giles. saint bede, the complete works of venerable bede. 1843. vol. 2

8/7/2019 Giles. Saint Bede, The Complete Works of Venerable Bede. 1843. Vol. 2.

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m

THE

COMPLETE WORKSOF

VENERABLE BEDE,IN THE ORIGINAL LATIN,

COLLATED WITH THE MANUSCRIPTS ANDVARIOUS PRINTED EDITIONS,

ACCOMPANIED BY

A NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATIONOF THE HISTORICAL WORKS,

AND

A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR.

BY THE REV. J A. GILES. D.('.I,LATE FELLOW OF C.C.C._ OXFORD,

VOL, II.ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY,

BOOKS I. II. IlI.

LONDON :WHITTAKEI! AND l'(_, AVE MARIA I,ANI,.

,%1DCCCXLI 1I.

/I/77


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VENERABILISB E D_/E

OPERA QUtE SUPERSUNT OMNIA,NUNC PRIMUM IN ANGLIA,

OPE CODICUM MANUSCRIPTORUM,EDITIONUMQUE OPTIMARUM

EDIDIT J. A, GILES, LL.D.,ECCLESI/E ANGLICANtE PRESBYTER,

ET COLL. CORP. CHR. OXON. OLIM SOCIUS.

VOL. II.HISTORI_ ECCLESIASTICtE

LIBRI I, II, III.

LONDINI :VENEUNT API_,D _HI'VI'AKEB. ET SOCIOS.

M_XLIII.


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THE

MISCELLANEOUS WORKSOF

VENERABI, E BEDE,IN THE ORIGINAL LATIN,

COLLATED WITH THE MANUSCRIPTS, ANDVARIOUS PRINTED EDITIONS,

ACCOMPANIED BY

A NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATIONOF THE HISTORICAL WORKS,

AND

A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR.

I_, _T_I.', P,F,V _ _ (-HI.E.g.D.C.I,.LATE FELLOW OF C.C.C., OXFORD.

VOL. II.ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.BOOKSI. II. III.

LONDON :_ HIT'IAKE[_ AND CO., A\ l...',IAltl._ LANE.

MDCCCX LIII.


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LON DON :_'ILI.IAql '_TEYX'_/$p PKI_TRR_ BEI.L YARD,

TR$1 PLE BAR.


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PREFACE.

COMPLETEedition of the works

of Venerable Bede has long beena desideratum in English litera-ture. That want is now likely tobe supplied, and the publication ofthis volume, containing the FirstPart of the Ecclesiastical History,

Lnnounces that the whole works of England's firstmd most valuable writer will, ere long, be laid beforepublic. Another volume, containing the last part

f the same important historical record, will speedily.ppear : after which, a series of volumes will be pub-ished, which, when finished, will comprise all that is.nown to have proceeded from Bede's pen ; and therst volume of the series will contain a Memoir ofe Author and his Works, wherein will be collectedogether all that we know of the life and character of_s remarkable man.The Ecclesiastical History was first published on- Continent : the following is a list of the editions'hich were there printed :--1. Una cure Petri Trecensis (alias Comestoris)

_istoria Scholastica, et Eusebii Historia Ecclesiastica,__ Rufinum et cure additione Rufini, Argentinensi,,500.

b


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6 PREFACE.

2. Ead. ed. repet. Hagenau, 1506.3. Antverpi_e, 1550.4. Lovanii, 1566.5. In " Britannicarum return Scriptores, Heidel-

berg_e, fol. 1587."6. Lugduni, 1587.7. Co]oniee, 1601.8. In " Bedee Opera, &e. Parisiis, per Jametium,1544."9. Ead. ed. repet. 1554.

10. In "Bed_e Opera, &e. Basil., per JoannemHervagium, 8 tom. fol. 1563."

11. Ead. ed. repet. Coloni_e, 1612.12. Ead. ed. repet. 1688.It was first published in England by Wheloc, fol.

Cantab. 1643-4, with an Appendix containing theAnglo-Saxon translation by King Alfred the Great,under the following title, "Historiam Eeelesiasticamgentis Anglorum, una cure adnotatione et analectis,e publieis veteris eeelesi_e Anglican_e homiliis aliisqueMSS. Saxonieis exeerptis, nec antea Latine editis; utet Saxonieam Chronologiam, seriem hujus imprimishistorieam eompleetentem, e Bibl. publiea Cantab. ;aeeedunt Anglo-Saxonica_ leges, et ultimo legesHenriei I., edidit A Wheloeus. Cantab. 1644.The next critical edition was that of Chimet, toge-

ther with Fredegarius Seholastieus, under this tide:mBed_e Presbyteri et Fredegarii Seholastiea Con-eordia ad senioris Dagoberti definiendam monarchiseperiodum, atque ad prim_e totius Regum Franeorumstirpis Chrouologiam stabiliendam, in duas partesdivisa, quarum prior contlnet Historiam Ecelesias-tieam Gentis Anglorum, cure notis et Dissertatione de


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8 PREFACE.

In addition to More's MS., Smith collated twoothers from the Cottonian Library ['rib. C, II and A,XIV-J, and one in the King's Library, besides referringto a large number of others. His text, however,appears to be almost a fac-simile of More's MS., andhe has given the readings of the other copies, whichhe collated, at the bottom of the page.The last edition of this celebrated and valuable

work is that of Stevenson, published by the EnglishHistorical Society, Loud. 8vo. 1838. The editor pro-fesses to have used the same MS. of Bishop More, andto have occasionally collated four others [Cotton.Tib. C, II, Tib. A, XIV., Harl. 497_, and King's MS.13 C, V.]. Prefixed to the volume is a copious andvaluable notice of the author and his work, fromwhich we take the liberty of making the followinglong extract, as containing the most judicious accountof this our author's greatest work, and of the aidswhich he enjoyed in executing it.

"The scope of the Historia Ecclesiastica GentisAnglorum is su_ciently indicated by its title. Aftersome observations upon the position, inhabitants andnatural productions of Britain, the author gives arapid sketch of its history from the earliest perioduntil the arrival of Augustine in A.D. 597, at whichtara, in his opinion, the Ecclesiastical History of ournation had its commencement. After that event, hetreats, as was to be expected, for a time exclusively ofthe circumstances which occurred in Kent; but, asChristianity extended itself over the other kingdomsinto which England, was then divided, he gradually in-cludes their history in his narrative, until he reachesthe year 731. Here he concludes his work, whichembraces a space of one hundred and thirty-four years,


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PREFACE. 9

with a general out]ine of the ecclesiastical state of theisland."The Introduction, which extends from the com-

mencement of the work to the conversion of theSaxons to Christianity, is gleaned, as Beda himselfinforms us, from various writers. The chief soureesfor the description of Britain are Pliny, Solinus, Oro-sius and Gildas; St. Basil is also cited; and the tra-ditions which were current in Beda's own day areOecasionally introduced. The history of the Romansin Britain is founded ehiefly upon Orosius, Eutropius,and Gildas, corrected, however, in some places by theauthor, apparently from tradition or local information,and augmented by an account of the introduction ofChristianity under Lucius, of the martyrdom of St.Alban, copied apparently from some legend, and ofthe origin of the Pelagian heresy,--all of them cir-cumstances intimately connected with the ecclesiasticalhistory of the island. The mention of Hengist andHorsa, and the allusion to the tomb of the latter atHorstead, render it probable that the account whichBeda gives of the arrival of the Teutonie tribes, andtheir settlement in England, was communicated byAlbinus and Nothhelm. It is purely fabulous, being,in fact, not the history, but the tradition, of theJutish kingdom of Kent, as appears from circum-stances mentioned elsewhere in this work, as well asfrom the authorities there quoted. The two visits ofGermanas to England, so important in the historyof its religion, are introduced in the very words ofConstantius Lugdunensis, and must therefore havebeen copied from that author. The ante-Augustineportion of the history is terminated by extracts from


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]0 PREFACE.

Gildas, relative to the conflicts between the Saxonsand Britons. As the mission of Augustine in A.D.596 is the period at which Beda ceases to speak ofhimself as a compiler, and assumes the character of anHistorian, it becomes incumbent upon us to examineinto the sources upon which he has founded this,by far the most interesting portion of his History.The materials which he employed seem to have con-sisted of 0.) written documents, and (IL) verbal infor-mation. 0.) The written materials may be dividedinto (1.) Historical information drawn up and com-municated by his correspondents for the express pur-pose of being employed in his work ; (2.) documentspre-existing in a narrative form, and (3.) transcripts ofofficial documents.

"(1.) That Beda's correspondents drew up and com-municated to him information which he used whenwriting this History, is certain from what he states inits Prologue; and it is highly probable that to themwe are indebted for many particulars connected withthe history of kingdoms situated to the south of theriver Humber, with which a monk of Jarrow, fromhis local position, was probably unacquainted. Tracesof the assistance which he derived from Canterburyarc perceptible in the minute acquaintance which heexhibits not only with the topography of Kent, butwith its condition at the time when he wrote ; and thesame remark is applicable, although in a more limiteddegree, to most of the other southern kingdoms.

"(2.) Documents pre-existing in an historical form areseldom quoted : amongst those of which use has beenmade may be numbered the Life of Gregory the Great,written by Paulus Diaconus; the miracles of Ethel-


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_FAC_. 11burg, abbess of Barking; the Life of Sebbi, king ofEast Saxony; the Legend of Fursey; and that ofCuthberht of Lindisfarn, formerly written by Beth,but now augmented by himself, with additional facts.These, together with some extracts from the Treatiseof Arcuulf De loeis sanctis, are all the written docu-ments to which the author refers.

"That other narratives, however, were in Beda's pos-session, of which he has made liberal use, is certainfrom his express words, and may also be inferred frominternal evidence. Albinus and Nothhelm appear tohave furnished him with Chronicles, in which hefound accurate and full information upon the pedi-grees, accessions, marriages, exploits, descendants,deaths, and burials of the kings of Kent. From thesame source he derived his valuable account of thearchbishops of Canterbury, both before and after ordi-nation, the place and date of consecration, eventhough it took place abroad, the days on which theyseverally took possession of that see, the duration oftheir episcopate, their deaths, burial-places, and theintervals which elapsed before the election of a suc-cessor. It is evident that the minuteness and accu-racy of this information could have been preservedonly by means of contemporary written memoranda.That such records existed in the time of the Saxonscannot be doubted, for Beds introduces a story, bywhich it appears that the Abbey of Selsey possesseda volume in which were entered the obits of eminentindividuals ; and the same custom probably prevailedthroughout the other monastic establishments ofEngland.

"The history of the diocese of Rochester was corn-


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12 P_FACmmunicated by Albinus and Nothhelm. It is exceed-ingly barren of particulars ; and probably would havebeen even more so, had it not been connected with thelife of Paulinus of York, concerning whom Bedaappears to have obtained information from otherquarters.

"The early annals of East Anglia are equally scanty,as we have little more than a short pedigree of itskings, an account of its conversion to Christianity, thehistory of Sigiberct and Anna, and a few particularsregarding its bishops, Felix, Thomas, Berctgils, andBisi, which details were communicated in part byAlbinus and Nothhelm.

"The history of the West Saxons was derived partlyfrom the same authorities, and partly from the infor-mation of Daniel, bishop of Winchester. It relatesto their conversion by Birinus, the reigns of Caeduallaand of Ini, and the pontificate of Vine, Aldhelm andDaniel. To this last named bishop we are indebtedfor a portion of the little of what is known as tothe early history of the South Saxons and the Isle ofWight, the last of the Saxon kingdoms which em-braced the Christian faith. It relates to the conver-sion of those districts by the agency of Wilt_ith. Afew unimportant additions are afterwards made in ahurried and incidental manner, evidently showing thatBeda's information upon this head was neither copiousnor definite.

"The monks of Lmstingaeu furnished materialsrelative to the ministry of Cedd and Ccadda, by whosepreaching the Mercians were induced to renouncePaganism. The history of this kingdom is obscure,and consists of an account of its conversion, the suc-


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Ps_'xcE. 13cession of its sovereigns, and its bishops. The neigh-bouring state of Middle Anglia, which, if ever inde-pendent of Mercia, soon merged in it, is similarlycircumstanced, and we are perhaps indebted to itsconnexion with the princes and bishops of Northum-bria for what is known of its early history.

"Lindissi, part of Lincolnshire, although situated sonear to the kingdom of Northumbria, was both politi-cally and ecclesiastical]y independent of it, and Bedawas as ignorant of the transactions of that province asof those which were much more remote from Jarrow.He received some materials from bishop Cyniberct,but they appear to have been scanty, for the circum-stances which relate to Lincolnshire are generallyderived from the information of other witnesses.

"The history of East Saxony is more copious, and isderived partly from the communications of Albinusand Nothhelm, and partly from the monks of Lmstin-gaeu. To the first of these two sources we must pro-bably refer the account of the pontificate of Mellitus,and the apostasy of the sons of Sacberct; circum-stances too intimately connected with the see ofCanterbury to be omitted in its annals. To the latterwe are indebted for the history of the reconversionof East Saxony; an event in which the monks ofLtestingaeu were interested, as it was accomplishedby their founder Cedd. From them Beda also re-ceived an account of the ministry of Ceadda. Somefurther details respecting its civil and ecclesiasticalaffairs, the life of Erconuuald, bishop of London,and the journey of Offa to Rome, conclude the in-formation which we have respecting this kingdom.

" In the history of Northumbria, Beda, as a native,


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PR_XCE. ] 5transcripts of important of6cial documents. Theseare of two classes : either such as were sent from thePapal Court to the princes and ecclesiastics of Eng-land, or were the production of native writers. Thefirst were transcribed from the Papal Regesta byNothhelm of London, during a residence at Rome, andwere sent to Beda by the advice of his friend Alhinusof Canterbury. They relate to the history of thekingdoms of Kent and Northumbria. The letters ofarchbishops Laurentius and Honorius, concerning theproper time for celebrating Easter, were probablyfurnished by the same individual. The proceedingsof the CouncLls of Herutford and Haethfeld, mayhave been derived from the archives of Beda's ownmonastery; since it was customary in the early agesof the Church for each ecclesiastical establishment tohave a ' tabularium' in which were deposited thesynodal decrees by which its members were governed.

" (Ix.) A considerable portion of the Historia Eccle-siastica, especially that part of it which relates to thekingdom of Northumberland, is founded upon localinformation which its author derived from variousindividuals. On almost every occasion, Beda givesthe name and designation of his informant ; beinganxious, apparently, to show that nothing is insertedfor which he had not the testimony of some respect-able witness. Some of these persons are credible fromhaving been present at the event which they related ;others, from the high rank which they held in theChurch, such as Aecei, bishop of Hexham, Guthfrith,abbot of Lindisfarn, Bercthun, abbot of Beverley, andPecthelm, bishop of Whithern. The author receivedsecondary evidence with caution, for he distinguishes


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]6 PREFACE.

between the statements which he received from eye-witnesses, and those which reached him through asuccession of informants. In the last of these in-stances, the channel of information is always pointedout with scrupulous exactness, whatever opinion wemay entertain, as in the case of some visions andmiracles, of the credibility of the facts themselves."After so many previous editions, the editor ac-

knowledges that under ordinary circumstances hewould not have hesitated to reprint the EcclesiasticalHistory from the latest and most valuable existingedition, trusting that a work so often revised wouldhave been already in a fit state to lay before thereader; and thus he would hope to be enabled todevote more time (and with greater benefit to thereader) to the other works of Bede which have beenless fortunate than the Ecclesiastical History. Buton coming to examine the text of the edition recentlypublished by the English Historical Society, he dis-covered a considerable augmentation of his labours.It has been previously observed, and seems hithertonot to have been generally known, that Smith's textis accurately copied from the MS. of More, and thatevery thing, but the most manifest blunders of thecopyist, is therein preserved. Indeed, Smith theyounger, who edited the volume which his father hadprepared, acknowledges that he has not sufferedhimself to depart from the readings of a volume soancient, even in the minutest particular. His wordsare these: " Patri religio fuit de codicis tam admi-randm vetustatis fide, nisi ubi librarium falso scripsisseaperte deprehenditur, vel aliquantulum decedere."This is the reason wily More's Manuscript, in general


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PREFACZ. 17so superior to every other, has been followed by itseditor, even where the reading is, owing to want ofcare or fatigue on the part of the copyist, manifestlycorrupt. To guard, however, against mistake, Smithhas in every case subjoined as foot-notes the cor-rections with which other MSS. or existing editionssupplied him. And for following this plan there isgood reason: it was an object of interest to everyscholar to see a fac-simile of a MS. written so nearthe time of the author, and some editors have notscrupled to represent even the forms of the lettersin which such a volume was written. But afterSmith's edition bad been so long familiar to theworld, it would be highly inexpedient for a futureeditor to follow the same plan. It would appearrather incumbent on him to collect the best text fromevery MS. or printed edition that had preceded, andin every instance to substitute such good readingsin the place of those which might appear inferior inthe text of Smith ; nor can it be alleged that therewould be no room for the adoption of such plan, onthe ground of More's MS. being perfect, or at leastfree from gross errors. For, however valuable itmay be for antiquity and general excellence, it never-theless abounds with most glaring errors of alldescriptions. It, in several instances, omits altoge-ther words necessary to the sense ; it not unfrequentlyadopts the worst of two readings; it occasionallypresents gross errors in grammar ; and, indeed, isnot free from any of those defects, to which everyvolume, written by the hand, and admitting norevision or correction, as in the case of printed books,is liable.


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18 PREFACE.

It is hardly necessary to say that Mr. Stevenson'svolume, being almost a verbatim reprint of Smith's,is exposed to this objection, and to a somewhatgreater degree still, from the omission of the foot-notes containing the corrections of the corrupt pas-sages. The two following instances will more fullyexplain this. In Chap. XIX., towards the beginning,More's MS. reads ad eum habitaculum, and Smith,following the MS., subjoins as a correction, illudhabitaculum. In the reprint, however, we find e_nhabitaculum retained without the note. Again, inChap. III., where Claudius is mentioned, More'sMS. reads cupiens monstrar. Smith so reprints it,but adds in a note, cupiens se monstrare, which nodoubt is the true reading. Here, also, in the recentedition, we read cupiens monstrare, and with no notesubjoined. Finding that this system had been actedupon throughout, the present editor saw the necessityof a new and entire revision of the text, and accord-ingly he turned his attention to the Heidelberg edition,found in Seriptores Britannicarum Rerum, publishedby Commelin, and apparently, as far as Bede isconcerned, unknown to previous editors. Of thisvolume he had before formed a very high opinion,and was glad to find its character fully sustained inthe present instance. The learning and taste dis-played by Commelin, the editor, are beyond com-mendation : as regards the text of Bede, it is superiorin every respect to any other edition, and appears tohave been very little, if at all, examined by precedingeditors. The present edition will be found to containall that could be gathered by a diligent and completecollation of the editions of Heidelberg, Smith and


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p_vAce. 19Stevenson. The best reading has in every instancebeen adopted, and the result of the collation will begiven in a chapter of various readings, at tile end ofthe next volume. In addition to this, different Manu-scripts have been referred to whenever the text ap-peared corrupt or unintelligible; but, it is right toadd, with very little benefit. It is hoped, therefore,that in this volume will be found the best text of theEcclesiastical History of the English Nation that hasyet been published.Of the value of this work we can have no better

evidence than the fact of its having been so oftentranslated into the vernacular tongue. King Alfredthought it not beneath his dignity to render it familiarto his Anglo-Saxon subjects, by translating it intotheir tongue.The first version in modern English was that of

Stapleton, hearing the following title, "The Historyof the Church of Englande, compiled by VenerableBede, Englishman, translated out of Latin intoEnglish by Thomas Stapleton, Student in Divinity.Antw. by John Laet, 1565." The object of thetranslator was to recal the affections of the people tothe Theological forms and doctrines which in his timewere being exploded. In the dedication to QueenElizabeth occurs the following passage :--" In thisHistory Your Highnes shall see in how many andweighty pointes the pretended reformers of the Churchin Your Graces dominions have departed from thepatern of that sounde and catholike faith plantedfirst among Englishemen by holy s. AUOUSTI_ ourApostle, and his virtuous company, described trulyand sincerely by Venerable BEVE, SO called in all


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20 PREFACE.

Christendom for his passing vertues and rare learning,file Author of this History. And to thentent YourHighnes intention bent to weightier considerationsand affaires may spende no longe time in espyingoute the particulars, I have gathered out of thewhole History a number of diversities betwene thepretended religion of Protestants, and the primitivefaith of the English Church."The work was again translated into English by

John Stevens, Lond. 8vo. 1723; and a third time(with some omissions) by W. Hurst, Loud. 8vo. 1814,and apparently with the same object which influencedStevenson. The translation, attached to the text inthis volume, is that of Stevens, but corrected withoutscruple, wherever it was necessary. It was first pub-lished separately, Lond. 8vo. 1840, forming the firstvolume of a series of the Monkish Historians ofGreat Britain, and has since been again carefullyrevised throughout, and in some passages altogetherretranslated; so that it is hoped the English readerwill find it to convey a tolerably accurate notionof the style and sense of the original.

J. A. G.WINDLRSHAM HALL_ SUKRBYy

M_ch, 1843.


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BED_E ENERABILISGENTIS ANGLORUM

LIBRI TRES PRIORES.


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HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICAGENTIS ANGLORUM.

LIBER PRIMUS.PROLOGUS.---_LOmOSXSSlMO_.EGICK'OLV_'ULPHO,EDA,

I"AMULU8 CHRISTI ET PRESBYTER.

_ ISTORIAM Gentis Anglorum Ec-

clesiasticam, quam nuper edideram,libentissime tibi desideranti, rex,et prius ad legendum ac probandumtransmisi, et nunc ad transcriben-dum ac plen_us extempore medi-tandum retransmitto; satisque stu-

dium turn sinceritatis amplector, quo non solum audi-endis Scripturm sanctm verbis aurem sedulus aceom-modas, verum etiam noscendis priorum gestis sire dictis,et maxime nostrve gentis virorum illustrium, curarevigilanter impendis. Sire enlm historia de bonis bonareferat, ad imitandum bonum auditor sollicitus instiga-tur; seu mala commemoret de pravis, Ifihilominus reli-giosus ac plus auditor sire lector, devitando quod noxiumest ae perversum, ipse solertius ad exsequenda ea, quzebona ac Deo digna esse eognoverit, aceenditur. Quodipsum tu quoque vigilantissime deprehendens, historiammemoratam in notitiam tibi simulque eis, quibus te


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THE

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORYOF THE

ENGLISH NATION.BOOK I.

PREFACE.--TO THE MOSTGLORIOUSINGCEOLV_'UL']_H,BEDE, THE SERVANT OF CHRIST AND PRIEBT.

_1 FORMERLY, at your request,

most readily transmitted to youthe Ecclesiastical History of theEnglish Nation, which I had new!ypublished, for you to read, and giveit your approbation; and I nowsend it again to be transcribed,and more fully considered at your

leisure. And I cannot but commend the sincerity andzeal, with which you not only diligently give ear to hearthe words of the Holy Scripture, but also industriouslytake care to become acquainted with the actions andsayings of former men of renown, especially of our ownnation. For if history relates good things of good men,the attentive hearer is excited to imitate that which isgood; or if it mentions evil things of wicked persons,nevertheless the religious and pious hearer or reader,sh,mn;ug that which is hurtful and perverse, is the moreearnestly excited to perform those things which heknows to be good, and worthy of God. Of which youalso being deeply sensible, are desirous that the saidhistory should be more fully made familiar to yourself,B2


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_ H I,qTORI A ECC L I_SI A.WI'IC A.

regendis Divina prmfeeit auetoritas, ob generalis curaresalutis latius propalari desideras.Ut autem in his qum seripsi, vel tibi, MagnanimeRex, vel eeteris auditoribus sive leetoribus hujus historim,oecasionem dubitandi subtraham, quibus hme maximeauetoribus didieerim breviter intimare eurabo. Auetorante omnes atque adjutor opuseuli hujus Albinus abhasreverendissimus vir per omnia doetissimus exstitit; quiin ecclesia Cantuariorum a beatm memori_e Theodoroarehiepiseopo et Hadriano abbate, viris venerabilibusatque eruditissimis, institutus, diligenter omnia, qu_e inipsa Cantuariorum provineia, vel etiam in eontiguiseidem regionibus, a diseipulis beati papa_Gregorii gestafuere, vel monimentis literarum vel seniorum traditioneeognoverat ; et ea mihi de his, quaememoria digna vide-bantur, per religiosum Londoniensis eeelesim presbyte-rum I%thelmum, sive liter'ls mandata, sire ipsius No-thelmi viva voee referenda, transmisit. Qui videlieetNothelmus postea Romam veniens, nonnullas ibi beatiGregorii papm simul et aliorum pontifieum epistolas,perserutato ejusdem sanet_e e_elesim Roman_ serinio,permissu ejus, qui nune ipsi eeelesim prmest, Gregoriipontifieis, invenit, reversusque nobis nostrm historim in-serendas, cure consilio prmfati Albini reverendissimipatris, attulit. A prineipio itaque voluminis hujususque ad tempus quo gens' Anglorum fidem Christi per-eepit, ex priorum maxime seriptis hine inde eoIleetis ea,qum promeremus, didieimus. Exinde autem usque adtempora prmsentia, qum in ecclesia Cantuariorum perdiscipulos beati papmGregorii, sire sueeessores eorum,vel sub quibus regibus gesta sint, memorati abbatisAlbini industria, Nothelmo, ut diximus, perferente,eoguovimus. Qui etiam provineim Orientalium simulet Oeeidentalium Saxonum, nee non et Orientalium An-glorum atque Northanhumbrorum, a quibus prmsulibusvel quorum tempore regum gratiam Evangelii pereepe-


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B.I.] ECCLESIASTICAL IIIb_TORY. _._

and to those over whom the Divine Authority has ap-pointed you governor, from your great regard to theirgeneral welfare. But that I may remove all occasion ofdoubting the truth of what I have written, both fromyourself and other readers or hearers of this history, Iwill briefly intimate fi'om what authors I chiefly learnedthe same.

My principal authority and aid in this work was thelearned and reverend Abbot Albinus ; who was educated in Albl...Abbot oftheChurchofCanterburybythosevenerablend learnedc..t,.rb.rmen, ArchbishopTheodoreof blessedmemory, and theAbbot Adrian,and transmittedo me by Nothelm,theAbbotAdrian.pious priest of the Church of London, either in writing, No,h_lm.or by word of mouth of the same Nothelm, all that hethought worthy of memory, that had been done in theprovince of Kent, or the adjacent parts, by tile disciplesof the blessed Pope Gregory, as he had learned thesame either from written records, or the traditions ofhis ancestors. The same _Tothelm afterwards went toRome, and by permission of the present Pope Gregory,searched into the archives of the holy Roman Church,where he found some epistles of the blessed Pope Gregory,and other popes ; and on his return home, by the advice ofthe aforesaid "most reverend father Albinus, he broughtthem to me, to be inse2_ed in my history. Thus, fromthe beginning of this volmne to the time when theEnglish nation received the faith of Christ, have wecollected the writings of our predecessors, and fromthem gathered matter for our history; but from thattime till the present, what was transacted in the Churchof Canterbury, by the disciples of St. Gregory or theirsuccessors, and under what kings the same happened,has been conveyed to us by Nothelm through the in-dustry of the aforesaid Abbot Albinus. They also partlyinformed me by what bishops and under what kings theprovinces of the East and West Saxons, as also of theEast Angles, and of the Northumbrians, received the


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_6 H |._TOR| A ECCLE,_|ASTICA.

tint, nonnulla mihi ex parte prodiderunt. Denique,hortatu prmcipue ipsius Albini, ut hoc opus aggrediauderem, provocatus sum. Sed et Daniel, reverendissi-mus Occidentalium Saxonum episcopus, qui nunc usquesuperest, nonnulla mihi de historia ecclesiastica pro-vinciae ipsius, simul et proxima illi Australium Saxonum,nec non et Vectm insulae, literis mandata declaravit.Qualiter vero per ministerium Cedd et Ceaddm, religio-sorum Christi sacerdotum, vel provineia Merciorum adfidem Christi, quam non noverat, pervenerit, vel pro-vincia Otientalium Saxonum fidem, quam olim exsuflla-verat, recuperaverit, qualis etiam ipsorum patrum vitavel obitus exstiterit, diligenter a fratribus monastetii,quod ab ipsis conditum Lestingau cognominatur, agno-vimus. Porro in provineia Orientalium Anglorum qutefuetint gesta ecclesiaztica, partim ex scriptis vel tradi-tione priorum, partim reverendi_imi abbatis Esii rela-tione, competimus. At vero in provincia Lindissi, qumsint gesta erga fidem Christi, qumve successio sacerdo-talis exstiterit, vel literis reverendissimi antistitis Cune-berti, vel aliorum fidelium virorum viva voce, didicimus.Qum autem in Northanhumbrorum provincia, ex quotempore fidem Christi perceperunt usque ad pr_esens,per diversas regiones in ecclesia sint acta, non unoquolibet auctore, sed fideli innumerorum testium, quih_ec scire vel meminisse poterant, a_sertione cognovi,exceptis his qum per me ipsum nosse poteram. Interqu_e notandum, quod ea quse de sanctissimo patre etantistite Cuthberto vel in hoc volumine vel in libellogestorum ipsius eonseripsi, partim ex eis qu_e de illoprius a fratribus ecclesi_e Lindisfarnensis scripta reperi,assumsi, simpliciter fidcm histoti_e, quam legebam, ac-eommodans_ partita vero ca, qum eertissima fideliumvirorum attestatione per me ipse eognoseere potui, so-lerter a_ljieere euravi. Leetoremque supplieiter obseerout, si qua in his qum seripsimus aliter quam se verita_


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3. z.] _CCL_xA_rlCALsToaY. 27faith of Christ. In short, I was chiefly encouraged toundertake this work by the persuasions of the sameAlbinus. In like manner, Daniel, the most reverendBishop of the West Saxons, who is still living, com-municated to me in writing some things relating to theEcclesiastical History of that province, and the nextadjoining to it of the South Saxons, as also of the Isleof Wight. But how, by the pious ministry of Cedd andCeadda, the province of the Mercians was brought tothe faith of Christ, which they knew not before, and howthat of the East Saxons recovered the same, after havingexpelled it, and how those fathers lived and died, welearned from the brethren of the monastery, which wasbuilt by them, and is called L_estingan. What ecclesias-tical transactions took place in the province of the EastAngles, was partly made known to us from the writingsand tradition of our ancestors, and partly by relation ofthe most reverend Abbot Esius. What was done towardspromoting the faith, and what was the sacerdotal suc-cession in the province of Lindsey, we had either fromthe letters of the most reverend prelate Cunebert, or by 8iahopCuneb_rt.word of mouth from other persons of good credit. Butwhat was done in the Church throughout the provinceof the Northumbrians, from the time when they receivedthe faith of Christ till this present, I received not fromany particular author, but by the faithful testimony ofinnumerable witnesses, who might know or rememberthe same; besides what I had of my own knowledge.Wherein it is to be observed, that what I have writtenconcerning our most holy father, and Bishop Cuthbert, st.CutUb_.either in this wflume, or in my treatise on his life andactions, I partly took, and faithfully copied from whatI found written of him by the brethren of the Churchof Lindisfarne ; but at the same time took care to addsuch things as I could myself have knowledge of by thefaithful testimony of such as knew him. And I humblyentreat the reader, that if he shall in this that we have


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9=8 1t ISTORI .k KCCLESIASTICA.

habet posita repererit, non hoe nobis imputet, qui, qu_veto lex historim est, simpliciter ea qum, fama vulgante,eollegimus, ad instructionem posteritatis literis mandarestuduimus.Prmterea omnes ad quos hmc eadem historia perve-

nire poterit nostra_ nationis legentes sire audientes sup-pliciter precor, ut pro meis infirmitatibus et mentis eteorporis apud Supernam elementiam smpius intervenirememinerint ; et in suis quique provineiis hanc mihi sumremunerationis vicem rependant, ut, qui de singulisprovinciis sire locis sublimioribus, qum memoratu dignaatque ineolis grata eredideram, diligenter annotareeuravi, apud omnes fructum pim intereessionis inve-niam.CAP. I.--DE 81TU BRITANNi_ VEL HIBERNI_I_ El" PRISCI8

EARUM INCOLIS.

RITANNIA, oceani insula, cui

quondam Albion nomen fuit, interseptentrionem et occidentem locataest, Germani_e, Galli_e, Hispanic,maximis Europse partibus, multointervallo adversa ; qum per milliapassuum oetingenta in Boreamlonga, latitudinis habet millia du-

eenta, exeeptis duntaxat prolixioribus diversorum pro-montoriorum tractibus, quibus etilcitur ut circuitus ejusquadragies oeties septuaginta quinque millia eompleat.Habet a meridie Galliam Belgieam, eujus proximumlitus transmeantibus aperit eivitas qum dicltur RutubiPortus, a gente Anglorum nunc corrupte Reptacestirvocata, interposito marl a Gessoriaco Morinorum gcntislitore proximo, trajectu millium quinquaginta, sire, utquidam scripsere, stadiorum quadringentorum quinqua-ginta_ A tergo autem, unde oceano infinito patet,Orcadas insulas babel Opima frugibus atque arboribusinsula, et alendis apta pecoribus ae jumentis; vineas


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B.I.C.I.] ECCLESIASTICAL18TOBY. 09written find any thing not delivered according to thetruth, he will not impute the same to me, who, as thetrue rule of history requires, have laboured sincerely tocommit to writing such things as I could gather fromcommon report, for the instruction of posterity.Moreover I beseech all men who shall hear or readthis history of our nation, that for my manifold infirmi-ties both of mind and body, they will offer up frequentsupplications to the throne of Grace. And I furtherpray, that in recompense for the labour wherewith Ihave recorded in the several countries and cities thoseevents which were most worthy of note, and most grate-ful to the ears of their inhabitants, I may for my rewardhave the benefit of their pious prayers.

CHAP. I.--OF THE SITUATION OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND,AND OF THEIR ANCIENT INIIABITANTS.

RITAIN, an island in the ocean, Bri_o.

formerly called Albion, is situatedbetween the north and west, facing,though at a considerable distance,the coasts of Germany, France, andSpain, which form the greatest partof Europe. It extends 800 miles

in length towards the north, and is 200 miles in breadth,except where several promontories extend further inbreadth, by which its compass is made to be 3675 miles.To the south, as you pass along the nearest shore of the it, ,itu,_o_.Belgie Gaul, the first place in Britain which opens tothe eye, is the city of Rutubi Portus, by the Englishcorrupted into Reptacestir. The distance from henceacross the sea to Gessoriacum, the nearest shore of theMorini, is 50 miles, or as some _Titers say, 450 furlongs.On the back of the island, where it opens upon theboundless ocean, it has the islands called Orcades.Britain excels for grain and trees, and is well adapted


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30 HIBTORI& ECCLEBIAgTICA.

etiam quibusdam in locis germlnans ;sed et avium feraxterra marlque generis diversi. Fluviis quoque multumpiscosis ac fontibus pr_clara eopiosis, et quidem pr_-cipue issicio abundat et anguiUa. Capiuntur autems_epissime et vituli marini et delphines, necnon et ba-lren_e; exceptis variorum generibus conehyllorum, inquibus sunt et musculse, quibus inclusam svepe margaxi-tam omnis quidem eoloris optimam inveniunt, id est, etrubicund], et purpurei, et hyaclnthinl, et prasini, sedmaxime candidi. Sunt et coehlem satis superque abun-dantes, quibus tinctura cocclnei eoloris eonficitur, cujusrubor puleherrimus hullo unquam solls ardore, nuUavalet pluviarum injuria pallescere ; sed quo vetustior esteo solet esse venustior. Habet fontes salinarum, habetet fontes calidos, et ex eis fluvios balnearum calidarum,omni setati et sexui per distincta loca juxta suum cuiquemodum accommodos. Aqua enim, ut sanctus Basiliusdicit, fervidam qualitatem reeipit, quum per eerta qu_e-dam metalla traamcurrit, et fit non solum calida sed etardens. Qum etiam venis metallorum, _eris, ferri, etplumbi, et argenti, fecunda, gignit et lapidem gagatemplurimum optimumque; est autem nigrog_mmeus etardens igni admotus, incensus serpeutes fugat, attritucalefactus applieita detinet tuque lit succinum. Erat etcivitatibus quondam viginti et octo nobilissimls insignitaprater castella innumera, qu_e et ipsa muris, turribus,portis, ac seris erant iustructa firmissimis. Et quiaprope sub ipso scptentrionali vertice mundi jacet, luci-das a_state noetes habet, ira ut medio s_pe tempere"noetis in qumstionem veniat intuentibus, utrum crepes-culum adhue permaneat vespertinum, an jam adveneritmatutinum, utpete nocturno sole non longe sub terrisad orientem boreales per plagas redeunte ; made etiamplurimm longitudinis habet dies restate, sicut et noctescontra in bruma, sole nimirum tunc Libyeas in partesseeedente, id est, horarum deeem et octo. Plurimm itembrevitatis noetes _estate et dies habet in bruma, hoe est,


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B. I. c.l.] V.CCL_XA_IC.,,LlS'rORY. _1for feeding cattle and beasts of burden. It also pro- itJproduc.duees vines in some places, and has plenty of land and uo_.water fowls of several sorts; it is remarkable also forrivers abounding in fish, and plentiful springs. It hasthe greatest plenty of salmon and eels; seals are alsofrequently taken, and dolphins, as also whales; besidesmany sorts of shell-fish, such as muscles, in which areoften found excellent pearls of all colours, red, purple,violet, and green, but mostly white. There is alsoa great abundance of cockles, of which the scarlet dyeis made; a most beautiful colour, which never fadeswith the heat of the sun or the washing of the rain ; butthe older it is, the more beautiful it becomes. It hasboth salt and hot springs, and from them flow riverswhich furnish hot baths, proper for all ages and sexes,and arranged according. For water, as St. Basil says,receives the heating quality, when it runs along certainmetals, and becomes not only hot but scalding. Britainhas also many veins of metals, as copper, iron, lead, andsilver ; it has much and excellent jet, which is black andsparkling, glittering at the fire, and when heated, drivesaway serpents; being warmed with rubbing, it holdsfast whatever is applied to it, like amber. The i_laqdwas formerly embellished with twenty-eight noble cities,besides innumerable castles, which were all stronglyseeured with walls, towers, gates, and locks. And,from its lying almost under the Nol_h Pole, the nightsare light in summer, so that at midnight the beholdersare often in doubt whether the evening twilight stillcontinues, or that of the morning is coming on ; for thesun, in the night, returns under the earth, through thenorthern regions at no great distance from them. Forthis reason the days are of a great length in summer, ason the contrary, the nights are in winter, the sun thenwithdrawing into the southern parts, so that they areeighteen hours long. Thus the nights are extraordi-narily short in summer, and the days in winter, that is,


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_ HISTORIA ECCLF,81ASTICA.

sex solummodo mquinoctialium horarum ; cure in Arme-nia, Macedonia, Italia, eeterisque ejusdem linem re-gionibus, longissima dies sive nox quindecim, brevissimanovem eompleat horas.

Hmc in prmsenti, juxta numerum librorum quibus LexDivini seripta est, quinque gentium linguis unam ean-demque summm veritatis et verm sublimitatis scienti_mscrutatur et eonfitetur; Anglorum videlicet, Britonum,Seotorum, Pictorum, et Latinorum, qum meditationeScripturarum eeteris omnibus est faeta eommunis. Inprimis autem hme insula Britones solum, a quibus nomenaccepit, ineolas habuit ; qui de tractu Armoricano, utfertur, Britanniam advecti, Anstrales sibi partes illiusvindicarunt. Et cure plurimam insulin partem, inei-pientes ab Austro, possedissent, eontigit gentem Picto-rum de Scythia, ut perhibent, longis navibns non multisoceanum ingressam, eircumagente ttatu ventorum, extrafines omnes Britanniae Hiberniam pervenisse, ejusqueseptentrionales or'as intrasse, atque, inventa ibi genteSeotorum, sibi quoque in partibus illius sedes petiisse,nee impetrm-e potuisse. Est autem Hibernia insulaomnium post Britanniam maxima, ad oceidentem quidemBritannim sita; sed sicut contra aquilonem ea brevior,ita in meridiem se trans illius fines plurimum proten-dens, usque contra Hispanim septentrionalia, quamvismagno mquore interjacente, pervenit. Ad bane ergonsque pervenientes navigio Picti, ut diximus, petieruntin ea sibi quoque sedes et habitationem donari ; respen-debant Scoti, quia non ambos cos caperet insula, " sealpossumus," inquiunt, "salubre vobis dare consilinm quidagere valeatis. Novimus insulam ease aliam non proeula nostra contra ortum solis, quam smpe lucidioribusdlebus de longe aspicere solemns. Hanc adire si vultis,habitabilem vobis facere valetis ; vel, si qui restiterint,nobis auxiliarlis utimini." Itaque petentes BritanniamPicti habitare per septentrionales insulin partes ccepe-


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FI. | C.I.] ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 33

of only six equinoctial hours. Whereas, in Armenia,Macedonia, Italy, and other countries of the same lati-tude, the longest day or night extends but to fifteenhours, and the shortest to nine.This island at present, following the number of the it, I_habi._lltsbooks in which the Divine law was written, contains

five natiohs, the English, Britons, Scots, Picts, andLatins, each in its own peculiar dialect cultivating thesublime study of Divine truth. The Latin tongue is,by the study of the Scriptures, become common to allthe rest. _Atfirst this island had no other inhabitants butthe Britons, from whom it derived its name, and whocoming over into Britain, as is reported, from Armorica,possessed themselves of the southern parts thereof.When they, beginning at the south, had made them-selves masters of t_e greatest part of the island, it hap-poned, that the nation of the Picts, from Scythia, as isreported, putting to sea, in a few long ships, were drivenby the winds beyond the shores of Britain, and arrivedon the northern coasts of Ireland, where, finding thenation of the Scots, they begged to be allowed to settleamong them, but could not succeed in obtaining theirrequest. Ireland is the greatest island next to Britain,and lies to the west of it; but as it is shorter thanBritain to the north, so, on the other hand, it runs outfar beyond it to the south, opposite to the northernparts of Spain, though a spacious sea lies between them.The Piets, as has been said, arriving in this island bysea, desired to have a place granted them in which theymight settle. The Scots answered that the island couldnot contain them both; but " we can give you goodadvice," said they, "what to do; we know there isanother island, not far from ours, to the eastward, whichwe often see at a distance, when the days are clear.If you will go thither, you will obtain settlements ; orif they should oppose you, you shall have our assistance."The Picts, accordingly, sailing over into Britain, began


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runt, nam austrina Britones oecupaverant. Cumqueuxores Picti non habentes peterent a Seotis, ea solumconditione dare consensernnt, ut ubi res veniret in du-bium, magis de feminea regum prosapia quam de m_-culina regem sibi eligerent; quod usque hodie apudPictos constat ease servatum. Procedente autem tern-pore, Britannia, post Britones et Pictos, tertiam Scoto-rum nationem in Pictornm parte recepit ; qui, duceReuda, de Hibernia progressi, vel amicitia vel ferrosibimet inter cos sedes, quas hactenus habent, vindica-runt; a quo videlicet duce usque hodie Dalreudinivoc_ntur, ham lingua eorum ' daal' partem signific_t.Hibernia autem et latitudine sui status, et salubritateae serenitate aerum, multum Britannim prmstat, ita utraro ibi nix plus quam triduana remane_t ; nemo propterhiemem aut fcena secet _estate, aut stabula fabrieetjumentis; nullum ibi reptile videri soleat, nullus vivereserpens vale_t ; ham s_epe illo de Britannia allati ser-pontes, mox ut, proximante terris navigio, odore aerisillius attacti fuerint, intereunt ; quin potlus omnia pone,qum de eadem insula sunt, eontra venenum valent.Denique vidimus, quibusdam a serpente pereussis, rasafolia codieum, qui de Hibernia fuerant, et ipsam rasuramaqu_ immi_m ac potui datam, talibus protinus totamvim veneni grassantis, totum inflati corporis absumsisseac se_ tumorem. Dives lactis ac mellis insula, nocvinearum expers, piseinm volucrumque, sed et cervorumc_prearumque venatu insignis. H_ec autem proprie pa-tria Scotorum est ; ab hac egressi, ut diximus, tertiamin Britannia Britonibus et Pictis gentem addiderunt.Est autem sinus marls permaximus, qui antiquitus gen-tern Britonum a Pietis seeernebat, qui ab occidente in


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B. 1. C 1.] ECCLF__IAffrlCAL HIffI'ORY. 35

to inhabit the northern parts thereof, for the Britons werepossessed of the southern. Now the Picts had no wives,and asked them of the Scots ; who would not consent togrant them upon any other terms, than that when anydifficulty should arise, they should choose a king fromthe female royal race rather than from the male : whichcustom, as is well known, has been observed among thePicts to this day. In process of time, Britain, besidesthe Britons and the Picts, received a third nation, theScots, who, migrating from Ireland under their leaderReuda, either by fair means, or by force of arms, se-cured to themselves those settlements among the Pictswhich they still possess. From the name of their com-mander, they are to this day called Dalreudins; for intheir language Dal signifies a part.Ireland, in breadth, and forwholesomeness and serenity of I_l_d.

of climate, far surpasses Britain ; for the snow scarcelyever lies there above three days : no man makes hay inthe summer for winter's provision, or builds stables forhis beasts of burden. No reptiles are found there, andno snake can live there ; for though often carried thitheroat of Britain, as soon as the ship comes near theshore, and the scent of the air reaches them, they die.On the contrary, almost all things in the island are goodagainst poison. In short, we have known that whensome persons have been bitten by serpents, the scrap-ings of leaves of books that were brought out of Ireland,being put into water, and given them to drink, haveimmediately expelled the spreading poison, and assuagedthe swelling. The island abounds in milk and honey,nor is there any want of vines, fish or fowl ; and it isremarkable for deer and goats. It is properly thecountry of the Scots, who, migrating from thence, ashas been said, added a third nation in Britain to theBritons and the Picts. There is a very large gulf ofthe sea, which formerly divided the nation of the Pictsfrom the Britons; which gulf runs from the west very


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_ HISTORIAECCLESIASTICA.terr_ longo spatio erumpit, ubi est civitas Britonummunitissima usque hodie, qu_e vocatur Alcluith, ad cujusvidelicet sinus partem septentrionalem Scotl, quos dixi-mus, advenientes, sibi loeum patri_e fecerunt.

CAP. II.--UT BRITANNIAM PRIMUS ROMANORUM CAIUSJULIUS ADIERIT.

V_nu_ eadem Britannia Romanis usque ad CaiumJulium Cs_arem inaccessa atque ineognita fuit_ qui,anuo ab Urbe condlta sexcentesimo nonagesimo tertio,ante vero incarnationis Dominie_ tempus anno sexa-gesimo functus gradu consulatus cure Lucio Bibulo,dum contra Germanorum Gallorumque gentes, quiRheno tantum flumine dirimebantur, helium gereret,venit ad Morinos unde in Britanniam proximus etbrevissimus transitus est; et, navibus onerariis atqueaetuarlls circiter octoginta pr_eparatis, in Britarmiamtmnsvehitur, ubi acerba primum pugna fatigatus, deindeadversa tempestate correptus, plurimam classis partemet non parvnm numerum militum, equitum vero peneomnem, disperdidit. Regressus in Galliam legiones inhiberna dimisit, ac sexcentas naves utriusque commodifieri imperavit ; quibus iterum in Britanniam primo veretransvectus, dum ipse in hostem cure exercitu pergit,naves in ancoris stantes tempestate corrept_e vel collisminter se, vel arenis illis_e ac dissolut_e sunt; ex quibusquadraginta perierunt, ceterm cure magna difficultatereparat_e sunt. Cm_ris equitatus primo congressu aBritannis victus, ibique Labienus tribunus occisus est,secundo prcelio cum magno suorum discrimine victosBritannos in fugam vertit. Inde ad flumen Tamesimprofectus, in hujus ulteriore ripa, Cassibellauno duce,immensa hostlum multitudo consederat, rlpamque flumi-nis ac pene totum sub aqua vadum acutissimis sndibus


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B. I. C.n.] EO2LESIASTICAL HISTORY. 37

far into the land, where, to this day, stands the strongcity of the Britons, called Alcluith. The Scots arrivingon the north side of this bay, settled themselves there.

CHAP. If.---cAius JULIUS C2F,SAR, THE FIRST ROMAN THATCAME INTO BRITAIN,

BRITAIN had never been visited by the Romans, and c.....was, indeed, entirely unkno_n to them before the timeof Caius Julius Cmsar, who, in the year 693 after thebuilding of Rome, but the sixtieth year before the in-carnation of our Lord, was consul with LuciLus Bibulus,and afterwards, whilst he made war upon the Germansand the Gauls, which were divided only by the riverRhine, came into the province of the Morini, from B.C.55.whence is the nearest and shortest passage into Britain.Here, having provided about eighty ships of burden andvessels with oars, he sailed over into Britain; where,being first roughly handled in a battle, and then meet-ing with a violent storm, he lost a considerable part ofhis fleet, no small number of soldiers, and almost all hishorse. Returning into Gaul, he put his legions intowinter-quarters, and gave orders for building six hun-dred sail of both sorts. With these he again passedover early in spring into Britain, but, whilst he wasmarching with a large army towards the enemy, the ships,riding at anchor, were by a tempest either dashed oneagainst another, or driven upon the sands and wrecked.Forty of them perished, the rest were, with much diffi-culty, repaired. Ca_ar's cavalry was at the first charge c_ e.e-defe_ted by the Britons, and Labienus, the tribune, slain, f_t_d.In the second engagement, he, with great hazard to hismen, put the Britons to flight. Thence he proceededto the river Thames, where an immense multitude ofthe enemy had posted themselves on the farthest side ofthe river, under the command of Cassibellaun, and fencedthe bank of the river and almost all the ford under

C


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38 HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA.

pr_struxerat, quarum vestigia sudium ibidem usque hodievisuntur, et videtur inspectantibus quod singul_e earumad modum humani femoris gross_e et circumfusm plumboimmobiliter heereant in profundum fluminis infix_e. Quodubi a Romanis deprehensum ac vitatum est, Barbari,legionum impetum non ferentes, silvis sese obdidere, undecrebris irruptionibus Romanos graviter ac smpe lacera-bant. Interea Trinovantum firmissima civltas, cureAndrogeo duce, datis quadraginta obsidibus, Cvesari sesededit; quod exemplum secutm urbes alise complures infoedus Romanorum venerunt. Iisdem demonstrantibus,Cveaar oppidum Cassibellauni inter duas paludes situn_obtentu iasuper silvarum munitum, omnibusque rebusconfertissimum, tandem gravi pugna cepit. Exin Cmsara Britannia reversus in Galliam, postquam legiones inhibertm misit, repentinis bellorum tumultibus tmdiquecircumventus et conflictatus est.

CAP. III._UT EANDEM SECUNDUS ROMANORUM CLAU-DIUS ADIENS_ ORCADAS ETIAM INSULAS ROMANO ADJECERITIMPERIO _ SED ET VESPASIANUS AB EO MISSUS VECTAMQUOQUE INSULA.M ROMANIS SUBDIDERIT.

ANNO autem ab Urbe condita septingentesimo nona-gesimo octavo Claudius imperator, ab Augusto quar-tus, cupiens se utilem reipublic_e ostentare principem,bellum ubique et victoriam undecunque qusesivit ; itaqueexpeditionem in Britanniam movit, qum excitata intumultum propter non redhibitos transfugas videbatur.Transvectus in insulam est, quam neque ante JuliumC_esarem neque post eum qui_uam adire ausus fuerat,ibique, sine ullo prcelio ac sanguine, intra paucissimosdies plurimam insulee partem in deditionem recepit.Orcadas etiam insulas, ultra Britanniam in oceano Imsitaa,


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B. I. C. lIl.] F_CLESIASTICAL HISTORY. _9

water with sharp stakes : the remains of these are to beseen to this day, apparently about the thickness of aman's thigh, and being cased with lead, remain fixed im-movably in the bottom of the river. This being per-ceived and avoided by the Romans, the barbarians,not able to stand the shock of the legions, hid them-selves in the woods, whence they grievously galled theRomans with repeated sallies. In the mean time, thestrong city of Trinovantum, with its commander Andre- Londo,.geus, surrendered to Cvesar, giving him forty hostages.Many other cities, following their example, made a treatywith the Romans. By their assistance, Cvesar at length,with much difficulty, took Cassibellann's town, situatedbetween two marshes, fortified by the adjacent woods,and plentifully furnished with all necessaries. After thisC_ar returned into Gaul, but he had no sooner put hislegions into winter-quarters, than he was suddenly besetand distracted with wars and tumults raised against himon every side.

CHAP. III.---CLAUDIUS,THESECONDOr THEROMANSWHOCAME INTO BRITAIN, BROUGHT TIIE ISLANDS ORCADF_ INTOBUBJEC'WION TO TH I_ ROMAN EMPIRE ;, AND VESPASIAN, SENT]BY HIM, REDUCED THE ISLE OF _'IGHT UNDER THEIR DOMI-NION.

Is the year of Rome 798, Claudius, fourth emperor A.D.4_laudius In-from Augustus, being desirous to approve himself a bene- ,_. B,1._lhficial prince to the republic, and eagerly bent upon war andconquest, undertook an expedition into Britain, whichseemed to be stirred up to rebellion by the refusal of theRomans to give up certain deserters. He was the onlyone, either before or after Julius C_esar, who had daredto land upon the island ; yet, within a very few days, with-out any fight or bloo&qhed, the greatest part of the islandwas surrendered into his hands. He also added to theRoman empire the Oreades, which lie in the ocean beyond o_d,,.


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40 nISTOR_ ECCLESIA_rlcA.Romano adjecit imperio, ac sexto quam profectus eratmense Romam rediit, filioque suo Britanniei, nomen im-posuit. Hoc autem helium quarto imperii sui annocomplevit, qui est annus ab inearnatione Domini quadra-gesimus sextus ; quo etiam anno fames gravissima perSyriam facta est, quse in Actibus Apostolorum per pro-phetam Agabum prmdicta esse memoratur. Ab eodemClaudio Vespaslanus, qui post Neronem imperavit, inBritanniam missus, etiam Vectam insulam, BritanniEeproximam a meridie, Romanorum ditioni subjugavit ;quve habet ab oriente in occasum triginta circiter milliapassuum, ab austro in boream duodecim, in orientalibussuis partibus marl sex millium, in occidentalibus trium,a meridiano Britanni_e litore distans. Succedens autemClaudio in imperium Nero nihil omnino in re militari aususest ; unde, inter alla Romani regni detrimenta innumera,Britannlam pene amisit, nam duo sub eo nobilissimaoppida illic capta atque subversa sunt.

CAP. IV._uT LUCXUS BRITANNORUM REX_ MISSIS AD ELEU-TnERUM PAPAM LITERIS_ CIIRISTIANUM 8E FIEKI PETIERIT.

ANNo ab incarnatione Domini centesimo quinqua-gesimo sexto, Marcus Antonlnus Verus, deeimus quartusab Augusto, regnum cure Aurelio Commodo fratre sus-cepit _ quorum temporibus cure Eleutherus vir sanctuspontificatui Romance eeclesieB preeesset, misit ad eumLucius Britanniarum rex epistolam, obsecrans ut perejus mandatum Christianus eflleeretur, et mox effectumpiee postulationis eonsecutus est; susceptamque fidemBritanni usque in tempora Diocletiani principis invio-latam integra_nque quieta.in pace servabant.


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Britain, and then returning to Rome the sixth monthafter his departure, he gave his son the title of Britan-nicus. This war he concluded in the fourth :),ear of hisempire, which is the forty-sixth from the incarnation ofour Lord. In which year there happened a most griev-ous famine in Syria, which, in the Acts of the Apostles,is recorded to have been foretold by the prophet Agabus.Vespasian, who was emperor after Nero, being sent intoBritain by the same Claudius, brought also under theRoman dominion the Isle of Wight, which is next to 1,1_ofWight.Britain on the south, and is about thirty miles in lengthfrom east to west, and twelve from north to south ; beingsix miles distant from the southern coast of Britain at theeast end, and three only at the west. Nero, succeeding N,,o.Claudius in the empire, attempted nothing in martialaffairs; and therefore among other innumerable detri-ments brought upon the Roman state, he almost lostBritain; for under him two most noble towns were theretaken and destroyed.

CHAP. IV.--LUCIUS, KING OF BRITAIN, WRITING TO POPEELEUTHERUS, DESIRES TO BE MADE A CHRISTIAN.

IN the year of our Lord's incarnation 156, Marcus A.v. ]-_;.Lucius em.Antoninus Verus, the fourteenth from Aug_IStus, was b.....Ch rlst_tnity.made emperor, together with his brother, Aurelius Com-modus. In their time, whilst Eleutherus, a holy man,presided over the Roman church, Lucius, king of theBritons, sent a letter to him, entreating, that by hiscommand he might be made a Christian. He soonobtained the object of his pious request, and the Britonspreserved the faith, which they had received, uncorruptedand entire, in peace and tranquillity until the time ofthe Emperor Diocletian.


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CAP. V.--UT8EVERUS RECEPTAM BRITANNI_E PARTEM VALLOA CETERA DISTINXEEIT.

ANNO ab incsrnationeomini centesimooctogesimonono, Severus,genereAfer, Tripolitanus,b oppidoLepti,decimusseptimusab Aug_sto,imperiumadeptus,decem etseptemannistenuit.Hic naturasmvus,multissemperbelllsacessitus,ortissimeuidem rempublicamsedlaborlosissimeexit.Victorergociviliumellorum,qum el gravissimaoccurrerant,n Britanniasdefectupene omnium sociorumtrahitur,bimagnisgravibusqueprcellis_epegestis,eceptampartem insulin ceterisindomitisentibus,on muro,ut quidam mstimant,sealvallodistinguendamutavit.Murus etenimdelapidibus,vallumveto,quo ad repellendamvim hostium castramuniuntur,fitde cespitibus,uibuscircumcisisterm,veluttaurusexstruiturltussupraterrain,tsut inantesitfossa,e qua levatisuntcespites,upraquam sudesdellgnlsortlssimisr_efiguntur.taclueeverusmaguamfossamfirmissimumqueallum,crebrisinsuperturribuscommunitum,a mari ad mare duxit;ibiqueapud Ebo-racum oppidummorbo obiit.Reliqldtuosfilios,assi-anum etGetsm ; quorum Getahostispublicusjudicstusinteriit,assianus,ntoninicognomineassumpto,regnopotitusst.

CAP. VI.--DE IMPERIO DIOCLETIANI_ ET UT CHRISTIANOSPERSECUTU8 SIT.

ANNO incarnationis Dominicm dueentesimo octo-gesimo sexto, Diocletianus, tricesimus tertius ab Au-gusto, Imperator ab exercitu electus, annis viginti fuit,Maximianumque cognomento Herculium socium creavit


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CHAP. V.--HOW THE EMPEROR SEVERUS DIVIDED THATPART OF BRITAIN WIIICH HE SUBDUED, FROM THE RR8T BYA RAMPART.

IN the year of our Lord 189, Severus, an African, s_.born at Leptis, in the province of Tripelis, received the x.v. I_.imperial purple. He was the seventeenth from Au-gustus, and reigned seventeen years. Being naturallystern, and engaged in many wars, he governed _he statevigorously, but with much trouble. Having been vic-torious in all the grievous civil wars which happened inhis time, he was drawn into Britain by the revolt ofalmost all the confederate tribes ; and, after many greatand dangerous battles, he thought fit to divide that partof the island, which he had recovered from the otherunconquered nations, not with a wall, as some imagine,but with a rampart. For a wall is made of stones, buta rampart, with which camps are fortified to repel theassaults of enemies, is made of sods, cut out of theearth, and raised above the ground all round like a wall,having in front of it the ditch whence the sods weretaken, and strong stakes of wood fixed upon its top.Thus Severus drew a great ditch and strong rampart,fortified with several towers, from sea to sea ; and wasafterwards taken sick and died at York, leaving two s_... die,sons, Bassianus and Geta- of whom Geta died, adjudged ,t York.Caracallaa public enemy; but Bassianus, having taken the sur-and _t,.name of Antoninus, obtained the empire.

CHAP. VI.--THE REIGN OF DIOCLZTIAI_, AND }lOW HEPERBECUTED THE CHRISTIA2CS.

IN the year of our Lord's incarnation 286, Diocletian, AD 2_.Diocletianthe thirty-third from Augustus, and chosen emperor by an.dM_l-the army, reigned twenty years, and created M&ximian, m_.surnamed Herculius, his colleague in the empire. In


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imperil. Quorum tempore Carausius quidam, generequidem infimus Bed consilio et manu promtus, cure adobservanda oeeani litora, qu_ tune Franci et Saxonesinfestabant, positus, pl_ in perniciem qn_m in proveetumreipublie_e ageret, ereptam pr_edonibus pr_edam nullaex parte restituendo dominis, sed sibi sell vindicando;aceedens suspieionem, qula ipsos ClUOqUeostes ad incur-sandos fines artifici negligentia permitteret. Quam obrein a Maximi_no jussus oecidi purpuram sumsit_ acBritannias occupavlt; qulbus sibi per 8eptem annosfortlssime vindicatis ac retentis, tandem fraude Allectisoeii 8ui interfeetus est. Allectus postea ereptam Ca--rausio insulam per triennium tennit, quota Asclepiodotuspra_feetus Pr_etorio oppressit, Britanniamque post decemannos reeepit. Intere_ Diocletianus in orient_, Maxi-mianus Hercu|ius in oecidente, vastari ecelesias, affiigiinterfieique Christianos, decline post Neronem loco,pr_eceperunt ; qu_e persecutio omnibus fete ante actisdluturnior atque imma_ior fuit, ham per deeem annosineendiis ecelesiarum, proseriptionibus innocentum, c_v-dibus martyrum, ineessabiliter acta est. Denique etiamBritanniam turn plurima eonfe_sionis Dee devotee gloriasublimavit.

CAP. VII.--PASS[O SXNCTI ALBANI ET 8OCIORUM EJUS, QUIEODEbl TEMPORE PRO DOMINO SANGUINEM FUDEBUNTSIQUmE_ in ea pa_us est sanctus Albanus, de quo

presbyter Fortunatus in Laude Virginum, cure beatorummartyrum, qui de tot_ orbe ad Dominum venirent, men-tionem faceret, a_t ;AlbanumegregiumfecundaBritanniaprofert.


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their time, one Carausius, of very mean birth, but an c_,l_.exper_ and able soldier, being appointed to guard thesea-coasts, then infested by the Franks and Saxons,acted more to the prejudice than to the advantage of thecommonwealth ; and from his not restoring the booty_aken from the robbers to its owners, but keeping allto himself, it was suspected that by intentional neglecthe suffered the enemy to infest the frontiers. Hearing,therefore, that an order was sent by Ma_imhn that heshould be put to death, he took upon him the imperialTobes, and possessed himself of Britain, and having mostvaliantly retained it for the space of seven years, he wasat length put to death by the treachery of his associate,Anectns. The usurper, having thus got the i_l_nd from All_tu,.Carausius, held it three years, and was then vanquishedby Aselepiodotus, the captain of the Prsetorian bands,who thus at the end of ten years restored Britain to theRoman empire. Meanwhile, Diocletian in the east, andMaximian Herculins in the west, commanded the churchesto be destroyed, and the Christians to be shin. Thispersecution was the tenth since the reign of Nero, andwas more lasting and bloody than all the others beforeit ; for it was carried on incessantly for the space of tenyears, with burning of churches, outhwing of innocentpersons, and the slaughter of martyrs. At length, itreached Britain also, and many persons, with the con-stancy of martyrs, died in the confession of their faith.CHAP. VII.--THE PASSION OF ST. ALBAN AND HIS COM-

PANIONS, WHO AT THAT TIME SHED THEIR BLOOD FOR OURLORD.AT that time suffered St. Alban, of whom the priest st. AIb_martyred.Fortunatus, in the Praise of Virgins, where he makes _.v._o_.

mention of the blessed martyrs that came to the Lordfrom all parts of the world, says--

In Britain'sislewasholyAlban born.


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Qui videlicet Albanus paganus adhuc, cum perfidorumprineipum mandata adversum Christianos sa_virent, cleri-cure quendam perseeutores fugientem hospltio recepit ;quem dum orationibus eontinuis ac vigiliis die noctuquestudere conspiceret, subito Divina gratia respectus, ex-emplum fidei ac pietatis iUius c_pit tem,,lurl, ac saluta-ribus ejus exhortatlonibus paulatim edoctus, relietis ido-lolatrise tenebris, Christianus integro ex corde factus est.Cumque prmfatus clerieus aliquot diebus apud eumhospitaretur, pervenit ad aures nefandi principis confes-sorem Christi, cui necdum fuerat locus mart)Hi depu-tatus, penes Albanum latere. Unde stathn jussit militeseum diligentius inquirere ; qui cum ad tugurium martyrispervenissent, mox se sanctus Albanus pro ho_pite acmagistro suo, ipsius habitu, id est, caracalla, qua vestie-batur indutus, militibus exhibuit, atque aA judicem vinc-tus perductus est.Contlgit autem judicem ca hora, qua ad eum Albanusaddueebatur, aris assistere ac d_emonibus hostias offerre ;

cumque vidisset Albanum, mox ira suecensus nlmia quodse ille ultro pro hospite, quem suseeperat, militibus oflhrreac discrimlni dare prmsurnsiaset, ad simulacra dmmonum,quibus assistebat, eum jussit pertrahi ; "Quia rebellem,"inquiens, "ac sacrilegum celaxe quam militibus redderemaluisti, ut contemtor divum meritam blasphemia_ sumpcenam lueret, qumcumque iLli debebantur supplieia tusolvere babes, si a eultu nostrm religionis discederetentas." At sanctus Albanus, qui se ultro persecutoribusfidei Chrlstianum esse prodiderat, nequaquam minasprineipis metuit; sed aceinetus armis militia_ spiritualis,palam se jussls illius parere nolle pronuneiabat. Turnjudex, "Cujus, _ inquit, "familim vel generis es ._ A1-


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This Alban being yet a Pagan, at the time when thecruelties of wicked princes were raging against Christians,gave entertainment in his house to a certain clergyman,flying from the persecutors. This man he observed to beengaged in continual prayer and watching day and night ;when on a sudden the Divine grace shining on him, hebegan to imitate the example of faith and piety which wasset before him, and being gradually instructed by hiswholesome admonitions, he cast off the darkness of ido-latry, and became a Christian in all sincerity of heart.The aforesaid clergyman having been some days enter-tained by him, it came to the ears of the wicked prince,that this holy confessor of Christ, whose time of martyr-dom had not yet come, was concealed at Alban's house.Whereupon he sent some soldiers to make a strict searchafter him. When they came to the martyr's house, St.Alban immediately presented himself to the soldiers, in-stead of his guest and master, in the habit or long coatwhich he wore, and was led bound before the judge.

It happened .that the judge, at the time when Albanwas carried before him, was standing at the altar, andoffering sacrifice to devils. When he saw Alban, beingmuch enraged that he should thus, of his own accord,put himself into the hands of the soldiers, and incur such A.D.30_.danger in behalf of his guest, he commanded him to bedragged up to the images of the devils, before which hestood, saying, " Because you have chosen to conceal arebellions and sacrilegious person, rather than to deliverhim up to the soldiers, that his contempt of the godsmight meet with the penalty due to such blasphemy, youshall undergo all the punishment that was due to him, ifyou abandon the worship of our religion." But St.All)an, who had voluntarily declared himself a Christianto the persecutors of the faith, was not at all daunted atthe prince's threats, but putting on the armour of spiri-tual warfare, publicly declared that he would not obeythe commands. Then said the judge, " Of what family


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banus respondit, " Quid ad te pertinet qua s_m stirpegenitus ._ sed si veritatem religionis audire desideraa,Christianum jam me esse Christianisque ot_ciis vacarecognosce." Ait judex, " Nomen tuum qu_ero, quod sinemora mihi insinua." Et ille, " Albanus," inquit, "sparentibus vocor, et Deum verum ac vivum, qui universacreavit, adoro semper et colo." Turn judex repletusiracundia dixlt, " Si via perennls vitae felicitate perfrui,diis magnis sacrificare ne differ'as." Albanus respondit," Sacrificia h_ec, qu_e a vobis redduntur dsemonibus, neeauxiliari subjectis possunt, nec supplicantium sibi desi-deria vel vota coml)lere ; quin immo, quicunque his sacri-ficia simulacris obtulerit _eternas inferni pcenas pro mer-cede recipiet."

His auditis, judex nimio furore commotus, c_edi sanc-tum Dei confessorem a tortoribus pr_ecepit, autumans severberibus, quam verbis non poterat, cordis ejus emollireconstantiam; qui cure tormentis afflceretur acerrimis,patienter h_ec pro Domino, immo gaudenter, ferebat. Atubi judex tormentis illum superari, vel a .cultu Christian_ereligionis revocari, non posse persensit, capite eum plectijussit. Cumque ad mortem duceretur, pervenit ad flumenquod muro et arena, ubi feriendus erat, meatu rapidissimodividebatur ; viditque ibi non parvam hominum multitu-dinem utriusque sexus, conditionis divers_e et _etatis,qu_e, sine dubio, Divinitatis instinctu ad obsequium bea-tissimi confessoris ac martyris vocabatur, et its fluminisipsius occupabat pontem, ut intra vesperam transire vixposset ; denique, cuuctis pene egressis, judex sine obse-quio in civitate substiterat. ]gitur sanctus Albamts, cuiardens inerat devotio mentis ad martyrium ocius perve-hire, accessit ad torrentem, et dirigens ad ccelum oeulos,


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or race are you .__m,, What does it concern you," an-swered Alban, " of what stock I am._ If you desire tohear the truth of my religion, be it known to you, thatI am now a Christian, and bound by Christian dutles. _-"I ask your name ._" said the judge ; "tell me it imme-diately.'-" I am called Alban by my parents," repliedhe; "and I worship and adore the true and living God,who created all things." Then the judge, inflamed withanger, said, " If you will enjoy the happiness of eternallife, do not delay to offer sacrifice to the great gods."Alban rejoined, "These sacrifices, which by you areoffered to devils, neither can avail the subjects, nor an-swer the wishes or desires of those that offer up theirsupplications to them. On the contrary, whosoever shalloffer sacrifice to these images, shall receive the ever-lasting pains of hell for his reward."The judge, hearing these words, and being much in-

censed, ordered this holy confessor of God to be scourgedby the executioners, believing he might by stripes shakethat constancy of heart, on which he could not prevailby words. He, being most cruelly tortured, bore thesame patiently, or rather joyfully, for our Lord's sake.When the judge perceived that he was not to be over-come by tortures, or withdrawn from the exercise of theChristian religion, he ordered him to be put to death.Being led to execution, he came to a river, which, witha most rapid course, ran between the wall of the townand the arena where he was to be executed. He theresaw a multitude of persons of both sexes, and of severalages and conditions, which was doubtlessly assembled byDivine instinct, to attend the blessed confessor andmartyr, and had so taken up the bridge on the river,that he could scarce pass over that evening. In short,almost all had gone out, so that the judge remained inthe city without attendance. St. Alban, therefore, urgedby an ardent and devout wish to arrive quickly at mar-tyrdom, drew near to the stream, and on lifting up his


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illicolccatoalveo,viditundam suiscessissecviam de-dime vestigiis. Quod cure inter alios etiam ipse carnifex,qui eum percussurus erat, vidimet, festinavit el, ubi adlocum destinatum morti venerat, occurrere; Divinonimirum admonitus instinctu, projeetoque ense, quemstricture tenuerat, pedibus ejus advolvitur, multum desi-derans ut cure martyre, vel pro martyre, quem percuterejubebatur, ipse potius mereretur percuti.Dum ergo is ex persecutore faetus esset collega veri-tatls et fidei, ac, _acente ferro, esset inter carnifiees justaeunctatio, montem cure turbis reverendissimus Dei con-fessor aseendit ; qui opportune lmtus, gratia decentis-sima, quingentis fere passibus ab arena situs est, variisherbarum floribus depictus, immo usquequaque vestitus;in quo nihil repente arduum, nihil princeps, nihil abrup-turn, quem lateribus longe lateque deductum in modummquoris natura complanat, dignum videlicet eum, proinsita sibi specie venustatis, jam olim reddens, qui beatimartyris eruore dicaretur. In hujus ergo vertice sanctusAlbanus dari sibi a Deo aquam rogavit, statimque,incluso meatu, ante pedes ejus foils perennis exortus est,ut omnes agnoseerent etiam torrentem martyri obsequiumdetuJisse; neque enim fieri poterat ut in arduo montiseacumine martyr aquam, quam in fluvio non reliquerat,peteret, si hoc opportunum ease non videret. Qui vide.licet fluvius, ministerio persoluto, devotione completa,offieii testimonium reliuquens, reversus est ad naturam.DeeoUatus itaque martyr fortimimus ibidem aceepit coro-nam vita_, quam repromisit Deus diligentibus se; sedille, qui piis eervicibus impias intulit manus, gauderesuper mortuum non est permissus, namque oculi ejus interrain una cure beati martyris capite deciderunt.Decollatus est ibi turn etiam cure eo miles ille, qui antea,superno nutu correptus, sanctum Dei confessorem ferire


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eyes to heaven, the ch_n_el was immediately dried up,and he perceived that the water had departed and madoway for him to pass. Among the rest, the executioner,who was to have put him to death, observed this, andmoved by Divine inspiration, hastened to meet him atthe place of execution, and casting down the swordwhich he had carried ready drawn, fell at his feet,praying that he might rather suffer with the martyr,whom he was ordered to execute, or, if possible, insteadof him.Whilst he thus from a persecutor was become a com-

panion in the faith, and the other executioners hesitatedto take up the sword which was lying on the ground, thereverend confessor, accompanied by the multitude, as-cended a hill, about 500 paces from the place, adorned,or rather clothed with all kinds of flowers, having itssides neither perpendicular, nor even craggy, but slopingdown into a most beautiful plain, worthy from its lovelyappearance to be the scene of a martyr's sufferings. Onthe top of this hill, St. Alban prayed that God wouldgive him water, and immediately a living spring brokeout before his feet, the course being confined, so that allmen perceived that the river also had been dried up inconsequence of the martyr's presence, l_or was it likelythat the martyr, who had left no water remaining in theriver, should want some on the top of the hill, unless hethought it suitable to the occasion. The river, havingperformed the holy service, returned to its natural course,leaving a testimony of its obedience. Here, therefore,the head of our most courageous martyr was struck off,and here he received the crown of life, _.hieh God haspromised to those who love him. But he who gave thewicked stroke, was not permitted to rejoice over thedeceased ; for his eyes dropped upon the ground togetherwith the blessed martyr's head.At the same time was also beheaded the soldier, who

before, through the Divine admonition, refused to give


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recusavit ; de quo nlmirum eonstat, quia etsl fonte baWtismatis non est ablutus, sui tamen est sanguinls lavacromundatus, ac regnl ccelestis dignus faetus est ingressu.Turn judex, tanta miraculorum ccelestinm novitate per-culsus, cessari mox a persecutione prmcepit, honoremreferre ineipieus e_edi sanetorum, per quam eos opina-batur prius a Christian_e fidei posse devotione ees-sate. Passus est autem beatus Albanus die deeimokalendarum Jullarum juxta civitatem Verolaminm, qu_enunc a genre Anglorum Verlamacestir sive Varlinga-cestir appellatur, ubi post_, redeunte temporum Christi-anorum serenitate, ecclesia est mirandi operis atque ejusmartyrio condlgna exstructa. In quo videlicet ]oco usquead hanc diem curatio infirmorum et frequentium operatiovirtutum eelebrarl non deslnit.Passi sunt ea tempestate Aaron et Julius, LegionumUrbis eives, aliique utriusque sexus diversis in loeis per-plures, qui diversL_ cruciatibus torti et inaudita mem-brorum discerptione lacerati animas ad supernse eivitatisgaudia, perfecto agone, miserunt.

CAP. VIII.--uv, Hxc CESSANTEPEI_ECUTIONE, E(_LESIAIN BRITANNIIS ALIQUANTULUM USQUE AD TEMPORA ARIAN2_VESANI2E PACEM HABUERIT.

AT ubi turbo persecutionis quievit, progressl in pub-licum fideles Christi, qui se tempore discriminiR silvis adesertis abditisve speluncis occulerant, renovant ecclesiasad solum usque destruetas; basilicas sanctorum marty-rum fundant, construunt, perficiunt, ac veluti victrieiasigna passim propalant; dies festes celebrant; sacra


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n. L c. vm.] nC'_UaAs'rTCALwrony. 53the stroke to the holy oonfeasor. Of whom it is apparent,that though he was not regenerated by baptism, yet hewas cleansed by the washing of his own blood, andrendered worthy to enter the kingdom of heaven. Thenthe judge, astonished at the novelty of so many heavenlymiracles, ordered the persecution to cease immediately,beginning to honour the death of the saints, by whichhe before thought they might have been diverted fromthe Christian faith. The blessed Alban suffered death ve_z,_,now 8t. Al-ert the twenty-second day of June, near the city of b_',.Ver_dam_ which is now by the English nation calledVerlamacestir, or Varlingacestir, where afterwards, whenpeaceable Christian times were restored, a church ofwonderful workmanship, and suitable to his martyrdom,was erected. In which place, there ceases not to thisday the cure of sick persons, and the frequent workingof wonders.At the same time suffered Aaron and Julius, citizens J_l_ ._.of Chester, and many more of both sexes in several f_ _o.

places; who, when they had endured sundry torments,and their limbs had been torn after an unheard-ofmanner, yielded their souls up, to enjoy in the heavenlycity a reward for the sufferings which they had passedthrough.

CHAP. VIII.--T_ PIasBcu_oN CEASIng, Ta_ csur_aIN BRITAIN ENJOY8 PZACE TILL THE TIMB OF THE ARIANWm_may.

Wmm the storm of persecution ceased, the faithful A.D.81s.Peace isChristians, who, during the time of danger, had hidden _to_.thenmelves in woods and deserts, and seeret eaves,appearing in public, rebuilt the churches which had beenlevelled with the ground; founded, erected, and finishedthe temples of the holy martyrs, and, as it were, displayedtheir conquering ensigns in all places; they celebratedfestivals, and performed their sacred rites with clean

D


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_ HISTORIA ECCL_IAffYICA.

mundo corde atque ore conficiunt. M_umitque ham inecclesils Christi, qu_e erant in Britannia, pax usque adtempora Arianm vesanke, qu_e, corrupto orbe toto, baneetlam insulam extra orbem tam longe remotam venenosui infecit erroris; et hae quasi via pestilenthe transoceanum patefacta, non mora, omnis se lues hvereseoscujusque, insulin, novi semper aliquid audire gaudenti etnihll certi firmiter obtinenti, infudit. His temperibusConstantius qui, vivente Diocletlano, Galllam Hispaniam-que regebat, vir summm mansuetudinis et civilitatis, inBritannia mortem obiit. Hic Constantinum filium exconcubina Helena creature imperatorem Ganlurum reli-quit; scribit autem Eutropius, quod Constantinus inBritannia creatus imperator, patrl in regnum successerit.Cujus temperibus Ariana h_eresis exorta et in Nic_enasynodo detecta atque damnata, nlhilominus exitiabileperfidi_e sure virus, ut diximus, non solum orbis totius,sed et insularum ecclesiis, aspersit.

CAP. ]X._uT, REGNANTE GRATIANO, MAXIMUS IN BRI-TANNIA IMPERATOR CREATUS, CUM MAGNO EXRRC1TU GAL--LIKM REDIERIT.

ANNO ab inearnatione Domini trecentesimo septua-gesimo septimo, Gratianus, quadragesimus ab Augusto,post mortem Valentis sex annis imperium tenuit; qnumvisjamdudum antea cure patruo Valente et cure Valentinianofratre regnaret ; qui, cure afllictum et pene coliapsumreipublicse stature videret, Theodosium Hispanum virmn;restituendve reipubllcm necessitate, apud Sirmium purpurainduit, Orientisque et Thracim simul pr_efecit imperio.Qua tempestate Maximus, vir quidem strenuus et probusahtue Augusto dignus, nisi contra sacramenti fidem per


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_. L C. IX.] _CC'_J_rlCAL m_rORY. 55hearts and mouths. This peace continued in the churchesof Britain until the time of the Arian madness, which,having corrupted the whole world, infected this islandalso, so far removed from the rest of the globe, with thepoison of its errors; and when the plague was thusconveyed across the sea, all the venom of every heresyimmediately rushed into the island, ever fond of some-thing new, and never holding firm to any thing.At this time, Constantius, who, whilst Diocletian was A.D.407.

alive, governed Gaul and Spain, a man of extraordinarymeekness and courtesy, died in Britain. This man lefthis son Constantine, born of Hel