NOTICE

OF THE

AUTHOR HIMSELF AND OF HIS WORKS.

THUS much of the Ecclesiastical History of Britain, and more especially of the English nation, as far as I could learn either from the writings of the ancients, or the tradition of our ancestors, or of my own knowledge, has, with the help of God, been digested by me, Bede, the servant of God, and priest of the monastery of the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul, which is at Weremouth and Jarrow; who being born in the territory of that same monastery, was given, at seven years of age, to be educated by the most reverend Abbot Benedict, and afterwards by Ceolfrid; and spending all the remaining time of my life in that monastery, I wholly applied myself to the study of Scripture, and amidst the observance of regular discipline, and the daily care of singing in the church, I always took delight in learning, teaching, and writing. In the nineteenth year of my age, I received deacon's orders; in the thirtieth, those of the priesthood, both of them by the ministry of the most reverend Bishop John, and by order of the Abbot Ceolfrid. From which time, till the fifty-ninth year of my age, I have made it my business, for the use of me and mine, to compile out of the works of the venerable Fathers, and to interpret and explain according to their meaning, these following pieces :

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In principium Genesis, usque ad nativitatem Isaac et jectionem Ismaelis, Libros IV.

De Tabernaculo, et vasis ejus, ac vestibus sacerdotum, Libros III.

In primam partem Samuelis, id est, usque ad mortem Saulis, Libros III.

De ædificatione Templi, allegoricæ expositionis, sicut et cetera, Libros II.

Item, in Regum Librum xxx quæstionum.

In Proverbia Salomonis, Libros III.

In Cantica Canticorum, Libros vii.

In Isaiam, Danielem, duodecim Prophetas, et partem Hieremiæ, distinctiones capitulorum ex tractatu beati Hieronymi excerptas.

In Ezram et Neemiam, Libros III.

In Canticum Habacum, Librum 1.

In Librum beati patris Tobiæ, explanationis allegoricæ, de Christo et ecclesia, Librum 1.

Item, Capitula lectionum in Pentateuchum Mosi, Josue, Judicum.

In Libros Regum, et Verba dierum.

In Librum beati patris Job.

In Parabolas, Ecclesiasten, et Cantica Canticorum.

In Isaiam Prophetam, Ezram quoque, et Neemiam.
In Evangelium Marci, Libros iv.

In Evangelium Lucæ, Libros vi.
Homeliarum Evangelii, Libros 11.

In Apostolum, quæcunque in opusculis sancti Augustini exposita inveni, cuncta per ordinem transscribere curavi.

In Actus Apostolorum, Libros II.

In Epistolas VII Catholicas, Libros singulos.
In Apocalypsin sancti Joannis, Libros III.

Item, Capitula lectionum in totum Novum Testamentum, excepto Evangelio.

Item, Librum epistolarum ad diversos; quarum de sex ætatibus seculi una est; de mansionibus filiorum

On the Beginning of Genesis, to the Nativity of Isaac, and the Reprobation of Ismael, three books.

Of the Tabernacle and its Vessels, and of the Priestly Vestments, three books.

On the first Part of Samuel, to the Death of Saul, four books.

Of the Building of the Temple, of Allegorical Exposition, like the rest, two books.

Item, on the Book of Kings, thirty Questions.

On Solomon's Proverbs, three books.

On the Canticles, seven books.

On Isaiah, Daniel, the twelve Prophets, and Part of Jeremiah, Distinctions of Chapters, collected out of St. Jerome's Treatise.

On Esdras and Nehemiah, three books.

On the Song of Habacuc, one book.

On the Book of the blessed Father Tobias, one Book of Allegorical Exposition concerning Christ and the Church.

Also, Chapters of Readings on Moses's Pentateuch, Joshua, and Judges.

On the Books of Kings and Chronicles.

On the Book of the blessed Father Job.

On the Parables, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles.
On the Prophets Isaiah, Esdras, and Nehemiah.
On the Gospel of Mark, four books.

On the Gospel of Luke, six books.

Of Homilies on the Gospel, two books.

On the Apostle, I have carefully transcribed in order all that I have found in St. Augustine's Works.

On the Acts of the Apostles, two books.

On the seven Catholic Epistles, a book on each.
On the Revelation of St. John, three books.

Also, Chapters of Readings on all the New Testament, except the Gospel.

Also a book of Epistles to different Persons, of which one is of the Six Ages of the World; one of the Man

Israel, una; una de eo, quod ait Isaias, Et claudentur ibi in carcere, et post dies multos visitabuntur; de ratione Bissexti, una; de Equinoctio, juxta Anatolium,

una.

Item, de historiis Sanctorum; Librum vitæ et passionis sancti Felicis confessoris de metrico Paulini Opere in prosam transtuli.

Librum vitæ et passionis sancti Anastasii, male de Græco translatum, et pejus a quodam imperito emendatum, prout potui, ad sensum correxi.

Vitam sancti patris, monachi simul et antistitis, Cuthberti, et prius heroico metro, et postmodum plano sermone, descripsi.

Historiam abbatum monasterii hujus, in quo supernæ pietati deservire gaudeo, Benedicti, Ceolfridi, et Huetberti, in libellis duobus.

Historiam Ecclesiasticam nostræ insulæ ac gentis, in Libris v.

Martyrologium de natalitiis sanctorum martyrum diebus; in quo omnes, quos invenire potui, non solum qua die, verum etiam quo genere certaminis, vel sub quo judice, mundum vicerint, diligenter annotare studui. Librum Hymnorum, diverso metro, sive rhythmo. Librum Epigrammatum heroico metro, sive elegiaco. De Natura rerum, et de Temporibus, Libros singulos. Item, de Temporibus, Librum unum majorem. Librum de Orthographia, alphabeti ordine distinctum. Item, librum de Metrica arte; et huic adjunctum alium, de schematibus sive Tropis libellum, hoc est, de figuris modisque locutionum, quibus Scriptura sancta

contexta est.

sions of the Children of Israel; one on the Words of Isaiah, "And they shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited;" one of the Reason of the Bissextile, or Leap-Year, and of the Equinox, according to Anatolius.

Also, of the Histories of Saints. I translated the Book of the Life and Passion of St. Felix, Confessor, from Paulinus's Work in metre, into prose.

The Book of the Life and Passion of St. Anastasius, which was ill translated from the Greek, and worse amended by some unskilful person, I have corrected as to the sense.

I have written the Life of the Holy Father Cuthbert, who was both monk and prelate, first in heroic verse, and then in prose.

The History of the Abbots of this Monastery, in which I rejoice to serve the Divine Goodness, viz. Benedict, Ceolfrid, and Huetbert, in two books.

The Ecclesiastical History of our Island and Nation, in five books.

The Martyrology of the Birth-days of the Holy Martyrs, in which I have carefully endeavoured to set down all that I could find, and not only on what day, but also by what sort of combat, or under what judge they overcame the world.

A Book of Hymns in several sorts of metre, or rhyme. A Book of Epigrams in heroic or elegiac verse. Of the Nature of Things, and of the Times, one book of each.

Also, of the Times, one larger book.

A Book of Orthography digested in Alphabetical Order.

Also a Book of the Art of Poetry, and to it I have added another little Book of Tropes and Figures; that is, of the Figures and Manners of Speaking in which the Holy Scriptures are written.