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Alban rejoined, "These sacrifices, which by you are offered to devils, neither can avail the subjects, nor answer the wishes or desires of those that offer up their supplications to them. On the contrary, whosoever shall offer sacrifice to these images, shall receive the everlasting pains of hell for his reward."

§ 18. The judge, hearing these words, and being much incensed, ordered this holy confessor of God to be scourged by the executioners, believing he might by stripes shake that constancy of heart, on which he could not prevail by words. He, being most cruelly tortured, bore the same patiently, or rather joyfully, for our Lord's sake. When the judge perceived that he was not to be overcome by tortures, or withdrawn from the exercise of the christian religion, he ordered him to be put to death. Being led to execution, he came to a river, which, with a most rapid course, ran between the wall of the town and the arena where he was to be executed. He there saw a multitude of persons of both sexes, and of various ages and conditions, who were doubtlessly assembled by Divine command, to attend the blessed confessor and martyr, and had so taken up the bridge on the river, that they could scarce pass over that evening. In short, almost all had gone out, so that the judge remained in the city without attendance. St. Alban, therefore, urged by an ardent and devout wish to arrive quickly at martyrdom, drew near to the stream, and on lifting up his eyes to heaven, the channel was immediately dried up, and he perceived that the water had departed and made way for him to pass on foot. Among the rest, the executioner, who was to have put him to death, observed this, and moved by Divine inspiration hastened to meet him at the place of execution, and casting down the sword which he had carried ready drawn, fell at his feet, praying that he rather might suffer with the martyr, whom he was ordered to execute, or, if possible, instead of him.

§ 19. Whilst he thus from a persecutor was become a companion in the faith, and there was a considerable delay among the other executioners, (the sword all the while lying on the ground), the reverend confessor of God, accompanied by the multitude, ascended a hill about 500 paces from the bank of the river, adorned, or rather clothed with all kinds of flowers, having its sides neither perpendicular, nor even craggy, but sloping down into a most beautiful plain, worthy from its lovely appearance to be dedicated by a martyr's blood. On the top of this hill, St. Alban prayed that God would give him water, and immediately a living spring broke out before his feet, the course being confined, so that all men perceived that the river also had been dried up in consequence of the martyr's presence. Nor was it likely that the martyr, who had left no water remaining in the river, should want some on the top of the hill, unless he thought it suitable to the occasion. The river having performed 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 that crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. But he who gave the wicked stroke to the neck of this just one, was not permitted to rejoice over the deceased;

for his eyes dropped upon the ground together with the blessed martyr's head.

§ 20. At the same time was also beheaded the soldier, who before, through the Divine admonition, refused to give the stroke to the holy confessor. Of whom it is apparent, that though he was not washed in the fountain of baptism, yet he was cleansed by the washing of his own blood, and rendered worthy to enter the kingdom of heaven. Then the judge, astonished at the novelty of so many heavenly miracles, ordered the persecution to cease immediately, beginning to honour the death of the saints, by which he before thought they might have been diverted from the christian faith. The blessed Alban suffered death on the tenth of the kalends of July [22d June], near the city of Verulam,' which is now by the English nation called Verlamacaestir, or Vaetlingacaestir, where afterwards, when peaceable christian times were restored, a church of wonderful workmanship, and suitable to his martyrdom, was erected. In which place, there ceases not to this day the cure of sick persons, and the frequent working of wonders."

§ 21. At the same time suffered Aaron and Julius, citizens of the Urbs Legionum, and many more of both sexes in several places; who, when they had endured sundry torments, and their limbs had been torn after an unheard-of manner, having completed their sufferings, yielded up their souls to enjoy in the heavenly city a reward for the tortures through which they had passed.

CHAP. VIII.3 [A. D. 313.]—THE PERSECUTION CEASING, THE CHURCH IN BRITAIN ENJOYS PEACE TILL THE TIME OF THE ARIAN HERESY.

§ 22. WHEN the storm of persecution ceased, [A.D.313,] the faithful Christians, who, during the time of danger, had hidden themselves in woods and deserts, and secret caves, appearing in public, rebuilt the churches which had been levelled with the ground; founded, erected, and finished the temples of the holy martyrs, and, as it were, displayed their conquering ensigns in all places; they celebrated festivals, and performed their sacred rites with clean hearts and mouths. This peace continued in the churches of Christ in Britain until the time of the Arian madness, which, having corrupted the whole world, infected this island also, so far removed from the rest of the globe, with the poison of its errors; and when the plague was thus conveyed across the sea, all the venom of every heresy immediately rushed into the island, ever fond of something new, and never holding firm to anything.

§ 23. At this time, Constantius, who, whilst Diocletian was alive, governed Gaul and Spain, a man of extraordinary meekness and courtesy, died in Britain. This man left his son Constantine, born of Helen his concubine, emperor of the Gauls. Eutropius writes, that Constantine, being created emperor in Britain, succeeded his father in the sovereignty. In his time the Arian heresy broke out,

1 See Camd. Brit. col. 350.

2 The history of St. Alban will be considered upon a future occasion.

3 This chapter is a compilation from Gildas and Orosius.

and although it was detected and condemned in the Council of Nice, yet it nevertheless infected not only all the churches of the continent, but even those of the islands, with its pestilent and fatal doctrines.

CHAP. IX. [A.D. 377.]-How, DURING THE REIGN OF GRATIAN, MAXIMUS, BEING CREATED EMPEROR IN BRITAIN, RETURNED INTO GAUL WITH A MIGHTY ARMY.

§ 24. IN the year of our Lord's Incarnation 377, Gratian, the fortieth from Augustus, held the empire six years after the death of Valens; though he had long before reigned with his uncle Valens, and his brother Valentinian. Finding the state of the common.. wealth much impaired, and almost gone to ruin, for the purpose of re-invigorating the state, he invested Theodosius, a Spaniard, with the royal robes, at Sirmium, and made him emperor at once of Thrace and the eastern provinces. At which time [A.D. 383] Maximus, a man of valour and probity, and worthy to be an emperor, if he had not broken the oath of allegiance which he had taken, was made emperor by the army in Britain, almost against his own consent; he passed over into Gaul, and there, by treachery, slew the emperor Gratian, who was in consternation at his sudden invasion, and attempting to escape into Italy. His brother, Valentinian, expelled from Italy, fled into the East, where he was entertained by Theodosius with fatherly affection, and soon restored to the empire. Maximus the tyrant, being shut up in Aquileia, was there taken and put to death. [A.D. 388.]

CHAP. X. [A. D. 394.]-How, IN THE REIGN OF ARCADIUS, PELAGIUS, A BRITON, INSOLENTLY ATTACKED THE GRACE OF GOD.

§ 25. In the year of our Lord 394, Arcadius, the son of Theodosius, the forty-third from Augustus, taking the empire upon him, with his brother Honorius, held it thirteen years. In his time, Pelagius, a Briton, spread far and wide the infection of his perfidious doctrine against the assistance of the Divine Grace, being seconded therein by his associate, Julianus of Campania, whose anger was kindled by the loss of his bishopric, of which he had been formerly deprived. St. Augustine, and the other orthodox fathers, quoted many thousand catholic authorities against them, but yet they would not correct their madness; but, on the contrary, their folly, instead of being purged, was rather increased by contradiction, and they refused to embrace the truth. This, Prosper, the rhetorician, has beautifully expressed thus in heroic verse :—

"A scribbler vile, inflamed with hellish spite,
Against the great Augustine dared to write;
Presumptuous serpent! from what midnight den
Durst thou to crawl on earth and look at men?
Sure thou wast fed on Britain's sea-girt plains,
Or in thy breast Campanian sulphur reigns."

1 Allusion here is probably intended to be made to Pelagius, whose British name was Morgan, under the term "æquorei Britanni," and to Julian of Campania, by "Campanum gramen." Beda has entered into the history of this Julian at greater length in the Preface to his Treatise upon the Canticles, Opp. iv. 984, ed. fol. Basil.

CHAP. XI. [A.D. 407.]-HOW, DURING THE REIGN OF HONORIUS, GRatian and ConSTANTINE WERE CREATED TYRANTS IN BRITAIN; AND SOON AFTER, THE FORMER WAS SLAIN IN BRITAIN, AND THE LATTER IN GAUL.

§ 26. In the year 407, Honorius, the younger son of Theodosius, and the forty-fourth from Augustus, being emperor, (two years before the invasion of Rome by Alaric, king of the Goths, when the nations of the Alani, Suevi, Vandals, and many others with them, having defeated the Franks and passed the Rhine, ravaged all Gaul,) Gratianus Municeps was set up as tyrant, and killed. In his place, Constantine, one of the meanest soldiers, only for the hope occasioned by his name, and without any worth of his own to recommend him, was chosen emperor. As soon as he had taken upon him the command, he passed over into France, where being often imposed upon by the barbarians with faithless treaties, he caused much injury to the commonwealth. Whereupon count Constantius, by the command of Honorius, immediately marching into Gaul with an army, besieged him in the city of Arles, and put him to death. His son Constans, whom of a monk he had created Cæsar, was also put to death by his own count, Gerontius, at Vienne.

§ 27. Rome was taken by the Goths, in the year from its foundation 1164 [A.D. 409]. Then the Romans ceased to rule in Britain almost 470 years after Caius Julius Cæsar entered the island. They resided within the vallum, which, as we have mentioned,' Severus made across the island, on the south side of it, as the cities, temples, bridges, and paved roads there made, testify to this day; but they had a right of dominion over the farther parts of Britain, as also over the islands that are beyond Britain.

CHAP. XII. [A.D. 414-416.]—THE BRITONS, BEING RAVAGED BY THE SCOTS AND PICTS, SOUGHT SUCCOUR FROM THE ROMANS, WHO, COMING A SECOND TIME, BUILT A WALL ACROSS THE ISLAND; BUT THE BRITONS BEING AGAIN INVADED BY THE AFORESAID ENEMIES, WERE REDUCED TO GREATER DISTRESS THAN BEFORE.

§ 28. FROM that time, the south part of Britain, destitute of armed soldiers, of martial stores, and of all its active youth, which had been led away by the rashness of the tyrants, never to return home, was wholly exposed to rapine, as being totally ignorant of the art of war. Whereupon they suddenly suffered many years under two very savage foreign nations, the Scots from the west, and the Picts from the north. We call these foreign nations, not on account of their being seated out of Britain, but because they were remote from that part of it which was possessed by the Britons; two friths of the sea lying between them, one of which runs in far and broad into the land of Britain, from the Eastern Ocean, and the other from the Western, though they do not reach so as to touch one another. The eastern has in the midst of it the city Giudi; the western has on it, that is, on the right hand thereof, the city Alcluith, which in

3

1 At § 13. 2 Giudi; 66 an ancient town or monastery upon Inch Keth, probably built of wood, as no vestige of it has been seen for ages." Mac Pherson's Geog. Illustr. of Scottish History. See also Camd. Brit. col. 1190.

3 Dumbarton, on the frith of Clyde. Camd. Brit. col. 1218.

their language signifies the Rock Cluith, for it is close by the river of that name.

§ 29. On account of the irruption of these nations, the Britons sent messengers to Rome [A.D. 414] with letters in mournful manner, praying for succours, and promising perpetual subjection, provided that the impending enemy should be driven away. An armed legion was immediately sent them, which, arriving in the island, and engaging the enemy, slew a great multitude of them, drove the rest out of the territories of their allies, and having delivered them from their cruel oppressors, advised them to build a wall' between the two seas across the island, that it might secure them, and keep off the enemy; and thus they returned home with great triumph. The islanders raising the wall, as they had been directed, not of stone, as having no artist capable of such a work, but of sods, it was of no use. However, they drew it for many miles between the two friths or inlets of the seas, which we have spoken of; to the end that where the defence of the water was wanting, they might use the vallum to defend their borders from the irruptions of the enemies. Of which work there erected, that is, of a vallum of extraordinary breadth and height, there are most evident remains to be seen at this day. It begins at about two miles' distance from the monastery of Abercurnig, on the west, at a place called in the Pictish language, Peanfahel, but in the English tongue, Penneltun, and running to the westward, ends near the city Alcluith.

§ 30. But the former enemies, when they perceived that the Roman soldiers were gone, immediately coming by sea, broke into the borders, trampled and overran all places, and like men mowing ripe corn, bore down all before them. Hereupon messengers are again sent to Rome, imploring aid, lest their wretched country should be utterly ruined, and the name of a Roman province, so long renowned among them, overthrown by the crulties of barbarous foreigners, might become utterly contemptible. A legion is accordingly sent again, and, arriving unexpectedly in autumn, made great slaughter of the enemy, obliging all those that could escape, to flee beyond the sea; whereas before, they were wont to carry off their yearly booty beyond the seas without any opposition. Then the Romans declared to the Britons, that they could not for the future be wearied with such troublesome expeditions for their sake, advising them rather to handle their weapons like men, and themselves undertake the charge of engaging their enemies, who would not prove too powerful for them, unless they were enervated by cowardice. Thinking, too, that it might be some help to the allies, whom they were forced to abandon, they built a strong stone wall from sea to sea, in a straight line between the towns that had been there built for fear of the enemy, and not far from the older trench of Severus. This famous wall, which is still to be seen, was built at the public and private expense, the Britons also lending their assistance. It is eight feet in breadth,

1 On the history of this wall the reader may consult Lappenb. i. 60. 2 The friths of Forth and Clyde.

3 Now Abercorn, on the river Carron.

See Camd. Brit. col. 1222.

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