by Bede
Haec de historia ecclesiastica Brittaniarum, et maxime gentis Anglorum, prout uel ex litteris antiquorum, uel ex traditione maiorum, uel ex mea ipse cognitione scire potui, Domino adiuuante digessi Baeda famulus Christi, et presbyter monasterii beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli, quod est ad Uiuraemuda, et Ingyruum.
Qui natus in territorio eiusdem monasterii, cum essem annorum septem, cura propinquorum datus sum educandus reuerentissimo abbati Benedicto, ac deinde Ceolfrido; cunctumque ex eo tempus uitae in eiusdem monasterii habitatione peragens, omnem meditandis scripturis operam dedi; atque inter obseruantiam disciplinae regularis, et cotidianam cantandi in ecclesia curam, semper aut discere, aut docere, aut scribere dulce habui.
Nono decimo autem uitae meae anno diaconatum, tricesimo gradum presbyteratus, utrumque per ministerium reuerentissimi episcopi Iohannis, iubente Ceolfrido abbate, suscepi.
Ex quo tempore accepti presbyteratus usque ad annum aetatis meae LVIIII, haec in scripturam sanctam meae meorumque necessitati ex opusculis uenerabilium patrum breuiter adnotare, siue etiam ad formam sensus et interpretationis eorum superadicere curaui:
‘In principium Genesis, usque ad natiuitatem Isaac et eiectionem Ismahelis, libros IIII.
De tabernaculo et uasis eius, ac uestibus sacerdotum, libros III.
In primam partem Samuelis, id est usque ad mortem Saulis, libros III.
De aedificatione templi, allegoricae expositionis, sicut et cetera, libros II.
Item, in Regum librum XXX quaestionum.
In Prouerbia Salomonis libros III.
In Cantica canticorum libros VII.
In Isaiam, Danihelem, XII prophetas, et partem Hieremiae, distinctiones capitulorum ex tractatu beati Hieronimi excerptas.
In Ezram et Neemiam libros III.
In Canticum Habacum librum I.
In librum beati patris Tobiae explanationis allegoricae de Christo et ecclesia librum I.
Item, Capitula lectionum in Pentateucum Mosi, Iosue, Iudicum;
In libros Regum et Uerba dierum;
In librum beati patris Iob;
In Parabolas, Ecclesiasten, et Cantica canticorum;
In Isaiam prophetam, Ezram quoque et Neemiam.
In euangelium Marci libros IIII.
In euangelium Lucae libros VI.
Omeliarum euangelii libros II.
In apostolum quaecumque in opusculis sancti Augustini exposita inueni, cuncta per ordinem transscribere curaui.
In Actus apostolorum libros II.
In Epistulas VII catholicas libros singulos.
In Apocalypsin sancti Iohannis libros III.
Item, Capitula lectionum in totum nouum testamentum, excepto euangelio.
Item librum epistularum ad diuersos: quarum de sex aetatibus saeculi una est; de mansionibus filiorum Israel una; una de eo, quod ait Isaias: ‘Et claudentur ibi in carcerem, et post dies multos uisitabantur;’ de ratione bissexti una; de aequinoctio iuxta Anatolium una.
Item de historiis sanctorum: librum uitae et passionis sancti Felicis confessoris de metrico Paulini opere in prosam transtuli;
librum uitae et passionis sancti Anastasii, male de Greco translatum, et peius a quodam inperito emendatum, prout potui, ad sensum correxi; uitam sancti patris monachi simul et antistitis Cudbercti, et prius heroico metro et postmodum plano sermone, descripsi.
Historiam abbatum monasterii huius, in quo supernae pietati deseruire gaudeo, Benedicti, Ceolfridi, et Huaetbercti in libellis duobus.
Historiam ecclesiasticam nostrae insulae ac gentis in libris V.
Martyrologium de nataliciis sanctorum martyrum diebus; in quo omnes, quos inuenire potui, non solum qua die, uerum etiam quo genere certaminis, uel sub quo iudice mundum uicerint, diligenter adnotare studui.
Librum hymnorum diuerso metro siue rhythmo.
Librum epigrammatum heroico metro, siue elegiaco.
De natura rerum, et de temporibus libros singulos; item de temporibus librum I maiorem.
Librum de orthographia, alfabeti ordine distinctum.
Item librum de metrica arte, et huic adiectum alium de schematibus siue tropis libellum, hoc est de figuris modisque locutionum, quibus scriptura sancta contexta est.’
Teque deprecor, bone Iesu, ut cui propitius donasti uerba tuae scientiae dulciter haurire, dones etiam benignus aliquando ad te fontem omnis sapientiae peruenire, et parere semper ante faciem tuam
BAEDAE CONTINUATIO
Anno DCCXXXI, Ceoluulf rex captus, et adtonsus, et remissus in regnum; Acca episcopus de sua sede fugatus. Anno DCCXXXII, Ecgberct pro Uilfrido Eboraci episcopus factus.
Cynibertus episcopus Lindisfarorum obiit.
Anno ab incarnatione Domini DCCXXXIII Tatuuini archiepiscopus, accepto ab apostolica auctoritate pallio, ordinauit Aluic et Sigfridum episcopos.
Anno DCCXXXIII, eclypsis facta est solis XVIIII, Kal. Sep. circa horam diei tertiam, ita ut pene totus orbis solis quasi nigerrimo et horrendo scuto uideretur esse coopertus.
Anno DCCXXXIIII, luna sanguineo rubore perfusa, quasi hora integra II. Kal. Febr. circa galli cantum, dehinc nigredine subsequente ad lucem propriam reuersa.
Anno ab incarnatione Christi DCCXXXIIII Tatuini episcopus obiit.
Anno DCCXXXV, Nothelmus archiepiscopus ordinatur; et Ecgberctus episcopus, accepto ab apostolica sede pallio, primus post Paulinum in archiepiscopatum confirmatus est; ordinauitque Fruidbertum et Fruiduualdum episcopos, et Baeda presbyter obiit.
Anno DCCXXXVII, nimia siccitas terram fecit infecundam; et Ceoluulfus sua uoluntate adtonsus regnum Eadbercto reliquit.
Anno DCCXXXIX, Edilhartus Occidentalium Saxonum rex obiit; et Nothelmus archiepiscopus.
Anno DCCXL, Cudberctus pro Nothelmo consecratus est.
Aedilbaldus rex Merciorum per impiam fraudem uastabat partem Nordanhymbrorum;
eratque rex eorum Eadberctus occupatus cum suo exercitu contra Pictos. Aediluualdus quoque episcopus obiit, et pro eo Conuulfus ordinatur antistes. Arnuuini et Eadberctus interempti.
Anno DCCXLI, siccitas magna terram occupauit. Carolus rex Francorum obiit; et pro eo filii Caroloman et Pippin regnum acceperunt.
Anno DCCXLV, Uilfrid episcopus et Ingualdus Lundoniae episcopus migrauerunt ad Dominum.
Anno DCCXLVII, Herefridus uir Dei obiit.
Anno DCCL, Cudretus rex Occidentalium Saxonum surrexit contra Aedilbaldum regem et Oengusum. Theudor atque Eanredus obierunt.
Eadberctus campum Cyil cum aliis regionibus suo regno addidit.
Anno DCCLIII. anno regni Eadbercti quinto, [quinto] Idus Ianuarias eclipsis solis facta est. Postea eodem anno et mense, hoc est nono Kalendarum Februariarum, luna eclipsim pertulit, horrendo et nigerrimo scuto, ita ut sol paulo ante, cooperta.
Anno DCCLIIII, Bonifacius, qui et Uinfridus, Francorum episcopus, cum quinquaginta tribus martyrio coronatur; et pro eo Redgerus consecratur archiepiscopus a Stephano papa.
Anno DCCLVII, Aedilbaldus rex Merciorum a suis tutoribus nocte morte fraudulenta miserabiliter peremptus occubuit; Beornredus regnare coepit; Cyniuulfus rex Occidentalium Saxonum obiit. Eodem etiam anno Offa, fugato Beornredo, Merciorum regnum sanguinolento quaesiuit gladio.
Anno DCCLVIII, Eadberctus rex Nordanhymbrorum Dei amoris causa, et caelestis patriae uiolentia, accepta sancti Petri tonsura, filio suo Osuulfo regnum reliquit.
Anno DCCLVIII, Osuulfus a suis ministris facinore occisus est;
et Edilualdus anno eodem a sua plebe electus intrauit in regnum;
cuius secundo anno magna tribulatio mortalitatis uenit et duobus ferme annis permansit, populantibus duris ac diuersis egritudinibus, maxime tamen dysenteriae languore.
Anno DCCLXI, Oengus Pictorum rex obiit, qui regni sui principium usque ad finem facinore cruento tyrannus perduxit carnifex; et Osuini occisus est.
Anno DCCLXV, Aluchredus rex susceptus est in regnum.
Anno DCCLXVI, Ecgberctus archiepiscopus prosapia regali ditatus, ac diuina scientia imbutus, et Frithubertus, uere fideles episcopi, ad Dominum migrauerunt.
The Dual Text
Bede’
s Chair, St. Paul’s Church, Jarrow
DUAL LATIN AND ENGLISH TEXT
Translated by A. M. Sellar
In this section, readers can view a section by section text of Bede’s’ Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, alternating between the original Latin and Sellar’s English translation.
CONTENTS
PRAEFATIO — PREFACE
LIBER PRIMUS — BOOK I
CHAP. 1
CHAP. 2
CHAP. 3
CHAP. 4
CHAP. 5
CHAP. 6
CHAP. 7
CHAP. 8
CHAP. 9
CHAP. 10
CHAP. 11
CHAP. 12
CHAP. 13
CHAP. 14
CHAP. 15
CHAP. 16
CHAP. 17
CHAP. 18
CHAP. 19
CHAP. 20
CHAP. 21
CHAP. 22
CHAP. 23
CHAP. 24
CHAP. 25
CHAP. 26
CHAP. 27
CHAP. 28
CHAP. 29
CHAP. 30
CHAP. 31
CHAP. 32
CHAP. 33
CHAP. 34
LIBER SECUNDUS — BOOK II
CHAP. 1
CHAP. 2
CHAP. 3
CHAP. 4
CHAP. 5
CHAP. 6
CHAP. 7
CHAP. 8
CHAP. 9
CHAP. 10
CHAP. 11
CHAP. 12
CHAP. 13
CHAP. 14
CHAP. 15
CHAP. 16
CHAP. 17
CHAP. 18
CHAP. 19
CHAP. 20
LIBER TERTIUS — BOOK III
CHAP. 1
CHAP. 2
CHAP. 3
CHAP. 4
CHAP. 5
CHAP. 6
CHAP. 7
CHAP. 8
CHAP. 9
CHAP. 10
CHAP. 11
CHAP. 12
CHAP. 13
CHAP. 14
CHAP. 15
CHAP. 16
CHAP. 17
CHAP. 18
CHAP. 19
CHAP. 20
CHAP. 21
CHAP. 22
CHAP. 23
CHAP. 24
CHAP. 25
CHAP. 26
CHAP. 27
CHAP. 28
CHAP. 29
CHAP. 30
LIBER QUARTUS — BOOK IV
CHAP. 1
CHAP. 2
CHAP. 3
CHAP. 4
CHAP. 5
CHAP. 6
CHAP. 7
CHAP. 8
CHAP. 9
CHAP. 10
CHAP. 11
CHAP. 12
CHAP. 13
CHAP. 14
CHAP. 15
CHAP. 16
CHAP. 17
CHAP. 18
CHAP. 19
CHAP. 20
CHAP. 21
CHAP. 22
CHAP. 23
CHAP. 24
CHAP. 25
CHAP. 26
CHAP. 27
CHAP. 28
CHAP. 29
CHAP. 30
CHAP. 31
CHAP. 32
LIBER QUINTUS — BOOK V
CHAP. 1
CHAP. 2
CHAP. 3
CHAP. 4
CHAP. 5
CHAP. 6
CHAP. 7
CHAP. 8
CHAP. 9
CHAP. 10
CHAP. 11
CHAP. 12
CHAP. 13
CHAP. 14
CHAP. 15
CHAP. 16
CHAP. 17
CHAP. 18
CHAP. 19
CHAP. 20
CHAP. 21
CHAP. 22
CHAP. 23
CHAP. 24
BAEDAE CONTINUATIO — CONTINUATION
PRAEFATIO — PREFACE
GLORIOSISSIMO REGI CEOLUULFO BAEDA FAMULUS CHRISTI ET PRESBYTER
To the most glorious king Ceolwulf. Bede, the servant of Christ and Priest.
Historiam gentis Anglorum ecclesiasticam, quam nuper edideram, libentissime tibi desideranti, rex, et prius ad legendum ac probandum transmisi, et nunc ad transscribendum ac plenius ex tempore meditandum retransmitto; satisque studium tuae sinceritatis amplector, quo non solum audiendis scripturae sanctae uerbis aurem sedulus accommodas, uerum etiam noscendis priorum gestis siue dictis, et maxime nostrae gentis uirorum inlustrium, curam uigilanter impendis. Siue enim historia de bonis bona referat, ad imitandum bonum auditor sollicitus instigatur; seu mala commemoret de prauis, nihilominus religiosus ac pius auditor siue lector deuitando quod noxium est ac peruersum, ipse sollertius ad exsequenda ea, quae bona ac Deo digna esse cognouerit, accenditur. Quod ipsum tu quoque uigilantissime deprehendens, historiam memoratam in notitiam tibi simul et eis, quibus te regendis diuina praefecit auctoritas, ob generalis curam salutis latius propalari desideras. Ut autem in his, quae scripsi, uel tibi, uel ceteris auditoribus siue lectoribus huius historiae occasionem dubitandi subtraham, quibus haec maxime auctoribus didicerim, breuiter intimare curabo.
I formerly, at your request, most readily sent to you the Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, which I had lately published, for you to read and judge; and I now send it again to be transcribed, and more fully studied at your leisure. And I rejoice greatly at 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 of our own nation. For if history relates good things of good men, the attentive hearer is excited to imitate that which is good; or if it recounts evil things of wicked persons, none the less the conscientious and devout hearer or reader, shunning that which is hurtful and wrong, is the more earnestly fired to perform those things which he knows to be good, and worthy of the service of God. And as you have carefully marked this, you are desirous that the said history should be more fully made known to yourself, and to those over whom the Divine Authority has appointed you governor, from your great regard to the common good. But to the end that I may remove all occasion of doubting what I have written, both from yourself and other readers or hearers of this history, I will take care briefly to show you from what authors I chiefly learned the same.
Auctor ante omnes atque adiutor opusculi huius Albinus abba reuerentissimus, uir per omnia doctissimus, extitit; qui in ecclesia Cantuariorum a beatae memoriae Theodoro archiepiscopo et Hadriano abbate, uiris uenerabilibus atque eruditissimis, institutus, diligenter omnia, quae in ipsa Cantuariorum prouincia, uel etiam in contiguis eidem regionibus a discipulis beati papae Gregorii gesta fuere, uel monimentis litterarum, uel seniorum traditione cognouerat; et ea mihi de his, quae memoria digna uidebantur, per religiosum Lundoniensis ecclesiae presbyterum Nothelmum, siue litteris mandata, siue ipsius Nothelmi uiua uoce referenda, transmisit. Qui uidelicet Nothelmus postea Romam ueniens, nonnullas ibi beati Gregorii papae simul et aliorum pontificum epistulas, perscrutato eiusdem sanctae ecclesiae Romanae scrinio, permissu eius, qui nunc ipsi ecclesiae praeest Gregorii pontificis, inuenit, reuersusque nobis nostrae historiae inserendas cum consilio praefati Albini reuerentissimi patris adtulit. A principio itaque uoluminis huius usque ad tempus, quo gens Anglorum fidem Christi percepit, ex priorum maxime scriptis hinc inde collectis ea, quae promeremus, didicimus. Exinde autem usque ad tempora praesentia, quae in ecclesia Cantuariorum per discipulos beati papae Gregorii, siue successores eorum, uel sub quibus regibus gesta sint, memorati abbatis Albini industria, Nothelmo, ut diximus, perferente, cognouimus. Qui etiam prouinciae Orientalium simul et Occidentalium Saxonum, nec non et Orientalium Anglorum atque Nordanhymbrorum, a quibus praesulibus, uel quorum tempore regum gratiam euangelii perceperint, nonnulla mihi ex pa
rte prodiderunt. Denique hortatu praecipue ipsius Albini, ut hoc opus adgredi auderem, prouocatus sum. Sed et Danihel reuerentissimus Occidentalium Saxonum episcopus, qui nunc usque superest, nonnulla mihi de historia ecclesiastica prouinciae ipsius, simul et proxima illi Australium Saxonum, nec non et Uectae insulae litteris mandata declarauit. Qualiter uero per ministerium Ceddi et Ceadda religiosorum Christi sacerdotum, uel prouincia Merciorum ad fidem Christi, quam non nouerat, peruenerit, uel prouincia Orientalium Saxonum fidem, quam olim exsufflauerat, recuperauerit, qualis etiam ipsorum patrum uita uel obitus extiterit, diligenter a fratribus monasterii, quod ab ipsis conditum Læstingaeu cognominatur, agnouimus. Porro in prouincia Orientalium Anglorum, quae fuerint gesta ecclesiastica, partim ex scriptis uel traditione priorum, partim reuerentissimi abbatis Esi relatione conperimus. At uero in prouincia Lindissi, quae sint gesta erga fidem Christi, quaeue successio sacerdotalis extiterit, uel litteris reuerentissimi antistitis Cynibercti uel aliorum fidelium uirorum uiua uoce didicimus. Quae autem in Nordanhymbrorum prouincia, ex quo tempore fidem Christi perceperunt, usque ad praesens per diuersas regiones in ecclesia sint acta, non uno quolibet auctore, sed fideli innumerorum testium, qui haec scire uel meminisse poterant, adsertione cognoui, exceptis his, quae per me ipsum nosse poteram. Inter quae notandum, quod ea, quae de sanctissimo patre et antistite Cudbercto, uel in hoc uolumine, uel in libello gestorum ipsius conscripsi, partim ex eis, quae de illo prius a fratribus ecclesiae Lindisfarnensis scripta repperi, adsumsi, simpliciter fidem historiae, quam legebam, accommodans, partim uero ea, quae certissima fidelium uirorum adtestatione per me ipse cognoscere potui, sollerter adicere curaui. Lectoremque suppliciter obsecro, ut, siqua in his, quae scripsimus, aliter quam se ueritas habet, posita reppererit, non hoc nobis imputet, qui, quod uera lex historiae est, simpliciter ea, quae fama uulgante collegimus, ad instructionem posteritatis litteris mandare studuimus.
My principal authority and aid in this work was the most learned and reverend Abbot Albinus; who, educated in the Church of Canterbury by those venerable and learned men, Archbishop Theodore of blessed memory, and the Abbot Hadrian, transmitted to me by Nothelm, 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 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 predecessors. The same Nothelm, afterwards went to Rome, and having, with leave of the present Pope Gregory, searched into the archives of the Holy Roman Church, 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, 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 acquired matter from the writings of former men, gathered from various sources; but from that time till the present, what was transacted in the Church of Canterbury by the disciples of the blessed Pope Gregory or their successors, and under what kings the same happened, has been conveyed to us, as we have said, by Nothelm through the industry 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 grace of the Gospel. In short, I was chiefly encouraged to undertake this work by the exhortations 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 the adjoining one of the South Saxons, as also of the Isle of Wight. But how, by the ministry of those holy 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 faith after having rejected it, and how those fathers lived and died, we learned from the brethren of the monastery, which was built by them, and is called Laestingaeu. Further, what ecclesiastical matters took place in the province of the East Angles, was partly made known to us from the writings and tradition of former men, and partly by the account of the most reverend Abbot Esi. What was done with regard to the faith of Christ, and what was the episcopal succession in the province of Lindsey, we had either from the letters of the most reverend prelate Cynibert, or by word of mouth from other persons of good credit. But what was done in the Church in the different parts of the province of Northumbria from the time when they received the faith of Christ till this present, I received not on the authority of any one man, but by the faithful testimony of innumerable witnesses, who might know or remember the same; besides 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 account of his life and actions, I partly took from what I found written of him by the brethren of the Church of Lindisfarne, accepting without reserve the statements I found there; but at the same time took care to add such things as I could myself have knowledge of by the faithful testimony of trustworthy informants. And I humbly entreat the reader, that if he shall find in these our writings anything not delivered according to the truth, he will not lay the blame of it on me, for, as the true rule of history requires, withholding nothing, I have laboured to commit to writing such things as I could gather from common report, for the instruction of posterity.