But he, not long after,
left his bishopric, and returned to the island of Hii,(411) which, among
the Scots, was the chief and head of many monasteries.
left his bishopric, and returned to the island of Hii,(411) which, among
the Scots, was the chief and head of many monasteries.
bede
How a little boy was cured of a fever at his tomb.
Some time after, there was a certain little boy in the said monastery, who
had been long grievously troubled with a fever; he was one day anxiously
expecting the hour when his fit was to come on, when one of the brothers,
coming in to him, said, “Shall I tell you, my son, how you may be cured of
this sickness? Rise, enter the church, and go close to Oswald’s tomb; sit
down and stay there quiet and do not leave it; do not come away, or stir
from the place, till the time is past, when the fever leaves you: then I
will go in and fetch you away. ” The boy did as he was advised, and the
disease durst not assail him as he sat by the saint’s tomb; but fled in
such fear that it did not dare to touch him, either the second or third
day, or ever after. The brother that came from thence, and told me this,
added, that at the time when he was talking with me, the young man was
then still living in the monastery, on whom, when a boy, that miracle of
healing had been wrought. Nor need we wonder that the prayers of that king
who is now reigning with our Lord, should be very efficacious with Him,
since he, whilst yet governing his temporal kingdom, was always wont to
pray and labour more for that which is eternal. Nay, it is said, that he
often continued in prayer from the hour of morning thanksgiving(349) till
it was day; and that by reason of his constant custom of praying or giving
thanks to God, he was wont always, wherever he sat, to hold his hands on
his knees with the palms turned upwards. It is also commonly affirmed and
has passed into a proverb, that he ended his life in prayer; for when he
was beset with the weapons of his enemies, and perceived that death was at
hand, he prayed for the souls of his army. Whence it is proverbially said,
“ ‘Lord have mercy on their souls,’ said Oswald, as he fell to the
ground. ”
Now his bones were translated to the monastery which we have mentioned,
and buried therein: but the king who slew him commanded his head, and
hands, with the arms, to be cut off from the body, and set upon stakes.
But his successor in the throne, Oswy, coming thither the next year with
his army, took them down, and buried his head in the cemetery of the
church of Lindisfarne,(350) and the hands and arms in his royal city. (351)
Chap. XIII. How a certain person in Ireland was restored, when at the
point of death, by his relics.
Nor was the fame of the renowned Oswald confined to Britain, but,
spreading rays of healing light even beyond the sea, reached also to
Germany and Ireland. For the most reverend prelate, Acca,(352) is wont to
relate, that when, in his journey to Rome,(353) he and his bishop Wilfrid
stayed some time with Wilbrord,(354) the holy archbishop of the Frisians,
he often heard him tell of the wonders which had been wrought in that
province at the relics of that most worshipful king. And he used to say
that in Ireland, when, being yet only a priest, he led the life of a
stranger and pilgrim for love of the eternal country, the fame of that
king’s sanctity was already spread far and near in that island also. One
of the miracles, among the rest, which he related, we have thought fit to
insert in this our history.
“At the time,” said he, “of the plague which made such widespread havoc in
Britain and Ireland, among others, a certain scholar of the Scottish race
was smitten with the disease, a man learned in the study of letters, but
in no way careful or studious of his eternal salvation; who, seeing his
death near at hand, began to fear and tremble lest, as soon as he was
dead, he should be hurried away to the prison-house of Hell for his sins.
He called me, for I was near, and trembling and sighing in his weakness,
with a lamentable voice made his complaint to me, after this manner: ‘You
see that my bodily distress increases, and that I am now reduced to the
point of death. Nor do I question but that after the death of my body, I
shall be immediately snatched away to the everlasting death of my soul,
and cast into the torments of hell, since for a long time, amidst all my
reading of divine books, I have suffered myself to be ensnared by sin,
instead of keeping the commandments of God. But it is my resolve, if the
Divine Mercy shall grant me a new term of life, to correct my sinful
habits, and wholly to devote anew my mind and life to obedience to the
Divine will. But I know that I have no merits of my own whereby to obtain
a prolongation of life, nor can I hope to have it, unless it shall please
God to forgive me, wretched and unworthy of pardon as I am, through the
help of those who have faithfully served him. We have heard, and the
report is widespread, that there was in your nation a king, of wonderful
sanctity, called Oswald, the excellency of whose faith and virtue has been
made famous even after his death by the working of many miracles. I
beseech you, if you have any relics of his in your keeping, that you will
bring them to me; if haply the Lord shall be pleased, through his merits,
to have mercy on me. ’ I answered, ‘I have indeed a part of the stake on
which his head was set up by the pagans, when he was killed, and if you
believe with steadfast heart, the Divine mercy may, through the merits of
so great a man, both grant you a longer term of life here, and render you
worthy to be admitted into eternal life. ’ He answered immediately that he
had entire faith therein. Then I blessed some water, and put into it a
splinter of the aforesaid oak, and gave it to the sick man to drink. He
presently found ease, and, recovering of his sickness, lived a long time
after; and, being entirely converted to God in heart and deed, wherever he
went, he spoke of the goodness of his merciful Creator, and the honour of
His faithful servant. ”
Chap. XIV. How on the death of Paulinus, Ithamar was made bishop of
Rochester in his stead; and of the wonderful humility of King Oswin, who
was cruelly slain by Oswy. [644-651 A. D. ]
Oswald being translated to the heavenly kingdom, his brother Oswy,(355) a
young man of about thirty years of age, succeeded him on the throne of his
earthly kingdom, and held it twenty-eight years with much trouble, being
attacked by the pagan nation of the Mercians, that had slain his brother,
as also by his son Alchfrid,(356) and by his nephew Oidilwald,(357) the
son of his brother who reigned before him. In his second year, that is, in
the year of our Lord 644, the most reverend Father Paulinus, formerly
Bishop of York, but at that time Bishop of the city of Rochester, departed
to the Lord, on the 10th day of October, having held the office of a
bishop nineteen years, two months, and twenty-one days; and was buried in
the sacristy of the blessed Apostle Andrew,(358) which King Ethelbert had
built from the foundation, in the same city of Rochester. In his place,
Archbishop Honorius ordained Ithamar,(359) of the Kentish nation, but not
inferior to his predecessors in learning and conduct of life.
Oswy, during the first part of his reign, had a partner in the royal
dignity called Oswin, of the race of King Edwin, and son to Osric(360) of
whom we have spoken above, a man of wonderful piety and devotion, who
governed the province of the Deiri seven years in very great prosperity,
and was himself beloved by all men. But Oswy, who governed all the other
northern part of the nation beyond the Humber, that is, the province of
the Bernicians, could not live at peace with him; and at last, when the
causes of their disagreement increased, he murdered him most cruelly. For
when each had raised an army against the other, Oswin perceived that he
could not maintain a war against his enemy who had more auxiliaries than
himself, and he thought it better at that time to lay aside all thoughts
of engaging, and to reserve himself for better times. He therefore
disbanded the army which he had assembled, and ordered all his men to
return to their own homes, from the place that is called
Wilfaraesdun,(361) that is, Wilfar’s Hill, which is about ten miles
distant from the village called Cataract, towards the north-west. He
himself, with only one trusty thegn, whose name was Tondhere, withdrew and
lay concealed in the house of Hunwald, a noble,(362) whom he imagined to
be his most assured friend. But, alas! it was far otherwise; for Hunwald
betrayed him, and Oswy, by the hands of his reeve, Ethilwin, foully slew
him and the thegn aforesaid. This happened on the 20th of August, in the
ninth year of his reign, at a place called Ingetlingum, where afterwards,
to atone for this crime, a monastery was built,(363) wherein prayers
should be daily offered up to God for the redemption of the souls of both
kings, to wit, of him that was murdered, and of him that commanded the
murder.
King Oswin was of a goodly countenance, and tall of stature, pleasant in
discourse, and courteous in behaviour; and bountiful to all, gentle and
simple alike; so that he was beloved by all men for the royal dignity of
his mind and appearance and actions, and men of the highest rank came from
almost all provinces to serve him. Among all the graces of virtue and
moderation by which he was distinguished and, if I may say so, blessed in
a special manner, humility is said to have been the greatest, which it
will suffice to prove by one instance.
He had given a beautiful horse to Bishop Aidan, to use either in crossing
rivers, or in performing a journey upon any urgent necessity, though the
Bishop was wont to travel ordinarily on foot. Some short time after, a
poor man meeting the Bishop, and asking alms, he immediately dismounted,
and ordered the horse, with all his royal trappings, to be given to the
beggar; for he was very compassionate, a great friend to the poor, and, in
a manner, the father of the wretched. This being told to the king, when
they were going in to dinner, he said to the Bishop, “What did you mean,
my lord Bishop, by giving the poor man that royal horse, which it was
fitting that you should have for your own use? Had not we many other
horses of less value, or things of other sorts, which would have been good
enough to give to the poor, instead of giving that horse, which I had
chosen and set apart for your own use? ” Thereupon the Bishop answered,
“What do you say, O king? Is that son of a mare more dear to you than that
son of God? ” Upon this they went in to dinner, and the Bishop sat in his
place; but the king, who had come in from hunting, stood warming himself,
with his attendants, at the fire. Then, on a sudden, whilst he was warming
himself, calling to mind what the bishop had said to him, he ungirt his
sword, and gave it to a servant, and hastened to the Bishop and fell down
at his feet, beseeching him to forgive him; “For from this time forward,”
said he, “I will never speak any more of this, nor will I judge of what or
how much of our money you shall give to the sons of God. ” The bishop was
much moved at this sight, and starting up, raised him, saying that he was
entirely reconciled to him, if he would but sit down to his meat, and lay
aside all sorrow. The king, at the bishop’s command and request, was
comforted, but the bishop, on the other hand, grew sad and was moved even
to tears. His priest then asking him, in the language of his country,
which the king and his servants did not understand, why he wept, “I know,”
said he, “that the king will not live long; for I never before saw a
humble king; whence I perceive that he will soon be snatched out of this
life, because this nation is not worthy of such a ruler. ” Not long after,
the bishop’s gloomy foreboding was fulfilled by the king’s sad death, as
has been said above. But Bishop Aidan himself was also taken out of this
world, not more than twelve days after the death of the king he loved, on
the 31st of August,(364) to receive the eternal reward of his labours from
the Lord.
Chap. XV. How Bishop Aidan foretold to certain seamen that a storm would
arise, and gave them some holy oil to calm it. [Between 642 and 645 A. D. ]
How great the merits of Aidan were, was made manifest by the Judge of the
heart, with the testimony of miracles, whereof it will suffice to mention
three, that they may not be forgotten. A certain priest, whose name was
Utta,(365) a man of great weight and sincerity, and on that account
honoured by all men, even the princes of the world, was sent to Kent, to
bring thence, as wife for King Oswy, Eanfled,(366) the daughter of King
Edwin, who had been carried thither when her father was killed. Intending
to go thither by land, but to return with the maiden by sea, he went to
Bishop Aidan, and entreated him to offer up his prayers to the Lord for
him and his company, who were then to set out on so long a journey. He,
blessing them, and commending them to the Lord, at the same time gave them
some holy oil, saying, “I know that when you go on board ship, you will
meet with a storm and contrary wind; but be mindful to cast this oil I
give you into the sea, and the wind will cease immediately; you will have
pleasant calm weather to attend you and send you home by the way that you
desire. ”
All these things fell out in order, even as the bishop had foretold. For
first, the waves of the sea raged, and the sailors endeavoured to ride it
out at anchor, but all to no purpose; for the sea sweeping over the ship
on all sides and beginning to fill it with water, they all perceived that
death was at hand and about to overtake them. The priest at last,
remembering the bishop’s words, laid hold of the phial and cast some of
the oil into the sea, which at once, as had been foretold, ceased from its
uproar. Thus it came to pass that the man of God, by the spirit of
prophecy, foretold the storm that was to come to pass, and by virtue of
the same spirit, though absent in the body, calmed it when it had arisen.
The story of this miracle was not told me by a person of little credit,
but by Cynimund, a most faithful priest of our church,(367) who declared
that it was related to him by Utta, the priest, in whose case and through
whom the same was wrought.
Chap. XVI. How the same Aidan, by his prayers, saved the royal city when
it was fired by the enemy [Before 651 A. D. ]
Another notable miracle of the same father is related by many such as were
likely to have knowledge thereof; for during the time that he was bishop,
the hostile army of the Mercians, under the command of Penda, cruelly
ravaged the country of the Northumbrians far and near, even to the royal
city,(368) which has its name from Bebba, formerly its queen. Not being
able to take it by storm or by siege, he endeavoured to burn it down; and
having pulled down all the villages in the neighbourhood of the city, he
brought thither an immense quantity of beams, rafters, partitions, wattles
and thatch, wherewith he encompassed the place to a great height on the
land side, and when he found the wind favourable, he set fire to it and
attempted to burn the town.
At that time, the most reverend Bishop Aidan was dwelling in the Isle of
Farne,(369) which is about two miles from the city; for thither he was
wont often to retire to pray in solitude and silence; and, indeed, this
lonely dwelling of his is to this day shown in that island. When he saw
the flames of fire and the smoke carried by the wind rising above the city
walls, he is said to have lifted up his eyes and hands to heaven, and
cried with tears, “Behold, Lord, how great evil is wrought by Penda! ”
These words were hardly uttered, when the wind immediately veering from
the city, drove back the flames upon those who had kindled them, so that
some being hurt, and all afraid, they forebore any further attempts
against the city, which they perceived to be protected by the hand of God.
Chap. XVII. How a prop of the church on which Bishop Aidan was leaning
when he died, could not be consumed when the rest of the Church was on
fire; and concerning his inward life. [651 A. D. ]
Aidan was in the king’s township, not far from the city of which we have
spoken above, at the time when death caused him to quit the body, after he
had been bishop sixteen(370) years; for having a church and a chamber in
that place, he was wont often to go and stay there, and to make excursions
from it to preach in the country round about, which he likewise did at
other of the king’s townships, having nothing of his own besides his
church and a few fields about it. When he was sick they set up a tent for
him against the wall at the west end of the church, and so it happened
that he breathed his last, leaning against a buttress that was on the
outside of the church to strengthen the wall. He died in the seventeenth
year of his episcopate, on the 31st of August. (371) His body was thence
presently translated to the isle of Lindisfarne, and buried in the
cemetery of the brethren. Some time after, when a larger church was built
there and dedicated in honour of the blessed prince of the Apostles, his
bones were translated thither, and laid on the right side of the altar,
with the respect due to so great a prelate.
Finan,(372) who had likewise been sent thither from Hii, the island
monastery of the Scots, succeeded him, and continued no small time in the
bishopric. It happened some years after, that Penda, king of the Mercians,
coming into these parts with a hostile army, destroyed all he could with
fire and sword, and the village where the bishop died, along with the
church above mentioned, was burnt down; but it fell out in a wonderful
manner that the buttress against which he had been leaning when he died,
could not be consumed by the fire which devoured all about it. This
miracle being noised abroad, the church was soon rebuilt in the same
place, and that same buttress was set up on the outside, as it had been
before, to strengthen the wall. It happened again, some time after, that
the village and likewise the church were carelessly burned down the second
time. Then again, the fire could not touch the buttress; and,
miraculously, though the fire broke through the very holes of the nails
wherewith it was fixed to the building, yet it could do no hurt to the
buttress itself. When therefore the church was built there the third time,
they did not, as before, place that buttress on the outside as a support
of the building, but within the church, as a memorial of the miracle;
where the people coming in might kneel, and implore the Divine mercy. And
it is well known that since then many have found grace and been healed in
that same place, as also that by means of splinters cut off from the
buttress, and put into water, many more have obtained a remedy for their
own infirmities and those of their friends. (373)
I have written thus much concerning the character and works of the
aforesaid Aidan, in no way commending or approving his lack of wisdom with
regard to the observance of Easter; nay, heartily detesting it, as I have
most manifestly proved in the book I have written, “De Temporibus”;(374)
but, like an impartial historian, unreservedly relating what was done by
or through him, and commending such things as are praiseworthy in his
actions, and preserving the memory thereof for the benefit of the readers;
to wit, his love of peace and charity; of continence and humility; his
mind superior to anger and avarice, and despising pride and vainglory; his
industry in keeping and teaching the Divine commandments, his power of
study and keeping vigil; his priestly authority in reproving the haughty
and powerful, and at the same time his tenderness in comforting the
afflicted, and relieving or defending the poor. To be brief, so far as I
have learnt from those that knew him, he took care to neglect none of
those things which he found in the Gospels and the writings of Apostles
and prophets, but to the utmost of his power endeavoured to fulfil them
all in his deeds.
These things I greatly admire and love in the aforesaid bishop, because I
do not doubt that they were pleasing to God; but I do not approve or
praise his observance of Easter at the wrong time, either through
ignorance of the canonical time appointed, or, if he knew it, being
prevailed on by the authority of his nation not to adopt it. (375) Yet this
I approve in him, that in the celebration of his Easter, the object which
he had at heart and reverenced and preached was the same as ours, to wit,
the redemption of mankind, through the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension
into Heaven of the Man Christ Jesus, who is the mediator between God and
man. And therefore he always celebrated Easter, not as some falsely
imagine, on the fourteenth of the moon, like the Jews, on any day of the
week, but on the Lord’s day, from the fourteenth to the twentieth of the
moon; and this he did from his belief that the Resurrection of our Lord
happened on the first day of the week, and for the hope of our
resurrection, which also he, with the holy Church, believed would truly
happen on that same first day of the week, now called the Lord’s day.
Chap. XVIII. Of the life and death of the religious King Sigbert. [_Circ. _
631 A. D. ]
At this time, the kingdom of the East Angles, after the death of Earpwald,
the successor of Redwald, was governed by his brother Sigbert,(376) a good
and religious man, who some time before had been baptized in Gaul, whilst
he lived in banishment, a fugitive from the enmity of Redwald. When he
returned home, as soon as he ascended the throne, being desirous to
imitate the good institutions which he had seen in Gaul, he founded a
school wherein boys should be taught letters, and was assisted therein by
Bishop Felix, who came to him from Kent, and who furnished them with
masters and teachers after the manner of the people of Kent. (377)
This king became so great a lover of the heavenly kingdom, that at last,
quitting the affairs of his kingdom, and committing them to his kinsman
Ecgric, who before had a share in that kingdom, he entered a monastery,
which he had built for himself, and having received the tonsure, applied
himself rather to do battle for a heavenly throne. A long time after this,
it happened that the nation of the Mercians, under King Penda, made war on
the East Angles; who finding themselves no match for their enemy,
entreated Sigbert to go with them to battle, to encourage the soldiers. He
was unwilling and refused, upon which they drew him against his will out
of the monastery, and carried him to the army, hoping that the soldiers
would be less afraid and less disposed to flee in the presence of one who
had formerly been an active and distinguished commander. But he, still
mindful of his profession, surrounded, as he was, by a royal army, would
carry nothing in his hand but a wand, and was killed with King Ecgric; and
the pagans pressing on, all their army was either slaughtered or
dispersed.
They were succeeded in the kingdom by Anna,(378) the son of Eni, of the
blood royal, a good man, and the father of good children, of whom, in the
proper place, we shall speak hereafter. He also was afterwards slain like
his predecessors by the same pagan chief of the Mercians.
Chap. XIX. How Fursa built a monastery among the East Angles, and of his
visions and sanctity, to which, his flesh remaining uncorrupted after
death bore testimony. [_Circ. _ 633 A. D. ]
Whilst Sigbert still governed the kingdom, there came out of Ireland a
holy man called Fursa,(379) renowned both for his words and actions, and
remarkable for singular virtues, being desirous to live as a stranger and
pilgrim for the Lord’s sake, wherever an opportunity should offer. On
coming into the province of the East Angles, he was honourably received by
the aforesaid king, and performing his wonted task of preaching the
Gospel, by the example of his virtue and the influence of his words,
converted many unbelievers to Christ, and confirmed in the faith and love
of Christ those that already believed.
Here he fell into some infirmity of body, and was thought worthy to see a
vision of angels; in which he was admonished diligently to persevere in
the ministry of the Word which he had undertaken, and indefatigably to
apply himself to his usual watching and prayers; inasmuch as his end was
certain, but the hour thereof uncertain, according to the saying of our
Lord, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. ”(380)
Being confirmed by this vision, he set himself with all speed to build a
monastery on the ground which had been given him by King Sigbert, and to
establish a rule of life therein. This monastery was pleasantly situated
in the woods, near the sea; it was built within the area of a fort, which
in the English language is called Cnobheresburg, that is, Cnobhere’s
Town;(381) afterwards, Anna, king of that province, and certain of the
nobles, embellished it with more stately buildings and with gifts.
This man was of noble Scottish(382) blood, but much more noble in mind
than in birth. From his boyish years, he had earnestly applied himself to
reading sacred books and observing monastic discipline, and, as is most
fitting for holy men, he carefully practised all that he learned to be
right.
Now, in course of time he himself built a monastery,(383) wherein he might
with more freedom devote himself to his heavenly studies. There, falling
sick, as the book concerning his life clearly informs us, he fell into a
trance, and quitting his body from the evening till cockcrow, he was
accounted worthy to behold the sight of the choirs of angels, and to hear
their glad songs of praise. He was wont to declare, that among other
things he distinctly heard this refrain: “The saints shall go from
strength to strength. ”(384) And again, “The God of gods shall be seen in
Sion. ”(385) Being restored to his body, and again taken from it three days
after, he not only saw the greater joys of the blessed, but also fierce
conflicts of evil spirits, who by frequent accusations wickedly
endeavoured to obstruct his journey to heaven; but the angels protected
him, and all their endeavours were in vain. Concerning all these matters,
if any one desires to be more fully informed, to wit, with what subtlety
of deceit the devils recounted both his actions and idle words, and even
his thoughts, as if they had been written down in a book; and what joyous
or grievous tidings he learned from the holy angels and just men who
appeared to him among the angels; let him read the little book of his life
which I have mentioned, and I doubt not that he will thereby reap much
spiritual profit.
But there is one thing among the rest, which we have thought it may be
beneficial to many to insert in this history. When he had been taken up on
high, he was bidden by the angels that conducted him to look back upon the
world. Upon which, casting his eyes downward, he saw, as it were, a dark
valley in the depths underneath him. He also saw four fires in the air,
not far distant from each other. Then asking the angels, what fires those
were, he was told, they were the fires which would kindle and consume the
world. One of them was of falsehood, when we do not fulfil that which we
promised in Baptism, to renounce the Devil and all his works. The next was
of covetousness, when we prefer the riches of the world to the love of
heavenly things. The third was of discord, when we do not fear to offend
our neighbour even in needless things. The fourth was of ruthlessness when
we think it a light thing to rob and to defraud the weak. These fires,
increasing by degrees, extended so as to meet one another, and united in
one immense flame. When it drew near, fearing for himself, he said to the
angel, “Lord, behold the fire draws near to me. ” The angel answered, “That
which you did not kindle will not burn you; for though this appears to be
a terrible and great pyre, yet it tries every man according to the merits
of his works; for every man’s concupiscence shall burn in this fire; for
as a man burns in the body through unlawful pleasure, so, when set free
from the body, he shall burn by the punishment which he has deserved. ”
Then he saw one of the three angels, who had been his guides throughout
both visions, go before and divide the flaming fires, whilst the other
two, flying about on both sides, defended him from the danger of the fire.
He also saw devils flying through the fire, raising the flames of war
against the just. Then followed accusations of the envious spirits against
himself, the defence of the good spirits, and a fuller vision of the
heavenly hosts; as also of holy men of his own nation, who, as he had
learnt, had worthily held the office of priesthood in old times, and who
were known to fame; from whom he heard many things very salutary to
himself, and to all others that would listen to them. When they had ended
their discourse, and returned to Heaven with the angelic spirits, there
remained with the blessed Fursa, the three angels of whom we have spoken
before, and who were to bring him back to the body. And when they
approached the aforesaid great fire, the angel divided the flame, as he
had done before; but when the man of God came to the passage so opened
amidst the flames, the unclean spirits, laying hold of one of those whom
they were burning in the fire, cast him against him, and, touching his
shoulder and jaw, scorched them. He knew the man, and called to mind that
he had received his garment when he died. The holy angel, immediately
laying hold of the man, threw him back into the fire, and the malignant
enemy said, “Do not reject him whom you before received; for as you
received the goods of the sinner, so you ought to share in his
punishment. ” But the angel withstood him, saying, “He did not receive them
through avarice, but in order to save his soul. ” The fire ceased, and the
angel, turning to him, said, “That which you kindled burned you; for if
you had not received the money of this man that died in his sins, his
punishment would not burn you. ” And he went on to speak with wholesome
counsel of what ought to be done for the salvation of such as repented in
the hour of death.
Being afterwards restored to the body, throughout the whole course of his
life he bore the mark of the fire which he had felt in the spirit, visible
to all men on his shoulder and jaw; and the flesh openly showed, in a
wonderful manner, what the spirit had suffered in secret. He always took
care, as he had done before, to teach all men the practice of virtue, as
well by his example, as by preaching. But as for the story of his visions,
he would only relate them to those who, from desire of repentance,
questioned him about them. An aged brother of our monastery is still
living, who is wont to relate that a very truthful and religious man told
him, that he had seen Fursa himself in the province of the East Angles,
and heard those visions from his lips; adding, that though it was in
severe winter weather and a hard frost, and the man was sitting in a thin
garment when he told the story, yet he sweated as if it had been in the
heat of mid-summer, by reason of the great terror or joy of which he
spoke.
To return to what we were saying before, when, after preaching the Word of
God many years in Scotland,(386) he could not well endure the disturbance
of the crowds that resorted to him, leaving all that he looked upon as his
own, he departed from his native island, and came with a few brothers
through the Britons into the province of the English, and preaching the
Word there, as has been said, built a famous monastery. (387) When this was
duly carried out, he became desirous to rid himself of all business of
this world, and even of the monastery itself, and forthwith left the care
of it and of its souls, to his brother Fullan, and the priests Gobban and
Dicull,(388) and being himself free from all worldly affairs, resolved to
end his life as a hermit. He had another brother called Ultan, who, after
a long monastic probation, had also adopted the life of an anchorite. So,
seeking him out alone, he lived a whole year with him in self-denial and
prayer, and laboured daily with his hands.
Afterwards seeing the province thrown into confusion by the irruptions of
the pagans,(389) and foreseeing that the monasteries would also be in
danger, he left all things in order, and sailed over into Gaul, and being
there honourably entertained by Clovis, king of the Franks,(390) or by the
patrician Ercinwald, he built a monastery in the place called
Latineacum,(391) and falling sick not long after, departed this life. The
same Ercinwald, the patrician, took his body, and kept it in the porch of
a church he was building in his town of Perrona,(392) till the church
itself should be dedicated. This happened twenty-seven days after, and the
body being taken from the porch, to be re-buried near the altar, was found
as whole as if he had died that very hour. And again, four years after,
when a more beautiful shrine had been built to receive his body to the
east of the altar, it was still found without taint of corruption, and was
translated thither with due honour; where it is well known that his
merits, through the divine operation, have been declared by many miracles.
We have briefly touched upon these matters as well as the incorruption of
his body, that the lofty nature of the man may be better known to our
readers. All which, as also concerning the comrades of his warfare,
whosoever will read it, will find more fully described in the book of his
life.
Chap. XX. How, when Honorius died, Deusdedit became Archbishop of
Canterbury; and of those who were at that time bishops of the East Angles,
and of the church of Rochester. [653 A. D. ]
In the meantime, Felix, bishop of the East Angles, dying, when he had held
that see seventeen years,(393) Honorius ordained Thomas his deacon, of the
province of the Gyrwas,(394) in his place; and he being taken from this
life when he had been bishop five years, Bertgils, surnamed Boniface,(395)
of the province of Kent, was appointed in his stead. Honorius(396) himself
also, having run his course, departed this life in the year of our Lord
653, on the 30th of September; and when the see had been vacant a year and
six months, Deusdedit(397) of the nation of the West Saxons, was chosen
the sixth Archbishop of Canterbury. To ordain him, Ithamar,(398) bishop of
Rochester, came thither. His ordination was on the 26th of March, and he
ruled the church nine years, four months, and two days; and when Ithamar
died, he consecrated in his place Damian,(399) who was of the race of the
South Saxons.
Chap. XXI. How the province of the Midland Angles became Christian under
King Peada. [653 A. D. ]
At this time, the Middle Angles, that is, the Angles of the Midland
country,(400) under their Prince Peada, the son of King Penda, received
the faith and mysteries of the truth. Being an excellent youth, and most
worthy of the name and office of a king, he was by his father elevated to
the throne of that nation, and came to Oswy, king of the Northumbrians,
requesting to have his daughter Alchfled(401) given him to wife; but he
could not obtain his desire unless he would receive the faith of Christ,
and be baptized, with the nation which he governed. When he heard the
preaching of the truth, the promise of the heavenly kingdom, and the hope
of resurrection and future immortality, he declared that he would
willingly become a Christian, even though he should not obtain the maiden;
being chiefly prevailed on to receive the faith by King Oswy’s son
Alchfrid,(402) who was his brother-in-law and friend, for he had married
his sister Cyneburg,(403) the daughter of King Penda.
Accordingly he was baptized by Bishop Finan, with all his nobles and
thegns,(404) and their servants, that came along with him, at a noted
township, belonging to the king, called At the Wall. (405) And having
received four priests, who by reason of their learning and good life were
deemed proper to instruct and baptize his nation, he returned home with
much joy. These priests were Cedd and Adda, and Betti and Diuma;(406) the
last of whom was by nation a Scot, the others English. Adda was brother to
Utta, whom we have mentioned before,(407) a renowned priest, and abbot of
the monastery which is called At the Goat’s Head. (408) The aforesaid
priests, arriving in the province with the prince, preached the Word, and
were heard willingly; and many, as well of the nobility as the common
sort, renouncing the abominations of idolatry, were daily washed in the
fountain of the faith.
Nor did King Penda forbid the preaching of the Word even among his people,
the Mercians, if any were willing to hear it; but, on the contrary, he
hated and despised those whom he perceived to be without the works of
faith, when they had once received the faith of Christ, saying, that they
were contemptible and wretched who scorned to obey their God, in whom they
believed. These things were set on foot two years before the death of King
Penda.
But when he was slain, and the most Christian king, Oswy, succeeded him in
the throne, as we shall hereafter relate, Diuma,(409) one of the aforesaid
four priests, was made bishop of the Midland Angles, as also of the
Mercians, being ordained by Bishop Finan; for the scarcity of priests made
it necessary that one prelate should be set over two nations. Having in a
short time gained many people to the Lord, he died among the Midland
Angles, in the country called Infeppingum;(410) and Ceollach, also of the
Scottish nation, succeeded him in the bishopric.
But he, not long after,
left his bishopric, and returned to the island of Hii,(411) which, among
the Scots, was the chief and head of many monasteries. His successor in
the bishopric was Trumhere,(412) a godly man, and trained in the monastic
life, an Englishman, but ordained bishop by the Scots. This happened in
the days of King Wulfhere, of whom we shall speak hereafter.
Chap. XXII. How under King Sigbert, through the preaching of Cedd, the
East Saxons again received the faith, which they had before cast off. [653
A. D. ]
At that time, also, the East Saxons, at the instance of King Oswy, again
received the faith, which they had formerly cast off when they expelled
Mellitus, their bishop. (413) For Sigbert,(414) who reigned next to Sigbert
surnamed The Little, was then king of that nation, and a friend to King
Oswy, who, when Sigbert came to the province of the Northumbrians to visit
him, as he often did, used to endeavour to convince him that those could
not be gods that had been made by the hands of men; that a stock or a
stone could not be proper matter to form a god, the residue whereof was
either burned in the fire, or framed into any vessels for the use of men,
or else was cast out as refuse, trampled on and turned into dust. That God
is rather to be understood as incomprehensible in majesty and invisible to
human eyes, almighty, eternal, the Creator of heaven and earth and of
mankind; Who governs and will judge the world in righteousness, Whose
eternal abode must be believed to be in Heaven, and not in base and
perishable metal; and that it ought in reason to be concluded, that all
those who learn and do the will of Him by Whom they were created, will
receive from Him eternal rewards. King Oswy having often, with friendly
counsel, like a brother, said this and much more to the like effect to
King Sigbert, at length, aided by the consent of his friends, he believed,
and after he had consulted with those about him, and exhorted them, when
they all agreed and assented to the faith, he was baptized with them by
Bishop Finan, in the king’s township above spoken of, which is called At
the Wall,(415) because it is close by the wall which the Romans formerly
drew across the island of Britain, at the distance of twelve miles from
the eastern sea.
King Sigbert, having now become a citizen of the eternal kingdom, returned
to the seat of his temporal kingdom, requesting of King Oswy that he would
give him some teachers, to convert his nation to the faith of Christ, and
cleanse them in the fountain of salvation. Wherefore Oswy, sending into
the province of the Midland Angles, summoned the man of God, Cedd,(416)
and, giving him another priest for his companion, sent them to preach the
Word to the East Saxons. When these two, travelling to all parts of that
country, had gathered a numerous Church to the Lord, it happened once that
Cedd returned home, and came to the church of Lindisfarne to confer with
Bishop Finan; who, finding that the work of the Gospel had prospered in
his hands, made him bishop of the nation of the East Saxons, calling to
him two other bishops(417) to assist at the ordination. Cedd, having
received the episcopal dignity, returned to his province, and pursuing the
work he had begun with more ample authority, built churches in divers
places, and ordained priests and deacons to assist him in the Word of
faith, and the ministry of Baptism,(418) especially in the city which, in
the language of the Saxons, is called Ythancaestir,(419) as also in that
which is named Tilaburg. (420) The first of these places is on the bank of
the Pant, the other on the bank of the Thames. In these, gathering a flock
of Christ’s servants, he taught them to observe the discipline of a rule
of life, as far as those rude people were then capable of receiving it.
Whilst the teaching of the everlasting life was thus, for no small time,
making daily increase in that province to the joy of the king and of all
the people, it happened that the king, at the instigation of the enemy of
all good men, was murdered by his own kindred. They were two brothers who
did this wicked deed; and being asked what had moved them to it, they had
nothing else to answer, but that they had been incensed against the king,
and hated him, because he was too apt to spare his enemies, and calmly
forgave the wrongs they had done him, upon their entreaty. Such was the
crime for which the king was killed, because he observed the precepts of
the Gospel with a devout heart; but in this innocent death his real
offence was also punished, according to the prediction of the man of God.
For one of those nobles(421) that murdered him was unlawfully married, and
when the bishop was not able to prevent or correct the sin, he
excommunicated him, and commanded all that would give ear to him not to
enter this man’s house, nor to eat of his meat. But the king made light of
this command, and being invited by the noble, went to a banquet at his
house. As he was going thence, the bishop met him. The king, beholding
him, immediately dismounted from his horse, trembling, and fell down at
his feet, begging pardon for his offence; for the bishop, who was likewise
on horseback, had also alighted. Being much incensed, he touched the
prostrate king with the rod he held in his hand, and spoke thus with the
authority of his office: “I tell thee, forasmuch as thou wouldest not
refrain from the house of that sinful and condemned man, thou shalt die in
that very house. ” Yet it is to be believed, that such a death of a
religious man not only blotted out his offence, but even added to his
merit; because it happened on account of his piety and his observance of
the commands of Christ.
Sigbert was succeeded in the kingdom by Suidhelm,(422) the son of Sexbald,
who was baptized by the same Cedd, in the province of the East Angles, in
the royal township, called Rendlaesham,(423) that is, Rendil’s Dwelling;
and Ethelwald,(424) king of the East Angles, brother to Anna, king of the
same people, received him as he came forth from the holy font.
Chap. XXIII. How Bishop Cedd, having a place for building a monastery
given him by King Ethelwald, consecrated it to the Lord with prayer and
fasting; and concerning his death. [659-664 A. D. ]
The same man of God, whilst he was bishop among the East Saxons, was also
wont oftentimes to visit his own province, Northumbria, for the purpose of
exhortation. Oidilwald,(425) the son of King Oswald, who reigned among the
Deiri, finding him a holy, wise, and good man, desired him to accept some
land whereon to build a monastery, to which the king himself might
frequently resort, to pray to the Lord and hear the Word, and where he
might be buried when he died; for he believed faithfully that he should
receive much benefit from the daily prayers of those who were to serve the
Lord in that place. The king had before with him a brother of the same
bishop, called Caelin, a man no less devoted to God, who, being a priest,
was wont to administer to him and his house the Word and the Sacraments of
the faith; by whose means he chiefly came to know and love the bishop. So
then, complying with the king’s desires, the Bishop chose himself a place
whereon to build a monastery among steep and distant mountains, which
looked more like lurking-places for robbers and dens of wild beasts, than
dwellings of men; to the end that, according to the prophecy of Isaiah,
“In the habitation of dragons, where each lay, might be grass with reeds
and rushes;”(426) that is, that the fruits of good works should spring up,
where before beasts were wont to dwell, or men to live after the manner of
beasts.
But the man of God, desiring first to cleanse the place which he had
received for the monastery from stain of former crimes, by prayer and
fasting, and so to lay the foundations there, requested of the king that
he would give him opportunity and leave to abide there for prayer all the
time of Lent, which was at hand. All which days, except Sundays, he
prolonged his fast till the evening, according to custom, and then took no
other sustenance than a small piece of bread, one hen’s egg, and a little
milk and water. This, he said, was the custom of those of whom he had
learned the rule of regular discipline, first to consecrate to the Lord,
by prayer and fasting, the places which they had newly received for
building a monastery or a church. When there were ten days of Lent still
remaining, there came a messenger to call him to the king; and he, that
the holy work might not be intermitted, on account of the king’s affairs,
entreated his priest, Cynibill, who was also his own brother, to complete
his pious undertaking. Cynibill readily consented, and when the duty of
fasting and prayer was over, he there built the monastery, which is now
called Laestingaeu,(427) and established therein religious customs
according to the use of Lindisfarne, where he had been trained.
When Cedd had for many years held the office of bishop in the aforesaid
province, and also taken charge of this monastery, over which he placed
provosts,(428) it happened that he came thither at a time when there was
plague, and fell sick and died. He was first buried without the walls; but
in the process of time a church was built of stone in the monastery, in
honour of the Blessed Mother of God, and his body was laid in it, on the
right side of the altar.
The bishop left the monastery to be governed after him by his brother
Ceadda,(429) who was afterwards made bishop, as shall be told hereafter.
For, as it rarely happens, the four brothers we have mentioned, Cedd and
Cynibill, and Caelin and Ceadda, were all celebrated priests of the Lord,
and two of them also came to be bishops. When the brethren who were in his
monastery, in the province of the East Saxons,(430) heard that the bishop
was dead and buried in the province of the Northumbrians, about thirty men
of that monastery came thither, being desirous either to live near the
body of their father, if it should please God, or to die and be buried
there. Being gladly received by their brethren and fellow soldiers in
Christ, all of them died there struck down by the aforesaid pestilence,
except one little boy, who is known to have been saved from death by the
prayers of his spiritual father. For being alive long after, and giving
himself to the reading of Scripture, he was told that he had not been
regenerated by the water of Baptism, and being then cleansed in the laver
of salvation, he was afterwards promoted to the order of priesthood, and
was of service to many in the church. I do not doubt that he was delivered
at the point of death, as I have said, by the intercession of his father,
to whose body he had come for love of him, that so he might himself avoid
eternal death, and by teaching, offer the ministry of life and salvation
to others of the brethren.
Chap. XXIV. How when King Penda was slain, the province of the Mercians
received the faith of Christ, and Oswy gave possessions and territories to
God, for building monasteries, as a thank offering for the victory
obtained. [655 A. D. ]
At this time, King Oswy was exposed to the cruel and intolerable invasions
of Penda, king of the Mercians, whom we have so often mentioned, and who
had slain his brother;(431) at length, compelled by his necessity, he
promised to give him countless gifts and royal marks of honour greater
than can be believed, to purchase peace; provided that he would return
home, and cease to waste and utterly destroy the provinces of his kingdom.
The pagan king refused to grant his request, for he had resolved to blot
out and extirpate all his nation, from the highest to the lowest;
whereupon King Oswy had recourse to the protection of the Divine pity for
deliverance from his barbarous and pitiless foe, and binding himself by a
vow, said, “If the pagan will not accept our gifts, let us offer them to
Him that will, the Lord our God. ” He then vowed, that if he should win the
victory, he would dedicate his daughter to the Lord in holy virginity, and
give twelve pieces of land whereon to build monasteries. After this he
gave battle with a very small army: indeed, it is reported that the pagans
had thirty times the number of men; for they had thirty legions, drawn up
under most noted commanders. (432) King Oswy and his son Alchfrid met them
with a very small army, as has been said, but trusting in Christ as their
Leader; his other son, Egfrid,(433) was then kept as a hostage at the
court of Queen Cynwise,(434) in the province of the Mercians. King
Oswald’s son Oidilwald,(435) who ought to have supported them, was on the
enemy’s side, and led them on to fight against his country and his uncle;
though, during the battle, he withdrew, and awaited the event in a place
of safety. The engagement began, the pagans were put to flight or killed,
the thirty royal commanders, who had come to Penda’s assistance, were
almost all of them slain; among whom was Ethelhere,(436) brother and
successor to Anna, king of the East Angles. He had been the occasion of
the war, and was now killed, having lost his army and auxiliaries. The
battle was fought near the river Winwaed,(437) which then, owing to the
great rains, was in flood, and had overflowed its banks, so that many more
were drowned in the flight than destroyed in battle by the sword.
Then King Oswy, according to the vow he had made to the Lord, returned
thanks to God for the victory granted him, and gave his daughter
Elfled,(438) who was scarce a year old, to be consecrated to Him in
perpetual virginity; bestowing also twelve small estates of land, wherein
the practice of earthly warfare should cease, and place and means should
be afforded to devout and zealous monks to wage spiritual warfare, and
pray for the eternal peace of his nation. Of these estates six were in the
province of the Deiri, and the other six in that of the Bernicians. Each
of the estates contained ten families, that is, a hundred and twenty in
all. The aforesaid daughter of King Oswy, who was to be dedicated to God,
entered the monastery called Heruteu,(439) or, “The Island of the Hart,”
at that time ruled by the Abbess Hilda,(440) who, two years after, having
acquired an estate of ten families, at the place called
Streanaeshalch,(441) built a monastery there, in which the aforesaid
king’s daughter was first trained in the monastic life and afterwards
became abbess; till, at the age of fifty-nine, the blessed virgin departed
to be united to her Heavenly Bridegroom. In this monastery, she and her
father, Oswy, her mother, Eanfled, her mother’s father, Edwin,(442) and
many other noble persons, are buried in the church of the holy Apostle
Peter. King Oswy concluded this war in the district of Loidis, in the
thirteenth year of his reign, on the 15th of November,(443) to the great
benefit of both nations; for he delivered his own people from the hostile
depredations of the pagans, and, having made an end of their heathen
chief, converted the Mercians and the adjacent provinces to the grace of
the Christian faith.
Diuma was made the first bishop of the Mercians, as also of Lindsey and
the Midland Angles, as has been said above,(444) and he died and was
buried among the Midland Angles. The second was Ceollach,(445) who, giving
up his episcopal office before his death, returned into Scotland. Both
these bishops belonged to the nation of the Scots. The third was Trumhere,
an Englishman, but educated and ordained by the Scots. He was abbot of the
monastery that is called Ingetlingum,(446) and is the place where King
Oswin was killed, as has been said above; for Queen Eanfled, his
kinswoman, in expiation of his unjust death, begged of King Oswy that he
would give Trumhere, the aforesaid servant of God, a place there to build
a monastery, because he also was kinsman to the slaughtered king; in which
monastery continual prayers should be offered up for the eternal welfare
of the kings, both of him that was murdered, and of him that commanded the
murder. The same King Oswy governed the Mercians, as also the people of
the other southern provinces, three years after he had slain King Penda;
and he likewise subdued the greater part of the Picts to the dominion of
the English.
At this time he gave to the above-mentioned Peada, son to King Penda,
because he was his kinsman, the kingdom of the Southern Mercians,(447)
consisting, as is said, of 5,000 families, divided by the river Trent from
the Northern Mercians, whose land contains 7,000 families; but Peada was
foully slain in the following spring, by the treachery, as is said, of his
wife,(448) during the very time of the Easter festival. Three years after
the death of King Penda, the Mercian chiefs, Immin, and Eafa, and Eadbert,
rebelled against King Oswy, setting up for their king, Wulfhere,(449) son
to the said Penda, a youth whom they had kept concealed; and expelling the
ealdormen of the foreign king, they bravely recovered at once their
liberty and their lands; and being thus free, together with their king,
they rejoiced to serve Christ the true King, for the sake of an
everlasting kingdom in heaven. This king governed the Mercians seventeen
years, and had for his first bishop Trumhere,(450) above spoken of; the
second was Jaruman;(451) the third Ceadda;(452) the fourth Wynfrid. (453)
All these, succeeding each other in order under King Wulfhere, discharged
episcopal duties to the Mercian nation.
Chap. XXV. How the question arose about the due time of keeping Easter,
with those that came out of Scotland. (454) [664 A. D. ]
In the meantime, Bishop Aidan being taken away from this life, Finan, who
was ordained and sent by the Scots, succeeded him in the bishopric, and
built a church in the Isle of Lindisfarne, fit for the episcopal see;
nevertheless, after the manner of the Scots, he made it, not of stone, but
entirely of hewn oak, and covered it with reeds; and it was afterwards
dedicated in honour of the blessed Peter the Apostle, by the most reverend
Archbishop Theodore. Eadbert,(455) also bishop of that place, took off the
thatch, and caused it to be covered entirely, both roof and walls, with
plates of lead.
At this time, a great and frequently debated question arose about the
observance of Easter;(456) those that came from Kent or Gaul affirming,
that the Scots celebrated Easter Sunday contrary to the custom of the
universal Church. Among them was a most zealous defender of the true
Easter, whose name was Ronan,(457) a Scot by nation, but instructed in the
rule of ecclesiastical truth in Gaul or Italy. Disputing with Finan, he
convinced many, or at least induced them to make a more strict inquiry
after the truth; yet he could not prevail upon Finan, but, on the
contrary, embittered him the more by reproof, and made him a professed
opponent of the truth, for he was of a violent temper. James,(458)
formerly the deacon of the venerable Archbishop Paulinus, as has been said
above, observed the true and Catholic Easter, with all those that he could
instruct in the better way. Queen Eanfled and her followers also observed
it as she had seen it practised in Kent, having with her a Kentish priest
who followed the Catholic observance, whose name was Romanus. Thus it is
said to have sometimes happened in those times that Easter was twice
celebrated in one year; and that when the king, having ended his fast, was
keeping Easter, the queen and her followers were still fasting, and
celebrating Palm Sunday. Whilst Aidan lived, this difference about the
observance of Easter was patiently tolerated by all men, for they well
knew, that though he could not keep Easter contrary to the custom of those
who had sent him, yet he industriously laboured to practise the works of
faith, piety, and love, according to the custom of all holy men; for which
reason he was deservedly beloved by all, even by those who differed in
opinion concerning Easter, and was held in veneration, not only by less
important persons, but even by the bishops, Honorius of Canterbury, and
Felix of the East Angles.
But after the death of Finan, who succeeded him, when Colman, who was also
sent from Scotland,(459) came to be bishop, a greater controversy arose
about the observance of Easter, and other rules of ecclesiastical life.
Whereupon this question began naturally to influence the thoughts and
hearts of many who feared, lest haply, having received the name of
Christians, they might run, or have run, in vain. This reached the ears of
the rulers, King Oswy and his son Alchfrid. Now Oswy, having been
instructed and baptized by the Scots, and being very perfectly skilled in
their language, thought nothing better than what they taught; but
Alchfrid, having for his teacher in Christianity the learned Wilfrid,(460)
who had formerly gone to Rome to study ecclesiastical doctrine, and spent
much time at Lyons with Dalfinus,(461) archbishop of Gaul, from whom also
he had received the crown of ecclesiastical tonsure, rightly thought that
this man’s doctrine ought to be preferred before all the traditions of the
Scots. For this reason he had also given him a monastery of forty
families, at a place called Inhrypum;(462) which place, not long before,
he had given for a monastery to those that were followers of the Scots;
but forasmuch as they afterwards, being left to their choice, preferred to
quit the place rather than alter their custom, he gave it to him, whose
life and doctrine were worthy of it.
Agilbert, bishop of the West Saxons,(463) above-mentioned, a friend of
King Alchfrid and of Abbot Wilfrid, had at that time come into the
province of the Northumbrians, and was staying some time among them; at
the request of Alchfrid, he made Wilfrid a priest in his aforesaid
monastery. He had in his company a priest, whose name was Agatho. (464) The
question being raised there concerning Easter and the tonsure and other
ecclesiastical matters, it was arranged, that a synod should be held in
the monastery of Streanaeshalch,(465) which signifies the Bay of the
Lighthouse, where the Abbess Hilda,(466) a woman devoted to the service of
God, then ruled; and that there this question should be decided. The
kings, both father and son, came thither, and the bishops, Colman with his
Scottish clerks, and Agilbert with the priests Agatho and Wilfrid. James
and Romanus were on their side; but the Abbess Hilda and her followers
were for the Scots, as was also the venerable Bishop Cedd,(467) long
before ordained by the Scots, as has been said above, and he acted in that
council as a most careful interpreter for both parties.
King Oswy first made an opening speech, in which he said that it behoved
those who served one God to observe one rule of life; and as they all
expected the same kingdom in heaven, so they ought not to differ in the
celebration of the heavenly mysteries; but rather to inquire which was the
truer tradition, that it might be followed by all in common; he then
commanded his bishop, Colman, first to declare what the custom was which
he observed, and whence it derived its origin. Then Colman said, “The
Easter which I keep, I received from my elders, who sent me hither as
bishop; all our forefathers, men beloved of God, are known to have
celebrated it after the same manner; and that it may not seem to any
contemptible and worthy to be rejected, it is the same which the blessed
John the Evangelist, the disciple specially beloved of our Lord, with all
the churches over which he presided, is recorded to have celebrated. ”(468)
When he had said thus much, and more to the like effect, the king
commanded Agilbert to make known the manner of his observance and to show
whence it was derived, and on what authority he followed it. Agilbert
answered, “I beseech you, let my disciple, the priest Wilfrid, speak in my
stead; because we both concur with the other followers of the
ecclesiastical tradition that are here present, and he can better and more
clearly explain our opinion in the English language, than I can by an
interpreter. ”
Then Wilfrid, being ordered by the king to speak, began thus:—“The Easter
which we keep, we saw celebrated by all at Rome, where the blessed
Apostles, Peter and Paul, lived, taught, suffered, and were buried; we saw
the same done by all in Italy and in Gaul, when we travelled through those
countries for the purpose of study and prayer. We found it observed in
Africa, Asia, Egypt, Greece, and all the world, wherever the Church of
Christ is spread abroad, among divers nations and tongues, at one and the
same time; save only among these and their accomplices in obstinacy, I
mean the Picts and the Britons, who foolishly, in these two remote islands
of the ocean, and only in part even of them, strive to oppose all the rest
of the world. ” When he had so said, Colman answered, “It is strange that
you choose to call our efforts foolish, wherein we follow the example of
so great an Apostle, who was thought worthy to lean on our Lord’s bosom,
when all the world knows him to have lived most wisely. ” Wilfrid replied,
“Far be it from us to charge John with folly, for he literally observed
the precepts of the Mosaic Law, whilst the Church was still Jewish in many
points, and the Apostles, lest they should give cause of offence to the
Jews who were among the Gentiles, were not able at once to cast off all
the observances of the Law which had been instituted by God, in the same
way as it is necessary that all who come to the faith should forsake the
idols which were invented by devils. For this reason it was, that Paul
circumcised Timothy,(469) that he offered sacrifice in the temple,(470)
that he shaved his head with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth;(471) for no
other advantage than to avoid giving offence to the Jews. Hence it was,
that James said to the same Paul, ‘Thou seest, brother, how many thousands
of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the
Law. ’(472) And yet, at this time, when the light of the Gospel is
spreading throughout the world, it is needless, nay, it is not lawful, for
the faithful either to be circumcised, or to offer up to God sacrifices of
flesh. So John, according to the custom of the Law, began the celebration
of the feast of Easter, on the fourteenth day of the first month, in the
evening, not regarding whether the same happened on a Saturday, or any
other week-day. But when Peter preached at Rome, being mindful that our
Lord arose from the dead, and gave to the world the hope of resurrection,
on the first day of the week, he perceived that Easter ought to be kept
after this manner: he always awaited the rising of the moon on the
fourteenth day of the first month in the evening, according to the custom
and precepts of the Law, even as John did. And when that came, if the
Lord’s day, then called the first day of the week, was the next day, he
began that very evening to celebrate Easter, as we all do at the present
time. But if the Lord’s day did not fall the next morning after the
fourteenth moon, but on the sixteenth, or the seventeenth, or any other
moon till the twenty-first, he waited for that, and on the Saturday
before, in the evening, began to observe the holy solemnity of Easter.
Thus it came to pass, that Easter Sunday was only kept from the fifteenth
moon to the twenty-first. Nor does this evangelical and apostolic
tradition abolish the Law, but rather fulfil it; the command being to keep
the passover from the fourteenth moon of the first month in the evening to
the twenty-first moon of the same month in the evening; which observance
all the successors of the blessed John in Asia, since his death, and all
the Church throughout the world, have since followed; and that this is the
true Easter, and the only one to be celebrated by the faithful, was not
newly decreed by the council of Nicaea, but only confirmed afresh; as the
history of the Church informs us. (473)
“Thus it is plain, that you, Colman, neither follow the example of John,
as you imagine, nor that of Peter, whose tradition you oppose with full
knowledge, and that you neither agree with the Law nor the Gospel in the
keeping of your Easter. For John, keeping the Paschal time according to
the decree of the Mosaic Law, had no regard to the first day of the week,
which you do not practise, seeing that you celebrate Easter only on the
first day after the Sabbath. Peter celebrated Easter Sunday between the
fifteenth and the twenty-first moon, which you do not practise, seeing
that you observe Easter Sunday from the fourteenth to the twentieth moon;
so that you often begin Easter on the thirteenth moon in the evening,
whereof neither the Law made any mention, nor did our Lord, the Author and
Giver of the Gospel, on that day either eat the old passover in the
evening, or deliver the Sacraments of the New Testament, to be celebrated
by the Church, in memory of His Passion, but on the fourteenth. Besides,
in your celebration of Easter, you utterly exclude the twenty-first moon,
which the Law ordered to be specially observed. Thus, as I have said
before, you agree neither with John nor Peter, nor with the Law, nor the
Gospel, in the celebration of the greatest festival. ”
To this Colman rejoined: “Did the holy Anatolius,(474) much commended in
the history of the Church, judge contrary to the Law and the Gospel, when
he wrote, that Easter was to be celebrated from the fourteenth to the
twentieth moon? Is it to be believed that our most reverend Father Columba
and his successors, men beloved by God, who kept Easter after the same
manner, judged or acted contrary to the Divine writings? Whereas there
were many among them, whose sanctity was attested by heavenly signs and
miracles which they wrought; whom I, for my part, doubt not to be saints,
and whose life, customs, and discipline I never cease to follow. ”
“It is evident,” said Wilfrid, “that Anatolius was a most holy, learned,
and commendable man; but what have you to do with him, since you do not
observe his decrees? For he undoubtedly, following the rule of truth in
his Easter, appointed a cycle of nineteen years, which either you are
ignorant of, or if you know it, though it is kept by the whole Church of
Christ, yet you despise it as a thing of naught. He so computed the
fourteenth moon in our Lord’s Paschal Feast, that according to the custom
of the Egyptians, he acknowledged it to be the fifteenth moon on that same
day in the evening; so in like manner he assigned the twentieth to
Easter-Sunday, as believing that to be the twenty-first moon, when the sun
had set. That you are ignorant of the rule of this distinction is proved
by this, that you sometimes manifestly keep Easter before the full moon,
that is, on the thirteenth day. Concerning your Father Columba and his
followers, whose sanctity you say you imitate, and whose rule and precepts
confirmed by signs from Heaven you say that you follow, I might answer,
then when many, in the day of judgement, shall say to our Lord, that in
His name they have prophesied, and have cast out devils, and done many
wonderful works, our Lord will reply, that He never knew them. But far be
it from me to speak thus of your fathers, for it is much more just to
believe good than evil of those whom we know not. Wherefore I do not deny
those also to have been God’s servants, and beloved of God, who with rude
simplicity, but pious intentions, have themselves loved Him. Nor do I
think that such observance of Easter did them much harm, as long as none
came to show them a more perfect rule to follow; for assuredly I believe
that, if any teacher, reckoning after the Catholic manner, had come among
them, they would have as readily followed his admonitions, as they are
known to have kept those commandments of God, which they had learned and
knew.
“But as for you and your companions, you certainly sin, if, having heard
the decrees of the Apostolic see, nay, of the universal Church, confirmed,
as they are, by Holy Scripture, you scorn to follow them; for, though your
fathers were holy, do you think that those few men, in a corner of the
remotest island, are to be preferred before the universal Church of Christ
throughout the world? And if that Columba of yours, (and, I may say, ours
also, if he was Christ’s servant,) was a holy man and powerful in
miracles, yet could he be preferred before the most blessed chief of the
Apostles, to whom our Lord said, ‘Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I
will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,
and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven? ’ ”(475)
When Wilfrid had ended thus, the king said, “Is it true, Colman, that
these words were spoken to Peter by our Lord? ” He answered, “It is true, O
king! ” Then said he, “Can you show any such power given to your Columba? ”
Colman answered, “None. ” Then again the king asked, “Do you both agree in
this, without any controversy, that these words were said above all to
Peter, and that the keys of the kingdom of Heaven were given to him by our
Lord? ” They both answered, “Yes. ” Then the king concluded, “And I also say
unto you, that he is the door-keeper, and I will not gainsay him, but I
desire, as far as I know and am able, in all things to obey his laws, lest
haply when I come to the gates of the kingdom of Heaven, there should be
none to open them, he being my adversary who is proved to have the keys. ”
The king having said this, all who were seated there or standing by, both
great and small, gave their assent, and renouncing the less perfect
custom, hastened to conform to that which they had found to be better.
Chap. XXVI. How Colman, being worsted, returned home; and Tuda succeeded
him in the bishopric; and of the state of the church under those teachers.
[664 A. D. ]
The disputation being ended, and the assembly broken up, Agilbert returned
home. Colman, perceiving that his doctrine was rejected, and his party
despised, took with him those who wished to follow him, to wit, such as
would not accept the Catholic Easter and the tonsure in the form of a
crown,(476) (for there was no small dispute about that also,) and went
back into Scotland,(477) to consult with his people what was to be done in
this case. Cedd, forsaking the practices of the Scots, returned to his
bishopric, having submitted to the Catholic observance of Easter. This
debate took place in the year of our Lord 664, which was the twenty-second
year of the reign of King Oswy, and the thirtieth of the episcopate of the
Scots among the English; for Aidan was bishop seventeen years, Finan ten,
and Colman three.
When Colman had gone back into his own country, Tuda, the servant of
Christ, was made bishop of the Northumbrians(478) in his place, having
been instructed and ordained bishop among the Southern Scots, having also
the crown of the ecclesiastical tonsure, according to the custom of that
province, and observing the Catholic rule with regard to the time of
Easter. (479) He was a good and religious man, but he governed the church a
very short time; he had come from Scotland(480) whilst Colman was yet
bishop, and, both by word and deed, diligently taught all men those things
that appertain to the faith and truth. But Eata,(481) who was abbot of the
monastery called Mailros,(482) a man most reverend and gentle, was
appointed abbot over the brethren that chose to remain in the church of
Lindisfarne, when the Scots went away. It is said that Colman, upon his
departure, requested and obtained this of King Oswy, because Eata was one
of Aidan’s twelve boys of the English nation,(483) whom he received in the
early years of his episcopate, to be instructed in Christ; for the king
greatly loved Bishop Colman on account of his innate discretion. This is
that Eata, who, not long after, was made bishop of the same church of
Lindisfarne. Colman carried home with him part of the bones of the most
reverend Father Aidan, and left part of them in the church where he had
presided, ordering them to be interred in the sacristy.
The place which they governed shows how frugal and temperate he and his
predecessors were, for there were very few houses besides the church found
at their departure; indeed, no more than were barely sufficient to make
civilized life possible; they had also no money, but only cattle; for if
they received any money from rich persons, they immediately gave it to the
poor; there being no need to gather money, or provide houses for the
entertainment of the great men of the world; for such never resorted to
the church, except to pray and hear the Word of God. The king himself,
when occasion required, came only with five or six servants, and having
performed his devotions in the church, departed. But if they happened to
take a repast there, they were satisfied with the plain, daily food of the
brethren, and required no more. For the whole care of those teachers was
to serve God, not the world—to feed the soul, and not the belly.
For this reason the religious habit was at that time held in great
veneration; so that wheresoever any clerk or monk went, he was joyfully
received by all men, as God’s servant; and even if they chanced to meet
him upon the way, they ran to him, and with bowed head, were glad to be
signed with the cross by his hand, or blessed by his lips. Great attention
was also paid to their exhortations; and on Sundays they flocked eagerly
to the church, or the monasteries, not to feed their bodies, but to hear
the Word of God; and if any priest happened to come into a village, the
inhabitants came together and asked of him the Word of life; for the
priests and clerks went to the villages for no other reason than to
preach, baptize, visit the sick, and, in a word, to take care of souls;
and they were so purified from all taint of avarice, that none of them
received lands and possessions for building monasteries, unless they were
compelled to do so by the temporal authorities; which custom was for some
time after universally observed in the churches of the Northumbrians. But
enough has now been said on this subject.
Chap. XXVII. How Egbert, a holy man of the English nation, led a monastic
life in Ireland. [664 A. D. ]
In the same year of our Lord 664, there happened an eclipse of the sun, on
the third day of May,(484) about the tenth hour of the day. In the same
year, a sudden pestilence(485) depopulated first the southern parts of
Britain, and afterwards attacking the province of the Northumbrians,
ravaged the country far and near, and destroyed a great multitude of men.
By this plague the aforesaid priest of the Lord, Tuda,(486) was carried
off, and was honourably buried in the monastery called Paegnalaech. (487)
Moreover, this plague prevailed no less disastrously in the island of
Ireland. Many of the nobility, and of the lower ranks of the English
nation, were there at that time, who, in the days of the Bishops Finan and
Colman, forsaking their native island, retired thither, either for the
sake of sacred studies, or of a more ascetic life; and some of them
presently devoted themselves faithfully to a monastic life, others chose
rather to apply themselves to study, going about from one master’s cell to
another. The Scots willingly received them all, and took care to supply
them with daily food without cost, as also to furnish them with books for
their studies, and teaching free of charge.
Among these were Ethelhun and Egbert,(488) two youths of great capacity,
of the English nobility. The former of whom was brother to Ethelwin,(489)
a man no less beloved by God, who also at a later time went over into
Ireland to study, and having been well instructed, returned into his own
country, and being made bishop in the province of Lindsey, long and nobly
governed the Church. These two being in the monastery which in the
language of the Scots is called Rathmelsigi,(490) and having lost all
their companions, who were either cut off by the plague, or dispersed into
other places, were both seized by the same sickness, and grievously
afflicted. Of these, Egbert, (as I was informed by a priest venerable for
his age, and of great veracity, who declared he had heard the story from
his own lips,) concluding that he was at the point of death, went out of
the chamber, where the sick lay, in the morning, and sitting alone in a
fitting place, began seriously to reflect upon his past actions, and,
being full of compunction at the remembrance of his sins, bedewed his face
with tears, and prayed fervently to God that he might not die yet, before
he could forthwith more fully make amends for the careless offences which
he had committed in his boyhood and infancy, or might further exercise
himself in good works. He also made a vow that he would spend all his life
abroad and never return into the island of Britain, where he was born;
that besides singing the psalms at the canonical hours, he would, unless
prevented by bodily infirmity, repeat the whole Psalter daily to the
praise of God; and that he would every week fast one whole day and night.
Returning home, after his tears and prayers and vows, he found his
companion asleep; and going to bed himself, he began to compose himself to
rest. When he had lain quiet awhile, his comrade awaking, looked on him,
and said, “Alas! Brother Egbert, what have you done? I was in hopes that
we should have entered together into life everlasting; but know that your
prayer is granted. ” For he had learned in a vision what the other had
requested, and that he had obtained his request.
In brief, Ethelhun died the next night; but Egbert, throwing off his
sickness, recovered and lived a long time after to grace the episcopal
office, which he received, by deeds worthy of it;(491) and blessed with
many virtues, according to his desire, lately, in the year of our Lord
729, being ninety years of age, he departed to the heavenly kingdom. He
passed his life in great perfection of humility, gentleness, continence,
simplicity, and justice. Thus he was a great benefactor, both to his own
people, and to those nations of the Scots and Picts among whom he lived in
exile, by the example of his life, his earnestness in teaching, his
authority in reproving, and his piety in giving away of those things which
he received from the rich. He also added this to the vows which we have
mentioned: during Lent, he would eat but one meal a day, allowing himself
nothing but bread and thin milk, and even that by measure. The milk, new
the day before, he kept in a vessel, and skimming off the cream in the
morning, drank the rest, as has been said, with a little bread. Which sort
of abstinence he likewise always observed forty days before the Nativity
of our Lord, and as many after the solemnity of Pentecost, that is, of the
fifty days’ festival.
Chap. XXVIII. How, when Tuda was dead, Wilfrid was ordained, in Gaul, and
Ceadda, among the West Saxons, to be bishops for the province of the
Northumbrians. [664 A. D.
Some time after, there was a certain little boy in the said monastery, who
had been long grievously troubled with a fever; he was one day anxiously
expecting the hour when his fit was to come on, when one of the brothers,
coming in to him, said, “Shall I tell you, my son, how you may be cured of
this sickness? Rise, enter the church, and go close to Oswald’s tomb; sit
down and stay there quiet and do not leave it; do not come away, or stir
from the place, till the time is past, when the fever leaves you: then I
will go in and fetch you away. ” The boy did as he was advised, and the
disease durst not assail him as he sat by the saint’s tomb; but fled in
such fear that it did not dare to touch him, either the second or third
day, or ever after. The brother that came from thence, and told me this,
added, that at the time when he was talking with me, the young man was
then still living in the monastery, on whom, when a boy, that miracle of
healing had been wrought. Nor need we wonder that the prayers of that king
who is now reigning with our Lord, should be very efficacious with Him,
since he, whilst yet governing his temporal kingdom, was always wont to
pray and labour more for that which is eternal. Nay, it is said, that he
often continued in prayer from the hour of morning thanksgiving(349) till
it was day; and that by reason of his constant custom of praying or giving
thanks to God, he was wont always, wherever he sat, to hold his hands on
his knees with the palms turned upwards. It is also commonly affirmed and
has passed into a proverb, that he ended his life in prayer; for when he
was beset with the weapons of his enemies, and perceived that death was at
hand, he prayed for the souls of his army. Whence it is proverbially said,
“ ‘Lord have mercy on their souls,’ said Oswald, as he fell to the
ground. ”
Now his bones were translated to the monastery which we have mentioned,
and buried therein: but the king who slew him commanded his head, and
hands, with the arms, to be cut off from the body, and set upon stakes.
But his successor in the throne, Oswy, coming thither the next year with
his army, took them down, and buried his head in the cemetery of the
church of Lindisfarne,(350) and the hands and arms in his royal city. (351)
Chap. XIII. How a certain person in Ireland was restored, when at the
point of death, by his relics.
Nor was the fame of the renowned Oswald confined to Britain, but,
spreading rays of healing light even beyond the sea, reached also to
Germany and Ireland. For the most reverend prelate, Acca,(352) is wont to
relate, that when, in his journey to Rome,(353) he and his bishop Wilfrid
stayed some time with Wilbrord,(354) the holy archbishop of the Frisians,
he often heard him tell of the wonders which had been wrought in that
province at the relics of that most worshipful king. And he used to say
that in Ireland, when, being yet only a priest, he led the life of a
stranger and pilgrim for love of the eternal country, the fame of that
king’s sanctity was already spread far and near in that island also. One
of the miracles, among the rest, which he related, we have thought fit to
insert in this our history.
“At the time,” said he, “of the plague which made such widespread havoc in
Britain and Ireland, among others, a certain scholar of the Scottish race
was smitten with the disease, a man learned in the study of letters, but
in no way careful or studious of his eternal salvation; who, seeing his
death near at hand, began to fear and tremble lest, as soon as he was
dead, he should be hurried away to the prison-house of Hell for his sins.
He called me, for I was near, and trembling and sighing in his weakness,
with a lamentable voice made his complaint to me, after this manner: ‘You
see that my bodily distress increases, and that I am now reduced to the
point of death. Nor do I question but that after the death of my body, I
shall be immediately snatched away to the everlasting death of my soul,
and cast into the torments of hell, since for a long time, amidst all my
reading of divine books, I have suffered myself to be ensnared by sin,
instead of keeping the commandments of God. But it is my resolve, if the
Divine Mercy shall grant me a new term of life, to correct my sinful
habits, and wholly to devote anew my mind and life to obedience to the
Divine will. But I know that I have no merits of my own whereby to obtain
a prolongation of life, nor can I hope to have it, unless it shall please
God to forgive me, wretched and unworthy of pardon as I am, through the
help of those who have faithfully served him. We have heard, and the
report is widespread, that there was in your nation a king, of wonderful
sanctity, called Oswald, the excellency of whose faith and virtue has been
made famous even after his death by the working of many miracles. I
beseech you, if you have any relics of his in your keeping, that you will
bring them to me; if haply the Lord shall be pleased, through his merits,
to have mercy on me. ’ I answered, ‘I have indeed a part of the stake on
which his head was set up by the pagans, when he was killed, and if you
believe with steadfast heart, the Divine mercy may, through the merits of
so great a man, both grant you a longer term of life here, and render you
worthy to be admitted into eternal life. ’ He answered immediately that he
had entire faith therein. Then I blessed some water, and put into it a
splinter of the aforesaid oak, and gave it to the sick man to drink. He
presently found ease, and, recovering of his sickness, lived a long time
after; and, being entirely converted to God in heart and deed, wherever he
went, he spoke of the goodness of his merciful Creator, and the honour of
His faithful servant. ”
Chap. XIV. How on the death of Paulinus, Ithamar was made bishop of
Rochester in his stead; and of the wonderful humility of King Oswin, who
was cruelly slain by Oswy. [644-651 A. D. ]
Oswald being translated to the heavenly kingdom, his brother Oswy,(355) a
young man of about thirty years of age, succeeded him on the throne of his
earthly kingdom, and held it twenty-eight years with much trouble, being
attacked by the pagan nation of the Mercians, that had slain his brother,
as also by his son Alchfrid,(356) and by his nephew Oidilwald,(357) the
son of his brother who reigned before him. In his second year, that is, in
the year of our Lord 644, the most reverend Father Paulinus, formerly
Bishop of York, but at that time Bishop of the city of Rochester, departed
to the Lord, on the 10th day of October, having held the office of a
bishop nineteen years, two months, and twenty-one days; and was buried in
the sacristy of the blessed Apostle Andrew,(358) which King Ethelbert had
built from the foundation, in the same city of Rochester. In his place,
Archbishop Honorius ordained Ithamar,(359) of the Kentish nation, but not
inferior to his predecessors in learning and conduct of life.
Oswy, during the first part of his reign, had a partner in the royal
dignity called Oswin, of the race of King Edwin, and son to Osric(360) of
whom we have spoken above, a man of wonderful piety and devotion, who
governed the province of the Deiri seven years in very great prosperity,
and was himself beloved by all men. But Oswy, who governed all the other
northern part of the nation beyond the Humber, that is, the province of
the Bernicians, could not live at peace with him; and at last, when the
causes of their disagreement increased, he murdered him most cruelly. For
when each had raised an army against the other, Oswin perceived that he
could not maintain a war against his enemy who had more auxiliaries than
himself, and he thought it better at that time to lay aside all thoughts
of engaging, and to reserve himself for better times. He therefore
disbanded the army which he had assembled, and ordered all his men to
return to their own homes, from the place that is called
Wilfaraesdun,(361) that is, Wilfar’s Hill, which is about ten miles
distant from the village called Cataract, towards the north-west. He
himself, with only one trusty thegn, whose name was Tondhere, withdrew and
lay concealed in the house of Hunwald, a noble,(362) whom he imagined to
be his most assured friend. But, alas! it was far otherwise; for Hunwald
betrayed him, and Oswy, by the hands of his reeve, Ethilwin, foully slew
him and the thegn aforesaid. This happened on the 20th of August, in the
ninth year of his reign, at a place called Ingetlingum, where afterwards,
to atone for this crime, a monastery was built,(363) wherein prayers
should be daily offered up to God for the redemption of the souls of both
kings, to wit, of him that was murdered, and of him that commanded the
murder.
King Oswin was of a goodly countenance, and tall of stature, pleasant in
discourse, and courteous in behaviour; and bountiful to all, gentle and
simple alike; so that he was beloved by all men for the royal dignity of
his mind and appearance and actions, and men of the highest rank came from
almost all provinces to serve him. Among all the graces of virtue and
moderation by which he was distinguished and, if I may say so, blessed in
a special manner, humility is said to have been the greatest, which it
will suffice to prove by one instance.
He had given a beautiful horse to Bishop Aidan, to use either in crossing
rivers, or in performing a journey upon any urgent necessity, though the
Bishop was wont to travel ordinarily on foot. Some short time after, a
poor man meeting the Bishop, and asking alms, he immediately dismounted,
and ordered the horse, with all his royal trappings, to be given to the
beggar; for he was very compassionate, a great friend to the poor, and, in
a manner, the father of the wretched. This being told to the king, when
they were going in to dinner, he said to the Bishop, “What did you mean,
my lord Bishop, by giving the poor man that royal horse, which it was
fitting that you should have for your own use? Had not we many other
horses of less value, or things of other sorts, which would have been good
enough to give to the poor, instead of giving that horse, which I had
chosen and set apart for your own use? ” Thereupon the Bishop answered,
“What do you say, O king? Is that son of a mare more dear to you than that
son of God? ” Upon this they went in to dinner, and the Bishop sat in his
place; but the king, who had come in from hunting, stood warming himself,
with his attendants, at the fire. Then, on a sudden, whilst he was warming
himself, calling to mind what the bishop had said to him, he ungirt his
sword, and gave it to a servant, and hastened to the Bishop and fell down
at his feet, beseeching him to forgive him; “For from this time forward,”
said he, “I will never speak any more of this, nor will I judge of what or
how much of our money you shall give to the sons of God. ” The bishop was
much moved at this sight, and starting up, raised him, saying that he was
entirely reconciled to him, if he would but sit down to his meat, and lay
aside all sorrow. The king, at the bishop’s command and request, was
comforted, but the bishop, on the other hand, grew sad and was moved even
to tears. His priest then asking him, in the language of his country,
which the king and his servants did not understand, why he wept, “I know,”
said he, “that the king will not live long; for I never before saw a
humble king; whence I perceive that he will soon be snatched out of this
life, because this nation is not worthy of such a ruler. ” Not long after,
the bishop’s gloomy foreboding was fulfilled by the king’s sad death, as
has been said above. But Bishop Aidan himself was also taken out of this
world, not more than twelve days after the death of the king he loved, on
the 31st of August,(364) to receive the eternal reward of his labours from
the Lord.
Chap. XV. How Bishop Aidan foretold to certain seamen that a storm would
arise, and gave them some holy oil to calm it. [Between 642 and 645 A. D. ]
How great the merits of Aidan were, was made manifest by the Judge of the
heart, with the testimony of miracles, whereof it will suffice to mention
three, that they may not be forgotten. A certain priest, whose name was
Utta,(365) a man of great weight and sincerity, and on that account
honoured by all men, even the princes of the world, was sent to Kent, to
bring thence, as wife for King Oswy, Eanfled,(366) the daughter of King
Edwin, who had been carried thither when her father was killed. Intending
to go thither by land, but to return with the maiden by sea, he went to
Bishop Aidan, and entreated him to offer up his prayers to the Lord for
him and his company, who were then to set out on so long a journey. He,
blessing them, and commending them to the Lord, at the same time gave them
some holy oil, saying, “I know that when you go on board ship, you will
meet with a storm and contrary wind; but be mindful to cast this oil I
give you into the sea, and the wind will cease immediately; you will have
pleasant calm weather to attend you and send you home by the way that you
desire. ”
All these things fell out in order, even as the bishop had foretold. For
first, the waves of the sea raged, and the sailors endeavoured to ride it
out at anchor, but all to no purpose; for the sea sweeping over the ship
on all sides and beginning to fill it with water, they all perceived that
death was at hand and about to overtake them. The priest at last,
remembering the bishop’s words, laid hold of the phial and cast some of
the oil into the sea, which at once, as had been foretold, ceased from its
uproar. Thus it came to pass that the man of God, by the spirit of
prophecy, foretold the storm that was to come to pass, and by virtue of
the same spirit, though absent in the body, calmed it when it had arisen.
The story of this miracle was not told me by a person of little credit,
but by Cynimund, a most faithful priest of our church,(367) who declared
that it was related to him by Utta, the priest, in whose case and through
whom the same was wrought.
Chap. XVI. How the same Aidan, by his prayers, saved the royal city when
it was fired by the enemy [Before 651 A. D. ]
Another notable miracle of the same father is related by many such as were
likely to have knowledge thereof; for during the time that he was bishop,
the hostile army of the Mercians, under the command of Penda, cruelly
ravaged the country of the Northumbrians far and near, even to the royal
city,(368) which has its name from Bebba, formerly its queen. Not being
able to take it by storm or by siege, he endeavoured to burn it down; and
having pulled down all the villages in the neighbourhood of the city, he
brought thither an immense quantity of beams, rafters, partitions, wattles
and thatch, wherewith he encompassed the place to a great height on the
land side, and when he found the wind favourable, he set fire to it and
attempted to burn the town.
At that time, the most reverend Bishop Aidan was dwelling in the Isle of
Farne,(369) which is about two miles from the city; for thither he was
wont often to retire to pray in solitude and silence; and, indeed, this
lonely dwelling of his is to this day shown in that island. When he saw
the flames of fire and the smoke carried by the wind rising above the city
walls, he is said to have lifted up his eyes and hands to heaven, and
cried with tears, “Behold, Lord, how great evil is wrought by Penda! ”
These words were hardly uttered, when the wind immediately veering from
the city, drove back the flames upon those who had kindled them, so that
some being hurt, and all afraid, they forebore any further attempts
against the city, which they perceived to be protected by the hand of God.
Chap. XVII. How a prop of the church on which Bishop Aidan was leaning
when he died, could not be consumed when the rest of the Church was on
fire; and concerning his inward life. [651 A. D. ]
Aidan was in the king’s township, not far from the city of which we have
spoken above, at the time when death caused him to quit the body, after he
had been bishop sixteen(370) years; for having a church and a chamber in
that place, he was wont often to go and stay there, and to make excursions
from it to preach in the country round about, which he likewise did at
other of the king’s townships, having nothing of his own besides his
church and a few fields about it. When he was sick they set up a tent for
him against the wall at the west end of the church, and so it happened
that he breathed his last, leaning against a buttress that was on the
outside of the church to strengthen the wall. He died in the seventeenth
year of his episcopate, on the 31st of August. (371) His body was thence
presently translated to the isle of Lindisfarne, and buried in the
cemetery of the brethren. Some time after, when a larger church was built
there and dedicated in honour of the blessed prince of the Apostles, his
bones were translated thither, and laid on the right side of the altar,
with the respect due to so great a prelate.
Finan,(372) who had likewise been sent thither from Hii, the island
monastery of the Scots, succeeded him, and continued no small time in the
bishopric. It happened some years after, that Penda, king of the Mercians,
coming into these parts with a hostile army, destroyed all he could with
fire and sword, and the village where the bishop died, along with the
church above mentioned, was burnt down; but it fell out in a wonderful
manner that the buttress against which he had been leaning when he died,
could not be consumed by the fire which devoured all about it. This
miracle being noised abroad, the church was soon rebuilt in the same
place, and that same buttress was set up on the outside, as it had been
before, to strengthen the wall. It happened again, some time after, that
the village and likewise the church were carelessly burned down the second
time. Then again, the fire could not touch the buttress; and,
miraculously, though the fire broke through the very holes of the nails
wherewith it was fixed to the building, yet it could do no hurt to the
buttress itself. When therefore the church was built there the third time,
they did not, as before, place that buttress on the outside as a support
of the building, but within the church, as a memorial of the miracle;
where the people coming in might kneel, and implore the Divine mercy. And
it is well known that since then many have found grace and been healed in
that same place, as also that by means of splinters cut off from the
buttress, and put into water, many more have obtained a remedy for their
own infirmities and those of their friends. (373)
I have written thus much concerning the character and works of the
aforesaid Aidan, in no way commending or approving his lack of wisdom with
regard to the observance of Easter; nay, heartily detesting it, as I have
most manifestly proved in the book I have written, “De Temporibus”;(374)
but, like an impartial historian, unreservedly relating what was done by
or through him, and commending such things as are praiseworthy in his
actions, and preserving the memory thereof for the benefit of the readers;
to wit, his love of peace and charity; of continence and humility; his
mind superior to anger and avarice, and despising pride and vainglory; his
industry in keeping and teaching the Divine commandments, his power of
study and keeping vigil; his priestly authority in reproving the haughty
and powerful, and at the same time his tenderness in comforting the
afflicted, and relieving or defending the poor. To be brief, so far as I
have learnt from those that knew him, he took care to neglect none of
those things which he found in the Gospels and the writings of Apostles
and prophets, but to the utmost of his power endeavoured to fulfil them
all in his deeds.
These things I greatly admire and love in the aforesaid bishop, because I
do not doubt that they were pleasing to God; but I do not approve or
praise his observance of Easter at the wrong time, either through
ignorance of the canonical time appointed, or, if he knew it, being
prevailed on by the authority of his nation not to adopt it. (375) Yet this
I approve in him, that in the celebration of his Easter, the object which
he had at heart and reverenced and preached was the same as ours, to wit,
the redemption of mankind, through the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension
into Heaven of the Man Christ Jesus, who is the mediator between God and
man. And therefore he always celebrated Easter, not as some falsely
imagine, on the fourteenth of the moon, like the Jews, on any day of the
week, but on the Lord’s day, from the fourteenth to the twentieth of the
moon; and this he did from his belief that the Resurrection of our Lord
happened on the first day of the week, and for the hope of our
resurrection, which also he, with the holy Church, believed would truly
happen on that same first day of the week, now called the Lord’s day.
Chap. XVIII. Of the life and death of the religious King Sigbert. [_Circ. _
631 A. D. ]
At this time, the kingdom of the East Angles, after the death of Earpwald,
the successor of Redwald, was governed by his brother Sigbert,(376) a good
and religious man, who some time before had been baptized in Gaul, whilst
he lived in banishment, a fugitive from the enmity of Redwald. When he
returned home, as soon as he ascended the throne, being desirous to
imitate the good institutions which he had seen in Gaul, he founded a
school wherein boys should be taught letters, and was assisted therein by
Bishop Felix, who came to him from Kent, and who furnished them with
masters and teachers after the manner of the people of Kent. (377)
This king became so great a lover of the heavenly kingdom, that at last,
quitting the affairs of his kingdom, and committing them to his kinsman
Ecgric, who before had a share in that kingdom, he entered a monastery,
which he had built for himself, and having received the tonsure, applied
himself rather to do battle for a heavenly throne. A long time after this,
it happened that the nation of the Mercians, under King Penda, made war on
the East Angles; who finding themselves no match for their enemy,
entreated Sigbert to go with them to battle, to encourage the soldiers. He
was unwilling and refused, upon which they drew him against his will out
of the monastery, and carried him to the army, hoping that the soldiers
would be less afraid and less disposed to flee in the presence of one who
had formerly been an active and distinguished commander. But he, still
mindful of his profession, surrounded, as he was, by a royal army, would
carry nothing in his hand but a wand, and was killed with King Ecgric; and
the pagans pressing on, all their army was either slaughtered or
dispersed.
They were succeeded in the kingdom by Anna,(378) the son of Eni, of the
blood royal, a good man, and the father of good children, of whom, in the
proper place, we shall speak hereafter. He also was afterwards slain like
his predecessors by the same pagan chief of the Mercians.
Chap. XIX. How Fursa built a monastery among the East Angles, and of his
visions and sanctity, to which, his flesh remaining uncorrupted after
death bore testimony. [_Circ. _ 633 A. D. ]
Whilst Sigbert still governed the kingdom, there came out of Ireland a
holy man called Fursa,(379) renowned both for his words and actions, and
remarkable for singular virtues, being desirous to live as a stranger and
pilgrim for the Lord’s sake, wherever an opportunity should offer. On
coming into the province of the East Angles, he was honourably received by
the aforesaid king, and performing his wonted task of preaching the
Gospel, by the example of his virtue and the influence of his words,
converted many unbelievers to Christ, and confirmed in the faith and love
of Christ those that already believed.
Here he fell into some infirmity of body, and was thought worthy to see a
vision of angels; in which he was admonished diligently to persevere in
the ministry of the Word which he had undertaken, and indefatigably to
apply himself to his usual watching and prayers; inasmuch as his end was
certain, but the hour thereof uncertain, according to the saying of our
Lord, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. ”(380)
Being confirmed by this vision, he set himself with all speed to build a
monastery on the ground which had been given him by King Sigbert, and to
establish a rule of life therein. This monastery was pleasantly situated
in the woods, near the sea; it was built within the area of a fort, which
in the English language is called Cnobheresburg, that is, Cnobhere’s
Town;(381) afterwards, Anna, king of that province, and certain of the
nobles, embellished it with more stately buildings and with gifts.
This man was of noble Scottish(382) blood, but much more noble in mind
than in birth. From his boyish years, he had earnestly applied himself to
reading sacred books and observing monastic discipline, and, as is most
fitting for holy men, he carefully practised all that he learned to be
right.
Now, in course of time he himself built a monastery,(383) wherein he might
with more freedom devote himself to his heavenly studies. There, falling
sick, as the book concerning his life clearly informs us, he fell into a
trance, and quitting his body from the evening till cockcrow, he was
accounted worthy to behold the sight of the choirs of angels, and to hear
their glad songs of praise. He was wont to declare, that among other
things he distinctly heard this refrain: “The saints shall go from
strength to strength. ”(384) And again, “The God of gods shall be seen in
Sion. ”(385) Being restored to his body, and again taken from it three days
after, he not only saw the greater joys of the blessed, but also fierce
conflicts of evil spirits, who by frequent accusations wickedly
endeavoured to obstruct his journey to heaven; but the angels protected
him, and all their endeavours were in vain. Concerning all these matters,
if any one desires to be more fully informed, to wit, with what subtlety
of deceit the devils recounted both his actions and idle words, and even
his thoughts, as if they had been written down in a book; and what joyous
or grievous tidings he learned from the holy angels and just men who
appeared to him among the angels; let him read the little book of his life
which I have mentioned, and I doubt not that he will thereby reap much
spiritual profit.
But there is one thing among the rest, which we have thought it may be
beneficial to many to insert in this history. When he had been taken up on
high, he was bidden by the angels that conducted him to look back upon the
world. Upon which, casting his eyes downward, he saw, as it were, a dark
valley in the depths underneath him. He also saw four fires in the air,
not far distant from each other. Then asking the angels, what fires those
were, he was told, they were the fires which would kindle and consume the
world. One of them was of falsehood, when we do not fulfil that which we
promised in Baptism, to renounce the Devil and all his works. The next was
of covetousness, when we prefer the riches of the world to the love of
heavenly things. The third was of discord, when we do not fear to offend
our neighbour even in needless things. The fourth was of ruthlessness when
we think it a light thing to rob and to defraud the weak. These fires,
increasing by degrees, extended so as to meet one another, and united in
one immense flame. When it drew near, fearing for himself, he said to the
angel, “Lord, behold the fire draws near to me. ” The angel answered, “That
which you did not kindle will not burn you; for though this appears to be
a terrible and great pyre, yet it tries every man according to the merits
of his works; for every man’s concupiscence shall burn in this fire; for
as a man burns in the body through unlawful pleasure, so, when set free
from the body, he shall burn by the punishment which he has deserved. ”
Then he saw one of the three angels, who had been his guides throughout
both visions, go before and divide the flaming fires, whilst the other
two, flying about on both sides, defended him from the danger of the fire.
He also saw devils flying through the fire, raising the flames of war
against the just. Then followed accusations of the envious spirits against
himself, the defence of the good spirits, and a fuller vision of the
heavenly hosts; as also of holy men of his own nation, who, as he had
learnt, had worthily held the office of priesthood in old times, and who
were known to fame; from whom he heard many things very salutary to
himself, and to all others that would listen to them. When they had ended
their discourse, and returned to Heaven with the angelic spirits, there
remained with the blessed Fursa, the three angels of whom we have spoken
before, and who were to bring him back to the body. And when they
approached the aforesaid great fire, the angel divided the flame, as he
had done before; but when the man of God came to the passage so opened
amidst the flames, the unclean spirits, laying hold of one of those whom
they were burning in the fire, cast him against him, and, touching his
shoulder and jaw, scorched them. He knew the man, and called to mind that
he had received his garment when he died. The holy angel, immediately
laying hold of the man, threw him back into the fire, and the malignant
enemy said, “Do not reject him whom you before received; for as you
received the goods of the sinner, so you ought to share in his
punishment. ” But the angel withstood him, saying, “He did not receive them
through avarice, but in order to save his soul. ” The fire ceased, and the
angel, turning to him, said, “That which you kindled burned you; for if
you had not received the money of this man that died in his sins, his
punishment would not burn you. ” And he went on to speak with wholesome
counsel of what ought to be done for the salvation of such as repented in
the hour of death.
Being afterwards restored to the body, throughout the whole course of his
life he bore the mark of the fire which he had felt in the spirit, visible
to all men on his shoulder and jaw; and the flesh openly showed, in a
wonderful manner, what the spirit had suffered in secret. He always took
care, as he had done before, to teach all men the practice of virtue, as
well by his example, as by preaching. But as for the story of his visions,
he would only relate them to those who, from desire of repentance,
questioned him about them. An aged brother of our monastery is still
living, who is wont to relate that a very truthful and religious man told
him, that he had seen Fursa himself in the province of the East Angles,
and heard those visions from his lips; adding, that though it was in
severe winter weather and a hard frost, and the man was sitting in a thin
garment when he told the story, yet he sweated as if it had been in the
heat of mid-summer, by reason of the great terror or joy of which he
spoke.
To return to what we were saying before, when, after preaching the Word of
God many years in Scotland,(386) he could not well endure the disturbance
of the crowds that resorted to him, leaving all that he looked upon as his
own, he departed from his native island, and came with a few brothers
through the Britons into the province of the English, and preaching the
Word there, as has been said, built a famous monastery. (387) When this was
duly carried out, he became desirous to rid himself of all business of
this world, and even of the monastery itself, and forthwith left the care
of it and of its souls, to his brother Fullan, and the priests Gobban and
Dicull,(388) and being himself free from all worldly affairs, resolved to
end his life as a hermit. He had another brother called Ultan, who, after
a long monastic probation, had also adopted the life of an anchorite. So,
seeking him out alone, he lived a whole year with him in self-denial and
prayer, and laboured daily with his hands.
Afterwards seeing the province thrown into confusion by the irruptions of
the pagans,(389) and foreseeing that the monasteries would also be in
danger, he left all things in order, and sailed over into Gaul, and being
there honourably entertained by Clovis, king of the Franks,(390) or by the
patrician Ercinwald, he built a monastery in the place called
Latineacum,(391) and falling sick not long after, departed this life. The
same Ercinwald, the patrician, took his body, and kept it in the porch of
a church he was building in his town of Perrona,(392) till the church
itself should be dedicated. This happened twenty-seven days after, and the
body being taken from the porch, to be re-buried near the altar, was found
as whole as if he had died that very hour. And again, four years after,
when a more beautiful shrine had been built to receive his body to the
east of the altar, it was still found without taint of corruption, and was
translated thither with due honour; where it is well known that his
merits, through the divine operation, have been declared by many miracles.
We have briefly touched upon these matters as well as the incorruption of
his body, that the lofty nature of the man may be better known to our
readers. All which, as also concerning the comrades of his warfare,
whosoever will read it, will find more fully described in the book of his
life.
Chap. XX. How, when Honorius died, Deusdedit became Archbishop of
Canterbury; and of those who were at that time bishops of the East Angles,
and of the church of Rochester. [653 A. D. ]
In the meantime, Felix, bishop of the East Angles, dying, when he had held
that see seventeen years,(393) Honorius ordained Thomas his deacon, of the
province of the Gyrwas,(394) in his place; and he being taken from this
life when he had been bishop five years, Bertgils, surnamed Boniface,(395)
of the province of Kent, was appointed in his stead. Honorius(396) himself
also, having run his course, departed this life in the year of our Lord
653, on the 30th of September; and when the see had been vacant a year and
six months, Deusdedit(397) of the nation of the West Saxons, was chosen
the sixth Archbishop of Canterbury. To ordain him, Ithamar,(398) bishop of
Rochester, came thither. His ordination was on the 26th of March, and he
ruled the church nine years, four months, and two days; and when Ithamar
died, he consecrated in his place Damian,(399) who was of the race of the
South Saxons.
Chap. XXI. How the province of the Midland Angles became Christian under
King Peada. [653 A. D. ]
At this time, the Middle Angles, that is, the Angles of the Midland
country,(400) under their Prince Peada, the son of King Penda, received
the faith and mysteries of the truth. Being an excellent youth, and most
worthy of the name and office of a king, he was by his father elevated to
the throne of that nation, and came to Oswy, king of the Northumbrians,
requesting to have his daughter Alchfled(401) given him to wife; but he
could not obtain his desire unless he would receive the faith of Christ,
and be baptized, with the nation which he governed. When he heard the
preaching of the truth, the promise of the heavenly kingdom, and the hope
of resurrection and future immortality, he declared that he would
willingly become a Christian, even though he should not obtain the maiden;
being chiefly prevailed on to receive the faith by King Oswy’s son
Alchfrid,(402) who was his brother-in-law and friend, for he had married
his sister Cyneburg,(403) the daughter of King Penda.
Accordingly he was baptized by Bishop Finan, with all his nobles and
thegns,(404) and their servants, that came along with him, at a noted
township, belonging to the king, called At the Wall. (405) And having
received four priests, who by reason of their learning and good life were
deemed proper to instruct and baptize his nation, he returned home with
much joy. These priests were Cedd and Adda, and Betti and Diuma;(406) the
last of whom was by nation a Scot, the others English. Adda was brother to
Utta, whom we have mentioned before,(407) a renowned priest, and abbot of
the monastery which is called At the Goat’s Head. (408) The aforesaid
priests, arriving in the province with the prince, preached the Word, and
were heard willingly; and many, as well of the nobility as the common
sort, renouncing the abominations of idolatry, were daily washed in the
fountain of the faith.
Nor did King Penda forbid the preaching of the Word even among his people,
the Mercians, if any were willing to hear it; but, on the contrary, he
hated and despised those whom he perceived to be without the works of
faith, when they had once received the faith of Christ, saying, that they
were contemptible and wretched who scorned to obey their God, in whom they
believed. These things were set on foot two years before the death of King
Penda.
But when he was slain, and the most Christian king, Oswy, succeeded him in
the throne, as we shall hereafter relate, Diuma,(409) one of the aforesaid
four priests, was made bishop of the Midland Angles, as also of the
Mercians, being ordained by Bishop Finan; for the scarcity of priests made
it necessary that one prelate should be set over two nations. Having in a
short time gained many people to the Lord, he died among the Midland
Angles, in the country called Infeppingum;(410) and Ceollach, also of the
Scottish nation, succeeded him in the bishopric.
But he, not long after,
left his bishopric, and returned to the island of Hii,(411) which, among
the Scots, was the chief and head of many monasteries. His successor in
the bishopric was Trumhere,(412) a godly man, and trained in the monastic
life, an Englishman, but ordained bishop by the Scots. This happened in
the days of King Wulfhere, of whom we shall speak hereafter.
Chap. XXII. How under King Sigbert, through the preaching of Cedd, the
East Saxons again received the faith, which they had before cast off. [653
A. D. ]
At that time, also, the East Saxons, at the instance of King Oswy, again
received the faith, which they had formerly cast off when they expelled
Mellitus, their bishop. (413) For Sigbert,(414) who reigned next to Sigbert
surnamed The Little, was then king of that nation, and a friend to King
Oswy, who, when Sigbert came to the province of the Northumbrians to visit
him, as he often did, used to endeavour to convince him that those could
not be gods that had been made by the hands of men; that a stock or a
stone could not be proper matter to form a god, the residue whereof was
either burned in the fire, or framed into any vessels for the use of men,
or else was cast out as refuse, trampled on and turned into dust. That God
is rather to be understood as incomprehensible in majesty and invisible to
human eyes, almighty, eternal, the Creator of heaven and earth and of
mankind; Who governs and will judge the world in righteousness, Whose
eternal abode must be believed to be in Heaven, and not in base and
perishable metal; and that it ought in reason to be concluded, that all
those who learn and do the will of Him by Whom they were created, will
receive from Him eternal rewards. King Oswy having often, with friendly
counsel, like a brother, said this and much more to the like effect to
King Sigbert, at length, aided by the consent of his friends, he believed,
and after he had consulted with those about him, and exhorted them, when
they all agreed and assented to the faith, he was baptized with them by
Bishop Finan, in the king’s township above spoken of, which is called At
the Wall,(415) because it is close by the wall which the Romans formerly
drew across the island of Britain, at the distance of twelve miles from
the eastern sea.
King Sigbert, having now become a citizen of the eternal kingdom, returned
to the seat of his temporal kingdom, requesting of King Oswy that he would
give him some teachers, to convert his nation to the faith of Christ, and
cleanse them in the fountain of salvation. Wherefore Oswy, sending into
the province of the Midland Angles, summoned the man of God, Cedd,(416)
and, giving him another priest for his companion, sent them to preach the
Word to the East Saxons. When these two, travelling to all parts of that
country, had gathered a numerous Church to the Lord, it happened once that
Cedd returned home, and came to the church of Lindisfarne to confer with
Bishop Finan; who, finding that the work of the Gospel had prospered in
his hands, made him bishop of the nation of the East Saxons, calling to
him two other bishops(417) to assist at the ordination. Cedd, having
received the episcopal dignity, returned to his province, and pursuing the
work he had begun with more ample authority, built churches in divers
places, and ordained priests and deacons to assist him in the Word of
faith, and the ministry of Baptism,(418) especially in the city which, in
the language of the Saxons, is called Ythancaestir,(419) as also in that
which is named Tilaburg. (420) The first of these places is on the bank of
the Pant, the other on the bank of the Thames. In these, gathering a flock
of Christ’s servants, he taught them to observe the discipline of a rule
of life, as far as those rude people were then capable of receiving it.
Whilst the teaching of the everlasting life was thus, for no small time,
making daily increase in that province to the joy of the king and of all
the people, it happened that the king, at the instigation of the enemy of
all good men, was murdered by his own kindred. They were two brothers who
did this wicked deed; and being asked what had moved them to it, they had
nothing else to answer, but that they had been incensed against the king,
and hated him, because he was too apt to spare his enemies, and calmly
forgave the wrongs they had done him, upon their entreaty. Such was the
crime for which the king was killed, because he observed the precepts of
the Gospel with a devout heart; but in this innocent death his real
offence was also punished, according to the prediction of the man of God.
For one of those nobles(421) that murdered him was unlawfully married, and
when the bishop was not able to prevent or correct the sin, he
excommunicated him, and commanded all that would give ear to him not to
enter this man’s house, nor to eat of his meat. But the king made light of
this command, and being invited by the noble, went to a banquet at his
house. As he was going thence, the bishop met him. The king, beholding
him, immediately dismounted from his horse, trembling, and fell down at
his feet, begging pardon for his offence; for the bishop, who was likewise
on horseback, had also alighted. Being much incensed, he touched the
prostrate king with the rod he held in his hand, and spoke thus with the
authority of his office: “I tell thee, forasmuch as thou wouldest not
refrain from the house of that sinful and condemned man, thou shalt die in
that very house. ” Yet it is to be believed, that such a death of a
religious man not only blotted out his offence, but even added to his
merit; because it happened on account of his piety and his observance of
the commands of Christ.
Sigbert was succeeded in the kingdom by Suidhelm,(422) the son of Sexbald,
who was baptized by the same Cedd, in the province of the East Angles, in
the royal township, called Rendlaesham,(423) that is, Rendil’s Dwelling;
and Ethelwald,(424) king of the East Angles, brother to Anna, king of the
same people, received him as he came forth from the holy font.
Chap. XXIII. How Bishop Cedd, having a place for building a monastery
given him by King Ethelwald, consecrated it to the Lord with prayer and
fasting; and concerning his death. [659-664 A. D. ]
The same man of God, whilst he was bishop among the East Saxons, was also
wont oftentimes to visit his own province, Northumbria, for the purpose of
exhortation. Oidilwald,(425) the son of King Oswald, who reigned among the
Deiri, finding him a holy, wise, and good man, desired him to accept some
land whereon to build a monastery, to which the king himself might
frequently resort, to pray to the Lord and hear the Word, and where he
might be buried when he died; for he believed faithfully that he should
receive much benefit from the daily prayers of those who were to serve the
Lord in that place. The king had before with him a brother of the same
bishop, called Caelin, a man no less devoted to God, who, being a priest,
was wont to administer to him and his house the Word and the Sacraments of
the faith; by whose means he chiefly came to know and love the bishop. So
then, complying with the king’s desires, the Bishop chose himself a place
whereon to build a monastery among steep and distant mountains, which
looked more like lurking-places for robbers and dens of wild beasts, than
dwellings of men; to the end that, according to the prophecy of Isaiah,
“In the habitation of dragons, where each lay, might be grass with reeds
and rushes;”(426) that is, that the fruits of good works should spring up,
where before beasts were wont to dwell, or men to live after the manner of
beasts.
But the man of God, desiring first to cleanse the place which he had
received for the monastery from stain of former crimes, by prayer and
fasting, and so to lay the foundations there, requested of the king that
he would give him opportunity and leave to abide there for prayer all the
time of Lent, which was at hand. All which days, except Sundays, he
prolonged his fast till the evening, according to custom, and then took no
other sustenance than a small piece of bread, one hen’s egg, and a little
milk and water. This, he said, was the custom of those of whom he had
learned the rule of regular discipline, first to consecrate to the Lord,
by prayer and fasting, the places which they had newly received for
building a monastery or a church. When there were ten days of Lent still
remaining, there came a messenger to call him to the king; and he, that
the holy work might not be intermitted, on account of the king’s affairs,
entreated his priest, Cynibill, who was also his own brother, to complete
his pious undertaking. Cynibill readily consented, and when the duty of
fasting and prayer was over, he there built the monastery, which is now
called Laestingaeu,(427) and established therein religious customs
according to the use of Lindisfarne, where he had been trained.
When Cedd had for many years held the office of bishop in the aforesaid
province, and also taken charge of this monastery, over which he placed
provosts,(428) it happened that he came thither at a time when there was
plague, and fell sick and died. He was first buried without the walls; but
in the process of time a church was built of stone in the monastery, in
honour of the Blessed Mother of God, and his body was laid in it, on the
right side of the altar.
The bishop left the monastery to be governed after him by his brother
Ceadda,(429) who was afterwards made bishop, as shall be told hereafter.
For, as it rarely happens, the four brothers we have mentioned, Cedd and
Cynibill, and Caelin and Ceadda, were all celebrated priests of the Lord,
and two of them also came to be bishops. When the brethren who were in his
monastery, in the province of the East Saxons,(430) heard that the bishop
was dead and buried in the province of the Northumbrians, about thirty men
of that monastery came thither, being desirous either to live near the
body of their father, if it should please God, or to die and be buried
there. Being gladly received by their brethren and fellow soldiers in
Christ, all of them died there struck down by the aforesaid pestilence,
except one little boy, who is known to have been saved from death by the
prayers of his spiritual father. For being alive long after, and giving
himself to the reading of Scripture, he was told that he had not been
regenerated by the water of Baptism, and being then cleansed in the laver
of salvation, he was afterwards promoted to the order of priesthood, and
was of service to many in the church. I do not doubt that he was delivered
at the point of death, as I have said, by the intercession of his father,
to whose body he had come for love of him, that so he might himself avoid
eternal death, and by teaching, offer the ministry of life and salvation
to others of the brethren.
Chap. XXIV. How when King Penda was slain, the province of the Mercians
received the faith of Christ, and Oswy gave possessions and territories to
God, for building monasteries, as a thank offering for the victory
obtained. [655 A. D. ]
At this time, King Oswy was exposed to the cruel and intolerable invasions
of Penda, king of the Mercians, whom we have so often mentioned, and who
had slain his brother;(431) at length, compelled by his necessity, he
promised to give him countless gifts and royal marks of honour greater
than can be believed, to purchase peace; provided that he would return
home, and cease to waste and utterly destroy the provinces of his kingdom.
The pagan king refused to grant his request, for he had resolved to blot
out and extirpate all his nation, from the highest to the lowest;
whereupon King Oswy had recourse to the protection of the Divine pity for
deliverance from his barbarous and pitiless foe, and binding himself by a
vow, said, “If the pagan will not accept our gifts, let us offer them to
Him that will, the Lord our God. ” He then vowed, that if he should win the
victory, he would dedicate his daughter to the Lord in holy virginity, and
give twelve pieces of land whereon to build monasteries. After this he
gave battle with a very small army: indeed, it is reported that the pagans
had thirty times the number of men; for they had thirty legions, drawn up
under most noted commanders. (432) King Oswy and his son Alchfrid met them
with a very small army, as has been said, but trusting in Christ as their
Leader; his other son, Egfrid,(433) was then kept as a hostage at the
court of Queen Cynwise,(434) in the province of the Mercians. King
Oswald’s son Oidilwald,(435) who ought to have supported them, was on the
enemy’s side, and led them on to fight against his country and his uncle;
though, during the battle, he withdrew, and awaited the event in a place
of safety. The engagement began, the pagans were put to flight or killed,
the thirty royal commanders, who had come to Penda’s assistance, were
almost all of them slain; among whom was Ethelhere,(436) brother and
successor to Anna, king of the East Angles. He had been the occasion of
the war, and was now killed, having lost his army and auxiliaries. The
battle was fought near the river Winwaed,(437) which then, owing to the
great rains, was in flood, and had overflowed its banks, so that many more
were drowned in the flight than destroyed in battle by the sword.
Then King Oswy, according to the vow he had made to the Lord, returned
thanks to God for the victory granted him, and gave his daughter
Elfled,(438) who was scarce a year old, to be consecrated to Him in
perpetual virginity; bestowing also twelve small estates of land, wherein
the practice of earthly warfare should cease, and place and means should
be afforded to devout and zealous monks to wage spiritual warfare, and
pray for the eternal peace of his nation. Of these estates six were in the
province of the Deiri, and the other six in that of the Bernicians. Each
of the estates contained ten families, that is, a hundred and twenty in
all. The aforesaid daughter of King Oswy, who was to be dedicated to God,
entered the monastery called Heruteu,(439) or, “The Island of the Hart,”
at that time ruled by the Abbess Hilda,(440) who, two years after, having
acquired an estate of ten families, at the place called
Streanaeshalch,(441) built a monastery there, in which the aforesaid
king’s daughter was first trained in the monastic life and afterwards
became abbess; till, at the age of fifty-nine, the blessed virgin departed
to be united to her Heavenly Bridegroom. In this monastery, she and her
father, Oswy, her mother, Eanfled, her mother’s father, Edwin,(442) and
many other noble persons, are buried in the church of the holy Apostle
Peter. King Oswy concluded this war in the district of Loidis, in the
thirteenth year of his reign, on the 15th of November,(443) to the great
benefit of both nations; for he delivered his own people from the hostile
depredations of the pagans, and, having made an end of their heathen
chief, converted the Mercians and the adjacent provinces to the grace of
the Christian faith.
Diuma was made the first bishop of the Mercians, as also of Lindsey and
the Midland Angles, as has been said above,(444) and he died and was
buried among the Midland Angles. The second was Ceollach,(445) who, giving
up his episcopal office before his death, returned into Scotland. Both
these bishops belonged to the nation of the Scots. The third was Trumhere,
an Englishman, but educated and ordained by the Scots. He was abbot of the
monastery that is called Ingetlingum,(446) and is the place where King
Oswin was killed, as has been said above; for Queen Eanfled, his
kinswoman, in expiation of his unjust death, begged of King Oswy that he
would give Trumhere, the aforesaid servant of God, a place there to build
a monastery, because he also was kinsman to the slaughtered king; in which
monastery continual prayers should be offered up for the eternal welfare
of the kings, both of him that was murdered, and of him that commanded the
murder. The same King Oswy governed the Mercians, as also the people of
the other southern provinces, three years after he had slain King Penda;
and he likewise subdued the greater part of the Picts to the dominion of
the English.
At this time he gave to the above-mentioned Peada, son to King Penda,
because he was his kinsman, the kingdom of the Southern Mercians,(447)
consisting, as is said, of 5,000 families, divided by the river Trent from
the Northern Mercians, whose land contains 7,000 families; but Peada was
foully slain in the following spring, by the treachery, as is said, of his
wife,(448) during the very time of the Easter festival. Three years after
the death of King Penda, the Mercian chiefs, Immin, and Eafa, and Eadbert,
rebelled against King Oswy, setting up for their king, Wulfhere,(449) son
to the said Penda, a youth whom they had kept concealed; and expelling the
ealdormen of the foreign king, they bravely recovered at once their
liberty and their lands; and being thus free, together with their king,
they rejoiced to serve Christ the true King, for the sake of an
everlasting kingdom in heaven. This king governed the Mercians seventeen
years, and had for his first bishop Trumhere,(450) above spoken of; the
second was Jaruman;(451) the third Ceadda;(452) the fourth Wynfrid. (453)
All these, succeeding each other in order under King Wulfhere, discharged
episcopal duties to the Mercian nation.
Chap. XXV. How the question arose about the due time of keeping Easter,
with those that came out of Scotland. (454) [664 A. D. ]
In the meantime, Bishop Aidan being taken away from this life, Finan, who
was ordained and sent by the Scots, succeeded him in the bishopric, and
built a church in the Isle of Lindisfarne, fit for the episcopal see;
nevertheless, after the manner of the Scots, he made it, not of stone, but
entirely of hewn oak, and covered it with reeds; and it was afterwards
dedicated in honour of the blessed Peter the Apostle, by the most reverend
Archbishop Theodore. Eadbert,(455) also bishop of that place, took off the
thatch, and caused it to be covered entirely, both roof and walls, with
plates of lead.
At this time, a great and frequently debated question arose about the
observance of Easter;(456) those that came from Kent or Gaul affirming,
that the Scots celebrated Easter Sunday contrary to the custom of the
universal Church. Among them was a most zealous defender of the true
Easter, whose name was Ronan,(457) a Scot by nation, but instructed in the
rule of ecclesiastical truth in Gaul or Italy. Disputing with Finan, he
convinced many, or at least induced them to make a more strict inquiry
after the truth; yet he could not prevail upon Finan, but, on the
contrary, embittered him the more by reproof, and made him a professed
opponent of the truth, for he was of a violent temper. James,(458)
formerly the deacon of the venerable Archbishop Paulinus, as has been said
above, observed the true and Catholic Easter, with all those that he could
instruct in the better way. Queen Eanfled and her followers also observed
it as she had seen it practised in Kent, having with her a Kentish priest
who followed the Catholic observance, whose name was Romanus. Thus it is
said to have sometimes happened in those times that Easter was twice
celebrated in one year; and that when the king, having ended his fast, was
keeping Easter, the queen and her followers were still fasting, and
celebrating Palm Sunday. Whilst Aidan lived, this difference about the
observance of Easter was patiently tolerated by all men, for they well
knew, that though he could not keep Easter contrary to the custom of those
who had sent him, yet he industriously laboured to practise the works of
faith, piety, and love, according to the custom of all holy men; for which
reason he was deservedly beloved by all, even by those who differed in
opinion concerning Easter, and was held in veneration, not only by less
important persons, but even by the bishops, Honorius of Canterbury, and
Felix of the East Angles.
But after the death of Finan, who succeeded him, when Colman, who was also
sent from Scotland,(459) came to be bishop, a greater controversy arose
about the observance of Easter, and other rules of ecclesiastical life.
Whereupon this question began naturally to influence the thoughts and
hearts of many who feared, lest haply, having received the name of
Christians, they might run, or have run, in vain. This reached the ears of
the rulers, King Oswy and his son Alchfrid. Now Oswy, having been
instructed and baptized by the Scots, and being very perfectly skilled in
their language, thought nothing better than what they taught; but
Alchfrid, having for his teacher in Christianity the learned Wilfrid,(460)
who had formerly gone to Rome to study ecclesiastical doctrine, and spent
much time at Lyons with Dalfinus,(461) archbishop of Gaul, from whom also
he had received the crown of ecclesiastical tonsure, rightly thought that
this man’s doctrine ought to be preferred before all the traditions of the
Scots. For this reason he had also given him a monastery of forty
families, at a place called Inhrypum;(462) which place, not long before,
he had given for a monastery to those that were followers of the Scots;
but forasmuch as they afterwards, being left to their choice, preferred to
quit the place rather than alter their custom, he gave it to him, whose
life and doctrine were worthy of it.
Agilbert, bishop of the West Saxons,(463) above-mentioned, a friend of
King Alchfrid and of Abbot Wilfrid, had at that time come into the
province of the Northumbrians, and was staying some time among them; at
the request of Alchfrid, he made Wilfrid a priest in his aforesaid
monastery. He had in his company a priest, whose name was Agatho. (464) The
question being raised there concerning Easter and the tonsure and other
ecclesiastical matters, it was arranged, that a synod should be held in
the monastery of Streanaeshalch,(465) which signifies the Bay of the
Lighthouse, where the Abbess Hilda,(466) a woman devoted to the service of
God, then ruled; and that there this question should be decided. The
kings, both father and son, came thither, and the bishops, Colman with his
Scottish clerks, and Agilbert with the priests Agatho and Wilfrid. James
and Romanus were on their side; but the Abbess Hilda and her followers
were for the Scots, as was also the venerable Bishop Cedd,(467) long
before ordained by the Scots, as has been said above, and he acted in that
council as a most careful interpreter for both parties.
King Oswy first made an opening speech, in which he said that it behoved
those who served one God to observe one rule of life; and as they all
expected the same kingdom in heaven, so they ought not to differ in the
celebration of the heavenly mysteries; but rather to inquire which was the
truer tradition, that it might be followed by all in common; he then
commanded his bishop, Colman, first to declare what the custom was which
he observed, and whence it derived its origin. Then Colman said, “The
Easter which I keep, I received from my elders, who sent me hither as
bishop; all our forefathers, men beloved of God, are known to have
celebrated it after the same manner; and that it may not seem to any
contemptible and worthy to be rejected, it is the same which the blessed
John the Evangelist, the disciple specially beloved of our Lord, with all
the churches over which he presided, is recorded to have celebrated. ”(468)
When he had said thus much, and more to the like effect, the king
commanded Agilbert to make known the manner of his observance and to show
whence it was derived, and on what authority he followed it. Agilbert
answered, “I beseech you, let my disciple, the priest Wilfrid, speak in my
stead; because we both concur with the other followers of the
ecclesiastical tradition that are here present, and he can better and more
clearly explain our opinion in the English language, than I can by an
interpreter. ”
Then Wilfrid, being ordered by the king to speak, began thus:—“The Easter
which we keep, we saw celebrated by all at Rome, where the blessed
Apostles, Peter and Paul, lived, taught, suffered, and were buried; we saw
the same done by all in Italy and in Gaul, when we travelled through those
countries for the purpose of study and prayer. We found it observed in
Africa, Asia, Egypt, Greece, and all the world, wherever the Church of
Christ is spread abroad, among divers nations and tongues, at one and the
same time; save only among these and their accomplices in obstinacy, I
mean the Picts and the Britons, who foolishly, in these two remote islands
of the ocean, and only in part even of them, strive to oppose all the rest
of the world. ” When he had so said, Colman answered, “It is strange that
you choose to call our efforts foolish, wherein we follow the example of
so great an Apostle, who was thought worthy to lean on our Lord’s bosom,
when all the world knows him to have lived most wisely. ” Wilfrid replied,
“Far be it from us to charge John with folly, for he literally observed
the precepts of the Mosaic Law, whilst the Church was still Jewish in many
points, and the Apostles, lest they should give cause of offence to the
Jews who were among the Gentiles, were not able at once to cast off all
the observances of the Law which had been instituted by God, in the same
way as it is necessary that all who come to the faith should forsake the
idols which were invented by devils. For this reason it was, that Paul
circumcised Timothy,(469) that he offered sacrifice in the temple,(470)
that he shaved his head with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth;(471) for no
other advantage than to avoid giving offence to the Jews. Hence it was,
that James said to the same Paul, ‘Thou seest, brother, how many thousands
of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the
Law. ’(472) And yet, at this time, when the light of the Gospel is
spreading throughout the world, it is needless, nay, it is not lawful, for
the faithful either to be circumcised, or to offer up to God sacrifices of
flesh. So John, according to the custom of the Law, began the celebration
of the feast of Easter, on the fourteenth day of the first month, in the
evening, not regarding whether the same happened on a Saturday, or any
other week-day. But when Peter preached at Rome, being mindful that our
Lord arose from the dead, and gave to the world the hope of resurrection,
on the first day of the week, he perceived that Easter ought to be kept
after this manner: he always awaited the rising of the moon on the
fourteenth day of the first month in the evening, according to the custom
and precepts of the Law, even as John did. And when that came, if the
Lord’s day, then called the first day of the week, was the next day, he
began that very evening to celebrate Easter, as we all do at the present
time. But if the Lord’s day did not fall the next morning after the
fourteenth moon, but on the sixteenth, or the seventeenth, or any other
moon till the twenty-first, he waited for that, and on the Saturday
before, in the evening, began to observe the holy solemnity of Easter.
Thus it came to pass, that Easter Sunday was only kept from the fifteenth
moon to the twenty-first. Nor does this evangelical and apostolic
tradition abolish the Law, but rather fulfil it; the command being to keep
the passover from the fourteenth moon of the first month in the evening to
the twenty-first moon of the same month in the evening; which observance
all the successors of the blessed John in Asia, since his death, and all
the Church throughout the world, have since followed; and that this is the
true Easter, and the only one to be celebrated by the faithful, was not
newly decreed by the council of Nicaea, but only confirmed afresh; as the
history of the Church informs us. (473)
“Thus it is plain, that you, Colman, neither follow the example of John,
as you imagine, nor that of Peter, whose tradition you oppose with full
knowledge, and that you neither agree with the Law nor the Gospel in the
keeping of your Easter. For John, keeping the Paschal time according to
the decree of the Mosaic Law, had no regard to the first day of the week,
which you do not practise, seeing that you celebrate Easter only on the
first day after the Sabbath. Peter celebrated Easter Sunday between the
fifteenth and the twenty-first moon, which you do not practise, seeing
that you observe Easter Sunday from the fourteenth to the twentieth moon;
so that you often begin Easter on the thirteenth moon in the evening,
whereof neither the Law made any mention, nor did our Lord, the Author and
Giver of the Gospel, on that day either eat the old passover in the
evening, or deliver the Sacraments of the New Testament, to be celebrated
by the Church, in memory of His Passion, but on the fourteenth. Besides,
in your celebration of Easter, you utterly exclude the twenty-first moon,
which the Law ordered to be specially observed. Thus, as I have said
before, you agree neither with John nor Peter, nor with the Law, nor the
Gospel, in the celebration of the greatest festival. ”
To this Colman rejoined: “Did the holy Anatolius,(474) much commended in
the history of the Church, judge contrary to the Law and the Gospel, when
he wrote, that Easter was to be celebrated from the fourteenth to the
twentieth moon? Is it to be believed that our most reverend Father Columba
and his successors, men beloved by God, who kept Easter after the same
manner, judged or acted contrary to the Divine writings? Whereas there
were many among them, whose sanctity was attested by heavenly signs and
miracles which they wrought; whom I, for my part, doubt not to be saints,
and whose life, customs, and discipline I never cease to follow. ”
“It is evident,” said Wilfrid, “that Anatolius was a most holy, learned,
and commendable man; but what have you to do with him, since you do not
observe his decrees? For he undoubtedly, following the rule of truth in
his Easter, appointed a cycle of nineteen years, which either you are
ignorant of, or if you know it, though it is kept by the whole Church of
Christ, yet you despise it as a thing of naught. He so computed the
fourteenth moon in our Lord’s Paschal Feast, that according to the custom
of the Egyptians, he acknowledged it to be the fifteenth moon on that same
day in the evening; so in like manner he assigned the twentieth to
Easter-Sunday, as believing that to be the twenty-first moon, when the sun
had set. That you are ignorant of the rule of this distinction is proved
by this, that you sometimes manifestly keep Easter before the full moon,
that is, on the thirteenth day. Concerning your Father Columba and his
followers, whose sanctity you say you imitate, and whose rule and precepts
confirmed by signs from Heaven you say that you follow, I might answer,
then when many, in the day of judgement, shall say to our Lord, that in
His name they have prophesied, and have cast out devils, and done many
wonderful works, our Lord will reply, that He never knew them. But far be
it from me to speak thus of your fathers, for it is much more just to
believe good than evil of those whom we know not. Wherefore I do not deny
those also to have been God’s servants, and beloved of God, who with rude
simplicity, but pious intentions, have themselves loved Him. Nor do I
think that such observance of Easter did them much harm, as long as none
came to show them a more perfect rule to follow; for assuredly I believe
that, if any teacher, reckoning after the Catholic manner, had come among
them, they would have as readily followed his admonitions, as they are
known to have kept those commandments of God, which they had learned and
knew.
“But as for you and your companions, you certainly sin, if, having heard
the decrees of the Apostolic see, nay, of the universal Church, confirmed,
as they are, by Holy Scripture, you scorn to follow them; for, though your
fathers were holy, do you think that those few men, in a corner of the
remotest island, are to be preferred before the universal Church of Christ
throughout the world? And if that Columba of yours, (and, I may say, ours
also, if he was Christ’s servant,) was a holy man and powerful in
miracles, yet could he be preferred before the most blessed chief of the
Apostles, to whom our Lord said, ‘Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I
will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,
and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven? ’ ”(475)
When Wilfrid had ended thus, the king said, “Is it true, Colman, that
these words were spoken to Peter by our Lord? ” He answered, “It is true, O
king! ” Then said he, “Can you show any such power given to your Columba? ”
Colman answered, “None. ” Then again the king asked, “Do you both agree in
this, without any controversy, that these words were said above all to
Peter, and that the keys of the kingdom of Heaven were given to him by our
Lord? ” They both answered, “Yes. ” Then the king concluded, “And I also say
unto you, that he is the door-keeper, and I will not gainsay him, but I
desire, as far as I know and am able, in all things to obey his laws, lest
haply when I come to the gates of the kingdom of Heaven, there should be
none to open them, he being my adversary who is proved to have the keys. ”
The king having said this, all who were seated there or standing by, both
great and small, gave their assent, and renouncing the less perfect
custom, hastened to conform to that which they had found to be better.
Chap. XXVI. How Colman, being worsted, returned home; and Tuda succeeded
him in the bishopric; and of the state of the church under those teachers.
[664 A. D. ]
The disputation being ended, and the assembly broken up, Agilbert returned
home. Colman, perceiving that his doctrine was rejected, and his party
despised, took with him those who wished to follow him, to wit, such as
would not accept the Catholic Easter and the tonsure in the form of a
crown,(476) (for there was no small dispute about that also,) and went
back into Scotland,(477) to consult with his people what was to be done in
this case. Cedd, forsaking the practices of the Scots, returned to his
bishopric, having submitted to the Catholic observance of Easter. This
debate took place in the year of our Lord 664, which was the twenty-second
year of the reign of King Oswy, and the thirtieth of the episcopate of the
Scots among the English; for Aidan was bishop seventeen years, Finan ten,
and Colman three.
When Colman had gone back into his own country, Tuda, the servant of
Christ, was made bishop of the Northumbrians(478) in his place, having
been instructed and ordained bishop among the Southern Scots, having also
the crown of the ecclesiastical tonsure, according to the custom of that
province, and observing the Catholic rule with regard to the time of
Easter. (479) He was a good and religious man, but he governed the church a
very short time; he had come from Scotland(480) whilst Colman was yet
bishop, and, both by word and deed, diligently taught all men those things
that appertain to the faith and truth. But Eata,(481) who was abbot of the
monastery called Mailros,(482) a man most reverend and gentle, was
appointed abbot over the brethren that chose to remain in the church of
Lindisfarne, when the Scots went away. It is said that Colman, upon his
departure, requested and obtained this of King Oswy, because Eata was one
of Aidan’s twelve boys of the English nation,(483) whom he received in the
early years of his episcopate, to be instructed in Christ; for the king
greatly loved Bishop Colman on account of his innate discretion. This is
that Eata, who, not long after, was made bishop of the same church of
Lindisfarne. Colman carried home with him part of the bones of the most
reverend Father Aidan, and left part of them in the church where he had
presided, ordering them to be interred in the sacristy.
The place which they governed shows how frugal and temperate he and his
predecessors were, for there were very few houses besides the church found
at their departure; indeed, no more than were barely sufficient to make
civilized life possible; they had also no money, but only cattle; for if
they received any money from rich persons, they immediately gave it to the
poor; there being no need to gather money, or provide houses for the
entertainment of the great men of the world; for such never resorted to
the church, except to pray and hear the Word of God. The king himself,
when occasion required, came only with five or six servants, and having
performed his devotions in the church, departed. But if they happened to
take a repast there, they were satisfied with the plain, daily food of the
brethren, and required no more. For the whole care of those teachers was
to serve God, not the world—to feed the soul, and not the belly.
For this reason the religious habit was at that time held in great
veneration; so that wheresoever any clerk or monk went, he was joyfully
received by all men, as God’s servant; and even if they chanced to meet
him upon the way, they ran to him, and with bowed head, were glad to be
signed with the cross by his hand, or blessed by his lips. Great attention
was also paid to their exhortations; and on Sundays they flocked eagerly
to the church, or the monasteries, not to feed their bodies, but to hear
the Word of God; and if any priest happened to come into a village, the
inhabitants came together and asked of him the Word of life; for the
priests and clerks went to the villages for no other reason than to
preach, baptize, visit the sick, and, in a word, to take care of souls;
and they were so purified from all taint of avarice, that none of them
received lands and possessions for building monasteries, unless they were
compelled to do so by the temporal authorities; which custom was for some
time after universally observed in the churches of the Northumbrians. But
enough has now been said on this subject.
Chap. XXVII. How Egbert, a holy man of the English nation, led a monastic
life in Ireland. [664 A. D. ]
In the same year of our Lord 664, there happened an eclipse of the sun, on
the third day of May,(484) about the tenth hour of the day. In the same
year, a sudden pestilence(485) depopulated first the southern parts of
Britain, and afterwards attacking the province of the Northumbrians,
ravaged the country far and near, and destroyed a great multitude of men.
By this plague the aforesaid priest of the Lord, Tuda,(486) was carried
off, and was honourably buried in the monastery called Paegnalaech. (487)
Moreover, this plague prevailed no less disastrously in the island of
Ireland. Many of the nobility, and of the lower ranks of the English
nation, were there at that time, who, in the days of the Bishops Finan and
Colman, forsaking their native island, retired thither, either for the
sake of sacred studies, or of a more ascetic life; and some of them
presently devoted themselves faithfully to a monastic life, others chose
rather to apply themselves to study, going about from one master’s cell to
another. The Scots willingly received them all, and took care to supply
them with daily food without cost, as also to furnish them with books for
their studies, and teaching free of charge.
Among these were Ethelhun and Egbert,(488) two youths of great capacity,
of the English nobility. The former of whom was brother to Ethelwin,(489)
a man no less beloved by God, who also at a later time went over into
Ireland to study, and having been well instructed, returned into his own
country, and being made bishop in the province of Lindsey, long and nobly
governed the Church. These two being in the monastery which in the
language of the Scots is called Rathmelsigi,(490) and having lost all
their companions, who were either cut off by the plague, or dispersed into
other places, were both seized by the same sickness, and grievously
afflicted. Of these, Egbert, (as I was informed by a priest venerable for
his age, and of great veracity, who declared he had heard the story from
his own lips,) concluding that he was at the point of death, went out of
the chamber, where the sick lay, in the morning, and sitting alone in a
fitting place, began seriously to reflect upon his past actions, and,
being full of compunction at the remembrance of his sins, bedewed his face
with tears, and prayed fervently to God that he might not die yet, before
he could forthwith more fully make amends for the careless offences which
he had committed in his boyhood and infancy, or might further exercise
himself in good works. He also made a vow that he would spend all his life
abroad and never return into the island of Britain, where he was born;
that besides singing the psalms at the canonical hours, he would, unless
prevented by bodily infirmity, repeat the whole Psalter daily to the
praise of God; and that he would every week fast one whole day and night.
Returning home, after his tears and prayers and vows, he found his
companion asleep; and going to bed himself, he began to compose himself to
rest. When he had lain quiet awhile, his comrade awaking, looked on him,
and said, “Alas! Brother Egbert, what have you done? I was in hopes that
we should have entered together into life everlasting; but know that your
prayer is granted. ” For he had learned in a vision what the other had
requested, and that he had obtained his request.
In brief, Ethelhun died the next night; but Egbert, throwing off his
sickness, recovered and lived a long time after to grace the episcopal
office, which he received, by deeds worthy of it;(491) and blessed with
many virtues, according to his desire, lately, in the year of our Lord
729, being ninety years of age, he departed to the heavenly kingdom. He
passed his life in great perfection of humility, gentleness, continence,
simplicity, and justice. Thus he was a great benefactor, both to his own
people, and to those nations of the Scots and Picts among whom he lived in
exile, by the example of his life, his earnestness in teaching, his
authority in reproving, and his piety in giving away of those things which
he received from the rich. He also added this to the vows which we have
mentioned: during Lent, he would eat but one meal a day, allowing himself
nothing but bread and thin milk, and even that by measure. The milk, new
the day before, he kept in a vessel, and skimming off the cream in the
morning, drank the rest, as has been said, with a little bread. Which sort
of abstinence he likewise always observed forty days before the Nativity
of our Lord, and as many after the solemnity of Pentecost, that is, of the
fifty days’ festival.
Chap. XXVIII. How, when Tuda was dead, Wilfrid was ordained, in Gaul, and
Ceadda, among the West Saxons, to be bishops for the province of the
Northumbrians. [664 A. D.
