THE OLD ENGLISH VERSION OF BEDEÕS ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE translated by Thomas Miller In parentheses Publications Old English Series Cambridge, Ontario 1999 PREFACE. I, Bede, servant of Christ and priest, send greeting to the well beloved king Ceolwulf. And I send you the history, which I lately wrote about the Angles and Saxons, for yourself to read and examine at leisure, and also to copy out and impart to others more at large; and I have confidence in your zeal, because you are very diligent and inquisitive as to the sayings and doings of men of old, and above all of the famous men among our people. For this book either speaks good of the good, and the hearer imitates that, or it speaks evil of the evil, and the hearer flees and shuns the evil. For it is good to praise the good and blame the bad, that the hearer may profit. If your hearer be reluctant, how else will he gain instruction? I have written this for your profit and for your people; as God chose you out to be king, it behoves you to instruct your people. And that there may be the less doubt whether this be true, I will state the sources of my narrative. II. My first assistant and teacher was the venerable abbot Albinus, a man who had travelled much and studied, and was the best scholar in England. He told me chiefly about Theodorus, of blessed memory, who was bishop in Canterbury, and of the abbot Adrianus, under whom he had chiefly studied. All that he ascertained in Kent and the adjoining districts, from written documents and the traditions of old inhabitants, or from disciples of the blessed pope St. Gregory, all that was memorable, he transmitted to me through Nothhelm, the pious priest of London, either sending him to me in person or forwarding a written statement. From the beginning of these books till the English received the faith of Christ, we have derived what is here written from the 2 BedeÕs Ecclesiastical History traditions of old men, (thenceforward) up to the present, chiefly from the disciples of the blessed pope St. Gregory, with the dates according to the kingsÕ reigns, all recorded through abbot Albinus and the reports and statements of Nothhelm. They told me very much as to the bishops and the dates of the kings, under whom the East Saxons, West Saxons, East Angles and Northumbrians received the grace of ChristÕs faith. And it was chiefly through Albinus that I was encouraged to commence this work, (encouraged) also by Daniel the venerable bishop of the West Saxons, who still survives. He told me much about the South Saxons and West Saxons; and also about the Isle of Wight, (but this last) chiefly by letter. _ And through Cedd, the venerable bishop of the Mercians, and Chad, about the people of the Mercians and East Saxons _, and about the life and death of the bishops, we have learnt from the brethren of the monastery, founded by them, which is called Lastingham. Events in East Anglia we have traced partly from the writings of older men or their traditions; partly we have ascertained them from the statements of the venerable abbot Isse. The progress of ChristÕs faith in Lindsey we have learnt from the statements of the venerable bishop Cyneberht, and through written reports from him and other very trustworthy persons still living. (I also relate) what we have ascertained about the faith of Christ in Northumbria up to the present day, not on the authority of a single person, but from the statements of numberless faithful witnesses, who knew and remembered the events, and afterwards what I myself knew, I did not leave unrecorded. What I have written about the holy father Cuthbert, either in this book or in another, his deeds and his life, I have taken first from the writings I found among the brethren of the church at Lindisfarne, and the particulars, which I myself could ascertain from the report of very trustworthy persons, I have added on. And I now humbly beg and entreat the reader that, if he find or hear anything different about this, he will not blame me. 3 CONTENTS. BOOK I. I. About the position of Britain and Ireland, the island of the Scots, and about their first inhabitants. II. That the first emperor of the Romans, Gaius Julius, visited Britain. III. That the second emperor of the Romans, called Claudius, visited the same island, and subjected the Orkney islands to the Roman dominion; that also Vespasianus was sent by him and brought the Isle of Wight under the Roman rule. IV. That Lucius, king of the Britons, sent letters to pope Eleutherius praying to be made a christian, and his prayer was heard. V. That the emperor Severus took a large part of Britain, and separated it with a dyke from the other savage tribes. VI. About the reign of Diocletian, and that he persecuted the christians. VII. The passion of St. Alban and his companions, who shed their blood for the Lord at the same time. VIII. That when the persecutions ceased, the church in Britain had peace for some time till the days of the Arian heresy. IX. That in the reign of Gratianus the emperor Maximus was born in Britain, and again proceeded to Gaul with a vast host. X. That in the reign of Arcadius, Pelagius the Briton took up false doctrine contrary to belief in GodÕs grace. XI. That in the reign of Honorius, Gratianus and Constantius were born in Britain; and the first was slain in Britain, the other in Gaul. 4 BedeÕs Ecclesiastical History XII. That the Britons were wasted by the Scots and Picts, and entreated help from Rome. XIII. That in the reign of Theodosius, in whose days bishop Palladius was sent to the Scots who believed in Christ, the Britons sought help from king Aetius at Rome and received none. XIV. That the Britons, forced by severe famine, drove the barbarians beyond their borders; and soon after this an abundant harvest and luxury, mortality, sickness and ruin of the people followed. XV. That the Angles were invited into Britain by the Britons: who first soon drove out their adversaries, but not long afterwards made a treaty with them and turned their arms against the Britons their allies. XVI. That the Britons first won a victory over the Angles under the leadership of Ambrosius, a Roman. XVII. That bishop Germanus came by ship to Britain with Lupus, and by divine power first calmed the wildness of the sea and afterwards that of the Pelagians. XVIII. That the same bishop restored to sight the blind daughter of the magistrate; and after that coming to St. Alban there first received his relics, and deposited with them relics of the holy apostles and of other martyrs besides. XIX. That the same bishop was detained there from illness, and by his prayers quenched the conflagration of the houses, and was himself cured of his sickness by a vision. XX. That the same bishops brought divine aid to the Britons in battle; and then returned home. XXI. That when the pestilent heresy of Pelagius sprouted afresh, Germanus returned to Britain with Severus and first restored to a lame youth the power of walking, and then, by condemning or reforming heretics, brought back the people of God to walk in the ways of true faith. XXII. That the Britons for a time had rest from foreign wars, and wasted themselves in civil contests and plunged into many sins. 5 BedeÕs Ecclesiastical History XXIII. That the holy pope Gregory sent Augustine with monks to preach GodÕs word and faith to the English, and also encouraged them with comforting letters not to give up their task. XXIV. That Augustine first landed in Britain on the Isle of Thanet, and preached ChristÕs faith to the king of Kent; and then by his permission proceeded to preach GodÕs word in Kent. XXV. That Augustine in Kent imitated the life and teaching of the primitive church, and received an episcopal seat in the kingÕs town. XXVI. That the same, on becoming bishop, reported to pope Gregory what was done in Britain, and at the same time asked and received the popeÕs answer on necessary points. XXVII. That the same pope Gregory sent Augustine a pallium and more help to teach GodÕs word. XXVIII. That the pope sent to king ®thelberht a letter and presents; that Augustine restored Christchurch and built St. PeterÕs monastery. XXIX. That Augustine restored and built a church of Christ with the help of king ®thelberht. XXX. That Augustine built the monastery of the apostles Peter and Paul, and about its first abbot Peter. XXXI. That ®thelfrith, king of Northumbria, overcame the Scots in battle, and drove them over the English border. Here ends the first book. Here begins the second book. I. About the death of the blessed pope Gregory. Il. That Augustine instructed and admonished the British bishops for the sake of catholic unity, and also by performing a miracle before them; and what punishment overtook them for disregarding him. III. That Augustine consecrated as bishops Mellitus and Justus; and of his death. IV. That Laurentius and his fellow bishops admonished the Scots as to the unity of Holy Church, and above all as to the observance of Easter: and that Mellitus went to Rome. 6 BedeÕs Ecclesiastical History V. On the deaths of kings ®thelberht and SÏberht, their successors turned to idol worship; wherefore bishops Mellitus and Justus withdrew from Britain.