
fo r the B ish op ric o f L on d o n , w h ich he held till his death.
S o fo r a considerable tim e the p ro vin ce o f the W est Saxons
rem ained w ith o u t an y bishop.
D u rin g this interval K in g C o en w a lh often suffered great
dam age to his k in gd o m fro m his enem ies. E ven tu ally he
rem em bered that he had fo rm e rly been d riven fro m his
15 2
Progress o f the Church in Kent [m. 8
throne because o f his in fid elity and had been restored to it
after his acceptance o f the C h ristian Faith, and realized that his
kin gd o m w as n o w ju s tly deprived o f G o d ’ s protection be­
cause it had no bishop. H e therefore sent messengers to A g il-
bert in G aul, offerin g him satisfaction and requesting him to
return to his bishopric. B u t A g ilb ert sent his regrets and said
that it w as im possible fo r h im to return, since he w as n o w
responsible fo r his o w n bishopric and city o f Paris. B u t, not
w ishin g to reject such an urgent appeal fo r help, he sent in his
place his nephew , the priest Leutherius,1 to be consecrated as
his bishop i f the k in g w ere agreeable, recom m end in g him as
w o rth y o f a bishopric. B o th kin g and people w elcom ed
Leutherius w ith honour, and asked T h eod o re, then A rch ­
bishop o f C an terbu ry, to consecrate him their bishop. H e w as
accord in gly consecrated at C an terb u ry, and fo r m an y years
w isely ruled the W est S axon see alone w ith the full support
o f the synod.

chapter 8 : Earconbert, K in g o f K en t, orders the destruction

o f idols. H is daughter Earcongota and his kinsw om an
E th elberga dedicate them selves to G o d as nuns [a . d . 640]

the year o f ou r L o rd 640, K in g Eadbald o f K en t departed

I
n
this life, and his son Earconbert succeeded to the govern ­
m ent o f the realm , w h ich he ruled m ost n o b ly fo r over
tw e n ty-fo u r years and som e m onths. H e w as the first o f the
English kings to g iv e orders fo r the com plete abandonm ent
and destruction o f idols throu ghout his realm , and fo r the
observance o f the Lenten fast, en forcin g his decrees b y suitable
penalties fo r disobedience. H is daughter E arcon gota, w h o
shared her father’s zeal, w as a nun o f outstanding virtu e, w h o
served G o d in a con ven t in Frankish territo ry founded b y the
noble Abbess Fara at a place called B rie :* fo r as y et there w ere
fe w m onasteries built in E nglish territo ry,* and m an y w h o
1. A Latinized form o f the name Hlothere.

153
m. 8] The passing o f Earcongota
w ish ed to enter conventual life w en t fro m B ritain to the
Frankish realm o r G au l fo r the purpose. G irls o f n oble fam ily
w e re also sent there fo r their education, or to be betrothed
to their h eaven ly B rid e g ro o m , especially to the houses o f
B rie , C h elles, and A n d e ly s; am o n g such girls w ere Saethryd,
step-daughter o f K in g A n n a o f East A n g lia, already m en­
tioned, and E thelberga his o w n daughter. A lth o u g h for­
eigners, bo th w e re o f such m erit that they becam e Abbesses
o f B rie . S ex b u rg , A n n a’ s eldest daughter, and w ife to K in g
E arcon bert o f K en t, w as the m oth er o f Earcon gota, w h o
deserves especial m ention.
T o this d ay the peop le o f the district tell stories o f the w o n ­
derful deeds and m iracles o f the nun E arco n go ta; but I m ust
restrict m y s e lf to a b r ie f account o f her passing to the heaven ly
k in gd o m . W h e n she felt her call approaching, she set out to
visit the cells o f all the in firm handm aids o f C h rist, especially
those w h o w e re o f a great age o r w ere m ost esteemed fo r their
holiness o f life, and h u m b ly com m en d in g h erself to their
prayers, she revealed to them h o w she had received intim ation
o f her co m in g death. She told h o w , in a vision , she had seen a
co m p an y o f m en in w h ite robes entering the m onastery, and
w hen-she asked them w h at they w ere lo o k in g fo r and w h at
they w an ted, th ey rep lie d : ‘ W e have been sent to b rin g aw a y
w ith us the gold en coin that w as b ro u gh t here fro m K en t.’
A n d on the v e r y n igh t w h en , as d aw n d rew near, she left the
darkness o f this w o rld and entered the ligh t o f heaven, m an y
brethren o f the m on astery,* w h o live d in separate buildings,
said that th ey had clearly heard choirs o f angels singing and a
sound like that o f a great th ron g entering the m onastery. A n d
w h en they cam e out to discover w h at it m igh t be, they saw a
great ligh t co m in g d o w n fro m heaven, w h ic h carried aw a y
the h o ly soul o f E arcon gota, freed fro m the bonds o f the b o d y,
to the eternal jo y s o f heaven. O th er m iracles are reported to
have taken place in the m on astery that n ig h t; but these I leave
to her o w n people to recount, w h ile I turn to other m atters.
T h e venerable b o d y o f this v irg in and spouse o f C h rist w as
154
A nd o f Ethelberga [m. 9
laid to rest in the church o f the blessed P ro to m artyr Saint
Stephen. T h ree days later it w as decided to take up the stone
slab co verin g the grave, and replace the b o d y at a greater
depth. W h ile this w as takin g place, a perfu m e o f such fra­
grance rose fro m b e lo w that it seem ed to all the brethren and
sisters standing rou n d as thou gh a store o f balm had been
unsealed.
E thelberga, aunt o f E arcon go ta, also preserved w ith strict
self-discipline the g lo r y o f the perpetual v irg in ity b eloved b y
G o d , and the extent o f her holiness becam e even m ore
apparent after her death. F o r w h ile she w as abbess she began
bu ildin g w ith in her m onastery a church in honour o f all the
A postles, in w h ich she w ish ed to b e b u ried ; bu t w h en the
w o r k w as o n ly h a lf done, she w as preven ted b y death fro m
com pletin g it and w as buried w ith in the church in a spot that
she had chosen. A fte r her death the brethren becam e w h o lly
occupied in other m atters, and the b u ild in g o f the church w as
discontinued fo r seven years. A t the end o f this period th ey
decided to abandon an un dertaking that had p ro v ed to o great
fo r their resources, and to rem o v e the abbess’ bones to another
church that w as already com pleted and consecrated. W h e n
th ey opened the tom b , they fo u n d the b o d y untouched b y
decay as it had been b y the corru p tion o f sinful desires. S o
h avin g w ashed it, and clothed it in fresh garm ents, th ey re­
m o ved it to the church o f Saint Stephen the M arty r. H er
feast-day is kept there w ith great splendour on the seventh
o f Ju ly .

chapter 9 : M iracu lo u s cures take p la ce at the site o f

O sw a ld ’s death. A tra veller s horse is cured, and a p a ra lytic
g ir l healed

s w a l d , the m ost C h ristian k in g o f the N orthum brian s,

O reigned fo r nine years, i f w e include the fatal year m ade
abhorrent b y the callous im p iety o f the B ritish k in g C a d -
155
m. 9] M iracles at the site o f O sw ald's death
w alla and the insane apostasy o f the English kings (O sric and
E a n frid ): fo r it has been generally agreed that the nam es o f
these apostates should be erased fro m the list o f Christian
kin gs and the y ear o f their reign ign ored. A t the end o f this
period O sw ald fell in a fierce battle fo u g h t at the place called
in E nglish M aserfelth1 against the same heathen M ercians and
their heathen kin g, w h o had also slain his predecessor E d w in .
H e died on the fifth o f A u gu st 642, w h en he w as thirty-eight
years o f age.
O sw ald ’s great d evo tion and faith in G o d w as m ade evi­
dent b y the m iracles that to o k place after his death. For at the
place w h ere he w as killed figh tin g fo r his cou n try against the
heathen, sick m en and beasts are healed to this d ay. M an y
p eople took a w a y the v e r y dust fro m the place w h ere his b o d y
fell, and put it in w ater, fro m w h ich sick fo lk w h o drank it
received great benefit. Th is practice becam e so pop ular that,
as the earth w as grad ually rem oved , a pit w as left in w h ich a
m an could stand. B u t it is not to be w on d ered at that the sick
received healing at the place o f his death; fo r d u ring his life­
tim e he n e v e r failed to p ro vid e fo r the sick and n eedy and
to g iv e them alm s and aid. M a n y m iracles are reported as
h a v in g occurred at this spot, o r b y m eans o f the earth taken
fro m it; but I w ill content m y se lf w ith tw o , w h ich I have
heard fro m m y elders.
N o t lo n g after O sw a ld ’s death, a m an happened to be
rid in g near the place w h en his horse suddenly show ed signs
o f distress. It stopped and hu n g its head, fo am in g at the
m outh , and as its pains increased, it collapsed on the groun d.
T h e rider dism ounted, rem o ved the saddle, and w aited to see
w h eth er the beast w as g o in g to reco ver o r to die. A t length,
h avin g tossed this w a y and that in great pain fo r a considerable
tim e, it rolled on to the spot w h ere the great k in g had died.
Im m ediately the pain ceased, and the horse stopped its w ild
stru ggles; then, h avin g rolled on its other side, as tired
beasts do, it g o t up fu lly recovered and began to graze. T h e
1. Probably Oswestry.
156
M iracles at the site o f O swald's death [m. io
traveller, an observant man, concluded that the place where
his horse was cured must possess especial sanctity, and when
he had marked it, he mounted and rose on to the inn where he
intended to lodge. On his arrival he found a girl, the niece of
the landlord, who had long suffered from paralysis; and when
members of the household in his presence were deploring the
girl’s disease, he began to tell them about the place where his
horse had been cured. So they put the girl into a cart, took her
to the place, and laid her down. Once there she fell asleep for a
short while; and, on awaking, she found herself restored to
health. She asked for water and washed her face; then she
tidied her hair, adjusted her linen headgear, and returned
home on foot in perfect health with those who had brought
her.

chapter i o : H o w the earth fro m this place has p o w er over

fir e

this time another man, a Briton by race, is said to

A
bout
have been crossing the ground where this battle had been
fought, and noticing that one spot was more green and beauti­
ful than the rest of the field, he came to the wise conclusion
that there could be no other explanation for this exceptional
greenness but that some person of greater sanctity than anyone
else in the army had been slain there. So he took away some of
the earth wrapped up in a linen cloth, thinking that, as the
event proved, it might have power to heal the sick. Proceed­
ing on his journey, he arrived that night at a village and
entered a house where some neighbours were having a feast.
He was welcomed by the owners of the house, and when he
had hung the cloth containing the earth on a beam of the wall,
he sat down to share their meal. They had sat eating and drink­
ing for a long while around a blazing fire in the centre of the
room, when sparks flew up into the roof of the house, which
was made of wattles thatched with hay, and quickly burst
157
m. n ] O sw ald's remains translated to Bardney
into flame. When the fuddled revellers realized this, they
rushed out of the burning house in terror, powerless to
extinguish the blaze. The house burned down, and only the
beam from which the earth hung remained whole and un­
touched by the flames. When they saw this miracle, they were
all astonished, and after making careful enquiry, they found
that the man had taken the earth from the place where
Oswald’s blood had been shed. These marvels were reported
far and wide, and many folk began to visit the place each day
and obtained healing for themselves and their families.

chapter i i : A heavenly light appears all night over

Oswald's tomb, andfolk are healedfrom demonic possession
would not be right to omit mention of the favours and
I
t
miracles that were shown when Oswald’s bones were dis­
covered and translated into the church where they are now
enshrined. This took place through the devout interest of
Queen Osthryd of the Mercians, daughter of his brother
Oswy who succeeded him on the throne, as I shall mention
in due course.
In the province of Lindsey there is a noble monastery called
Beardaneu,1 which was greatly loved, favoured, and enriched
by the queen and her husband Ethelred. She wished that the
honoured bones of her uncle should be reinterred there. But
when the waggon carrying the bones arrived towards even­
ing at the abbey, the monks were reluctant to admit it; for
although they acknowledged Oswald’s holiness, they were
influenced by old prejudices against him even after his death,
because he originally came from a different province and
had ruled them as an alien king. So it came about that the
king’s bones remained outside the gates all night, with only a
large awning spread over the waggon in which they lay. But
a sign from heaven showed them that the bones should be
I. Bardney. Abbey, Lines.
15 8
Miracles at Oswald's tomb [m. n

w elcom ed w ith respect b y all the faith fu l: fo r throughout

the night a pillar o f light shone skyw ard s fro m the w ag go n ,
and w as seen b y nearly all the inhabitants o f the p rovin ce o f
Lindsey. E a rly n ext m orn in g, therefore, the m onks w h o had
p reviou sly refused to adm it it, began to p ray earnestly that
the h o ly relics so dear to G o d should find a resting-place in
their m idst. A cco rd in g ly the bones w ere w ashed and laid in a
casket m ade fo r the purpose, w h ich w as placed in the church
w ith fittin g honour. A n d to furnish a lasting m em orial o f the
ro y al saint, they hung the k in g ’s banner o f purple and gold
o ver his tom b. T h e w ater in w h ich the bones had been
w ashed w as poured a w a y in a co m er o f the cem etery, and
fro m that tim e on the v e ry earth that had received this vener­
ated w ater had the saving p o w er to expel devils fro m the
bodies o f those w h o w ere possessed.
Som e w h ile later, w h en Q ueen O sthryd w as staying in the
m onastery, the venerable Ethelhild, abbess o f a neighbouring
house, visited her to p ay her respects. This lady, w h o is still
livin g , is sister o f Bish op E thelw in o f Lindsey and o f A b bot
A ld w in o f P artney, w hich lies not far aw ay. W h ile she was
talking w ith the queen, the conversation turned to O sw ald,
and the abbess told her h o w she had herself seen the light
reaching heavenw ards fro m O sw ald ’s relics on that night.
A n d the queen in form ed her h o w the dust fro m the pave­
m ent, on w h ich the w ater that had w ashed the bones had
been spilt, had already healed m an y sick people. T h e abbess
then asked that she m igh t be given som e o f this healing dust;
and w hen it had been given her, she tied it up in a cloth, and
put it into a little casket w hich she to o k aw a y w ith her. Som e
w hile later, a guest visited her abbey w h o w as often ho rribly
torm ented b y an evil spirit during the night hours. This man
w as hospitably w elcom ed, and had retired to bed after sup­
per, w h en he w as suddenly possessed b y the devil and began
to cry out, grin d his teeth, fo am at the m outh, and toss his
lim bs in w ild contortions. N o one could hold or bind him ,
so a servant ran and knocked at the abbess’ door to in form
159
m. 12] Miracles at Oswald's tomb
her. She opened the m onastery gate herself and w en t out
w ith one o f the nuns to the m en’s quarters, w here she called
one o f the priests to accom pan y her to the sufferer. O n their
arrival, they foun d a cro w d already present, none o f w h o m
had been able to control the m an ’s w ild convulsions. T h e
priest therefore em p lo yed exorcism and did all he could to
allay the sufferer’s fren zy ; but all his efforts w ere useless.
W h en there seem ed no hope left o f easing his frenzy, the
abbess suddenly rem em bered this dust, and told a m aidserv­
ant to g o at once and fetch the casket containing it. A s soon as
she returned fro m her errand and entered the porch o f the
house w h ere the possessed m an lay w rith in g, he im m ediately
becam e silent, layin g d o w n his head as though to sleep, and
relaxin g his w h o le b o d y. ‘ A ll in rapt silence stood, w ith gaze
in ten t,’ 1 w atchin g an xiously to see the outcom e o f this affair.
A fter som e w h ile, the m an w h o had been so torm ented sat
up w ith a deep sigh, sayin g: T am n o w restored to health
and in m y righ t m in d .’ T h e y eagerly asked him w h at had
happened, and he replied : ‘A s soon as the m aid carryin g the
casket approached the porch o f the house, all the evil spirits
w h o w ere torm enting m e w en t aw a y and left m e and w ere
n ow here to be seen.’ T h en the abbess gave him a p ortion o f
the dust, and after the priest had offered prayers, the m an spent
a quiet night and w as n ever again troubled b y the old enem y.

chapter 1 2 : A little boy is cured o f ague at Saint O sw ald's

tomb

o m e w hile after this, there w as a little b o y in the m on­

S astery w h o had been seriously troubled b y ague. O ne day
he w as an xiously aw aitin g the hour o f an attack, w hen one
o f the brothers cam e in to him and said: ‘ M y b o y, shall I tell
y o u h o w y o u m ay be cured o f this com plaint? G et up, and go
to O sw ald ’s tom b in the church. R em ain there quietly and
1. Virgil: Aeneid ii. 1.
160
Miracles at Oswald's tomb [m. 1 3

m ind y o u don’t stir fro m it until the tim e that y o u r fever is due
to leave y o u . T h en I w ill com e and fetch y o u .’ T h e b o y did as
the brother advised, and w h ile he sat b y the saint’s tom b the
fever dared not touch h im : furtherm ore, it w as so com pletely
scared that it never recurred, either on the second or the third
day, or ever after. A brother o f that m onastery w h o told me
this story added that the b o y w h o had been so m iraculously
cured w as b y then a y o u n g m an and still livin g in the m on­
astery. B u t it need cause no surprise that the prayers o f this
kin g, w h o n o w reigns w ith G od , should be acceptable to
him , since w h en he w as a kin g on earth he alw ays used to
w o rk and p ray ferven tly fo r the eternal kin gd om .
It is said that O sw ald often rem ained in prayer from the
early hour o f Lauds until daw n, and that through his practice
o f constant p rayer and thanksgiving to G o d he alw ays sat
w ith his hands palm upw ards on his knees. It is also said, and
has becom e p roverbial, that his life even closed in p rayer; for
w hen he saw the en em y forces surrounding him and kn ew
that his end w as near, he prayed fo r the souls o f his soldiers.
4G od have m ercy on their souls, said O sw ald as he fell ’ is n o w
a p roverb. A s I have already m entioned, his bones w ere taken
up and buried in the A b b e y o f B a r d n e y ; but the kin g w h o
slew him ordered that his head and hands w ith the forearm s
be hacked o f f and fixed on stakes. T h e fo llo w in g year,
O sw ald ’s successor O sw y cam e to the place w ith his arm y
and rem oved them , placing the head in the church at Lindis-
fa m e ,* and the hands and arms in his o w n royal city o f
B am b u rgh .

chapter 1 3 : A man in Ireland is recalledfrom death's door

by means o f O sw ald's relics

he fam e o f this illustrious hero was not confined to

T B ritain , fo r the rays o f his beneficent fight shone far
overseas, and reached G erm an y and Ireland. T h e most rever­
T - H .E .C .- F 161
m . 13] O sw ald’s fam e reaches Ireland
end B ish o p A c c a * tells h o w , on a jo u rn e y to R o m e , Bish op
W ilfrid and he stayed aw h ile w ith the m ost h o ly W ilb ro rd ,
then A rchbishop o f the Frisians, and h o w he heard h im speak
o f the m iracles that had been done b y the relics o f the vener­
ated k in g in his o w n p rovin ce. W ilb ro rd also told them that
w h en he w as still a priest in Ireland, and liv in g the life o f a
p ilg rim out o f lo v e fo r his h eaven ly h om e, stories o f the
k in g ’s holiness w ere already current far and w id e. I include
in this h istory one o f the stories that he tolcL
‘ A t the tim e o f the great p lague that sw ept B ritain and
Irelan d/ he said, ‘ one o f its m an y victim s w as a scholar o f
Scottish race, w h o w as w e ll read in literature but utterly
uninterested and careless in the m atter o f his eternal salvation.
W h en he realized that his death w as near, he began to fear
that as soon as he died his sins w o u ld xlrag h im d o w n to hell.
A s I w as in the n eigh bou rhood , he sent fo r m e and said w ith
tears in his vo ice, sigh ing and trem b lin g : “ Y o u can see h o w
this disease has tightened its h o ld and bro u gh t m e to the point
o f death. I have n o d oubt that after the death o f m y b o d y
I shall im m ed iately be condem ned to the eternal death o f the
soul and endure all the torm ents o f h e ll; fo r although I have
m ade a great study o f the scriptures, I have fo r a lo n g tim e
devoted m y s e lf to ev il-d o in g rather than to keepin g G o d ’s
C om m an dm en ts. B u t, i f G o d ’s m ercy allo w s m e to su rvive,
I solem n ly resolve to am end m y ev il w ay s and w ill com p letely
refo rm m y character and w a y o f life in subm ission to d ie w ill
o f G o d . I am frilly aw are that I do n ot deserve an y prolon ga­
tion o f m y life, n or can I expect it, unless it pleases G o d to
pardon a w retched sinner throu gh the intercession o f those
w h o have served H im faith fu lly. I have heard the w ell-k n o w n
story o f y o u r m ost saintly K in g O sw ald , w hose w o n d erfu l
faith and virtu e have becom e ren ow n ed even after his death
b y the w o rk in g o f m iracles. I therefore beg y o u , i f y o u possess
an y o f his relics, to brin g them to m e, and perhaps G o d w ill
have p ity on m e fo r his sake.” I told h im : “ I have a p ortion o f
the stake to w h ich the k in g ’s head w as fix e d b y the heathen
16 2
O sw ald succeeded by O sw y and O swin [m. 14
after his death, and i f y o u w ill m ake a sincere act o f faith, G od
o f H is m ercy and throu gh the m erits o f this great saint m ay
grant y o u a lo n g term o f earthly life and render y o u fitted to
enter into life eternal.’ * T h e m an then assured m e that he had
com plete faith in this. T h en I blessed som e w ater, and put in
it a chip o f this oak, and g a v e it to the sick m an to drink. H e
q u ick ly began to feel better, and h avin g recovered fro m his
illness, he live d m an y years after. H e g a v e his heart and life
entirely to G o d , and w h erever he w en t he proclaim ed the
m ercy o f o u r kin d C reato r and the g lo ry o f His faithful
servant O sw ald .’

chapter 1 4 : O n the death ofPaulinus, Ithamar succeeds to

his Bishopric o f Rochester. A n account o f the wonderful
humility o f K ing O sw in, who was treacherously murdered
by O sw y [a.d . 643-651]

h e n O sw ald departed to the k in gd o m o f heaven, his

W brother O s w y , a y o u n g m an o f about thirty, suc­

ceeded to his earthly throne and ruled fo r tw enty-eight
troubled years. H e w as attacked both b y the pagan M ercians,
w h o had already killed his brother, and also b y his o w n son
A lch frid and his n ep hew Ethelw ald, son o f his brother and
predecessor. In the year o f our L o rd 644, the second year o f
O s w y ’s reign, the m ost reverend father Paulinus, form erly
B ish o p o f Y o r k and subsequently B ish op o f Rochester, died
on the tenth o f O cto ber, after an episcopate lasting nineteen
years, tw o m onths, and tw en ty-on e days. H e w as buried in
the sacristy o f the church o f the blessed A postle A n d rew ,
w h ich had been founded and built in R ochester b y K in g
Ethelbert. In his place A rchbishop H onorius consecrated
Itham ar, a man o f K en t, but as w o rth y and learned as his
predecessors.
D u rin g the first part o f his reign, O sw y shared the royal
d ign ity w ith O sw in , w h o cam e o f E d w in ’ s royal line and
163
m. u] O sw in put to death by O sw y
w as son o f the ab ove-m entioned O sric. T h is prince, w h o w as
a m an o f great holiness and piety, ruled the p rovin ce o f D eira
m ost prosperously fo r seven years and w as deeply lo ved b y
all. B u t even w ith h im O sw y , w h o ruled the p rovince o f
B e m icia, that is, the northern part o f the Transhum brian
people, cou ld not live p eaceably; and w h en their differences
g re w m ore acute, he m ost treacherously m urdered him . For,
w h en the kings had raised arm ies against each other, O sw in
realized that his opponent’s forces w ere far stronger than his
o w n , and decided not to risk an engagem ent but to aw ait a
m ore favou rable op p ortun ity. So he disbanded the arm y that
he had raised at W ilfaresd u n , that is, W ilfa r ’s H ill, ten miles
n orth-w est o f the v illag e o f C ataract,1 and sent all his m en to
their hom es. H e him self, accom panied b y a single trusted
soldier nam ed Tond here, w en t back and la y concealed in the
house o f the noblem an H u n w ald , w h o m he regarded as his
greatest friend. Alas, it w as far o th erw ise: fo r H u n w ald be­
trayed O sw in and his m an to O sw y , w h o am id universal
disgust ordered his com m ander E th elw in to put them both
to death. T h is crim e took place on the tw entieth o f A u gu st at
In -G etlin gu m a in the ninth year o f his reign, and here at a later
date, in atonem ent fo r this crim e, a m onastery w as built in
w h ich prayers w ere to be offeree! to G o d d aily fo r the souls
o f the tw o kings, both slayer and slain alike.
K in g O sw in w as a m an o f handsom e appearance and lo fty
stature, pleasant in speech and courteous in m anner. H e w as
generous to h igh and lo w alike, and soon w o n the affection
o f everyon e b y his regal qualities o f m ind and b o d y, so that
nobles cam e fro m alm ost e v e ry p rovin ce to enter his service.
B u t am o n g his other especial endow m ents o f virtu e and
m oderation the greatest w as w h at one m ay describe as the
singular blessing o f h u m ility, o f w h ich a single instance w ill
be sufficient.
H e had giv e n B ish op A id an a v e r y fine horse, in order that
1. Catterick.
2. Gilling, Yorks.
164
O sw iris magnanimity and humility [m. 14
he could ride w h en ever he had to cross a riv er or undertake
any difficult o r urgent jo u rn e y , although the bishop ordin­
arily travelled on foot. N o t lo n g afterw ards, w hen a poor
m an m et the bishop and asked fo r alm s, the bishop im m edi­
ately dism ounted and ordered the horse w ith all its royal
trappings to be given to the b e g g a r; fo r he w as m ost com ­
passionate, a protector o f the p o o r and a father to the w retched.
W h en this action cam e to the k in g ’s ears, he asked the bishop
as they w ere go in g in to d in e : ‘ M y lord bishop, w h y did y o u
give a w a y the ro y al horse w h ich w as necessary for y o u r o w n
use? H ave w e not m an y less valuable horses or other belong­
ings w h ich w o u ld have been g o o d en ough fo r beggars,
w ith ou t g iv in g a w a y a horse that I had specially selected fo r
y o u r personal use?’ T h e bishop at once answered, ‘ W h at
are y o u saying, Y o u r M ajesty? Is this child o f a m are m ore
valuable to y o u than this child o f G o d ? ’ A t this they w ent in
to dinner, and the bishop sat d o w n in his place; but the king,
w h o had com e in fro m hunting, stood w arm in g him self b y
the fire w ith his attendants. A s he stood b y the fire, the kin g
turned o v e r in his m ind w h at the bishop had said; then sud­
den ly unbuckling his sw o rd and handing it to a servant, he
im p u lsively knelt at the bishop’s feet and b egged his fo rgive­
ness, say in g : ‘ I w ill not refer to this m atter again, nor w ill I
enquire h o w m uch o f our b o u n ty y o u g iv e a w a y to G o d ’s
children.’ T h e bishop w as d eeply m oved , and im m ediately
stood up and raised hin* to his feet, assuring him o f his high
regard and b e ggin g h im to sit d o w n to his fo o d w ith out
regrets. A t the bishop’s urgent request, the kin g sat d ow n and
began to be m e rry ; but A id an on the con trary g re w so sad
that he began to shed tears. H is chaplain asked him in his
o w n language, w h ich the k in g and his servants did not
understand, w h y he w ep t. A id an replied: ‘ I k n o w that the
k in g w ill n ot liv e v e r y lo n g ; fo r I have never before seen a
hum ble kin g. I feel that he w ill soon be taken fro m us,
because this nation is not w o rth y o f such a k in g .’ N o t v ery
lo n g afterw ards, as I have related, the bishop’s foreboding
165
n** *5] A id a ris miraculous powers
w as borne out b y the k in g ’s death. A n d B ish o p A id an him ­
s e lf w as taken fro m this w o rld o n ly eleven days after his
b eloved k in g , and received the eternal rew ard o f his labours
fro m o u r L o rd on the thirty-first o f A u gu st 6 5 1.

c h a p t e r1 5 : Bishop A idan foretells a coming storm, and

gives seafarers holy oil to calm the waves [c. a . d . 651]

l m i g h t y G o d m ade k n o w n the greatness o f A id an ’ s

A m erits b y the evidence o f m iracles, o f w h ic h it m ust

suffice to m ention three in his m em o ry . A priest nam ed U tta,
a truthful and serious m an, w h o on that account w as gener­
ally respected b y all, even b y w o rld ly princes, w as sent to
K en t to b rin g back Eanfled as w ife fo r K in g O s w y : she w as
the daughter o f K in g E d w in and had been taken to K en t
w h en her father w as killed. Intending to m ake the ou tw ard
jo u rn e y b y land and to return w ith the princess b y sea, he
w en t to B ish o p A id an and asked h im to p ra y fo r h im and his
com panions as th ey set out on their lo n g jo u rn e y . W h e n
A id an had blessed them and com m en ded them to G o d , he
g a ve them som e h o ly oil, say in g : ‘ W h e n y o u set sail, y o u
w ill encounter a storm and con trary w ind s. R em em b er then
to p ou r the oil that I am g iv in g y o u on to the sea, and the
w in d w ill im m ed iately drop , g iv in g y o u a pleasant, calm
v o y a g e and a safe return h o m e.’ E v e ry th in g happened as
the bishop foretold . In a rising gale, the sailors dropped
anchor, h o p in g to ride ou t the storm . T h is p ro v e d im p ossible;
fo r the roaring seas bro ke into the ship fro m e v e ry side, and
it began to fill. E v e ry o n e felt that his last h o ur had com e,
w h en at last the priest rem em bered the bishop’s w ord s. H e
to o k ou t the flask o f oil, and pou red som e o f it o v er the sea,
w h ich im m ed iately ceased its rag in g as A id an had foretold.
S o it cam e about m at the m an o f G o d throu gh the spirit o f
p ro p h ecy b o th foretold the storm and, alth ou gh absent,
calm ed its fu ry . T h e story o f this m iracle is n o groundless
166
Bamburgh saved by A idaris prayers [m . 16

fable; for it was related to me by Cynimund, a most faithfiil

priest ofour own church [Jarrow], who had it from the mouth
of the priest Utta, on and through whom the miracle was
performed.

c h a p t^e r 1 6 : Aidan s prayers save the royal city whenfired

by the enemy

mother notable m iracle o f the same father A id an is

told b y those in a position to k n o w the facts. W h ile he
w as bishop, P enda and his en em y arm y o f M ercians spread
ruin far and w id e th rou ghout the lands o f the N orthum brians
and reached the v e r y gates o f the ro yal city, w h ich takes its
nam e fro m B e b b a , a fo rm er queen. U n ab le to enter it either
b y fo rce o r after a siege. Penda attem pted to set fire to it.
P u llin g d o w n all the n eigh bou ring villages, he carried to
B a m b u rg h a vast quantity o f beam s, rafters, w attled w alls, and
thatched roofs, p ilin g it h ig h around the c ity w a ll on the
lan d w ard side. D irectly the w in d becam e favou rable, he set
fire to this mass, intending to destroy the city. N o w , w h ile all
this w as happening, the m ost reverend B ish op A idan w as
livin g on F am e Island, w h ich lies n early tw o m iles fro m the
city and w h ich w as his retreat w h en he w ished to p ray alone
and undisturbed: indeed, his lo n ely herm itage can be seen
there to this d ay. W h e n the saint saw the colum n o f sm oke
and flam e w afted b y the w ind s ab ove the c ity w alls, he is said
to h ave raised his eyes and hands to heaven, sayin g w ith tears:
‘ L o rd , see w h at evil Penda d o e s! ’ N o sooner had he spoken
than the w in d shifted a w a y fro m the city, and d rove back
the flam es on to those w h o had kindled them , so in juring
som e and u n n ervin g all that they abandoned their assault on
a c ity so clearly under G o d ’s protection.

167
chapter 17: The wooden buttress o f the Church against
which Aidan leaned as he died is untouched when the rest o f
the Church is burned down. H is spiritual life [ a . d . 651]

e a t h came to Aidan when he had completed sixteen

D years of his episcopate, while he was staying at a royal

residence near the capita. Having a church and lodging there,
Aidan often used to go and stay at the place, travelling about
the surrounding countryside to preach. This was his practice
at all the king’s country-seats, for he had no personal posses­
sions except his church and a few fields around it. When he
fell ill, a tent was erected for him on the west side of the
church, so that the tent was actually attached to the church
wall. And so it happened that, as he drew his last breath, he
was leaning against a post that buttressed the wall on the
outside. He passed away on the last day of August, in the
seventeenth year of his episcopate, and his body was soon
taken across to Lindisfame Island and buried in the monks’
cemetery. When a larger church, dedicated to the most
blessed Prince of the Apostles, was built there some while
later, his bones were transferred to it and buried at the right
side of the altar in accordance with the honours due to so
great a prelate.
Finan, who had also come from the Scottish island and
monastery of Iona, succeeded him as bishop and held the
office for a considerable time. Some years later, Penda, King
of the Mercians, came into these parts with an invading army
and destroyed everything that he found with fire and sword;
and he burned down the village and the chinch where Aidan
had died. But, in awonderful manner, the beamagainst which
he was leaning at his death was the only object untouched by
the flames which devoured everything around it. This miracle
was noticed and a church was soon rebuilt on the same site,
with the beam supporting the structure from the outside as
before. Sometime later in another fire, caused this time by
carelessness, the village and church were again destroyed;
16 8
Aidan s saintly character fm. 17
but even on this occasion the beam remained undamaged.
For, although in a most extraordinary way the flames licked
through the very holes of the pins that secured it to the
building, they were not permitted to destroy the beam.
When the church was rebuilt for the third time, the beam
was not employed as an outside support again, but was set
up inside the church as a memorial of this miracle, so that those
who entered might kneel thereandaskGod’smercy. Since that
day many are known to have obtained the grace of healing
at this spot, and many have cut chips of wood from the beam
and put them in water, by which means many have been
cured of their diseases.
I have dealt at length with the character and life of Aidan,
although one cannot commend or approve his inadequate
knowledge of the proper observance of Easter; indeed, as I
have made clear in my book on the seasons, I strongly dis­
approve ofthesepractices. None the less, as a truthful historian,
I have given an accurate account of his life, commending
all that was excellent and preserving his memory for the
benefit of my readers. He cultivated peace and love, purity
and humility; he was above anger and greed, and despised
pride and conceit; he set himself to keep as well as to teach
the laws of God, and was diligent in study and prayer. He
used his priestly authority to check the proud and powerful;
he tenderly comforted the sick; he relieved and protected the
>oor. To sum up in brief what I have learned from those who
mew him, he took pains never to neglect anything that he had
earned from the writings of the evangelists, apostles and pro­
phets, and he set himselfto carry them out with all his powers.
I greatly admire and love all these things about Aidan,
because I have no doubt that they are pleasing to God; but I
cannot approve or commend his failure to observe Easter at
the proper time, whether he did it through ignorance of the
canonical times or in deference to the customs of his own
nation. But this in him I do approve, that in keeping his
Easter he believed, worshipped, and taught exactly what we
i <59
m- l8 l K ing Sigbert o f the East Angles becomes a monk
do, namely the redemption of the human race through the
Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven of the
Man Jesus Christ, the Mediator between God and man. He
always kept Easter, not as some mistakenly suppose, on the
fourteenth moon whatever the day was, as the Jews do,
but on the Lord’s Day falling between the fourteenth and
twentieth days of the moon. He did so because he held
that the Resurrection of our Lord took place on the day
following the Sabbath and because, like the rest of Holy
Church, he rightly expected our own resurrection to take
place on the same day after the Sabbath, which we now call
the Lord’s Day.

chapter 1 8 : T h e life and death o f the devout K in g S igb ert

[ a . d .6 3 5 ]

b o u t this time, after the death of Earpwald, successor

A . to Redwald, the kingdom of the East Angles was ruled

by his brother Sigbert, a good and religious man who had
been baptized long previously in Gaul while he had been
living in exile to escape the hostility of Redwald. When he
returned home and became king, he wished to copy what he
had seen well contrived in Gaul, and he was quick to found a
school for the education of boys in the study of letters.* In
this project he was assisted by Bishop Felix, who had come to
him from Kent and provided him with teachers and masters
according to the practice of Canterbury.
King Sigbert became so ardent in his love for the kingdom
of heaven that he abandoned the affairs of his earthly king­
dom, and entrusted them to his kinsman Egric, who had
already governed part of the kingdom. He then entered a
monastery* that he had founded and, after receiving the
tonsure, devoted his energies to winning an everlasting
kingdom. A considerable while later, the Mercians led by
King Penda attacked the East Angles who, finding themselves
Fursey comes to the East Angles from Ireland [m. 19
less experienced in warfare than their enemies, asked Sigbert
to go into battle with them and foster the morale of the
fighting men. When he refused, they dragged him out of the
monastery regardless of his protests, and took him into battle
with them in the hope that their men would be less likely to
panic or think of flight if they were under the eye of one who
had once been a gallant and distinguished commander. But,
mindful of his monastic vows, Sigbert, surrounded by a
well-armed host, refused to carry anything more than a stick,
and when the heathen charged, both he and King Egric were
killed and the army scattered.
These kings were succeeded by Anna son of Eni, an
excellent man of royal stock, and father of a distinguished
family, of whom I shall give an account in due course. Anna
also was later killed by the same pagan king of the Mercians
who had slain his predecessors.

chapter 19: Fursey establishes a monastery among the

East A ngles: the incorruption o f his body after death attests
to his visions and holiness [a . d . 633]

u r i n g Sigbert’s reign there came from Ireland a

D holy man named Fursey, renowned for his words and

doings and outstanding in virtue. His purpose was to spend
his life as a pilgrim for love of our Lord, and to go wherever
he found an opening. On his arrival in the province of the
East Angles, he was honourably received by the king and
preached the Gospel as he always did. Inspired by the example
of his goodness and the effectiveness of his teaching, many
unbelievers were converted to Christ, and many who already
believed were drawn to greater love and faith in him.
Once when he was ill, God granted Fursey to enjoy a
vision, in which he was directed to continue his diligent
preaching of the word and to maintain his accustomed vigils
and prayers with indefatigable zeal; for although death is
in- !9] Fursey establishes a monastery
certain, its coming is unpredictable, as our Lord says: ‘ Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.’ Stimulated
by this vision, Fursey set himself with all speed to build a
monastery on a site given him by King Sigbert, and to estab­
lish a regular observance in it. This monastery was pleasantly
situated in some woods close to the sea, within the area of a
fortification that the English call Cnobheresburg,* meaning
Cnobhere’sTown. Subsequently, Anna, king of the province,
and his nobles endowed the house with finer buildings and
gifts.
Fursey was of noble Irish blood and even more noble in
mind than in birth; for from his boyhood he had not only
read sacred books and observed monastic discipline but, as is
fitting in saints, had also diligently practised all that he learned.
In course of time he had built himselfa monastery in which
he might devote himself more freely to sacred studies. There,
as the book on his life informs us, he fell ill and entered a
trance; and quitting his body from sunset to cockcrow, was
privileged to see the choirs of angels, and to hear the songs of
the blessed. He used to say that, among other things, he clearly
heard them sing: ‘ The saints shall go from strength to strength’ ,
and ‘ The God o f gods shall be seen in Sion. Then he returned
to bodily consciousness; but three days later he was again
withdrawn from it, and saw not only the greater joys of the
blessed, but the amazing struggles of evil spirits, who fought
to prevent his approach to heaven by constant wicked accu­
sations: nevertheless, under the protection of the angels, he
reached his goal. And if any one wishes to learn about these
experiences in greater detail, let himread the above-mentioned
little book on his life, and I think that he will reap great bene­
fit from it. It describes the deceitful cunning with which the
devils threw back at him his actions, his idle words, and even
his thoughts, as though they were recorded in a book; and
it tells of thejoyful and sorrowful things that he learned both
from the angels and from the saints who appeared among the
angels.
17a
Fursey s vision [m. 19
I have, however, thought it proper to record in this history
one happening which may be helpful to many. When Fursey
had been carried up to a great height, he was told by his angel
guides to look back at the world. As he looked down, he saw
what appeared to be a gloomy valley beneath him, and four
fires in the air, not far from one another. Asking what these
were, the angels told him that they were the fires which were
to bum and consume the world. ‘ One of them is Falsehood,
when we do not renounce Satan and all his works as we
promised at our Baptism. The next is Covetousness, when
we put the love of worldly wealth before the love of God.
The third is Discord, when we needlessly offend our neigh­
bours, even in small matters. The fourth is Cruelty, when we
think it no crime to rob and defraud the weak/ These fires
gradually grew together and merged into one vast confla­
gration, so that Fursey in alarm cried to the angel: ‘ Master,
the fire is coming near me!’ To which the angel replied: ‘ It
will not bum you, because you did not kindle it; for although
it appears as a great and terrible fire, it tests everyone according
to his deserts, and will burn away his sinful desires. For as
every man’s body is set on fire by unlawful desire, so when
death frees him from the body, he must make due atonement
for his sins by fire/ Then he saw one of the three angels who
had been his guides in both his visions go forward and divide
the flames, while the other two flew on each side of him to
protect him from harm. He also saw devils, who flew through
the flames stirring up the fires of war against the just. These
evil spirits made accusations against him, while the good
spirits spoke in his defence. Fursey also saw a greater vision
of the heavenly hosts and of the saints of his own nation who
had once worthily adorned the dignity of priesthood, and
from them he learned many things of spiritual benefit both to
himself and to those who were ready to listen. And when they
had ended speaking and returned to heaven with the other
angelic spirits, there remained with Fursey the three angels
who were to restore him to his body. As they approached
173
in. 19] Fursey s vision
the great fire, the angel divided the flames as before for him
to pass. But when the man of God came to the passage
opened among the flames, wicked spirits seized one of those
whom they had been tormenting in the fire, and thrust him
against Fursey, so that he was burned on his shoulder and
jaw. He recognized this man, and remembered that he had
received some of his clothing when he died. And when the
holy angel quickly took the man and cast him back into the
flames, the malicious devil said: ‘ Don’t reject one of your
own friends; for since you accepted the property of this
sinner, you must share his punishment/ But the angel de­
fended Fursey, saying: ‘ He did not accept them out of greed,
but in order to save the man’s soul.’ The fire then died down,
and the angel turned to Fursey, saying: ‘ You lit this fire, so
you were burned: had you not accepted property from one
who died in his sins, you would not have shared his punish­
ment.’ And he went on to instruct Fursey in salutary words
what should be done for the salvation of those who repented
on their death-bed. And when Fursey had been restored to
his body, he found that the bum that he had received in his
soul had left a permanent and visible scar on his shoulder and
jaw; and in this strange way his body afforded visible evi­
dence of the inward sufferings of his soul. He continued to set
an example of virtue to others in his life and teaching as
before, but he would relate his visions only to those who were
moved by penitence to ask him. An old brother of our mon­
astery, who is still living, testifies that he once knew a truthful
and devout man who had met Fursey in the province of the
East Angles, and heard of these visions from his own mouth.
He added that it was a frosty and bitter winter’s day when
Fursey told his story; and yet, though he wore only a thin
garment, he was sweating profusely as though it had been
summer, either because of the consolation or the terror of his
recollections.
To return to my original narrative, when Fursey had
preached the word of God among the Irish for many years,
17 4
Fursey s vision [m. 19
he could no longer endure the crowds that thronged him. So
he abandoned everything he seemed to possess and, leaving
his native island with a few companions, crossed into Britain
to the province of the Angles, where he preached the word
of God and built the above-mentioned noble monastery.
Having done this with success, he began to long to be rid of
all worldly business, even of the affairs of the monastery; and
having entrusted the care of souls to his brother Fullan and
the priests Gobban and Dicul, he freed himself of all worldly
responsibilities and resolved to end his life as a hermit. Now
Fursey had another brother named Ultan, who after many
years in a monastery had adopted the life of a hermit. So
Fursey sought him out alone and for a year shared his life of
prayer and austerity, supporting himself by daily manual
labour.
At this period, the province was again distressed by the
attacks of the heathen, and Fursey, foreseeing that even
monasteries would be endangered, set his affairs in order and
sailed over to Gaul, where he was honourably received by
King Clovis [II] and his chamberlain Earconwald, and built a
monastery at Latiniacum.* Not long afterwards, when he
fell sick and died, the noble Earconwald took his body and
placed it in the porch of a church he was building in his estate
called Peronne, until the church itself should be consecrated.
This took place twenty-seven days later, and when the body
was taken from the porch to be buried near the altar, it was
found to be as free from decay as on the day of his death.
Four years later a more suitable chapel was built for his
resting-place to the east of the altar, and his still uncorrupt
body was transferred to it with great honour. In this chapel
God has granted many miracles as evidence of the saint’s
merits. I have briefly recorded these events and the incor­
ruption of his body, so that the reader may understand more
clearly how great a man Fursey was. But he will find a fuller
account of Fursey and his companions in the book on his
life which I have mentioned.
17 5
chapter 20: O n the death o f H onorius [a .d . 653], D eusdedit
succeeds him as A rchbishop o f C an terbu ry. T h e succession
o f the bishops o fth e E a st A n g les and ofR o ch ester

Felix, Bishop of the East Angies, died

M
eanw h ile
after anepiscopate of seventeen years, and Archbishop
Honorius consecrated Thomas his deacon from the province
of the Gyrwas* to succeed him. He died after five years in the
bishopric, and was followed by Bertgils, a man of Kent
known as Boniface. Archbishop Honorius himself, having
run his course, died on the thirtieth of September 653, and
after a vacancy of eighteen months Deusdedit, a West Saxon,
was elected to the archiepiscopal see and so became the sixth
Archbishop. He was consecrated by Ithamar, Bishop of
Rochester, on the twenty-sixth of March (655), and ruled the
see until his death nine years, four months, and two days
later. And on the death of Ithamar, Deusdedit himself con-
consecrated Damian, a South Saxon, in his place.

chapter 2 1 : T h e P ro vin ce o f the M id d le A n g le s, under

its k in g P eada, becomes C h ristia n [a .d . 653]

b o u t this time the Middle Angles, ruled by their king

A . Peada, son of Penda, accepted the true Faith and its

sacraments. Peada, who was a noble young man, well de­
serving the title and dignity of a king, whom his father had
appointed to the kingship of this people, went to Oswy king
of the Northumbrians and requested the hand of his daughter
Alchfled in marriage. Oswy, however, would not agree to
this unless the king and his people accepted the Christian
Faith and were baptized. So when Peada had received instruc­
tion in the true Faith, and had learned of the promises of the
kingdom of heaven and of man’s hope of resurrection and
eternal life to come, he said that he would gladly become a
Christian, even if he were refused the princess. He was chiefly
176
The M iddle Angles accept the Faith [m. 21
influenced to accept the Faith by King Oswy’s son Alchfrid,
who was his kinsman and friend, and had married his sister
Cyniburg, daughter of King Penda.
Accordingly, Peada was baptized by Bishop Finan, together
with his companions and thanes andall their servants, at a well-*
known village belonging to the king known as At-Wall.*
Then,taking with himfour priests, chosenfor theirlearning and
holy life, to instruct and baptize his people, he returned home
full ofjoy. These priests were Cedd, Adda, Betti, andDiuma,
all of whom were English except Diuma, who was a Scot. As
I have said, Adda was brother of Utta, awell-known priest and
Abbot of Gateshead. On their arrival in the province with the
king, thesepriests preachedtheword ofGod and found a ready
hearing, both noble and common folk alike coming in great
numbers daily to renounce their idols and receive Baptism.
King Penda himself did not forbid the preaching of the
Faith to any even of his own Mercians who wished to listen;
but he hated and despised any whom he knew to be insincere
in their practice of Christianity once they had accepted it, and
said that any who despised the commandments of the God in
whom they professed to believe were themselves despicable
wretches. This Christian mission was begun two years before
Penda’s death. And when Penda was killed, and was suc­
ceeded by the Christian King Oswy, as I shall tell later, Diuma,
one of these four priests, was consecrated Bishop of the Middle
Angles and Mercians by Bishop Finan, since a shortage of
priests made it necessary for one bishop to preside over two
peoples.* During his short episcopate, Diuma converted
many to the Faith, and died among the Middle Angles in the
district known as In-Feppingum. He was succeeded by Ceol-
lach, a Scot who relinquished the see after a short time and
returned to the Isle of Iona, the chief and mother-house of
many Scots monasteries. His successor was Bishop Trumhere,
a devout man trained as a monk, English by race but conse­
crated bishop by the Scots. This took place during the reign
of King Wtdfhere, of whom I shall speak later.
T —H.E.C. —O 17 7
chapter 2 2 : T h e E a st S a x o n s, w h o had apostatized fro m
the F a ith under K in g S ig b ert, are re-con verted by the
p reach in g o f C ed d [ a .d 653]

b o u t this time also, the East Saxons, who had once

A . rejected the Faith and driven out Bishop Mellitus, again

accepted it under the influence of King Oswy. For Sigbert
their king, successor to Sigbert the Small, was a friend of
Oswy and often used to visit him in the province of the
Northumbrians. Oswy used to reason with him how gods
made by man’s handiwork could not be gods, and how a
god could not be made from a log or block of stone, the rest
of which might be binned or made into articles of everyday
use or possibly thrown away as rubbish to be trampled under­
foot and reduced to dust. He showed him how God is rather
to be understood as a being of boundless majesty, invisible to
human eyes, almighty, everlasting, Creator of heaven and
earth and of the human race. He told him that he rules and
will judge the world in justice, abiding in eternity, not in
base and perishable metal; and that it should be rightly under­
stood that all who know and do the will of their Creator will
receive an eternal reward from him. King Oswy advanced
these and other arguments during friendly and brotherly
talks with Sigbert, who, encouraged by the agreement of his
friends, was at length convinced. So he talked it over with his
advisers, and with one accord they accepted the Faith and
were baptized with him by Bishop Finan in the king’s village
of At-Wall, so named because it stands close to the wall which
the Romans once built to protect Britain, about twelve miles
from the eastern coast.
Having now become a citizen of the kingdom of heaven,
Sigbert returned to the capital of his earthly kingdom after
asking Oswy to send him teachers to convert his people to the
Faith of Christ and baptize them. Accordingly Oswy sent
to the province of the Middle Angles and summoned the
man of God, Cedd, whom he dispatched with another priest
178
Progress o f the Faith among the East Saxons [m. 22
as companion to evangelize the East Saxons. When these
priests had visited the entire province and established a
strong Christian community, Cedd returned home to
Lindisfame for consultations with Bishop Finan. When the
latter learned the great success of his preaching, he invited
two other bishops to assist him, and consecrated Cedd Bishop
of the East Saxons. And when Cedd had been raised to the
dignity of bishop, he returned to his province and used his
increased authority to promote the work already begun. He
built churches in several places and ordained priests and
deacons to assist in teaching the Faith and baptizing the
people, especially in the city which the Saxons call Ythan-
caestir* and that called Tilaburg.1 The former place stands on
the bank of the River Pant, the latter on the River Thames.
Here Cedd established communities of the servants of Christ
and taught them to maintain the discipline of the regular
life so far as these untutored folk were then capable of
doing.
To the greatjoy of the king and all his people, the Gospel of
eternal life made daily headway throughout the province for
a considerable time until, at the instigation of the Enemy of
all good men, the king was murdered by his own kinsmen.
This horrid crime was committed by two brothers who, on
being asked their motive, had no answer to make except that
they hated the king because he was too lenient towards his
enemies and too readily forgave injuries when offenders
asked pardon. This then was the fault for which the king was
killed, that he sincerely observed the teachings of the Gospel.
Yet in this undeserved fate he was overtaken by punishment
for his real fault, as the man of God had once foretold. For
one of the nobles who murdered him had contracted an
illicit marriage, and the bishop, being unable to prevent or
correct this, had therefore excommunicated him, forbid­
ding anyone to enter his house or eat at his table. But the
king had disregarded this ban and had accepted the noble’s
1. Tilbury.
179
in- 23] C ed d requests a site fo r a m onastery
invitation to a feast. As he was leaving the house, the bishop
met him, and the king immediately dismounted from his
horse and fell trembling at his feet, begging pardon for his
fault. The bishop, for he too had been on horseback, also
dismounted in great anger and, touching the prostrate king
with the staff in his hand, exercised his pontifical authority
and said: ‘ I tell you that, since you have refused to avoid the
house of a man who is lost and damned, this very house will
be the place of your death.’ However, since the death of this
religious king was due to his loyal obedience to Christ’s
commandments, we may believe that it atoned for his earlier
offence and increased his merits.
Sigbert was succeeded asking by Swidhelm, son of Sexbald,
who had been baptized by Cedd in the province of the East
Angles at the king’s country-seat of Rendlesham, that is,
Rendil’s House: his godfather was Ethelwald, King of the
East Angles, brother of king Anna.

chapter 2 3 : C ed d receives the site fo r a m onastery fro m

K in g E th elw a ld , an d h allow s it to our L o rd w ith p ra y er and
fa s tin g : his death [ a . d . 659] -

u r i n g his episcopate among the East Saxons, God’s

D servant Cedd often visited his own province, that is the

province of the Northumbrians, to preach. Ethelwald, son of
King Oswald, who ruled in the region of Deira, knowing
Cedd to be a wise, holy, and virtuous man, asked him to
accept a grant of land to found a monastery, to which he
himself might often come to pray and hear the word of God
and where he might be buried: for he firmly believed that
the daily prayers of those who would serve God there would
be of great help to him. The king’s chaplain had been Cedd’s
brother, a priest named Caelin, a man equally devoted to
God, who had ministered the Word and Sacraments to
himself and his family, and it was mainly through him that
180
H e founds it at Lastingham [m. 23
the king came to know and love the bishop. In accordance
with the king’s wishes, Cedd chose a site for the monastery
among some high and remote hills, which seemed more
suitable for the dens of robbers and haunts of wild beasts
than for human habitation. His purpose in this was to fulfil
the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘ in the habitation o f dragons, where each
lay, shall be grass, with reeds and rushes9, so that the fruits of
good works might spring up where formerly lived only wild
beasts, or men who lived like the beasts.
The man of God wished first of all to purify the site of the
monastery from the taint of earlier crimes by prayer and
fasting and make it acceptable to God before laying the foun­
dations. He therefore asked the king’s permission to remain
there throughout the approaching season of Lent, and during
this time he fasted until evening every day except Sunday
according to custom. Even then, he took no food but a
morsel of bread, a hen’s egg and a little watered milk. He
explained that it was the custom of those who had trained
him in the rule of regular discipline to dedicate the site of any
monastery or church to God with prayer and fasting. But
ten days before the end of Lent a messenger arrived to
summon him to the king. So in order that the king’s business
should not interrupt the work of dedication, Cedd asked his
brother the priest Cynibil to complete this holy task. The
latter readily consented, and when the period of prayer, and
fasting came to an end, he built the monastery now called
Laestingaeu,1 and established there the observance of the
usages of Lindisfame where he had been trained.
When Cedd had been bishop of the province and admini­
stered the affairs of this monastery for many years through
his chosen representatives, he happened to visit the monastery
during a time of plague, and there fell sick and died. He was
first buried in the open, but in the course of time a stone
church was built, dedicated to the blessed Mother of God,
and in it his body was reinterred on the right side of the altar.
1. Lastingham, near Whitby.
I 8l
in. 24] W ar betw een O sw y and Penda
T h e bishop bequeathed the abbacy o f the m onastery to his
brother C h ad , w h o subsequently becam e a bishop as I shall
record later. T h e fo u r brothers I have m entioned - C ed d ,
C y n ib il, C aelin, and C h ad - all becam e fam ous priests o f
our L o rd , and tw o becam e bishops, w h ich is a rare occur­
rence in one fam ily. W h en the brethren o f C ed d ’ s m onastery
in the p rovin ce o f the East Saxon s heard that their founder
had died and been buried in the p rovin ce o f the N o rth u m ­
brians, about thirty o f them cam e there w ish in g either. G o d
w illin g , to liv e near the b o d y o f their Father, o r else to die and
be laid to rest at his side. T h e y w ere k in d ly w elcom ed b y their
brothers and fellow -sold iers o f C hrist, and all o f them died
there o f the plague w ith the exception o f one little b o y w h o
m ust surely have been preserved fro m death b y the prayers
o f his Father C h ad . F o r m any years afterw ards, w hen this
b o y w as still alive and ap p lyin g h im self to the study o f the
Scriptures, he suddenly learned that he had n ever been
baptized; so he at once sought salvation in the w aters o f the
font, and w as subsequently adm itted to the priesthood and
p ro ved h im self a support to m an y in the C h u rch . So I have
no doubt that, w hen the b o y visited the tom b o f his beloved
Father, he w as saved fro m im m inent death b y his prayers,
in order that he m igh t escape eternal death and b y his witness
exercise a m in istry o f life and salvation to the other brethren.

chapter 2 4 : O n the death o f P en da, the P rovin ce o f the

M ercian s accepts the F a ith o f C h rist: in gratitude fo r his
victo ry, O sw y g iv e s endow m ents and lands to G o d fo r the
bu ildin g o f m onasteries [ a .d . 6 5 5 ]

t this period K in g O s w y w as subjected to savage and

A . intolerable attacks b y Penda, the above-m entioned
K in g o f the M ercians w h o had slain his brother. A t length
dire need com pelled h im to offer Penda an incalculable quan­
tity o f regalia and presents as the price o f peace, on condition
18 2
Victory o f O swy [m. 24
that he returned hom e and ceased his ruinous devastation o f
the provinces o f his kin gd om . B u t the treacherous king
refused to consider his offer, and declared his intention o f
w ip in g out the entire nation fro m the highest to the hum blest
in the land. A cc o rd in g ly O s w y turned fo r help to the m ercy
o f G o d , w h o alone could save the land fro m its barbarous
and godless en em y ; and he bound h im self w ith an oath,
sayin g: ‘ I f the heathen refuses to accept our gifts, let us offer
them to the L o rd our G o d .’ S o he v o w e d that, i f he w ere
victoriou s, he w o u ld offer his daughter to G o d as a conse­
crated v irg in and g iv e tw e lv e estates to build monasteries.
T h is done, he gave battle w ith an insignificant force to the
pagan arm ies, w h ich are said to have been thirty times greater
than his o w n and com prised th irty battle-hardened legions
under fam ous com m anders. O s w y and his son A lchfrid,
trusting in C h rist as their leader, m et them , as I have said,
w ith v e ry sm all forces. H is other son E g frid w as at the time
held hostage at the court o f Q ueen C y n w ise in the province
o f the M ercians. B u t O sw ald ’ s son Ethelw ald, w h o should
have helped them , had gone o v er to the enem y and had acted
as guide to P enda’s arm y against his o w n kin and country,
although during the actual battle he w ith d rew and awaited
the outcom e in a place o f safety. W h en battle had been join ed,
the pagans suffered defeat. A lm ost all the thirty com m anders
w h o had com e to Penda’ s aid w ere killed. A m o n g them
Ethelhere, brother and successor o f K in g A n n a o f the East
A n gles, w h o had been responsible fo r the w ar, fell w ith all
his m en. T h is battle w as fo u g h t close b y the R iv e r W in w aed ,
w h ich at the tim e w as sw ollen b y h eavy rains and had flooded
the surrounding co u n try : as a result, m an y m ore w ere
d row n ed w h ile attem pting to escape than perished b y the
sw ord.
In fulfilm ent o f his v o w to the L o rd , K in g O sw y gave
thanks to G o d fo r his v ic to ry and dedicated his daughter
A elffled, w h o w as scarcely a year old, to his service in per­
petual virg in ity. H e also gave tw elve small grants o f land,
183
m . 24] E arly bishops o f the Mercians
w h ere h eaven ly w arfare w as to take the place o f earthly, and
to p rovide fo r the needs o f m onks to m ake constant inter­
cession fo r the perpetual peace o f his nation. S ix o f these la y
in the p rovin ce o f D eira, and six in B e m icia, each o f ten
hides in extent, m ak in g one hundred and tw e n ty in all. T h e
daughter w h o m K in g O s w y had in this w a y dedicated to
G o d entered the m onastery o f H eruteu1 or H art’s Island, at
that tim e ruled b y Abbess H ilda. T w o years later, the Abbess
acquired a p ro p erty o f ten hides at a place called Streanaes-
halch,2* w h ere she founded a m onastery. In this the k in g ’s
daughter becam e first a n ovice and later a mistress o f the
m onastic life, until at fifty-n in e years o f age this h o ly v irg in
departed to the w ed d in g-feast and em brace o f her heavenly
B rid eg ro o m . In the church o f this m onastery, dedicated to
the h o ly A p ostle Peter, she herself, her father O sw y , her
m other Eanfled, her m oth er’s father E d w in , and m an y other
noble fo lk are buried. T h is battle w as w o n b y K in g O sw y in
the region o f L o id is3 on the fifteenth o f N o v e m b e r in the
thirteenth y ear o f his reign, to the great benefit o f both
nations. F or not o n ly did he deliver his o w n people fro m
the hostile attacks o f the heathen, but after cutting o f f their
infidel head he con verted the M ercians and their neighbours
to the Christian Faith.
T h e first B ish op in the p rovin ce o f the M ercians, together
w ith the people o f L in d sey and the M id d le A n gles, w as the
above-m entioned D iu m a, w h o died and w as buried am ong
the M id d le A n gles. T h e second w as C eollach , w h o resigned
the bishopric and returned to the land o f the Scots; fo r both
he and D iu m a w ere o f Scottish race. T h e third w as T ru m here,
an E nglishm an trained and ordained b y the Scots, w h o w as
abbot o f the m onastery o f In -G etlin gu m .4 A s I h ave said, this
w as the place w h ere K in g O sw in had been killed and w here
his kin sw om an Q ueen Eanfled, in expiation fo r his unjust
death, petitioned K in g O s w y to grant G o d ’s servant T ru m -
1. Hartlepool. 2. Whitby. 3. Leeds.
4. Gilling, near Richmond.
18 4
Aidan succeeded at Lindisfarne by Finan [m. 25
here, w h o w as also a near relative o f the kin g, land on w hich
to build a m on astery; in this w a y , prayer could be offered
fo r the eternal salvation o f both kings, slayer and slain alike.
For three years after the death o f Penda, K in g O sw y ruled
both the M ercians and the other peoples o f the southern
p rovin ces; he also subjected m ost o f the Piets to English rule.
A t this tim e he granted Peada, son o f Penda, because he
w as his kinsm an, the K in g d o m o f the South M ercians, w hich
consists o f fiv e thousand hides o f land and is divided b y the
R iv e r T ren t fro m the land o f the N o rth M ercians, w hich
consists o f seven thousand hides. In the fo llo w in g spring,
h o w ever, during the Festival o f Easter, Peada w as fo u lly
assassinated through the treachery, it is said, o f his o w n w ife.
A n d three years after Penda’s death the M ercian leaders
Im m in, Eafa, and Eadbert rebelled against O sw y and pro­
claim ed as k in g W u lfh e re , son o f Penda, a you th w h o m they
had kept hidd en; and h avin g driven out the representatives
o f a kin g w h o m they refused to acknow ledge, they bo ldly
recovered their liberty and lands. Free under their o w n king,
they ga ve w illin g allegiance to C hrist their true K in g , so that
they m igh t w in his eternal kin gd om in heaven. K in g W u lf­
here ruled the M ercians fo r seventeen years and, as I have said,
had T ru m h ere as his first bishop. T h e second bishop was
Ja ru m a n ; the third, C h a d ; the fourth, W yn frid . A ll these in
turn held the bishopric o f the M ercians under K in g W u lfh ere.

chapter 2 5 : C on troversy arises w ith the Scots over the

date o f E aster [ a .d . 66 4]

h en B ish op A id an departed this life, he w as suc­

W ceeded in the Bish op ric b y Finan, w h o had been con­
secrated and sent b y the Scots. H e built a church in the Isle
o f Lindisfarne suitable fo r an episcopal see, constructing it,
h o w e ver, not o f stone, but o f h ew n oak thatched w ith reeds
after the Scots m anner. It w as later dedicated b y the most
185
 25] Controversy about the date o f Easter
reverend A rch bishop T h eo d o re in h o nour o f the blessed
A postle Peter. B u t Eadbert, a later B ish op o f Lindisfam e,
rem oved the thatch, and covered both r o o f and w alls w ith
sheets o f lead.
A b o u t this tim e there arose a great and recurrent contro­
versy on the observance o f Easter, those trained in K en t and
G aul m aintaining that the Scottish observance w as con trary
to that o f the universal C h u rch . T h e m ost zealous cham pion
o f the true Easter w as a Scot nam ed R on an , w h o had been
instructed in G aul and Italy in the authentic practice o f the
C hurch. H e disputed against Finan and convinced m an y, or
at least persuaded them to m ake m ore careful en quiry into
the truth. B u t he entirely failed to m o v e Finan, a hot-tem ­
pered m an w h o m re p ro o f m ade m ore obstinate and open ly
hostile to the truth. Jam es, fo rm erly the deacon o f the vener­
able A rchbishop Paulinus, o f w h o m I have spoken, kept the
true and C ath olic Easter w ith all w h o m he cou ld persuade
to adopt the righ t observance. A lso Q ueen Eanfled and her
court, h avin g a K entish priest nam ed R om an us w h o fo llo w ed
the C ath olic practice, observed the custom s she had seen in
K en t. It is said that the confusion in those days w as such that
Easter w as som etim es kept tw ice in one year, so that w h en the
K in g had ended Len t and w as keeping Easter, the Q ueen and
her attendants w ere still fasting and keeping P alm Sunday.
D u rin g A id an ’ s lifetim e these differences o f Easter obser­
vance w ere patiently tolerated b y ev ery o n e; fo r it w as real­
ized that, although he w as in lo y a lty bound to retain the
custom s o f those w h o sent him , he nevertheless laboured
diligently to cultivate the faith, p iety, and lo ve that m arks out
G o d ’s saints. H e w as therefore righ tly lo ved b y all, even b y
those w h o differed fro m his opinion on Easter, and w as held
in high respect not o n ly b y ord in ary fo lk , but b y H onorius
o f C an terbu ry and F elix o f the East A n gles.
W h en Finan, w h o fo llo w ed A id an as bishop, died, he w as
succeeded b y another Irishm an, C o lm an , under w h o m an
even m ore serious con troversy arose about Easter and also
186
The Synod o f W hitby [m. 25
about other rules of Church discipline. This dispute rightly
began to trouble the minds and consciences of many people,
who feared that they might have received the name of Christ­
ian in vain. Eventually the matter came to the notice of King
Oswy and his son Alchfrid. Oswy thought nothing could be
better than the Scots teaching, having been instructed and
baptized by the Scots and having a complete grasp of their
language. But Alchfrid, who had been instructed in the
Faith by Wilfrid - a very learned man who had gone to Rome
to study the doctrine of the Church, and spent a long time at
Lyons under Dalfin, Archbishop of Gaul, from whom he had
received the tonsure - knew that Wilfrid’s doctrine was in
fact preferable to all the traditions of the Scots. He had there­
fore given him a monastery with forty hides of land at
In-Hrypum.1 Actually, he had given this not long previously
to the adherents of the Scottish customs; but since, when
offered the alternative, these preferred to give up the place
rather than alter their customs, he then offered it to Wilfrid,
whose life and teaching made him a worthy recipient. About
this time, Agilbert, Bishop of the West Saxons, whom I have
mentioned, had come to visit the province of the Northum­
brians. He was a friend both of King Alchfrid and of Abbot
Wilfrid and stayed with them for some time, and at the
king’s request he made Wilfrid a priest in his monastery. He
also had with him a priest named Agatho. So when dis­
cussion arose there on the questions of Easter, the tonsure,
and various other church matters, it was decided to hold a
synod to put an end to this dispute at the monastery of
Streanaeshalch, which means The Bay of the Beacon, then
ruled by the Abbess Hilda, a woman devoted to God. Both
kings, father and son, came to this synod, and so did Bishop
Colman with his Scots clergy, and Bishop Agilbert with the
priests Agatho and Wilfrid. James and Romanus supported
the latter, while Abbess Hilda and her community, together
with the venerable bishop Cedd, supported the Scots. Cedd,
1. Ripon.
is?
m. 2s] The Synod o f W hitby
who as already mentioned had long ago been ordained by
the Scots, acted as a most careful interpreter for both parties
at the council.
King Oswy opened by observing that all who served the
One God should observe one rule of life, and since they all
hoped for one kingdom in heaven, they should not differ in
celebrating the sacraments of heaven. The synod now had
the task of determining which was the truer tradition, and
this should be loyally accepted by all. He then directed his
own bishop Colman to speak first, and to explain his own
rite and its origin. Then Colman said: ‘ The Easter customs
which I observe were taught me by my superiors, who sent
me here as a bishop; and all our forefathers, men beloved of
God, are known to have observed these customs. And lest
anyone condemn or reject them as wrong, it is recorded that
they owe their origin to the blessed evangelist Saint John,
the disciple especially loved by our Lord, and all the churches
over which he presided.’ When he had concluded these and
similar arguments, the king directed Agilbert to explain the
origin and authority of his own customs. Agilbert replied:
‘ May I request that my disciple the priest Wilfrid be allowed
to speak in my place? For we-are both in full agreement with
all those here present who support the traditions of our
Church, and he can explain our view in the English language
more competently and clearly than I can do through an
interpreter.’ When Wilfrid had received the king’s command
to speak, he said: ‘ Our Easter customs are those that we have
seen universally observed in Rome, where the blessed Apostles
Peter and Paul lived, taught, suffered, and are buried. We have
also seen the same customs generally observed throughout
Italy and Gaul when we travelled through these countries
for study and prayer. Furthermore, we have learnt that Easter
is observed by men of different nations and languages at one
and the same time, in Africa, Asia, Egypt, Greece, and
throughout the world wherever the Church of Christ has
spread. The only people who stupidly contend against the
The Synod o f W hitby [m. 25

whole world are these Scots and their partners in obstinacy

the Piets and Britons, who inhabit only a portion of these
the two uttermost islands of the ocean.’ In reply to this state­
ment, Colman answered: ‘ It is strange that you call us stupid
when we uphold customs that rest on the authority of so
great an Apostle, who was considered worthy to lean on our
Lord’s breast, and whose great wisdom is acknowledged
throughout the world.’ Wilfrid replied: ‘ Far be it from us to
charge John with stupidity, because he literally observed the
Law of Moses at a time when the Church followed many
Jewish practices, and the Apostles were not able immediately
to abrogate the observances of the Law once given by God,
lest they gave offence to believers who were Jews (whereas
idols, on the other hand, being inventions of the Devil, must
be renounced by all converts). For this reason Paul circum­
cised Timothy, offered sacrifice in the Temple, and shaved
his head at Corinth with Aquila and Priscilla, for no other
reason than that of avoiding offence to the Jews. For James
said to Paul: “ Thou seest, brother, how many thousands o f Je w s
there are which believe; and they are all zealous o f the la w ." But
today, as the Gospel spreads throughout the world, it is
unnecessary and indeed unlawful for the faithful to be cir­
cumcised or to offer animals to God in sacrifice. John,
following the custom of the Law, used to begin the Feast of
Easter on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month,
not caring whether it fell on the Sabbath or on any other day.
But Peter, when he preached in Rome, remembering that it
was on the day after the Sabbath that our Lord rose from
the dead and gave the world the hope of resurrection, real­
ized that Easter should be kept as follows: like John, in
accordance with the Law, he waited for moonrise on the
evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. And if the
Lord’s Day, then called the morrow of the Sabbath, fell on
the following day, he began to observe Easter the same
evening, as we all do today. But, if the Lord’s Day did not
fall on the day following the fourteenth day of the moon,
189
“ ■25] The Synod o f W hitby
but on the sixteenth, seventeenth, or any other day up to the
twenty-first, he waited until that day, and on the Sabbath
evening preceding it he began the observance of the Easter
Festival. This evangelical and apostolical tradition does not
abrogate but fulfil the Law, which ordained that the Passover
be kept between the eve of the fourteenth and twenty-first
days of the moon of that month. And this is the custom of all
the successors of blessed John in Asia since his death, and is
also that of the world-wide Church. This is the true and
only Easter to be observed by the faithful. It was not newly
decreed by the Council of Nicaea, but reaffirmed by it, as
Church history records. It is quite apparent, Colman, that you
follow neither the example ofJohn, as you imagine, nor that
of Peter, whose tradition you deliberately contradict. Your
keeping of Easter agrees neither with the Law nor with the
Gospel. For John, who kept Easter in accordance with
the decrees of Moses, did not keep to the first day after the
Sabbath; but this is not your practice, for you keep Easter
only on the first day after the Sabbath. Peter kept Easter
between the fifteenth and twenty-first days of the moon;
you do not, for you keep it between the fourteenth and
twentieth days of the moon. As a result, you often begin
Easter on the evening of the thirteenth day, which is not
mentioned in the Law. Nor did our Lord, the Author and
Giver of the Gospel, eat the old Passover or institute the
Sacrament of the New Testament to be celebrated by the
Church in memory of His Passion on that day, but on
the fourteenth. Furthermore, when you keep Easter, you
totally exclude the twenty-first day, which the Law of Moses
particularly ordered to be observed. Therefore, I repeat,
you follow neither John nor Peter, the Law nor the Gospel,
in your keeping of our greatest Festival.’
Colman in reply said: ‘ Do you maintain that Anatolius, a
holy man highly spoken of in Church history, taught con­
trary to the Law and the Gospel, when he wrote that Easter
should be kept between the fourteenth and twentieth days
190
The Synod o f W hitby [m. a j

o f the m o o n ? A re w e to believe that ou r m ost revered Father

C o lu m b a and his successors, m en so dear to G o d , thought or
acted con trary to H o ly Scripture w h en they fo llo w ed this
custom ? T h e holiness o f m an y o f them is confirm ed b y
heaven ly signs, and their virtues b y m iracles; and h avin g n o
doubt that they are Saints, I shall n ever cease to em ulate their
lives, custom s, and discipline.’
‘ It is w e ll established that A natolius w as a m ost h o ly,
learned, and p raisew orth y m an ,’ answ ered W ilfr id ; ‘ but h o w
can y o u claim his auth ority w h en y o u do not fo llo w his direc­
tions? F o r he fo llo w ed the correct rule about Easter, and
observed a cycle o f nineteen years; but either y o u do not
k n o w o f this general custom o f the C hristian C h u rch , o r else
y o u ign ore it. H e calculated the fourteenth d ay o f the m oo n
at Easter according to the E g y p tian m ethod, counting it in
the even in g as the fifteenth d a y ; sim ilarly, he assigned the
tw entieth to Easter Sun d ay, regard in g it after sunset as the
tw en ty-first d ay. B u t it appears that y o u do not realize this
distinction, since y o u som etim es keep Easter before full
m oon, that is, on the thirteenth d ay. A n a w ith regard to y o u r
Father C o lu m b a and his fo llo w ers, w hose holiness y o u claim
to im itate and w hose rules and custom s y o u claim to have
been supported b y h eaven ly signs, I can o n ly say that w hen
m an y shall say to our L o rd at the d ay o f ju d g e m e n t: “ H ave
w e not prophesied in T h y name, and cast out devils, and done man^
wonderful w orks?” the L o rd w ill rep ly, “ J never knew you.
Far be it fro m m e to ap p ly these w o rd s to y o u r fathers; fo r it
is m ore ju st to believe g o o d rather than evil o f those w h o m
one does n ot k n o w . So I do not den y that they w ere true
servants o f G o d and dear to H im , and that they loved H im
in p rim itive sim plicity but in devout sincerity. N o r do I
think that their w a y s o fk e e p in g Easter w ere seriously harm ful,
so lo n g as n o one cam e to sh ow them a m ore perfect w a y to
fo llo w . Indeed, I feel certain that, i f any C ath olic reckoner
had com e to them , they w o u ld read ily have accepted his
guidance, as w e k n o w that they readily observed such o f
“ • *s] The Synod o f W hitby
G o d ’s ordinances as th ey already kn ew . B u t y o u and y o u r
colleagues are m ost certainly gu ilty o f sin i f y o u reject the
decrees o f the A p ostolic See, indeed o f the universal C h urch,
w h ich are confirm ed b y H o ly W rit. For, although y o u r
Fathers w e re h o ly m en, do y o u im agine that they, a fe w m en
in a co m er o f a rem ote island, are to be preferred before the
universal C h u rch o f C h rist throu ghout the w o rld ? A n d even
i f y o u r C o lu m b a - or, m a y I say, ours also i f he w as the
servant o f C h rist - w as a Saint potent in m iracles, can he take
precedence before the m ost blessed Prince o f the Apostles,
to w h o m ou r L o rd said: “ Thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I w ill build my Church, and the gates o f hell shall not prevail
against it, and I w ill g iv e unto thee the keys o f the kingdom o f
h ea ven ’ V
W h e n W ilfrid had ended, the k in g asked: ‘ Is it true,
C o lm an , that these w o rd s w ere spoken to that P eter b y ou r
L o r d ? ’ H e an sw ered : ‘ It is true, Y o u r M ajesty.* T h en the
k in g said: ‘ C a n y o u sh o w that a sim ilar auth ority w as given
to y o u r C o lu m b a ? ’ ‘ N o ,’ replied C o lm an . ‘ D o y o u both
a g ree’ , the kin g continued, ‘ that these w o rd s w e re indis­
p utably addressed to Peter in the first place, and that our L o rd
gave h im the keys o f the k in g d o m o fh e av en ? ’ B o th an sw ered:
‘ W e d o .’ A t this, the k in g con cluded: ‘ T h en , I tell yo u ,
P eter is guardian o f the gates o fh e a v e n , and I shall not con­
tradict m m . I shall o b e y his com m ands in everyth in g to the
best o f m y k n o w led ge and a b ility ; otherw ise, w h en I com e
to the gates o f heaven, there m a y be no one to open them ,
because he w h o holds the keys has turned aw a y.**
W h e n the k in g said this, all present, both h igh and lo w ,
signified their agreem ent and, abandoning their im perfect
custom s, hastened to adopt those w h ich th ey had learned to
be better.

19 2
chapter 2 6: A fter his defeat C olm an returns home and
T uda succeeds to his bishopric [ a . d . 6 6 4 ]: the condition o f
the C hurch under these teachers

this w a y the con troversy w as term inated, the com pan y

I
n
dispersed, and A g ilb ert returned hom e. C o lm an , seeing
his teachings rejected and his fo llo w in g discounted, took
a w a y w ith h im all w h o w ished to fo llo w him , that is, all w h o
still dissented fro m the C ath olic Easter and tonsure* - fo r
there w as no sm all argum ent about this as w ell - and returned
to the land o f the Scots in order to consult his com patriots on
their future course o f action. C ed d , on the other hand, having
abandoned the Scots* custom s and accepted the C ath olic,
returned to his o w n bishopric. T h is S yn o d took place in the
year o f ou r L o rd 664, w h ich w as the tw enty-second year o f
K in g O s w y ’s reign, and the thirtieth anniversary o f the
com in g o f the Scots bishops to England, A id an h aving held
his bishopric fo r seventeen years, Finan fo r ten, and C o lm an
fo r three.
O n C o lm a n ’s return to his o w n land, the servant o f G od ,
T u d a, becam e bishop o f the N orthum brians in his place. H e
had been trained and consecrated bishop b y the southern
Scots, and had w o rn the ecclesiastical tonsure according to
the custom s o f the provin ce, and observed the C ath olic
Easter custom s. H e w as a go o d devout m an, but ruled the
diocese o n ly fo r a short tim e. H e had arrived fro m the land
o f the Scots during C o lm a n ’ s episcopate, and taught the truths
o f the Faith d iligen tly in w o rd and deed. T h en Eata, abbot o f
the m onastery o f M ailro s,1 a gentle m an and greatly revered,
w as appointed A b b o t o f Lin d isfam e to rule the brethren w h o
elected to rem ain there w h en the Scots w ith d rew . It is said
that before C o lm an left, he asked and obtained this favou r
fro m K in g O sw y , because Eata had been one o f the tw elve
E n glish bo ys w h o m A id an received to be taught the Christian
Faith w h en he first becam e bishop; fo r the kin g had high
1. Melrose.
T - H.E.C. - H 193
m. 26] A u sterity o f the Irish m onks
regard fo r B ish o p C o lm a n ’s inherent g o o d sense. T h is is
the sam e Eata w h o not lo n g afterw ards w as raised to the
bishopric o f the church o f Lin disfam e. O n his return hom e,
C o lm an took w ith h im a p ortion o f the bones o f the m ost
reverend Father A id a n ; but he left som e o f them in the
church o v e r w h ich he had ruled, directin g that they be en­
shrined in the sacristy.
S o fru g al and austere w ere C o lm an and his predecessors
that w h en th ey left the seat o f their au th ority there w ere v e ry
fe w buildings except the ch u rch ; indeed, no m ore than m et
the bare requirem ents o f a seem ly w a y o f life. T h e y had no
p ro p erty except cattle, and w h en ever they received an y
m o n ey fro m rich fo lk , they im m ed iately g a v e it to the p o o r;
fo r th ey had n o need to amass m o n ey o r p ro v id e lo d g in g fo r
im portan t p eople, since such visited the church o n ly in order
to p ray o r hear the w o rd o f G o d . W h en ev er op p ortu n ity
offered, the k in g h im self used to com e w ith o n ly fiv e o r six
attendants; and w h en he had com pleted his p rayer in the
church, he used to leave. B u t i f they happened to rem ain fo r
a m eal, they w ere content w ith the plain d aily fo o d o f the
brothers and asked nothin g m ore. F o r in those days the sole
concern o f these teachers w as to serve G o d , not the w o rld ;
to satisfy the soul, not the b elly. A c c o rd in g ly the religious
habit at that tim e w as held in h ig h esteem . W h e re v e r an y
priest o r m on k paid a visit, he w as jo y fu lly w elco m ed b y all
as the servant o f G o d . A n d i f peop le m et h im on the road,
th ey ran to h im and b o w ed , eager to be signed b y his hand or
receive a blessing fro m his bps. W h en ev er he spoke a w o rd o f
encouragem ent, he w as given an attentive hearing. O n
Sundays the people docked to the churches and m onasteries,
not to obtain fo o d , but to hear the w o rd o f G o d . W h e n a
priest visited a v illag e, the people w e re q uick to gather together
to receive the w o rd o f life ; fo r priests and clerics alw ays cam e
to a villag e solely to preach, baptize, visit the sick, and, in
short, to care fo r the souls o f its people. T h e y w ere so free
fro m the sin o f avarice that none o f them w o u ld accept lands
19 4
Egbert becomes a monk in Ireland [m. 27
or gifts fo r the bu ild in g o f m onasteries unless expressly
directed to do so b y the secular authorities. Th is continued to
be the general practice fo r som e years am ong the churches o f
the N orthum brian s. B u t enough has been said on such matters.

c h a p t e r 2 7 : E g b ert, an En glishm an o f h oly life , becomes a

m onk in Irela n d

I
N the sam e year o f our L o rd 664 an eclipse o f the sun
occurred about ten o ’clock in the m orn in g on the third o f
M a y ; and a sudden plague, w h ich first decim ated the southern
parts o f B ritain and later spread into the provin ce o f the
N orthum brian s, raged fo r a lon g tim e and brought w id e­
spread death to m an y people. B ish op T u d a fell a victim to
this plague, and w as buried w ith honour in the m onastery o f
Paegnalaech. T h e plague w as equally destructive in Ireland.
A t this period there w ere m an y English nobles and lesser fo lk
in Ireland w h o had left their o w n land during the episcopates
o f Bishops Finan and C o lm an , either to pursue religious
studies or to lead a life o f stricter discipline. Som e o f these
soon devoted them selves to the m onastic life, w hile others
preferred to travel, studying under various teachers in turn.
T h e Scots w elcom ed them all k in d ly, and, w ith out asking
fo r an y paym en t, p rovid ed them w ith d aily food, books,
and instruction.
A m o n g these English nobles w ere Ethelhun and Egbert,
tw o y o u n g m en o f outstanding ability. T h e form er w as
brother o f E th elw in , a m an no less dear to G od , w h o at a
later date also travelled to study in Ireland and, after a full
course o f instruction, returned hom e and w as m ade Bish op o f
Lindsey, w h ere he en joyed a lo n g and illustrious episcopate.
These tw o y o u n g m en, w h o w ere studying in the m onastery
w h ich the Scots call R athm elsigi, h avin g lost all their com ­
panions either throu gh the plague or through their dispersal
to other places, w ere them selves stricken b y the same disease
195
m. 27] Egbert becomes an 4exile for Christ9
and fell dangerously ill. A n d I am told b y a m ost dependable
priest o f venerable age, w h o says that he learnt the story at
first hand, that E g b ert,* believin g h im self about to die, w en t
out one m orn in g fro m the ro o m w h ere the sick w ere lyin g
and, sitting d o w n in a place b y him self, began seriously to
exam ine his past life. Tears fell fro m his eyes as he so rro w fu lly
recalled his sins, and he begged G o d fro m the bo ttom o f his
heart not to let him die until he cou ld atone fo r the offences
o f his b o yh o o d and youth , and exert h im self to better purpose
in g o o d deeds. H e also m ade a v o w that he w o u ld rem ain an
exile and n ever return to his n ative island o f B rita in ; and that,
unless prevented b y sickness, in addition to the canonical
hours o f p rayer, he w o u ld recite the entire Psalter daily to
the praise o f G o d and w o u ld fast once a w eek fo r a day and a
night. W h en he had ended his tears, v o w s and prayers, he
returned to the house w h ere he foun d his com panion asleep;
and lyin g d o w n on his pallet, he com posed h im self to rest.
W h en he had lain there a short w h ile, his com panion aw o k e,
and lookin g at him , said: ‘ O brother E gbert, w h at have y o u
done? I w as hopin g that w e should enter eternal life togeth er;
but n o w y o u m ay be sure that w h at y o u h ave p rayed fo r w ill
be granted.’ F or he had learned in a vision w h at his friend had
prayed for, and that his p rayer w as heard. T h e rest is soon told.
Ethelhun died the fo llo w in g n ig h t; but E gb ert th rew o f f the
disease, recovered, and lived fo r m an y years. H e becam e a
w o rth y ornam ent o f the priestly order, and, as he had prayed,
lived a life o f great m erit, entering the k in gd o m o f heaven at
the age o f ninety in the year o f o u r L o rd 729. E gb ert led a
life o f great h u m ility, gentleness, p u rity, sim plicity, and up­
rightness. H e bro u gh t great blessings both to his o w n nation,
and to the Piets and Scots am o n g w h o m he exiled him self,
setting them an exam p le o f h o ly life. H e w as indefatigable
in teaching, firm in ad m inistering rep roo f, and generous in
distributing w h atever he received fro m the rich. In addition
to his earlier v o w s, he ate o n ly one m eal a d ay during Lent,
allo w in g h im self a scanty ration o f bread and skim m ilk ;
196
W ilfrid and C h a d are made bishops [m. 28
fo r he used to keep the previous d ay’ s fresh m ilk in a flask,
and h avin g skim m ed o f f the cream next day, he drank w hat
w as left w ith a little bread. H e practised a sim ilar abstinence
fo r fo rty days before Christm as, and as m an y after the Feast o f
Pentecost.

chapter 2 8 : O n T u d a s death, W ilfrid is consecrated

bishop in G a u l and C h a d am ong the W est S a xo n s, to be
bishops in the P rovin ce o f the N orthum brians [a .d . 665]

e a n w h i l e K in g A lch frid sent W ilfrid , then a priest,

M to the K in g o f the G auls* to be consecrated bishop fo r
h im self and his people. H e sent him fo r consecration to
A gilb ert, w h o , as I have said, had been m ade Bishop o f Paris
after his return fro m Britain . Sum m oning several other
bishops to the ro y al country-seat at C om p iegn e, he conse­
crated W ilfrid w ith great splendour. B u t since W ilfrid re­
m ained overseas fo r a considerable tim e on account o f his
consecration, K in g O s w y m eanw hile, fo llo w in g his son’s
exam ple, sent to C an terb u ry to be consecrated Bish op o f
Y o rk , a h o ly m an, m odest in his w ays, learned in the Scrip­
tures, and careful to practise all that he found in them . This
w as a priest nam ed C h ad , a brother o f the above-m entioned
m ost reverend B ish op C ed d , and at that tim e A b b o t o f Last-
ingham . W ith C h ad the kin g sent a priest nam ed Eadhaed,
w h o later, during the reign o f E gfrid , becam e Bish op o f
R ip o n . O n arrivin g in K en t, they found that Archbishop
D eusdedit had died and that no successor had yet been appoin­
ted. T h e y therefore w en t on to the p rovince o f the W est
Saxons, consecrated C h ad as bishop w ith the assistance o f
tw o bishops o f the B ritish ,* w h o , as I have often observed,
keep Easter con trary to canonical practice betw een the four­
teenth and tw entieth days o f the m oon. F or at that tim e
W in i w as the o n ly bishop in all B ritain w h o had been canon­
ically consecrated.
197
m- 29] Wighard dies in Rome
W h en he becam e bishop, C h ad im m ediately devoted
h im self to m aintaining the truth and p u rity o f the C h urch ,
and set h im self to practise h u m ility and continence and to
study. A fte r the exam p le o f the Apostles, he travelled on fo o t
and not on horseback w h en he w en t to preach the Gospel,
w hether in tow ns o r cou n try, in cottages, villages, o r strong­
h o ld s; fo r he w as one o f A id a n ’s disciples and alw ays sought
to instruct his people b y the sam e m ethods as A id an and his
o w n brother C ed d . A n d W ilfre d too, w h en he returned to
B ritain as a bishop, introduced into the E nglish churches
m an y C ath olic custom s, w ith the result that the C ath olic
R ite daily gained support and all the Scots then liv in g am ong
the English either con form ed to it o r returned to their o w n
land.

chapter 2 9 : T h e p riest W ighard is sent fro m B rita in to

R om e to be m ade archbishop: lettersfrom the apostolic P o pe
tell o f his death there [ a . d . 655]

t this tim e, the m ost n oble E nglish kin gs O sw y o f

A . the N orth um b rian s and E gb ert o f the K entish fo lk

conferred together on the state o f the C h u rch o f the E n glish ;
fo r O sw y , alth ou gh educated b y the Scots, w as fu lly aw are
that the R o m a n C h u rch w as the C ath olic and A postolic
C h u rch . W ith the choice and ap p roval o f the h o ly C h urch
o f the English, the tw o kin gs accepted the priest W ig h ard ,
one o f A rch bishop D eusdedit’s c lergy , a go o d m an w ell
fitted to be a bishop, and sent h im to R o m e to be consecrated
bishop, so that, w h en he had received the rank o f A rchbishop,
he could consecrate C ath o lic bishops fo r the churches o f the
E nglish throu ghout B ritain . W ig h a rd arrived in R o m e, but
died before he cou ld be consecrated; and the fo llo w in g letter
w as sent to O s w y in B rita in :
‘ T o ou r son, the m ost excellent L o rd O sw y , K in g o f the
Saxon s, fro m B ish op V italian, servant o f the servants o f G o d .
198
Pope Vitaliaris letter to K ing O sw y [m. 29
‘ W e have read Y o u r E xcellen cy’s w elcom e letter, in w hich
w e recognize y o u r v e ry sincere devotion and ferven t desire
fo r eternal life. A n d w e k n o w h o w y o u have been converted
to the true and apostolic Faith b y the guidin g hand o f G od ,
and trust that, as y o u n o w reign o ver y o u r o w n nation,
so y o u w ill one d ay reign w ith C hrist. Y o u r nation is fortu­
nate to have a kin g so w ise and devoted to the w orship o f G od ,
w h o not o n ly adores G o d him self, but labours day and night
to lead all his people to the C ath olic A postolic Faith, and to
save his o w n soul. W h o can help bein g glad to hear such en­
cou ragin g new s? A n d w h o w ill not be delighted at such
w o rk s o f devotion? F o r y o u r nation has com e to believe in
C h rist ou r m ig h ty G o d in fulfilm ent o f the w ord s o f G o d ’s
prophets, as Isaiah says: “ In that day there shall be a root o f Jesse,
which shall stand as an ensign o f the people; to it shall the G entiles
s e e k " A n d again : “ Listen, O isles, unto M e ; and hearken, ye
people, from fa r ." A n d a little later he says: “ It is a light thing
that thou shouldest be M y servant, to raise up the tribes o f Jacob,
and to restore the preserved o f Israel. I w ill also g iv e thee fo r a
light to the G entiles, that thou mayest be M y salvation unto the
end o f the earth ." A n d again : “ K ings shall see, princes also shall
arise and w orsh ip." A n d later: “ I have given thee fo r a covenant
o f the people, to establish the earth and possess the desolate heri­
tages; that thou mayest say to the prisoners, G o fo rth ; to them that
are in darkness, Show yourselves." A n d ag ain : “ I, the Lord, have
called thee in righteousness, and w ill hold thine hand, and w ill keep
thee, and g iv e thee fo r a covenant o f the people, fo r a light o f the
G en tiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from
prison, and them that sit in darkness out o f the prison-house.”
‘ H ere y o u m ay see, m ost excellent son, h o w clearly it is
prophesied, not o n ly o f y o u but o f all nations, that they shall
believe in C h rist the M ak er o f all things. It m ust therefore be
the task o f Y o u r M ajesty, as a livin g m em ber o f C hrist, alw ays
to observe the h o ly precepts o f the Prince o f the Apostles,
both in keeping Easter, and in everyth in g transmitted to us
b y the h o ly Apostles Peter and Paul, w h o , as the tw o heavenly
199
 ^9] Pope V italians letter to K ing O sw y
bodies light the w o rld , g iv e d aily ligh t b y their teaching to
the hearts o f all believers.’
A n d after som e observations on the keepin g o f one true
Easter throu ghout the w o rld , the P o p e continues:
‘ In v ie w o f the len gth y jo u rn e y in v o lv e d , w e have not
y et been able to discover a m an w h o lly suitable to be y o u r
bishop, as y o u request in y o u r letters. B u t as soon as such a
m an can be fou n d , w e w ill g iv e h im instructions and send
h im to y o u r cou n try, so that under G o d ’s guidance, through
his o w n w itness and the teachings o f G o d , he m a y uproot the
tares sow n b y the E n em y throu ghout y o u r island. W e grate­
fu lly ack n o w led ge the gifts sent b y Y o u r H ighness to the
blessed Prince o f the Apostles in tribute to his im m ortal
m em o ry , and p ray fo r y o u r safety together w ith the Christian
clerg y . B u t the bearer o f y o u r gifts has departed this life, and
is buried in the C h u rch o f the A posdes. W e are d eeply dis­
tressed that he should have died here. W e h ave directed,
h o w e ver, that blessings o f the Saints - that is, relics o f the
blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and o f the h o ly m artyrs
Laurence, Jo h n , and Paul, G re g o ry and Pancras - be g ive n
to the bearers o f this letter fo r d elivery to Y o u r Excellency.
B y the sam e bearers w e send to ou r spiritual daughter, y o u r
queen, a cross m ade fro m the fetters o f the blessed Apostles
Peter and Paul w ith a gold en key. L earnin g o f her pious zeal,
the entire apostolic see rejoices w ith us as greatly as her h o ly
deeds shine and blossom in the sight o f G o d . W e trust that
Y o u r H ighness w ill soon fu lfil ou r hope, and dedicate y o u r
w h o le island to C h rist ou r G o d . F o r assuredly y o u have as
y o u r p rotector the R ed eem er o f the hum an race, ou r L o rd
Jesu s C hrist, w h o w ill support all y o u r efforts to d raw to­
gether a n ew people in C hrist, and establish there the C ath olic
and A p ostolic Faith. F o r Scripture say s: “ Seekfirst the kingdom
o f Goa and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added
unto y o u "; and y o u assuredly seek, and w ill obtain w h at w e
to o desire, that is, the con version o f all y o u r islands. W e greet
Y o u r E xcellen cy w ith fath erly affection, constantly p rayin g
200
Apostasy o f the East Saxons checked by Jamman [m. 30

that G o d o f H is m ercy w ill assist y o u and yo u rs in all go od

w o rk s, so that y o u m a y reign w ith C h rist in the w o rld to
com e. M a y H eaven ’s grace preserve Y o u r E xcellen cy in
health.’
T h e n ext b o o k w ill p ro vid e a m ore suitable place to tell
w h o w as actually discovered and consecrated in place o f
W ig h ard .

chapter 30: D uring a plague the East Saxons lapse into

idolatry, but are quickly recalledfrom their errors by Bishop
Jarum an [a .d . 665]

the same tim e, the kings Sighere and Sebbi succeeded

A
t
„ S w id h elm , o f w h o m I have spoken, as rulers o f the East
Saxons under W u lfh e re , K in g o f the M ercians. W h ile the
plagu e w as causing a h e av y death-roll in the province, Sighere
and his people abandoned the m ysteries o f the Christian Faith
and relapsed into paganism . F o r the kin g him self, together
w ith m an y o f the nobles and com m on folk, loved this life
and sought no other, o r even disbelieved in its existence.
H o p in g fo r protection against the plague b y this means, they
therefore began to rebuild the ruined tem ples and restore
the w orship o f idols. B u t Sebbi his fello w -k in g and colleague
held w ith all his people lo y a lly to the Faith they had accepted,
and, as w ill appear later, rem ained faithful and ended his
days happily.
A s soon as K in g W u lfh e re learned that part o f the p rovince
had apostatized fro m the Faith, he sent B ish op Jaru m an ,
T ru m h ere’s successor, to correct their error and recall the
p ro vin ce to the true Faith. I am told b y a priest w h o accom ­
panied h im on his jo u rn e y and shared his preaching that
Ja ru m an proceeded w ith great en ergy, fo r he w as a g o o d
devout m an, w h o travelled far and w id e and succeeded in
b rin gin g back both k in g and people to the path o f righteous­
ness. A s a result, they abandoned o r destroyed the temples and
201
m. 30] Apostasy o f the East Saxons checked by Jaruman
altars they had erected, and opened the churches, glad to
confess the nam e o f C h rist w h o m th ey had denied, and m ore
ready to die w ith h im believin g in the R esurrection than to
continue livin g am o n g their idols in the degradation o f
apostasy. T h eir task accom plished, these priests and teachers
then returned hom e full o f jo y .

202
 BOOK FOUR

chapter i : O n the death o f Archbishop Deusdedit, W ig -

hard is sent to Rome to be consecrated in his stead: on the
latter s death there, Theodore is consecrated Archbishop and
sent to Britain with Abbot Hadrian [ a . d . 664]

the fourteenth o f Ju ly in the above-m entioned year,

O
n
w h en an eclipse w as q u ick ly fo llo w ed b y plague, and
during w h ich B ish op C o lm an w as refuted b y the unanim ous
decision o f the C atholics and returned to his o w n coun try,
D eusdedit the sixth A rch bishop o f C an terb u ry died. E arcon -
bert, K in g o f the K entish fo lk , died on the sam e day, and w as
succeeded b y his son E gb ert, w h o reigned fo r nine years.
T h e See o f C an terb u ry w as then vacant fo r a considerable
tim e, until W ig h a rd , an E nglish priest w ith great experience
in church adm inistration, w as sent to R o m e b y the com m on
consent o f E gb ert and K in g O s w y o f the N orthum brians,
w ith the request that he be consecrated A rchbishop o f the
C h u rch o f the English. T h is I have already briefly noted in
the preceding b o o k . A t the sam e tim e the tw o kings sent
presents to the apostolic Pope, including m an y g o ld and silver
vessels. O n his arrival in R o m e, w h ere V italian w as rulin g
the apostolic see, W ig h a rd explained to the P ope the reason
fo r his jo u rn e y ; but shortly afterw ards he and n early all his
com panions fell vic tim to a p lague that broke out at the tim e.
T h e apostolic P op e therefore took advice on the situation,
and m ade careful en q uiry as to w h o m he could send as A rch ­
bishop o f the churches o f the English. N o t far fro m N aples
203
iv. i] Theodore made Archbishop o f Canterbury
in C am pania is the m onastery o f N irid a n o ,* w hose A b b o t
H adrian, a native o f A frica, w as v e ry learned in the Scriptures,
experienced in ecclesiastical and m onastic adm inistration,
and a great scholar in G reek and Latin. So the P op e sum m oned
H adrian, and directed h im to accept the bishopric and go to
B ritain . H adrian excused h im self on the grounds that he w as
not fitted fo r such h igh d ign ity, but said that he could recom ­
m end another, w hose learning and age w ere m ore suited to
the office o f bishop. H e proposed to the P op e a m on k nam ed
A n d rew , w h o w as chaplain to a neigh bouring convent o f
w o m en , and w as considered as w o rth y o f a bishopric b y all
w h o k n ew h im ; but A n d rew excused h im self on the grounds
o f ill health. T h en H adrian w as again pressed to accept the
bishopric; but he asked fo r a delay in order to m ake a fresh
attem pt to find a m ore suitable man.
A t this tim e there w as in R o m e a m on k nam ed T h eodore,
a native o f Tarsus in C ilicia, w h o w as w ell k n o w n to H adrian.
H e w as learned both in sacred and in secular literature, in
G reek and in Latin, o f p ro ved in tegrity, and o f the venerable
age o f sixty-six. H adrian, therefore, suggested the nam e o f
T h eod o re to the P ope, w h o agreed to consecrate him , but
m ade it a condition that H adrian h im self should accom pany
him to B ritain , since he had already travelled through Gaul
tw ice on various missions and had both a better k n o w led ge
o f the road and sufficient m en o f his o w n available. T h e P ope
also ordered H adrian to g iv e full support to T h eod o re in his
teaching, and to ensure that he did not introduce into the
C h u rch w h ich he w as to rule an y G reek custom s w h ich
conflicted w ith the teachings o f the true Faith. O n receivin g
the subdiaconate, T h eod o re w aited fo u r m onths fo r his hair
to g ro w so that he could receive the circular tonsure; fo r
hitherto he had w o rn the tonsure o f the h o ly A postle Paul in
co n fo rm ity to Eastern custom . H e w as then consecrated
bishop b y P op e V italian on Sun day the 26th o f M arch 668,
and on the 27th o f M a y he set out fo r B ritain , accom panied
b y H adrian.
204
Theodore and Hadrian travel to England [iv. i
T h e travellers crossed b y sea to M assilia,1 and thence over­
land to A rles, w here they delivered P ope V italian ’s letters o f
com m endation to Jo h n , A rchbishop o f that city, w h o gave
them hospitality until Ebroin , M a y o r o f the k in g ’s palace,
gave them a perm it to travel w h erever they w ished. A rm ed
w ith this T h eod o re then w en t on to A g ilb ert, Bish op o f
Paris, o f w h o m I have already spoken, w h o w elcom ed him
kin d ly and entertained him fo r a considerable tim e. H adrian
m eanw hile w en t first to E m m e, B ish op o f Sens, and then to
Faro, B ish op o f M eau x, and m ade len gth y stays w ith them ,
since the approach o f w in ter ob liged travellers to rem ain
quietly w h erever they could. W h en messengers in form ed
K in g E gb ert that the bishop w h o m they had requested fro m
the P op e w as n o w in the k in gd o m o f the Franks, he at once
sent his H ig h R eev e R aed frid to escort h im ; and w hen the
R eeve arrived, he obtained E b roin ’s perm ission to escort
T h eodo re to the p ort o f Q uen tavic.2 H ere exhaustion com ­
pelled T h eod o re to rest fo r a w h ile ; but as soon as he began
to recover, he took ship fo r B ritain . B u t H adrian w as de­
tained b y Ebroin , w h o suspected that he bore som e message
fro m the E m p ero r to the kings o f Britain , w h ich m igh t be to
the disadvantage o f the kin gd o m for w hose interests he w as
largely responsible. B u t w h en he ascertained that H adrian
had in fact no such mission, he released him and allow ed him
to fo llo w T h eod ore. A n d as soon as H adrian arrived,T heodore
appointed him abbot o f the m onastery o f blessed Peter the
Apostle, w here, as I have said, the Archbishops o f C an terbu ry
are buried. F or w h en he left R o m e the apostolic Pope had
instructed T h eod o re to p rovid e for him in his diocese, and
give him a suitable place to five w ith his follow ers.
i. Marseilles. 2. £taples.

205
chapter 2: Theodore makes a general visitation: the
English churches begin to receive instruction in Catholic
truth, and sacred study is fostered. Putta succeeds Damian
as Bishop o f Rochester [ a . d . 669]

h e o d o r e arrived in his see on Sun d ay M a y 27th in

T the second y ear after his consecration, and held it for

tw en ty-on e years, three m onths, and tw e n ty-six days. Soon
after his arrival, he visited e v e ry part o f the island occupied
b y the E nglish peoples, and received a read y w elco m e and
hearing everyw h ere. H e w as accom panied and assisted
throu ghout his jo u rn e y b y H adrian, and he taught the C h ris­
tian w a y o f life and the canonical m ethod o f keeping Easter.
T h eo d o re w as the first archbishop w h o m the entire C h u rch
o f the E nglish ob eyed , and since, as I have observed, both he
and H adrian w ere m en o f learning both in sacred and in
secular literature, they attracted a large n um ber o f students,
into w hose m inds they p oured the w aters o f w holesom e
k n o w led ge d ay b y d ay. In addition to instructing them in the
h o ly Scriptures, they also taught their pupils p oetry, astron­
o m y , and the calculation o f the church calendar. In p r o o f o f
this, som e o f their students still alive to d ay are as proficient
in L atin and G reek as in their ftative tongue. N e v e r had there
been such h ap p y tim es as these since the E nglish settled in
B rita in ; fo r the C hristian kin gs w ere so strong that they
daunted all the barbarous tribes. T h e people eagerly sought
the n ew -fo u n d jo y s o f the k in g d o m o f heaven, and all w h o
w ished fo r instruction in the reading o f the Scriptures found
teachers read y at hand.
T h e k n o w led g e o f sacred m usic, hitherto lim ited to K en t,
n o w began to spread to all the churches o f the English. W ith
the exception o f the deacon Jam es, already m entioned, the
first singing-m aster in the N orth u m b rian churches w as
Eddi, k n o w n as Stephen, w h o w as in vited fro m K en t b y the
m ost reverend W ilfrid , the first bishop o f E nglish b lo o d * to
teach the churches o f the E nglish the C ath olic w a y o f life.
206
Chad appointed Bishop o f the Mercians [iv. 3
D u rin g his visitation, T h eod o re consecrated bishops in
suitable places, and w ith their assistance he corrected abuses
w h erever he foun d them . W h en he in fo rm ed B ish op C h ad
that his consecration w as irreg u lar,* the latter replied w ith
the greatest h u m ility : ‘ I f y o u k n o w that m y consecration as
bishop w as irregular, I w illin g ly resign the office; fo r I have
never thought m y se lf w o rth y o f it. A lth o u gh u n w o rth y, I
accepted it solely under obedience.’ A t this hum ble reply,
T h eodore assured h im that there w as no need fo r h im to g ive
up his office, and h im self com pleted his consecration accord­
in g to C ath olic rites. A b o u t the tim e that D eusdedit died and
a successor fo r the See o f C an terb u ry w as sought for, con­
secrated, and sent, W ilfrid also w as sent fro m B ritain to G a u l
fo r consecration. R etu rn in g b efore T h eod o re, he ordained
certain priests and deacons in K en t, pending the archbishop’s
arrival in his o w n see. S h o rtly afterw ards T h eod o re h im self
cam e to Rochester, w h ere the see had been vacan t ever since
the death o f D am ian , and there consecrated Putta as its
bishop. H e w as a m an o f sim ple life, w h o w as w ell acquainted
w ith church affairs, but had little experience in w o rld ly
matters. H e w as a m ost skilled exponent o f the R o m an chant,
w h ich he had learnt fro m pupils o f blessed P op e G reg o ry .

chapter 3: C h a d is appointed B ish o p o f the M ercians

[c. a . d . 667]: his life , death [a . d . 672], and burial

h eM ercians at this tim e w ere ruled b y K in g W u lfh ere,

T w h o on the death o f Ja ru m an asked T h eod o re to provid e
him and his people w ith a bishop. T h eod o re, h o w ever, did
not w ish to consecrate a n e w bishop fo r them , but asked
K in g O s w y to g iv e them C h ad as their bishop. C h ad w as
then livin g quietly in his m onastery at Lastingham , w hile
W ilfrid ruled the B ish op ric o f Y o r k , and indeed o f all the
lands o f the N orthum brian s and Piets to the borders o f O s w y ’s
realm s. T h e m ost reverend B ish o p C h ad alw ays preferred to
207
iv. 3] Chad establishes his see at Lichfield
undertake his preaching missions on fo o t rather than on
horseback; but T h eo d o re ordered him to ride w hen ever he
undertook a lo n g jo u rn e y . H e w as m ost reluctant to fo rg o
this pious exercise w h ich he loved , but the archbishop, w h o
recognized his outstanding holiness and considered it m ore
p roper fo r him to ride, h im self insisted on helping him to
m ount his horse. So C h ad received the Bish opric o f the
M ercians and the people o f Lindsey, and administered the
diocese in great holiness o f life after the exam ple o f the
early Fathers. K in g W u lfh e re ga v e him fifty hides o f land
to build a m onastery at a place called A t-B a rw e - that is, A t
the W o o d - in the p rovin ce o f Lin dsey, and evidences o f the
regular observance that he established rem ain to this day.
C h ad established his episcopal seat in the to w n o f L y ccid -
felth ,1 w h ere he also died and w as buried, and w here the suc­
ceeding bishops o f the provin ce have their see to this day.
T h ere he built h im self a house near the church, w here he used
to retire p rivately w ith seven o r eight brethren in order to
p ray or study w h en ever his w o r k and preaching perm itted.
W h en he had ruled the church o f the p rovin ce w ith great
success fo r tw o and a h a lf years, d ivine providence ordained
a tim e such as is spoken o f in Ecclesiastes: ‘ There is a time to
cast aw ay stones, and a time to gather stones together ’ F or heaven
sent a plague w h ich , brin gin g b o d ily death, bore aw a y the
livin g stones o f the C h u rch fro m their earthly stations to the
tem ple in heaven. A n d w h en death had freed m an y m em bers
o f the revered bishop’s church fro m the burden o f the flesh,
the h our d re w near w h en C h ad h im self w as to pass out o f
this w o rld to ou r L o rd . O n e d ay he w as alone in his house
w ith a brother w hose nam e w as O w in i, his other com panions
h avin g had occasion to return to the church. T h is O w in i w as
a m on k o f great m erit, w h o had renounced the w o rld w ith
the pure intention o f w in n in g a heaven ly rew ard , so that he
w as altogether a fit person to receive a revelation o f G o d ’ s
secrets, and one w h ose w o rd everyon e cou ld trust. H e had
i . Lichfield.
208
O w in i 9s vision [iv. 3

accom panied Q ueen Etheldreda fro m the provin ce o f the

East A ngles, and had been her ch ie f thane and steward o f her
household. G ro w in g in devotion to the Faith, he decided to
renounce the w o rld , w hich he did in no half-hearted fashion;
fo r he rid h im self so com pletely o f w o rld ly ties that he aban­
doned all his possessions, put on a sim ple garm ent, and
carryin g in his hand an axe and an adze, set o f f for the reverend
father C h ad ’s m onastery at Lastingham . This he did to show
that he w as entering the m onastery not fo r the sake o f an idle
life, as som e do, but in order to w o rk , and he dem onstrated
this in practice; fo r since he found h im self less able to meditate
on the Scriptures w ith profit, he undertook a larger am ount
o f m anual labour. In short, recognizing his reverence and
devotion, the bishop adm itted him to his house am ong the
brethren; and w h en ever they w ere engaged in study, he
used to busy h im self in essential tasks out o f doors. O ne day,
w hile O w in i w as w o rk in g outside and the other brethren
had departed to the church, the bishop w as reading and
p rayin g alone in his orato ry. Suddenly, as he used afterw ards
to relate, he heard the sound o f sw eet and jo y fu l singing
com in g d ow n fro m heaven to earth. T h e sound seemed
at first to em anate fro m the south-east, gradually com ing
closer to him until it centred o v er the r o o f o f the oratory
w h ere the bishop w as at prayer. It then entered the oratory,
and seem ed to fill both it and the surrounding air. H e listened
w ith rapt attention to w h at he heard, and after about h a lf an
hour he heard the song o f j o y rise fro m the r o o f o f the oratory,
and return to heaven as it had com e w ith inexpressible sweet­
ness. O w in i stood astonished fo r a w hile, turning o ver in his
m ind w h at this m igh t portend, w h en the bishop threw open
the orato ry w in d o w and, clapping his hands, as he often used
to do i f som eone w as outside, sum m oned him indoors.
W h en he hurried in, the bishop said: ‘ G o at once to the
church, and fetch these seven brethren here, and com e back
w ith them y o u rse lf/ O n their arrival, he first urged them to
live in lo ve and peace w ith each other and w ith all the faithful,
T - h .e .c . -1 209
rv- 3] Death o f Chad
and to be constant and tireless in keepin g the rules o f m onastic
discipline that he had taught them and they k n ew h im to
observe, and those that they had learned fro m the lives and
teachings o f fo rm er abbots. H e then announced that his o w n
death w as d ra w in g near, sayin g: ‘ T h e w elco m e guest w h o
has visited m an y o f our brethren has com e to m e today, and
has deigned to sum m on m e out o f this w o rld . T h erefore
return to the church, and ask the brethren to com m end m y
passing to ou r L o rd in their prayers. A n d let each prepare
fo r his o w n passing b y vigils, prayers, and g o o d deeds; fo r
no m an k n o w s the h o ur o f his death.’ H a v in g said this and
m uch besides, he g a v e them his blessing, and they left h im
sad ly ; but the brother w h o had heard the heaven ly m usic
cam e back alone and flun g h im self to the groun d, sayin g:
‘ Father, I b e g y o u to let m e ask y o u a question.’ ‘A sk w h at
y o u w is h ,’ C h ad replied. ‘ T e ll m e, I p ra y ,’ he asked, ‘ w h at
w as the glad song that I heard o f singers com in g d o w n fro m
heaven upon this o rato ry and later returning to h eaven ?’
‘ Since y o u heard the singing and w ere aw are o f the com in g
o f the h eaven ly co m p an y ,’ C h ad answ ered, ‘ I com m and y o u
in the nam e o f our L o rd not to tell anyone o f this b efore m y
death. T h e truth is that they w e r e angelic spirits, w h o cam e
to sum m on m e to the h eaven ly rew ard that I have alw ays
hoped and lon ged fo r, and th ey prom ised to return in seven
days and take m e w ith them .’ A ll to o k place as he had been
to ld : fo r C h ad w as q u ick ly attacked b y a disease w h ich steadily
g re w w o rse until the seventh day. T h en he prepared fo r death
b y receivin g the B o d y and B lo o d o f ou r L o rd , his h o ly soul
w as released fro m the prison-house o f the b o d y and, one m ay
rig h tly believe, w as taken b y the angels to the jo y s o f heaven.
N o r is it strange that he regarded death w ith j o y as the D a y
o f the L o r d ; fo r he had alw ays been careful to prepare fo r his
com in g.
In addition to C h a d ’s m an y virtues o f continence, h u m ility,
righ t preaching, p rayer, v o lu n tary p o v erty, and m an y others,
he w as so filled w ith the fear o f G o d and so m in dful o f his
210
 The voice o f nature the voice o f God [iv. 3

last end in all that he did, that I w as told b y one o f his m onks
nam ed T ru m b ert - w h o w as one o f m y tutors in the Scriptures
and had been trained in the m onastery under C h ad ’s direction
- that, i f a gale arose w h ile he w as reading or doing anything
else, he w o u ld at once call upon G o d fo r m ercy and p ray
him to show m ercy on m ankind. A n d i f the w ind increased
in violence, he w o u ld close his b o ok and prostrate h im self on
the groun d, p rayin g even m ore earnestly. B u t i f there w as a
violen t storm o f w in d and rain, or thunder and lightning
startled earth and air, he w o u ld g o to the church and devote
all his thoughts to prayers and psalms continuously until the
tem pest had passed. W h en his m onks asked him w h y he did
this, C h ad rep lied : ‘ H ave y o u not read, “ The Lord thundered
in the heavens, and the H ighest gave H is voice. H e sent out H is
arrows and scattered them; H e shot out lightnings and discomfited
th em "? F o r G o d stirs the air and raises the w in d s; H e makes
the lightning flash and thunders out o f heaven, to m ove the
inhabitants o f the earth to fear H im , and to rem ind them o f
ju d g em en t to com e. H e shatters their conceit and subdues
their presum ption b y recalling to their m inds that aw fu l D a y
w h en heaven and earth w ill flam e as H e com es in the clouds
w ith great p o w er and m ajesty to ju d g e the livin g and the
dead. T h erefore w e should respond to His heavenly w arnings
w ith the fear and lo v e w e o w e H im ,’ said C had. ‘ A n d w henever
H e raises His hand in the trem bling air as i f to strike, yet spares
us still, w e should hasten to im plore His m ercy, exam ining
our inm ost hearts and p u rgin g the vileness o f our sins, w atch-
fid o ver ou r lives lest w e incur His ju st displeasure.’
Th is brother’s account o f the bishop’s death is supported b y
the evidence o f the above-m entioned m ost reverend Father
E gbert, w h o lived the m onastic life in Ireland w ith Chad
w h en they w ere both youths, constantly occupied in prayer,
fasting, and m editation on the sacred scriptures. B u t w hen
C h ad returned to his o w n cou n try, E gbert rem ained an exile
fo r G o d ’ s sake until the end o f his life. A lon g tim e afterwards,
H ygb ald , a v e ry h o ly and austere m an w h o w as an abbot in
211
iv. 3] M ira cles at C h a d 's tomb
the provin ce o f L indsey, cam e fro m B ritain to visit him . A n d
w h ile they w ere discussing the lives o f the early Fathers and
delighting to im itate them as w as fittin g in h o ly m en, the
nam e o f the m ost h o ly B ish op C h ad w as m entioned. W h ere­
upon E gb ert said : ‘ I k n o w a m an still livin g in this island w h o ,
w h en the bishop died, saw the soul o f his brother C ed d
descend fro m heaven accom panied b y angels, and carry aw a y
his soul to the h eaven ly k in g d o m / W h eth er he w as speaking
o f h im self o r another is uncertain; but the truth o f a statement
b y so great a m an cannot be doubted.
C h ad died on the second o f M arch [672], and w as first
buried close b y Saint M a r y ’ s chu rch; but w h en a church o f
the m ost blessed Peter, Prince o f the Apostles, w as built there
later, his b o d y w as transferred to it.* In both o f these places,
frequent m iracles o f healing attested to his virtues. M o re
recently, a m adm an w an d erin g at large arrived there one
evening, and passed the n ight in church unnoticed and un­
heeded b y the w atchm en. A n d in the m orn in g, to the am aze­
m ent and delight o f all, he left the place in his righ t m ind,
sh ow in g clearly w h at healing he had been granted there b y
the goodness o f G o d . C h a d ’s burial place is covered b y a
w o o d e n tom b m ade in the fo rm o f a little house w ith an
aperture in the w a ll throu gh w h ich those w h o visit it out o f
d evo tion m ay insert their hand and take out som e o f the dust.
T h e y m ix this in w ater and g iv e it to sick m en o r beasts to
drink, b y w h ich m eans their ailm ent is q u ick ly relieved and
th ey are restored to the lon ged fo r jo y s o f health.
In C h a d ’s place T h eo d o re consecrated W y n frid , a go o d
and m odest m an, w h o like his predecessors, presided o ver the
provinces o f the M ercians, M id d le A n gles, and L in dsey fo lk ,
all o f w h ich w e re subject to K in g W u lfh e re , w h o w as still
livin g . W y n frid w as one o f his predecessor’s clergy, and had
been his deacon fo r a considerable tim e.

2 12
c h a p t e r 4 : B ish o p C olm an leaves B rita in , an dfounds two
m onasteries in the land o f the Scots, one fo r the Scots, and
another fo r the E n g lish w hom he had taken w ith him
[ a .d . 667]

the Scots bishop C o lm an left Britain,

M
eanw h ile
taking w ith him all the Scots he had collected at Lin d-
isfam e, together w ith about thirty English w h o m he had
likew ise trained in the m onastic life. L eavin g som e brethren
in his o w n church, he first visited the isle o f H ii,1 fro m w h ich
he had orig in ally been sent to preach the w o rd to the English.
H e subsequently retired to a small island at som e distance
fro m the w est coast o f Ireland, k n o w n in the Scots tongue as
Inisboufinde,2 m eaning the Isle o f the W h ite H eifer. O n his
arrival, he founded a m onastery, and established there the
m onks o f both races w h o m he had gathered. B u t a dispute
arose am o n g them because in sum m er the Scots w en t o f f to
w ander on their o w n around places they k n ew instead o f
assisting at harvest, and then, as w in ter approached, cam e
back and w anted to share w h atever the E nglish m onks had
gathered. C o lm an sought a rem ed y fo r this dispute, and after
searching near and far, discovered a site suitable fo r a m on­
astery on the Irish m ainland, a place w h ich the Scots call
M a g e o .* H ere he bough t a sm all tract o f land fro m the noble­
m an w h o o w n ed the land, w h o m ade it a condition o f sale
that the m onks w h o settled there should p ray fo r him . So a
m onastery w as p ro m p tly built w ith the help o f the noblem an
and all the neighbours, and C o lm an established the English
m onks there, leavin g the Scots on the original island. This
m onastery is still occupied b y E nglish m onks. F o r this is the
place, g ro w n large fro m sm all beginnings, that is n o w
usually k n o w n as M u ig eo and, under an im p roved constitu­
tion * houses a distinguished com m u n ity o f m onks draw n
fro m the English provinces. A fte r the exam ple o f the ven­
erable Fathers, they liv e d ev o u tly and austerely b y the labour
i. Iona. 2. Inishboffin.
213
 s] O sw y succeeded b y E g fr id
o f their o w n hands and observe a R u le under a canonically
elected abbot.

chapter 5 : T h e death o f K in g O sw y and K in g E g b ert.

A rch bish op T heodore presides o ver a S y n o d h eld at H ertford
[ a .d . 673]

I
N the y ear o f ou r L o rd 670, the second y ear after A rchbishop
T h eo d o re’ s arrival in B ritain , K in g O s w y o f the N o rth u m ­
brians w as stricken w ith an illness, o f w h ic h he died at the age
o f fifty -e ig h t. A t this tim e the K in g held the apostolic R o m an
see in such h ig h esteem that, had he recovered fro m his ill­
ness, it w as his intention to travel to R o m e and end his life
am o n g its h o ly places, and he had persuaded B ish op W ilfrid to
conduct h im on the jo u rn e y w ith the prom ise o f a consider­
able gift. H e died o n F eb ru ary 15 th, leav in g his son E g frid
to succeed h im as kin g. In the third y ear o f the latter’ s reign,
T h eo d o re sum m oned a council o f bishops and the m an y other
teachers o f the C h u rch w h o both understood and lo ved the
canonical statutes o f the Fathers. A s befitted his authority as
archbishop, w h en they w ere assem bled, he began b y charging
them to observe w h atsoever things w ere conducive to the
peace and u n ity o f the C h u rch . T h e decisions o f the C o u n cil
are in the fo llo w in g fo r m :
‘ In the nam e o f the L o rd G o d and our Savio u r Jesus C hrist,
and under the everlasting governance and guidance o f H is
C h u rch b y the sam e L o rd Jesu s C hrist, it w as thought righ t
that w e should assem ble in accordance w ith the custom o f
ven erable canons to deliberate concerning the necessary
affairs o f the C h u rch . W e therefore assem bled on the 24th
d a y o f Septem ber, the first indiction, at the place called H ert­
fo rd ; that is, m yself, T h eod o re, th ou gh u n w o rth y, B ish o p o f
the See o f C an terb u ry b y the au th ority o f the apostolic see;
ou r fellow -b ish op and brother the m ost reverend B isi,
B ish o p o f the East A n g le s; also ou r brother the B ish op
214
The Synod o f Hertford [iv. j
W ilfrid , B ish o p o f the N orth u m b rian people, w h o is repre­
sented b y his o w n proxies. A lso present w ere our brothers
and fellow -bishops Putta, B ish op o f the K entish fortress o f
R o ch ester; Leutherius, B ish o p o f the W est Saxons, and
W y n frid , B ish o p o f the p rovin ce o f the M ercians. W h en all
the ab ove had assem bled and taken their places in due order, I
said: “ M y dearest brothers, fo r the lo v e and reverence y o u
bear ou r R edeem er, I beg that w e m ay all deliberate in har­
m o n y fo r ou r Faith, preservin g inviolate the decrees and
definitions o f ou r h o ly and respected Fathers.” I dealt w ith
these and m an y other m atters relating to charity and the
preservation o f the C h u rch ’s u n ity. A n d h avin g concluded
this in tro d uctory address, I asked each in turn w hether they
agreed to observe all the canonical decrees o f the ancient
Fathers. T o w h ich all our fellow -priests replied : “ W e are
all resolved that w e w ill cheerfully and w illin g ly o b ey w hat­
ever is laid d o w n in the canons o f the h o ly Fathers.” I then
produced the said b o o k o f canons, and p u b licly show ed them
ten chapters w h ich I had m arked in certain places, because I
k n ew them to be o f the greatest im portance to us, and I asked
that all should devote special attention to them .
‘ Chapter i . “ T h a t w e all unite in ob serving the h o ly day
o f Easter on the Sun d ay after the fourteenth d ay o f the m oon
o f the first m on th.”
*Chapter 2. “ T h at no bishop intrude into the diocese o f
another, but confine h im self to the guidance o f the people
com m itted to his ch arge.”
‘ Chapter 3. “ T h at n o bishop shall interfere in any w a y
w ith m onasteries dedicated to G od , n or take anything fro m
them fo rc ib ly .”
‘ Chapter 4. “ T h at m onks shall not w an d er fro m place to
dace, that is, fro m m onastery to m onastery, except w ith
Ietters dim issory fro m their o w n ab b ot; and that they keep
the prom ise o f obedience w h ich they m ade at the tim e o f
their profession.”
‘ Chapter 5. “ T h at n o clerg y shall leave their o w n bishop
2 15
iv. s] The Synod o f Hertford
and wander about at will, nor be received anywhere without
letters of commendation from their own bishop. And should
such a person, once received, refuse to return when so
directed, both receiver and received shall incur excommuni­
cation.”
‘ Chapter 6 . “ That bishops and clergy when travelling shall
be content with whatever hospitality is offered them; and
that it shall be unlawful for any of them to exercise any
priestly function without permission from the bishop in
whose diocese they are known to be.”
‘ Chapter 7. “ That a synod be held twice a year.” In view
of various obstacles, however, it was unanimously agreed
that we should meet once a year on the first of August at the
place called Clofeshoch.1
‘ Chapter 8. “ That no bishop claim precedence over an­
other out of ambition: seniority of consecration shall alone
determine precedence.”
‘ Chapter 9. It was generally discussed, “ That more bishops
shall be consecrated as the number of the faithful increases.”
But we have announced no decision in the matter for the
present.
*Chapter 10. On marriages: “ That lawful wedlock alone
is permissible; incest is forbidden; and no man may leave his
lawful wife except, as the gospel provides, for fornication.
And if a man puts away his own wife who is joined to him
in lawful marriage, he may not take another if he wishes to
be a good Christian. He must either remain as he is, or else be
reconciled to his wife.”
‘After discussing these chapters and reaching decisions by
our common consent, in order that no occasion for unedifying
controversy or differences between ourselves may arise, it has
been thought right that each of us should ratify our decisions
by his own signature. I have dictated this expression of our
decisions to Titillus our secretary to be written down, and
this has been done in the month and indiction mentioned
I. Clovesho (probably near London).
2 16
Sexw u lfan d Earconwald made bishops [rv. 6

above. Therefore, if anyone shall presume in any way to

contravene or disobey these decisions confirmed by our agree­
ment and ratified by our signatures, according to canonical
decrees, let him take notice that he incurs suspension from
every priestly function and exclusion from our fellowship.
‘ May divine grace preserve us all in safety, who five in the
unity of His Holy Church.’
This synod took place in the year of our Lord 673, in July
of which year King Egbert died and was succeeded by his
brother Hlothere, who reigned elevenyears andseven months.
Bisi, Bishop of the East Angles, who is said to have attended
this synod, was successor to Boniface, of whom I have spoken,
and was a man of great holiness and devotion; for when
Boniface died in the eighteenth year of his episcopate,
Theodore consecrated Bisi in his place. And when severe
illness prevented him from administering his diocese, two
bishops,* Aecci and Badwin, were chosen and consecrated
to carry out his duties, and from then until the present day
this province has had two bishops.

c h a p t e r 6 : W ynfrid is deposed, and S e x w u lf appointed to

his see: Earconwald is made Bishop o f the East Saxons

long afterwards Archbishop Theodore, displeased

N
ot
at some disobedience on the part of Bishop Wynfrid of
the Mercians, deposed him from the bishopric which he had
held only a few years, and appointed in his place Sexwulf,
founder and abbot of the monastery of Medeshamstedi1 in
the Gyrwas’ country. On his deposition, Wynfrid retired to
his own monastery of At-Barwe, and lived a most holy life
there until his death.
Theodore also made Earconwald Bishop of the East Saxons,
whose kings were the above-mentioned Sebbi and Sighere,
with the city of London as his see. Both before and after his
I. Now Peterborough.
2 17
w- 7] The nuns o f Barking
consecration as bishop, Earconwald is said to have lived so
holy a life that heaven still affords proofs of his virtues. To this
day, the horse-litter in which he travelled when ill is preserved
by his disciples, and continues to cure many folk troubled by
fever and other complaints. Sick people are cured when
placed under or against the litter, and even chips cut from it
bring speedy relief when taken to the sick.
Before he became bishop, Earconwald had built two well-
known monasteries, one for himself and the other for his
sister Ethelburga, and had established an excellent regular
discipline in both houses. His own monastery stood by the
river Thames at Cerotaesei1 - meaning Cerot’s island - in
the district of Surrey. The convent where his sister was to
rule as mother and instructress of women devoted to God was
at a place called In-Berecingum2 in the province of the East
Saxons. Entrusted with the affairs of this convent, she always
bore herself in a manner worthy of her brother the bishop,
upright of life and constantly planning for the needs of her
community, as heavenly miracles attest.

chapter 7: A heavenly light indicates where the bodies

o f the nuns o f Barking should be buried

this convent many proofs of holiness were effected,

I
N
which many people have recorded from the testimony of
eyewitnesses in order that the memory of them might edify
future generations; I have therefore been careful to include
some in this history of the Church. When the plague that I
have often mentioned was at its height, it attacked the men’s
part of the monastery, and daily carried offsome to meet their
God. The watchful Mother of the Community therefore
began to ask the sisters of the convent where they wished
their bodies to be buried, and where the cemetery should be
made when the plague should enter the enclosure where these
1. Chertsey. - 2. Barking.
218
Happenings in the convent [rv. 8
handmaids of God lived separately from the men, and snatch
them out of this world by the same deadly stroke. But when
her frequent enquiries of the sisters had elicited no definite
reply, both she and the whole Community received a very
clear indication of the wishes of heaven. For one night when
they had finished singing the morning psalms* of praise to
God, these servants of Christ left the oratory to visit the graves
of the brothers who had departed this life before them.
And as they were singing their customary praises to our Lord,
a light from heaven like a great sheet suddenly appeared and
shone over them all, so alarming them that they even broke
off their singing in consternation. After a short while, this
brilliant light, compared to which the noonday sun would
appear dark, rose and travelled to the south side of the convent
westward of the oratory and, having remained over that area
for a time, withdrew heavenwards in the sight of them all.
This occurrence left no doubt in their minds that the light,
which was to guide or receive the souls of Christ’s servants
into heaven, had also indicated the spot where their bodies
were to rest and await the day of resurrection. So brilliant
was this light that one of the older brothers, who was in the
oratory at the time with another younger brother, reported
next morning that the rays of light penetrating the chmks of
doors and windows seemed brighter than the brightest
daylight.

chapter 8 : A little boy, dying in the convent, announces

the approaching death o f one o f the sisters. A nun, about to
depart this life, sees a glim pse o f future glory

this convent lived a little boy named Aesica, not more

I
N
than three years old, who, being so young, was being
brought up and taught his lessons in the cell of these virgins
vowed to God. Attacked by the plague and about to die, he
three times called the name of one of Christ’s virgins as
219
w . 9] A nuns vision
though she were present, saying: ‘ Edith! Edith! Edith!’
Then he left this present world, and passed to eternal life. The
nun whose name he had called with his dying breath was at
once stricken where she was by the same disease, and de­
parted this life, following the child who had called her to the
kingdom of heaven.
Again, one of the handmaids of God was brought to her
last hour by this disease, and in the middle of the night she
began to call to those who attended her to put out the lamp
that burned by her bed. But in spite of her repeated requests,
none of them paid any attention. At length she said: ‘ I know
that you think that my m in d is wandering, but I assure you
that it is not so. I tell you truthfully that I see the house filled
with such brilliant light that your lamp appears to me only
as darkness.* And when they still disregarded her request and
made no reply, she said again: ‘ Let the lamp bum as long as
you wish; but I assure you that it gives me no light. My light
will come to me when dawn draws near.’ She then told diem
how a man of God, who had died the same year, had appeared
to her and informed her that at daybreak she would depart
to eternal light. The reality of this vision was quickly con­
firmed; for the nun died at dawn.

chapter 9 : Signs from heaven appear when the M other o f

the Community departs this life

h e n Ethelburga, the devout Mother of this God­

W fearing C o m m un ity, was herself about to be taken

out of this world, one of the sisters whose name was Tortgyt
saw a wonderful vision. This nun had lived for many years
in the convent, humbly and sincerely striving to serve God,
and had helped the Mother to maintain the regular observ­
ances by instructing and correcting the younger sisters. In
order that her strength might be ' made perfect in weakness* as
the Apostle says, she was suddenly attacked by a serious
220
Death o f Abbess Ethelburga [nr. 9
disease. Under the good providence of our Redeemer, this
caused her great distress for nine years, in order that any
traces of sin that remained among her virtues through ignor­
ance or neglect might be burned away in the fires of pro­
longed suffering. Leaving her cell one night at first light of
dawn, this sister saw distinctly what appeared to be a human
body wrapped in a shroud and shining more brightly than
the sun. This was raised up and carried out of the house where
the sisters used to sleep. She observed closely to see how this
appearance of a shining body was being raised, and saw what
appeared to be cords brighter than gold which drew it up­
wards until it entered the open heavens and she could see it
no longer. When she thought about this vision, there re­
mained no doubt in her mind that some member of the
Community was shortly to die, and that her soul would be
drawn up to heaven by her good deeds as though by golden
cords. And so it proved not many days later, when God’s
beloved Ethelburga, the Mother of the Community, was set
free from her bodily prison. And none who knew her holy
life can doubt that when she departed this life the gates of our
heavenly home opened at her coming.
In the same convent there was also a nun of noble family
in the world, who was yet more noble in her love for the
world to come. For many years she had been so crippled that
she could not move a single limb; and hearing that the vener­
able abbess’ body had been carried into the church until its
burial, she asked to be carried there, and to be bowed towards
it in an attitude of prayer. Then she spoke to Ethelburga as
though she were still alive, and begged her to pray to God
on her behalf, and ask him of his mercy to release her from
her continual pain. Her request received a swift reply; for
twelve days later she was set free from the body, and ex­
changed her earthly troubles for a heavenly reward.
Three years after the death of the abbess, Christ’s servant
Tortgyth was so wasted away by the disease that I mentioned
earlier that her bones scarcely held together, until finally, as
221
iv. io] M iracles at Ethelburga* s tomb
death drew near, she lost the use of her limbs and even of her
tongue. After three days and nights in this condition, she
was suddenly refreshed by a vision from heaven, opened her
eyes, and spoke. Looking up to heaven, she began to address
the vision that she saw: ‘ I am so glad that you have come; you
are most welcome.’ She then remained silent for awhile, as
if awaiting an answer from the person whom she saw and
spoke to; then, seeming a little displeased, she said: ‘ This is
not happy news.’ After another interval of silence, she spoke a
third time: ‘ If it cannot be today, I beg that it may not be
long delayed.’ Then she kept silent a little while as before,
and ended: ‘ If this decision is final and unalterable, I implore
that it may not be delayed beyond the coming night.’ When
she had finished, those around her asked her to whom she had
spoken. ‘ To my dearest Mother Ethelburga’, she replied; and
from this they understood that she had come to announce that
the hour of her passing was near. So after a day and a night
her prayers were answered, and she was delivered from the
burden of the body and entered the joys of eternal salvation.

chapter i o : A blind woman regains her sight while praying

in the convent burial-ground

thelburga was succeeded in the office of abbess by a

E devout servant of God named Hildilid, who ruled the
convent with great energy until extreme old age, promoting
observance of the regular discipline and making provision
for the needs of the Community. Owing to the restricted
space on which the convent was built, she decided that the
bones of Christ’s servants buried there, both men and women,
should be exhumed and transferred to a single tomb within
the church of the blessed Mother of God. And whoever
wishes to read about the wonderful things that happened
there will find in the book which is the source of my informa­
tion how a bright, heavenly fight was often seen there, and
how a wonderfully fragrant scent was often evident.
222
K ing Sebbi becomes a monk [iv. u
It would not be right to omit mention of a miraculous cure
which this same book records as having taken place in the
cemetery of this God-serving Community. In the neighbour­
hood there lived a nobleman whose wife was afflicted by a
gradual loss of sight, which daily grew worse until she could
no longer see the faintest glimmer of light. When she had
been totally blind for some while, it suddenly occurred to
her that if she were taken to the convent of these holy nuns
and prayed before the relics of the saint, she might recover
her lost sight. She lost no time in putting this inspiration into
effect. Professing a firm belief that she would be healed, she
was taken by her maids to the near-by convent and guided
to the burial ground, where she remained a long while on
her knees in prayer. Her petition was quickly granted; for as
she rose from prayer and before she left the place, her sight
was restored. And whereas she had been led there by the
hands of her maids, she walked home unaided and full of
delight. It might almost seem that she had lost her bodily
sight solely in order that its restoration might show how
great a fight is enjoyed by the saints in heaven, and how great
a power their virtues possess.

chapter i i : S eb b i, K in g o f the E a st S a xo n s, ends his days

as a m onk

hb same fitde book informs us that Sebbi, a man who

T dearly loved God and of whom I have already spoken,
ruled the kingdom of the East Saxons at this time. He devoted
himself to religious exercises, frequent prayer, and acts of
mercy, and he preferred a retired, monastic fife to all the
riches and honours of a kingdom. In fact, had not his wife
absolutely refused to be separated from him, he would long
before have abdicated and entered a monastery. For this
reason many people thought and often said that a man of
such disposition should have been a bishop rather than a
223
iv- n ] The devout end o f K ing Sebbi
king. When this soldier of the heavenly kingdom had ruled
his earthly kingdom for thirty years, he was attacked by the
serious disease that was to cause his death. He therefore urged
his wife that, since they could no longer enjoy or serve the
world, they should both devote themselves to the service of
God. Having obtained her reluctant consent, the king went
to Waldhere, Bishop of London, successor to Earconwald,
and with his blessing received the monastic habit that he had
so long desired. He brought the bishop a considerable sum of
money to be distributed among the poor, and kept nothing at
all for himself, wishing to be poor in spirit for the sake of the
kingdom of heaven.
As his malady gained ground and he felt the day of his
death approaching, Sebbi, who was a man of kingly spirit,
became apprehensive that the sufferings of a painful death
might wring from him some word or gesture unbecoming
to his dignity. He therefore summoned the Bishop ofLondon,
in which city he was living, and asked that none but the
bishop himself and two attendants might be present at his
death. The bishop readily promised this, and not long after­
wards this godly man saw in his sleep a comforting vision,
which removed his anxiety on this score, and also revealed to
him on what day he was to depart this life. As he subsequently
related, he saw three men in bright robes come to him, one
of whom sat down in front of his pallet while his companions
remained standing and enquired about the condition of the
sick man they had come to visit. The first man replied that
his soul would leave his body without pain in a splendour of
light, and that he would die in three days’ time. Both of these
things happened as he had learned in the vision; for on the
third day, at the hour of None, he seemed suddenly to fall
into a light sleep and breathed out his spirit without any
feeling of pain.
A stone sarcophagus had been made ready for the burial;
but when they came to lay his body in it, they found it a
hand’s breadth too long for the sarcophagus. So they chiselled
Haeddi becomes Bishop o f the W est Saxons [iv. 12
out sufficient stone to add a further two fingers in length to
it; but it still proved too short to receive the body. In this
quandary, they wondered whether to look for another coffin,
or whether, if possible, to shorten the body by bending the
knees until it fitted the sarcophagus. But an amazing thing
happened, undoubtedly caused by providence, that rendered
both these alternatives unnecessary; for in the presence of the
bishop and of Sighard, son of the monk-king - who succeeded
him as king jointly with his brother Swefred - and a con­
siderablenumber ofmen, the sarcophagus was suddenly found
to be the correct length for the body, so much so that a pillow
could be placed at the head, while the feet rested four fingers
short of the end of the sarcophagus. Sebbi was buried in the
church of the blessed Apostle of the Gentiles,* through whose
teachings he had learned to aspire to heavenly things.

chapter 1 2 : Haeddi succeeds Leutherius as Bishop o f the

West Saxons: Cuichelm succeeds Putta in the See o f
Rochester, and is him self succeeded by Gebmund. The
succession o f the Northumbrian bishops

was the fourth Bishop of the West Saxons,

L Birinus being the first, Agilbert the second, and Wini
eutherius
4

the third. On the death of Coenwalh, during whose reign

Leutherius was made bishop, under-kings took over the
government of the realm, which they divided amongst them
and ruled for about ten years. During this period Leutherius
died and was succeeded in the bishopric by Haeddi, who had
been consecrated by Theodore in the city of London. During
Haeddi’s episcopate, Cadwalla defeated and deposed these
under-kings and assumed control himself; but after a reign of
two years, while the same bishop remained in authority,
desire for the kingdom of heaven moved the king to resign
his powers, and, as I shall record more fully later, he went away
to end his days in Rome.
225
 Ial T h e episcopal succession in various sees
In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 676, Ethelred, King
of the Mercians, ravaged Kent with his wicked soldiery, pro­
faning churches and monasteries without fear of God or
respect to religion, and among the rest he destroyed the city
of Rochester, Putta’s see, the bishop being absent at the time.
When he learned that his church was looted and destroyed,
Putta went to Sexwulf, Bishop of the Mercians, who granted
him a chinch and a small plot of land, where he ended his
days quietly, making no attempt to re-establish his see. As I
have said, he was more at home in religious than in worldly
matters, and therefore served God only in his own chinch,
travelling about wherever invited to teach church music. In
his place Theodore consecrated Cuichelm as Bishop of
Rochester, but after a short time he resigned this see because
of its poverty and withdrew elsewhere; Theodore appointed
Gebmund in his place.
In the month of August 678, in the eighth year of Egfrid’s
reign, there appeared a star known as a comet, which re­
mained visible for three months, rising in the morning and
emittingwhat seemed to he a tall column of bright flame. In
the same year a dispute arose between King Egfrid and the
most reverend Bishop Wilfrid, who was driven from his
diocese, and two bishops were appointed to preside over the
Northumbrian people in his place. These were Bosa, Bishop
of Deira, and Eata, Bishop of Bemida; the former had the
city of York as his see, and the latter had Hexham or Lindis-
fame. Both of them were monks before their elevation to the
episcopate. At the same time Eadhaed was made bishop of
the province of Lindsey, which King Egfrid had recently
annexed after defeating and driving out Wulfhere. So for the
first time this province had its own bishop; the second was
Ethelwin, the third, Edgar, and the fourth, Cynibert, the
present bishop. Before Eadhaed, Sexwulfhad been bishop not
only of Lindsey, but also of the Mercians and Middle Angles;
when he was expelled from Lindsey, he continued to preside
over the other two provinces. Eadhaed, Bosa, and Eata were
226
The South Saxons evangelized by W ilfrid [iv. 13
consecrated at York by: Archbishop Theodore, who, three
years after Wilfrid’s departure, consecrated two others,
Tunbert to the see of Hexham - Eata remaining at Lindis-
farae - and Trumwine to be bishop of those Piets* who were
then subject to English rule. When Ethelred recovered the
province of Lindsey, Eadhaed returned and was appointed by
Theodore as Bishop of Ripon.

chapter 1 3 : W ilfrid converts the P rovin ce o f the South

S a xo n s to C h rist

out of his see, Wilfrid spent a considerable time

D
riven
travelling in various parts and also went to Rome.
When he returned to Britain, the hostility of King Egfrid
made it impossible for him to return to his own province or
diocese, but nothing could deter him from preaching the
Gospel. He therefore made his way to the province of the
South Saxons, which stretches west and south from Kent as
far as the land of the West Saxons, and covers an area of seven
thousand hides. As the province was still pagan, Wilfrid
preached the Christian Faith there, and administered the
baptism of salvation. Ethelwalh its king had been baptized in
the province of the Mercians not long previously under the
influence of King Wulfhere, who was present at his baptism
and became his godfather at the font. In token of their rela­
tionship, Wulfhere gave him two provinces, the Isle of
Wight and the province of the Meanwaras* in the territory of
the West Saxons. With the king’s approval and greatly to his
satisfaction, the bishop baptized the leading thanes and
soldiers of the province. The remainder of the people were
baptized either then or subsequently by the priests Eappa,
Padda, Burghelm, and Oiddi. Queen Eabae, who had already
received baptism in her own province of the Hwiccas, was
the daughter of Eanfrid, brother of Aenheri, both of whom
were Chiistians, as were their people. Otherwise the whole
227
 13 ] W ilfrid’s work among the South Saxons
South Saxon province was ignorant of the Name and Faith
of Christ. There was, however, a Scots monk named Dicul,
who had a very small monastery at a place called Bosanham,1
surrounded by woods and the sea, where five or six brothers
served the Lord in a life of humility and poverty: but none
of the natives was willing to follow their way of life or
listen to their teaching.
By preaching to these folk, Bishop Wilfrid not only deli­
vered them from the penalty of eternal damnation, but also
saved them from a cruel and horrible extinction in this life.
For no rain had fallen in the province for three years prior to
his arrival, and a terrible famine had ensued, which reduced
many to an awful death. It is said that frequently forty or fifty
emaciated and starving people would go to a precipice, or to
the edge of the sea, where they would join hands and leap
over, to die by the fall or by drowning. But on the very day
that the nation received the baptism of faith a soft but ample
rainfall refreshed the earth, restoring greenness to the corn­
fields and giving a happy and fruitful season. Having once
abandoned their earlier superstition and rejected idolatry,
‘ the heart and flesh of all cried out for the living God ’, and they
came to understand how He who is true God, had of his
divine mercy granted them both spiritual and material
blessings. For when Wilfrid had first arrived in the province
and found so much misery from famine, he taught the people
to obtain food by fishing; for although fish were plentiful in
the sea and rivers, the people had no knowledge of fishing and
caught only eels. So the bishop’s men collected eel-nets from
all sides and cast them into the sea, where, by the aid of God’s
grace, they quickly caught three hundred fishes of various
kinds. These they divided into three portions, giving a hun­
dred to the poor, a hundred to those who had lent their nets,
and retaining a hundred for their own needs. By this good
turn the bishop won the hearts of all, and the people began
to listen more readily to his teaching, hoping to obtain heav-
1. Bosham, near Chichester.
228
A monastery founded at Selsey [iv. 14
enly blessings through the ministry of one to whom they
already owed these material benefits.
At this time, King Ethelwalh granted the most reverend
Bishop Wilfrid eighty-seven hides of land so that he could
maintain his exiled companions. This land lay at Selsey,
which means the seal’s island, a place surrounded by the sea
on all sides except to the west, where there is an approach
about a sling’s cast in width. A place of this description is
known as a peninsula by the Latins, and as a chersonese by the
Greeks. Bishop Wilfrid accepted this land, and having built
a monastery there, established the regular life, most of the
monks being his own companions: his successors are known
to occupy the place to this day. Until the death of King
Egfrid five years later, Wilfrid performed the duties of a
bishop in word and deed in these parts, and was held in high
esteem by all. And since the king had given him not only the
land but all the property and inhabitants on it, Wilfrid in­
structed and baptized them all in the Faith of Christ. Among
them were two hundred and fifty male and female slaves,
all of whom he released from the slavery of Satan by baptism
and by granting them their freedom released them from the
yoke of human slavery as well.

chapter 1 4 : A fa ta l epidem ic is halted by the intercession

o f K in g O sw a ld

proofs of heaven’s especial favour are said to

C have been shown to this monastery; for once thetyranny
ertain

of the Devil had been overthrown, the rule of Christ began.

I have thought it fitting to preserve the memory of one of
these stories, often told me by the very reverend Bishop
Acca, who said that it was vouched for by some very reliable
brethren of the monastery.
About the time that this province accepted the Faith of
Christ, a dangerous epidemic struck many provinces of
229
iv. i4] Plague at Selsey
Britain. When, by God’s dispensation, it reached the mon­
astery, ruled at the time by the most religious priest of Christ,
Eappa, it swept from this life many of the brethren, some of
whom had come with the bishop, while others were South
Saxons recently converted to the Faith. The brethren there­
fore decided to observe a three-day fast and implore God in
his mercy to show pity on them, that he would preserve
those who were in danger of death by disease, and deliver the
souls of those already departed this life from eternal damna­
tion.
In the monastery at this time lived a little Saxon boy, who
had recently been converted to the Faith; this child had caught
the disease, and for a long time had been confined to bed.
About the second hour on the second day of prayer and fast­
ing, he was alone in the place where he lay sick, when, under
divine providence, the most blessed Princes of the Apostles
deigned to appear to him; for he was a boy of innocent and
gentle disposition, who sincerely believed the truths of the
Faith that he had accepted. The Apostles greeted him very
lovingly, and said: ‘ Son, put aside the fear of death that is
troubling you; for today we are going to take you with us to
the kingdom of heaven. But first of all you must wait until
the Masses are said, and you have received the Viaticum of the
Body and Blood of our Lord. Then you shall be set free from
sickness and death, and carried up to the endless joys of
heaven. So call the priest Eappa, and tell him that our Lord
has heard the prayers of the brethren and regarded their
fasting and devotion with favour. No one else in this mon­
astery and its possessions is to die of this disease, and all who
are now suffering from it will recover and be restored to their
former health. You alone are to be set free by death today,
and shall be taken to heaven to see the Lord Christ whom
you have served so faithfully. God in his mercy has granted
you this favour at the intercession of the devout King Oswald,
so beloved by God, who once ruled the people of the North­
umbrians with outstanding devotion as their earthly king
230
It is checked by the intercession o f King Oswald [iv. 14
and whose Christian piety has won him an everlasting king­
dom. For today is the anniversary of the king’s death in battle
at the hands of the heathen, when he was taken up to thejoys
of the souls in heaven and enrolled among the company of
the Saints. Ifthebrethrenwill consult the annals that record the
burials of the dead, they will find that this is the day on which
he departed this life, as we have said. So let them say Masses
in all the oratories of the monastery, either in thanksgiving
for God’s answer to their prayers, or in commemoration of
King Oswald the former rider of their nation, who has prayed
for them as newcomers of his nation. Let all the brethren
assemble in church, and join in offering the heavenly Sacri­
fice; and let them end their fast and take food to restore their
strength.’
When the boy had called Eappa and told him all that the
Apostles had said, the priest particularly asked him to des­
cribe the clothes and appearance of these men who had
appeared to him. ‘ They wore wonderful robes,’ the boy
replied, ‘ and their faces were very kindly and handsome, such
as I have never seen before. I did not believe that there could
be men so distinguished and wonderful. One of them was
tonsured like a priest and the other had a long beard; and they
said that one of them was Peter and the other Paul, and that
they were servants of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, sent
by Him to protect our monastery.’ The priest then believed
the boy’s statement, and went off at once to consult his
annals, where he found that King Oswald had indeed been
killed on that very day. So he summoned the brethren,
ordered a meal to be prepared, Masses to be said, and all the
brethren to communicate as usual. He also directed that a
particle of the Lord’s Offering should be taken to the sick
boy at the time of the holy Sacrifice.
A little while later the same day the boy died, and his death
proved the truth of what Christ’s Apostles had told him. In
further confirmation of his statement, no one except himself
died in the monastery at that time. Many who heard about
231
™ ns] C iv il war among the W est Saxons
this vision were wonderfully inspired to implore God’s
mercy in every trouble, and to adopt the wholesome remedy
of fasting. And from that time the heavenly birthday of
Christ’s warrior King Oswald was commemorated each
year by the offering of Masses, not only in this monastery but
in many other places as well.

chapter 15 : K ing Cadw alla o f the Gewissae kills K ing

Ethelw alh and devastates his province with plundering and
slaughter

Cadwalla, a daring young man of the

M
eanwhile
royal house of the Gewissae, exiled from his own
country, came with an army and killed King Ethelwalh,
wasting the province with slaughtering and plunder. But
the last king’s ealdormen Berthun and Andhun soon drove
him out, and administered the country from then on. The
former was subsequently killed by Cadwalla when be had
become king of the Gewissae, and the province was reduced
to a worse state of subjection. .Similarly Ini, who succeeded
Cadwalla, held the province in subjection for several years.
For this reason, it had no bishop of its own during all this
period; for when Wilfrid its first bishop had been recalled
home, it became dependent on the Bishop of the Gewissae,
that is, the West Saxons, whose see was at Winchester.

chapter 16: The Isle o f W ight receives Christian settlers.

T w o young princes o f the island are killed immediately
after Baptism [a .d . 6 8 6 ]

fter Cadwalla became king of the Gewissae, he cap-

A tured the Isle of Wight, which was still entirely devoted
l
to idolatry and strove to exterminate all the natives and
232
Christian settlers in the L ie o f W ight [iv. 16
replace them by settlers from his own province. Although
not yet baptized, he is said to have bound himself by an oath
to dedicate a quarter of the land and spoils to the Lord if he
conquered the island; and he fulfilled this oath by offering it
for God’s use to Bishop Wilfrid, who chanced at this time to
have left his own people in order to visit the island. By English
reckoning, the island has an area of twelve hundred hides,
so that the bishop was given three hundred hides of land.
This share he entrusted to Bemwini, one of his clerks who
was his own sister’s son, and he appointed a priest named
Hiddila to preach and administer Baptism to all who sou
salvation.
It would not be right to omit mention of two young
princes, brothers of Arwald, king of the island, who were
especially favoured by God’s grace, and became the first
natives of the island to believe and be saved. On the approach
of the invaders, these princes had escaped from the island and
crossed to the adjoining province of thejutes. Here they were
guided to a place called At-the-Stone,1 where they hoped to
remain hidden from the victorious king; but they were
betrayed and ordered to be put to death. This was reported
to the priest Cynibert, Abbot of a not far distant monastery at
a place called Hreutford, that is, the Ford of Reeds;* so he
sought out the king, who was living in seclusion in the district
while he recovered from wounds received while fighting in
the Isle of Wight, and begged him that, if it was necessary
for these lads to die, he might firstbe allowed to instruct them
in the mysteries of the Christian Faith. The king consented to
this, and when Cynibert had taught them the word of truth,
he baptized them in the fount of salvation, and assured their
entry into the kingdom of heaven. So when the executioner
arrived, they met bodily death gladly, in the firm faith that
through it their souls would pass to eternal life. So last of all
the provinces of Britain, the Isle of Wight accepted the Faith
of Christ; but owing to its subjection to an alien rule, it had
I. Stoneham, Hants. 2. Redbridge.
233
IV. 17] The Synod o f Hatfield
no bishop or see of its own until the time of Daniel, who is
now Bishop of the West Saxons.
The Isle of Wight lies opposite the boundary between the
South Saxons and the Gewissae, and is separated from it by
three miles of sea, known as the Solent. In this strait, two
ocean tides that flow round Britain from the boundless
northern seas meet in daily opposition off the mouth of the
River Homelea.1 This enters the sea after flowing through the
lands of the Jutes who lived in the Gewissae country; and
when the turbulence ceases, they flow back into the ocean
whence they spring.

chapter 17 : Theodore presides over a Synod held in the

Plain o f Haethfeld (Hatfield) [a . d . 680]

(OUT this time, Theodore learned that the frith of the

Church at Constantinople was greatly disturbed by the
heresy of Eutyches.* Wishing to preserve the churches of
the English that he ruled untainted by this error, he summoned
a large number of venerable bishops and teachers to a con­
ference; and when he had carefully ascertained their indi­
vidual beliefs, he found them all united in support of the
Catholic Faith. He therefore took pains to record this fact in
a synodical letter, to serve as a reminder and guide to future
generations. This letter opens as follows:
‘ In the Name of our Lord and SaviourJesus Christ. On the
seventeenth of September in the eighth indiction; in the
tenth year of the reign of our most devout lord Egfrid, King
of the Northumbrians; in the sixth year of King Ethelfrid of
the Mercians; in the seventeenth year of King Aldwulf of
the East Angles; and in the seventh year of King Hlothere
of the Kentish people. Under the presidency of Theodore, by
the grace of God Archbishop of the island of Britain and
the City of Canterbury, we the venerable bishops of the
I. The Hamble.
234
The Synod o f Hatfield [iv. 1 7
island of Britain assembled in conclave at the place which is
called in the Saxon language Haethfeld, having the most holy
Gospels before us, hereby unite to proclaim the true and
orthodox faith. This same faith our Lord Jesus Christ de­
livered in the flesh to His disciples, who saw Him in person
and heard His teaching. This is now set forth in the Creed of
the holy fathers, and by all the sacred General Councils, and
by the united voice of the accredited doctors of the Catholic
Church. We follow them in devotion and right faith, pro­
fessing our belief in their divinely inspired teachings; and we
unite with the holy fathers in acknowledging the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity consubstantial in Unity,
and Unity in Trinity, that is, One God subsisting in three
consubstantial Persons of equal glory and honour.’
And after a great deal more to this effect, in which they
affirm their confession of the true Faith, the letter of this holy
synod continues: ‘ We accept the decisions of the five holy
General Councils of the blessed fathers who were acceptable
to God; that is, the Council of three hundred and eighteen
bishops assembled at Nicaea, which condemned the impious
Arius and his teachings; the Council of one hundred and fifty
bishops at Constantinople, which condemned the madness
of Macedonius and Eudoxius and their teachings; the first
Council of two hundred bishops at Ephesus, which con­
demned the wicked Nestorius and his teachings; the Council
of six hundred and thirty bishops at Chalcedon, which con­
demned Eutyches and Nestorius and their teachings; and the
fifth Council at Constantinople in the reign of Justinian
the younger, which condemned Theodorus, Theodoret, the
epistles of Ibas, and their teachings against Cyril.’
Shortly after this, the letter continues: ‘ We also accept the
decisions of the Council held in Rome* under the blessed
Pope Martin in the eighth indiction and ninth year of the
reign of the most pious Emperor Constantine [IV]. We
glorify our Lord Jesus Christ as they glorified Him, neither
adding nor withdrawing anything; we anathematize with
235
IV* is ] John the Cantor comes to Britain
heart and vo ice those w h o m they anathem atized, and accept
those w h o m they accepted. A n d w e g lo rify G o d the Father,
w h o is w ith o u t beginning, and H is on ly-begotten Son,
begotten o f the Father before all w orld s, and the H o ly Spirit
in effably p roceeding fro m the Father and the Son, as p ro­
claim ed b y all the h o ly Apostles, prophets, and teachers w h o m
w e have already m entioned. And w e w h o have all jo in e d
w ith A rchbishop T h eod o re in p roclaim in g the C ath olic
Faith affix ou r signatures hereto.’

chapter 18: Jo h n , Arch-cantor o f the apostolic see, comes

to teach in Britain [ a . d . 6 8 o]

m o n g those w h o signed the affirm ation o f the C ath olic

A l Faith at this S yn o d w as the venerable Jo h n , A rch -can tor

o f the church o f the h o ly A postle Peter and A b b o t o f the
m onastery o f Saint M artin , w h o had recently com e fro m
R o m e under instructions fro m P op e A g ath o w ith the m ost
reverend A b b o t Benedict, o f w h o m I have spoken. F o r w h en
B enedict had built a m onastery in B ritain near the m ou th o f
the R iv e r W e a r 1 in honour o f the blessed Prince o f the
Apostles, he travelled to R o m e w ith his colleague and partner
in the w o rk , C eo lfrid , w h o later succeeded him as abbot o f
the m onastery. A s he had m ade several earlier visits to R o m e,
he w as received w ith honour b y P op e A g ath o o f blessed
m em o ry . F ro m h im he asked and obtained a letter o f p rivi­
lege, granted w ith his apostolic authority, w h ich confirm ed
the independence o f the m onastery that he had fou n d ed ;
fo r he k n ew this to accord w ith the wishes o f K in g
E g frid , w ith w hose ap p roval and grant he had built the
m onastery.
B en edict received A b b o t Jo h n and conducted h im to B rit­
ain, w h ere he w as to teach his m onks the chant fo r the litur­
gical y e a r as it w as sung at Saint Peter’s, R o m e . In accordance
1 . Monkwearmouth.
236
John s work in Britain [iv. 18
w ith the P op e’s instructions, A b b o t Jo h n taught the cantors
o f the m onastery the theory and practice o f singing and
reading aloud, and he put into w ritin g all that w as necessary
fo r the p roper observance o f festivals throughout the year.
This docum ent is still preserved in this m onastery, and m any
copies have been m ade fo r other places. Jo h n ’s instruction w as
not lim ited to the brethren o f this m onastery alone; fo r m en
w h o w ere proficient singers cam e fro m nearly all the m on­
asteries o f the provin ce to hear him , and he received m any
invitations to teach elsewhere.
In addition to his task o f teaching the arts o f singing and
reading, Jo h n had also been directed b y the apostolic Pope to
m ake careful enquiries about the faith o f the C h urch o f the
English, and report on it w h en he returned to R om e. H e had
brought w ith him the decisions o f the C oun cil recently held
in R o m e b y blessed P op e M artin and one hundred and five
bishops, w h ich particularly condem ned those w h o taught
that o n ly one w ill operated in C hrist, and he handed this over
fo r a transcript to be m ade in the m onastery o f the m ost
religious A b b o t Benedict. T h ose w h o supported such view s
had caused great confusion in the C h u rch o f Constantinople
at the time, but b y G o d ’s help they w ere exposed and refuted.
For this reason, P op e A g ath o w ished to be inform ed on the
state o f the C h u rch in B ritain as w ell as in other provinces,
and w hether it w as free fro m contam ination b y heretics; so
he entrusted this m ission to the m ost reverend A b b o t Jo h n ,
w h o had already been ordered to visit Britain . A fter the
above-m entioned S yn o d had been sum m oned fo r the purpose
in Britain , the C ath olic Faith w as show n to be held untainted
b y all, and a c o p y o f its decisions w as given to Jo h n to take
back to R o m e.
N o t lon g after crossing the sea, on his return jo u rn e y to his
o w n coun try, Jo h n fell sick and died; and out o f devotion to
Saint M artin, o f w hose m onastery he w as abbot, his friends
carried his b o d y to T o u rs, w h ere he w as buried w ith great
honour. F o r on his jo u rn e y to B ritain he had been cour­
237
iv. i9] Marriage o f K ing Egfrid and Etheldreda
teously w elcom ed there b y the brethren, w h o begged h im to
travel b y the same route on his return to R o m e and p ay
another visit to their house. T h e y also p rovid ed h im w ith
assistants to accom pany h im on his jo u rn e y and help h im in
his appointed task. A n d although he died on his jo u rn e y ,
Jo h n ’s testim ony to the C ath o lic Faith o f the E nglish w as
taken on to R o m e , w h ere it w as received w ith great
satisfaction b y the apostolic P op e and b y all w h o heard or
read it.

1 9 : Queen Etheldreda preserves her virginity, and

c h a p t e r

her body remains incorrupt in the grave [a .d . 660]

E g f r i d m arried Etheldred a,* a daughter o f A n n a,

K
in g

K in g o f the East A n gles, o f w h o m I have often spoken;

he w as a v e r y devout m an, n oble in m in d and deed. B e fo re
her m arriage to E g frid , Etheldreda had been m arried to
T o n d bert, a prince o f the South G y rw a s ; bu t he died shortly
after the w ed d in g, and she w as given to K in g E gfrid . A l­
though she lived w ith h im fo r tw e lv e years, she preserved
the g lo ry o f perpetual v irg in ity . T h is fact is absolutely
vou ch ed fo r b y B ish o p W ilfrid o f blessed m em o ry, o f w h o m
I m ade en q uiry w h en som e people doubted it. H e said that
E g frid p rom ised to g iv e estates and m uch w ealth to h im i f he
cou ld persuade the queen to consum m ate the m arriage,
k n o w in g that there w as n o m an fo r w h o m she had a higher
regard. A n d there is n o reason to doubt that such a thing
cou ld happen in our o w n d ay, since reliable histories record
it as h avin g happened on several occasions in the past through
the grace o f the sam e L o rd w h o has prom ised to rem ain w ith
us until the end o f the w o rld . F o r the m iraculous preservation
o f her b o d y fro m corru ption in the tom b is evidence that she
had rem ained untainted b y b o d ily intercourse.
F o r a lon g tim e Etheldreda b egged the k in g to allo w her
to retire fro m w o rld ly affairs and serve C h rist the o n ly true
238
Etheldreda becomes Abbess o f E ly [w. 19
K in g in a convent. A n d h avin g at length obtained his reluct­
ant consent, she entered the convent o f the Abbess Ebba,
K in g E g frid ’s aunt, at C o lu d e sb y rig ,1 w h ere she received the
veil and clothing o f a nun fro m the hands o f B ish op W ilfrid . A
year later she w as h erself m ade Abbess in the district called
E ly , w h ere she b u ilt a convent and becam e the v irg in m other
o f m an y virgin s v o w e d to G o d and displayed the pattern o f a
h eaven ly life in w o r d and deed. It is said that fro m the tim e
o f her en try into the con ven t she never w o re linen but o n ly
w oollen garm ents, and that she w o u ld seldom w ash in hot
w ater except on the eve o f the greater festivals such as Easter,
Pentecost, and the E pip hany, and then o n ly after she and her
assistants had helped the other handm aids o f C h rist to w ash.
She seldom had m ore than one m eal a d ay except at the greater
festivals o r under urgent necessity, and she alw ays rem ained
at p rayer in the church fro m the h o u r o f M atins until daw n
unless prevented b y serious illness. Som e say that she
possessed the spirit o f p rop h ecy, and that in the presence o f
all the com m u n ity, she n ot o n ly foretold the plague that
w as to cause her death, but also the num ber w h o w o u ld
die o f it in the convent. She w as taken to C h rist in the
presence o f her nuns seven years after her appointm ent
as abbess, and in accordance w ith her instructions she w as
buried am o n g them in the w o o d e n coffin in w h ich she
died.
Etheldreda w as succeeded in the office o f abbess b y her
sister S e x b u rg ,* w h o had been w ife o f K in g Earconbert o f
K en t. Sixteen years after Etheldreda’s burial, this abbess
decided to have her bones exhum ed, placed in a n ew coffin,
and transferred into the church. She therefore directed som e
o f the brethren to search fo r stone to m ake this coffin. A n d
since the district o f E ly w as surrounded on all sides b y sea
and fens and had n o large stones, they took a boat and cam e
to a sm all ruined city n ot far distant w h ich the E nglish call
Grantchester. A fte r a short w h ile they discovered near the
I. Coldingham.
239
iv-19] Death and burial o f EtheUreda
city walls a white marble sarcophagus of very beautiful
workmanship* with a close-fitting lid of sim ilar stone; and
realizing that God had prospered theirjourney, they returned
thanks to him and brought it back to die convent.
When the tomb of the holy and virginal spouse of Christ
was opened and her body brought to light, it was found as
free from decay as if she had died and been buried that very
day; this is vouched for by Bishop Wilfrid and many others
of their own knowledge. But even fuller proofis given by the
physician Cynifirid, who was present at both her death and
her exhumation. Cynifrid used to relate that during her last
illness she had a large tumour under the jaw. *I was asked,’
he said, ‘to open the tumour and drain away the poisonous
matter in it. I did this, and for two days she seemed somewhat
easier, so that many thought that she would recover from her
illness. But on the third day her earlier pain returned, and she
was taken from this world, and exchanged all pain and death
for everlasting life and health. When her bones were to be
taken up out of the grave so many years lata, a pavilion was
raised over it, and the whole community stood around it
chanting, the brothers on one side, and the sisters on the other.
The abbess herself, with a few others, went in to take up and
wash the bones, when we suddenly heard her cry out in a
loud voice, “ Glory to the Name of the Lord!” Shortly after­
wards they opened the door of the pavilion and called me in.
There I saw the body of the holy virgin taken from its grave
and laid on a bed as though asleep; and when they had un­
covered her face, they showed me that the incision which I
had made had healed. This astounded me; for in place of the
open gaping wound with which she was buried, there re­
mained only the faint mark of a scar. All die linen cloths in
which the body had been enfolded appeared so fresh and new
that they looked as if they had been wrapped that very day
around her pure body.’
It is said that when she was affected by this tumour and
pain in her jaw and neck, she welcomed pain of this kind,
240
Her body miraculously preserved [iv. 20
and used to say : ‘ I realize v e r y w e ll that I deserve this w eari­
som e disease in m y neck, on w h ich , as I w ell rem em ber, w hen
I w as a girl, I used to w ear the needless burden o f jew ellery .
A n d I believe that G o d in H is goodness wishes m e to endure
this pain in m y neck so that I m ay be absolved fro m the guilt
o f m y needless van ity. So n o w I w ear a burning red tum our
on m y neck instead o f go ld and pearls/ A t the touch o f these
robes devils w ere expelled fro m the bodies o f those w h o m
they possessed, and other com plaints w ere som etim es cured.
A n d the coffin in w h ich she w as first buried is said to have
cured diseases o f the eye, relievin g pain and failing sight in
those w h o placed their heads on the coffin as they prayed.
W h en the sisters had w ashed the v irg in ’s b o d y and clothed it
in n ew robes, they carried it into the church and laid it in the
sarcophagus w h ich had been brough t, w here it is held in
great veneration to this day. T h is same sarcophagus w as found
to fit the v irg in ’s b o d y in a m arvellous w a y , as though it
had been especially m ade fo r her, and the special place cut
out fo r the head exactly fitted the measurements o f her
ow n .
E ly lies in the p rovin ce o f the East A n gles, an area o f about
six hundred hides. A s I have said, it resembles an island sur­
rounded b y w ater and marshes, and it derives its nam e fro m
the vast quantity o f eels that are caught in the marshes. A n d
the servant o f C h rist w ished to have her m onastery in this
place because, as already m entioned, her forbears cam e from
the provin ce o f the East A ngles.

c h a p t e r 20: A hym n in honour o fE th eld red a

seems appropriate to insert in this H istory an elegiac hym n

I
t
in praise o f v irg in ity w h ich I com posed m an y years ago
in honour o f this same queen and bride o f Christ - all the m ore
a queen because a bride o f Christ. In this I am fo llo w in g the
exam ple o f H o ly Scripture, in w h ich the narrative is fre-
T —H.E.C.— K 24 I
iv- 2o] B ed e s hym n in p raise o f E theldreda
q u en tly interspersed w ith songs w h ic h are k n o w n to h ave
been com p o sed in ve rse .1

All-guiding Trinity, guide m y design.

Battles were V irgil’s theme; let peace be mine,
Chanting in lieu o f Helen’s wantonness
Divine compassion, to redeem and bless,
Entering a virgin’s w om b, G od’s gate to earth.
Fair maid, w ho gav’st the whole w orld’s Parent birth,
G o d gave thee grace. A n d b y that grace empowered
H o w many virgin blossoms since have flowered!
In fiery torment stood chaste Agatha
Jo yfu l to death; so stood Eulalia.
Kindled with love, Thecla with virgin breast
Laughed at w ild beasts; so was Euphemia blest.
M ore strong than steel, Agnes disdained its thrust;
N o r did Cecilia’s strength betray her trust.
O ur age at length in triumphs such as these
Partakes through e th el d r e d a ’s victories.
Queenly b y birth, an earthly crown she wore
R igh t nobly; but a heavenly pleased her more.
Scorning the marriage bed, a virgin wife
T w e lv e years she reigned, then sought a cloistered life.
Unspotted to her heavenly spouse she came,
V irgin in soul, her virgin robe and frame,
W h en sixteen winters they had lain entombed,
Xrist willing it, still fresh and unconsumed.
Y ea, from their touch Eve’s Tem pter flees dismayed,
Zealous for evil, vanquished b y a maid.

A h bride o f Christ, bright fame on earth is thine.

M ore bright in Heaven thy bridal torches shine.
Exultant hymns proclaim in glad accord:
N o power henceforth m ay part thee from thy Lord. i.

i. The following version reproduces the alphabetic acrostic with which

Bede adorns his tale, including his spelling of Christ with initial X (the Greek
letter chi) as in the familiar abbreviation Xmas. It does not attempt to imitate
his elaborate device of repetitive half-lines, which makes the hymn remark­
able rather for ingenuity than for any claim to poetic excellence.

24 2
chapter 2 i : Archbishop Theodore makes peace between
K ing Egfrid and K ing Ethelred [a . d . 6 79 ]

I
N the ninth year o f his reign, K in g E g frid fought a great
battle near the riv er T ren t against K in g Ethelred o f the
M ercians, in w h ich E g frid ’s brother E lfw in w as killed. T h e
latter w as a y o u n g m an o f about eighteen, w h o w as m uch
loved in both provinces since Ethelred had m arried his sister
O sthryd. This gave ev ery indication o f causing fiercer strife
and m ore lasting hatred betw een the tw o w arlike kings and
peoples, until A rchbishop T h eod ore, the beloved o f G od,
enlisting G o d ’s help, sm othered the flames o f this aw ful peril
b y his w holesom e advice. A s a result, peace w as restored
betw een the kings and peoples, and in lieu o f further blood­
shed the custom ary com pensation* w as paid to K in g E gfrid
fo r his brother’s death. T h e peace thus m ade w as m aintained
betw een these kings and their peoples fo r m an y years.

chapter 2 2 : A prisoner s chains fa ll o ff when Masses are

sung on his behalf [ a .d . 6 79 ]

I
N the above battle in w h ich K in g E lfw in w as killed, a re­
m arkable thing occurred, w h ich I should not fail to m ention,
since it w ill further the salvation o f m any. D u rin g the battle,
a y o u n g thane nam ed Im m a belon gin g to E lfw in ’s forces
w as struck d ow n , and la y apparently dead all that day and the
fo llo w in g night am ong the bodies o f the slain. A t length he
recovered consciousness, sat up, and bandaged his w ounds as
w ell as he cou ld ; then w h en he had rested aw hile, he got up
and tried to find som e friends to help him . W h ile so engaged
he w as foun d and captured b y m en o f the enem y forces, and
taken before their leader, w h o w as a noblem an o f K in g
Ethelred. W h en asked his identity, he w as afraid to reveal
that he w as a soldier, and answ ered that he w as a poor m arried
peasant w h o had com e w ith others o f his kin d to bring pro-
243
 “ 1 TTie strange story o f the thane Im m a
visions to the arm y. T h e noblem an ordered him to be given
shelter and treatm ent fo r his w o u n d s; and w hen he began to
recover, he ordered him to be chained at n ight to prevent his
escape. B u t this p ro ved im possible, fo r no sooner had those
w h o chained him left than the fetters fell o ff.*
N o w this y o u n g m an had a brother nam ed Tun na, w h o
w as a priest and abbot o f a m onastery that is still called
Tunnacaesdr after him . A n d w hen he heard that his brother
had been killed in battle, he w en t to see w hether he could
fin d his b o d y. F in d in g another v e r y sim ilar to him , he con­
cluded that it w as h is; so he took the b o d y back to his m onas­
tery, ga ve it honourable burial, and offered m an y Masses
fo r the repose o f his b rother’s soul. A n d it w as on account o f
these Masses that, as I have said, w h en anyone tried to chain
him , he w as im m ed iately set free. T h e noblem an, w hose
prisoner he w as, w as astonished, and asked w h y he cou ld not
be bound, and w hether he possessed an y w ritten charm s to
protect him fro m bin d in g like those m entioned in fables. H e
rep lied : ‘ I k n o w nothin g about such things. B u t I have a
brother w h o is a priest in m y o w n p rovin ce, and I am sure
that, thinking m e killed, he is sayin g m an y Masses fo r m e ;
and w ere I n o w in another life, m y soul w o u ld be freed fro m
its pains b y his p rayers/ A ft e r h e had been held som e tim e in
the noblem an ’ s custody, those w h o observed the y o u n g
m an closely realized fro m his appearance, clothing, and
speech that he w as no co m m o n peasant as he said, but o f
noble birth. T h e noblem an then sent fo r him p rivately, and
pressed h im to disclose his iden tity, prom isin g that he w o u ld
do h im no h arm i f he told h im the truth about w h o he w as.
O n this assurance, the y o u n g m an revealed that he w as a
k in g ’s thane. A t this the noblem an said: T realized b y all
y o u r answers that y o u w e re n o peasant. Y o u deserve to die,
because all m y brothers and kinsm en w ere killed in that
battle: but I w ill not put y o u to death, because I have given
y o u m y prom ise.’
A s soon as Im m a recovered , the noblem an sold him to a
244
Death o f Abbess Hilda [iv. 23
Frisian in L on d on , w h o took him aw a y, but found that he
w as unable to fetter him . W h en one kind o f fetter after
another had been put on him and none could hold him , his
bu yer gave him perm ission to ransom h im self i f he could.
It w as at the hour o f T erce, the custom ary tim e o f sayin g
M ass, that his chains w ere m ost frequently loosed. Prom ising
either to return or to send his ransom m oney, Im m a w en t to
K in g H lothere o f K en t, w h o w as nephew to the above Q ueen
Etheldreda, because he had once been one o f the queen’s
thanes. From him he obtained the m on ey fo r his ransom , and
sent it to his master as he had prom ised.
W h en Im m a returned to his o w n country, he visited his
brother and gave him a full account o f all his troubles and
h o w he had been helped in them ; and fro m him he learned
that his chains had been loosed at the times w hen M ass w as
being said on his behalf. H e also realized h o w he had received
com fort and strength fro m heaven in m an y other dangers
throu gh the prayers o f his brother and his offering o f C h rist’s
saving Sacrifice. H e related his experiences to m any people,
w h o w ere thereby inspired to greater faith and d evotion and
gave them selves to p rayer, alm sgivin g, and offering the
H o ly Sacrifice to G o d fo r the deliverance o f their friends w h o
had departed this life ; fo r they understood h o w this saving
Sacrifice availed fo r the eternal redem ption o f soul and body.
A m o n g those w h o told m e this story w ere som e w h o had
actually heard it fro m the m outh o f the m an to w h o m these
things had happened, so that I have no hesitation about in­
cluding it in this history o f the C h urch as it w as related.

c h a p t e r 2 3 : T h e life and death o f A bbess H ild a [a . d . 680]

the fo llo w in g year, that is the year o f our L o rd 680,

I
n
H ilda, abbess o f the m onastery o f Streanaeshalch, o f w hich
I have already spoken, a m ost religious servant o f Christ,
after an earthly life devoted to the w o r k o f heaven passed
245
iv. 23] Hilda s early career
aw a y to receive the rew ard o f a heaven ly life on the seven­
teenth o f N o v e m b e r at the age o f sixty-six. H er life on earth
fell into tw o equal parts: fo r she spent thirty-three years
m ost n o b ly in secular occupations, and dedicated the ensuing
thirty-three even m ore n o b ly to ou r L o rd in the m onastic
life. She w as n o b ly b o m , the daughter o f H ereric, nephew to
K in g E d w in . W ith E d w in she received the Faith and sacra­
m ents o f C h rist th rou gh the preaching o f Paulinus o f blessed
m em o ry , first bishop o f the N orthum brian s, and she pre­
served this Faith in violate until she w as foun d w o rth y to see
her M aster in heaven.
W h e n she decided to abandon the secular life and serve
G o d alone, she w en t to the p rovin ce o f the East A n gles,
w h ose k in g w as her kin sm an ; fo r h avin g renounced her
hom e and all that she possessed, she w ished i f possible to
travel on fro m there into G au l, and to liv e an exile fo r ou r
L o rd ’ s sake in the m onastery o f C a le ,1 so that she m igh t the
m ore easily attain her eternal heaven ly hom e. F o r her sister
H eresw ith, m other o f A ld w u lf, K in g o f the East A ngles,
w as already liv in g there as a professed nun and aw aitin g her
eternal cro w n . Inspired b y her exam ple, H ilda rem ained in
the p rovin ce a full year, intending to jo in her overseas; but
she w as recalled hom e b y B ish o p A id an and w as granted one
hide o f land on the north bank o f the R iv e r W ear, w here she
observed the m onastic rule w ith a handful o f com panions
fo r another year.
A fte r this, H ilda w as m ade abbess o f the m onastery o f
H eruteu,2 founded not lo n g p revio u sly b y H eiu, a devout
servant o f C hrist, said to have been the first w om an in the
p ro vin ce o f the N orth um b rian s to take v o w s and be clothed as
a nun, w h ich she did w ith the blessing o f B ish o p A idan. B u t
soon after establishing the m onastery she left fo r the to w n o f
Calcaria, w h ich the E nglish call K aelcacaestir,3 and settled
there. T h en C h rist’s servant H ild a w as appointed to rule this
m onastery, and q u ick ly set h erself to establish a regular
i. Chelles, near Paris. 2. Hartlepool. 3. Possibly Tadcaster.
246
Her work at W hitby [iv. 23
observance, fo llo w in g the instructions o f learned m en ; for
B ish op A idan and other devout m en, w h o k n ew her and
adm ired her innate w isd om and lo v e o f G o d ’s service, often
used to visit her, to express their affection and offer thoughtful
guidance.
W h en she had ruled this m onastery fo r som e years, con­
stantly occupied in establishing the regular life, she further
undertook to found or organize a m onastery at a place kn ow n
as Streanaeshalch, and carried out this appointed task w ith
great en ergy. She established the same regular life as in her
form er m onastery, and taught the observance o f righteous­
ness, m ercy, p urity, and other virtues, but especially o f peace
and charity. A fter the exam ple o f the p rim itive C hurch, no
one there w as rich, no one w as needy, fo r everythin g w as held
in com m on , and nothing w as considered to be an yon e’s
personal property. So great w as her prudence that not on ly
ordinary fo lk , but kings and princes used to com e and ask her
advice in their difficulties and take it. Th ose under her direc­
tion w ere required to m ake a th orou gh study o f the Scriptures
and occu p y them selves in g o o d w o rk s, to such go o d effect
that m an y w ere found fitted fo r H o ly O rders and the service
o f G o d ’s altar.
Five m en fro m this m onastery later becam e bishops -
Bosa, Aetla, O ftfo r, Jo h n , and W ilfrid - all o f them m en
o f outstanding m erit and holiness. A s already m entioned,
Bosa w as consecrated B ish op o f Y o r k ; o f A etla let it suffice
to note that he becam e B ish op o f D orchester; and I shall tell
in due course h o w Jo h n becam e B ish op o f H exham , and
W ilfrid Bish op o f Y o r k . M eanw hile I w ish to speak o f
O ftfo r, w h o h avin g d evoted h im self to reading and applying
the Scriptures in both H ild a’s monasteries, w ished to w in
greater perfection, and travelled to K en t in order to visit
Archbishop T h eod ore, o f blessed m em ory. W h en he had
continued his studies under him fo r som e w hile, he decided
to visit R o m e, w h ich in those days w as considered an act o f
great m erit. O n his return to B ritain he visited the province o f
247
iv -23] H ild a s widespread influence
die H w iccas, then ruled b y K in g O sric, w here he rem ained a
lon g tim e, preaching the w o rd o f faith and setting an exam ple
o f h o ly life to all w h o m et and heard him . A t this tim e Bosel,
bishop o f the p rovin ce, w as in such ill health that he w as
unable to carry out his duties in person, and O ftfo r w as
therefore unanim ously elected bishop in his place. A t the
request o f K in g Ethelred, he w as consecrated b y Bish op
W ilfrid o f blessed m em o ry, w h o w as acting as B ish op o f the
M id d le A n gles, since T h eo d o re had died and as yet n o bishop
had been appointed to succeed him . A little earlier, before
the m an o f G o d B o sel, an energetic and v e r y learned m an o f
great ab ility nam ed T a tfrid had been elected bishop w hile
a m on k in H ild a’s m onastery, but m et an untim ely death
before he cou ld be consecrated.
C h rist’ s servant Abbess H ilda, w h o m all her acquaintances
called M oth er because o f her w on d erfu l devotion and grace,
w as not o n ly an exam p le o f h o ly life to m em bers o f her o w n
co m m u n ity ; fo r she also brough t about the am endm ent and
salvation o f m an y livin g at a distance, w h o heard the inspiring
sto ry o f her industry and goodness. H er life w as the fulfil­
m ent o f a dream w h ic h her m other B re gu sw ith had w h en
H ilda w as an infant, during the tim e that her husband H ereric
w as livin g in banishm ent under the protection o f the B ritish
k in g C erd ic, w h ere he died o f poison. In this dream she
fancied that he w as suddenly taken aw a y, and although she
searched ev ery w h ere , she cou ld fin d n o trace o f him . W h en
all her efforts had failed, she discovered a m ost valuable je w e l
under her garm en ts; and as she looked closely, it em itted such
a brilliant light that all B ritain w as lit b y its splendour. T h is
dream w as fulfilled in her daughter, w hose life afforded a
shining exam p le n ot o n ly to herself but to all w h o w ished to
live a go o d life.
W h e n H ild a had ruled this m onastery fo r m an y years, it
pleased the A u th o r o f ou r salvation to try her h o ly soul b y a
lo n g sickness, in order that, as w ith the A p osd e, her strength
m igh t be made perfect in weakness. She w as attacked b y a b u m -
. 248
Her death revealed in a vision [iv. 23

ing fever that racked her continually fo r six y ears; but during
all this tim e she n ever ceased to g iv e thanks to her M aker or
to instruct the flock com m itted to her, both p rivately and
publicly. F or her o w n exam ple taught them all to serve G od
obediently w hen in health, and to render thanks to him faith­
fu lly w hen in trouble or bo d ily weakness. In the seventh year
o f her illness the pain passed into her innerm ost parts, and
her last day cam e. A b o u t co ck cro w she received the V iaticum
o f the h o ly C o m m u n ion , and w hen she had sum m oned all the
handm aids o f C hrist in the m onastery, she urged them to
m aintain the gospel peace am ong themselves and w ith others.
A n d w h ile she w as still speaking, shejo y fu lly w elcom ed death,
or rather, in the w ord s o f our L o rd , passed fro m death to life.
T h at same n ight it pleased A lm ig h ty G o d to m ake her
death k n o w n b y means o f a vision in a m onastery som e con­
siderable distance aw a y, w h ich she had founded that same
year at Hackness. In this place there w as a devout nun nam ed
B e g u , w h o had v o w e d h erself to G o d in v irg in ity in the
m onastic life o ver thirty years p reviou sly. A s she w as resting
in the sisters* d orm itory, she suddenly heard in the air the
w ell-k n o w n note o f the bell that used to w ake and call them
to p rayer w hen an y o f the sisters had died. O pening her eyes,
as she thought, she saw the r o o f open, and a great light pour
in fro m above and flood the roo m . W h ile she gazed into this
light, she saw the soul o f G o d ’s servant H ilda borne up to
heaven in the m idst o f the light accom panied and guided b y
angels. T h en she aw ok e, and seeing the other sisters lyin g
around her, realized that w h at she had seen w as either a dream
or a vision. R isin g at once in alarm , she ran to F rigyth , w h o
w as Prioress at the tim e, and w ith m an y sighs and tears told
her that their M other the Abbess H ilda had departed this
life, and that she had seen her surrounded b y angels in a
great light, and ascending to the abode o f eternal light to
jo in the com pan y o f the saints in heaven. W h en she had heard
the nun’s story F rigy th roused all the sisters, and w hen she
had gathered them into the church, she enjoined them to p ray
249
^ m] Caedmon o f W hitby
and recite the psalter for the soul o f their M other. T h e y did
this for the rem ainder o f the night, and at daybreak som e
brothers arrived fro m the m onastery w here she had died w ith
new s o f her passing. T h e sisters replied that they already
kn ew , and w h en they explained h o w and w hen they had
heard it, it w as evident that her death had been revealed to
them b y means o f the vision at the v e ry hour that the brothers
said she had died. Thus w ith fitting h arm on y the m ercy o f
heaven ordained that w h ile som e o f her C o m m u n ity attended
her death-bed, the others w ere m ade aw are o f her soul’s entry
into eternal life, although these monasteries are about thirteen
miles apart.
It is said that H ild a’s death w as revealed also on the same
night in a vision to one o f the sisters in the actual m onastery
w here the servant o f G od passed aw ay. T h is sister, w h o loved
her dearly, saw her soul ascend to heaven in the com p an y o f
angels, and im m ediately aw ok e the servants o f C hrist w ith her
and told them to p ray for her soul. This w as at the v e ry hour
o f her death, even before the rest o f the C o m m u n ity k n ew o f
i t ; fo r it w as o n ly m ade k n o w n to them early in the m orning.
A t this tim e the nun w as w ith certain other handm aids o f
C hrist in a rem ote part o f the m onastery, w here novices
w ere adm itted to test their-vocation until they w ere fu lly
instructed and adm itted to m em bership o f the C o m m u n ity.

c h a p t e r 2 4 : A brother o f the m onastery is fo u n d to possess

G o d 's g ift o f p oetry [a .d . 680]

this m onastery o f S treanaeshalch lived a brother singularly

I
n
gifted b y G o d ’s grace. So skilful w as he in com posing
religious and devotional songs that, w hen any passage o f
Scripture w as explained to him b y interpreters, he could
q uickly turn it into delightful and m o vin g p oetry in his o w n
English tongue. These verses o f his have stirred the hearts o f
m an y fo lk to despise the w o rld and aspire to heavenly things.
250
H is miraculous endowment with the gift o f song 1™- 24
O thers after him tried to com pose religious poem s in English,
but none could com pare w ith h im ; for he did not acquire
the art o f p oetry fro m m en or through any hum an teacher
but received it as a free gift fro m G od . For this reason he could
never com pose any frivolo u s or profane verses; but o n ly such
as had a religious them e fell fittin gly fro m his devout lips.
H e had fo llo w ed a secular occupation until w ell advanced in
years w ith out ever learning anything about poetry. Indeed
it som etim es happened at a feast that all the guests in turn
w o u ld be invited to sing and entertain the com p an y; then,
w hen he saw the harp co m in g his w a y , he w ou ld get up from
table and g o hom e.
O n one such occasion he had left the house in w hich the
entertainm ent w as being held and w en t out to the stable,
w here it w as his d u ty that n ight to lo o k after the beasts.
T h ere w hen the tim e cam e he settled d ow n to sleep. Suddenly
in a dream he saw a m an standing beside him w h o called him
b y nam e. ‘ C a ed m o n / he said, ‘ sing m e a so n g/ ‘ I don’ t k n o w
h o w to sin g/ he replied. ‘ It is because I cannot sing that I
left the feast and cam e here.’ T h e m an w h o addressed him then
said: ‘ B u t y o u shall sing to m e.’ ‘ W h at should I sing ab o u t?’
he replied. ‘ Sin g about the C reation o f all things/ the other
answered. A n d C aed m on im m ediately began to sing verses
in praise o f G o d the C reator that he had never heard before,
and their them e ran thus: v
Praise w e the Fashioner now o f Heaven’s fabric,
The majesty o f his might and his mind’s wisdom,
W o rk o f the world-warden, worker o f all wonders,
H o w he the Lord o f G lory everlasting,
W rought first for the race o f men Heaven as a rooftree,
Then made he Middle Earth to be their mansion.
This is the general sense, but not the actual w ords that
C aedm on sang in his dream ; fo r verses, h o w ever m asterly,
cannot be translated literally fro m one language into another
w ithout losing m uch o f their beauty and dignity. W hen
C aedm on aw oke, he rem em bered everythin g that he had
251
 m] Caedm ons chosen themes
sung in his dream , and soon added m ore verses in the same
style to a song tru ly w o rth y o f G od .
E arly in the m orn in g he w en t to his superior the reeve, and
told him about this gift that he had received. T h e reeve took
him before the abbess, w h o ordered him to g iv e an account
o f his dream and repeat the verses in the presence o f m an y
learned m en, so that a decision m igh t be reached b y com m on
consent as to their quality and origin. A ll o f them agreed that
C aed m on ’s gift had been given him b y our L o rd . A n d they
explained to h im a passage o f scriptural history or doctrine
and asked him to render it into verse i f he could. H e prom ised
to do this, and returned next m orn in g w ith excellent verses
as they had ordered him . T h e abbess w as delighted that G o d
had given such grace to the m an, and advised him to abandon
secular life and adopt the m onastic state. A n d w hen she had
adm itted him into the C o m m u n ity as a brother, she ordered
him to be instructed in the events o f sacred history. So Caed­
m on stored up in his m em o ry all that he learned, and like one
o f the clean animals ch ew in g the cud, turned it into such
m elodious verse that his delightful renderings turned his
instructors into auditors. H e sang o f the creation o f the
w o rld , the origin o f the hum an race, and the w h o le sto ry o f
Genesis. H e sang o f Israel’s'exo d u s fro m E g y p t, the entry
into the Prom ised Land, and m an y other events o f scriptural
history. H e sang o f the L o rd ’s Incarnation, Passion, Resurrec­
tion, and Ascension into heaven, the com in g o f the H o ly
Spirit, and the teaching o f the Apostles. H e also m ade m an y
poem s on the terrors o f the Last Ju d gem en t, the horrible
pains o f H ell, and the jo y s o f the K in g d o m o f H eaven. In
addition to these, he com posed several others on the blessings
and judgem en ts o f G od , b y w h ich he sought to turn his
hearers fro m delight in w ickedness and to inspire them to
lo ve and do good . F o r C aed m on w as a deeply religious m an,
w h o h u m b ly subm itted to regular discipline and h o tly
rebuked all w h o tried to fo llo w another course. A n d so he
crow n ed his life w ith a happy end.
252
H is exem plary death [rv. 24
For, w hen the tim e o f his death drew near, he felt the onset
o f physical w eakness fo r fourteen days, but not seriously
enough to prevent his w alk in g or talking the w h o le time.
C lose b y there w as a house to w h ich all w h o w ere sick or
lik ely to die w ere taken. T o w ard s nightfall on the day w hen
he w as to depart this life, C aed m on asked his attendant to
prepare a resting-place fo r him in this house. T h e attendant
w as surprised at this request fro m a m an w h o did not appear
lik ely to die y e t; nevertheless, he did as he w as asked. So
C aedm on w en t to the house, and conversed and jested
cheerfully w ith those w h o w ere already there; and w hen it
w as past m idnight, he asked: ‘ Is the Eucharist in the house?’ *
‘ W h y do y o u w an t the E u ch arist?’ they enquired; ‘ y o u are
not lik ely to die yet, w h en y o u are talking so cheerfully to us
and seem to be in perfect health.’ ‘ N evertheless,’ he said,
‘ brin g m e the Eucharist.’ A n d taking It in his hands, C aedm on
asked w hether they w ere all charitably disposed tow ards
him , and w hether they had an y com plaint or ill-feeling
against him . T h e y replied that they w ere all m ost k in d ly dis­
posed tow ards him , and free fro m all bitterness. T h en in turn
they asked him to clear his heart o f bitterness tow ards them.
A t once he an sw ered : ‘ D ear sons, m y heart is at peace w ith all
the servants o f G o d .’ T h en , w h en he had fortified h im self w ith
the heaven ly V iaticum , he prepared to enter the other life,
and asked h o w lon g it w o u ld be before the brothers w ere
roused to sing G o d ’s praises in the N ig h t O ffice. ‘ N o t lo n g,’
they replied. ‘ G o o d , then let us w ait until then,’ he answ ered;
and signing h im self w ith the h o ly Cross, he laid his head on
the p illo w and passed aw a y quietly in his sleep. So, having
served G o d w ith a sim ple and pure m ind, and w ith tranquil
devotion, he left the w o rld and departed to his presence b y a
tranquil death. H is tongue, w h ich had sung so m an y inspir­
in g verses in praise o f his M aker, uttered its last w ords in his
praise as he signed h im self w ith the Cross and com m ended
nis soul into his hands. For, as I have already said, Caedm on
seems to have had a prem onition o f his death.
253
c h a p t e r 2 5 : A man o f G od sees a vision portending the
destruction o f Coldingham monastery by fire

t this time, the m onastery o f nuns called C o lu d esb yrig,

A .w h ic h I have already m entioned, w as burned d ow n

through carelessness. H o w e v er, all w h o kn ew the facts could
readily p erceive that it happened because o f the wickedness
o f its m em bers, and in particular o f those w h o w ere supposed
to be in authority. B u t G o d ’s m ercy gave them a w arn in g o f
punishm ent, and i f they had fo llo w ed the exam p le o f the
N in evites in fasting, prayers, and tears, they cou ld have
averted the anger o f the ju st Ju d g e .
In this m onastery lived a Scot nam ed A d am nan, w h o led
a life so devoted to G o d in p rayer and austerity that he took
n o fo o d or drink except on Sundays and Thursdays, and
often spent the entire n ight in v ig il and p rayer. H e had origin ­
ally adopted this severe life fro m necessity, to o verco m e his
evil inclinations; but as tim e w en t on, this necessity becam e
his custom . D u rin g his y o u th he had com m itted som e crim e
fo r w hich, w h en he cam e to his senses, he w as th orou gh ly
ashamed, and dreaded punishm ent b y the strict Ju d g e . So he
visited a priest fro m w h o m he hoped to learn a w a y o f sal­
vation, confessed his sins to him , and asked fo r advice h o w
he m igh t escape the w rath to com e. W h e n he had heard his
confession, the priest said: ‘ A severe w o u n d calls fo r an ever
m ore severe rem ed y. T h erefo re spend y o u r tim e as far as
possible in fasting, reciting the psalter, and p rayer, so that
y o u m ay avert G o d ’ s anger in confession, and deserve to find
His m ercy .’ A lrea d y d eeply sm itten in conscience and lon gin g
fo r speedy release fro m the in w ard fetters o f the sin that
burdened him , he rep lied : T am still y o u n g and strong in
b o d y, and I w ill readily undergo w h atever penance y o u
im pose on m e, i f o n ly I m a y be saved at Ju d gem e n t D a y .
E ven i f y o u order m e to rem ain standing in p rayer all night,
o r to rem ain the w h o le w eek fasting, I w ill do it.’ B u t the
priest answ ered: ‘ T o rem ain the w h p le w e e k w ith o u t fo o d
254
Adamnan foresees the destruction o f Coldingham monastery [iv. 25
is too severe a pen an ce: it w ill be sufficient i f y o u fast fo r tw o
o r three days. D o this until I return shortly, w h en I w ill
explain m ore fu lly w h at y o u should do, and h o w lo n g y o u
should continue this penance.’ So, h avin g prescribed the
extent o f his penance, the priest w en t a w a y ; but he w as
suddenly called b y an urgent need to Ireland, w h ich w as his
native land, and n ever returned to h im as he had arranged.
B u t A d am n an bore in m in d his directions and his o w n
prom ise, and earnestly applied h im self to penitent tears, h o ly
vigils, and fasting. H e to o k fo o d o n ly on Sundays
and Thursdays, as I have said, and ate nothin g on the other
days o f the w eek. A n d w h en he heard that his priest had
left fo r Ireland and died there, he continued to observe the
austerity that he had im p osed ; w h at he had undertaken
through fear o f G o d in rem orse fo r his sin he continued
w ith out flaggin g throu gh lo v e o f G o d in en joym en t o f his
rew ard.
W h en he had fo llo w e d this w a y o f life fo r a considerable
tim e, it happened one d ay that he had travelled som e distance
fro m the m onastery accom panied b y one o f the brothers.
O n the return jo u rn e y , as they w ere approaching the m on­
astery and saw its buildings to w erin g up, the m an o f G o d
burst into tears, and his face betrayed the so rro w o f his hearts
Seeing this, his com p an ion enquired the reason, and he re­
p lied : ‘ T h e tim e is near w h en all the public and p rivate
buildings that y o u see in fron t o f y o u w ill be burned to
ashes.’ W h en his com p an ion heard this, he w en t and in­
form ed E bba, the M o th er o f the C o m m u n ity , as soon as
he reached the m onastery. She w as naturally alarm ed, and
sum m on in g A d am n an , pressed h im to tell her h o w he k n ew
such a thing. H e an sw ered : ‘ O ne n ight recently I w as occu­
pied in keepin g v ig il and reciting the psalter, w h en a stranger
suddenly appeared beside m e, and I w as greatly startled. H e
told m e not to be afraid, and spoke k in d ly to m e, sayin g,
“ Y o u do w e ll to em p lo y these n ight hours o f rest in v ig il and
prayer instead o f in d u lgin g in sleep.” I answ ered, “ I am aw are
255
 25] A prophecy fu lfilled
that I have great need o f w h olesom e v ig ils and earnest prayer
to G o d to pardon m y sins.” H e said, “ Y o u are rig h t; and
m an y besides y o u rse lf need to atone fo r their sins b y go o d
w o rk s, and em p lo y the tim e o f their release fro m w o rld ly
occupations in seeking their eternal w elfare. B u t there are
v e ry fe w w h o do this. F or I have visited ev ery ro o m and
ev ery bed o f this m onastery, and entered ev ery bu ildin g and
do rm ito ry. N o w h e re have I foun d an yone except y o u rse lf
concerned w ith the health o f his o w n soul. A ll o f them , m en
and w o m en alike, are either sunk in unprofitable sleep, or
else aw ake o n ly to sin. E ven the cells, w h ich w ere built fo r
p rayer and study, are n o w converted into places fo r eating,
drinking, gossip, or other am usem ents. W h en they have
leisure, even the nuns v o w e d to G o d abandon the p rop riety
o f their calling and spend their tim e w e a v in g fine clothes,
w h ich they em p lo y to the peril o f their calling, either to adorn
them selves like brides or to attract attention fro m strange
m en. F o r this reason a h eavy and w ell-d eserved punishm ent
is about to fall on this place and its people in the fo rm o f a
terrible fire.” * T h e abbess asked: ‘ W h y did y o u not reveal
this to m e earlier?’ A d am nan rep lied : ‘ I hesitated to do so out
o f regard fo r y o u , lest it should cause y o u gra v e distress: but
let it be som e co m fo rt to y o u that this calam ity w ill not
happen in y o u r o w n tim e.’ O nce the vision becam e k n o w n ,
the C o m m u n ity w as som ew hat alarm ed fo r a fe w days, and
began to refrain fro m w ro n g -d o in g and un dergo penance.
B u t after the death o f the abbess they relapsed in to their
earlier sins and becam e even m ore w ick ed . A n d w h en they
said ‘ Peace and safety ’ , then sudden destruction cam e upon
them .
M y in form an t in all these events w as m y fellow -priest,
Edgils, w h o w as liv in g in the m onastery at the tim e. A n d
w h en the m ajo rity o f the inhabitants had left the ruined
building, he lived a lo n g w h ile in ou r o w n m onastery, and
died there. I have thought it desirable to include this in m y
history to w arn the reader o f the w o rk in g s o f G o d , and h o w
256
E g frid 9s cam paigns against Irish and Piets [iv. 26
terrible H e is in his doings tow ard the children o f men. Let us
bew are lest at som e tim e w e should indulge in the pleasures
o f the flesh, and p ay such scant heed to the jud gem en ts o f
G o d that w e incur his sudden anger. For w e shall either be
ju stly and severely punished b y losses in this w o rld , or else
be even m ore strictly ju d g e d and carried aw a y to eternal
perdition.

chapter 2 6 : O n the death o f K in g E g fr id and K in g

H loth ere [a . d . 685]

the year o f ou r L o rd 684, K in g E gfrid o f the N orth u m ­

I
n
brians sent an arm y into Ireland under the com m and o f
B ert, w h ich bru tally harassed an inoffensive people w h o
had alw ays been frien d ly to the English, sparing neither
churches n or monasteries fro m the ravages o f w ar. T h e
islanders resisted force b y force as w ell as they could, and
im plored the m erciful aid o f G od , p rayin g H eaven lon g and
earnestly to avenge them . A n d although those w h o curse
m ay not inherit the kin gd o m o f G od , one m ay w ell believe
that those w h o w ere ju s tly cursed fo r their w ickedness q uickly
suffered the p enalty o f their gu ilt at the hands o f G o d their
Ju d g e . For in the fo llo w in g year K in g E g frid , ign orin g the
advice o f his friends and in particular o f C uthbert, o f blessed
m em ory, w h o had recently been m ade bishop, rashly led an
arm y to ravage the p rovin ce o f the Piets. T h e en em y pre­
tended to retreat, and lured the kin g into n arro w m ountain
passes, w h ere he w as killed w ith the greater part o f his forces
on the tw entieth o f M a y in his fortieth year and the fifteenth
o f his re ig n .* A s I have said, his friends had w arn ed him
against this cam p aign ; but in the p revious y ear he had
refused to listen to the reverend Father E gbert, w h o begged
him not to attack the Scots w h o had done h im no harm ; and
this w as his punishm ent, that he n o w refused to listen to
those w h o tried to save h im fro m destruction.
257
iv. 2tf] Death o f K ing Egjrid and King Hlothere
H en cefo rw ard the hopes and strength o f the English realm
b egan :
‘to waver and slip backward ever lower.’ 1
T h e Piets recovered their o w n lands that had been occupied
b y the English, w h ile the Scots liv in g in B ritain and a pro­
p ortion o f the B rito n s them selves regained their freedom ,
w h ich they have n o w preserved fo r about fo rty -six years.
M a n y o f the English at this tim e w ere killed, enslaved,
o r forced to flee fro m Pictish territo ry. A m o n g them , the
m ost reverend m an o f G o d T ru m w in e , w h o had been
appointed their bishop, w ith d re w w ith his people fro m
the m onastery o f A b ercu m ig , w h ich w as situated in
English territo ry but stood close to the firth that divides
the lands o f the E nglish fro m those o f the Piets. W h erever
he could, he recom m end ed his o w n people to friends
in various m onasteries. H e h im self chose to live in the
often-m entioned m onastery o f Streanaeshalch. Th ere, fo r
several years, he live d an austere life w ith a fe w o f his o w n
fo lk , to the benefit o f m an y besides him self. O n his death,
he w as buried in the church o f blessed Peter the A postle
w ith the honours due to his life and d ign ity. T h e ro yal nun
Aelffled, w ith her m other Eanfled w h o m I m entioned earlier,
ruled the m onastery at this p erio d : and w h en B ish o p T ru m ­
w in e cam e, she fo u n d h im a great help in the adm inistration
o f the m onastery and a great c o m fo rt in her o w n life. E g frid ’s
successor on the throne w as A ld ftid , a m an w ell-read in the
Scriptures, w h o w as said to be brother o f E g frid and son o f
K in g O s w y . H e ab ly restored the shattered fortunes o f the
k in gd o m , th ou gh w ith in sm aller boundaries.
O n the sixth o f F eb ru ary in the sam e year o f ou r L o rd 685,
K in g H lothere o f K en t died after a reign o f tw e lv e years, his
b rother E gb ert h a v in g reigned nine years. H e w as w ou nded
in battle against the South Saxon s, w h o m E d ric, son o f
E gb ert, had raised against him , and he died as his w o u n d w as
bein g dressed. T h is E d ric succeeded h im and reigned a year
1. Virgil: Aeneii II, 169.
258
S. Cuthhert made Bishop o f Lindisfarne [iv. 27
and a h alf; on his death, various alien kings and usurpers
plundered the k in gd o m fo r a w h ile, until W ictred , son o f
E gbert, its righ tful kin g, established h im self on the throne,
and freed the nation fro m foreign invasion b y his devotion
and diligence.

chapter 2 7 : C uthberty a man o f G o d y is made bishop

[a .d . 685]; his life and teaching as a m onk

I
N the year o f his death, K in g E g frid appointed as Bish op
o f Lindisfarne the h o ly and venerable C uthbert, w h o fo r
m an y years had lived a solitary life in great self-m astery o f
m ind and b o d y on a tin y island k n o w n as Fam e, w h ich lies
in the ocean about nine m iles fro m the church. Fro m his
earliest b o yh o o d he had alw ays lon ged to enter the religious
life, and as soon as he becam e a you th w as clothed and pro­
fessed as a m onk. H e first entered the m onastery o f M elrose
on the banks o f the R iv e r T w ee d , then ruled b y A b b o t Eata,
the gentlest and simplest o f m en, w h o later becam e Bish op
o f the church o f H exh am or Lindisfarne, as already noted.
T h e p rior o f M elrose w as B o isil, a priest o f great virtues and
prophetic spirit. C u th bert h u m b ly subm itted h im self to the
direction o f B o isil, w h o gave him instruction in the Scriptures
and show ed him an exam ple o f h o ly life.
W h en B o isil departed to our L o rd , C uth bert w as m ade
p rior in his place and trained m an y m en in the m onastic life
w ith m asterly auth ority and b y his personal exam ple. H e
did not restrict his teaching and influence to the m onastery,
but w o rk ed to rouse the ord in ary fo lk far and near to ex­
change their foolish custom s fo r a lo ve o f heaven ly jo y s . For
m an y profaned the Faith that they professed b y a w icked life,
and at a tim e o f plague som e had even abandoned the Christian
sacraments and had recourse to the delusive rem edies o f
idolatry, as though they could expect to halt a plague ordained
o f G o d b y spells, am ulets, and other devilish secret arts.
259
iv. 27] S. Cuthbert9s early life
F o llo w in g B o isil’s exam ple, in order to correct such errors
he often used to leave the m onastery, som etim es on horse­
back but m ore frequently on foot, and visit the neighbouring
tow ns, w h ere he preached the w a y o f truth to those w h o had
gone astray. In those days, w h en ever a clerk or priest visited
a to w n , E nglish fo lk alw ays used to gather at his call to hear
the W o rd , eager to hear his message and even m ore eager to
carry out w h atever they had heard and understood. B u t
C u th bert w as so skilful a speaker, and had such a light in his
angelic face, and such a lo v e fo r proclaim ing his message,
that none presum ed to hide his inm ost secrets, but all openly
confessed their w ro n g -d o in g ; for they felt it im possible to
conceal their gu ilt fro m him , and at his direction they
blotted out b y w o rk s o f penance the sins that they had con­
fessed. H e used m ain ly to visit and preach in the villages that
la y far distant am ong h ig h and inaccessible m ountains, w h ich
others feared to visit and w hose barbarity and squalor
daunted other teachers. C uthbert, h o w ever, glad ly undertook
this pious task, and taught w ith such patience and skill that
w h en he left the m onastery it w o u ld som etim es be a w eek,
som etim es tw o or three, and occasionally an entire m onth,
before he returned hom e, after staying in the m ountains to
guide the peasants heaven w ard b y his teachings and virtuous
exam ple.
W h en this venerable servant o f ou r L o rd had spent m an y
years in the m onastery o f M elrose and becom e renow ned
fo r his w o n d erfu l acts o f virtu e, the m ost reverend A b b o t
Eata transferred him to L indisfam e to instruct the brethren
there in the observance o f regular discipline, both in his official
capacity as p rior and b y his personal exam ple. F o r the m ost
reverend Father Eata w as then A b b o t o f Lin disfam e as w ell.
A n d in ancient times, the bishop used to reside at Lindisfam e
w ith his clerg y and the abbot w ith his m onks, the latter being
regarded as part o f the bishop’s household. F o r A idan, first
B ish op o f Lindisfam e, h im self a m on k, brough t m onks w ith
him and established the regular life there. H ie blessed Father
.2 6 0
H e chooses the life o f a hermit [iv. 28
Augustine is k n o w n to have done the same earlier in K ent,
w hich is show n in the letter addressed to him b y the m ost
reverend Pope G reg o ry , w h ich I included earlier: ‘ In y o u r
case, m y brother, h avin g been trained under m onastic rule,
yo u should not live apart fro m y o u r clergy in the C h urch o f
the English, w h ich b y G o d ’ s help has lately been brough t to
the Faith. Y o u are to fo llo w the w a y o f life practised b y our
forefathers o f the p rim itive C h urch, am ong w h o m none
said that anything w hich he possessed w as his ow n , but they
had all things co m m o n .’

c h a p t e r 2 8 : C uthbert becomes a herm it: his p rayers obtain

a spring fro m dry groun d, and a crop fro m seed sow n out o f
season

h e n Cuthbert w ith a g ro w in g sense o f his religious voca­

T tion entered, as I have said, upon a life o f solitary con­

tem plation and silence. B u t, as I w ro te a full account o f his
life and virtues both in heroic verse and prose a fe w years ago,
it m ay suffice to record here a single incident. W h en he w as
about to leave fo r the island, he assured the brethren: ‘ I f
G o d ’s grace w ill enable me*to live in this place b y the labour o f
m y o w n hands, I shall glad ly rem ain there; but i f it proves
otherw ise, then, G o d w illin g , I w ill soon return to y o u /
N o w the island had no w ater, co m , o r trees, and being the
haunt o f ev il spirits w as v e r y ill-suited to hum an habitation.
B u t w hen the m an o f G o d cam e, he ordered the evil spirits
to w ith d raw , and the island becam e quite habitable. A n d w hen
he had expelled these hostile forces, the brethren helped him
to build a tiny d w ellin g surrounded w ith a ditch, and such
essential buildings as an orato ry and a com m unal shelter. H e
then directed the brethren to dig a w ell in the floor o f the
shelter, although the ground w as hard and stony and there
seemed no hope w h atever o f find ing a spring. B u t they did
so, and through the faith and prayers o f G o d ’s servant it
261
iv. 28] S. Cuthbert reluctantly accepts a bishopric
w as found full o f w ater next d a y ; and this spring still provides
an am ple supply o f its heaven-sent bo un ty fo r those w h o
com e here. C uth bert also asked fo r farm in g im plem ents
and w heat to be brough t h im ; but although he prepared the
groun d and sow ed at the righ t season, w hen sum m er cam e,
not a single ear o f c o m had com e up, not even so m uch as a
blade. So w hen the brethren paid their accustom ed visit, he
asked them to b rin g som e barley, in case the nature o f the soil
and the law s o f the divine G iv e r required that a crop o f this
grain rather than w h eat should be sow n . Th is he planted in
the same soil as soon as it w as brough t, but after the proper
season, w hen there w as no hope o f its m atu rin g; nevertheless, a
rich crop q u ickly sprang up, and gave the m an o f G od the m uch
desired opportun ity to support h im self b y his o w n labour.
T h us C uthbert served G o d in solitude fo r m an y years in a
hut surrounded b y an em bankm ent so h igh that he could see
nothing but the heavens fo r w h ich he lon ged so ardently.
T h en it cam e about that a great S yn o d w as held under the
presidency o f A rchbishop T h eod o re o f blessed m em o ry, and
in the presence o f K in g E gfrid . Th is assem bled near the river
A ln e at a place called T w y fo r d , or the T w o F ord s; and the
w h ole com p an y unanim ously elected C uth bert as bishop o f
the church o f Lindisfam e. B u t although m an y messengers and
letters w ere sent to him , nothin g w o u ld induce h im to aban­
don his herm itage. A t length the k in g in person, accom panied
b y the m ost h o ly Bish op T ru m w in e and other devout and
distinguished m en, took boat to the island. T h ere they w ere
jo in ed b y m an y o f the Lin d isfam e brethren, and the w h ole
com p an y knelt before him and adjured h im in G o d ’s nam e
and begged him w ith tears to consent, until eventually they
d rew him , also in tears, fro m his dearly loved retreat, and
brough t him to the S yn o d . Still p ro fo u n d ly reluctant, he
at length b o w ed to the unanim ous decision o f the w h ole
assem bly, and w as persuaded to assume the burden o f
episcopal d ign ity. H e w as chiefly influenced to do so b y the
prophetic w ord s o f G o d ’s servant B o isil, w h o had foretold
262
H is work as a bishop [iv. 29
all that was to happen to him , and h o w he w o u ld becom e a
bishop. His consecration did not take place at o n ce; but after
the w inter, w hich w as then approaching, it w as perform ed
at Y o r k on Easter D a y in the presence o f K in g E g frid b y the
Prim ate T h eod o re o f blessed m em o ry, assisted b y six other
bishops. In the first instance, C uth bert w as appointed to the
Bishopric o f H exh am in place o f Tun bert, w h o had been
deposed: but since he m uch preferred to rule the church o f
Lindisfam e, w here he had been trained, it w as arranged that
Eata should return to the See o f H exh am , to w h ich he had
originally been appointed, and that C u th bert should assume
the direction o f the church o f Lin disfam e.
As bishop he fo llo w e d the exam ple o f the blessed Apostles
and enhanced his d ign ity b y his h o ly actions, protecting the
people entrusted to him b y his constant prayer and inspiring
them to heaven ly things b y his salutary teachings. L ik e a
go od teacher, he taught others to do o n ly w h at he first prac­
tised him self. A b o v e all else, he w as afire w ith heaven ly lo ve,
unassum ingly patient, devoted to unceasing prayer, and
k in d ly to all w h o cam e to him fo r com fort. H e regarded as
equivalent to prayer the labour o f helping the w eaker brethren
w ith advice, rem em bering that he w h o said, ‘ Thou shalt love
the Lord thy G o d ’ , also said, ‘L o ve thy neighbour’ . His self-
discipline and fasting w ere exceptional, and through the
grace o f contrition he w as alw ays intent on the things o f
heaven. Lastly, w hen ever he offered the sacrifice o f the S avin g
V ictim to G od , he offered his prayers to G o d not in a loud
voice but w ith tears w ellin g up fro m the depths o f his heart.

chapter 2 9: C uthbert fo re te lls his ow n death to the herm it

H erebert 687]
[ a .d .

h e n he had spent tw o years in his bishopric, Cuthbert

W returned to his island herm itage, G o d h avin g m ade

k n o w n to him that the day o f his death w as d raw in g near, or
263
nr. 29] S. Cuthbert foretells his own death
rather, the day o f his en try into that life w h ich alone m ay be
called life. In his usual sim ple w a y , he m entioned this fact to
som e people at the tim e in som ew hat veiled term s, though
such that they could be clearly understood later; but to others
he spoke openly.
T h ere w as a priest o f p raisew orthy life nam ed H erebert,
w h o had fo r a lon g tim e been linked in a spiritual friendship
w ith the m an o f G od . H e lived the life o f a herm it on an
island in the great lake w h ich is the source o f the riv e r D e r­
w en t, and used to visit C u th bert each year to seek his ad vice on
matters o f eternal salvation. H earin g that C u th bert had com e
to the city o f L u gu b alia,1 he w en t to visit h im as usual, w ish in g
to be ever m ore ferven tly inspired to h eaven ly desires b y his
salutary guidance. A s each in turn regaled the other w ith
exhilarating draughts o f h eaven ly life, C u th bert said am o n g
other thin gs: ‘ B ro th er H erebert, rem em ber that, w h atever
y o u w ish to ask or tell m e, y o u m ust do before w e part,
because w e shall not see one another again in this w o rld .
For I k n o w that the d ay o f m y death is approaching, and I
shall soon put o f f this earthly tabernacle/ A t these w ord s, the
other fell at his feet w ith sighs and tears, sayin g: ‘ In the
N am e o f our L o rd , I beg y o u not to leave m e ! R em em ber
that I am y o u r m ost devoted .friend, and ask G o d o f H is
m ercy to grant that, as w e have served H im together on
earth, w e m ay pass aw a y together to the vision o f h eaven ly
grace. Y o u k n o w h o w I have alw ays tried to live as y o u
directed; and w h en ever I have sinned out o f ignorance or
frailty, I have at once tried to m ake am ends in an y w a y y o u
en join ed/ So the bishop prostrated h im self in prayer, and
soon received in w ard intim ation that G o d had granted his
request. ‘ R ise, m y brother, and do not w eep. B e glad. For
G o d in H is m ercy has heard ou r p ra y e r/
Subsequent events p ro ved the truth o f this p ro p h ecy; fo r
w h en they parted, they n ever saw one another again in this
life and on the tw entieth o f M arch , their souls left their
i. Carlisle.
264
T h e proph ecy is fu lfille d [rv. 30
bodies on the same day and were together borne by angels
to see the beatific vision in the kingdom o f heaven. But
Herebert was first tried b y a long illness. And one m ay believe
that God’s mercy decreed this in order that, if his merits were
inferior to those o f blessed Cuthbert, the chastening o f a long
illness might supply whatever was lacking: in this w ay, he
would be made equal in grace with his intercessor and in
departing this life at the same time would merit to enter into
the same state o f eternal blessedness.
The most reverend Father Cuthbert died on Fame Island,
earnestly requesting the brethren to bury him in this place
where he had served God so long. But at length he yielded
to their entreaties and consented that his body should be
taken back to Lindisfarne and buried within the church. This
was accordingly done; and the venerable Bishop W ilfrid
held the see for a year until a successor could be appointed.
Subsequently Eadbert was consecrated, a man who was well
known for his knowledge o f the Scriptures, his obedience to
God’s Commandments, and especially for his generosity in
almsgiving. For each year, in accordance with the Law , he
used to give a tenth not only o f all his beasts but also o f all his
grain, fruit and clothing to the poor.

chapter 3 0 : A fter eleven years in the g ra v e , C u th bert9s

body is fo u n d incorrupt. H is successor departs this life soon
afterw ards [ a .d . 698]

N order to make more widely known the height o f glory

I attained after death by G od’s servant Cuthbert, whose illus­
trious life on earth had been marked by so many miracles
even before his death, Divine Providence guided the brethren
to exhume his bones. After eleven years, they expected to find
his flesh reduced to dust and the remains withered, as is usual
in dead bodies; and they proposed to place them in a new
coffin on die same site but above ground level, so that he
265
iv. 3o] Death o f Cuthbert’s successor Eadbert
might receive the honours due to him. W hen they informed
Bishop Eadbert o f their wish, he gave approval and directed
that it should be carried out on the anniversary o f his burial.
This was done; and when they opened the grave, they found
the body whole and incorrupt as though still living and the
limbs flexible, so that he looked as if he were asleep rather than
dead. Furthermore, all the vestments in which he was clothed
appeared not only spotless but wonderfully fresh and fair. A t
this sight the brothers were awestruck, and hastened to inform
the bishop o f their discovery. A t that time he was living alone
at some distance from the church in a place surrounded b y the
sea, where he always used to spend Lent and the forty days
before the N ativity o f our Lord in fasting, prayer, and peni­
tence. It was here that his venerable predecessor Cuthbert had
served God in solitude for a period before he went to Fame
Island.
The brothers brought with them some o f the garments in
which the holy body had been clothed. The bishop received
these gifts with gratitude, and as he listened with jo y to their
account o f the miracle, he lovingly kissed the garments as
though they were still on the father’s body. ‘ Clothe the body
in new garments,’ he said, ‘ in place o f those that you have
removed, and place it in the coffin you have prepared. I have
certain knowledge that the grave hallowed by so great and
heavenly a miracle will not remain empty for long. And
blessed is the man to w hom our Lord, the Author and Giver
o f all bliss, shall grant the privilege o f resting in it.’ W hen the
bishop had said this and more to the same effect in a trembling
voice with tears and deep feeling, the brethren carried out his
instructions: having clothed the body in fresh garments, they
laid it in a new coffin, which they placed on the pavement o f
the sanctuary.
N o t long afterwards, G od’s beloved Bishop Eadbert was
attacked b y an illness that rapidly grew more serious, and in
a short time he departed to our Lord on the sixth o f M ay.
Whereupon the brethren laid his body in the tomb o f the
266
Miracles at S. Cuthbert’s tomb [iv. 31
blessed Father Cuthbert, and above it they placed the coffin
containing the uncorrupt body o f the Father. The miracles o f
healing that take place from time to time at the tomb bear
witness to the holiness o f them both. I have recorded some
instances in m y book on his life. And in this present history I
have included further examples that have recently come to
m y knowledge.

c h a p t e r 3 1 : A brother is cured o f p a ra lysis at C u th b ert's

tomb

N the monastery was a brother named Baduthegn, who

I served for a considerable time in the guest-house and is still
alive. A ll the brethren and visitors testify that he was a very
devout and religious man, w ho did his appointed task solely
for the sake o f a heavenly reward. One day he had washed the
cloaks used in the guest-house in the sea. A s he was returning
homewards, he had a sudden seizure and fell to the ground,
where he lay prostrate for some while before he could rise.
W hen at last he got up, he found that one side o f his body was
paralysed from head to foot, and made his w ay home with
the greatest difficulty leaning on a stick. The disease gradually
increased and at nightfall became even more serious, so that
next day he could hardly rise or walk without help. Crippled
as he was, he conceived the excellent plan o f making his w ay
to the church as best he could to visit the tomb o f the most
reverend Father Cuthbert. There on bended knee he would
implore G o d ’ s mercy either to heal his disease, i f this were to
his good, or else to give him grace to bear his affliction calmly
and with patience should Divine Providence decree that he be
afflicted with it longer. Acting on this resolve and supporting
his feeble limbs with a staff, he entered the church and pros­
trated himself before the body o f the man o f God, earnestly
praying that at Cuthbert’s intercession our Lord would show
mercy. A s he prayed, he fell into a deep sleep and, as he used
267
iv. 32] Miracles at S. Cuthbert’s tomb
afterwards to relate, seemed to feel a great, broad hand rest on
the seat o f the pain in his head. A t this touch, the entire area o f
his body affected by the disease was gradually eased o f its pain,
and health was restored right down to the feet. He soon awoke
and rose completely cured and after giving thanks to God for
his recovery, told the brethren what had happened to him.
And to the jo y o f all he returned to the duties that he had
always carried out so faithfully, as though chastened by the
scourge o f suffering.
The garments that had clothed Cuthbert’s hallowed body
both before and after his death continued to possess healing
virtues, as anyone m ay read in the book o f his life and
miracles.

chapter 3 2 : T h e relics o f S a in t C uth bert h eal another

brother9s diseased eye

c a n n o t omit mention o f a cure that took place through

I his relics three years ago and was told me b y the very
brother to w hom it happened. It occurred in a monastery
which was in course o f construction near the river Dacore,1
from which it took its name, and whose head was the devout
Abbot Swidbert. In this house lived a young man w ho de­
veloped a tumour on his eyelid, which daily increased in size
and threatened to destroy the eye. Although the physicians
applied poultices to reduce it, they had no success: some
advised cutting it out, while others opposed this, fearing
graver complications. So the brother suffered great pain for
a long time, and it seemed that no human skill could prevent
the loss o f his eye, whose condition was deteriorating daily,
till he was suddenly cured b y the goodness o f God and b y
means o f the relics o f the most holy father Cuthbert. This
came about because, when the brethren found his body un­
corrupt after many years in the grave, they had taken some
I. Dacre, near Penrith.
268
Cures effected by means o f his relics [iv. 3 2

o f his hair to provide relics for their friends and to show as

evidence o f this miracle.
A t that time a small portion o f these relics was in the pos­
session o f Thruidred, then one o f the priests o f the monastery
and now its abbot. And one day, when he went into the church
and opened the casket o f relics in order to give a portion to a
friend w ho had requested it, the young man with the diseased
eye happened to be present. Having given the required por­
tion to his friend, Thruidred handed the remainder to the
young man to replace in their casket. M oved b y a beneficent
impulse, the youth took the hairs o f holy Cuthbert’s head in
his hand and applied them to his eyelid, and tried by holding
them there for a while to soften and reduce the swelling. He
then replaced the relics in their casket as he had been directed,
confident that, now that his eye had been touched by the hair
o f the man o f God, it would soon be cured. N o r was his faith
in vain. For, as he tells, it was then about Terce, and thence­
forward he was busy about the day’s duties until nearly Sext,
when he suddenly felt his eye and found both it and the lid
sound, as though there had never been any deformity or
swelling on it.

269
 B O O K FIVE

chapter i : The hermit Ethelwald, Cuthbert’s successor,

calms a storm by his prayer when some brethren are in
danger at sea

u t h b e r t , the man o f God, had a successor in the solitary

C life that he had lived on Fame Island before he became a
bishop. This was a venerable man named Ethelwald w ho had
received the priesthood many years previously in the monas­
tery o f Ripon and adorned the office by conduct w orthy o f it.
T o illustrate more clearly his virtue and the kind o f life that
he led, I will relate a miracle o f his that was told me by one o f
the brethren among w hom and for whose benefit it was per­
formed; this was the venerable priest and servant o f Christ
Guthfrid, who afterwards presided as abbot over the brethren
o f the church o f Lindisfame where he had been brought up.
T came with iw o other brothers to Fame Island,’ he said,
‘ wishing to speak with the most reverend Father Ethelwald.
W e were greatly inspired by his discourse and, having asked
his blessing, were returning homewards. Then, while w e were
in the middle o f the sea, the calm weather that was favouring
our crossing suddenly changed. There followed a storm o f
such ferocity and violence that sail and oars were useless and
w e expected nothing but death. Having struggled unavailing-
ly against the wind and waves for a long time, w e looked back
to see whether it were practicable to fight our w ay back to
the island w e had left, but found the storm equally violent on
all sides, so that in ourselves there was no hope for us o f escape.
But, as w e looked into the distance, w e saw that Father Ethel­
wald, the. beloved o f God, had come out o f his cell on Fame
and was watching our progress; for he had heard the roar o f
270
John appointed Bishop o f Hexham [v. 2
the gale and raging o f the sea and had come out to discover
how w e were faring. W hen he saw us in distress and despair,
he fell on his knees to the Father o f our Lord Jesus Christ and
prayed for our safety. Directly his prayer was ended, the
raging sea grew calm, the severity o f the storm lessened on
all sides, and a following wind bore us over calm water to­
wards the land. As soon as we had reached the shore and were
lifting our little boat out o f the surf, the wind that had dropped
awhile for our sakes at once began to blow again and con­
tinued strongly all that day. So w e realized that the short
interval o f calm had been granted by the m ercy o f heaven at
the prayer o f the man o f God so that w e might escape/
The man o f God remained on Fame Island for twelve years
and died there; but he was buried on the island o f Lindisfame
in the church o f the blessed Apostle Peter next to the bodies
o f the above-mentioned bishops. These events took place in
the time o f King Aldfrid, w ho succeeded his brother Egfrid as
King o f the Northumbrians and reigned for nineteen years.

chapter 2: The blessing o f Bishop Joh n cures a dumb man

A t the beginning o f King Aldfrid’s reign Bishop Eata died,

x \ and was succeeded as Bishop o f Hexham b y a holy man
named Joh n .* M any miracles are told o f him b y those who
knew him well, and in particular b y Berthun, a most reverend
and truthful man, formerly Joh n ’ s deacon and now abbot o f
the monastery known as In-Derawuda, which means ‘ In the
w ood o f the D eiri ’. 1 1 have thought it fitting to preserve the
memory o f some o f these miracles for posterity.
W henever opportunity offered and especially during Lent,
this man o f God used to retire with a few companions to read
and pray quietly in an isolated house surrounded by open
woodland and a dyke. It stood about a mile and a half from
the church at Hexham across the river Tyne, and had a
1. Now Beverley.
271
v- A Miracles o f S. John o f Beverley
burial-ground dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel.
John once came to stay here at the beginning o f Lent and,
as was his invariable custom, told his companions to find
some poor person w ho was either seriously infirm or in dire
want, so that he might live with them during their stay and
benefit from their alms.
In a village not far distant lived a dumb youth known to the
bishop; for he had often visited him to receive alms and had
never been able to utter a single word. In addition, he had so
many scabs and scales on his head that no hair ever grew on
the crown, but only a few wisps stood up in a ragged circle
round it. So the bishop ordered this youth to be fetched, and
a little hut to be made for him in the enclosure round the house
where he could live and receive his daily allowance. W hen
one week o f Lent was past, on the following Sunday John told
the poor lad to come to him, and when he had entered he
ordered him to put out his tongue and show it him ; then he
took him by the chin, and making the sign o f the holy cross
on his tongue, told him to retract it and speak. ‘ Pronounce
some w ord,’ he said: ‘ say yea? which is the English word o f
agreement and assent, i.e. ‘ Y e s’ . The lad’s tongue was loosed,
and at once he did what he was told. The bishop then proceed­
ed to the names o f letters: ‘ Say A .’ And he said ‘A ’ . ‘ N o w
say B / he said, which the youth did. And when he had
repeated the names o f each o f the letters after the bishop, the
latter added syllables and words for him to repeat after him.
W hen he had uttered every word accordingly, the bishop set
him to repeat longer sentences, and he did so. All those who
were present say that all that day and the next night, as long
as he could keep awake, the youth never stopped saying some­
thing and expressing his own inner thoughts and wishes to
others, which he had never been able to do previously. He was
like the cripple healed b y the Apostles Peter and John, who
stood up, leaped, and walked, entering the temple with them,
w alking, and leaping, and praising G od, rejoicing in the use o f
his feet, o f which he had been so long deprived. The bishop
272
Miracles o f S. John o f Beverley [v. 3

was delighted at his cure, and directed the physician to under­

take the cure o f the youth’s scabby head.
The physician did as he was asked, and with the assistance
o f the bishop’s blessing and prayers his skin healed, and a
vigorous growth o f hair appeared. So the youth obtained a
clear complexion, readiness o f speech, and a beautiful head o f
hair, whereas he had formerly been deformed, destitute, and
dumb. In his jo y at this recovery, he declined an offer from
the bishop o f a permanent place in his household, preferring
to return to his ow n home.

chapter 3 : Bishop Jo h n heals a sick g irl by his prayers

described another miracle done by the bishop.

B
erthun
W hen the most reverend W ilfrid became Bishop o f
Hexham after his long exile, and John became Bishop o f Y o rk
on the death o f the holy and humble Bosa, he came one day
to a convent o f nuns at a place called W etadun,1 ruled at the
time b y the Abbess Heriburg. ‘ W hen w e had arrived and
been welcomed with general rejoicing, the abbess informed
us that one o f the nuns, her ow n daughter, was very seriously
ill. She told us that the nun had recently been bled in the arm
and that, while she was being treated, she was suddenly seized
by a violent pain which rapidly increased, so that the wounded
arm grew worse and became so swollen that it could hardly
be encircled with tw o hands. In consequence, the nun was
lying in bed in terrible pain and seemed likely to die. The
abbess therefore begged the bishop to visit her and give her his
blessing, being sure that she would improve i f the bishop
blessed or touched her. He enquired when the girl had been
bled, and when he learned that it had been on the fourth day
o f the moon, he said: “ Y o u have acted most foolishly and
unwisely to carry out blood-letting on the fourth day o f the
moon. I remember that Archbishop Theodore, o f blessed
1. Watton, near Beverley.
T — H .E .C .— L 273
v. 4] M iracles o f S . Joh n o f Beverley
m em o ry, said that it w as v e r y dangerous to bleed at a tim e
w hen the light o f the m oon and the pull o f the tide is increas­
ing. A n d w hat can I do fo r the girl i f she is g o in g to d ie?” B u t
the abbess pressed him m ost earnestly on b eh alf o f her daugh­
ter, w h o w as v e r y dear to her, and w h o m she intended to
appoint abbess in her o w n place, and at length she prevailed
on him to visit the sick girl. So he w en t in, taking m e w ith him
to see the girl w h o , as I have said, la y helpless and in great pain,
w ith her arm sw ollen to such a size that she could not bend her
elb o w . T h e bishop stood and said a p rayer o v er her, and
h avin g given her his blessing, w en t out. Som e w h ile later, as
w e w ere sitting at table, som eone cam e in and asked m e to
com e outside, say in g : “ C o e n b u rg ” - fo r that w as the girl's
nam e - “ w ishes y o u to com e back to her ro o m at once.” I did
so, and w h en I entered* I foun d her lo o k in g cheerful and
apparently in sound health. A n d w h en I sat d o w n b y her, she
said: “ W o u ld y o u like m e to ask fo r a d rin k ?” “ C ertain ly,”
I replied, “ I shall be delighted i f y o u w ill.” W h en a cup had
been b rough t and w e had both drunk, she began to tell m e
w h at had happened. “ A s soon as the bishop had blessed m e and
gone a w a y , I began to feel b etter; and although I have not yet
recovered m y full strength, the pain has entirely left m y arm
w h ere it w as m ost intense, and all m y b o d y. It w as as though the
bishop took it aw a y w ith h im entirely w h en he left, although
the sw ellin g on m y arm seems to rem ain.” A s w e w ere leavin g
the convent, the disappearance o f the pain in her lim bs w as
p ro m p tly fo llo w ed b y a subsidence o f the sw elling, and the
girl, saved fro m pain and death, gave thanks to ou r L o rd and
Savio u r w ith all the other servants o f G o d in the p lace/

c h a p t e r 4 : T h e B ish o p cures a thane's w ife w ith h o ly w ater

bbot B e r t h u n also told the story o f another m iracle

A l not unlike the p revious one perform ed b y the bishop. H e

said: ‘ N o t far fro m ou r m onastery, about tw o m iles distant,
274
M iracles o f S . Jo h n o f Beverley [v. $
stood the cou n try house o f a thane nam ed Puch, w hose w ife
had been suffering fro m an acute com plaint fo r fo rty days,
and fo r three w eeks it had been im possible to m o v e her fro m
the ro o m w h ere she lay. It happened at the tim e that the m an
o f G o d had been invited there b y the thane to dedicate a
church; and w h en he had done this, the thane asked h im to
dine in his house. T h e bishop declined, saying that he must
return to the m onastery, w h ich w as close b y . B u t the thane
pressed h im even m ore earnestly, prom isin g to g iv e alm s to
the p o o r i f o n ly the bishop w o u ld consent to com e into his
house to break his fast. I supported the thane’ s request, and
also prom ised to g iv e alm s to the p o o r i f he w o u ld g o in to
have a m eal in the thane’s house and g iv e his blessing. A fter
m uch difficulty, w e persuaded him , and w en t in fo r som e fo o d .
M ean w h ile, at the hands o f one o f the brethren w h o had com e
w ith us, the bishop had sent the sick w o m an som e o f the h o ly
w ater that he had blessed fo r the dedication o f the church,
telling h im to g iv e her som e o f it to drink and to ap p ly som e as
a lotion to the place w h ere the w orst pain lay. W h en this had
been done, the w o m an im m ediately g o t up cured. T h en find­
in g h erself n ot o n ly relieved o f her lo n g illness but restored
to her fo rm er strength, she bro u gh t a cup to the bishop and
us and, h avin g perform ed this d u ty, continued to serve us
w ith drink until the close o f the m eal. In this she fo llo w e d the
exam p le o f Saint Peter’s w ife ’s m other, w h o after being
troubled b y a burn ing fever w as restored to health and activity
at the touch o f the L o rd ’s hand and im m ediately arose and
m inistered to them .’

chapter 5 : T h e B ish o p ’ s p rayers recall the servan t o f a

thane fro m death’s door

another occasion, the bishop w as invited to consecrate

O
n
the church o f a thane nam ed A d d i. W h e n he had com ­
pleted the cerem ony, the thane requested h im to visit one o f
*75
v. <] M iracles o f S . Joh n o f Beverley
his serving-lads w h o w as so seriously ill that he had com pletely
lost the use o f all his lim bs and n o w seemed about to d ie:
indeed, a coffin had already been prepared to receive his
corpse. T h e thane pressed h im w ith tears, earnestly b eggin g
h im to g o in and p ra y fo r the b o y , sayin g that his life w as o f
great concern to him . H e w as sure that, i f o n ly the bishop
w e re w illin g to la y his hand on h im and bless him , he w o u ld
reco ve r im m ed iately. S o the bishop w en t in and foun d the
b o y at death’s d oo r, w ith the coffin in w h ich he w as to be
bu ried ly in g beside him . A ll present w e re in tears. A fte r sayin g
a p rayer and g iv in g the b o y his blessing, the bishop w en t out
w ith the stock fo rm u la o f en cou ragem en t: ‘ H u rry up and get
w e ll.’ Later, w h ile the co m p an y w ere sitting at table, the b o y
sent to his m aster sayin g he w as thirsty and asking i f he m igh t
have a cup o f w in e. D eligh ted that he could drink, the thane
sent h im a cup o f w in e blessed b y the bishop, and as soon as he
had drunk it he g o t up, th rew o f f his disease, and put on his
clothes. T h en he left his ro o m and cam e in to greet the bishop,
sayin g that he w o u ld be glad to jo in them in eating and
drin kin g. T h e y w ere delighted at his re c o v e ry , and told him
to sit d o w n to dine w ith th e m ; so he sat d o w n and m ade m erry
as one o f the com p an y. H e live d fo r m an y years afterw ards,
and retained the g o o d health that had been restored to him .
A b b o t B erth u n says that he w as n ot present w h en this m iracle
to o k place, but that he had an account o f it fro m those w h o
w ere.

chapter 6 : B y h is p rayers and blessing, B ish o p Jo h n saves

fro m death one o f h is clergy w h o h ad been bruised in a f a ll I

I c a n n o t leave unm entioned a m iracle that G o d ’ s servant

H eribald relates as h avin g been p erform ed fo r his benefit
b y B ish op Jo h n . A t the tim e he w as one o f the bishop’s clergy,
but is n o w abbot o f a m onastery near the m outh o f the river
T y n e . ‘ L iv in g w ith him , and k n o w in g his w a y o f life v e ry
276
H e rib a ld 's act o f disobedience [v. 6
in tim ately/ he says, ‘ I k n ew it to be w h o lly w o rth y o f a
bishop, so far as it is perm issible fo r a m an to ju d g e . B u t I also
p roved b y the experience o f m an y others, and m ore especially
b y m y o w n , h o w great his m erit w as in the eyes o f H im w h o
sees the heart; fo r b y his p rayer and blessing, as I shall tell, he
brough t m e back fro m death’s d oo r and restored m e to life.
In m y early yo u th I lived am o n g his clerg y , occupied in
learning to read and sin g; but m y heart had not y et en tirely
abandoned you th fu l follies. A s w e w ere travellin g w ith h im
one day, w e happened to com e to a level open road, w ell
suited fo r gallop in g ou r horses. T h e y o u n g m en w ith him ,
m ain ly lay fo lk , began to ask the bishop’s perm ission to gallop
and try out their horses against each other. A t first he refused
their request, saying that it w as an unprofitable occupation ;
but at length he gave in to their unanim ous w ish , s a y in g : “ D o
so i f y o u w ish ; but H eribald is not to take part in the race.”
I begged him persistently to let m e race w ith the rest, fo r I had
confidence in an excellent horse he had giv e n m e ; but I could
not obtain his consent.
‘ W h en they had galloped to and fro several times, and
cam e back spurring their horses in a race w h ile the bishop and
I w atched, m y hot-headed w ilfulness g o t the better o f m e,
and I could not restrain m yself. D espite his prohibition, I
jo in e d in the sport and began to race w ith the others at full
speed. A s I did so, I heard the bishop behind m e say in a
sorrow fu l v o ic e : “ O h, h o w y o u grieve m e b y ridin g like
th a t! ” B u t, although I heard him , I w en t on against his orders.
S h ortly afterw ards, as m y spirited horse took o f f in a p o w erfu l
ju m p across a h o llo w in the path, I fell, and at once lost all
feeling and p o w er o f m ovem en t as though I w ere d y in g ; fo r
at the spot lay a stone, level w ith the groun d, lig h tly covered
b y turf, the o n ly stone to be found in the w h o le o f that level
plain. A n d it happened b y chance, or rather b y the disposition
o f divine providence as a punishm ent fo r m y disobedience,
that I struck m y head, and the hand w h ich I had put under m y
head as I fell, on this stone. A s a consequence, m y thum b w as
277
v. 6] H erih a ld learns his lesson
broken and m y skull cracked, and, as I said, I la y as thou gh
dead. A s I w as unable to m o v e, th ey stretched an aw n in g o v e r
m e fo r p rotectio n ; and fro m an h o u r after m id d ay until
even in g I lay m otionless as a corpse. T h en I rev iv ed sligh tly,
and m y com panions carried m e hom e, w h ere I la y speechless
all night, v o m itin g b lo o d as a result o f som e internal in ju ry.
T h e bishop w as g reatly distressed about m y accident and
possible death, because he w as especially fo n d o f m e ; and he
did n ot rem ain w ith his c le rg y that n igh t as w as his usual
custom , but spent all n igh t in v ig il and p rayer, as I understand,
asking G o d o f H is m erc y to restore m e to health. E a rly n ext
m orn in g he cam e and said a p rayer o v er m e, callin g m e b y
nam e, and w a k in g m e ou t o f w h at seem ed to be a h e avy sleep.
“ D o y o u k n o w w h o it is speaking to y o u ? ” he asked. O pen­
in g m y eyes, I rep lied : “ I do. Y o u are m y belo ved bishop.”
“ C a n y o u liv e ? ” he asked. “ I can do so w ith the help o f y o u r
p rayers, G o d w illin g ,” I replied.
‘ H a v in g laid his hand on m y head and blessed m e, he w en t
back to his prayers. O n his return after a short w h ile, he fou n d
m e sitting up and w e ll en ou gh to talk. T h en , inspired b y G o d
- as w as soon eviden t - he asked m e i f I k n e w fo r certain
w h eth er I had been baptized. I answ ered that I w as sure
b eyo n d a d oubt that I had been w ashed in the w aters o f sal­
vatio n fo r the forgiven ess o f sins; and I told h im the nam e o f
the priest w h o had baptized m e. B u t he said : “ I f y o u w ere
baptized b y that priest, y o u w e re n ot v a lid ly baptized. F o r I
k n o w him . W h e n he w as ordained priest, he w as so slo w -
w itted that he cou ld n ot learn h o w to catechize and baptize. For
this reason, I ordered h im to cease presum ing to exercise this
m inistry, because he w as too ign oran t to carry it ou t p ro p erly .”
H e then proceeded to catechize m e on the sp o t; and w h en he
happened to breathe on m y face, I im m ed iately began to feel
better. H e called the surgeon, and told h im to close and ban­
dage up the crack in m y skull. A fte r receivin g his blessing, I
w as so m uch better n ext d a y that I m ounted m y horse and
jo u rn e y e d on w ith h im to another to w n . I w as soon co m -
278
K ing Cadwalla9s pilgrim age to Rome [v. 7

p letely recovered, and w as then cleansed in the lifeg ivin g

w aters o f B ap tism .’
Jo h n rem ained in his bishopric fo r thirty-three years, and
then entered the k in gd o m o f heaven. H e w as buried in Saint
P eter’s porch in his o w n m onastery o f In -D eraw u d a in the year
o f our L o rd 7 2 1 . W h en his advanced years preven ted him
fro m adm inistering his bishopric, he consecrated his priest
W ilfrid to the See o f Y o r k , and retired to his m onastery to
end his days in a m anner pleasing to G o d .

chapter 7 : C a d w a lla , K in g o f the W est S a x o n s, goes to

R om e fo r B a p tism : his successor In i also m akes a pilgrim age
o f devotion to the shrine o f the A p ostles [ a . d . 688]

I
N the third year o f K in g A ld frid ’s reign, C ad w alla, K in g o f
the W est Saxons, w h o had go vern ed his people m ost ab ly
fo r tw o years, abdicated fro m his throne fo r the sake o f ou r
L o rd and his eternal k in g d o m and travelled to R o m e. For,
h avin g learned that the road to heaven lies open to m ankind
o n ly through baptism , he w ished to obtain the particular
p rivileg e o f receivin g the cleansing o f baptism at the shrine o f
the blessed Apostles. A t the sam e tim e, he hoped to die shortly
after his baptism , and pass fro m this w o rld to everlasting
happiness. B y G o d ’s grace, both o f these hopes w ere realized.
A rriv in g in R o m e during the pontificate o f Sergius, he w as
baptized on H o ly Saturday before Easter in the year o f our
L o rd 689, and he fell ill and w h ile still w earin g his w h ite
rob es* departed this life on the tw entieth o f A p ril and jo in e d
the com p an y o f the blessed in heaven. A t the tim e o f his
baptism , the aforesaid P op e had given h im the nam e o f Peter,
in order that he m igh t be linked b y nam e to the m ost blessed
Prince o f the Apostles, to w hose m ost sacred b o d y the k in g ’s
devotion had bro u gh t him fro m the ends o f the earth. H e w as
buried in the A p ostle’s church, and the P op e directed that an
epitaph be inscribed on his tom b to preserve the m em o ry o f
279
v. 7] K in g Cadwalla succeeded by Ini
his devotion for ever and inspire all who read or heard of it to
religious fervour. This inscription was as follows:
High rank and wealth, offspring, and mighty realms,
Triumphs and spoils, great nobles, cities, halls,
W on by his forbears’ prowess and his own -
All these great Cadwal left for love o f God.
This royal pilgrim then sought Peter’s Chair
To slake his thirst at Peter’s vital spring,
And in his splendid, glowing light to bathe
From whom life-giving radiance ever streams.
Eager to win the prize o f life renewed,
Converted, he converts his barbarous ways
And then his name itself to Peter’s own
At father Sergius’ word, that at the font
Christ’s grace m ay wash him from all taint o f sin
And bring him clothed in white to heaven’s gate.
Great was his faith; Christ’s mercy greater stDl
Whose secret purpose mortals m ay not know.
Safely he came from Britain’s utmost shores,
Through many peoples, over land and sea,
Bearing his mystic gifts, to visit Rom e
And in the shnne o f Peter lay them down.
N ow , robed in white, he moves among Christ’s sheep:
His body lies entombed, his soul on high.
Wise king, his earthly sceptre to resign,
And win from Christ in heaven His promised crown.
Cadwalla, also known as Peter, King o f the Saxons, was buried here
on the twelfth day before the Kalends o f M ay, the second indiction.
He lived about thirty years, during the reign o f the most pious
Emperor Justinian Augustus, in the fourth year o f his Consulship,
and in the second year o f the pontificate o f our apostolic lord Pope
Sergius.
On Cadwalla’s departure for Rome, he was succeeded as
king by Ini, who was of the blood royal. Having ruled the
nation for thirty-seven years, Ini also abdicated and handed
over the government to younger men. He then set out to
visit the shrines of the blessed Apostles during the pontificate
280
Archbishop Theodore succeeded by Bertwald [v. 8
o f G re g o ry [II], w ish in g to spend som e o f the tim e o f his
earthly p ilgrim age in the vicin ity o f the h o ly places, hoping
thereby to m erit a w arm er w elco m e fro m the saints in heaven.
A t this period, m an y English people v ied w ith one another in
fo llo w in g this custom , both noble and sim ple, lay fo lk and
clergy, m en and w o m en alike.

chapter 8 : O n the death o f T heodore, B ertw a ld becomes

archbishop [ a . d . 690]: am ong bishops consecrated by him
is T obias, B ish o p o f R ochester, a m an o f great learning

I
N the year after C a d w a lla ’s death in R o m e , that is, the year
o fo u r L o rd 690, A rchbishop T h eod o re, ofblessed m em ory,
died old and full o f years at the age o f eighty-eigh t. H e had
lon g p reviou sly told his friends that he w o u ld die at this age,
w h ich had been foretold to h im in a dream . H e had held the
archbishopric fo r tw e n ty-tw o years, and w as buried in the
church o f Saint Peter, w h ere all the bodies o f the Archbishops
o f C an terbu ry are buried. It m ay be said o f him , as o f all his
colleagues in the sam e d ign ity, that ‘their bodies are buried in
peace, but their name liveth fo r evermore.’ T o sum m arize briefly,
the churches o f the E nglish m ade greater progress during ms
pontificate than they had ever done before. H is epitaph
p u b licly and clearly describes his character, life, age, and
death to all w h o visit his tom b. Th is consists o f th irty-fo u r
heroic verses, the first o f w h ich ru n :
Here rests the holy Primate in his tomb -
Great Theodore, a Greek by race and name.
A prince o f pontiffs, and a blest high priest
W ho taught to all his flock the light o f truth.
A n d the last verses are:
The nineteenth o f September was the day
That saw his spirit burst its earthly bonds,
Rising in rapture to a newer life
In sweet communion with the saints on high.
281
▼-9] Egbert plans a mission in Germany
T h eod o re’s successor in the archbishopric w as B e rtw ald ,
A b b o t o f the m onastery o f R ecu lver, w h ich stands on the
north bank at the m outh o f the riv er Y en lad e. A lth o u gh he
can hardly be com pared w ith his predecessor, he w as learned
in the Scriptures and w e ll versed in ecclesiastical and m onastic
affairs. H e w as elected bishop on the first o f J u ly in the year
o f our L o rd 692, w h en W ictred and Sw aebh ard w ere kings o f
K e n t: but he w as consecrated the fo llo w in g year on Sun day
Ju n e the tw enty-n in th b y G o d w in , M etropolitan o f G aul,
and occupied his see on the thirty-first o f A u gu st. B e rtw ald
consecrated m an y bishops, in cludin g T o bias, a m an o f w id e
learning and a scholar o f Latin, G reek, and S axon , w h o
becam e B ish op o f Rochester on the death o f G ebm und.

chapter 9 : E g b ert, a h o ly m an, p la n s to tra vel to G erm a n y

and preach 9 but is p reven ted. Subsequen tly W ictbert go es 9
but m eeting w ith no success, returns to h is n a tive Irela n d

A t this tim e, the venerable servant o f C h rist, B ish op

i V E gbert, a m an w hose nam e deserves h ig h honour, w as
livin g a life o f exile in Ireland, as I have already m entioned, in
order to attain his heaven ly hom e. H e planned to b rin g bless­
ings to m ore people b y undertaking the apostolic w o rk o f
preaching the w o rd o f G o d to som e o f the nations w h o had
not heard it. H e had learned that there w e re m an y such
nations in G erm an y, o f w hose stock cam e the A n gles o r
Saxons n o w settled in B ritain , w h o are fo r this reason still
m iscalled ‘ G arm an s’ b y their neighbours the B riton s. These
nations include the Frisians, R ugian s, D anes, H uns, O ld Saxons,
and B oructuars besides m an y other races in that region w h o
still observe pagan rites. So this w arrio r o f C h rist planned to
sail around B ritain and attem pt to snatch som e o f them fro m
Satan and b rin g them to C hrist. I f this p ro ved im possible, he
proposed to travel to R o m e , to visit and venerate the shrines
o f the blessed Apostles and m artyrs o f C hrist.
2S2
But is summoned by a vision to Iona [v. 9

F ro m the execution o f either o f these projects, h o w ever, he

w as stayed b y heaven ly portents and m anifestations. H e had
already chosen the boldest o f his com panions, w hose distin­
guished lives and learning rendered them w ell fitted to preach
the Gospel, and all preparations fo r the v o y a g e w ere com plete.
T h en early one m orn in g he received a visit fro m one o f the
brethren, w h o had fo rm erly been a disciple and assistant in
B ritain to G o d ’s beloved priest B o isil, w hen, as already related,
he w as P rio r o f the m onastery o f M elrose under A b b o t Eata.
Th is brother told him o f a vision w h ich he had seen that n ig h t:
‘A fter the m orn in g h y m n s/ he said, T had lain d o w n on m y
pallet and fallen into a light sleep, w hen m y old m aster and
m ost lo v in g teacher B o isil appeared to m e, and asked w hether
I recognized him . “ O f course I d o ,” I said: “ y o u are B o isil.”
H e then said : “ I have com e to brin g a m essage fro m our L o rd
and Saviou r to E gbert, w h ich y o u m ust deliver to him . T e ll
him that he is not to g o on the jo u rn e y that he has in m in d;
fo r it is G o d ’s w ill that he should g o and instruct the m onks
o f C o lu m b a.” ’ N o w C o lu m b a w as the first teacher o f the
Christian Faith to the Piets livin g north o f the m ountains, and
founder o f the m onastery on the Isle o f Iona, w h ich long
rem ained venerated b y the people o f the Piets and Scots. For
this reason, C o lu m b a is n o w k n o w n b y som e people as
C o lu m b kill, a nam e com pounded fro m ‘ C o lu m b a ’ and
‘ ce ll’ . W h en E gbert had heard about this vision, he ordered
the brother w h o had related it not to tell anyone else, in case
the vision w ere a delusion; but silently turning it o ver in his
o w n m ind, E gbert feared that it w as true. B u t he did not
abandon his preparations fo r his v o y a g e to evangelize the
heathen.
A fter a fe w days, this brother cam e to him once m ore, say­
ing that B o isil had again appeared to him in a vision after
M atins, sa y in g : ‘ W h y did y o u c o n v ey the message that I gave
y o u fo r E gbert in such a careless and offhan d fashion? N o w go
and tell h im that, w hether he wishes it or not, he is to visit the
m onks o f C o lu m b a, because their ploughs do not run straight*
283
v. io] Wictbert9s failure in Frisia
and it is his d u ty to recall them to the righ t w a y / H earing
this, E gbert again enjoined the brother not to disclose the
vision to anyone. B u t although he w as n o w convinced o f the
visio n ’s reality, he none the less attem pted to carry out his
projected v o y a g e w ith the brethren. Th en , w h en they had
stored the ship w ith everyth in g necessary fo r the v o y a g e and
had w aited som e days fo r a favou rable w in d , a storm o f such
violen ce arose one night that the ship w as left ly in g on her
beam ends am ong the breakers, and part o f her stores w as
lost. H o w e v er, everyth in g that belonged to E gbert and his
com panions w as salvaged. T h en , like the prophet Jo n ah ,
E gb ert said: ‘ For my sake this great tempest is upon you.’ So he
abandoned his plan, and resigned h im self to staying at hom e.
B u t am ong E g b ert’s com panions w as one called W ictbert,
w e ll k n o w n fo r his contem pt fo r w o rld ly things and fo r his
kn o w led ge o f doctrine, w h o had lived the life o f a herm it in
great perfection fo r m an y years as an exile in Ireland. W ictbert
took ship and arrived in Frisia, w h ere he preached the w o rd o f
life constantly fo r tw o years to the people and their kin g
R ad b o d ; but his great efforts produced n o results am ong his
barbaric hearers. H e then returned to his beloved land o f exile
and began to g iv e h im self to our L o rd in his accustom ed sil­
ence. A n d since he had been unable to help foreigners tow ards
the Faith, he sought to be o f m ore help to his o w n people b y
setting them a h o ly exam ple.

chapter i o : W ilbrord preaches in F risia and converts m any

to C h rist: h is com panions the H ew a ld s suffer m artyrdom
[ a .d . 6 9 2]

S o the m an o f G o d , E gb ert, realized that he w as not per­

m itted to g o and preach to the heathen, and that he w as
retained to be o f som e other service to H o ly C h urch, as he
had been forew arn ed b y the vision. B u t, although he k n ew
that W ictb ert had en joyed no success w h en he visited those
284
H is work is taken up by W ilbrord [v. io
parts, he still attempted to sendother holy and zealous menfor
the work of preaching, among whom the outstanding figure
by his priestly rank and his merit was one named Wilbrord.*
When he and his twelve companions arrived, they made a
detour to visit Pippin, Duke of the Franks, by whom they
were graciously received. Since Pippin had recently con­
quered Nearer Frisia and driven out King Radbod, he dis­
patched them to preach there, supporting them with his
imperial authority so that no one should interfere with their
preaching, and granting many favours to those who wished
to embrace the Faith. Consequently, aided by God’s grace,
they converted many folk in a short while from idolatry to
belief in Christ.
Two other priests of English race, who had long lived as
exiles in Ireland for the sake of the eternal kingdom, followed
their lead and went to the province of the Old Saxons in order
to try and win them for Christ by their teaching. They shared
the same name and the same zeal, but with the distinction that,
since their hair was of different colour, one was known as
Hewald the Black, and the other as Hewald the White. Both
men were devout and religious, but Hewald the Black was
more learned in the holy scriptures. On entering the province,
they were given hospitality by a certain reeve, whom they
asked to conduct them to his lord, as they had a message to his
advantage which they were bound to communicate to him.
For these Old Saxons have no king, but several lords who are
set over the nation. Whenever war is imminent, these cast lots
impartially, and the one on whom the lot falls is followed and
obeyed by all for the duration of the war; but as soon as the
war ends, the lords revert to equality of status. So the reeve
received and kept them with him for some days, promising
to send them as they had asked to the lord to whom he was
subject.
Now the Hewalds devoted themselves to psalms and pray­
ers, and daily offered the sacrifice of the saving Victim to God,
having with them sacred vessels and a consecrated table for
285
 i°] Martyrdom of the Hewalds in Frisia
use as an altar. And when the barbarous people realized that
they belonged to a different religion, they began to distrust
them, fearing that if they went to their lord and spoke to him,
they might turn him from his gods and convert him to the
new practice of the Christian Faith, so that the whole province
would gradually be compelled to change its old religion for
new. So they suddenly seized them and put them to death:
Hewald the White was killed outright with a sword, and
Hewald the Black was put to lingering torture and tom
agonizingly limb from limb. Then they flung the murdered
men into the Rhine. When the lord whom they had wished
to see heard of this, he was extremely angry that strangers
desiring to see him had not been allowed to do so; and he sent
and slew all the villagers and burned down their village. These
priests and servants of Christ suffered on the third of October.
Their martyrdom was not unmarked by heavenly signs;
for when their bodies were thrown into the Rhine by the
heathen, as I have described, they were carried upstream
against the current for nearly forty miles to the place where
their companions were. And a great ray of light reaching high
into the sky shone all night above the spot where the bodies
had arrived, and was also seen by the heathen who had
murdered them. Moreover one of the two appeared by night
in a vision to one of their companions, a distinguished man of
noble family named Tilmon, a soldier turned monk, and told
him that their bodies would be found at the spot where he saw
the light shining from heaven to earth. This happened as he
said: their bodies were found and buried with the honour
due to martyrs, and the day of their death, or of the finding of
their bodies, is observed in those parts with fitting respect.
When Pippin, the most illustrious Duke of the Franks, later
heard of these events, he directed that the bodies be brought
to him, and buried them with great splendour in the church
of the city of Cologne on the Rhine. It is said that a spring
bubbled up at the scene of the martyrdom, which affords a
plentiful supply of water to this day.
286
chapter i i : The venerable Swidbert in Britain, and W il-
brord in Rome, are consecrated bishopsfo r Frisia [ a .d . 692]

O N their first arrival in Frisia, as soon as W ilb ro rd learned

that the prince had granted h im perm ission to preach, he
hurried to R o m e , w h ere P op e Sergius then ruled the apostolic
see, in ord er to obtain his ap p roval and blessing on the evan­
gelistic w o rk he w ish ed to undertake. H e also hoped to obtain
fro m h im relics o f the blessed Apostles and m artyrs o f C hrist,
so that w h en he had destroyed the idols and built churches
am o n g the people to w h o m he preached, he m igh t have the
relics o f the saints read y to put in them . A n d w h en he had
deposited them , he intended to dedicate these places fittin g ly
in honour o f each o f the saints w h ose relics they w ere. H e also
w ished to learn and obtain m an y other things required fo r
carryin g out so form id ab le a task. A n d h avin g obtained all
that he w anted, he returned to preach.
A t this tim e the brethren w h o w ere en gaged in the m inistry
o f the w o rd in Frisia elected one o f their n um ber nam ed
Sw id b ert, w h o w as m odest in his w a y s and hum ble-hearted,
to be consecrated their bishop. A n d th ey sent h im to B ritain ,
w h ere, at their request, he w as consecrated b y the m ost rever­
end B ish o p W ilfrid , w h o happened to be d riven ou t o f his
o w n co u n try at the tim e and w as liv in g in exile am o n g the
M ercians. F o r there w as n o bishop in K en t at this ju n ctu re,
T h eod o re h avin g died and B e rtw a ld his successor, w h o had
crossed the sea to be consecrated, h avin g not y et returned to
his episcopal see.
W h e n he had been m ade bishop, S w id b ert returned fro m
B ritain and shortly afterw ards w en t to the Boructuars, m an y
o f w h o m he guid ed in to the w a y o f truth b y his teaching. B u t
after a short w h ile, the B oructuars w ere defeated b y the O ld
Saxons, and those w h o had accepted the w o rd o f G o d w ere
scattered. T h e bishop h im self w en t w ith certain others to
Pippin, w h o at the request o f his w ife Plectrude, gave them a
place o f residence on an island in the R hin e, w h ich in their
287
 n] W ilbrord establishes his see at Utrecht
language is called ‘ O n the sh ore’ .1 H ere he established a
m onastery, w h ich is still occupied b y his successors, and after
leading a m ost austere life fo r som e w h ile, he ended his days
there.
W h en those w h o had com e o v er had taught in Frisia fo r a
num ber o f years, P ipp in w ith their unanim ous consent dis­
patched the venerable W ilb ro rd to R o m e , w h ere Sergius w as
still P op e, w ith the request that he m igh t be consecrated
A rch bishop o f the Frisian nation. H is request w as carried out
in the y ear o f ou r L o rd 696, and W ilb ro rd w as consecrated in
the church o f the h o ly m artyr C ecilia on her feast d ay, w h en
the P op e gave h im the nam e o f C lem en t. H e w as sent back to
his bishopric w ith o u t delay, fourteen days after his arrival in
the city.
P ipp in assigned h im a place fo r his see in his o w n fam ous
castle, w h ich is k n o w n in the ancient lan gu age o f that people
as W iltab u rg, that is, the T o w n o f the W ilts; bu t it is k n o w n
in the G allic tongue as U trecht. H a v in g built a church here,
the m ost reverend prelate preached the w o rd o f G o d far and
w id e, recalling m an y fro m their errors and establishing several
churches and a n um ber o f m onasteries in those parts. A n d not
lo n g afterw ards he appointed a n u m b er o f bishops, choosing
them fro m am o n g the brethren w h o had com e w ith h im or
after him to preach. Som e o f these have n o w fallen asleep in
the L o rd , but W ilb ro rd him self, sum am ed C lem en t, is still
livin g , and is m uch revered fo r his great age. H e has been
th irty-six years a bishop, and after the countless spiritual
battles he has fo u g h t, longs w ith all his heart fo r the prize
o f a h eaven ly rew ard .
1. N o w Kaiserswerth.

288
chapter 12: A man in the Province o f the Northumbrians
returns from the d e a f and tells o f the many dreadful and
many desirable things that he saw

b o u t this tim e, a n o tew o rth y m iracle, like those o f

A l olden days, occurred in B ritain . For, in order to arouse

the livin g fro m spiritual death, a m an already dead returned
to b o d ily life and related m an y notable things that he had
seen, som e o f w h ich I have thought it valuable to m ention
here in brief. T h ere w as a head o f a fa m ily livin g in a place in
the cou n try o f the N orthum brian s k n o w n as C u nn in gh am ,
w h o led a devout life w ith all his household. H e fell ill and
g re w steadily w orse until the crisis cam e, and in the early
hours o f one n ight he died. B u t at daybreak he returned to
life and suddenly sat up to the great consternation o f those
w eep in g around the b o d y, w h o ran a w a y ; o n ly his w ife , w h o
lo ved h im m ore dearly, rem ained w ith him , though trem ­
bling and fearful. T h e m an reassured her and said: ‘ D o not be
frigh ten ed ; fo r I have tru ly risen fro m the grasp o f death, and
I am allo w ed to live am ong m en again. B u t h enceforw ard I
m ust not live as I used to, and m ust adopt a v e r y different w a y
o f life / T h en he rose and w en t o f f to the v illag e church, w h ere
he continued in p rayer until daybreak. H e then divided all
his prop erty into three parts, one o f w h ich he allotted to his
w ife , another to his sons, and the third he retained and dis­
tributed at once to the p oor. N o t lo n g afterw ards, he aban­
doned all w o rld ly responsibilities and entered the m onastery
o f M elrose, w h ich is alm ost com pletely surrounded b y a bend
in the river T w ee d . T h ere he w as given the tonsure and en­
tered a separate part o f the house allotted h im b y the abbot,
w h ere he entered upon a life o f such physical and spiritual
penance to the d ay o f his death that, even i f he had kept
silence, his life w o u ld have witnessed that he had seen m an y
dreadful and m an y desirable things that rem ained hidden
fro m others.
T h is w as the account he used to g iv e o f his experience: *A
289
V. ia] Drycthelm s vision
handsom e m an in a shining rob e w as m y guide, and w e
w alked in silence in w h at appeared to be a north-easterly
direction. A s w e travelled onw ards, w e cam e to a v e ry broad
and deep v a lle y o f infinite length. T h e side to ou r left w as
dreadful w ith burn ing flam es, w h ile the opposite side w as
equally horrible w ith rag in g hail and bitter sn ow b lo w in g and
d rivin g in all directions. B o th sides w ere filled w ith m en’ s
souls, w h ich seem ed to be hurled fro m one side to the other
b y the fu r y o f the tem pest. F o r w h en the w retches cou ld n o
lon ger endure the blast o f the terrible heat, th ey leaped into
the heart o f the terrible c o ld ; and fin d in g n o refuge there,
they leaped back again to be burned in the m iddle o f the un­
quenchable flam es. A countless host o f deform ed spirits w ere
torm ented far and w id e in this w retched condition w ith ou t
an y interval o f respite as far as the eye could see, and I began
to think that perhaps this w as H ell, o f w h ose intolerable tor­
ments I had often heard tell. B u t, as i f in response to m y
thoughts, the gu id e w h o preceded m e said: “ D o not think
this; fo r this is n ot H ell as y o u im agine.”
‘ W h en he had led m e grad u ally to the further end, m uch
alarm ed b y the terrible scene, I saw the place suddenly begin
to g ro w dim , and darkness concealed everyth in g. A s w e
entered it, this darkness grad u ally g re w so dense that I could
see nothing except it and the outline and robes o f m y guide.
A n d as w e w en t on “ th rou gh the nocturnal, solitary g lo o m ” , 1
frequent masses o f d u sky flam e suddenly appeared befo re us,
rising as th ou gh fro m a great p it and fallin g back into it
again. W h e n m y gu id e had bro u gh t m e to this place, he
suddenly disappeared and left m e alone in the m idst o f the
darkness b efo re this horrible scene. M ean w h ile these masses
o f flam e continued ceaselessly leaping up and fallin g back
again into the depths o f the chasm , and I saw that, as the
tongues o f flam e rose, th ey w e re filled w ith the souls o f m en
w hich, like sparks fly in g up w ith the sm oke, w ere som etim es
flung h igh in the air, and at others dropped back into the
I. Virgil: Aeneid VI, 268.
290
D rycthelm s vision [▼•12
depths as the vapours o f the fire died d o w n . Furtherm ore, an
indescribable stench w elled up w ith these vapours, and filled
the w h o le o f this g lo o m y place.
‘ W h en I had stood there a lo n g tim e terrified, not k n o w in g
w h at to do, w h ere to turn, o r w h at w o u ld happen to m e, I
suddenly heard behind m e the sound o f a m ost hideous and
desperate lam entation, accom panied b y harsh laughter, as
thou gh a ro u g h m ob w ere m o ck in g captured enem ies. A s the
noise increased and d rew nearer, I saw a thron g o f w ic k e d
spirits d raggin g w ith them fiv e hum an souls h o w lin g and
lam enting into the depths o f the darkness w h ile the devils
laughed and exulted. I saw am o n g them one m an tonsured
like a clerk, a laym an , and a w o m an . T h e w ic k e d spirits
d ragged them d o w n into the centre o f the bu rn ing chasm , and
as they descended deeper, I could n o lo n g er distinguish the
w eep in g o f the m en fro m the laughter o f the devils, but heard
o n ly a confused noise in m y ears. M ean w h ile, som e o f the
d ark spirits em erged fro m the fie ry depths and rushed to sur­
round m e, harassing m e w ith their g lo w in g eyes and foul
flames issuing fro m their m ouths and nostrils. T h e y threatened
to seize m e w ith the g lo w in g tongs that th ey brandished in
their hands, but although they frightened m e, they did not
dare to touch m e. W h ile I w as thus beset about b y enemies
and black darkness and looked ev ery w h ere fo r som e m eans
o f help to save m e, there appeared behind m e on the road b y
w h ich I had com e w h at seem ed to be a b righ t star shining in
the g lo o m , w h ich g re w in size and cam e sw iftly tow ards m e.
A s it approached, all the e v il spirits w h o had tried to drag m e
a w a y w ith their tongs, scattered and to o k to flight.
‘ T h e n ew com er w h ose approach put them to flight w as m y
fo rm er guide, w h o took a road to the righ t and began to lead
m e tow ards the south-east. H e soon b ro u gh t m e out o f dark­
ness into an atm osphere o f clear ligh t, and as he led m e fo r­
w ards in bright fight, I saw before us a trem endous w a ll w hich
seem ed to be o f infinite length and height in all directions.
A s I could see no gate, w in d o w , o r entrance in it, I began to
291
v. i2] Drycthelrns vision
w on d er w h y w e w en t up to the w all. B u t w h en w e reached
it, all at once - 1 k n o w not b y w h at means - w e w ere on top
o f it. W ith in lay a v e ry broad and pleasant m ead ow , so filled
w ith the scent o f spring flow ers that its w o n d erfu l fragrance
q u ickly dispelled all the stench o f the g lo o m y furnace that had
overcom e m e. Such w as the ligh t flood in g all this place that it
seemed greater than the brightness o f d aylight o r o f the sun’s
rays at noon. In this m ead ow w ere innum erable com panies o f
m en in w hite robes, and m an y parties o f h app y people w ere
sitting together. A n d as m y guide led m e through these crow ds
o f happ y citizens, I began to w on d er w hether this w as the
K in g d o m o f H eaven, o f w h ich I had heard so often. B u t in
response to m y thought he said : “ N o , this is not the K in g d o m
o f H eaven as y o u im agin e.”
‘ W h en w e had passed through these abodes o f blessed
spirits and progressed further, I saw ahead o f us a m uch m ore
lo v e ly light than before, and heard in it a sw eet sound o f
people singing, w h ile a scent o f such surpassing fragrance
em anated fro m the place that the earlier scent that I had
thought so w on d erfu l n o w seemed quite trifling. A n d even
the w on d erful light that had flooded the flo w e ry m ead ow
seemed thin and dim w h en com pared w ith that n o w visible.
A s I w as hoping that w e should enter this delightful place, m y
guide suddenly halted and, w ith ou t stopping, retraced his
steps and led m e back along the road b y w h ich w e had com e.
‘ W h en w e returned to the happy d w ellings o f the souls
robed in w hite, he asked m e: “ D o y o u k n o w w h at all these
things are that y o u have seen? ” “ N o ” , I replied. T h en he said :
“ T h e valley that y o u saw , w ith its horrible burning flames
and icy cold, is the place w h ere souls are tried and punished
w h o have delayed to confess and am end their w ick ed w ays,
and w h o at last had recourse to penitence at the hour o f death,
and so depart this life. Because they confessed and w ere peni­
tent, although o n ly at death, they w ill all be adm itted into the
K in g d o m o f H eaven on the D a y o f Ju d gem en t. B u t m an y are
helped b y the prayers, alms, and fasting o f the livin g , and
292
D rycthelm s vision [v. 12
especially b y the offering o f Masses, and are therefore set free
before the D a y o f Ju d gem en t. T h e fiery , noisom e pit that y o u
saw is the m outh o f H ell, and w h o so ever falls into it w ill n ever
be delivered throughout eternity. T h is flo w e ry place, w h ere
y o u see these fair y o u n g people so h app y and resplendent, is
w h ere souls are received w h o die h avin g done go od , but are
not so perfect as to m erit im m ediate en try into the K in g d o m
o f H eaven. B u t at the D a y o f Ju d gem e n t they shall all see
C hrist and enter upon the jo y s o f His heaven ly K in g d o m . A n d
w h o e ver are perfect in w o rd , deed, and thought, enter the
K in g d o m o f H eaven as soon as th ey leave the b o d y. T h e
K in g d o m is situated near the place w h ere y o u heard the sound
o f sweet singing, w ith the sw eet fragrance and glorious light.
Y o u must n o w return to y o u r b o d y and five am o n g m en once
m o re; but, i f y o u w ill w e ig h y o u r actions w ith greater care
and study to keep y o u r w ord s and w ay s virtu ou s and sim ple,
then w hen y o u die y o u too w ill w in a hom e am ong these
h app y spirits that y o u see. For, w h en I left y o u fo r a w hile, I
did so in order to discover w hat y o u r future w o u ld be.”
W h en he told m e this, I w as m ost reluctant to return to m y
b o d y ; fo r I w as entranced b y the pleasantness and beauty o f
the place I could see and the com p an y that I saw there. B u t I
did not dare to question m y guide, and m eanw hile, I k n o w not
h o w , I suddenly foun d m y se lf alive am o n g m en once m o re/
This m an o f G o d w o u ld not discuss these and other things
that he had seen w ith any apathetic or careless-living people,
but o n ly w ith those w h o w ere haunted b y fear o f punishm ent
or gladdened b y the hope o f eternal jo y s , and w ere w illin g to
take his w ord s to heart and g r o w in holiness. B u t in the vicin ­
ity o f his cell lived a m on k nam ed H aem gils, an em inent
priest w h o adorned his office w ith g o o d deeds: he is still livin g ,
and leads the life o f a herm it in Ireland, supporting his latter
years on a diet o f bread and cold w ater. H e often used to visit
this m an, and b y repeated questioning learned fro m him w hat
sort o f things he had seen w hen freed fro m the b o d y ; and it is
fro m his account that I have com e to k n o w these details that
29 3
v-12] Drycthelm’s later life
I h ave b riefly described. H e also related his visions to K in g
A ld frid , a m an o f w id e learning, w h o listened so readily and
attentively to h im that, at his request, he w as adm itted to the
ab o ve m onastery and received the m onastic tonsure. A n d
w h en ever the k in g visited those parts, he frequen tly w en t to
listen to him . A t the tim e o f these events, the ruler o f the m on­
astery w as the religious and hum ble ab bot and priest E thel-
w ald , w h o at present m ost w o rth ily occupies the episcopal
see o f the church o f Lin disfam e.
T h is m an w as g iv e n a m ore secluded d w ellin g in the
m onastery, so that he could d evo te h im self m ore freely to the
service o f his M ak er in unbroken p rayer. A n d since this place
stands on the bank o f a river, he often used to enter it fo r
severe b o d ily penance, and p lu n ge repeatedly beneath the
w ater w h ile he recited psalms and p rayers fo r as lo n g as he
cou ld endure it, standing m otionless w ith the w ater up to his
loins and som etim es to his neck. W h e n he returned to shore,
he n ever rem oved his dripping, ch illy garm ents, but let them
w a rm and d ry on his b o d y. A n d in w inter, w h en the h alf-
broken cakes o f ice w ere sw irlin g around h im w h ich he had
broken to m ake a place to stand and dip h im self in the w ater,
those w h o saw him used to say : ‘ B ro th er D ry cth elm (for
that w as his nam e), it is w on d erfu l h o w y o u can m anage to
bear such bitter cold .’ T o w h ich he, bein g a m an o f sim ple
disposition and self-restraint, w o u ld rep ly sim p ly : T have
k n o w n it cold er.’ A n d w h en they said: ‘ It is extraordin ary
that y o u are w illin g to practise such severe discipline’ , he used
to an sw er: T have seen greater suffering.’ S o until the day o f
his sum m ons fro m this life he tam ed his aged b o d y b y d aily
fasting, inspired b y an insatiable lo n gin g fo r the blessings o f
heaven, and b y his w o rd s and life he helped m an y people to
salvation.

294
chapter 1 3 : D evils show another man a record o f his sins
before his death

u i t e the reverse happened in the case o f a m an livin g in

Q the p rovince o f the M ercians, w hose visions and w ord s -

although not his w a y o f life - benefited m an y others, but not
him self. For in the reign o f C oenred, Ethelred’s successor,
there w as a laym an w h o held a m ilitary com m and, and pleased
the k in g as greatly b y his public diligence as he displeased him
b y the carelessness o f his private life. T h e kin g repeatedly
w arned him to confess and am end, and to abandon his w icked
w ays before a sudden death deprived him o f an y tim e fo r
repentance and am endm ent. B u t, although frequently
w arned, he rejected his salutary advice, and prom ised that he
w o u ld do penance at som e future date. M ean w h ile he fell ill
and, taking to his bed, began to suffer severe pains. T h e k in g
w h o w as fon d o f him , visited him and u rged h im even then
to repent o f his sins before he died. B u t he answ ered that he
did not w ish to confess his sins at this tim e, but w o u ld do so
w hen he recovered fro m his illness; fo r he did not w ish his
friends to accuse him o f doin g in fear o f death w h at he had
refused to do w hen he w as w ell. H e thought that he had
spoken b ravely, but it soon becam e clear that he had been
deceived b y the D e v il’s tricks.
A s his illness g re w m ore serious, the kin g again cam e to
visit and reason w ith h im ; but the m an at once cried out in a
m iserable v o ic e ; ‘ W h at do y o u w an t n o w ? W h y have y o u
com e here? Th ere is nothing that y o u can do to help or save
m e n o w .’ T h e kin g answ ered: ‘ D o not talk like that. Stop
acting like a m adm an.’ ‘ Ia m not m ad ,’ he replied, ‘ but I have
the kn ow led ge o f m y wickedness set clearly before m y eyes.’
‘ W h at do y o u m ean b y that?’ the kin g asked. ‘A short tim e
a g o ,’ the m an said, ‘ tw o v e ry handsom e youths entered this
house and sat d ow n beside m e, one at m y head and the other
at m y feet. O ne o f them produced a tiny but v e ry beautiful
b o o k and gave it to m e to read. W h en I looked at it, I found
2 95
v. i3] A sinner s vision
all the go o d deeds that I had ever done record ed ; but they
w ere fe w and trifling. T h en they took back the bo ok, but
said nothing to m e. Su d d enly there arrived a horde o f w icked
spirits w ith horrible faces, w h o surrounded the house and
occupied the greater part o f it. T h en one, w h o fro m the black­
ness o f his d u sk y face and his exalted position seem ed to be
their chief, produced a h o rrib le-look in g b o o k o f enorm ous
size and alm ost unbearable w eigh t, w h ich he ordered one o f
his satellites to b rin g m e to read. W h en I read it, I foun d all m y
crim es clearly recorded there in black letters, not o n ly sins o f
act and w o rd , but even o f the least thought. A n d he said to the
glorious w h ite-ro bed m en w h o w ere sitting beside m e : “ W h y
are y o u sitting here? Y o u k n o w v e r y w e ll that this m an be­
lon gs to us.” T h e y rep lied : “ Y o u are righ t. T a k e him , and
enrol h im in y o u r co m p an y o f the dam ned.” W ith these
w ord s, they im m ed iately vanished, and tw o w ick ed spirits
rose and struck m e w ith the tridents in their hands, one on the
head and the other on the fo o t. These b lo w s are n o w pene­
trating the inm ost parts o f m y b o d y w ith aw fu l ag o n y , and
w h en they m eet, I shall die. T h e devils w ill be w aitin g to
snatch m e aw a y, and I shall be d ragged d o w n through the
gates o f H ell.’
S o spoke the w retched m an in his despair, and died shortly
afterw ards. So he is n o w v a in ly un dergoin g everlasting tor­
ments because he refused to undergo penance fo r a short
w h ile to w in the grace o f pardon. In his case it is clear - as
P op e G re g o ry w rites o f certain people - that he did not see
these things fo r his o w n benefit, since they did not help him ,
but fo r the benefit o f others. For, w h en people learned o f his
death, they w o u ld fear to delay their penance w h ile they still
had tim e, lest the intervention o f sudden death m igh t cause
them to perish unrepentant. W h en this m an saw g o o d and
evil spirits offering him different records, this w as done b y
divine providence in order that w e should rem em ber that ou r
actions and thoughts are not scattered b y the w in d , but are all
preserved to be exam in ed b y the Suprem e Ju d g e , and w ill be
296
It profits others, but not him self [v. 14
sh ow n to us at the last either b y ou r friends the angels o r b y
o u r enemies. A n d w hereas the w h ite-ro bed angels first p ro ­
duced a w h ite record, and the devils a black, the fo rm er tin y
and the latter enorm ous, let it be noted that in his early years
he did som e g o o d deeds w h ich he com pletely obscured b y his
evil-d o in g as a g ro w n m an. In contrast, i f in his m anhood he
had taken care to correct the errors o f his childhood and cancel
them in G o d ’s eyes b y w ell-d o in g, he m igh t have been as­
signed to the co m p an y o f those m entioned in the psalm :
'Blessed are they whose transgression is forgiven , and whose sin is
covered.’ I have thought that this story should be told in a
straigh tforw ard w a y , as I heard it fro m the venerable B ish op
Pecthelm , to further the salvation o f those w h o m ay read o r
hear it.

chapter 14: Another man about to die sees the place o f

punishment reservedfo r him in H ellI

I m y s e l f k n o w a b r o t h e r - A h , h o w I w ish I had n ever

k n o w n h im ! - w h ose nam e I cou ld m ention w ere it desir­
able, w h o live d in a n oble m onastery but live d an ign oble life.
H e w as often taken to task b y the brethren and authorities o f
the house and w arn ed to adopt a m ore disciplined life ; and
alth ou gh he refused to listen to them , they bore w ith him
p atiently because th ey had need o f his m anual lab o u r; fo r he
w as a skilled w o rk e r in m etal. B u t he w as m uch addicted to
drunkenness and the other pleasures o f a loose life, and used
to rem ain in his w orksh o p d ay and night rather than enter the
church to sing and p ray and to listen to the w o rd o f life w ith
the brethren. So it happened to h im according to the proverb
that ‘ he that w ill not g o throu gh the church door in con­
trition w illin g ly m ust needs be thrust through H ell door in
dam nation u n w illin g ly ’ . Falling ill, he sum m oned the breth­
ren to his death-bed and, groan in g like one already damned,
began to describe to them h o w he saw H ell open, and Satan
297
v. i4] A n unworthy monk's vision
in the depths o f the abyss, w ith Caiaphas and others w h o had
slain ou r L o rd condem ned like h im to the aven gin g flames.
‘ C lose to them , alas,’ he cried, ‘ I see a place o f eternal doom
prepared fo r m y w retched se lf! * A s the brethren listened, they
began earnestly to u rge h im to repent w h ile he rem ained in
the b o d y, but he answ ered in despair: ‘ T h ere is n o tim e left
fo r m e to am end m y w ay s. I have already seen m y ju d g em en t
pronounced.’
W ith these w ord s, he died w ith o u t receivin g the savin g
V iaticu m , and his b o d y w as buried in the rem otest part o f the
m onastery, n o r did an yon e dare to say masses o r sing psalms
fo r h im , o r even to p ray fo r him . O h , b y h o w vast a distance
has G o d divided the ligh t fro m the darkness! W h en the
blessed P ro to -m a rty r Stephen w as about to die fo r the truth,
he saw the heavens opened, the glory o f God revealed, and Jesus
standing on the right hand o f God. A n d in ord er that he m igh t die
the happier, he fix e d his m ental gaze before death on the place
w h ere he hoped to be after death. In contrast the m etal w o rk er,
a m an o f dark thoughts and deeds, saw H ell open as death
d rew near, and saw the dam nation o f the D e v il and his
follow ers. T h e unhappy m an even saw his o w n place o f
punishm ent am o n g them , so thjat he m igh t despair o f salvation
and die in greater m isery, but also that throu gh his o w n per­
dition he m igh t bequeath a m eans o f salvation to the livin g
w h o learned o f his fate. T h is happened recently in the
P rovin ce o f the Bem ician s, and w as talked o f far and w id e,
rousing m an y people to do penance fo r their sins w ith ou t
delay. A n d m ay the reading o f this account have the sam e
effect.

298
chapter 1 5 : Under Adam nans influence, many churches
o f the Scots adopt the Catholic Easter. H e writes a book on
the H o ly Places [c. a .d . 703]

A t this period, b y the grace o f G o d , the m ajo rity o f the

l \ Scots in Ireland, together w ith som e o f the B rito n s in
B ritain , con form ed to the logical and canonical tim e o f keep­
in g Easter. A d am n an ,* priest and abbot o f the m onks w h o
live d on the Isle o f Iona, w as sent b y his nation on a m ission to
A ld frid , K in g o f the English, and rem ained in his p rovin ce fo r
som e w h ile, w h ere he observed the rites o f the C h u rch canoni­
cally perform ed. H e w as earnestly advised b y m an y w h o w ere
m ore learned than h im self not to presum e to act con trary to
the universal custom s o f the C h u rch , w hether in the keeping
o f Easter o r in an y other observances, seeing that his fo llo w in g
w as v e ry small and situated in a rem ote co m er o f the w o rld .
A s a result he changed his opinions, and read ily adopted w h at
he saw and heard in the chinches o f the English in place o f the
custom s o f his o w n people. F o r he w as a w ise and w o rth y
m an, excellen tly groun d ed in k n o w led ge o f the Scriptures.
O n his return hom e, he tried to lead his o w n people in Iona
and those w h o w e re under the jurisd iction o f that m onastery
into the correct w ay s that he had h im self learned and w h o le­
heartedly accepted; but in this he failed. T h en he sailed o v e r
to preach in Ireland, and b y his sim ple teaching show ed its
people the proper tim e o f Easter. H e corrected their ancient
erro r and restored n early all w h o w e re n ot under the ju ris­
diction o f Iona to C ath olic un ity, teaching them to observe
Easter at the proper tim e. H a v in g observed the canonical
Easter in Ireland, he returned to his o w n island, w h ere he
v ig o ro u sly pressed his o w n m onastery to co n fo rm to the
C ath olic observance o f Easter, but had n o success in his at­
tempts. B e fo re the close o f the n ext year he departed this life.
F o r G o d in his goodness decreed that so great a cham pion o f
peace and un ity should be received into everlasting life before
the tim e o f Easter returned once m ore, and b efore he should
299
v. i6] Adamnaris book on the H oly Places
be obliged to enter upon m ore serious con troversy w ith those
w h o refused to fo llo w him in the truth.
A dam nan also w ro te a b o ok about the H o ly Places, w h ich
is m ost valuable to m an y readers. T h e m an w h o dictated the
inform ation to him w as A rcu lf, a bishop fro m G aul w h o had
visited Jeru salem to see the H o ly Places. H a v in g toured all the
Prom ised Land, A r c u lf had travelled to D am ascus, Constanti­
nople, A lexan dria, and m an y islands; but as he w as returning
hom e, his ship w as driven b y a violen t storm on the w estern
coast o f B ritain . A fter m an y adventures, he visited C h rist’ s
servant Adam nan, w h o , find ing him learned in the Scriptures
and w ell acquainted w ith the H o ly Places, w as glad to w el­
com e him and even m ore glad to listen to him . A s a result, he
rap idly com m itted to w ritin g everyth in g o f interest that
A r c u lf said that he had seen at the H o ly Places. A n d b y this
means, as I have said, he com piled a w o r k o f great value to
m an y people, especially those w h o live at a great distance fro m
the places w here the patriarchs and Apostles lived , and w hose
on ly source o f in form ation about them lies in books. A d am ­
nan presented this b o o k to K in g A ld frid , and throu gh his
generosity it w as circulated for lesser fo lk to read. T h e w riter
n im self w as sent back to his o w n land richer b y m an y gifts.
A n d I think it w ill be valuable to readers o f this history i f I
m ake som e extracts fro m this bo ok, and include them in this

chapter 1 6: D escription s fro m this book o f the sites o f our

L o rd 's B irth , P assion , and Resurrection

d a m n a n w ro te about ou r L o rd ’s birthplace as fo llo w s:

A Bethlehem , the city o f D a vid , is situated on a n arro w
ridge alm ost entirely enclosed b y valleys. It is a thousand
paces in length fro m east to w est, and has a lo w w all w ith ou t
tow ers built around the circum ference o f the plateau. A t the
eastern com er is a kind o f natural gro tto, the outer part o f
300
H is description o f Jerusalem [v. 16
w h ich is said to have been the place o f ou r L o rd ’s birth w h ile
the inner part is k n o w n as our L o rd ’s m anger. T h e interior o f
this gro tto is en tirely faced w ith precious m arble o v e r the
exact spot w h ere our L o rd is said to have been b o m , and ab ove
it stands the lo fty church o f Saint M a r y .’
O n the site o f C h rist’s Passion and R esurrection, he w rites
as fo llo w s:
‘ F o r those entering the city o f Jeru salem fro m the northern
side, the lay-o u t o f the streets m akes the C h u rch o f Constan­
tine, k n o w n as the M arty rd o m , the first o f the H o ly Places to
be visited. T h is w as erected b y the E m p ero r Constantine in a
m agnificent regal style, fo r this is the place w h ere his m other
Helena discovered the C ross o f our L o rd . T o the w est, the
C h u rch o f G olgo th a com es into v ie w , w h ere can be seen the
rock on w h ich once stood the C ross, w ith the B o d y o f our
L o rd nailed to it: it n o w supports an enorm ous silver cross,
o ver w h ich hangs a great bronze w h eel bearing lam ps.
Beneath the site o f ou r L o rd ’s C ross a cryp t has been h ew n out
o f the rock, and the H o ly Sacrifice is offered fo r the honoured
dead on an altar here, w h ile their bodies are left fo r the tim e
outside in the street. T o the w est o f this stands the C h u rch o f
the Anastasis, w h ich is the church o f ou r L o rd ’s Resurrection,
circular in shape, surrounded b y three w alls, and supported
on tw e lv e colum ns. B e tw een the w alls are tw o broad
passages, w h ere three altars stand at three places against the
central w all, to the north, south, and w est. T h ere are eight
doors or entrances throu gh the three w alls, fo u r facin g east
and fo u r facin g w est. In the centre is the circular T o m b o f our
L ord , cut out o f the rock , and a m an standing inside it can
touch the r o o f w ith his hand. T h e entrance faces eastw ard,
and against it stands the great stone, w h ich still bears the
m arks o f iron tools. T h e exterio r is com p letely covered w ith
m arble to the top o f the ro o f, w h ich is adorned w ith g o ld and
bears a great golden cross. T h e Sepulchre o f ou r L o rd is cut
out o f the north side o f the T o m b ; it is seven feet in length,
and raised three palm s’ breadth ab ove the pavem ent. T h e
301
▼ - 17] T h e church o f the A scension
entrance is on the south side, w h ere tw e lv e lam ps b u m day
and night, fo u r inside the sepulchre its e lf and eight ab ove it
on the right-hand side. T h e stone that once form ed the door
o f the T o m b has n o w been broken , but the sm aller portion
stands as a sm all square altar in fron t o f the T o m b , w h ile
the larger p ortion form s another altar at the eastern end
o f the sam e C h u rch , and is draped w ith linen cloths. T h e
colou r o f the T o m b and Sepulchre is a m in gled w h ite and
red.*

chapter 1 7 : T h e site o f our L o rd ’s A scension , and the

tombs o f the patriarchs

O N the site o f ou r L o rd ’s Ascension, A d am n an w rites:

‘ T h e M o u n t o f O lives is o f the sam e height as M o u n t
Sion, but is broader and lon ger. It is sparsely w o o d ed , except
fo r olives and vines, but g ro w s w h eat and b arley fo r the soil is
thin and suitable o n ly fo r grass and flow ers. O n the v e r y top
o f the hill, w h ere ou r L o rd ascended into heaven, stands a
lo fty circular C h u rch , w ith three roo fed -in porches on the
outside. T h e interior o f the bu ild in g cou ld not be roo fed and
vaulted because o f the u p w ard flight o f o u r L o rd ’s b o d y ; but
it has an altar on the east side, protected b y a n arro w can opy.
In the centre o f the C h u rch , w h ere our L o rd ascended, can be
seen H is last footprints, exposed to the sky ab ove. A n d
alth ough the earth is d aily rem o ved b y the faithful, it rem ains
undim inished, and still retains these m arks resem bling foot­
prints. R o u n d these lies a bronze w h eel, as h ig h as a m an’s
neck, w ith great lam ps h an gin g ab ove it on a p u lley and burn­
in g d a y and n igh t. O n the w est side o f the C h u rch are eight
w in d o w s and as m an y lam ps h an gin g opposite them on cords.
These cast their rays th rou gh the glass as far as Jerusalem , and
their lig h t is said to ev o k e a feeling o f ardour and penitence in
the hearts o f all w h o see it. E ach year on the d ay o f ou r L o rd ’s
Ascension, at the end o f M ass, a p o w e r f u l rush o f w in d
302
B ish op s o f the South an d W est S a x o n s [v. is
descends fro m ab ove and throw s to the gro u n d all w h o are
in the C h u rc h /
O n the situation o f H ebron , and the tom bs o f d ie patri­
archs, A dam n an w rites:
‘ H ebron, once a city and the capital o f D a v id ’s kin gd om ,
n o w o n ly show s w h at it w as b y its ruins. In a v a lle y one fur­
lon g to the east o f it is a double cave, w h ere the tom bs o f the
patriarchs are enclosed in a square w a ll w ith their heads to the
north. Each tom b is covered b y a single stone slab, cut like
those in a ch u rch : those o f the three patriarchs are w h ite, w h ile
that o f A d am is o f hum bler and in ferior w orkm ansh ip, and
lies not far fro m the others at the northern extrem ity o f the
w all. T h ere are also three sm aller and plainer m onum ents to
three w o m en . T h e hill o f M am re rises a thousand paces a w a y
fro m these m onum ents to the north, and is covered w ith grass
and flow ers. T h ere is a level plateau at the sum m it, to the
north o f w h ich stands A b rah am ’s O ak - a trunk tw ice the
height o f a m an, enclosed in a church.’
I have thought it useful to include these extracts fro m the
w o rk s o f the above author fo r the benefit o f those w h o read
this history, and have retained the sense o f his w o rd s but
sum m arized them in a shorter fo rm . Should anyone w ish to
k n o w m ore about his bo ok, they m a y either study it in the
original fo rm o r read the abridgem ent containing short
extracts w h ich I have recently com piled.

chapter 1 8 : T h e South S a xo n s receive as th eir bishops

Eadbert and E a lla , an d the W est S a xo n s D a n iel and
A ld h elm . T h e w ritings o f A ld h elm [c. a . d . 705]

I
N the year o f our L o rd 705, A ld frid , K in g o f the N o rth u m ­
brians, died after a reign o f n early tw en ty years, and w as
succeeded on the throne b y his son O sred, a b o y o f about eight
years o f age, w h o reigned eleven years. A t the com m ence­
m ent o f his reign, B ish op H aeddi o f the W est Saxons departed
303
v. i8] S. Aldhelm and his writings
to the life o f heaven. H e w as a g o o d , ju st m an, w h o carried
out his duties as bishop guided b y an inborn lo v e o f goodness
rather than b y an yth ing learned fro m books. T h e m ost rever­
end B ish op Pecthelm - o f w h o m m ore w ill be said in due
course - w h o w as a fello w -m o n k or deacon for a lo n g tim e
w ith H aeddi’ s successor A ld h elm , relates h o w m an y m iracles
o f healing occurred th rou gh H aed d i’s holiness at the place
w h ere he died. H e says that the people o f that p rovin ce used
to carry a w a y earth fro m it to m ix in w ater fo r the sick, and
that m an y sick m en and beasts w h o drank o r w ere sprinkled
w ith it w ere restored to health. In consequence, there w as a
considerable pit created there b y the continual rem oval o f the
hallow ed soil.
A t his death, the bishopric o f the p rovin ce w as divided into
tw o dioceses, one o f w h ich w as assigned to D a n ie l,* w h o
rules it to this day, and the other to A ld h e lm ,* w h o adminis­
tered it w ith great en erg y fo r fo u r years. B o th bishops w ere
w ell acquainted w ith church m atters and learned in the study
o f the Scriptures. W h ile A ld h elm w as still a priest, and abbot
o f the m onastery k n o w n as M aeld u ib ’s T o w n ,1 he w as
directed b y a synod o f his o w n people to w rite a notable
treatise against the errors o f the B rito n s in ob serving Easter
at the w ro n g tim e and d oin g other things con trary to the
o rth o d o xy and un ity o f the C h u rch . B y m eans o f this b o o k
he persuaded m an y o f those B rito n s w h o w ere subject to the
W est Saxons to con form to the C ath olic observance o f ou r
L o rd ’s Resurrection. H e also w ro te an excellent b o o k O n
V irginity, w h ich he com posed in a double fo rm in hexam eter
verse and prose on the m odel o f Sedulius. H e also w ro te other
b o o k s; fo r he w as a m an o f w id e learning, w ith a polished
style and, as I have said, extrem ely w ell-read both in biblical
and general literature. A t his death, Forthere, w h o is also a
m an o f great learning in the scriptures, w as appointed to the
bishopric in his place and is still liv in g today.
D u rin g their episcopates, it w as decided b y synodical decree
i. Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

304
Death o f S. W ilfrid [v. 19

that the p rovin ce o f the South Saxons, w h ich had hitherto

belonged to the diocese o f W inchester under B ish op D aniel,
should have an episcopal see and bishop o f its o w n . Eadbert,
w h o w as A b b o t o f Selsey, a m onastery founded b y Bish op
W ilfrid o f blessed m em ory, w as consecrated its first bishop,
and at his death Eolla succeeded him in the office. A fter som e
years he also departed this life, and the bishopric has fallen into
abeyance to this day.

chapter 1 9 : C oenred, K in g o f the M ercian s, and O ffa ,

K in g o f the E a st S a xo n s, end their days in R om e as m onks.
T h e life and death o f B ish op W ilfrid [a .d . 70 9 ]

n the fourth year o f O sred’s reign, C oen red, w h o had ruled

I the kin gd om o f M ercia w ith great ren ow n fo r som e w hile,
resigned his k in g ly sceptre fo r a yet m ore noble kin gd om .
D u rin g the pontificate o f Constantine, he w en t to R o m e,
received the tonsure, and becam e a m on k at the shrine o f the
Apostles, passing the rem ainder o f his days in p rayer, fasting,
and acts o f m ercy. H e w as succeeded on the throne b y C e o l-
red, son o f Ethelred w h o had ruled the kin gd o m before
Coenred. W ith C oen red w ent O ffa, son o f Sighere the ab ove-
m entioned kin g o f the East Saxons, a v e ry handsom e and
lovable yo u n g m an w h o the entire nation greatly hoped
w o u ld inherit and uphold the sceptre o f the kin gd om . B u t,
fired b y an equal ardour, he left his w ife, lands, fam ily, and
cou n try fo r the sake o f C hrist and his Gospel, hopin g to
receive an hundred-fold in this life9 and in the world to come life
everlasting. So, w h en they had arrived at the h o ly places in
R o m e, he received the tonsure, entered upon the m onastic
life, and at last attained the long-desired vision o f the blessed
Apostles in heaven.
D u rin g the same year in w h ich these tw o left B ritain , the
renow ned Bish op W ilfrid ended his days in the region o f
Ormdle, after fo rty -fiv e years as a bishop. T h e coffin contain-
T - H.E.C. - m 305
v. i9] Wilfrid's early career
ing his bo d y w as carried to his o w n m onastery at R ip o n and
buried in the church o f the blessed A postle Peter w ith the
honours due to so em inent a prelate. I w ill n o w turn back and
recall briefly som e o f the events o f his life .* A s a b o y , he w as
o f a go od disposition and behaviour fo r his age, alw ays
bearing h im self m odestly and th ou gh tfu lly, so that he w as
deservedly loved , adm ired, and w elcom ed b y his elders as
one o f themselves. W h en he reached the age o f fourteen, he
chose m onastic life rather than secular, and w hen he inform ed
his father - for his m other w as dead - he read ily agreed to his
heavenly desires and aspirations, and encouraged him to
persevere in this laudable decision. H e therefore w en t to the
Isle o f Lindisfam e and offered h im self fo r the service o f the
m onks, diligen tly setting h im self to learn and practise all that
conduces to m onastic p u rity and d evotion. H a v in g a quick
m ind, he v e r y soon learned the psalms and certain other
books, before he received the tonsure, but not before he had
becom e rem arkable fo r m onkish attributes m ore im portant
than the tonsure, fo r h u m ility and obedience, w h ich naturally
endeared him to the older m onks as w ell as to his contem po­
raries. W h en he had served G o d in that m onastery fo r som e
years, being a thou ghtful yo u th , he grad ually cam e to
realize that the w a y o f life taught b y the Scots w as far fro m
p erfect; so he decided to visit R o m e and see w h at ecclesiastical
and m onastic custom s w ere in use at the apostolic see. W h en
he acquainted the brethren w ith his w ish, they com m ended
his proposal and encouraged him to carry out w hatever he
had in m ind. W ith o u t further delay, he w en t to Q ueen
Eanfled, w h o k n ew him and at w hose request he had been
accepted into the m onastery, and told her o f his desire to visit
the shrines o f the blessed Apostles. T h e yo u th ’s plan pleased
the queen, w h o sent him to K in g Earconbert o f K en t, her
uncle’s son, w ith the request that he w o u ld send h im honour­
ab ly to R o m e. A t this tim e H onorius, one o f the disciples o f
blessed P ope G re g o ry and a m an o f great experience in
church m atters, w as occu p yin g the archbishopric w ith great
306
H e studies at Rome [v. 19

distinction. A n d w hile he w as w aitin g there, W ilfrid , being

an active-m inded yo u n g m an, diligen tly set h im self to study
everythin g that he saw . A n other y o u n g m an then arrived
nam ed Biscop, k n o w n as Benedict, w h o m I have already
m entioned: he cam e o f noble English fam ily, and also wished
to travel to R o m e. So the kin g gave W ilfrid to Benedict as his
com panion, w ith instructions to accom pany him to R om e.
O n their arrival at L u gd u n u m ,1 W ilfrid w as detained there
b y D alfin ,2 bishop o f the c ity ; but Benedict continued on his
jo u rn e y to R o m e w ith out staying. F or the bishop took great
pleasure in the yo u n g m an’s w ise conversation, graceful
appearance, and enthusiasm fo r action, as w ell as in his
balanced and m ature opinions. H e therefore m ade am ple
provision for all the needs o f W ilfrid and his com panions for
as lon g as they stayed w ith him , and offered to entrust to him ,
i f he w ere w illin g, the adm inistration o f a considerable area
o f G aul, to give him his y o u n g niece as w ife , and m ake him
his o w n adopted son. W ilfrid thanked him fo r the kindness
that he had been pleased to sh ow a stranger, but told him that
he had set his heart on a different w a y o f life, w h ich w as the
reason w h y he had left his o w n cou n try and set out on the
jo u rn e y to R o m e.
H earing this, the bishop sent him on to R o m e, p rovid in g
him w ith a guide and generously supplying everythin g that
the needs o f the jo u rn e y dem anded. A n d he earnestly pressed
him to rem em ber to com e that w a y on his return jo u rn e y to
his o w n country. W h en W ilfrid arrived in R o m e, he devoted
him self daily to constant p rayer and study o f church matters,
as he had intended, and w o n the friendship o f the m ost h o ly
and learned A rchdeacon B o n iface, w h o w as also a Papal
Counsellor. U n d er his guidance he m astered each o f the G os­
pels in turn and the correct m ethod o f calculating Easter, w hile
through this tutor he cam e to understand m an y other things
relating to church order w h ich he had no means o f learning
1. Lyons.
2. Actually Archbishop Annemund, brother of Dalfin Count of Lyons.
307
v-19] W ilfrid is consecrated bishop
in his o w n co u n try ; and h avin g spent som e m onths engrossed
in profitable study, he returned to D alfin in G aul. H e re­
m ained w ith him three years, received the tonsure at his
hands, and so w o n his affection that the bishop considered
m aking him his heir. B u t the bishop’s cruel death intervened
to prevent this, and W ilfrid w as destined rather to becom e a
bishop o f his o w n people the English. F o r Q ueen B ald h ild
sent soldiers w ith orders to k ill the bishop, and W ilfrid as his
clerk accom panied him to the place o f execution, w ish in g to
die w ith him , although the bishop stro n gly opposed this. B u t
w h en the executioners learned that he w as a foreigner and an
Englishm an, they spared him and refused to put h im to death
w ith his bishop.
O n his return to B ritain , W ilfrid w as adm itted to the
friendship o f K in g A lch frid , w h o had learned to lo ve and
fo llo w the C ath olic law s o f the C h u rch . W h en he found
W ilfrid to be a C ath olic, the k in g g a v e h im ten hides o f land
at a place called Stanford, and not lo n g afterw ards, a m onas­
tery w ith thirty hides at R ip o n . T h is place had been fo rm erly
granted to m onks w h o fo llo w ed the Scots custom in order
to build a m onastery there. B u t since, w h en offered the alter­
native, they had preferred to abandon the place rather than
adopt the C ath olic Easter and other canonical rites in accor­
dance w ith the usage o f the R o m an and apostolic C h u rch , the
k in g g a v e it to one w h o m he k n ew to be trained in bettor
doctrines and custom s.
A t this tim e, under instructions fro m the kin g, W ilfrid w as
ordained priest at this m onastery b y the above-m entioned
A g ilb ert, B ish o p o f the G ew issae, because the k in g w ished to
retain a m an o f such great learning and devotion as a priest
and counsellor fo r his o w n special com panionship. S h o rtly
after the exposure and rem oval o f the Scottish sect that I m en­
tioned, and w ith the approval and advice o f his father O sw y ,
the k in g sent W ilfrid to G aul, asking that he be consecrated as
his bishop, W ilfrid being at the tim e about thirty years o f age.
A n d w h en A g ilb ert, then B ish op o f Paris, and eleven other
308
H e is expelled and appeals to Rome [v. 19
bishops had gathered to m ake him a bishop, they carried out
the rite o f his consecration w ith great splendour. B u t since
W ilfrid rem ained overseas fo r som e w hile, a h o ly m an nam ed
C h ad w as consecrated Bish op o f Y o r k at the orders o f K in g
O sw y , as I have already described. C h ad , h aving ruled the
church v e ry ably fo r three years, resigned the see and retired
to his m onastery o f Lastingham , and W ilfrid then becam e
bishop o f the w h ole provin ce o f the N orthum brians.
Subsequently, as I have already told, W ilfrid w as expelled
fro m his bishopric during the reign o f E gfrid , and other
bishops w ere consecrated in his place. Intending to travel to
R o m e and plead his case before the apostolic Pope, he there­
fore took ship, but a strong w esterly w in d d rove him to
Frisia, w h ere he w as h onourably received b y the barbarous
people and their kin g A ld gils. H e preached C hrist am ong
them , teaching the w o rd o f truth to m an y thousands and
cleansing them fro m the guilt o f their sins in the font o f our
Saviour. H e w as the first to attem pt the w o rk o f their evan­
gelization, w hich w as later com pleted so zealously b y the
m ost reverend Christian Bish op W ilb ro rd . H avin g spent the
w inter happily there w ith G o d ’s n ew people, W ilfrid set out
once m ore for R o m e. T h ere his case w as heard before P ope
A gath o and several bishops, w h o w ere unanim ous in acquit­
ting him o f the charges laid against him and declared him
w o rth y o f his bishopric.
A t this tim e P ope A g ath o sum m oned a hundred and
tw en ty-five bishops to a S yn o d in R o m e in order to com bat
those w h o w ere teaching that there w as o n ly one w ill and
action* in our L o rd and Saviou r. H e ordered W ilfrid to be
sum m oned to take his place am ong the bishops, and to state
his o w n b e lief and that o f the p rovince or island w hence he
had com e. A n d w hen both he and his nation w ere show n to be
C atholic in their belief, it w as thought fittin g to include this
am ong the other findings o f the synod in the fo llo w in g fo rm :
4W ilfrid , beloved o f G od , Bish op o f the city o f Y o r k , having
brought his case before the apostolic see, has been acquitted
309
v. i9] W ilfrid returns to Britain and again appeals to Rome
by its authority from all charges against him, both definite
and indefinite. Appointed to take his seat in consultation with
one hundred and twenty-five bishops in synod, he affirmed
the true and Catholic Faith on behalf of all the northern part
of Britain, Ireland, and the islands inhabited by the English,
Britons, Scots, and Piets, ratifying this by his own signature.’
After this, Wilfrid returned to Britain and converted the
province of the South Saxons from their idolatrous rites to
the Faith of Christ. He also sent preachers to the Isle of Wight,
and during the second year of King Aldfrid, Egfrid’ssuccessor,
he was restored to his own see and bishopric at the king’s
invitation. But five years later he was again accused and ex­
pelled from his diocese by the king and several bishops. He
travelled to Rome, and was given opportunity to defend him­
self in the presence of his accusers before the apostolic Pope
John [VI] and several bishops. It was unanimously decided
that his accusers had brought partially false charges against
him; and the Pope wrote to the English kings Ethelred and
Aldfrid that he had been unjustly condemned and that they
should restore him to his bishopric.
His acquittal was greatly forwarded by the reading of the
transactions of the Synod held-by Pope Agatho of blessed
memory during Wilfrid’s former visit to the city, when he
had sat at the council with the other bishops, as I have already
described. For when, as need required and at the direction of
the apostolic Pope, the transactions of this Synod were read
for some days in the presence of the nobility and many of the
people, they came to the passage where it is written: ‘ Wilfrid,
beloved of God and Bishop of the city of York, having
brought his case before the apostolic see, has by its authority
been acquitted from all charges etc.,’ as already recorded.
When this was read, those who listened were surprised; and
when the reader finished, they began to ask one another,
‘ Who was this Bishop Wilfrid?’ Then Boniface, Counsellor
to the apostolic Pope, and many others who had met him
there in Pope Agatho’s time, explained that he was the same
310
H e has a vision o f his own death [v. 19
bishop who had been accused by his own people and had
recently come to Rome to be tried by the apostolic see. ‘He
came here long ago under a similar accusation/ they said, ‘ and
the dispute between the two parties was quickly heard and
decided. Pope Agatho of blessed memory showed that he had
been unjustly expelled from his bishopric, and had so high a
regard for Wilfrid that he ordered him to sit in the council of
bishops which he had summoned, as a man of blameless faith
and honest mind/ Hearing this, the Pope and all the assembly
declared that a man of such authority, who had been a bishop
for nearly forty years, should certainly not be condemned,
but should be cleared of all the charges laid against him and
return home with honour.
As Wilfrid was crossing Gaul on his return to Britain, he
was suddenly overtaken by an illness, which grew so serious
that he was unable to ride and had to be carried by his atten­
dants in a Utter. He was brought to Maeldum,1 a city of Gaul,
where he lay four days and nights as though dead, and only
his faint breathing showed that he was still aUve. He remained
like this for four days without food or drink, speech or hear­
ing, but at daybreak on the fifth day he sat up as though
waking from a deep sleep. When he opened his eyes and saw
around him a crowd of brethren singing psalms and weeping,
he sighed and asked for the priest Acca, who came in at once
when summoned and, seeing Wilfrid better and able to speak,
fell on his knees and thanked God with all the brethren
present. And when they had sat down, and began with some
hesitation to talk of the judgements of heaven, the bishop
told the others to leave them for an hour, and said to the
priest Acca:
‘ I have seen a momentous vision, which I want you to keep
secret until I know God’s will for me. There stood beside me
a noble being in white robes, who told me that he was Michael
the Archangel. “ I am come to recall you from death,” he
said, “ for our Lord has granted you life at the prayers of your
1. Meaux.
v. i9] Death o f W ilfrid
brethren and the intercession of His blessed Mother the ever-
virgin Mary. So I now pronounce that you shall be healed of
this sickness: but be prepared, for I shall return to visit you
after four years. When you return to your own country, you
shall recover the greater portion of the possessions that were
taken from you and end your life in perfect peace.” * And to
the delight of all, who gave thanks to God, the bishop
recovered, resumed his journey, and arrived in Britain.
When they had studied the letters that Wilfrid had brought
from the apostolic Pope, Archbishop Bertwald and Ethelred
very readily supported him. The latter, formerly king but
now an abbot, sent for Coenred, whom he had appointed
king in his own place, and asked him to be a friend to Wilfrid,
to which he agreed. Aldfrid, King of the Northumbrians, still
refused to receive him; but he died shortly afterwards, and
was succeeded by his son Osred. A synod was soon held near
the river Nidd, and after some argument between the parties,
it was generally agreed that Wilfrid should be restored to the
bishopric of his own church. And so for four years, until the
day of his death, he lived his life in peace. He died in his
monastery in the region of Oundle during the rule of Abbot
Cuthbald and was carried by the brethren to his first monas­
tery at Ripon, where he was buried in the church of the blessed
Apostle Peter close to the altar on the south side, as already
recorded, and the following epitaph was inscribed above him:

Here Wilfrid, mighty prelate, lies at peace

Who, spurred by love of God, this temple raised,
And hallowed it in Peter’s noble name,
To whom our Master Christ bequeathed the keys.
Fair gold and purple vestments he bestowed,
A noble cross of richly shining ore
He placed aloft as sign of victory won.
The Gospels four in golden letters writ
At his command and in due order bound
Were fitly cased in covers of red gold.
Easter’s mistimed observance he set right
312
He is succeeded as bishop by Acca [v. 20
In due conformity with canon law
Fixed by the Fathers, and to all his folk
Banishing doubt, made manifest the truth.
Here he established many flocks o f monks
A nd as a watchful shepherd bade them keep
The Rule established b y the saints o f old.
In his long life he weathered many storms,
Discords at home and perils overseas.
He ruled as bishop five and forty years,
And passed rejoicing to G o d’s heavenly realm.
Grant us, O Jesus, his true flock to be,
And tread with him the road that leads to Thee.

chapter 20: Albinus succeeds the devout Abbot Hadrian ,

and Acca succeeds to W ilfrid's bishopric [ a .d . 70 9 ]

n the year following the death of the above Father Wilfrid,

I that is, the fifth year of King Osred, the most reverend
father, Abbot Hadrian, fellow-worker in the word of God
with Archbishop Theodore of blessed memory, died and was
buried in the church of the blessed Mother of God in his own
monastery. This was the forty-first year after his dispatch by
Pope Vitalian with Theodore, and the thirty-ninth after his
arrival in Britain. Among other testimonies to his learning
and that of Archbishop Theodore is the fact that his disciple
Albinus, who succeeded him as abbot of his monastery, was
so well grounded in the study of the Scriptures that he had no
small grasp of Greek, while he understood Latin as thoroughly
as his native English tongue.
Wilfrid’s successor as Bishop of the church of Hexham was
his priest Acca, a man of great energy and noble in the sight of
God and man. He greatly beautified and enlarged the struc­
ture of his church, which was dedicated in honour of blessed
Andrew the Apostle. He devoted much care, as he still does,
to obtaining relics of the blessed Apostles and martyrs of
Christ from various places, and builds altars for their vener­
313
v. 2i] King Nechtan o f the Piets accepts the Catholic Easter
ation, placed for this purpose in recesses within the walls of
his church. He has also collected accounts of their sufferings
and other books on religious subjects, to form a very complete
and excellent library. And he has been diligent in providing
sacred vessels, lights, and similar articles necessary for the
furnishing of God’s house. He also invited a famous singer
named Maban, who had been trained in vocal music by the
successors of blessed Pope Gregory’s disciples in Kent, to come
and instruct him and his clergy. He retained his services for
twelve years, to teach them whatever church music they did
not know, and also to restore to their original form any
familiar chants that had become imperfect through lapse of
time or neglect; for the bishop himself was a singer of great
experience. He was also most learned in the holy Scriptures,
orthodox in his profession of the Catholic Faith, and well
acquainted with the rules of church administration. And in
all these activities he remains unflagging until the time comes
for him to receive the reward of his piety and devotion. For
he was reared and trained from boyhood among the clergy
of the most holy Bosa, God’s beloved Bishop of York; he
later came to Bishop Wilfrid in the hope of improving him­
self, and remained under him continuously until the latter’s
death, travelling to Rome with him, and there learning many
valuable things about the organization of Holy Church which
he had no means of learning in his own country.

chapter 2 i : A bb ot C e o lfrid sends church architects to the

K in g o f the P iets, and w ith them a letter about the C ath olic
E aster and tonsure [c. a . d . 710]

A t this time, Nechtan, King of the Piets, living in the

f\northern parts of Britain, convinced after assiduous study
of Church writings, renounced the error hitherto maintained
by his nation about the observance of Easter and adopted the
Catholic time of keeping our Lord’s Resurrection with all his
Ceolfrid's letter to Nechtan [v. 21
people. In order to do this more smoothly and with greater
authority, the king asked help from the English people, whom
he knew to have based their practice long previously on the
pattern of the holy, Roman, apostolic Church. So he sent
messengers to the venerable Ceolfrid, Abbot of the monastery
of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, which he ruled most
illustriously as successor of the above-mentioned Benedict.
This monastery stands at the mouth of the river Wear, and
also close to the river Tyne at a place called In-Gyrwum.1 The
king requested Ceolfrid to write him a letter of guidance that
would help him to refute those who presumed to keep Easter
at the wrong time; and although he was relatively well in­
formed on these matters himself, he also required information
about the form and reason for the tonsure that clergy should
wear. In addition, he asked that architects be sent him in order
to build a stone church for his people in the Roman style,
promising that he would dedicate it in honour of the blessed
Prince of the Apostles and that he and his people would follow
the customs of the holy apostolic Roman Church, as far as
they could learn them in view of their remoteness from the
Roman people and from Roman speech. The most reverend
Abbot Ceolfrid complied with his devout wishes and requests,
sending him the architects he asked for, together with the
following letter.12
‘ To the most excellent and illustrious lord, King Nechtan,
from Abbot Ceolfrid - Greetings in our Lord.
‘ In response to your devout enquiries as a God-fearing
king, I am most willing and ready to attempt to explain the
Catholic observance of Easter in accordance with the ridings
of the apostolic see; for we know that whenever Holy Church
sets itself to learn, teach, or maintain the truth concerning our
Lord, this truth is revealed to it from heaven. As a secular

1. Wearmouth and Jarrow are here treated as constituting a single

monastery.
2. There can be little doubt that Ceolfrid’s letter was composed by his
monk Bede.
315
▼. 2 i] Ceoljrid’s letter to Nechtan
writer very truly said,1 the world would be in the happiest
possible state if kings were philosophers or philosophers were
kings. And if a man of the world could make a true estimate
of this world’s philosophy and judge rightly about the state
of this world, how much more is it to be desired and sincerely
prayed for by the citizens of our heavenly home, who are
pilgrims in this world, that the greater any man’s position in
this world, the more he should exert himself to obey the
commands of the Supreme Judge, and by his example and
authority induce those committed to his charge to follow him
in observing them!
4There are three rules in holy scripture that determine the
time of keeping Easter, and which no human authority may
change. Two of these are decreed by God in the Law of
Moses, and the third is added in the Gospel as a consequence
of the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord. For the Law
directed that the Passover should be kept in the first month
of the year, and in the third week of that month, that is,
between the fifteenth and twenty-first days of the month. To
this, the apostolic ordinance in the Gospels adds that we are to
wait for the Lord’sDay in this third week and begin to observe
Eastertide on that day. Whoever keeps this three-fold rule
correctly will never make a mistake in fixing the Feast of
Easter. But if you wish to hear more clear and detailed infor­
mation about this, it is written in Exodus, where the people of
Israel, before their deliverance from Egypt, are directed to
keep the first Passover, that “ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron:
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be
thefirst month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation
of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to
them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers.”
And a little later, “ And ye shall keep it up until thefourteenth day
o f the same month: and the whole assembly o f the congregation of
Israel shall kill it in the evening.” These words make it very
clear that, in the paschal observance, the fourteenth day is
I. Plato, in The Republic.
316
Ceolfrid’s letter to Nechtan [v. 21
mentioned not because it was the day on which the Passover
is commanded to be kept, but because the lamb is commanded
to be killed on the evening of the fourteenth day, that is, at
the fifteenth rising of the moon (which marks the beginning
of the third week): and because it was on the night of the
fifteenth moon that the Egyptians were smitten, and Israel
redeemed out of its long slavery. “ Seven days shall ye eat un­
leavened bread” it is said. In these words, all the third week of
the first month is directed to be solemnly observed. But lest
we should think that those seven days were to be reckoned
from the fourteenth to the twentieth day, it is added: “ On
thefirst day ye shall put away leaven out ofyour houses;for whoso­
ever eateth leavened breadfrom thefirst day until the seventh day,
that soul shall be cut offfrom Israel” and so on, until he says:
“ For in this selfsame day I w ill bring your army out of the land o f
Egypt.”
‘ So the day on which God was to bring out their army
from Egypt is called the first day. It is clear, however, that
they were not brought up out of Egypt on the fourteenth
day, on the evening of which the lamb was killed and which
is properly known as the Pascha or Phase, that is, the Passover,
but on the fifteenth day, as is quite plainly recorded in the
Book of Numbers; “ So they departed from Rameses in the first
month, on the fifteenth day of the month; on the morrow after the
Passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand” So the
seven days of unleavened bread, on the first of which the
Lord’s people were led up out of Egypt, are to be reckoned
from the beginning of the third week, as I have said: that is,
from the fifteenth day of the month to the twenty-first day
of the same month inclusive. But the fourteenth day is noted
down separately from this number under the title of the Pass-
over, as is clearly defined in the ensuing passage of Exodus,
where it is said: “ For in this selfsame day I will bring your army
out o f the land o f Egypt,” and immediately adds: “ Therefore
shall ye observe this day in yourgenerations by an ordinancefor ever.
In the first month, on the fourteenth day o f the month at even, ye
317
v. 2 i] Ceolfrid’s letter to Nechtan
shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the
month at even. Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your
houses.” Who can fail to see that, if the fourteenth day is in­
cluded, there are not seven but eight days from the fourteenth
to the twenty-first days? But if, as careful study of the scrip­
tures reveals the truth, we reckon from the evening of the
fourteenth day to the evening of the twenty-first, we shall at
once see that this fourteenth day gives its evening to the be­
ginning of the Paschal feast, so that the entire sacred solemnity
comprises no more than seven days and nights. Accordingly
our definition is shown to be correct, in which we stated that
the Paschal period should be celebrated dining the first month
of the year and in its third week. For it is in fact the third week,
because it begins on the evening of the fourteenth day, and
closes on the evening of the twenty-first.
‘After the sacrifice of Christ our Passover, the Lord’s Day
(which the ancients called the first day after the Sabbath) was
made holy for us by thejoy of his resurrection: and the tradi­
tion of the Apostles established this day for the Easter feast,
in such a way that the lawful Paschal period should be neither
forestalled nor cut short. Rather it is laid down that, according
to the Law, the first month of the year and its fourteenth day
and the evening of that day should be awaited. And if by
chance this day fell on the Sabbath, They shall take to them
every man a lamb according to the house o f theirfathers and sacrifice
it in the evening - that is to say, all churches throughout the
world, who constitute the one Catholic church, should pre­
pare bread and wine as a sacrament of the Body and Blood of
the spotless Lamb who taketh away the sins o f the world. And
after suitable prayers, in the solemn celebration of Easter, they
should offer these to the Lord in the hope of their future re­
demption. For that is the very night on which the people of
Israel were snatched out of Egypt by the blood of the Lamb,
and the very night on which all God’s people was freed from
eternal death by Christ’s resurrection. And when the Lord’s
Day dawns on the morrow, they should celebrate the first
318
Ceolfrid’s tetter to Nechtan [v. a i

day o f the Easter feast. F o r that is the v e ry d ay on w h ich the

g lo ry o f the L o rd ’s resurrection w as jo y fu lly revealed to his
disciples, and is also the first d ay o f unleavened bread, o f
w h ich it is clearly w ritten in L eviticu s: “ In the fourteenth day
o f the first month at even is the Passover; and on thefifteenth day is
the feast o f unleavened bread unto the L o rd ; seven days ye must eat
unleavened bread. The first day shall be the most renowned and
h o ly ."
‘ T h erefore i f it could be b rough t about that a Sun day
should alw ays fall on the fifteenth d ay o f the first m onth, that
is, on the fifteenth appearance o f the m oo n , w e should be able
alw ays to celebrate ou r Easter at the v e r y sam e tim e as the
ancient people o f G o d , as w e do b y the v e r y sam e faith, al­
thou gh b y a different kin d o f sacram ent. B u t because the days
o f the w eek do not keep pace w ith the phases o f the m oon, the
apostolic tradition (preached b y the blessed Peter at R o m e
and confirm ed b y the evangelist M a rk and his interpreter at
A lexandria) decreed that, w h en the first m onth cam e rou n d
and the even in g o f its fourteenth d ay, they should w a it further
fo r a Sunday, fro m the fifteenth to the tw en ty-first d a y o f that
m onth. A n d on w h atever o f those days Sun d ay should occur,
Easter should be celebrated on that d ay, because this falls
w ith in the seven days o f unleavened bread. S o it com es about
that ou r Easter n ever d iverges in either direction fro m the third
w eek o f the first m onth, but either occupies the w h o le o f it,
that is, all the L a w ’s seven days o f unleavened bread, o r at an y
rate occupies som e o f these days. F o r even i f o n ly one o f them
is included, that is, the seventh d ay (w hich scripture com m ends
so h ig h ly, sayin g “ the seventh day shall be more renowned and
h oly; ye shall do no servile work therein” ), no one can accuse us
o f not keeping correctly the Easter D a y , w h ich w e have
received fro m the G ospel, in the third w e e k o f the first m onth
as the L a w decrees.
‘ T h e reasons fo r the C ath o lic practice are therefore evid en t:
equally evident is the irrational erro r o f those w h o presum e
w ith ou t real necessity to anticipate o r to o verru n the periods
3 19
 * i] Ceolfrid9s letter to Nechtan
prescribed in the L a w . T h ose w h o consider that the day o f
ou r L o rd ’s R esurrection should be kept betw een the four­
teenth d ay o f the m onth and the tw entieth d ay o f the m oon
anticipate w ith o u t an y reasonable necessity the tim e pre­
scribed in the L a w ; fo r w h en they begin to keep the v ig il o f
the h o ly n ight fro m the even in g o f the thirteenth day, it is
evident that they regard that d ay as the begin nin g o f their
Easter, and they cannot sh ow an y au th ority fo r this in the
decrees o f the L a w . A n d w h en th ey refuse to keep the L o rd ’s
Easter on the tw en ty-first d ay o f the m onth, they clearly
exclu de fro m their observance a d ay w h ich the L a w often
recom m ends as suitable fo r greater festivity than the other
days. C onsequently, they disarrange the proper order, som e­
tim es even placing Easter en tirely in the second w eek and
never keeping it on the seventh d ay o f the third w eek.
Those w h o consider that Easter should be celebrated betw een
the sixteenth d ay o f the said m onth and the tw enty-second,
no less in correctly, deviate fro m the correct course on the
other side and, as thou gh avo id in g shipw reck on S cylla, are
sucked d o w n and d row n ed in the w h irlp o o l o f C h arybdis.
F o r w h en they teach that Easter is to begin at m oonrise on the
sixteenth d ay o f the first m onth, that is, fro m the even in g o f
the fifteenth d ay, it fo llo w s that they en tirely exclude fro m
their solem n ity the fourteenth d ay o f the m onth, w h ich the
L a w particularly recom m ends. C onsequently, they barely
include the even in g o f the fifteenth d ay - the d ay on w h ich
G o d ’s people w ere redeem ed fro m slavery in E g y p t, on w h ich
ou r L o rd redeem ed the w o rld fro m the darkness o f sin b y H is
o w n B lo o d , and on w h ich H e w as buried, bestow in g on us
the hope o f blessedness and peace after death. W h en they
place the L o rd ’s d ay o f Easter on the tw enty-second day o f
the m onth, these people receive in themselves the recompense o f
their error and op en ly violate the legitim ate lim its o f Easter,
beginning it on the evening o f the d ay on w h ich the L a w had
directed that it should be finished and com pleted. T h e y also
appoint as the first d ay o f Easter a d ay o f w h ich n o m ention
320
Ceolfrid's letter to Nechtan [v. a i
is m ade in the L a w , that is, the first d ay o f the fourth
w eek.
‘ B o th these factions are som etim es m istaken not on ly in
defining and calculating the age o f the m oon, but even in dis­
coverin g the first m onth. H o w e v er, this con troversy is too
lengthy to be dealt w ith fu lly in this letter. I w ill say o n ly that
the first and last m onths o f the lunar year can alw ays be
accurately determ ined b y reference to the vernal equinox.
A cco rd in g to the view s o f all the eastern nations, and in par­
ticular o f the E gyptians, w h o are especially skilled in such
calculation, the vernal equin ox occurs on the tw enty-first o f
M arch, as w e can p ro ve b y horological observation. There­
fore, w h atever m oon is at the full (that is, in its fourteenth or
fifteenth day) before the equinox, this rig h tly belongs to the
last m onth o f the preceding year and consequently is not
suitable fo r keeping Easter. B u t the full m oo n fallin g either
on or after the eq uin ox itself certainly belongs to the first
m o n th ; on it the ancients used to keep the Passover, and on it,
w hen the L o rd ’s d ay com es, w e should keep Easter. T h ere is a
v e ry con vin cin g reason w h y this should be so, because it is
w ritten in G enesis: “ G od made two lights, the greater light to rule
the day, and the lesser light to rule the n ig h t;" or, as it appears
in another version : “ the greater light to usher in the day, and
the lesser light to usher in the n ig h t" Therefore, as the vernal
equin ox w as first determ ined b y the rising o f the sun on its
em ergence fro m the m idpoint o f the east and later, w h ile the
sun w as setting at evening, the m oon, being then full,
follo w ed fro m the m idpoint o f the east, so ev ery year the
same first m onth o f the m oon m ust be observed in the same
order, so that the full m oo n m ust not fall before the equinox,
but either on the d ay o f the equin ox itself, as it w as in the
beginning, or else after it. A n d i f the full m oo n falls so m uch as
one day before the tim e o f equinox, the ab ove reason show s
that it m ay not be assigned to the first m onth o f the n ew year,
but to the last o f the preceding year, and is therefore not
eligible fo r the observance o f the Easter Festival.
321
 2i] Ceoljrid’s letter to Nechtan
‘ I f it pleases y o u to k n o w also the sym b olic reason in this
m atter, w e are directed to keep Easter in the first m onth o f
the year, w h ic h is also k n o w n as the M o n th o f N e w Fruit,
because w e should celebrate the m ysteries o f our L o rd ’ s
R esurrection and ou r o w n deliverance w ith ou r m inds re­
freshed to lo v e o f h eaven ly things. W e are bidden to keep it
in the third w e e k o f the m onth, because C hrist, w h o had been
prom ised b efo re the L a w and under the L a w , cam e w ith G race
in the third age o f the w o rld to be sacrificed as ou r P assover;
because he also rose fro m the dead o n the third d ay after the
offerin g o f H is Passion, and w ished this to be k n o w n as the
L o rd ’s D a y and kep t annually as the Easter feast; and because
w e o n ly observe this rite tru ly, that is, H is passing out o f this
w o rld to the Father, i f w e are careful to do so w ith H im in
faith, hope, and lo v e. W e are com m anded to keep the fu ll
m o o n o f the Paschal m onth after the eq uin ox, so that first the
sun m a y m ak e d a y lo n ger than n ight and then the m o o n m ay
sh ow the w h o le o f her light face to the w o rld , because first
“ the Sun o f Righteousness with healing in H is w ings” , that is the
L o rd Jesus, overcam e all the darkness o f death b y the trium ph
o f H is R esurrection and then, h a v in g ascended into heaven,
sent d o w n the Sp irit fro m on h ig h and so filled H is C h urch,
w h ich is often sym b o lically described as the m oon, w ith the
ligh t o f in w a rd grace. T h is w as the plan o f o u r salvation w h ich
the prophet had in m ind w h en he said : “ The sun was exalted,
and the moon stood still in her habitation.”
‘ W h o ev e r argues, therefore, that the Paschal fu ll m oo n can
occur b efore the eq uin ox, disagrees in the observance o f ou r
highest m ysteries w ith the teaching o f the scriptures, and allies
him se lf w ith those w h o believe that th ey can be saved w ith ou t
the assistance o f C h rist’s grace. Such people presum e to assert
that th ey cou ld have attained to perfect goodness even i f the
true L ig h t had n ot o verco m e tnis w o rld ’s darkness b y H is
D eath and R esurrection. S o after the rising o f the equinoctial
sun, and after the ensuing fu ll m oo n o f the first m onth, that is,
after the close o f the fourteenth d ay o f that m on th - all o f
322
Ceolfrid’s letter to Nechtan [v. 21
w h ich w e have received as necessary observances under the
L a w - w e still w ait until the L o rd ’s D a y in the third w eek as
the Gospel directs. T h en at length w e keep ou r proper Feast
o f Easter, to sh ow that w e do not, like the ancients, celebrate
the breaking o f the E gyp tian y o k e o f slavery, but that w e
venerate w ith faith and devotion the R ed em ption o f the w h ole
w o rld , w h ich w as foreshadow ed in the liberation o f G o d ’s
ancient people and com pleted at C h rist’s Resurrection. In this
w a y w e show that w e rejoice in the m ost certain hope o f our
o w n resurrection, w h ich w e believe w ill take place on the
L o rd ’s D a y .
‘ This calculation o f Easter w h ich I have explained to y o u
depends on a cycle o f nineteen years, w h ich began to be
observed b y the C h u rch lon g ago in the tim e o f the Apostles,
especially in R o m e and E g y p t, as I m entioned earlier. B u t
through the industry o f Eusebius, w h o took his surnam e fro m
the blessed m artyr Pam phylus, it w as reduced to a clearer
system , so that w hereas notification w as fo rm erly sent each
year to all the churches b y the Patriarch o f A lexan dria,
thenceforw ard it could be easily understood b y everyon e,
because the fourteenth d ay o f the m oo n fell in a regular se­
quence. Theophilus, Patriarch o f A lexan d ria, d rew up an
Easter table fo r the ensuing hundred years fo r the benefit o f
the E m p ero r T h eodosius; sim ilarly, his successor C y ril d rew
up a table fo r n in ety-five years in fiv e cycles o f nineteen years.
A fter him , D ionysius E xigu u s added others in the same w a y ,
w h ich extend d o w n to ou r o w n day. T h is table w ill soon
exp ire; but tod ay there are so m an y people able to calculate
that even in ou r o w n C h u rch in B ritain there are m an y w h o
understand the ancient rules o f the Egyptian s, and can readily
com pute the cycles o f these paschal times fo r an indefinite
num ber o f years, even fo r fiv e hundred and th irty-tw o years
ahead i f they so desire. A fte r this period, all that concerns the
sequences o f sun and m oon, m onth and w eek, recurs in the
same order as before. B u t I do not propose to send y o u these
cycles o f times to com e, because y o u o n ly asked to be inform ed
323
v. 2i] Ceolfrid’s letter to Nechtan
about the reasons fo r the tim e o f Easter and said that y o u w ere
p rovided w ith C ath olic Easter tables.
‘ H avin g w ritten about Easter as y o u requested, albeit
cu rsorily and briefly, I also urge y o u to m ake sure that the
tonsure, about w h ich y o u also asked m e to w rite, is w o rn in
accordance w ith C hristian ecclesiastical practice. W e k n o w
that the Apostles w ere not all tonsured in the same m anner
and, although the C ath olic C h u rch is united in one faith,
hope, and lo v e in G o d , it has not adopted one u n varyin g
fo rm o f tonsure throughout the w h o le w o rld . O n a w id er
v ie w , lo o kin g back to the earlier days o f the patriarchs, w e
find that Jo b , the pattern o f patience, shaved his head in tim e
o f trouble, w h ich show s that in times o f p rosperity he allow ed
his hair to g ro w . B u t Jo seph , rem arkable fo r his practice and
teaching o f chastity, h u m ility, piety, and other virtues, shaved
his head w h en about to be freed fro m slavery, w h ich show s
that, w h ile he w as livin g in prison as a slave, he did not cut his
hair. B u t notice h o w each o f these m en o f G od , w h ile differing
in their ou tw ard appearance, are alike in cherishing grace and
virtu e in their inm ost hearts. So w e m ay fran k ly adm it that a
variety in tonsure does no harm to those w h o have a pure faith
in G o d and sincere charity tow ards their neighbour, especially
since w e do not read that there w as ever an y con troversy
am ong the catholic fathers about differences o f tonsure such
as there has been about d iversity in Easter observance or in
matters o f doctrine. N evertheless, o f all the tonsures to be
foun d either in the C h u rch or am ong the races o f m ankind, I
consider none m ore w o rth y o f being im itated and adopted
than that w o rn on the head o f the disciple to w hose confession
ou r L o rd rep lie d : “ Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I w ill build
my church, and the gates o f hell shall not prevail against it: and I
w ill g iv e unto thee the keys o f the kingdom o f heaven." N o r do I
consider an y to be m ore abhorrent and detestable to all the
faithful than that w o rn b y the m an to w h o m , w h en he w ished
to purchase the gift o f the H o ly Spirit, Peter said : “ T hy money
perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift o f G od may
324
Ceolfrid’s letter to Nechtart [v- 21
be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this
matterZ’ 1 B u t w e are not shaven in the fo rm o f a cro w n solely
because Peter w as shorn in this w a y , but because Peter w as
shorn in this w a y in m em o ry o f our L o rd ’s Passion. T h erefore
w e w h o desire to be saved b y C h rist’s Passion like Peter w ear
this sign o f the Passion on the cro w n o f the head, w h ich is the
highest part o f the b o d y. For, as the w h o le C h u rch cam e into
being through the D eath o f H im w h o gave it life, so each
m em ber o f it bears the sign o f the H o ly C ross on his forehead,
so that this em blem m ay afford constant protection against the
assaults o f w icked spirits and serve as a continual rem inder
that he m ust cru cify the flesh w ith all its vices and evil desires.
Sim ilarly, those w h o have taken m onastic v o w s or are in H o ly
O rders should bind them selves to stricter self-discipline fo r
our L o rd ’s sake, and w ear their heads tonsured in the fo rm o f
the cro w n o f thorns w h ich C h rist w o re on H is head in His
Passion, so that H e m igh t bear the thorns and briars o f our
sins and thus bear them a w a y fro m us. In this w a y their o w n
appearance w ill be a rem inder to them to be w illin g and ready
to suffer ridicule and disgrace fo r His sake, and a sign that they
are alw ays hopin g to receive “ the crown o f everlasting life which
the Lord hath prom ised to those that love H im ” , and in order
to w in this cro w n regard both ad versity and prosperity as o f
equal insignificance. A s fo r the tonsure that Sim on the m agi­
cian is said to have w o rn , I ask w h at faithful Christian w ill not
instantly detest it, like m agic itself, w ith the scorn it deserves.
O n the forehead it has indeed a superficial resem blance to a
c ro w n ; but w hen y o u lo o k at the neck, y o u w ill find the
apparent cro w n cut short, so that y o u m ay fa irly regard this
fashion as characteristic o f sim oniacs and not o f Christians.
For in this life deluded people thought such m en w o rth y o f
a lasting cro w n o f g lo r y ; but in the life to com e they are not
on ly deprived o f all hope o f a cro w n but condem ned to
eternal punishm ent.
‘ D o not think that I have spoken in this w a y about those
1. Acts viii, 20-21.
325
 2i] Ceoljrid's letter to Nechtan
w h o w ear this tonsure as thou gh they are dam ned even i f they
maintain C ath olic un ity in b e lie f and practice. O n the con­
trary, I am sure that m an y o f them w ere h o ly m en and pleasing
to G od . A m o n g them is A d am nan, a ren ow n ed priest and
abbot o f the C olum ban s, w h o w h en he w as sent on an
em bassy fro m his nation to K in g A ld frid and chose to visit
our m onastery, displayed rem arkable w isd om , h u m ility, and
devotion in his w ay s and conversation. I said to him in the
course o f discussion: “ H o ly brother, y o u believe that y o u are
on the righ t road to receive the cro w n o f life that kn ow s no
term . W h y then, I beseech y o u , do y o u w ear on y o u r head
the im age o f a cro w n w hich, in a fashion that belies y o u r
faith, is term inated? A n d i f y o u seek the society o f blessed
Peter, w h y do y o u im itate the tonsure o f the m an w h o m
Peter cursed? W h y do y o u not do everyth in g in this life to
show that y o u lo v e to im itate him w ith w h o m y o u desire to
live in blessedness fo r e v e r? ” H e rep lied : “ M y dear brother,
rest assured that, although I w ear S im o n ’s tonsure after the
custom o f m y coun try, I w holeheartedly abom inate and reject
all sim oniacal wickedness. So far as m y frailty perm its, I w ish
to fo llo w in the footsteps o f the m ost blessed Prince o f the
A postles.” I then said: “ I am sure that this is so. N evertheless,
y o u should g iv e som e indication o f y o u r in w ard esteem fo r
w h atever derives fro m the A p ostle Peter b y displaying op en ly
w h atever y o u k n o w to be his. F or I think that y o u r w isd om
clearly appreciates that it w o u ld be better fo r y o u , w h o are
v o w e d to G o d , to alter y o u r ou tw ard appearance fro m any
resem blance to a m an w h o m y o u w holehearted ly detest, and
w hose hideous face y o u w o u ld loathe to see. O n the other
hand, since y o u w ish to fo llo w the exam ple and teachings o f
Peter, it w o u ld be fittin g fo r y o u to co n fo rm to the ou tw ard
appearance o f h im w h o m y o u desire to have as y o u r advocate
in the presence o f G o d .”
‘ Such, then, w ere m y w ord s to A d am nan, w h o show ed
h o w greatly he had profited b y seeing the observances o f ou r
C h u rch ; fo r after he had returned to Scotland, he w o n o ver
326
Ceolfrid’s letter to Nechtan [v. 21
large num bers to the C ath olic observance o f Easter b y his
preaching. B u t although he w as their la w fu lly constituted
head, he w as unable to persuade the m onks o f Iona to adopt
a better rule o f life. H ad his authority been sufficiently great,
he w o u ld surely have taken care to correct the tonsure also.
‘ I n o w beg Y o u r M ajesty in y o u r w isd om , together w ith
the nation o ver w hich the K in g o f kings and L o rd o f lords
has placed yo u , to set y o u rse lf to fo llo w all that fosters the
unity o f the C ath olic and A p ostolic C hurch. In so doing,
w hen the m igh t o f y o u r earthly kin gd o m has passed aw a y,
the m ost blessed Prince o f the Apostles w ill glad ly open the
gate o f the h eaven ly kin gd o m to y o u and yours and adm it
y o u to the com p an y o f G o d ’s elect.
‘ M ost dearly beloved son in Christ, m ay the grace o f G o d
the everlasting K in g keep y o u in safety to reign m an y years,
and preserve us all in peace.’
W h en this letter had been read in the presence o f K in g
N echtan and m an y o f his m ore learned m en, and carefu lly
translated into their o w n tongue b y those w h o could under­
stand it, he is said to have been so grateful fo r its guidance
that he rose am ong his assembled chieftains and fell on his
knees, thanking G o d that he had been accounted w o rth y to
receive such a gift fro m England. ‘ I already k n ew that this
w as the true observance o f Easter; but I n o w understand the
reasons fo r it so clearly that m y previous k n ow led ge o f it n o w
seems to m e to have been v e r y slight. I therefore p ublicly
proclaim in the presence o f y o u all that I intend to observe
this tim e o f Easter w ith all m y people fo r ever. A n d I decree
that all the c lerg y o f m y kin gd o m shall adopt the tonsure o f
w h ich w e have n o w heard the fu ll explanation.’ T h e kin g at
once enforced his statement w ith his ro yal authority. T h e
nineteen-year cycles w ere im m ediately sent out under a public
order to all the provinces o f the Piets to be copied, learned, and
adopted, and the erroneous eigh ty-fou r year cycles w ere uni­
versally abolished. A ll the ministers o f the altar and m onks
adopted the circular tonsure, and the reform ed nation w as
327
v. 22] Egbert9s mission to Iona
glad to be placed under the direction o f Peter, the m ost blessed
Prince o f the Apostles, and secure under his protection.

chapter 2 2 : T h e m onks o f Ion a and the m onasteries under

its ju risd ictio n begin to adopt the canonical E aster at the
preach ing o f E gb ert [ a . d . 716]

lo n g afterw ards, the m onks o f the Scottish nation

N
ot
w h o lived in the Isle o f Iona, together w ith the m onas­
teries under their jurisd iction , w ere led b y G o d ’s providence
to adopt the C anonical rite o f Easter and style o f tonsure. For
in the year 7 16 , during w h ich K in g O sred w as killed and
C o en red succeeded to the govern m en t o f the N orthum b rian
kin gd om , E gb ert the b eloved o f G o d - a father and bishop to
be m entioned w ith h igh respect, o f w h o m I have already
spoken m ore than once - cam e to them fro m Ireland and w as
w elcom ed w ith honour and great jo y . B e in g a m ost persuasive
teacher w h o m ost faith fu lly practised all that he taught, he w as
given a ready hearing b y everyon e, and b y his constant devout
exhortations he w eaned them fro m the obsolete traditions o f
their ancestors, to w h o m the A p ostle’s description is applic­
ab le: ‘they had a zeal o f G od, but not according to knowledge.’ A s I
have said, he taught them to observe our c h ie f solem nity in
the C ath olic and A p ostolic m anner, w earin g the sym bol o f an
unbroken crow n . T h is seem ed to happen b y a w on derful
dispensation o f G o d ’s grace, in order that the nation w h ich
had w illin g ly and u n g ru d g in g ly laboured to com m unicate its
o w n k n o w led ge o f G o d to the English nation m igh t later,
th rou gh the same E nglish nation, arrive at a perfect w a y o f
life w h ich they had not hitherto possessed. In contrast the
Briton s, w h o had refused to share their o w n k n o w led ge o f
the Christian Faith w ith the English, continue even n o w ,
w h en the English nation believes righ tly, and is fu lly instruc­
ted in the doctrines o f the C ath olic Faith, to be obdurate and
crippled b y their errors, g o in g about w ith their heads im -
328
H e persuades the m onks to adopt the C ath olic E aster [v. 23
p rop erly tonsured, and keeping C h rist’s solem nity w ith out
fellow ship w ith the Christian C hurch.
T h ro u g h E gb ert’s teaching, the m onks o f Iona under A b b o t
D uunchad adopted C ath olic w ays o f life about eighty years
after they had sent A idan to preach to the English n ation .*
G o d ’s servant E gbert rem ained thirteen years on the island,
w here he restored the gracious light o f unity and peace to'the
C h urch and consecrated the island anew to Christ. In the year
o f our L o rd 729, during w hich our L o rd ’s Easter w as kept on
the tw en ty-fou rth o f A p ril, E gbert celebrated the solem nity
o f the Mass in honour o f our L o rd ’s Resurrection and departed
to him the same day. So he began his enjoym ent o f the greatest
o f all festivals w ith the brethren w h o m he had w o n to the
grace o f unity, and ended it w ith our L o rd , the Apostles, and
all the citizens o f heaven, w here he n o w enjoys it fo r ever.
A n d b y a w on d erful dispensation o f divine providence, the
venerable E gbert passed fro m this w o rld to the Father not
o n ly on Easter D a y , but w hen Easter w as being kept on a day
w hen it had n ever been kept before in those parts. So the
brethren had the j o y o f a sure and C ath olic k n ow led ge o f the
tim e o f Easter, and rejoiced in the protection o f their father
departed to our L ord , b y w h o m they had been converted.
Egbert h im self show ed great j o y that he had been perm itted
to live until he saw his disciples accept and keep w ith him the
Easter day that they had p reviou sly alw ays rejected. So the
m ost reverend father w as assured o f their conversion. H e
rejoiced to see the Lord's D a y : he saw it, and was glad.

chapter 2 3 : T h e present state o f the E n g lish nation and

the rest.o f B rita in [a . d . 725-31]

I
N the year o f our L o rd 725, w hich w as the seventh year o f
K in g O sric o f N orthum b ria the successor o f Coenred,
W ictred son o f K in g Egbert o f K en t died on the tw enty-third
o f A p ril, leaving the kin gd om that he had ruled fo r thirty-fo u r
329
v. 23] A year o f portents
and a h a lf years to be inherited b y his sons Ethelbert, Eadbert,
and A lric. In the fo llo w in g year B ish op Tobias o f Rochester
died. H e w as a v e r y learned m an, as I said earlier, and had been
a disciple o f A rchbishop T h eod o re and A b b o t H adrian o f
blessed m em o ry. C onsequently, in addition to his kn ow led ge
o f ecclesiastical and general literature, he understood the G reek
and Latin languages so th orou gh ly that they w ere as fam iliar
to him as his o w n native tongue. H e w as buried in the porch
o f Saint Peter the A postle, w h ich he had built w ith in the
church o f Saint A n d rew fo r his o w n burial place. H e w as
succeeded as bishop b y A ld w u lf, w h o w as consecrated b y
A rchbishop B e rtw ald .
In the year o f our L o rd 729, tw o com ets appeared around
the sun, striking terror into all w h o saw them . O ne com et
rose early and preceded the sun, w h ile the other fo llo w ed the
setting sun at evening, seem ing to portend aw fu l calam ity to
east and w est alike. O r else, since one com et w as the precursor
o f day and the other o f night, they indicated that m ankind
w as m enaced b y evils at both times. T h e y appeared in the
m onth o f Ja n u a ry , and rem ained visible fo r about a fortnight,
poin tin g their fie ry torches n orth w ard as though to set the
w elk in aflam e. A t this tim e, a sw arm o f Saracens* ravaged
G aul w ith horrible slaughter; but after a b r ie f interval in
that cou n try they paid the p enalty o f their wickedness.
D u rin g this year the m an o f G o d E gb ert departed to our L o rd
on Easter D a y as I have m entioned, and im m ediately after
Easter, on the ninth o f M a y , K in g O sric o f N orth u m b ria
departed this life after a reign o f eleven years, h avin g appoin­
ted C e o lw u lf, brother o f his predecessor C oen red, to fo llo w
him . B o th the outset and course o f C e o lw u lf Js reign w ere
filled b y so m an y grave disturbances that it is quite im possible
to k n o w w h at to w rite about them or w h at the outcom e w ill
be.
O n the ninth o f Ja n u a ry in the year o f our L o rd 7 3 1,
A rchbishop B e rtw a ld died o f old age, h avin g held the see
fo r thirty-seven years, six m onths, and fourteen days. In the
330
The present state o f Britain [v. 23
same year T atw in , fro m the p rovin ce o f M ercia, w h o had
been a priest in the m onastery o f B red on , w as m ade arch­
bishop in his place. H e w as consecrated in the city o f Canter­
bu ry on Sun day the tenth o f Ju n e b y the venerable Bishops
D aniel o f W inchester, In gw ald o f L on d on , A ld w in o f Lich­
field, and A ld w u lf o f Rochester. T a tw in w as a m an distin­
guished fo r his religion and w isdom , and extrem ely learned
in h o ly Scripture.
A t the present d a y * T a tw in and A ld w u lf preside o ver the
churches o f K e n t; In gw ald is Bish op o f the East S axon s;
A ldbert and H adulac are Bishops o f the East A n g les; D aniel
and Forthere are Bishops o f the W est S axon s; and A ld w in is
Bish op o f the M ercians. W alchstod is Bish op o f the fo lk w h o
live in the west, beyond the river S ev ern ; W ilfrid is Bish op
o f the H w ic c a s; C y n ib ert is Bish op o f the p rovin ce o f Lin d­
sey. T h e bishopric o f the Isle o f W ig h t belongs to D aniel,
Bishop o f W inchester. T h e p rovince o f the South Saxons
has n o w been w ith out a bishop fo r som e years, and seeks
the offices o f a bishop fro m the prelate o f the W est Saxons.
A ll these provinces, together w ith the others south o f the
river H u m ber and their kings, are subject to Ethelbald, K in g
o f the M ercians.
In the p rovin ce o f the N orthum brians, ruled b y C eo lw u lf,
fou r bishops hold office: W ilfrid in the church o f Y o r k , Ethel-
w ald at Lindisfam e, A cca at H exham , and Pecthelm in the
see k n o w n as T h e W h ite H o u se,* w here the num ber o f
believers has so increased that it has recently becom e an
episcopal see w ith Pecthelm as its first bishop.
A t the present tim e, the Piets have a treaty o f peace w ith
the English, and are glad to be united in C ath olic peace and
truth to the universal C h urch. T h e Scots w h o are livin g in
B ritain are content w ith their o w n territories, and do not
contem plate any raids or stratagem s against the English. T h e
Britons fo r the m ost part have a national hatred fo r the
English, and uphold their o w n bad custom s against the true
Easter o f the C ath olic C h u rch ; h o w ever, they are opposed
331
v. 24] ‘Let the multitude o f isles be glad9
b y the p o w er o f G o d and m an alike, and are pow erless to
obtain w hat they w ant. For, although in part they are inde­
pendent, they have been brought in part under subjection to
the English.
A s such peace and prosperity prevail in these days, m an y o f
the N orthum brians, both noble and sim ple, together w ith
their children, have laid aside their w eapons, p referring to
receive the tonsure and take m onastic v o w s rather than study
the arts o f w ar. W h at the result o f this w ill be the future w ill
sh o w .*
T his, then, is the present state o f all B ritain , about tw o
hundred and eig h ty -five years after the com in g o f the English
to B ritain , but seven hundred and thirty-on e years since our
L o rd ’s Incarnation. M a y the w o rld rejoice under his eternal
rule, and B ritain g lo ry in his F a ith ! Let the multitude o f isles be
glad thereof and g iv e thanks at the remembrance o f his holiness!

chapter 2 4 : A chronological sum m ary o f the w h ole book,

and a person al note on the author

s an aid to m em o ry, I have thought it helpful to m ake a

A l concise sum m ary o f events already dealt w ith at greater
length.
In the sixtieth year before the Incarnation o f ou r Lord ,
Gaius Ju liu s Caesar w as the first o f the R om an s to m ake w ar
on B ritain and w as victoriou s, but w as unable to hold the
kin gd om .
In the year o f ou r L o rd 46, C laudius w as the second o f the
R om an s to com e to B ritain and received the surrender o f the
greater part o f the island. H e also added the Isles o f O rk n ey
to the R o m an E m pire.
In the year o f our L o rd 16 7 , Eleutherus becam e B ish op o f
R o m e, and ruled the C h urch m ost gloriously fo r fifteen
years. Lucius, a k in g o f Britain , sent him a letter asking to be
m ade a C hristian, and obtained his request.
332
Synopsis [v. 24

In the year o f our L o rd 189, Severus becam e E m p ero r and

reigned seventeen years. H e fortified B ritain w ith an earth­
w o rk stretching fro m sea to sea.
In the year 3 8 1, M axim us becam e E m p ero r w h ile in
Britain . H e crossed into Gaul and killed Gratian.
In the year 409, R o m e w as taken b y the Goths, and thence­
fo rw ard R om an rule cam e to an end in Britain .
In the year 430, P ope Celestine sent Palladius to be the first
bishop to the Christian Scots.
In the year 449, M arcian becam e co-E m p ero r w ith V alen -
tinian. H e reigned seven years, during w h ich tim e the English
cam e to B ritain at the invitation o f the Britons.
In the year 538, an eclipse o f the sun occurred on the six­
teenth o f February, lasting fro m P rim e to T erce.
In the year 540, an eclipse o f the sun occurred on the twen­
tieth o f Ju n e, and the stars appeared fo r n early h a lf an hour
after the hour o f Terce.
In the year 547, Ida began his reign, w h ich lasted fo r
tw elve years. F rom him the ro yal fam ily o f the N o rth u m ­
brians derives its origin.
In the year 565, the priest C o lu m b a cam e into B ritain fro m
the land o f the Scots to teach the Piets, and built a m onastery
on the Isle o f Iona.
In the year 596, P ope G re g o ry sent A ugustine and his
m onks to B ritain to preach the w o rd o f G o d to the English
people.
In the year 597, these teachers arrived in Britain . T h is w as
about one hundred and fifty years after the com in g o f the
English to Britain.
In the year 6 0 1, P ope G re g o ry sent the pallium to Britain
fo r Augustine, w h o had already been m ade a bishop. H e also
sent several ministers o f the w o rd , including Paulinus.
In the year 603, the Battle o f Degsastan w as fought.
In the year 604, the East Saxons under K in g Sabert re­
ceived the Faith o f C hrist through A rchbishop M ellitus.
In the year 605, Pope G re g o ry died.
333
v. 24J Synopsis
In the year 606, K in g Ethelbert o f K en t died.
In the year 625, A rchbishop Justus consecrated Paulinus as
B ish op o f the N orthum brian s.
In the year 626, Eanfled, daughter o f K in g E d w in , w as
baptized on W h it Saturday w ith tw elve others.
In the year 627, K in g E d w in and his people w ere baptized
on Easter D a y .
In the year 633, K in g E d w in w as killed, and Paulinus re­
tired to K en t.
In the y ear 640, K in g E adbald o f K en t died.
In the year 642, K in g O sw ald w as killed.
In the year 644, Paulinus, first B ish o p o f Y o r k and later
B ish o p o f Rochester, departed to our L o rd .
In the year 6 5 1, K in g O sw in w as killed, and Bish op A idan
died.
In the year 653, the M id d le A n gles under Peada their
prince accepted the m ysteries o f the Faith.
In the year 655, Penda w as slain, and the M ercians becam e
Christians.
In the year 664 an eclipse occurred. K in g Earconbert o f
K en t died, and Bish op C o lm an returned to his o w n land
w ith the Scots. A plague cam e. C h ad and W ilfrid w ere con­
secrated Bishops o f the N orthum brians.
In the year 668, T h eod o re w as consecrated bishop.
In the year 670, K in g O s w y o f the N orthum brians died.
In the year 673, K in g E gb ert o f K en t died. A synod w as
held at H ertford in the presence o f K in g E g fiid under the
presidency o f A rchbishop T h eod ore. It w as valuable, and
enacted ten canons.
In the year 675, W u lfh e re , K in g o f the M ercians, died after
a reign o f seventeen years, and left the throne to his brother
Ethelred.
In the year 676, Ethelred ravaged K en t.
In the year 678, a com et appeared. Bish op W ilfrid w as
expelled fro m his see b y K in g E g fr id : B osa, Eata, and Eadhaed
w e re consecrated bishops in his place.
334
Synopsis [v. 24

In the year 679, E lfw in w as killed.

In the year 680, a synod w as held in the plain o f H atfield
under the presidency o f A rchbishop T h eod o re to affirm the
C ath olic F aith : Jo h n , an abbot fro m R o m e, attended. Abbess
H ilda died at Streanaeshalch.
In the year 685, E g frid , K in g o f the N orthum brians, w as
killed. K in g H lothere o f K en t died.
In the year 688, C ad w alla, K in g o f the W est Saxons, left
B ritain fo r R o m e.
In the year 690, A rchbishop T h eod o re died.
In the year 697, Q ueen O sthryd w as killed b y her o w n
people, the M ercian chieftains.
In the year 698, Bertred , the royal com m ander o f the
N orthum brians, w as killed b y the Piets.
In the year 704, Ethelred becam e a m on k after rulin g the
M ercians fo r thirty years, and resigned the kin gd o m to
Coenred.
In the year 705, K in g A ld frid o f the N orthum brians died.
In the year 709, C oen red, K in g o f the M ercians, after a
reign o f fiv e years, w en t to R o m e.
In the year 7 1 1 , the ealdorm an B e rtfrid fough t against the
Piets.
In the year 7 16 , O sred, K in g o f the N orthum brians, w as
killed, and C eolred, K in g o f the M ercians, died. T h e m an o f
G od E gbert converted the m onks o f Iona to the C ath olic
Easter and the canonical tonsure.
In the year 725, K in g W ic tred o f K en t died.
In the year 729, com ets appeared: the h o ly E gb ert departed
this life : O sric died.
In the year 7 3 1 , A rch bishop B e rtw a ld died. In the same
year, the fifteenth o f the reign o f K in g Ethelbald o f the
M ercians, T a tw in w as consecrated ninth A rchbishop o f
C anterbury.

335
 Autobiographical Note
i t h G o d ’s help, I, B ed e, the servant o f Christ and

W priest o f the m onastery o f the blessed apostles Peter

and Paul at W earm ou th and Ja r r o w , have assembled these
facts about the history o f the C h urch in Britain , and o f the
C h urch o f the E nglish in particular, so far as I have been able
to ascertain them fro m ancient w ritin gs, fro m the traditions
o f our forebears, and fro m m y o w n personal kn ow ledge.
I w as b o m on the lands o f this m onastery, and on reaching
seven years o f age, I w as entrusted b y m y fam ily first to the
m ost reverend A b b o t Benedict and later to A b b o t C eo lfrid
fo r m y education. I have spent all the rem ainder o f m y life
in this m onastery and devoted m y se lf entirely to the study o f
the Scriptures. A n d w hile I have observed the regular dis­
cipline and sung the choir offices d aily in church, m y ch ief
delight has alw ays been in study, teaching, and w ritin g.
I w as ordained deacon in m y nineteenth year, and priest
in m y thirtieth, receiving both these orders at the hands o f
the m ost reverend Bish op Jo h n at the direction o f A b b o t
C eo lfrid . F rom the tim e o f m y receiving the priesthood until
m y fifty-n in th year, I have w o rk ed , both fo r m y o w n benefit
and that o f m y brethren, to com pile short extracts fro m the
w o rk s o f the venerable Fathers on H o ly Scripture and to
com m ent on their m eaning and interpretation. These books
are as fo llo w s:
The Beginning of Genesis, up to the birth o f Isaac and
Ishm ael’s rejection: fo u r B o o k s.
The Tabernacle: its vessels and priestly vestm ents: three
B o o k s.
The First Part ofSamuel, up to the death o f S a u l: three B o o k s.
On the Building of the Temple: an allegorical interpretation
like the others: tw o B o o k s.
Thirty Questions on the Books of Kings.
On the Proverbs of Solomon: three B o o ks.
On the Song of Songs: seven B o o k s.
On Isaiah, Daniel, The Twelve Prophets, and part ofJeremiah,
w ith chapter headings taken fro m blessed Je ro m e ’ s Treatise.
336
 Autobiographical Note
On E z ra and N ehem iah: three B o o k s.
O n the Song o f H abakkuk: one B o o k .
O n the Book o f the blessedfather Tobias: an allegorical inter­
pretation on C hrist and the C h u rc h : one B o o k .
Chapters o f Readings on the Pentateuch o f M oses, Joshua, and
Ju d ges.
O n the Books o f K ings and Chronicles.
On the Book o f the blessedfath er Jo b .
On Proverbs, Ecclesiastesy and the Song o f Songs.
O n the Prophets Isaiahy E z ra , and N ehem iah.
On the G ospel o f M a rk : fo u r B o o k s.
O n the G ospel o f L u k e: six B o o k s.
H om ilies on the G ospel: tw o B o o k s.
O n the A postle: in w h ich I have carefully transcribed in
order w hatever I have foun d on the subject in the w o rk s o f
Saint Augustine.
On the Acts o f the A postles: tw o B o o k s.
On the Seven Catholic E p istles: one B o o k on each.
On the Apocalypse o f Saint Jo h n : three B o o k s.
A lso, Chapters o f Readings fro m all the N e w Testam ent
except the Gospel.
A lso, a bo ok o f Letters to various persons, including one on
the six ages o f the w o rld ; on the dw ellings o f the children o f
Israel; on Isaiah’s saying, 'A n d they shall be shut up in the
prison, and after many days shall they be visited9: on the reason
fo r the bissextile y e a r; and on A natolius’ explanation o f the
equinox.
A lso, The Histories o f the Saints. I have translated Paulinus’
m etrical w o rk on the L ife and Sufferings o f the confessor Saint
F e lix into prose. A n d I have corrected, to the best o f m y
ability, the sense o f a b o ok on The L ife and Sufferings o f Saint
Anastasius, w h ich had been bad ly translated fro m the G reek,
and w orse am ended b y som e unskilful person. I have also
w ritten the L ife o f our father, the h o ly m onk and Bishop
Cuthbert, first in heroic verse and later in prose.
I have w ritten in tw o books The H istory o f the Abbots Bene-
T — h . e . c .— n 337
 Autobiographical Note
diet, Ceolfrid, and Hwaetbert, rulers o f this m onastery in w h ich
I delight to serve the D iv in e Goodness.
The Church History o f ou r island and p e o p le : in fiv e B o o k s.
A Martyrology o f the feast-days o f the h o ly m artyrs: in
w h ich I have carefu lly tried to record everythin g I cou ld
learn not o n ly o f the date, but also b y w h at kin d o f com bat
and under w h at ju d g e th ey overcam e the w o rld .
A Book o f Hymns in various m etres o r rhythm s.
A Book of Epigrams in heroic o r elegiac verse.
On the Nature o f Things, and On Times: a b o o k on each, and
one larger b o o k On Times.
A B o o k on Orthography, arranged in alphabetical order.
A B o o k on The Art o f Poetry, w ith a sm all w o rk appended
On Tropes and Figures; that is, the figu res and m anners o f
speech foun d in h o ly scripture.

*I

p r a y y o u , n oble Jesu , that as Y o u have graciously

I granted m e jo y fiilly to im b ib e the w o rd s o f Y o u r k n o w ­
ledge, so Y o u w ill also o f Y o u r b o u n ty grant m e to com e at
len gth to Y o u rse lf, the Foun t o f all w isd om ,
and to d w ell in Y o u r presence
fo r ever.

338
 NOTES

p. 33 King Ceolwulf, a man o f considerable learning, resigned his

throne in a . d . 737 and became a monk at Lindisfame.
p. 33 Bede’s authorities. Albinus succeeded Hadrian as Abbot o f
the monastery o f S. Peter and S. Paul, Canterbury, circa a . d .
709. He died c. a . d . 732.
Nothelm appears to have visited Rome to examine the
papal archives during the pontificate o f Gregory II (a . d . 7 15 -
731). As this pope had been librarian o f the Roman Church
before his elevation, he would have been well qualified to
direct Nothelm’s researches. Nothelm became Archbishop
o f Canterbury in a . d . 735, and died c. a . d . 736.
p. 37 In his early chapters, Bede quotes from earlier authorities such
as Orosius and Pliny. His statements here are not based on
his own observations.
p. 38 The Scots. When Bede refers to the Scots, it should be remem­
bered that he is speaking o f the people o f Ireland (Hibernia).
These emigrated in large numbers to the northern parts o f
Britain between the second and fifth centuries,
p. 42 Claudius’ purpose in annexing the Orkneys was to counter
attacks on the island o f Britain from the north. In the ninth
century, they were to become an important base o f operations
for the Scandinavian invaders.
p. 48 In brief, the Arian heresy denied the reality o f the divine
nature in Christ. It takes its name from Arius, its propagator,
whose false teachings were condemned by the Church at the
Council o f Nicaea in a . d . 325.
p. 49 Pelagianism, ‘ the British heresy’, denied the reality o f original
sin, and affirmed that man could attain perfection by his own
efforts, unaided by the grace o f God. This misconception is
still strong today!
p. 53 Bede makes no mention o f the mission o f S. Patrick, who
339
 Notes
was also sent by Pope Celestine. The origins o f Christianity
in Ireland remain very uncertain.
p. 68 Indictions were cycles o f fifteen years. Bede says elsewhere o f
this system: ‘ I f you wish to find the indiction, take the year
o f our Lord, add three, and divide by fifteen: the remainder
gives you the indiction o f the current year.’
p.69 The Anglo-Saxon ‘ hide’ was originally the amount o f land
necessary to support one family. As the quality o f land varied
from place to place, the term was elastic, and there was no
uniform measurement for the hide throughout England.
p. 72 Gregory refers to clergy in minor orders. Marriage was for­
bidden to those in major orders: i.e. subdeacon, deacon, and
priest, although celibacy does not seem to have been enforced
in the earlier centuries; e.g., S. Patrick was son o f a deacon.
P. 76 Thc pallium. An ornament granted by the Pope to archbishops
as a mark o f dignity and authority. It can be seen in the arms
o f the See o f Canterbury, and takes the form o f a circular
white stole worn on the shoulders, with a pendant front and
back, marked with four crosses. It is made o f lamb’s w ool
woven in the convent o f S. Agnes at Rome. It was originally
an Imperial mark o f favour and adopted by the popes, who
made it an essential mark o f authority, without which no
archbishop could exercise jurisdiction.
P. 86 Relics o f die saints are sealed into the altar o f a church during
the ceremony o f its consecration. Bede tells how many bishops
were indefatigable collectors o f relics for this purpose.
P. 9 0 Gregory is referring to the current expectation that the end
o f the world would come in the year A.D . 10 0 0 (see Revelation
xx, 2-7).
P. 91 Christ Church, Canterbury, predecessor o f the present Cathe­
dral. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that it was con­
secrated on June 9, the feast o f S. Primus and S. Felician,
probably in the year a . d . 603.
P. 101 It is often forgotten that the Christian Church was firmly
established in Britain several centuries before the mission o f
Augustine, and its bishops naturally looked askance at the
newcomer’s claim to supreme authority. The origins o f the
Celtic Church are veiled in the mists o f antiquity, and offer a
fascinating field for valuable research. Glastonbury claimed to
have been founded by Joseph o f Arimathaea, and die Celtic
340
 Notes
saints and bishops had certainly evangelized large areas o f
Britain by an earlier date than is generally realized. But, as
Augustine foretold, their refusal to attempt the conversion o f
the Saxon invaders resulted in the ultimate decay o f Celtic
influence and customs.
p. 102 The Paschal question long remained a matter o f dispute be­
tween the Roman and Celtic Churches, and was finally
settled for Northumbria in favour o f the former at the
Council o f W hitby in a .d. 664. Bede often speaks with deep
disapproval o f Celtic obstinacy. While no fundamental doc­
trinal issues were at stake, these differences caused consider­
able confusion. Bede mentions (III. 25) how King Oswy o f
Northumbria was celebrating Easter in accordance with the
Celtic customs, while his queen was still fasting and observ­
ing Palm Sunday.
p. 108 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle retrospectively calls these seven
kings ‘ Bretwalda’.
p. 11 2 The Four Crowned Martyrs - Quatuor Coronati - were
Severus, Severianus, Victorianus, and Carpophorus. Their
church on the Caelian Hill, Rome, is mentioned as early as
the time o f Gregory I.
p. 126 The question o f the national religion was evidently debated
upon in the Witenagemot. Coifi’s entirely materialistic rea­
sons for a change o f religion show that mass conversions were
seldom sincere or lasting. This was borne out by the wide­
spread apostasy which followed Edwin’s death.
P. 128 All native buildings in Britain at this period were o f timber or
wattle. Building in stone was a craft learned mainly through
Roman influence, and in many cases masons and architects
were brought over from Gaul, as in the case o f Benedict
Biscop’s church at Wearmouth.
p. 132 The Tufa was a standard o f Roman origin, and took the form
o f a winged globe mounted on a spear. It was perhaps
adopted as the personal standard o f the Bretwalda or High-
King o f Britain.
p. 136 Most o f the Scottish Church leaders to whom this letter was
addressed can be identified: Tomianus (Tomene) was Abbot
and Bishop o f Armagh; Columbanus (Colman), Abbot and
Bishop o f Clonard; Cromanus (Cronan), Abbot o f Nendrum;
Dimnaus (Dima), probably Bishop o f Connor; Baithanus
341
 Notes
(Baeithin), Bishop o f Tibohinc; Cromanus (Cronan), Abbot
o f M ovilla; Emianus (S. Eman), Abbot o f Tory Island;
Laistranus (Laisren), Abbot o f Leighlin or (alternatively) o f
H olywood; Scellanus (Sillan), Bishop o f Devenish; Segenus
(Seghine), Abbot o f Iona; Saranus (Saran U a Critain).
P. 138 Cadwalla, otherwise Cadwallon, was King o f Gwynedd,
the leader o f the Welsh in the struggle against the Angles,
and Edwin’s most dangerous antagonist.
P. 145 The Scots monastery on the island o f Hii (Iona) was founded
by S. Columba, and became a centre o f intense spiritual
activity, from which the Celtic missionaries carried the light
o f the Gospel far and wide in Britain. It was often known as
I Columb-kill, i.e. the island o f Columb’s Cell.
P. 146 S. Ninian, a native o f North Wales, was a redoubtable oppo­
nent o f his fellow-countryman the heretic Pelagius. He was a
great scholar and traveller, and corresponded with S. Martin
o f Tours, to whom he dedicated his church after the latter’s
death c. a . d . 400. According to Ailred, Martin sent him
masons from Gaul to build his stone church at Whithorn
in Galloway (Candida Casa). His diocese seems to have ex­
tended from the neighbourhood o f Glasgow to the borders
o f Westmorland.
P. 146 The amazing life and labours o f S. Columba were recorded
sixty years after his death by Adamnan, Abbot o f Iona from
a . d . 657 to 669. Columba is said to have died on June 7, A .D .
597, the year o f S. Augustine’s landing in K en t
p. 147 The Celtic Church was organized on a tribal and monastic
basis rather than diocesan. The abbot o f a monastery exer­
cised ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the provincia, while the
bishop, who was a member o f the monastic community,
exercised his episcopal functions at the behest o f the abbot.
The abbot him self- like S. Columba - was not o f necessity a
bishop, and did not exercise episcopal functions such as ordi­
nation. Bede, as a supporter o f the Roman diocesan system,
disapproved o f the Celtic custom,
p. 151 Haeddi was bishop from a . d . 676 to 703 (or 705). The original
cathedral at Winchester was built by Coenwalh, and was
consecrated in a . d . 648.
p. 153 Faremoutier-en-Brie, founded by S. Fara, a disciple o f S.
Columban, in a . d . 617..
342
 Notes
p. 153 Those already established included Canterbury, Lindisfame,
Bury St Edmunds, Melrose, and Malmesbury,
p. 154 This was a double monastery o f monks and nuns, each living
in their own enclosure. The arrangement was later adopted
in Britain in such houses at Ely and Whitby, but fell into
disuse after the Danish invasions.
p. 16 1 In a . d . 875 the monks, fearing the Danes, abandoned Lindis­
fame, and took away with them the body o f S. Cuthbert and
the head o f King Oswald. After a series o f temporary resting-
places, these were eventually deposited at Durham,
p. 162 Acca, who became Bishop o f Hexham in a . d . 709, was a
close friend o f Bede, and several o f the latter’s books are
dedicated to him.
p. 170 This has sometimes been claimed as the origin o f the Uni­
versity o f Cambridge, but the school was probably at Dun-
wich. The schools at Canterbury were probably founded by
S. Augustine, and were the predecessors o f those established
by Theodore,
p. 170 Bury St Edmunds,
p. 172 Burgh Castle, near Yarmouth,
p. 175 Lagny, on the Marne.
p. 176 The Gyrwas’ province included parts o f Northants, Hunts,
Lincoln, and Cambridge. The Book o f Ely says: ‘ The Gyr-
was are all the southern Angles living in the great fen in which
lies the Isle o f Ely.’
p. 177 At-W all: probably Walton or Walbottle, near Newcastle,
p. 177 The see was first established at Repton. S. Chad later moved
it to Lichfield, where it remains to this day.
p. 179 Ythancaestir was probably Othona, a Roman military settle­
ment in Essex (now St Peter’s on the Wall),
p. 184 W hitby was a double foundation for monks and nuns, ruled
by an abbess. The princess became co-abbess with her mother
Queen Eanfled, who probably retired here soon after
O swy’s death. Aelffled was a friend o f S. Cuthbert. W ilfrid
owed much to her support in his troubles, and Eddi des­
cribes her as ‘ a very wise woman, the best o f comforters
and counsellors in the whole province’,
p. 192 S. Aldhelm employs the same argument with King
Gerontius o f Cornwall. ‘ I f the keys o f the kingdom o f
Heaven were entrusted to Peter, how can anyone who dis-
343
 Notes
regards the law o f die church hope to enter the gates o f
paradise?’
P. 193 The case for the Roman style o f tonsure is presented in
Ceolfrid’s letter to King Nechtan (Bede, V . 21). The claim
that it originated with S. Peter is, o f course, unhistorical It
seems to have been adopted as a sign o f monastic profession
in the early centuries, and in the fifth century it became also
the mark o f all clerics. The Roman clergy shaved the crown,
and left a circle o f hair around the head above the temples, in
memory o f our Lord’s crown o f thorns. The Celtic clergy
shaved the front o f the head, and allowed the hair to grow at
the back. Their Roman opponents denounced this as the
tonsure o f Simon Magus.
P# 196 Egbert became Abbot o f Iona in A .D . 716. See Bede. V . 22.
P. 197 Clothair EH, King o f Neustria.
P. 197 These bishops were probably Cornish. This fact is o f interest,
as it indicates the beginning o f cooperation between the
Celtic and English bishops. Hitherto their relations had been
distant and strained by the mutual hostility between the two
races, and by the refusal o f the British bishops to submit to
the claims and customs o f the Roman Church.
p. 204 N ot far from S. Benedict’s Abbey o f Monte Cassino.
p. 206 This statement is incorrect. Prior to W ilfrid’s consecration,
there had been five bishops o f English birth whose ortho­
doxy was unquestioned — Ithamar, Thomas, Boniface,
Deusdedit, and Damian.
p. 207 On his reconsecration, Chad was translated to Mercia. The
grounds o f Theodore’s doubt on the validity o f Chad’s con­
secration appear to have been (1) That he had been conse­
crated to a see that was not vacant. (2) That two British
bishops not in communion with Rome had taken part in his
consecration.
P. 212 In a . d . 1148, the relics o f S. Chad were translated to
Lichfield.
P. 213 M ayo. Alcuin later wrote to these monks as ‘ exiles for love
o f Christ’s N am e’ and said: ‘ The great light o f your leaning
has spread far and wide throughout the land. . . let your light
shine among that barbarous nation like a star in the western
skies.’ It is noteworthy that, whereas the Irish had formerly
taught the English, the roles now seem to be reversed. U p to
344
 Notes
a late date, M ayo was known as Magheo na Saxon - M ayo o f
the Saxons.
P. 213 This refers to the abandonment o f Celtic customs, and the
adoption o f Roman.
P. 2 17 Aecci was appointed to the original See o f Dunwich c. a . d .
673; Bedwin to the See o f Elmham in Norfolk.
P. 219 The morning Offices o f Matins and Lauds were sung before
dawn.
P. 225 St Paul's, London.
P. 227 That is, those Piets north o f the Forth who were tributary to
the kingdom o f Northumbria. In 685 they repudiated their
allegiance, and Bishop Trumwin had to abandon his see at
Abercom and retire to Whitby.
P .2 2 7 The eastern part o f Hampshire: the name is preserved in
Meonstoke.
P. 234 The heresy o f Eutyches was Monophysite, i.e. a denial o f the
coexistence o f two perfect natures, divine and human, in our
Lord. This heresy, together with Monotheletism, was finally
condemned by the sixth General Council at Constantinople,
a . d . 680-81. To prepare for this Council, Pope Agatho
called a synod in Rome in a . d . 680, to which Archbishop
Theodore was invited. In his absence, Wilfrid, already in
Rome on his personal affairs, vouched for the orthodoxy o f
the northern provinces.
p. 235 The first Lateran Council, A .D . 649.
p.238 S. Etheldreda (Audrey). Her life is included in Thomas o f
Ely’s Historia Eliensis. Her feast day is Oct. 17.
p. 239 Sexburga had received the veil from Archbishop Theodore
in Sheppey, where she founded a large convent o f nuns.
p .2 4 0 Grantchester, near Cambridge, was a Roman settlement,
and this sarcophagus was doubtless o f Roman origin.
p. 243 Blood-feuds could be averted by the payment o f compensa­
tion (wergeld) by the offending party to the family o f the
deceased. The sum payable was based on a recognized scale,
and depended on the status o f the dead man, whether royal,
noble, free, or slave.
p. 244 A similar story is told in the Life o f S . Cadoc.
P. 253 The Holy Sacrament was evidently reserved for the use o f
the sick in the Infirmary o f the monastery.
345
 Notes
P. 257 The Battle o f Nechtansmere (Dunnichen Moss, Forfar), a . d .
685.
P. 271 Later known as S. John o f Beverley. He ordained Bede
deacon and priest.
P. 279 Among other rites at Baptism, which was normally adminis­
tered at Easter and Whitsun, the newly baptized was given
a white robe, which symbolized his purification. This was
worn until the Sunday after Easter, known as Dominica in albis
depositis- i.e. the Sunday when the white robe is laid aside.
P. 283 Meaning that they had turned aside from the true faith.
P. 285 Wilbrord was bom in Northumbria c. a . d . 657. His father
became a hermit near the mouth o f the Humber, and en­
trusted the child to the monks o f Ripon. In a . d . 677, W il­
brord crossed to Ireland, and remained with Egbert and
W igbert for twelve years. In a . d . 690, he landed at the mouth
o f the Rhine, and travelled to Utrecht, where he found all
the Frisians heathen. After an arduous and successful aposto-
late, he died and was buried at Echtemach in a . d . 738.
P. 299 Adamnan was ninth Abbot o f Iona, which he ruled a . d . 679-
704. He wrote the famous Life o f S . Columba.
P. 304 Bede mentions Daniel in his Preface as the source o f his in­
formation about the growth o f the Church in Wessex,
Sussex, and the Isle o f Wight.
P. 304 S. Aldhelm, a learned writer and an energetic missionary,
was connected with the royal family o f Wessex. He became
a monk at Malmesbury, a bishop in a . d . 705, and died in
A .D . 709. He is said to have been a talented harpist, and to
have composed sacred songs to interest and instruct the
simple people, which King Alfred considered the best extant
English poetry.
P. 306 Bede had plenty o f material to draw upon for the life o f
Wilfrid. Aedde (Eddi), one o f W ilfrid’s cantors, had already
written his life, while Bede himself had personal acquain­
tance with Wilfrid, and had doubtless learned much from
him. Bede evidently has the warmest admiration for W ilfrid’s
zeal and courage, but less for the autocratic and uncompro­
mising spirit that involved him in so many quarrels.
P. 3 0 9 In preparation for the sixth General Council which took
place at Constantinople from N ov. a . d . 680 to Sept. 681,
Pope Agatho summoned the leaders o f the Western Church
346
 Notes
to a synod in Rome in March a . d . 6 8 o . Archbishop Theodore
did not attend, but held a council at Hatfield, which re­
affirmed the loyalty o f the English Church to the Catholic
Faith. Meanwhile Wilfrid, who was already in Rome to
appeal for the Pope’s support against his expulsion from his
bishopric, was invited to sit at the synod and to vouch for
the orthodoxy o f the English Church.
329 Aidan’s mission probably began in a . d . 635, so the Iona
monks adopted Catholic practices about a . d . 716.
330 The Saracens or Moors overran Spain between a . d . 710 and
713, and crossed the Pyrenees to plunder the rich provinces
o f France. In 732 they suffered a severe defeat at the hands o f
Charles Martel at the battle o f Tours, and were thus pre­
vented from establishing a grasp on France such as they had
on Spain. In his theological works, Bede regards the
Saracens as the type o f all enemies o f the Christian Faith -
‘ sons o f Ishmael, whose hand is against every man’.
P. 331 When Bede completed his history in a . d . 731, there were
seventeen Saxon sees: In the Kingdom o f Kent; Canterbury
and Rochester. In Northumbria: York, Lindisfame, Hex­
ham, and Whithorn. In Mercia: Lichfield, Worcester, Here­
ford, Dorchester, Lindsey. In the East Saxon Kingdom:
London. In East Anglia: Dunwich and Elmham. In Wessex:
Winchester and Sherborne. In Sussex: Selsey.
p. 331 The White House, or Candida Casa, was at Whithorn in
Galloway. Pecthelm, who had been one o f Aldhelm’s monks,
became the first bishop under a Saxon Dynasty. But, as Bede
himself mentions (HI. 4), the see had been founded by S.
Ninian. Tribal wars and the Saxon invasions, however,
probably caused several interruptions in the succession o f
bishops between Ninian and Pecthelm.
p. 332 Bede had become alarmed at the large numbers o f men and
women entering monasteries for unworthy or improper
reasons (see IV. 25). In a letter to his friend Bishop Egbert,
he calls attention to the fact that some did so in order to evade
their proper obligations to the community, and not to five a
life o f religion. He suggests that any houses where this abuse
was countenanced should be suppressed as ‘ useless to God
and man’, and their endowments diverted to increase the
inadequate number o f bishoprics.
347
I . KENT W ic tg ils

Hengist Horsa

Oise

Octa
G E N E A L O G IE S O F
Irminric E N G L IS H K IN G S
Ethelbert I

Eadbald

Earconbert
______ !___
Egbert Hlothere

Edric Wictred
i__________________

Eadbert Ethelbert II Alric

2 . EAST SAXONS
Sledda = Ricula (sister o f Ethelbert I o f Kent)

Sabert Sexbald

i L~i
Sexred
Saeward i
l
H Sebbi
Sigbert I
-i '
Sigbald

Sighere Sighard Swefred Sigbert II Swidhelm

3 - EAST ANGLES W u fi

Tytila

X = (wife)= Red wald Fni

Sigbert Earpwald Raegenhere Anna Ethelhere Ethelwald

Egric (kinsman o f Sigbert) A ldw ulf

4 . MERCIANS I
Penda

W ulfhere Ethelred j
I I !
Coenred Ceolred Ethelbald

5. NORTHUMBRIANS
(Kings o f Deira) (Kings o f Bemicia)

Yffi Ida

Elfric Aelle Ethelric

1
Osric Coenburg= Edwin = Ethelberga Acha=Ethelfrid

Oswin Oslrid Edfrid Eanfled= O sw y = X Eanfrid Oswald

Yffi Alchfrid Ejgfrid Elfwin Aldfrii

:rid Ethelwald
I
Osric Osred

Note that Edwin’s first wife Coenburg was daughter o f a Mercian

king Cearl, whose connexion with the preceding genealogy is not
dear; his second wife Ethelberga was daughter o f Ethelbert I o f Kent.
6. WESTSAXONS
The genealogy o f these kings, m ainly derived from sources other than
Bede, is too complicated to justify its inclusion here.
 IN D E X
The following abbreviations are used: ab. abbot; archb. archbishop;
b. bishop; br. brother; d. daughter; £. East; k. king; M. Middle;
N. North; n. note; q. queen; S. South; s. son; W. West.
Aaron, British martyr, 47
Abercom (Abercumig) [Linlith­
gowshire, Scotland], 52, 258
Acca, b. of Hexham, 162, 229, 311,
313,331
Acha, sister of Edwin, 151
Adamnan, ab. of Iona, 299-303,
326-7
Adamnan, monk of Coldingham,
254-6
Adda, priest, 177
Addi, thane, 275-6
Aecci, b. among E. Angles, 217
Aelffied, d. of Oswy, 183, 258
Aelle, k. of Deira, 100
Aelle, k. of S. Saxons, 107
Aenhere, a ruler of Hwiccas, 227
Aesica, boy reared in Barking
nunnery, 219-20
Aedus, Roman patrician, 54, 65
Aetla, b. of Dorchester, 247
Africa, 188, 204
Agatho, Pope, 236-7, 309-11
Agatho, priest, 187
Agilbert, b. of W. Saxons, 152-3,
187-8,197, 205, 225, 308
Agricola, Pelagian preacher, 58
Aidan, b. of Lindisfame, 144-5,
164-70, 185-6, 193-4, 198, 246,
260, 329, 334
Aidan, k. of Scots in Britain,
92
Alaric, k. of W. Goths, 50
Alban, martyr, 44-7, 61, 64
353
Albinus, ab. of Canterbury, 33-4,
3i 3
Albion, former name of Britain, 37
Alchfled, d. of Oswy, 176
Alchfrid, k. of Northumbrians, 177,
183, 187, 197, 308
Aldbert, b. among E. Angles, 331
Aldfrid, k. of Northumbrians, 258,
271, 279, 294, 299, 300, 303, 310,
312, 326
Aldgils, k. of Frisians, 309
Aldhelm, ab. of Malmesbury, 304
AJdwin, ab. of Partney, 159
Aldwin, b. of Lichfield, 331
Aldwulf, b. of Rochester, 330-31
Aldwulf, k. of E. Angles, 130, 234,
246
Alexandria [in Egypt], 300, 323
Allectus, ruler of Britain, 44
‘Alleluia victory’, 62-3
almsgiving, 72, 148-50, 165, 245,
265, 289, 292
Alne, river [Northumberland], 262
Alric, s. of Wictred, 330
Ambleteuse [Pas-de-Calais], France,
92
Ambrosius Aurelianus, Romano-
British leader, 57-8
Anatolius, b. of Laodicea, 145,
190-91, 337
Andelys, Les [Eure, France], 154
Andhun, S. Saxon ealdorman, 232
Andrew, monk recommended as
archb. of Canterbury, 204
 Index
Angles, East, 34-5, 56,171-2; bish­
ops of, 131, 176, 217; kings of,
107,130,152,170-71,183,246
Angles, English, 56; church (chur­
ches) of, 73-5, 106, 234, 237,
281, 310, 336; language of, 38,
66, 145, 150, 250-51, 272, 282,
313; origin of, 56
Angles, Middle, 56, 176-7, 184,
212, 226, 248
Anglesey [Wales], 108, 114
Angulus [Angeln in Schleswig,
N.W. Germany], 56
Anna, k. of E. Angles, 152, 154,
171-2, 180, 183, 238
Annemund, archb. of Lyons, 307m
apathy of our times, 148
Aquileia, Italy, 49
Arculf, b. of (?) Plrigueux, 300
Arius, heresy of, 48, 235
Arles [Bouches-du-Rh6ne, France],
67, 71. 84, 205
Armorica [Brittany], 38, 65
Arwald, k. of Wight, 233
Asterius, called b. of Genoa (1recte
archb. of Milan), 151
Attila, k. of Huns, 54
Augustine, b. of Canterbury,
66-92, 98, 100-105, 261, 333
Augustine, b. of Hippo, 49, 337
Augustine’s Oak (?;, 101
Augustus, Emperor, 41
Auxerre [Yonne, France], 58
Badon Hill (?), 58
Baduthegn, lay brother of Lindis-
fame, 267-8
Badwin, b. among E. Angles, 217
Baeithin, Irish b., 136, 341
Baldhild, q. of W. Franks, 308
Bamburgh [Northumberland], 150,
161, 167
Bangor [Flint], 102-3
baptism, 62, 71, 76-7, 102, 109,
128-30,145,182,227,229,278-9
Bardney [Lines.], 158,161
Barking, Essex, 218-23
Barwe [? Barrow, Lines.], 208, 217
Bassus, Northumbrian thane, 139
354
baths, 38
Bebba, q. of Northumbrians, 150,
167
Bede, monk ofJarrow: experiences
of, 39, 211, 336-8; informants of,
33-5. 132, 156, 161-2, 167, 169,
196, 211, 229, 238, 245, 256,
268, 270-71, 297; verses of, 242;
writings of, 31511., 336-8
Begu* nun of Hackness, 249
Benedict Biscop, ab. of Wear-
mouth, 236, 307, 336-7
Bemida (Northumberland etc.),
129 ,14 1, 143 ,146,150,164,184,
226, 298
Bemwini, nephew of Wilfrid, 233
Bert, Northumbrian ealdorman,
257
Bertfrid, Northumbrian ealdorman,
335
Bertgils (Boniface), b. of E. Angles,
176, 217
Bertha, q. of Kent, 69, 108
Berthun, ab. of Beverley, 271-6
Berthun, S. Saxon ealdorman, 232
Bertred, Northumbrian ealdorman,
335
Bertwald, archb. of Canterbury,
105, 282, 287, 312, 330, 335
Bethlehem, Palestine, description
of, 300-301
Betti, English priest, 177
Beverley (Derawuda), Yorks., 271,
279
Birinus, b. of W. Saxons, 151,
225
bishops: consecration of, 71, 75,
104, 114, 134* 153 . I 79 t 197-8,
204, 207,216, 227, 263, 282, 309;
duties of, 72, 148, 165, 198, 208,
215-16, 229, 263, 287
Bisi, b. of E. Angles, 214, 217
Blaecca, reeve of Lincoln, 131
Boisil, prior of Melrose, 259, 262,
283
Boniface (Bertgils), b. of E. Angles,
176,217
Boniface, papal counsellor, 307,310
Boniface IV, Pope, 106-7
 Index
Boniface V, Pope, 111-14, 117-22,
133
Boructuars (Bructeri), German
tribe [in Westphalia], 282, 287
Bosa, b. of York, 226, 247, 273-4.
314 . 334
Bosel, b. of Hwiccas, 248
Bosham [Sussex], 228
Bothelm, monk of Hexham, 143-4
Boulogne [Pas-de-Calais, France],
37,92
Bredon [Worcs.], 331
Breguswith, mother of Hilda, 248
Bride, k. of Piets, 146
Brie[Faremoutiers, Seine-et-Mame,
France], 153-4
Britain: account of, 37-8, 331-2;
governed by Romans, 40-50,
332-3; invaded by Angles etc.,
55- 7, 206, 333
Britons: clergy of, 86, 100-103,
106, 197; conversion of, 42; cus­
toms of, 55, 304; language of, 38,
150; origin of, 38; unwilling to
convert English, 66, i02r-4, 138,
328; war of, with the English,
56- 7, 92,138, 331-2
Brittany (Armorica), 38, 65
Brocmail, British leader, 103
Burgh Castle (Cnobheresburg)
[Norfolk], 172
Burghelm, priest, 227
Burgundians, region of, 131
Cadwalla, k. of Britons, 138,141-2,
155
Cadwalla, k. of W. Saxons, 225,
232-3,279-81, 335
Caedmon, poet, 250-53
Caelin, br. of Cedd, 180, 182
Caelin (Ceaulin), k. of W. Saxons,
107
Caerleon [Mon.], 47m
Caesar, Gaius Julius, 40-41, 332
Campania [in Italy], 49-50, 204
Campodunum [?Slack, Yorks.],
130
Candida Casa: see Whithorn
Candidus, priest, 68
355
Canterbury, 34,70-71.112,139-40,
153, 170. 197. 203-7, 281, 331;
archbishops of, 71-2, 91, 105,
h i , 134, 203-4, 281-2
Carausius, ruler of Britain, 43-4
Carlisle (Lugubalia) [Cumberland],
264
Cassobellaunus (Cassivellaunus),
British chief, 41
Catterick [Yorks.], 130, 139, 164
Cearl, k. of Mercians, 129
Cedd, b. of E. Saxons, 34, 177-82,
187-8, 197, 212
Celestine, Pope, 53. 333
Ceolfrid, ab. of Monkwearmouth
and Jarrow, 236, 315, 336, 338
Ceollach, b. of M. Angles and Mer­
cians, 177, 184
Ceolred, k. of Mercians, 305, 335
Ceolwulf, k. of Northumbrians, 33,
330-31
Cerdic, k. of Britons, 248
Chad, b. of Mercians, 34, 182, 185,
197-8, 207-12, 309, 334
Chalcedon [Asia Minor], council at
(a .d . 451), 235
Chelles [Seine-et-Mame, France],
154, 246
Chertsey, Surrey, 218
Chester, 103
churches: building of, 47-8, 70-71,
91,128-9,131. 143 , 145 .15 1. 155 .
163, 168-9, 175. 181, 185, 212,
313, 315; ornaments of, 85, 139,
302, 312, 314
Claudius, Emperor, 41-2, 332
Clothair HI, k. of W. Franks, 197,
344
Clovesho (?), synods to be held at,
216
Clovis II, k. of W. Franks, 175
Clyde (Cluith), river, Scotland,
4 °n., 51
Coenburg, nun of Watton, 273-4
Coenburg, wife of Edwin, 129
Coenred, k. of Mercians, 295, 3° 5>
312, 335
Coenred, k. of Northumbrians,
328-30
 Index
Coenwalh, k. of W. Saxons, 151-3,
225
Coifi, pagan priest, 126-8
Coldingham [Berwickshire, Scot­
land], 239,254-7
Col man, b. of Lindisfame, 186-95,
203, 213, 334
Cologne, Germany, 286
Columba, ab. of Iona, 146-7,191-2,
283, 333
Columbanus, ab. of Bobbio, 106
Columbanus, ab. of Clonard, 136,
341
comets, 226, 330, 334-5
communal possessions, 72, 261
Compi&gne [Oise, France], 197
Constantine, imperial claimant in
Britain, 50
Constantine I, Emperor, 48, 89, 301
Constantine I, Pope, 305
Constantinople, 54, 95-6, 234, 237,
300; councils at (a .d . 381-2, 553),
235
Constantius Chlorus, Emperor, 48
Cronan, b. of Movilla, 136, 342
Cronan, b. of Nendrum, 136, 341
crosses, 69-70,139,142-4,200, 301,
312
Cuichelm, b. of Rochester, 226
Cuichelm, k. of W. Saxons, 116
Cunningham [Ayrshire, Scotland],
289
Cuthbald, ab. of Oundle, 312
Cuthbert, b. of Lindisfame, 35,257,
259 - 70 , 337
Cynibert, ab. of Redbridge, 233
Cynibert, b. of Lindsey, 35, 226,
331
Cynibil, br. of Cedd, 181-2
Cyniburg, wife of Alchfrid, 177
CynifHd, physician, 240
Cynigils, k. of W. Saxons, 151
Cynimund, monk ofJarrow, 167
Cynwise, q. of Mercians, 179,183
Cyril, b. of Alexandria, 235, 323
Dacre [Cumberland], 268-9
Dagan, b. of (?) Ennereilly, 106
Dagobert I, k. of W. Franks, 139
35 <S
Dalfin, archb. (recte count) of
Lyons, 187, 307-8
Dalreudian Scots, 39
Damascus [Syria], 300
Damian, b. of Rochester, 176,
207
Danes, 282
Daniel, b. of W. Saxons, 34, 234,
304-5, 331
Deda, ab. of Partney, 132
Degsastan, 92, 333
Deira (Deiri) (Yorkshire etc.), 100,
129, 141, 150,164,180,184, 226,
271
Denisesbum [PRowley Water, Nor­
thumberland], 142
Derwent river [Yorks.], 128
Derwent river and lake [Cumber­
land], 264
Deusdedit, archb. of Canterbury,
176,197-8, 203, 207
Deusdedit, Pope, m -12
Dicul, ab. of Bosham, 228
Dicul, priest, 175
Dimnaus (Dima), b. of (?)Connor,
I3<S, 341
Dinoot (Donatus), ab. of Bangor,
102
Diocletian, Emperor, 43-4,48
Dionysius Exiguus, 323
Diuma, b. of Mercians, 177, 184
Dorchester [Oxon.], 151, 247
drinking fountains, public, 132
Drycthelm, vision of, 289-94
Dumbarton (Alcluith), Scotland,
40, 51-2
Dunwich [Suffolk], 131
Durrow [Leix], Ireland, 146
Duunchad, ab. of Iona, 329
Eabae, q. of S. Saxons, 227
Eadbald, k. of Kent, 108, 110-13,
115,118 ,121,139 , 153, 334
Eadbert, b. of Lindisfame, 186,
265-6
Eadbert, b. of S. Saxons, 305
Eadbert, k. of Kent, 330
Eadbert, Mercian thane, 185
Eadfrid, s. of Edwin, 129,138
 Index
Eadhaed, b. of Lindsey, 197, 226, 238-9, 243, 257-9, 262-3, 271,
334 309,334-5
Eafa, Mercian thane, 185 Egric, k. of E. Angles, 170-71
ealdormen (commanders), 92, 145, Elaphius, British chief, 64
232, 335 Eleutheriis, Pope, 42, 332
Eanfled, d. of Edwin, 116,139,166, Elfric, br. of Aelle, 141
184, 186, 258, 306, 334 Elfwin, br. of Ethelred, 243, 335
Eanfrid, k. of Bemicia, 141-2, Elmet [Yorks.], 130
156 Ely [Cambs.], 239-41
Eanfrid, a ruler of Hwiccas, 227 Emme, b. of Sens, 205
Eappa, ab. of Selsey, 227, 230-31 English: see Angles, English
Earconbert, k. of Kent, 153, 203, Eni, father of Anna, 171
239 , 306, 334 Eolla, b. of S. Saxons, 305
Earcongota, d. of Earconbert, 153-5 Ephesus [Asia Minor], council at
Earconwald, b. of E. Saxons, (a .d . 431), 235
217-18, 224 Emianus, Irish priest, 136, 341
Earconwald, chamberlain of Franks, Esi, abbot, 35
175 Staples (Pas-de-Calais, France),
Earpwald, k. of E. Angles, 130-31, 205m
170 Ethelbald, k. of Mercians, 331, 335
Easter, date of, 101-2, 106, 136-7, Ethelberga, d. of Anna, 154-5 ,
144-5, 147 , 169-70, 186-93, 197, Ethelberga, d. of Ethelbert I, 115,
200, 206, 215, 299, 304, 307-8, 120-22, 139
312-29 Ethelbert I, k. of Kent, 68-70,
Eata, b. of Lindisfame and Hex­ 89-91, 100, 104-5, 107-8, 115,
ham, 193-4, 226-7, 259-60, 263, 163, 333
271, 283, 334 Ethelbert n, k. of Kent, 330
Ebba, abbess of Coldingham, 239, Ethelburga, abbess of Barking,
255 218-22
Ebroin, Frankish mayor of the Etheldreda, abbess of Ely, 209,
palace, 205 238-42, 245
eclipses, 195, 203, 333-4 Ethelfrid, k. of Northumbrians,
Eddi (Stephen), choirmaster, 206 92-3, 103, 123-5, 141
Edgar, b. of Lindsey, 226 Ethelhere, k. of E. Angles, 183
Edgils, monk of Coldingham, 256 Ethelhilda, abbess, 159
Edith, nun of Barking, 220 Ethelhun, br. of bishop Ethelwin,
Edric, k. of Kent, 258-9 195-6
education, 139-40, 170, 195, 206, Ethelhun, s. of Edwin, 129
219, 236-7, 247, 307, 336 Ethelred, k. of Mercians, 158,
Edwin, k. of Northumbrians, 107, 226-7, 243, 248, 295, 305, 310,
114 -3 4 ,13 8 -9 , H i , 1 5 1 .1 5 6 ,1 6 3 , 312, 334-5
166, 184, 246, 334 Ethelthryd, d. of Edwin, 129
eels, 37, 228, 241 Ethelwald, b. of Lindisfame, 294,
Egbert, k. of Kent, 198, 203, 205, 331
217, 258-9, 334 Ethelwald, hermit of Fame, 270-71
Egbert, of Iona, 147,195-6,211-12, Ethelwald, k. of Deira, 180, 183
282-4, 328-30, 335 Ethelwald, k. of E. Angles, 180
Egfrid, k. of Northumbrians, 183, Ethelwalh, k. of S. Saxons, 227,
197, 214, 226-7, 229, 234, 236, 229, 232
35 7
 Index
Ethelwin, b. of Lindsey, 159, 195,
226
Ethelwin, Northumbrian ealdor-
man, 164
Etherius, called archb. of Aries
(1recte b. of Lyons), 67, 71, 84
Eudoxius, b. of Constantinople, 235
Enmer, assassin, 116
Eusebius, b. of Caesarea, 323
Eutyches, Monophysite heretic,
234-5
Eutychius, heretical b. of Con­
stantinople, 96
famine, 42, 54, 228
Fara, abbess of Brie, 153
Fame Island [Northumberland],
167, 265
Faro, b. of Meaux, 205
fasting, 148, 153, 181, 196-7,
230-32, 254-5, 263, 292-4
feasting, 87,127,150,157,165, 180
Felix, b. ofE. Angles, 131,170,176,
186
Felix HI, Pope, 94
female line, descent in, 39
Feppingum (?), 177
Finan, b. of Lindisfame, 168,177-9,
185-6,195
fires, 61,112,158,167-9, 256
fish, 37, 40, 228
Fordhere, thane, 116
Forthere, b. among W. Saxons,
304, 331
Fortunatus, priest, 44
Franks, 44, 50, 69, 153-4, 197, 205,
285
Frigyth, prioress of Hackness, 249
Frisia, Frisians, 162,245,282,284-8,
309
Fullan, br. of Fursey, 175
Fursey, Irish pilgrim, 171-5
Gariston, Yorks.: see Wilfaresdun
Gateshead [Co. Durham], 177
Gaul, Gauls, 37, 40, 48-50, 58. 73 .
76,92, 109, h i , 1 3 1 , 139 , 152-4,
170,175. 186-8,197, 204-5. 246,
307-8, 311, 330
. 358
Gebmund, b. of Rochester, 226,282
Germans, 40; called ‘Garmans*, 282
Germanus, b. of Auxerre, 58-65
Germany, 37,161,282
Gewissae (older name of W.
Saxons), 151, 232, 308
.gifts, 91. 120, 122, 164-5, 182-3,
195, 200, 203, 214
Gildas, British historian, 66
Gilling [Yorks.], 164, 184
Glen river [Northumberland], 129
Gobban, Irish priest, 175
Godwin, archb. o f Lyons, 282
Godmanham [Yorks.], 128
Goths, 50, 333
grain, 37, 55. 261-2, 265
Grantchester [Cambs.], 239
Gratian, Emperor, 48-9
Gratian, ruler in Britain, 50
Greece, Greeks, 188, 204, 281
Greek language, 204, 206, 229, 282,
313 , 330
Gregory I, Pope, 66, 94-100, 133,
139, 207, 296, 306, 314, 333;
letters of, 34, 67-8, 71-91, 261
Gregory E, Pope, 34, 281
Guthfrid, ab. of Lindisfame, 270-71
Gyrwas, 176, 217, 238
Gyrwum: see Jarrow
Hackness [Yorks.], 249
Hadrian, ab. o f Canterbury, 34,
204-6, 313, 330
Hadulac, b. among E. Angles, 331
Haeddi, b. o f W . Saxons, 151, 225,
303
Haemgils, priest, 293-4
Hamble river [Hants.], 234
Hartlepool [Co. Durham], 184,246
Hatfield [Herts.], 234-6, 335
Hatfield [Yorks.], 138
Heavenfield [St Oswald’s, North­
umberland], 143
Hebron, Palestine, 303
Heiu, abbess o f Hartlepool, 246
Helena, mother o f Constantine, 48,
3°i
Hengist, founder of royal line in
Kent, 56, 108
 Index
Herebert, hermit, 264-5
Heretic, nephew of Edwin, 246,
248
heresies, 48-9, 58-65» 96, 234-7,
309
Hereswith, sister of Hilda, 246
Heribald, ab. of Tynemouth, 276-9
Heriburg, abbess of Watton, 273-4
hermits, 167, 261-2, 264-5, 270-71,
284,293
Hertford, 214, 334
Hewald the Black, 285-6
Hewald the White, 285-6
Hexham [Northumberland], 143,
226-7, 263, 271-3, 313
Hiddila, priest, 233
hides (family holdings), 69, 114,
146, 184-5, 187, 208, 227, 229,
233 , 308
Hilarus, archpriest, 136
Hilda, abbess of Whitby, 184, 187,
245 - 52 , 335
Hildilid, abbess of Barking, 222
Hlothere, k. of Kent, 217, 234, 245,
258, 335
Holy Places (in Palestine etc.),
300-303
Honorius, archb. of Canterbury,
131, 134- 5. 139 , 163, 176, 186,
306
Honorius, Emperor, 49-50, 53
Honorius I, Pope, 133-6, 139. 151
Horsa, br. of Hengist, 56
horse-racing, 277
Humber river, 56, 68,104,107,131,
331
Huns, 54, 282
Hunwald, Northumbrian ealdor-
man, 164
Hwaetbert, ab. of Monkwear-
mouth and Jarrow, 338
Hwiccas, branch of W. Saxons,
101, 227, 248, 331
Hygbald, ab. of (?)Bardney, 211-12
Ibas, b. of Edessa, 235
Ida, k. of Northumbrians, 333
Idle river, tributary of Trent,
125
359
idols, 86, 89, 119, 128, 130, 153,
178, 201-2
Imma, Northumbrian thane, 243-5
Immin, Mercian thane, 185
Inchkeith [Fife, Scotland], 51
Ingwald, b. of London, 331
Ini, k. of W. Saxons, 232, 280-81
Inishboffin [Co. Mayo], 213
Iona, Isle of [near Mull, Argyllshire],
145-9, 168, 177, 213, 283, 299,
328-9, 333
Ireland, 39-40, 54, 152, 161-2, 171,
195, 213, 255, 282, 285, 293, 299,
328-9; ravaged by Northum­
brians, 257. See also Scots
Irminric, father of Ethelbert, 108
Italy, 106,139,186,188
Ithamar, b. of Rochester, 163, 176
James, deacon, 132,139-40,186,206
Jarrow [Co. Durham], 167, 315,336
Jaruman, b. of Mercians, 185, 201,
207
Jerusalem, description of, 300-303
jet, 38
John, ab. of St Martin’s, Rome,
236-8, 335
John, archb. of Arles, 205
John, papal counsellor, 137
John, papal notary, 137
John IV, Pope, 136-7
John VI, Pope, 310
John of Beverley, b. of Hexham and
York, 247, 271-9, 336
Julian, b. of Eclanum, 49
Julius, British martyr, 47
Justus, archb. of Canterbury, 85,
104, 106, 109-12, 134,139, 334
Jutes, 56, 233
Kaelcacaestir [? Tadcaster, Yorks.],
246
Kaiserswerth, Germany, 288
Kent, 34, 56, 68,139,166,186, 226,
258-9; kings of, 68, 108, 115,
153. 203, 217, 282, 324-30
Kilpatrick, Old (Peanfahal, Pennel-
tun) [Dunbartonshire, Scotland],
52
 Index
Lagny (Latiniacum) [Seine-et-
Mime, France], 175
Laistranus, Irish priett, 136, 341
land, grants o£ 56, 104, 145, 180,
183-4, 187, 194, 208, 226, 229,
233 , 308
languages of Britain, 38, 150
I.asfangham [Yorks.], 34, 181-2,
197, 207, 209, 309
Latin language, 38, 204, 206, 282,
330
Laurence, archb. of Canterbury, 71,
92, 105-7
law, code of, 108
Leeds [Yorks.], 130, 184
Leutherus (Hlothere), b. of W.
Saxons, 153, 215, 225, 313
Lichfield [Stalls.], 208, 331
light, supernatural, 154, 159,
219-20, 222, 249, 286
Lilia, Northumbrian thane, 116
Lincoln, 131
Iindisfame [Holy Island, Northum­
berland], 35, 145, 161, 168, 179,
181,185-6,193-4,226-7,259-65,
270-71, 294, 306
Lindsey [Lines.], 158-9; bishops of,
35, 131. 159, 184, 208, 212,
226-7
Iiudhard, Frankish bishop, 69
London, 34, 104, h i , 225, 245;-
bishops o£ 85,104,152,217,224,
331
Ludus, legendary British king, 42,
332
Lupus, b. of Troyes, 58-9, 64
Lyons [France], 187, 307
Maban, chanter, 314
Macedonius, b. of Constantinople,
235 .
Madmin [? Northumberland],
palace at, 129
magic, 69,121, 244, 259
Malmesbury [Wilts.], 304
Mamre, Palestine, description o£
301
Man, Isle o£ 108, 114
marriage, laws o£ 74,77-8,121,216
360
Marseilles [France], 205
Martin, b. of Tours, 70, 108, 146,
236-7
Martin, Pope, 235, 237
martyrs, 44-8, 200, 242, 286, 313,
337
Mass (Eucharist etc.), 71, 73-5, 79*
82, 85, 98, 109, 210, 230-32,
244-5, 253. 263, 293
Maximus, ruler of Britain, 49, 333
Mayo, Ireland, 213
Meanwaras, 227
Meaux [Seine-et-Mame], France,
205, 311
Medeshamstedi: see Peterborough
Mellitus, archb. of Canterbury,
85-6, 104-7, 110-12, 178, 333
Melrose [Roxburgh, Scotland], 193,
259-60, 283, 289
Mercians, 34, 56, 125, 156; bishops
of, 177, 184-5, 207-8, 212, 226,
3 3 1 ; kings oC 129,152,185,234,
295 . 331
Mercians, North and South, 185
mirades: of healing, 47, 60, 101,
144, 156-63, an , 218, 223,
230-32,267-9,271-6,304; other,
46-7, 61-2,112,154, 158,166-7,
244, 266, 286; purpose of, 88-9,
97,289,296
monastic life, 70, 72, 90, 94-5,103,
106, 145, 153- 4, 170 -71 , 180-81,
184, 194-5, 209, 213, 215-16,
218, 223, 239, 247, 256, 260-61,
306
Monkwearmouth [Co. Durham],
236, 315, 336
Morini, Gaulish tribe, 37, 40
music, 139-40, 206-7, 226, 236-7,
251, 314
Nechtan, k. of Piets, 314-15, 327
Nero, Emperor, 42, 44
Nestorius, heretic, 235
Nicaea [Asia Minor], council at
(A.D. 325), 48, 136, 190, 235
Nidd river [Yorks.], 312
Ninian, apostle of Piets, 146
Niridano, near Naples, Italy, 204
 Index
Northumbrians, 34-5, 56, 129,
141-50,182-95,332,335; bishops
of, 129, 134* 145* 168,186,193-4,
226-7,271, 313-14.331; kings of,
92, 107-8, 114, 141, 163-4, 214,
258. 303 , 333
Nothelm, archb. of Canterbury, 34
Octa, s. of Oise, 108
Oeric: see Oise
Ofia, k. of E. Saxons, 305
Oftfor, b. of Hwiccas, 247-8
Oiddi, priest, 227
Oise (Oeric), s. of Hengist, 108
Olives, Mount of, Palestine, 302
Orkney Islands, 37, 42, 332
Osfrid, s. of Edwin, 129, 138
Osred, k. of Northumbrians, 303,
305, 312-13, 328,335
Osric, k. of Deira, 141, 156, 164
Osric, k. of Hwiccas, 248
Osric, k. of Northumbrians, 329-30,
335
Osthryd, q. of Mercians, 158-9,
243 . 335
Oswald, k. of Northumbrians, 108,
138, 142-5, 149-51, 155- 63 ,
230-31, 334
Oswestry [Salop], 146
Oswin, k. of Deira, 163-6,184, 334
Oswy, k. of Northumbrians, 108,
158, 161, 163-4, 166, 176-8,
182-5, 187-8, 192-3, 198, 203,
207, 214, 258, 308-9, 334
Oundle [Northants.], 305, 312
Owini, monk of Lastingham,
208-10
Padda, priest, 227
Paegnalaech (?), 195
pagan customs, 128; to be Christ­
ianized, 86-7
Palladius, apostle of Irish, 53, 333
pallium, 85, 113, 133-5, 139
Pant river [alias Blackwater, Essex],
179
Paris [France], 152, 197, 205
Partney [Lines.], 132, 159
Paulinus, archb. of York, 85,
114-17,122-3,126-9,131.133-4*
138-9, 141, 163, 186, 246, 333-4
Paulinus of Nola, 337
Peada, prince of M. Angles, 176-7,
185, 334
pearls, 37, 241
Pecthelm, b. of Whithorn, 297,
304, 331
Pelagius, British heretic, 49, 58-65,
136-7
Penda, k. of Mercians, 138, 152,
167-8,170-71,176-7,182-3,185,
334
Penneltun (Peanfahel): see Kil­
patrick, Old
Peronne [Somme, France], 175
Peter, ab. of Canterbury, 71, 92
Peter, deacon, 95, 97
Peterborough (Medeshamstedi)
[Northants.], 217
Phocas, Emperor, 93, 99, 106-7
Piets, 38-9, 51- 4 » 108, 141, 185,
189, 227, 257-8, 310, 327, 331,
335; conversion of, 145-7, 283,
333; kings of, 39, 314-15, 327;
language of, 38, 52, 150
Pippin (of Heristal), Frankish
mayor of the palace, 285-8
pirates, 54
plagues, 54, 162, 181-2, 195-6,
201, 203, 208, 218-20, 229-31,
239 , 259 , 334
Plectrude, wife of Pippin, 287
poetry, 206, 241-2, 250-52, 337
poison, 39, 248
Prosper of Aquitaine, verses by, 49
psalms, 71-2, 143, 148, 196, 211,
219, 254-5, 285
Puch, Northumbrian thane, 275
punishments, 73, 108, 153, 243
Putta, b. of Rochester, 207,215,226
Radbod, k. of Frisians, 284-5
Raedfrid, reeve of Egbert of Kent,
205
Raegenhere, s. of Redwald, 125
Rathmelsigi (?), Ireland, 195-6
Ravenna, Italy, 65
Reculver, Kent, 282
 Index
Redbridge (Hreutford) [Hants.],
233
Redwald, k. of E. Angles, 107,
122-5, 130, 170
relics, sacred, 61, 85-7, 150, 162,
194, 200, 268, 313
Rendlesham [Suffolk], 180
retribution, divine, 47, 55, 103-4,
109, 254-7
Reuda, leader of Scots, 39
Rhine river, 50, 286-7
Ricbert, E. Angle, 131
Richborough, Kent, 37
Ricula, sister of Ethelbert, 104
Ripon [Yorks.], 187, 197, 227, 270,
306, 308, 312
roads, Roman, 50
Rochester [Kent], bishops o£ 104,
in -12 , 139, 163, 176, 207, 226,
282, 330
Romanus, b. of Rochester, 112,139
Romanus, Kentish priest, 186-7
Rome, 40, 69, 94, 99-100, 140;
Pantheon in, 107; visitors to, from
Britain, 34, 106, 134, 198, 203,
214, 225, 227, 236, 247, 279-81,
288, 305-n, 314, 335
Ronan, Scot, 186
Rufinianus, sent to help Augustine,
85
Rugians, German tribe, 282
Sabert, k. of E. Saxons, 104, 109,
333
Saethryd, abbess of Brie, 154
St Albans (Verulamium) [Herts.],
47
Saracens, 330
Saranus, Irish cleric, 136, 342
Saxons, 44. See also Angles, English
Saxons, East, 34, 56; bishops o£
104, 179, 217, 224, 331; kings of,
104, 109, 178-80, 223-5, 305
Saxons, Old, 56, 282, 285, 287
Saxons, South, 34, 56, 176, 227-8,
230, 258, 310, 331; bishops of,
305; kings of, 107
Saxons, West, 34, 56,101,116,197;
bishops of, 151-3,225, 304; kings
362
o£ 107, 116, 151-2, 232, 279-80
Scellanus, b. of Devenish, 136, 342
Scots, 38, 51-4; in Ireland, 39-40,
53, 105-6, 136, 145, 193; in
Britain, 39-40, 92-3, 108, 141,
144-5,198,258,308,331; land of
[Ireland and part of Scotland],
184, 193, 213, 333; language o£
H 5- 6 , 150,187, 213
Scriptures, study o£ 90,147-8,152,
162, 182, 204, 206, 211, 247,
* 258-9, 265, 282, 285, 299-300,
304, 307, 313-14, 331 , 336-7
Scythia [? Scandinavia], 38
Sebbi, k. of E. Saxons, 201, 217,
2 2 3 -5
Sedulius, Caelius, 304
Segenus, ab. of Iona, 148
Segenus (? same as above), 136, 342
Selsey [Sussex], 229, 305
Sens [Yonne, France], 205
Sergius, Pope, 279-80, 287-8
Severianus, Pelagian bishop, 58
Severinus, Pope, 136-7
Severn, river, 331
Severus, b. of Trier, 64
Severus, Septimius, Emperor, 43,
50, 52, 333
Sexbald, E. Angle, 180
Sexburg, q. of Kent, abbess of Ely,
154 , 239
Sexwulf, b. of Mercians, 217, 226
shellfish, dye from, 37
ships, 38, 40, 53, 55» 166, 284, 300,
309
Sigbert, k. of E. Angles, 131,170-71
Sigbert the Good, k. of E. Saxons,
178-80
Sigbert the Small, k. of E. Saxons,
178
Sighard, k. of E. Saxons, 225 1
Sighere, k. of E. Saxons, 201, 217J
305
Sirmium [Mitrovica, Yugoslavia],
49
Slack [Yorks.]: see Campodunum
slaves, 229; English sold as, 99,
244—5
Solent, 234
 Index
Spain, Spaniards, 37 , 4 »
sparrow, soul compared to, 127
Stanford [? Stamford, Lines.], 308
Stoneham (Ad Lapidem) [Hants.],
*33
storms, 38,40, 58-9, 139, 166, an,
270-71, 284, 300
Streanaeshalch: see Whitby
Surrey, 218
Swaebhard, k. in Kent, 282
Swale river [Yorks.], 130
Swefred, k. of E. Saxons, 225
Swidbert, ab. of Dacre, 268
Swidbert, ab. of Kaiserswerth,
287-8
Swidhelm, k. of E. Saxons, 180,
201
synods, church councils, 106-7,
187-93, 214-17, 234-6, 262, 304,
309-10, 312
Syria, 42, 300
Tadcaster [Yorks.]: see Kaelcacae-
stir
Tarsus in Cilicia, 204
Tata (Ethelberga), 115
Tatfrid, b. elect of Hwiccas, 248
Tatwin, archb. of Canterbury, 331,
335
Thames, river, 41, 104, 179, 218
thanes (royal officials), 127,132,145,
209, 227, 243-5, 275-*
Thanet, Kent, 68-9
Theodbald, br. of Ethelfrid, 92-3
Theodore, b. of Mopsuestia, 235
Theodore of Tarsus, archb. of
Canterbury, 34, 105, 153, 186,
204-7, 214, 225, 227, 234-6, 243,
247-8, 262-3, 273, 281-2, 287,
313 , 330 , 334-5
Theodoret, b. of Cyrus, 235
Theodosius I, Emperor, 49, 323
Theodosius II, Emperor, 53
Theophilus, b. of Alexandria, 323
Thomas, b. of E. Angles, 176
Thruidred, ab. of Dacre, 269
Thrydwulf, ab. of Leeds, 130
Tilbury [Essex], 179
Tilmon, monk, 286
363
Tiowulfingacaestir (?), a town on
the Trent, 132
Titillus, notary, 216
Tobias, b. of Rochester, 282, 330
tombs, 105,108,181,184, 211, 219,
222, 224-5, 239-40, 265-8,
279-81, 286, 301-2, 312, 330
Tomianus, b. of Armagh, 136, 341
Tondbert, prince of Gyrwas, 238
Tondhere, Northumbrian thane,
164
tonsure, mode of, 187, 193, 204,
324-6, 328
Tortgyth, nun of Barking, 220-22
Tours pndre-et-Loire, France], 237
Trent river, 132, 185, 243
Trier [Germany], 64
Trinovantes, British tribe, 41
Troyes [Aube, France], 58
Trumbert, monk of Lastingham,
211
Trumhere, b. of Mercians, 177,
184-5, 201
Trumwine, b. of Piets, 227, 258,
262
Tuda, b. of Lindisfame, 193,195
tufa, standard called, 132
Tunbert, b. of Hexham, 227, 263
Tunna, abbot, 244
Tunnacaestir (?), 244
Tweed river, 259, 289
Tyne river, 272, 315
Tynemouth, 276
Tytila, father of Redwald, 130
Ultan, br. of Fursey, 175
Utrecht (Wiltaburg) [Netherlands],
288
Utta, ab. of Gateshead, 166-7,
177
Valentinian HI, Emperor, 65
Vergilius, archb. of Arles, 84
Verulamium, Verlamacaestir: see
St Albans
Vespasian, Emperor, 42
Vienne [Isfcre, France], 50
vines, 37, 40
virginity, 155, 183, 238-42, 304
 Index
visions, no, 122-5,154,171-4» 196»
209-10,212,220-22,224,249-51,
255-6, 283, 289-99
Vitalian, Pope, 198-201, 203-5, 3*3
Vortdgem, British king, 55, 108
Walchstod, b. beyond Severn, 331
Waldhere, b. of London, 224
walls and earthworks, Roman, 43,
50-53.143 .178
Walton (or (?) Walbottle (Ad
Murum)), Northumberland, 177-
178
Wantsum river [Kent], 69
Watton (Wetadun) river [Yorks.,
E. Riding], 2 7 3-4
Wear river [Co. Durham], 236,
246. 315
Wecta, son o f Woden, 56
Whitby (Streanaeshalch) [Yorks.],
184, 187-93, 245 - 53 , 258, 335
White House: see Whithorn
Whithorn [Wigtownshire, Scot­
land], 146, 331
Wictbert, missionary to the Fris­
ians, 284
Wictgils, father of Hengist, 56
Wictred, k. of Kent, 259, 282, 329,
335
Wighard, archb. elect of Canter^.
bury, 198-201, 203
Wight, Isle of, 34, 42, 227, 232-4,
310, 331
Wilbrord, archb. of Utrecht, 162,
285-8, 309
Wilfaresdun [? Gariston, Yorks.],
164
Wilfrid, b. of Hwiccas, 331
Wilfrid I, b. of York, 162, 187-92,
197-8, 206-7, 214-15, 227-9,
232-3, 238-40, 247-8, 265, 273,
279 , 287, 305-14, 334
Wilfrid II, b. of York, 331
Winchester [Hants.], 151-2, 232,
305 , 331
Wini, b. of W. Saxons and London,
152, 197, 225
Winwaed river [? Went, Yorks.],
183
Witta, grandfather of Hengist, 56
Woden, ancestor of Hengist, 56
WufFa, ancestor of E. Anglian
kings, 130
Wulfhere, k. of Mercians, 152,
177, 185, 201, 207-8,212, 226-7,
334
Wuscfrea, s. of Edwin, 129, 139
Wynfrid, b. of Mercians, 185, 212,
215, 217
Yeavering (Ad-Gefrin) [Northum­
berland], 129
Yenlade river [Kent], 282
Yffi, grandson of Edwin, 129, 139
York (Eboracum), 43, 128-9,
138-9, 163, 227, 263; bishops (or
archbishops) of, 85, 134, 207,
226, 309, 331
Ythancaestir [St Peter's on the
Wall, Essex], 179
 @
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 E A R L Y C H R IST IA N W R IT IN G S

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS

Translated by M axw ell Staniforth

These writings, newly translated from Greek, are the earliest and
most venerable examples o f the mass o f ecclesiastical literature
produced in the first centuries A .D . They are the work o f a
group known as the Apostolic Fathers, who faithfully preserved
the apostolic teaching and tradition between the time o f the
apostles and the late second century. Most o f their writings take
the form o f epistles: those o f Clement o f Rome, Ignatius o f
Antioch, and Polycarp, for example, are warmly human and
affectionate, while the anonymous Epistle to Diognetus and the
Epistle o f Barnabas are more impersonal. All, however, have a
genuine pastoral concern - they are interested more in people
than ideas, in practice more than dogma.

L A N G L A N D : P IE R S T H E P L O U G H M A N

Translated by J , F. Goodridge

Piers the Ploughman, the work o f an unknown minor cleric o f

the late fourteenth century, was perhaps the most widely read
work o f its day and is now recognized as the great representative
English poem o f the late Middle Ages. W hile it offers a vivid
picture o f fourteenth-century life and is placed firmly in the
world o f every day, its theme is the pilgrimage o f man's soul
in search o f ultimate truth. Alone among English poets, Lang-
land combines satirical comedy with a rare power o f prophecy
and vision.
 T H E P E N G U IN C L A S S IC S
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