No More Learning

A Cuthbald succeeded Sexwulf (IV, 6) as Abbot at
Medeshamstead. He is, perhaps, identical with the Abbot of Oundle.

936 Cf. _supra_, p. 346, and III, 25.

_ 937 I. e. _ 710. But Hadrian left Rome in 668 (_v. _ IV, 1), and Bede says
he died forty-one years after that event. This would be in 709.

938 Cf. Preface and IV, 1.

_ 939 Ibid. _

940 St. Augustine’s, Canterbury; cf. IV, 1, _ad fin. _

941 Cf. Preface and note.

942 III, 13, and note.

943 A. S. version: Mafa. For the Roman style of Church music, cf. II, 20,
_ad fin. _

944 IV, 12, 23; V, 3.

945 In 710. Naiton, or Nechtan mac Derili, succeeded in 706. The
northern Picts had received Christianity through Columba (III, 4).
Naiton is said to have been converted to Roman usages by a
missionary named Boniface, who was probably an Irishman, St.
Cuiritin. Naiton did not succeed in forcing all his people to adopt
them, but in 717 he expelled the Columban clergy who refused to
conform.

946 IV, 18 and note.

947 Wearmouth (_ibid. _) and Jarrow, Bede’s own monastery (_v. infra_, c.
24). Though they were some distance apart, Wearmouth and Jarrow
formed together one monastery.

948 IV, 18.

949 II, 2, p. 85, note.

950 Wood being the usual material, cf. III, 4, “Candida Casa. ” The
locality of the church is not known. Rosemarkie, on the Moray Frith,
and, more probably, Restennet, near Forfar, have been suggested.

951 The letter has been supposed to have been written by Bede himself.

952 Plato, Rep. 473, D.

953 Exod. , xii, 1-3. (The quotations are from the Vulgate. )

954 Exod. , xii, 6.

_ 955 Ibid. _, xii, 15.

956 Exod. , xii, 15.

_ 957 Ibid. _, xii, 17.

958 Numbers, xxxiii, 13.

959 Exod. , xii, 17-19.

960 1 Cor. , v, 7.

961 St. John, i, 29.

962 Levit. , xxiii, 5-7.

963 Cf. Bede’s “Expositio in Marci Evangelium” (Opp. X, 2), where he
says that St. Mark founded the Church in Alexandria, and taught the
canonical observance of Easter; and Opp. VI, 235 (De Temp. Rat. ).

964 Levit. , xxiii, 8.

965 This was an error of the Latins in the fifth century. The object was
to make it possible for Good Friday to fall on the fourteenth of the
month Nisan, which they believed to be the actual day of the
Crucifixion, and to keep Easter Day entirely clear of the Jewish
festival.

_ 966 I. e. _ Alexandrians.

967 Gen. , i, 16.

968 The Itala.

969 Mal. , iv, 2.

970 Habak. , iii, 11 (from the Itala).

971 The Pelagians; I, 10, and note; cf. I, 17.

972 The reference must be to p. 364, “the apostolic tradition. ” For the
nineteen years’ cycle, cf. III, 3 (Anatolius).

973 The celebrated Bishop of Caesarea, called also Eusebius Pamphili, a
name which he adopted from devotion to his friend, Pamphilus. How
much he had to do with the nineteen years’ cycle seems altogether
uncertain. He took a leading part in the Council of Nicaea (325
A. D. ), but there is no proof that the Council formally adopted the
cycle, as has been supposed. It had been in use long before, but it
may have received authoritative sanction at Nicaea. Eusebius wrote a
treatise on Easter, of which a fragment is extant.

974 A presbyter of Caesarea, the founder of the famous library in that
place. He was martyred in 309 A. D. Eusebius wrote his life, but the
work is lost.

975 Archbishop of Alexandria, 385-412. He made a cycle of 418 years (19
× 22) for Theodosius, and reckoned the days on which Easter would
fall for 100 years from the first year of the consulate of
Theodosius (380 A. D. ).

976 The great Archbishop of Alexandria, 412-444. He shortened the cycle
of Theophilus, making a cycle of ninety-five years (19 × 5), for the
sake of convenience. Part of his “Computus Paschalis” remains.

977 A monk of the Western Church in the sixth century. The surname,
“Exiguus,” refers, not to his stature, but to his humbleness of
heart. Our method of dating from the Birth of Christ was begun by
him. He revived the cycle of Victorius (or Victorinus) of Aquitaine
(463 A. D. ), hence called Dionysian. It was a cycle of 532 years,
_i. e. _ the lunar cycle of 19 × the solar cycle of 28.

978 Cf. p. 369, note 5.

979 Job, i, 20.

980 Gen. , xli, 14.

981 St. Matt. , xvi, 18.

982 Acts, viii, 20 (Vulgate). The origin of this form of tonsure was
attributed to Simon Magus.

983 Gal. , v, 24.

984 St. James, i, 12.

985 Cf. c. 15 and notes. It is uncertain whether this incident is to be
connected with Adamnan’s first or second visit to King Aldfrid.

_ 986 I. e. _, Ireland; cf. c. 15.

987 Cf. _supra_, p. 359, note 1.

988 Cf. c. 18 and note; cc. 19, 20, 24. He was killed in battle, but
neither the locality nor the war is known.

989 He reigned two years, _v. infra_ c. 23. He belonged to a younger
branch of the royal house of Northumbria. His father’s name was
Cuthwine, and Ceolwulf, who succeeded Osric (c. 23), was his
brother.

990 Or, perhaps, “bishop;” cf. III, 4, note. For the circumstances which
led Egbert to undertake his work among the Columban monasteries,
_v. s. _ c. 9. As the events narrated there were prior to 690
(Wilbrord’s mission to Frisia), we may, perhaps, assume that he had
been labouring during this long interval among the Columban
monasteries in Ireland. In III, 4, Bede places Egbert’s arrival in
Iona a year earlier.

991 Rom. , x, 2.

992 Cf. p. 372. This seems to be the meaning of the somewhat obscure
sentence, “. . . celebrationem, ut diximus, praecipuae solemnitatis
sub figura coronae perpetis agere perdocuit. ”

993 For the conversion of the Britons to Roman usages, _v. _ cc. 15 and
18, notes.

994 This is accurate enough in round numbers. Aidan’s mission (_v. _ III,
3) was probably in 635.

_ 995 I. e. _, 24th April. According to the Celtic rule, Easter Day could
never have been so late, 21st April being the latest possible day,
while the Romans might celebrate as late as 25th April.

996 Osric had succeeded in 718. Simeon of Durham says he was a son of
King “Alfrid. ” It has been suggested (Dr. Stubbs, in Dict. of
Christian Biog. ) that this may mean Alchfrid, son of Oswy (III, 14,
_et saep. _), further, that this Osric is to be identified with the
Hwiccian sub-king, mentioned in IV, 23, who may have found a refuge
in Mercia, when Alchfrid was disinherited. Against this it has been
maintained that the statement of Simeon of Durham may, with greater
probability, be referred to Aldfrid, the successor of Egfrid and
father of Osred.

997 Cf. IV, 26, and V, 8.

998 From Bede we should infer that they all succeeded in 725, and the
evidence of charters goes to show that Eadbert and Ethelbert began
to reign jointly in that year. Florence of Worcester makes Eadbert
and Ethelbert reign successively, and William of Malmesbury gives
successive reigns of considerable length to all three brothers. This
prolongs Alric’s life beyond probability, and as his reign rests on
no early evidence, Dr.
Stubbs is inclined to set it aside
altogether.

999 Cf. c. 8.

1000 Cf. II, 3 and note; III, 14.

1001 Consecrated in 727 (Saxon Chronicle) and died in 739 (Simeon of
Durham).

1002 This must refer to the battle of Tours in 732, in which Charles
Martel defeated the Saracens. As the Ecclesiastical History was
finished in 731, this passage must be regarded as a later insertion.
For Bede’s view with regard to the Saracens, _v. _ his theological
works _passim_. He believed them to be the descendants of Ishmael.

1003 In 729; _v. s. _ c. 22.

1004 Cf. _supra_, this chapter, _ad init. _

1005 Cf. Preface, note 1, and the Continuation.

1006 Cf. c. 22, _ad init_ and note.

_ 1007 I. e. _, since 29th June, 693; _v. s. _ c. 8, _ad fin. _

1008 He received the pall in 733 and died in 734; cf. Continuation.

1009 Bredon in Worcestershire.

1010 Cf. Preface; IV, 16; V, 18.

_ 1011 I. e. _, of the East Saxons. He died in 745; _v. _ Continuation.

1012 Called also Worr. In the Act of the Council of Clovesho in 716 he
signs as Bishop of Lichfield (to which at this time Leicester was
united) along with his predecessor, Hedda, but the authenticity of
the Act is not fully established, and it is generally supposed that
he succeeded in 721. At his death in 737 (Simeon of Durham)
Leicester was finally separated from Lichfield.

1013 Cf. _supra_, p. 378.

1014 The following list of the English bishoprics at the time when Bede
closed his history [731 A. D. ], will enable the reader to recognize
those which belonged to each separate kingdom:

KINGDOMS; SEES; PRELATES.
Kent; Canterbury; Tatwine.
Rochester; Aldwulf.
East Saxons; London; Ingwald.
East Angles; Dunwich; Aldbert.
Elmham; Hadulac.
West Saxons; Winchester; Daniel.
Sherborne; Forthere.
Mercia; Lichfield (to which Leicester had been reunited in 705);
Aldwin.
Hereford; Walhstod.
Worcester; Wilfrid.
Lindsey (Sidnacester); Cynibert.
South Saxons; Selsey; Vacant.
Northumbria; York; Wilfrid II.
Lindisfarne; Ethelwald.
Hexham; Acca.
Whitern; Pechthelm.

1015 Aldbert was Bishop of Dunwich, Hadulac of Elmham.

1016 Cf. c. 18.

1017 Cf. _supra_, p. 379, note 6.

_ 1018 I. e. _, in Herefordshire. It is not certain when the see of Hereford
was founded. Besides Putta (_v. _ IV, 2, and note), Florence of
Worcester mentions Tyrhtel and Torthere as predecessors of Walhstod.

1019 This is Wilfrid, Bishop of Worcester, contemporary with Wilfrid II
of York (_v. _ IV, 23; V, 6). He succeeded St. Egwin, whom Bede
strangely omits to mention, the successor of Oftfor (IV, 23). For
the Hwiccas, _v. _ II, 2, p. 84, and for the see of Worcester, IV,
23, p. 273, note 7.

1020 Cf. Preface, p. 4, and IV, 12. For Lindsey as a separate bishopric,
_ibid. _

1021 Cf. IV, 16.

1022 Cf. c. 18, _ad fin. _, and notes.

1023 He was a son of Penda’s brother, Alweo. He had lived at one time in
retirement near the hermitage of St. Guthlac, flying from the enmity
of Ceolred, but on the death of the latter in 716, he succeeded to
the throne. Though he is not included in Bede’s list of Bretwaldas
(II, 5), he established the supremacy of Mercia for twenty years
over all England south of the Humber, till in 754 Wessex freed
itself in the battle of Burford. For his wars with Wessex and
Northumbria, _v. _ Continuation, _sub_ 740 and 750. There is a
charter of his dated 749 in which he grants certain ecclesiastical
privileges, “pro expiatione delictorum suorum. ” His oppression of
the Church and his private life are rebuked in the letter of
Boniface and five German bishops addressed to him (_v. _ Haddan and
Stubbs, III, 350).

1024 Wilfrid II, _v. _ IV, 23, and note; cf. V, 6.

1025 Cf. c. 12, p. 331, and note.

1026 III, 13, and note; cf. IV, 14; V, 20.

1027 Cf. cc. 13, 18. For the “White House” (Whitern), _v. _ III, 4, and
note. About this time (the exact date is not known) it became an
Anglian see, a fact which indicates that in spite of the defeat of
Egfrid in 685, which freed the Northern Picts, the Picts of Galloway
were still subject to Northumbria. The bishopric came to an end
about the close of the century, when the Northumbrian power had
fallen into decay.

1028 The Scots of Dalriada (I, 1). They had recovered their liberty after
the defeat and death of Egfrid; cf. IV, 26.

1029 Cf. _ibid. _, and p. 376, note 1.

1030 External peace apparently. For the internal state of Northumbria,
_v. s. _ p. 378.

1031 For the accuracy of these dates, cf. the notes on the events as they
occur in the narrative.

1032 The length of his pontificate is not mentioned in the narrative.

1033 This and the two following entries are not in the narrative.

1034 Ida was the first king of Bernicia, and one of the leaders of the
English invasion. He conquered the country about Bamborough, which
he is said to have founded (cf. III, 6), and settled his people
here. Deira, which was for a time a separate kingdom, was finally
united to Bernicia under the strong rule of Oswald, Ida’s great
grandson (_ib. ad fin. _), who through his mother, Acha, was
descended also from the royal house of Deira.

1035 By Scotland, as usual, Ireland is meant.

1036 Wulfhere’s death is not mentioned in the narrative.

1037 This is not in the narrative. For Osthryth cf. III, 11; IV, 21.

1038 Not in the narrative. Berctred is probably to be identified with
Berct in IV, 26 _ad init_. (Ulster Annals: “Brectrid”; Sax. Chron. :
“Briht. ”)

1039 Above it is said that he succeeded in 675, making his reign
twenty-nine years, and this agrees with the Saxon Chronicle.
Wilfrid, on his return to England in 705, found him already an
abbot. (V, 19. )

1040 Not in the narrative. Bertfrid was Osred’s chief ealdorman, and was
besieged with him in Bamborough by the usurper Eadwulf; cf. p. 342,
note 2. We find him acting as spokesman in the Council on the Nidd
(V, 19, p. 356) in demanding to have the Papal letters translated
into English.

1041 For Bede’s life, _v. _ Introduction.

1042 IV, 18, p. 257, note 3.

_ 1043 Ibid. _

_ 1044 Ibid. _, note 4, cf. V, 21.

1045 John of Beverley, IV, 23; V, 2-6.

1046 For a full account of Bede’s works, _v. _ Plummer, vol. I,
Introduction, or Dictionary of Christian Biography, _s. v. _ “Beda. ”
Besides the works mentioned in this list, the following are
certainly genuine:

The short “Epistola ad Albinum” (sent with a copy of the
Ecclesiastical History).

“Retractationes in Acta. ”

“Epistola ad Egberctum. ”

“De locis Sanctis” (to which Bede alludes in V. 17). A number of
other works, some certainly, others probably spurious, and a few
possibly genuine, have been attributed to him.

1047 An answer to questions put to him by Nothelm (_v. _ Preface, p. 2,
note 4, and Continuation, _sub_ 735).

1048 “Parabolae” = comparisons. “Parabolae Salomonis” are the first words
of the Book of Proverbs in the Vulgate.

_ 1049 I. e. _, St. Paul.

1050 Isa. , xxiv, 22.

1051 III, 3, note; cf. III, 25, p. 198.

1052 A priest of Nola in Campania. He was of Syrian extraction, but born
at Nola, and ordained priest _circ. _ 250 A. D. He was persecuted
under Decius, and again under Valerian, but escaped. His history is
told in the poems of Paulinus, Bishop of Nola (409-431).