THE

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

OF

THE ENGLISH NATION.

BY THE VENERABLE BEDA.

BOOK I.

PREFACE.

To the most glorious King Ceolwulph,' Beda, the Servant of Christ, and Presbyter.

I FORMERLY, at your request, most readily transmitted to you the Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, which I had lately published, that you might read it, and give it your approbation; and I now send it again to be transcribed, and more fully considered at your leisure. And I cannot but commend the sincerity and zeal, with which you not only diligently give ear to hear the words of Holy Scripture, but also industriously take care to become acquainted with the actions and sayings of former men of renown, especially those of our own nation. For when history relates good things of good men, the attentive hearer is excited to imitate that which is good; or when it mentions evil things of wicked persons, nevertheless the religious and pious hearer or reader, by shunning that which is hurtful and perverse, is the more earnestly excited to perform those things which he knows to be good, and worthy of God. Of which you also being most deeply sensible, are desirous that the said history should be more fully made familiar not only to yourself, but also to those over whom the Divine Authority has appointed you governor, from your great regard to their general welfare.

1 Ceolwulf, king of Northumbria, succeeded Osric 9 May, 729, and in 737 he resigned his crown, and became a monk at Lindisfarne. The date of his death is uncertain. Mabillon, (Act. SS. ord. S. Bened. III. ii. 159,) following Florence, assigns it to A.D. 760; but a preference should apparently be given to the authority of the northern historians, Symeon of Durham and Hoveden, who refer it to 764. An outline of his history may be seen in the Acta Sanctorum of the Bollandists, Jan. tom. i. p. 1081, and in the Acta Sanctorum ord. S. Bened. III. ii. 158.

§ 2. But to the end that I may remove both from yourself and other readers or hearers of this history all occasion of doubting as to what I have written, I will take care briefly to intimate from what authors I chiefly learned the same.

3

My principal authority and assistant in this work was the most learned and reverend Abbot Albinus; who, educated in the church of Canterbury by those most venerable and learned men, archbishop Theodore of blessed memory, and the abbot Adrian, carefully transmitted to me by Nothelm,2 the pious priest of the church of London, either in writing, or by word of mouth of the same Nothelm, all that he thought worthy of memory, that had been done in the province of Kent, or in the adjacent parts, by the disciples of the blessed pope Gregory, as he had learned the same either from written records, or the traditions of his ancestors. The same Nothelm, afterwards going to Rome, having, with leave of the pope Gregory, who now presides over that church, searched into the archives of the holy Roman see, found there some epistles of the blessed pope Gregory, and other popes; and returning home, by the advice of the aforesaid most reverend father Albinus, he brought them to me, to be inserted in my history. Thus, from the beginning of this volume to the time when the English nation received the faith of Christ, we have learned what we have stated from the writings of our predecessors, and from them gathered matter for our history; but from that time till the present, what was transacted in the church of Canterbury, by the disciples of St. Gregory or their successors, and under what kings the same happened, has been conveyed to us by Nothelm, through the care of the aforesaid abbot Albinus. They also partly informed me by what bishops, and under what kings, the provinces of the East and West Saxons, as also of the East Angles, and of the Northumbrians, received the faith of Christ. In short, I was chiefly encouraged in venturing to undertake this work, by the persuasions of the same Albinus. In like manner, Daniel, the most reverend bishop of the West Saxons, who is still living, communicated to me in writing some things relating to the Ecclesiastical History of that province, and that next adjoining to it of the South Saxons, as also of the Isle of Wight. But how, by the pious ministry of the religious priests of Christ, Cedd and Ceadda, the province of the Mercians was brought to the faith of Christ, which they knew not before, and how that of the East Saxons recovered the same, after having renounced it, and

1 Albinus, abbot of Canterbury, must not be confounded, as some writers have done, with his more celebrated namesake, Albinus, or Alcuin, of York, who died in 804. A letter from Beda to this correspondent of his, thanking him for the transmission of documents to be inserted in his Ecclesiastical History, will be found in its proper place.

2 This Nothelm succeeded Tatwyne as archbishop of Canterbury, and died in 739 or 741.

3 Possibly Gregory II, who filled the papal chair from 19 May, 715, to 11 Feb. 731, but more probably Gregory III, who succeeded to the vacant throne and occupied it until 741.

Daniel, bishop of the West Saxons, resigned his see in 744; the date of his death is uncertain. Many of his letters will be found in the correspondence with Boniface.

how those fathers lived and died, we diligently learned from the brethren of the monastery, which was built by them, and is called Laestingaeu. What ecclesiastical transactions took place in the province of the East Angles, was partly made known to us from the writings and tradition of our ancestors, and partly by the relation of the most reverend abbot Esi. What was done towards promoting the faith of Christ, and what was the sacerdotal succession in the province of Lindissi, we learned either from the letters of the most reverend prelate Cyniberet, or by word of mouth from other persons of good credit. But what was done in the church throughout the different districts in the province of the Northumbrians, from the time when they received the faith of Christ till this present, I received not from any one particular author, but by the faithful testimony of innumerable witnesses, who might well know or remember the same; in addition to what I had of my own knowledge. Wherein it is to be observed, that what I have written concerning our most holy father, bishop Cuthbert, either in this volume, or in my treatise on his actions, I partly took, and faithfully copied from what I found previously written of him by the brethren of the church of Lindisfarne, yielding simple faith to the narrative which I read; partly, at the same time, taking care to add such things as I could myself have knowledge of by the most certain testimony of faithful men. And I humbly entreat the reader, that if he shall in this writing of mine find anything not delivered according to the truth, he will not impute the same to me, for I (as the true rule of history requires), have laboured sincerely to commit to writing such things as I could gather from common report, for the instruction of posterity.

§ 3. Moreover, I beseech all men who shall hear or read this history of our nation, that for my manifold infirmities both of mind and body, they will remember to offer up frequent supplications to the throne of Grace. And I further pray, that in recompense for the labour wherewith I have recorded those events, connected with each province, or Higher Places, which were most worthy of note, and most grateful to the ears of their inhabitants, I may for my reward find the benefit of their pious prayers.

CHAP. I.5 OF THE SITUATION OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND, AND OF THEIR ANCIENT INHABITANTS.

§ 4. BRITAIN, an island in the ocean, formerly called Albion, is situated between the north and west, opposite, though at a considerable distance, to the coasts of Germany, France, and Spain, which form the greatest part of Europe. It extends 800 miles in length 1 Probably, near Whitby; but its exact locality is uncertain.

2 Beda's own narrative of the life of St. Cuthbert, and the earlier narrative to which he here alludes, will be found in their own proper places in this collection. 3 The greater number of the MSS. place this paragraph at the end of the work, but the arrangement which is here adopted has the authority of the earliest known copy.

+ Beda here refers to his treatise upon Holy Places.

5 This chapter is a compilation from various authors, chiefly from Pliny, Solinus, Orosius, and Gildas.

towards the north, and is 200 miles in breadth, except where several promontories extend further in breadth, by which its compass is made to be 3675 miles. To the south, as you pass along the nearest shore of the Belgic Gaul, the first place in Britain which opens to the eye, is the city of "Rutubi Portus," by the English corrupted into "Reptacestir.' "The distance from hence across the sea to Gessoriacum, the nearest shore of the Morini, is fifty miles, or as some write, 450 furlongs. On the back of the island, where it opens upon the boundless ocean, it has the islands called Orcades.

2

§ 5. Britain is an island rich in grain and trees, and is well adapted for feeding cattle and beasts of burden. It also produces vines in some places, and has plenty of land and water-fowl of several sorts; it is celebrated also for rivers abounding in fish, and for plentiful springs. It has the greatest profusion of salmon and eels; porpoises are also frequently taken, and dolphins, as also whales; besides many sorts of shell-fish, such as muscles, in which are often found excellent pearls of all colours, red, purple, violet, and green, but mostly white. There is also a very great abundance of cockles, from which the scarlet dye is made; the most beautiful colour of which never fades with the heat of the sun or the washing of the rain, but the older it is the more lovely it becomes. It has both salt and hot springs, and from them flow rivers which furnish hot baths adapted for all ages and sexes, and locally distributed. accordingly. For water, as St. Basil' says, receives the quality of heat by running along certain metals, and becomes not only hot, but even scalding. Britain has also many veins of metals, as copper, iron, lead, and silver; it produces much and excellent jet, which is black and sparkling, glittering when placed near the fire; when heated it drives away serpents; being warmed with rubbing, it holds fast whatever is applied to it like amber. The island was formerly embellished with twenty-eight noble cities, besides innumerable castles, which were all strongly secured with walls, towers, gates and locks.

§ 6. And, since Britain is situated almost under the North Pole, the nights are light in summer, so that at midnight the beholders are often in doubt whether the evening twilight still continues, or that of the morning has already come on; for the sun, in the night, returns eastward under the earth, through the northern regions at no great distance from them. For this reason the days are of a great length in summer, as, on the contrary, the nights are in winter, for the sun then withdraws into the southern parts, so that the nights are eighteen hours long. Thus, also, the nights are extraordinarily short in summer, as are the days in winter, that is, of only six equinoctial hours; whereas, in Armenia, Macedonia, Italy, and other countries of the same line, the longest day or night extends but to fifteen hours, and the shortest to nine.

1 Now Richborough, in Kent.

3 In Hexaem. tom. i. p. 39, ed. Bened. 5 An attempt to identify these cities p. 33, ed. 1687.

2 Boulogne.

4 See Camden's Britan. col. 908. may be seen in Ussher's Antiq. Brit.

§ 7. This island at the present time, following the number of the books in which the Divine Law was written, contains five nations, the Angles, Britons, Scots, Picts, and Latins, each in its own peculiar dialect cultivating one and the same sublime study of Divine truth and true sublimity. The Latin tongue, by the study of the Scriptures, has become common to all the rest. At first this island had no other inhabitants but the Britons, from whom it derived its name, and who, carried over into Britain, as is reported, from the tract of Armorica, possessed themselves of the southern parts thereof. When they, beginning at the south, had made themselves masters of the greatest part of the island, it happened, that the nation of the Picts, from Scythia, as is reported, putting to sea, in a few long ships, were driven by the winds beyond all the shores of Britain, and arrived on the northern coasts of Ireland, where, finding the nation of the Scots, they begged to be allowed to settle among them in those parts, but could not succeed in obtaining their request. Ireland is the greatest island next to Britain, and lies to the west of it; but as it is shorter than Britain to the north, so, on the other hand, it runs out far beyond it to the south, opposite to the northern parts of Spain, though a spacious sea lies between them. The Picts, as has been said, arriving in this island by sea, desired to have a place granted them in which they might settle. The Scots answered that the island could not contain them both; but "We can give you good advice," (said they,) "what to do; we know there is another island, not far from ours, to the eastward, which we often see at a distance, when the days are clear. If you will go thither, you will obtain a settlement; or, if any should oppose you, you shall have our assistance." The Picts, accordingly, sailing over into Britain, began to inhabit the northern parts of the island, for the Britons were possessed of the southern. Now the Picts having no wives, they asked them of the Scots, who would not consent to grant them upon any other terms than that when any difficulty should arise, they should choose a king from the female royal race rather than from the male; which custom, as is well known, has been observed among the Picts to this day.

§ 8. In process of time, Britain, after the Britons and the Picts, received a third nation, the Scots, who, migrating from Ireland under their leader, Reuda,' either by fair means, or by force of arms, secured to themselves those settlements among the Picts which they still possess. From the name of their commander, they are to this day called Dalreudini; for, in their language, "Daal" signifies a part. Ireland, in breadth, and for wholesomeness and serenity of climate, far surpasses Britain; for the snow scarcely ever lies there above three days: no man makes hay in the summer for winter's provision, or builds stables for his beasts of burden. No reptile is found there, and no snake can live there; for, though often carried

Reuda is considered by Ussher and his authorities to have been the son of Chonar II. (p. 320); but Lappenberg is inclined to identify him with Historeth, the son of Historin, whom Nennius (cap. viii.) designates as the leader of this people.