for the time made their abode there Notwithstandinge I durst not be so bold as to demaunde or aske any question of my conductour or guide but in the midest of these meditatioÌ„s I perceued by what meanes I can not tell that I was in the world again and liued as other meÌ„ did These sightes and many other thinges ells this vertuous and holy man wold not report to sleuthfull sluggards and idell folkes men that had no regard of their owne life but to such only as either dismayed with feare of torments or rauished with hope of eternall ioye wolde gladly receiue and sucke oute of his woordes some heauenly comforte and encrease of piety Wel to be shorte in the same rewe where is celle stoode dwelled a monke called Hengils promoted to the holy ordre of priesthod which he honoured much with his vertuous woorkes This man remaineth yet a lyue and leeke a solitary heremitein Ireland fedeth his old impotent body with browne bred and cold runninge water This monke resorting to the saied holy man oftentimes vnderstode by certaine questions which he propounded what sightes he sawe after his body and soule were departed and by his relation all which I haue brefly declared came to our knowledge Moreouer he communicated his visions with kinge Alfride a man excellently lerned in all good literature who hearde him with such comfort and attention that at his desyre he was placed at the length in the same monastery and shoren in religion In the which monastery at that time Edilwald priest of most godly and modest life was Abbot but now he is made bishop of Lindisfarn which church he gouerneth in right good ordre both with holsome doctrine and good example of lyfe semely for his vocation This holy man toke after in the same monastery a more secret celle vnto him where with more liberty he might serue his maker in continuall praier without intermission And because the place was situated vpon a riuers side he was wont to dippe and plungâ— him self in the flowinge water oftentimes for greate desyre he had to chastise his body and coÌ„tinue ther singing of psalmes and other duout prayers as longe as he coulde abyde for cold the water now and then comming vp to his hippes and now and then to his chinn And when he came out of the water he neuer chauÌ„ged his clothes being wet and cold but taried vntil they wer warmed and dryed by the natural heat of his body In the winter season wheÌ„ peaces of yce half brokeÌ„ dropt down on euery syde of him which of purpose he had broken to plounge into the riuer and diuerse men seeing him sayd it is a maruelous matter and straunge case brother Drithelme for so he was called that you can possibly suffer such bitter and sharpe colde he answered simplye for he was but a simple and sober spryted man I haue sene places colder then this is And when they said vnto him we maruel that you wil liue so coÌ„tinent and auster a lyf he answered I haue sene more austeryte and hardnesse then this is So vntill the day of his calling hence owte of this wretched world for the ernest desire he had of heauenly felycitie he punyshed his old impotent bodye with dayly fastinge and was by good fruteful instruction and godly conuersation a great comforte to manye Howe an other contrary wise dyinge founde all the synnes that euer he had donne written in a booke brought vnto hym by the deuill The. 14. Chapter BVt contrary wyse there was a man in the countre and prouince of the Marshes whose visions talk and manner of life dyd profitt many but not hym selfe In the time of Coenrede which raygned after king Edilrede there was a certaine lay man taken vpp for a souldiar and put in office in the campe who for his dyligence and actyuitie in feates of armes was greate in fauour with the kinge but for the negligence and improuident care concerninge the state of his owne sowle in displeasure with the princâ—â— Wherefore the kynge charged him eftesoones to make humblâ— confession of his sinnes and amend his former lyfe and vtterly to forsake al his detestable actes and haynous offenses lest by deathes sodayne preuention he loste tyme of repentaunce and amendment of his life but he notwithstandinge this gentyll admonition and fryndly exhortation of his souerayne contemned and set naught by those comfortable wordes of saluation and promised that he wolde do penaunce afterwarde In the meane season beinge vysited with sycknesse he toke his bedd and beganne to be more and more vexed with the vehement pangs of his dysease The kinge came to his chamber for he louyd hym tenderly and exhorted and counseled him that at the lest nowe he wolde falle to penaunce for his naughty lyfe and sinfull actes before he died Na quoth he I wyll not be confessed now but when I am well recoueryd and able to go abrode agayne than I wyll lest if I should now do it my felowes would saye that I dyd it now for feare of deathe which in my prosperyty and health I wold neuer vouchsafe to do Wherein he spake to his owne leekinge stowtly and leeke a man but certes as yt appeared after he was myserably deceuyd with the crafty illusions of the deuyll WheÌ„ the kynge came to visite hym agayne and geue him good counsell because his desease grewe more vehemently vpon him euery daye he cryed oute incontynent with a pytyfull and lamentable voyce saying Alas what meane yow my liege why come you hither Yowe are nether able to profitt nor pleasure me nor do me any good The kynge answeryd streytways Ah say not so see ye play the wyse mans parte Nay sayth he I am not madde but I haue here vndoutedly before my eies a wicked conscience all woundyd and mangled And what is this said the kinge Yf yt please yower hyghnesse quoth he a litle before yower grace came ij bewtyfull and hansome yownge men came into the howse and sate downe by me One at my head the other at my feete and one of them toke a goodly faire booke owte of his bosome but litle in quantytye and gaue yâ— me to reade In the which when I looked a litle whyle I founde all the good dedes that euer I had done fayre written and god knoweth they were fewe in number and litle in effecte when I had done they toke the booke of me againe and said nothing Then sodainly came there abowte me an whole legion of wicked sprytes and beseaged the howse rownde abowte in the vtter side and sittinge downe replenisshed euery corner within Than he which for his fowle euyll fauouryd blacke face and hyghest seate apperyd to be greatyst amongst them takyng out a booke terrible to all mens sight vnmeasurable for greatnesse and for weyght importable coÌ„mauÌ„dyd one of his blacke garde to bringe yt to me to reade When I had read a litle I founde all the enormous detestable sinnes
spiteful suttelties the wicked sprits replied alwaies against him not only his doings and superfluous wordes but also his very thoughtes as if they had them writen in booke also what gladd and heuy tydinges he lerned of the Angels and other holy and iust men appearing then vnto him let him reade the litle booke which is writen of his life and he shal receaue thereof I doubt not much spirituall comfort and instruction Amōg the whiche yet one thing there is that we haue thought good and profitable to many to expresse in this our history At what time in his traunce he was caried vp to heauen warde he was commaunded of the Angels who caried him to looke downe in to the worlde Which when he did he sawe as if it were a darke and obscure vally vnderneath him Also in the ayre foure seuerall fyres not farre distant one from the other Asking therefore the Angells what fyres those were it was tolde him that those were the fyres which should burne and consume the worlde The first fyre they saied was the fyre of lying which we all incurre when we do not fulfill the promis which we made in baptim that is to renoūnce the diuell and all his workes The second fyre is of couetousnes and desire when we preferre the riches of the worlde before the loue of heauenly matters The third is of strife and debate when we sticke not to offende the mindes of our euen Christiās euen in trifling and superfluous matters The fourth is of wickednes and impiete thinking it a light matter to injury beguile or vse violence toward our wekers and inferiours These foure fyres encreasing by litle and litle so farr at the lenght extended that ioyning altogether they grew to a great and houghly flame Which approching nigh vnto him fearing he cried to the Angel Lorde beholde the fyre draweth to me To whom the Angell saied Feare not That which thou hast not kindled shall not burne the. For though this flame seme to the terrsble great and hougy yet it trieth euery one according to the desertes of his workes For the worldly desyre that eche one hath shall burne and purifie in this fyre And as a man burneth in his body by vnlaufull pleasure so departed out of his body he shall burne by due and deserued paine Then he sawe one of the thre Angels whiche in bothe his visions had ben his guides to go before and diuide the flames from him The other two warding him on eche side from the danger of the fire also He saw againe the diuels and wicked sprits flyeng through the fire fighting with fire against the Iuste After folow the accusations of the wicked sprits against him the defence of the Angels for him and a greater sight of the heauenly company Amonge the which many of his owne nation of Scotland appeared vertuous priestes in their life time and men of great opinion of holynesse of whom he lerned diuers thinges very profitable both for him selfe and for other which would lerne of him Who after they had ended their cōmunication departing vp to heauen again with the other blessed company thre Angels remained with Furseus to reduce him againe to his body In their returne as they approched to that great foresaied fyre the Angell parted the fire from him as before yet when this man of God had entred the waie made betwene the flames certain of the wicked sprits snatching vp one of them which they tormented in the fires threwe him at him and touching him burned his shouldet and cheke The man of God knew well the person and remembred that at his death he had taken of him a garment of his bequethed him But the holy Angell taking away spedely the tormented soule threw him againe in to the fyre Whereat the wicked sprit saied repell him not now whom ye receiued before For as ye tooke the goods of this sinner so ought ye also take parte of his paynes and tormentes Vnto whom the Angell answering saied he toke it not of couetousnes but for the sauing of his soule with this the fire ceased And the Angel turning to the mā said That which thou hast kindled hath now burned in the. For if thou haddest not taken the mony of this man dying in his sinne the torment of his fire had not touched the. And here in many wordes the Angell taught him what was to be done concerning their saluation which did repent The man liuing longe time after bore the signe of that fire which he suffred in soule visible and euident to all men in his shoulder and cheke And the flesh maruailously openly shewed that which the soule priuely suffred He endeuoured euer after as he was also wont before to preache bothe by worde and example to all men the trade and duty of a vertuous life The maner of his visions he communicated only to such who of vertuous desire and holy zele desired the same It remaineth yet touching this man that we recite here the credible reporte of an auncient brother of our monastery who saieth he heard of a very trusty and vertuous man that he had sene this Furseus in the prouince of the East costes of England and had heard of his owne mouth these visions Reporting moreouer that in the most sharp frost of depe winter that holy man sitting but in a slight garment as he recounted these visions through the great feare and pleasure also conceiued by the remembraunce thereof he would sweat as if it had ben the hottest daye in the middest of sommer To returne to our principall purpose this holy man hauing preached the worde of God many yeares in Scotlande and not being able to endure any longer the commotion of the people leauing all that he had departed from his natiue countre and Ilond that he was borne in From thence he came to the easte coast of England preaching there the worde of God and erecting at last as we touched before a noble Monastery Al whiche thinges duly perfourmed intending vtterly to abandonne all worldly cares and troubles he leste also the busy gouuernement of the monastery committing that charge of soules to his brother Fullanus and to Gobbanus and Dicullus priestes taking vpō him the most solitary life of an Anchoret He had an other brother called Vltanus who also after longe proufe and triall in the monastery went vnto a wildernesse and lead an Eremites life To him he went alone liuing one whole yeare with him in continency prayers and daily hand labour The countre being after much disquieted by often inuasions of ennemies and monasteries them selfes being in danger leauing al thinges in good order he sailed in to Fraunce Where being honourably receiued of the French kinge Clouis the second and of Erkinwald then preuost of Perone he builded a monastery in a place there called Latiniacum Where not longe after falling sicke he died Whose body Earkinwald the preuost taking thence kept it in
the porche of his church vntell the church it selfe was consecrated in Perone Which being solemnely done within six and twēty daies after the body was brought thither and being remoued from the porche to be layed by the high aultar it was founde as whole and vncorrupted as if the man had but that houre departed Foure yeares after a litle chappell being erected at the east syde of the aultar wher the body shuld more honourably betoumed being takē vp againe to be transposed thither it was founde in like maner without any blemish of corruption In the which place it is well knowen that his merites haue much ben renowned by sundry miracles wrought by the allmighty power of God Thus much of the incorruption of his body we haue brefely touched that the reader might more clerely vnderstande of what excellency and vertu this man was All which thinges and of other his vertuous companyons in the booke writen of his life he that readeth shall finde more ample mencion made How after the death of Honorius Deusdedit succeded and who in that time were bishops of Rochester and in the east partes of England The. 20. Chap. IN this meane Felix the bishop of the east englishmen departing this worlde hauing ben their bishop 17. yeares Honorius the Archebishopp of Caunterbury created in his place Thomas one of his deacons borne in the prouince of Giruij after whose death liuing in that bishoprick fyue yeares he substituded in his roome Beretgilsus surnamed Bonifacius a kentishman borne Honorius also the Archebishop the measure of his life expired passed to a better in the yeare of our Lord 653. the last daye of October Whom Deusdedit a west Saxon borne succeded after a yeare and a halfe the see being vacant all that tyme. For whose creation and consecration Ithamar byshop of Rochester came to Cannterbury He was consecrated the. xxiiij of Marche and gouuerned that see ix yeares iiij moneths and two dayes After whose departure Ithamar consecrated in his place Damianus a Sussex man borne Howe the Marshes or vplandish englishmen that is the sheres of Lincolne Couentry Lichefield and worceter receaued the Christen faith vnder Penda their kinge The. 21. Chapter AT this time the Middelenglishmē that is of the sheres aboue named receiued the Christen faith and the sacramentes thereof vnder Penda their kinge sonne to Pendam that cruell and vnmercifull hethen This being a vertuous young man worthy of the name and person of a kinge was of his father put in gouuernement of that countre Who coming after to Oswin kinge of Northumberland requiring Alcfled his daughter to wife could in no other wise obtaine his suite vnlesse he would as that countre was receiue the Christen faith and be baptised Hereupon the ghospell was preached vnto him Who hearing the promis of euerlasting life the hope of resurrection and immortalite of the soule yelded him self gladly to be Christned though he shoulde not spede of his suite To this he was muche persuaded by Alcfrid king Oswins son who had maried his sister Cymburg kinge Pendan his daughter Thus then he with the Erles and kinghtes that waited vpon him and all their seruauntes were baptised of Finanus the bishopp in a famous towne of the kinges called Admurum From whence he returned home with much ioye and comfort accompained with foure priestes notable bothe for lerning and for vertue whiche shoulde instruct and baptise his people These priestes were called Cedda Adda Betti and Diuna who was a scottesman borne the other thre english Adda was brother to Vtta that holy and vertuous priest that we mencioned before and Abbot of the monastery called Cubeshead These foresaied priestes entring the prouince of the middleland with the Prince preached the worde of God and were gladly heard Whereby many daily as well noble as of the base forte renouncing the filth of idolatry were clensed in the fonte of life Neither king Pendam father to this young prince did withstande or gainsaie the preaching of the ghospell in his dominions yf any would heare it But hated in dede and persecuted all such as bearing the name of Christians liued not according to the faithe they professed saying commonly that suche men were wretched and worthely to be spited whiche regarded not to please their God in whom they beleued These thinges began two yeares before the death of kinge Penda the younger who being after slayne and Oswin a moste Christen kinge succeding him in the crowne Diuna one of the foure foresaied priestes was consecrated of Finanus and created bishop of all the middle or vplandish english men For the scarcety of priestes made that ouer all that people one Bishop was sett Who winning to the faith in short time a great multitude of people in Fepping died leauing for his successour Ceollach a Scottish man also borne Who not longe after leauing the bishoprike returned to his countre the Iland of Hij where the chief and principall monasteries of Scotland were To him succeded Trumher a vertuous man and brought vpp in religion an Englishman borne but consecrated byshopp of the Scottes in the raigne of kinge VVillher as we shall hereafter more at larg declare How the East Saxons at the preaching of Cedda receiued again the faith◠which vnder kinge Sigibert they had loste The 22. Chapter AT this very time the east Saxōs by the meanes of kinge Oswin receiued againe the faith which before expelling Melitus the first bishop of Londō out of the coūtre they abandonned Their kinge then was Sigbert succeding to Sigibert surnamed the litle This Sigbert being a nere and familiar frende of kinge Oswin then king of the Northumbrians came by that occasion oftentimes to Northumberland At which metinges the vertuous kinge Oswin vsed eftsoones to persuade with him that such could not be Gods which were made with mens handes that wodde or stone coulde not be any quicke matter to make a liuing God the pieces and remnants whereof either were wasted with fire or serued to make vessels for the vse of man or otherwise being naught worthe were caste forth troden vnder foote and turned into earth God rather saied he must be vnderstanded to be of maiesty incomprehensible to mens eyes vnuisible almighty and euerlasting who made bothe heauen and earth and all mankinde gouerned them also and should iugde the whole worlde in equite whose mansion place is euerlastinge Finally that al such as would lerne and perfourme the will of their Creatour should vndoubtedly receiue of him euerlasting rewarde therefore These and such other godly aduertissemtēs being frendly and brotherly from time to time made and repeted to king Sigbert by Oswin he began at lenght his other frendes agreing therunto to sauour them and beleue them Whereupon aduise being taken with his company and all bothe consenting and pricking him fore ward he was baptised of Finanus the bisshop in the cite of Admurum nigh vnto the walle wherewith the
sayed that a man of such authoritie which had bene bisshoppe xl yeares ought not to be condemned but once agayne dischardged and quitted from the false accusations and malicious surmises of his enemies and sent home againe with honour to his countrie With this iudgement returning towardes England he fell sodainly sicke when he came to Fraunce and was so weakened the desease growing vppon him more and more that he could not ryde nor kepe his horse but was caried in a bed by strength of his seruauntes Being thus brought to Meldune a citye in Fraunce he lay iiij dayes and iiij nights as though he had byn dead Only declaring by a litle breath which he drewe very fayntly and short that he was a lyue Thus continuing iiij dayes without meate and drinke as speachelesse and past hearing he rose the fifte daye and sate vppe in his bed as a man awaked out of a deape sleepe and when his eyes were open he sawe a company of his brethern aboute him some singing some weaping and fetting a litle sigthe asked for his chaplyn Acca By and by he was called Who entring into the chambre and seing his bishoppe somewhat better amended and able to speake he fell downe vpon his knees and gaue thankes to God with all the company that was present And when they had sate together a litle while and entred talke fearefully of the high iudgements of God the bishop commaunded al to auoide the chambre for an houre and beganne to talke after this manner to his chaplin Acca There appeared vnto me euen now a terrible vision the which I wil haue thee heare and concele withal vntill I know knowe furder the pleasure of almighty God what shal become of me A certaine man clothed all in white stode by me saying I am Michael the Archangell sent hither for this only purpose to deliuer thee from daunger of death For our Lord hathe geuen the longer tyme to lyue for the earnest prayers and lamentations which thy scholars and bretherne here haue made and also for the intercession of the blessed virgin Marie his mother Wherefore I say vnto the that presently thou shalt be healed of this infirmitie and sickenesse but yet be in a readynesse for after iiij yeares I will returne againe and visit the. Agayne as sone as thou art returned to thy countrye the greatest part of thy possessions that haue ben taken away from the thou shalt receiue againe and ende thy life in tranquillitie and peace Vppon which comfortable wordes the bisshoppe recouered to the greate ioye of all men reioysing and praysing God for him Thus going forward on his iourney he came to England When the letters brought from the see Apostolique were reade Berechtwald archebisshop and Edilrede sometimes kinge but then made an Abbot receiued him gladly in fauour againe Edilred also entreating Coenrede whom he had made kinge in his place to come and speake with him requested him to be a good and gratious Lord to the saied bisshopp which also he obtained But Aldfride king of Northumberland which would not receiue him died within a while after By which occasion it fel out in the raigne of kinge Osred his sonne that in a Synode assembled by the riuer Nid after greate contention and reasoning in both partes he was receiued into his church and bisshopprike againe with all fauour they coulde shewe him So iiij yeres space to witt to his dying daye he liued in peace and died the xij daye of October in a monasterie which he had in the prouince of Wundale vnder the gouuernement of Abbot Cudbalde From whence by the handes of the couent he was caried to his owne monasterie in Rhyppon and interred in the blessed Apostle S. Peter his churche harde by the aultar towarde the Sowth side as we signified before and ouer him is written this epitaphe An Epitaphe vppon Bisshop VVilfride VVilfrid that worthy prelat lyeth bodely in this graue VVho moued with godly zeale to Christ this temple gaue And of the Apostle Peters name S. Peters church did it call To whom the kayes of heauen Christ gaue cheaf gouernour of all He guilted it with golde most fyne and hanged it with scarlat rouÌ„d And sett vp there a Crucifix of golde euen from the ground The foure bookes of Christes ghospell in golden letters are wrote At his coÌ„maundmeÌ„t and charges eke right worthy to read and note A couer for the same also of beaten golde he did fitt The price and valew was great but his hart surmounted it Touching the course of Easter in dew time to be kept Bicause by wronge tradition many it ouerlept He taught the catholike order all England thourough out Extirping the contrary errour by authorite most stoute A numbre of religious men he assembled in this place Instructing them vertuously in the holy Fathers race VVith miseries and perills eke much vexed of longe time And of his owne dere countremen charged with many a crime But when fiue and fourty yeares he had kept a bishops state To heauen be past his bretherns cause with Christ for to debate And that with all alacrite with mirth and ioyfull hart Now graunto Christ that after his trace we folowe thee on our part How Albine succeded the holy Abbot Adrian and Acca the good bishop VVilfride The 21. Chapter THE next yere after the death of that forsaid holy father which was the fifte of king Oâ—rede his raigne the Reuerend and worthy father Adrian Abbot and coadiutour to Theodore Bishop of most blessed memory in preachinge the worde of God passed oute of this transitory lyff and was interred in his owne monastery in our ladyes church the one and fourtith yeare after he was directed from Pope Vitalian and made coadiutor to Theodore and the 39. after he came to Englande Of whose profounde knowledge and lerninge amongest other thinges this may be a sufficient testimony that Albine his schollar who had the gouernaunce of the Abbay after his decesse was so well practised in exercise of holy scripture that he had greate knowledge in the greeke tounge and did speake latin as eloquently withoute staggering or staying as he did english which was his naturall language After the death of bishop VVilfride Acca his priest succeded in the bishoprik of Hagulstad a man of a ioly courage and honorable in the sight of God and of men who enlarged his Cathedrall church dedicated in the honour of saincte Andrewe and set forth the buildinges with diuers comely and sightfull workes and moreouer imployed all his diligence and endeuour to gather together oute of all places the holy Apostles and Martirs reliques to the ende he might in honour of them builde certaine aultars a parte by them selues in litle chapels made for the same purpose within the precincte and walles of the same churche Besides he sought with al possible diligence the histories of their martyrdome and other ecclesiastical writers and made vp a very large and worthy library Moreouer he zelously
Princely hart the more be kindled and coÌ„firmed most humbly and lovvly I beseche the same to beholde a fevve examples of the most puissant Princes that haue ben in Christendom vvhich in that singular vertu haue principally excelled At vvhat time Princes and Emperours hauing certaine hundred yeares fought and striued all in vaine against the light of the ghospel and publishing of Christen religion beganne at length them selues to take the svvete yoke of Christe to submit their Sceptres to his holy Crosse and ioyning deuoute humilite vvith vvordly policie began to procure their soule helth and to prouide for the vvorlde to come then the prophecy of Esaie vvas in them fullfilled saying to the churche of Christ. Beholde I will stretche out mine hande to the gentils and sett vpp my token to the people They shall bringe thee thy sonnes in their lappes and cary their daughters vnto thee vppon their shoulders For kinges shall be thy nursing Fathers and Quenes shall be thy nursing mothers They shall fall downe before thee c et Then their chiefe endeuour and principall care hath ben to maintaine the only Catholike faith in their dominions and to chase eftesoones all schismes and heresies that from time to time sprange vp amonge Constantin the great vvorthely so called for sondry respects the Arrian heresy vnder him arising laboured by all meanes possible and semely to his princely vocation to queÌ„che the same For this purpose first he directed that lerned and vertuous Father Osius bisshop of Corduba in Spayne to the churches of AEgypte vvhere the terrible tragedy of that hainous heresie beganne vvith his letters of exhortation to reconcile them againe vvhich vvere diuided in matters of the faith He vvrote also to Arrius him selfe and Alexander the bisshop of Alexandria persuading vvith them to come to agreement and accorde After al this fuffising not at the motion and order of the vertuous bishops of that time and by their ordinary meanes he caused the truthe of the controuersy to be enquired examined and discussed in a full and generall Councell helde at Nice vvhere he presented him selfe bearing the charges of the bishops that dvvelled farre of After this councell according to the determination of those holy Fathers for quieting the church he banished Arrius Theognis Euâ—ebius of Nicomedia and other masters of that secte He talked also and commoned vvith Acesius a bishopp of the Nouatians labouring to vvinne him to the Catholike church againe Being troubled also vvith Donatus and his complices breding then a nevve secte in Christes church against Caecilianus their lavvfull bishop he vvrote vnto Miltiades then Pope of Rome to decide the matter and directed a commission out of his ovvne Courte for the better expedition of the same Thus laboured that vertuous and Christen Emperour Constantin the great to maintaine the vnite of Christes church and to abolish all heresies in the prouinces of the vvhole vvorld then subiect vnto him This glasse he lefte to his posterite other Christen Princes to looke on Valentinian the first the next catholike Emperour of any continuaunce after Constantin so earnestly tâ—Ì„dred the catholike religion that vvhen ValeÌ„s his brother the ArriaÌ„ Emperour of the East demaunded aide of him against the Gotthes then breaking in to the Romain empire he ansvvered that being an heretike it could not stande vvith his conscience and religion to helpe him fearing vvorthely the checke that God by the mouth of Iehu gaue to Iosaphat kinge of â—uda for aiding the Apostata and Idolater Achab kinge of Israell Theodosius successour of Valens in the East called also the great for his vvorthy and princely qualities for the maintenaunce of the catholike faith of Christes church published an edict against the Arrians and the Manichees vvherby he imbarred them all maner of assembles preaching or teaching banished theÌ„ out of cites and places of resorte commaunding also no man should company vvith them Againe the same Emperour after much disputations and conferences had vvith the Arrians perceauing at lenght by the aduise of Sisâ—nius that they agreed not amonge them selues nor approued the lerned vvriters in Christes churche before their time bothe vvhich great faultes are euident in the principal promoters of this nevv pretended religion vtterly to extinguish all heresy and for a finall extirping of schisme he vvith Gratian commaunded expressely that such doctrine and religion only shoulde take place as Damasus then Pope off Rome taughte and allovved Honorius and Arcadius sonnes to Theodosius folovved the godly steppes of the vertuous Prince their Father Thereupon Arcadius by the stoute aduise of Chrisostom vvould not graunt to Gainas a famous Scythian Captain vnder him one poore corner in all the East to practise his Arrian profession in Honorius likevvise hauing information of the horrible schismes of the Donatistes in Afrike directed in commission thither Marcellinus to be present at a general assemble in Carthage of the caholike bishops and the Donatistes as it appeareth by the conferences of that assemble yet extant in the vvorkes of S. Augustin Hovv diligent Theodosius the second next successour to the foresaied Emperours vvas in extirping the heresy of Nestorius and in setting forth the right doctrine touching the godhed of the holy Gost against Macedonius and his scholers the vvritings of Cyrillus ad Reginas and to Theodosius him selfe do euidently declare After these Marcianus the Emperour vvith that vertuous princesse Pulcheria laboured diligently to extinguish the heresy of Eutyches as it may appeare by sundry epistles of lerned Leo then Pope of Rome solliciting eftsoones the Emperour thereto and by the Actes of the fourth generall councell of Chalcedon VVhich not long after him Iustinus the Emperour vvith sâ—ch Christen zeale defended that he caused Seuerus the schismaticall bishop of Antioch to haue his touÌ„g cut out for the daily blasphemies he vttered against that councell Iustinian also his successour caused al the hereticall bookes and vvritinges of the saied Seuerus and other to be burned and made it death to any that kept or vsed any such books The Christen zeale of this Emperour tovvard the maintenaunce of Christen religioÌ„ is declaredin the fift general couÌ„cel kept at CoÌ„stantinople against sundry heresies Procopius coÌ„mending the earnest and vertuous zeale of this Emperour vvriteth that he vvould neuer admit Gelimerius a valiaunt Captain and one that had done him noble seruice ioyning vvith Belisarius in the vvarres against the VVandalls vnto the order of his Nobilite bicause he vvas infected vvith the Arrian heresy Such hath alvvaies beÌ„ most gracious Souuerain the vertuous zeale of the vvisest and most politicke Princes to extirpat heresies and false religioÌ„ out of their dominioÌ„s knovving right vvel that none are better subiects to the Prince than such as most deuoutly serue almighty God And again that nothing more highly pleaseth God thaÌ„ that a prince do farder and set forth the true seruice and vvorshipping of him Such
almighty God to the contentatioÌ„ of your Maiesties pleasure and to the vvelth of your graces dominioÌ„s The vvhich God of his tendre mercy through the merites of his dere Son and intercession of all blessed Saints in heauen graunt Amen Your highnes most lovvly subiect and bounden oratour Thomas Stapleton DIFFERENCES BETWENE THE PRIMITIVE FAITHE OF ENGLAND CONTINEVVED ALMOST THEse thousand yâ—res and the late pretensed faith of protestants gathered out of the History of the churche of England compiled by Venerable Bede an English man aboue DCCC yeares paste BEcause if the saith first plaÌ„ted amoÌ„g vs englishmen was no right Christen faith at all then protestants if their faithe be right are nâ—w the Apostles of England let vs coÌ„sidre what Apostolicall markes we finde in our first preachers wanâ—ing in protestants S. Augustin our Apostle shewed Signum Apostolatus sui in omni paâ—ientia in signis prodigijs the token of his Apostleship in all patience in signes and miracles as S Paule writeth of him selfe to the Corinihians whose Apostle also he was And of such miracles wrought by our Apostle S. Augustin and howe Ethâ—lbert the first Christen king of englishmâ—n was thereby induced to the faith the first booke the xxxvj and the xxxi chapters Item the second booke the second chapter do evidenly testifie Miracles in confirmation of their doctrine protestants haue yet wrought none In the primitiue church of the Apostles we read Creden inÌ„ erat cor vnum anima vna The multitude of them that beleued were of one harte and of one minde How much our Apostles tendred this vnite it may appeare in the second booke the ii Chapter where they labour to reduce the olde Brittons to the vnite of Christes church Nothing is more notorious in protestants then their infamous dissension Our Apostles and first preachers wer sent by an ordinary vocatioÌ„ as Christ was sent of his Father and of him the Apostles The history reporteth their vocation in the first book the xxiij Chap. ProtestaÌ„ts haue first preched their doctrine without vocatioÌ„ or sending at al such as the church of Christ requireth as it is other where at large proued If this enterprise be of men saied Gaâ—aliel of the Apostles preaching it shall perish But if it be of God it shall not perish Our faith of England hath continued 900. yeres and vpward The protestants faith is already chaunged from Lutheran to sacramentary in the compassâ— of lesse then 20. yeres and their primitiue faith is loste Luther being now accompted a very papist S. Paule sâ—ieth Fides est sperandarum substantia rerum Faith is the grounde or substaunce of thinges to be hoped for And againe that the Iust maÌ„ liueth by his faith Such faith putteth thinges by the belefe and practise wher off we may be saued Such a faith our Apostles taught vs. Our Crede our sacraments our lawes and Canons ecclesiastical receaued of them do witnesse The faith off protestants is as I may so saie ablatarum substantia rerum A substaunce or masse off things taken away and denied It is a negatiue religion It hath no affirmatiue doctrine but that which catholikes had befor Al that is their own is but the denial of oures This other wher is proued and may also presently appere by the differences which folow in doctrin betwene them and vs. Differences in doctrine Our Apostles saied masse In the first book the xxv Chap. it is mentioned Item of their successours in the fourth book the xiiij and xxij chap. Nothing is more horrible in the sight of protestants then Masse In the Masse is an externall sacrifice offred to God the Father the blessed body and bloud off Christ him selfe In the fiâ—fe booke the xxij chap. this doctrine is expressely reported This semeth an extreme blasphemy to protestants This sacrifice is taught to â—e propitiatory in the iiii booke the xxii chap. Protestants abhorre vtterly such doctrine Off confession off sinnes made to the priest the fourth booke doth witnesse in the xxv chap. and xxvii chap. This sacrament in the faith off protestants off our countre is abolished Satisfaction and penaunce for sinne enioyned appereth in the fourth book the xxv chap. also which in like maner the court off protestants admitteth not Merit off good works in the history is eftesoones iustified In the. 4. book the 14. and 15. chap. This doctrine semeth to protestants preiudicâ—all they saie to Gods glory but in dede to their licentious liberte Intercession off Saints protestants abhorre The practise theroff appeareth in this history in the first booke the xx chapter before we had the faith and in the iiii booke the xiiii chap. after the faith receaued The clergy off our primitiue church after holy orders taken do not mary In the first booke the xxvii chap. Now after holy orders and vowe both to the contrary priestes do mary In our primitiue church the vow of chastite both off men and wemen was thought godly and practised See the history the 3. book the 8. and 27. chap. the 4. b. the 23. chap. and in many other places Such vowes now are broken are estemed damnable are not so much as allowed in suche as woulde embrace that perfection commended in the ghospell and vniuersally practised in the primitiue church off the first v. C. yeares Such monkes and virgins liued in cloister in obedieÌ„ce in pouerty It appeareth through out all the three last bookes off the history Namely in the 3. booke the 8. chap. and the 4. booke the 6. chap. All such cloysters and orders the religion off protestants hath ouer throwen as a state damnable and wicked Praier for the dead dirige ouer night and RequieÌ„ Masse on the morniÌ„g was an accustomed matter in our primitiue church Witnesseth this history the iij. booke and ij chap. I teÌ„ the iiij boo the xxj chap. This deuotioÌ„ the sober faith of protestaÌ„ts estemeth as abhominatioÌ„ before god Reseruation of the blessed SacrameÌ„t thought no superstitioÌ„ in our primitiue church or prophanation of the sacrament lib. 4. cap. 24. Howseling before death vsed as necessary for al true christiaÌ„s As the practise specified in this history witnesseth lib. 4. ca. 3. 24. ProtestaÌ„ts vnder pretence of a coÌ„munioÌ„ do wickedly bereue christeÌ„ folcke thereof Consecrating of MoÌ„kes and Nunnes by the haÌ„ds of bishops a practised soleÌ„nite in our primitiue church It appeareth in the 4. booke the 19. and 23. chap. ProtestaÌ„ts by the liberty of their gospel laugh and scorne thereat Commemoration of Saintes at Masse time In the fourth booke the 14. and 18. chapters In the communion of protestants such commemorations are excluded as superstitious and vnlaufull Pilgrimage to holy places especially to Rome a much wount matter of all estates of our countre in our primitiue church the history witnesseth in the iiij booke the 3. aâ—d xxiij chapter Item in the v. booke the vii chap. Nothing soundeth more prophane or barbarous in the
the history of oure countre citeth him with these titles Beda homo Anglus quo nihil castius nihil melius nihil verius caet Bede an english man then whom none more chaste none off more vertu none of more truth c. With like commendation and reuerence he is alleaged of his lerned posterite in al ages In his life time not only at home with his owne countremen for his vertu and learning he was in high estimation and in greate credit with the Nobilite of our countre but also he was abrode with other Christen princes being but a monke by profession in greate estimation and muche reuerenced Therefore lyke as we reade of S. Antony S. Hierom before his tyme off S. Bernard and other after him all monkes and religious men that in their priuat celles they had yet a care of publike quyet and lyke counsellers of the whole worlde they moued princes to their duty so of holy S. Bede we reade the same For thus Platin reporteth of him Cum Africa Hispania á Sarracenis occuparetur Beda qui eisdem temporibus fuit hanc calamitatem literis ad Principes Christiani nominis scriptis lamentatus est quo bellum in hostes Dei atque hominum susciperent When Afrike and Spayne was taken and helde of the Sarrazens Bede which lyued in that time lâ—mented this calamite in letters writen to Christen Princes to the entent that they should make warres against the enemies of God and men Wherein bothe the vertuous zele and religions care of common quiet in holy S. Bede appereth and the authorite also whiche he hadd abrode with other Christen princes is signified Vnto whom also a litle before his death in familiar letters he prophecied of the great waste of Europe and the West church whiche soone after his death ensued by the Sarazens For as Afrike by their meanes lost the faith and lacketh it yet so Spayne off late only recouered the faith againe Thus muche off his learning and vertu Other especialls of his life as where he was borne howe he lyued and dyed ye maye partly reade in his lyfe written by Thrithemius which we haue translated and placed a part after the preface partly in his own words folowing after th ende of this history The Authour of this history being a man of suche lerning and vertu a countreman of oures one that writeth the history of thinges done at home done in his lyfe time or in few yeares before the memory of them being yet fresh and newe it shall not nede I trust to persuade the Reader in many words to geue credit vnto him in such thinges as he reporteth Neither may I feare to prefer his authotite before the authorite or report of any man that now liueth For beside his lerning and vertu it is to be considered that he liued in a quiet time before these controuersies which nowe so trouble Christendom were moued He is an indifferent reporter There is no suspicion of partes taking no preiudice of fauouring either side no feare of affection or misseiudgement to be gathered vpon him We haue good cause to suspect the reportes of Bale of Fox of Beacon and suche other whiche are knowen to maintaine a faction and singular opinion lately spronge vp who reporte thinges passed many hundred yeares before their daies No such suspicion can be made of S. Bede who lyued aboue eight hundred yeares paste and reporteth the planting of Christen religion among vs englishmen partly by that whiche he sawe him selfe partly by the reporte of such who either liued at the first coming in of Christendom to our countre them selues or were scholers to suchâ— Who also was no maintainer of any secte or faction but liued and died in the knowen common faith of Christendom which then was and is now but one In this history therefore vewe and consider the coming in of Christen faithe in to oure countre the heauenly tydinges brought to our Lande the course encrease and multiplying thereof The vertuous behauiour of oure forefathers the firste Christen englishmen Peruse and marke the faith which they beleued the hope wherein they continued the charite wherby they wrought Their faith taught them to submit them selues to one supreme head in Christes church the Apostolike Pope of Rome Peters successour to whom holy Scripture telleth vs the kayes of the kingdome of heauen were geuen Their faith taught them all such thinges as are now by protestants denied as for the more part we haue out of the history gathered by a numbre of differeÌ„ces placed in the second part of the Fortresse Their hope and charite so wrought that our dere countre of England hath ben more enriched with places erected to Gods honour and to the fre maintenaunce of good lerning then any one countre in all Christendome beside Gather honny lyke bees oute of this comfortable history of oure countre not venim like spiders Reade it with charitable simplicite not with suspicious curiosite with vertuous charite not with wicked malice As for example The facte of Saint Gregory described in the seconde booke the first chapter of this history reporting how that holy man seing in Rome certain of our countremen sette to be solde in the market moued with their outwarde beauty beganne to pitie and lament their inward foule infidelite holy S. Bede writeth diligently as an argument of his greate good zele and tendering of Christes religion and construeth it to the beste as no honest Reader can other wyse do But baudy Bale according to the cleanes of his sprit and holy ghospell like a venimous spider being filthy and vncleane him selfe sucketh out a poisonned sence and meaning charging that holy maÌ„ with a most outragious vice and not to be named So like an other Nero who liuing in lewde lechery woulde not be persuaded that any was honest this olde ribauld as in other stories he practised maketh this history also ministring no vnhonest suspicion at al nor geuing any colour of vncleane surmising to serue his filthy appetit and bestly humour It will better become the godly reader and Christen hart to interpret al to the best For in dede none can think euill of other which is not euill him selfe Charite saieth S. Paule thinketh no euill reoyseth not of iniquite but is delited in verite Such charite if it had ben in Bale and his felow protestants we should not now haue had so many lewde lies and malicious surmises vpon the liues of holy men as are to be sene in the workes of Bale Fox and other In this history it shal be no losse time to peruse the lerned vertuous and zelous epistles of certain Popes of Rome after S. Gregory as of Bonifacius Honorius Vitalianus and other to the kinges of our countre as wel for the encreasing of Christen faith as for the extirping of Pelagians heresy for the due obseruation of Easter which al Christendom hetherto kepeth and other like matters
of Amos and Antony the eremites also of Piammon the monk of the miraculous cures and prophecies by Ioannes a monke also of the visions and miraculous cures wrought at CoÌ„statinople in the Catholike oratory of Gregory Nazianzen if I should againe touche the miracles wrought by Symeones that famous Anchoret and of a number of other out of the History of Euagrius and Theodoret I should passe the bondes and measure of a preface It shall be sufficieÌ„t generally as I saied to note that al ecclesiasticall Histories such as this History of Venerable Bede is do alwaies by occasion intermingle miracles in the liues of holy men and lightes of Christes church Yea this kinde of write hath beÌ„ thought so profitable and necessary for the church of Christ for coÌ„firmation of the faith for exaÌ„ple of good life for the glory of God that the best and most lerned writers in Christes church haue occupied their studies therein Athanasius wrote the life of S. Antony the Abbat and so much commendeth the knowleadg thereof that in the preface he saieth Perfectaest ad virtutem via Antonium scire quid fuerit It is a perfect waie to vertu to know what a man Antony was Gregory bishop of Nissa brother to S. Basill wrote the liues of holy Ephrem and Theodorus the Martyr S. Hierom wrote the liues of Paulus Hilarion and Antony monkes S. Ambrose wrote the liues of S. Agnes S. Thecla S. Soter and Pelagia all Martyrs and virgins of Christes church Eusebius Emissenus wrote the liues of Genesius Epiphodius Alexander Martyrs of Christes church also Prudentius wrote in verse the liues and miracles of many Saints Theodoret that lerned bishop of Cyrrha wrote a great book of Saints liues intituled Philotheus whereof he maketh ofteÌ„ mention in his ecclesiastical history Seuerus Sulpitius an eloquent writer of more then twelue hundred yeares paste wrote the miraculous life off Saint Martine Saint Augustine in his bookes De ciuiDei among other arguments and tokens of the Christen faith reakoneth vp in a sette chapter sondry miracles wrought at the toumbes and relikes of holy Martyrs especially of S. Steuen Brefely if we will haue an eye to holy scripture it selfe we finde in the foure euangelistes beside the heauenly doctrine beside the tydinges of our saluation beside the mysteries of oure redemption the miracles also wrought by our Sauiour moste diligently expressed and of the three which first wrote particularly repeted we finde in in the Actes of the Apostles many miraculous cures and expulsions of wicked spirits wrought by the Apostles In the bookes of the kinges likewise manifolde miracles and thinges otherwise vncredibâ—e are reported to be done by Elias and Heliseus the prophets To conclude therefore this present history of Venerable Bede this history of the church of England our dere countre containing in it beside the historical narratioÌ„ of the coming in of vs englishmen into this lande and of attaining to the faith off Christ in the same manifold miracles and particular liues of holy men as of saint Augustin Paulinus Mellitus and other our first Apostles off lerned Theodoret and Wilfrid of the holy bishops Aidan of Scotland S. Cutbert S. Iohn of Beuerlake S. Chadde S. Erkenwald of England of S. Oswald of S. Audery and diuers other religious virgins in the very springe and first frutes of our Christen faith ought not to any Christen man seme a vaine fabulous or incredible narration more then the histories of other Saintes liues no lesse miraculous and different from the common trade of men especially in the lewde loose liberty of this wicked time than are the liues and doinges mentioned in this history ought to seme being yet writen of the most lerned fathers in Christes church aboue named and in the purest time of Christianite by the aduersaries owne confession to witt all within the compasse off the first V. C. yeares And as Theodoret in the preface of his Philotheus warneth the Christen Readers not to discredit any thinge by him to be mentioned in that history of saintes liues so will I with his wordes warne the studious Reader hereof such as esteme the iudgement of the holy and lerned Fathers Theodoret saieth and I in the name of Venerable Bede saie the same Eos qui in huius historiae lectionem inciderint oro atque obsecro c Those whiche shall happen to reade this history saieth Theodoret I praye and beseche that if they finde any thing writen which passeth their power they do yet beleue it not measuring the vertu and power of holy men with their owne vertu or power For God geueth giftes of the holy Ghoste to the godly and more excellent to such as excell in godlynes And this I speake to them which are not acquainted with the secret works of God For suche as haue wel serched and tried the secrets of the holy Ghost they knowe and feele his bountifulnes and do wel vnderstand what God among men worketh by meÌ„ when by the mighty power of miracles he draweth the vnbeleuers to the knowleadg of him Truly whosoeuer will sticke to credit such thinges as we shal report no doubt but he will also sticke and stagger to beleue the miraculous workes of Moyses of Iosue of Elias and of Elizeus Yea the miraculous workes of the Apostles he will accompt for very fables Otherwise if he wil beleue those other thinges to be al true why wil he mistrust these for false For the same grace of god which wrought in the other hath also wrought in these holy men all such thinges as they did For this grace being continual and euer running tendring alwaies such as make them selues worthy thereof by suche men as by certain riuers kepeth her mayne course and floweth most plentifully Thus farre Theodoret. For in dede as S. Augustin saieth serching out the reason how we that liue are visited of holy men departed this worlde A lij sunt humaâ—arum limites rerum alia diuinaerum signa virtutum alia sunt quae naturaliter alia mirabiliter fiunt quamuis naturae Deus assit vt sit miraculis natura non desit The bondes of mans abilite and the signes off Gods power be diuerse Some thinges are done naturally some miraculously though yet bothe God helpeth nature and nature concurreth in miracles And therefore S. Augustin though being yet so excellently lerned he could by no reason finde out how holy men departed this worlde miraculously worke here on earth as in the same place he expressely confesseth yet he reporting how that Iohn that holy Monke appeared in a vision by night to a godly woman feruently desiring to see and talke with him and how he heard it by the mouth of one which lerned it of the party her selfe and of her husband he saieth Qui hoc ab eis comperit retulit mihi vir grauis nohilis dignissimus credidi One which vnderstode this of
bearing the name of the Author as the maner is were intituled The homelies of the venerable priest Bede not being able to call him with a more honourable name while he yet lyued the same title hath remained euen to this daye Whereby he is rather called Venerable Bede then S. Bede For it was not lawfull to call any a Saint yet liuing Some do faine other causes why he should be surnamed Venerable As that being blind he preached to stones and of an epitaphe writen by an Angel But these men are deceiued For neither Bede was blinde neither it is knowen that any such epitaphe was writen vpon his sepulchre And truly were it not to auoide prolixite I coulde easely confute these folies He departed this worlde vnder Leo the Emperour In the yere of our Lorde 732. In the yere of his age 72. the last daie of Maie Indictione 15. BEDE TO THE READER All vnto whom this storie of our nation shall come either hearing it or reading it I humbly beseche that for my infirmites as well of body as of minde they wil be intercessours before the heauenly clemencie And that euery one in his countre will so awnswere my labour with mutuall charite that whereas I haue noted in euery prouince shere or countie and in the most notable places thereof such thinges as I thought worth the remembraunce and pleasaunt to the inhabitants of eche one that I may for al reward haue the helpe of their godly praiers FARE WELL. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE KING CEOLVLPHE BEDA THE SERAVNT of Christe and Priest THE History of thinges don in the church of the Englishe nation which of late I had set fourth I did both first very gladly send your grace desiring then to haue a sight and proufe therof and now againe do send it you to the entent you may both coppy it out and more fully at your lesure consider it I can not but highly commend this yower zele and good desyre you haue not only to geue good eare to the holyscriptures but also to know of things both don and spokē by worthy men before your time and specially of our owne country For whither an history containeth good thinges don by good men the wise hearer is therby prouoked to wel doing ether reporteth euill things don by euil men the vertuous and wel disposed reader neuerthelesse is moued therby both to flye that is euill and noisom to his soule and embrace the thinge he knoweth to be good and acceptable vnto God Which thing you wisely pondering desire to haue the sayd history published both to the instruction of your selfe and also to the edifieng of such other whom God hath committed vnto your gouernance And to th entent I may put both your grace and all other that shall heare or reade it out of all doubt of the verite of the sayd History I will briefly shew you what authours I haue chiefely folowed in the making therof The chiefest authour and aider I had in compiling this worke was the right reuerent abbat Albinus a mā of great learning which being brought vp in the church of Canterbury vnder Theodorus Archebishop of blessed memory and Adrianus abbat both mē of great worship and learning hath procured and sent vnto me al such thinges as wer don by Saint Gregory the Popes disciples ether in the prouince of kēt ether other places adioyning and bordering vpon the same Which thinges the said Abbate hath learned partly by writinges partly also by tradition of elders and such things as he hath in such sorte learned he hath sent vnto me by the handes of Nothelmus priest of the church of Londō to be receiued ether in writting ether by mouth and relatiō of the said Nothelmus Which also going after vnto Rome was permitted by Gregorie bishop which is now head of that church to search the closettes of the saied holy church of Rome where he founde out certaine epistles of saint Gregorie and other bishops there and at his returne hath deliuered vnto vs the sayd epistles to be put in to our history with the counsell and aduise of the reuerent father Albine aboue mencioned So that from the beginning of this booke vnto the time that the countrye of England receiued the faith of Christe we learned such thinges as we bring gathered out of the workes of such as had wrote thereof before our time And from thence vnto this present such thinges as hath ben don in the church and diocese of Canterbury by the disciples of Saint Gregory or their successors or vnder what kinge they haue ben done we haue knowen by the industrie of the sayd Abbate Albine at the reporte of Nothelmus who also hath brought me in sum parte of knowledge of such things as wer don in the prouinces of the east and west saxons and also of the east english and of the Northūbers that is to wit by what bishops preaching and vnder what king ech of the said prouinces wer conuerted vnto the faith of Christ. And to be shorte by the exhortation of the sayd Albine I was chiefly prouoked and enboldened to set vpō this enterprise Daniel also the most reuerent bishop of the west saxons which is yet a liue hath instructed me in certaine pointes of the ecclesiastical history both of his prouince of the South Saxōs and of the I le of Wite Now in what sort the prouince of Mercia recerued the saith which they knew not before and the prouince of the easte Saxons recouered the faith which they had lost before both by the ministery of Ceddi and Ceadda priests of great deuotion and how the ij◠saied fathers both liued and died we haue diligently lerned of the brothers of the monastery of Laestinge by them erected Again of things don appertaining to the church in the prouince of the easte english we haue found out partly by monuments of writting and traditions of the foreliuers and partly by the information of the reuerend Abbot Esius As for such things as wer don in the territory of Lindissig that is holy Ilond touching the furderance of the faith of Christ and what priests there succeded from time to time we haue learned ether by the writinges of the reuerent bishop Cynebertus ether by the liuely voice of other men of good creditt The history of the prouince of the Northumbers from the time they receiued the faith of Christ vnto this present we haue gotten not by any one author but by relation of many faithful witnesses which might know and remēber the same beside such things as by my owne experience I knew Among which you shal note that such thinges as I haue wrote of the most holy father and bishop Cutbert ether in this book ether in the treatice that I haue made of his life I haue takē partly out of those things which I found befor writē of him by the brothers of the church of Lindisfarnū folowing simplely the faith
Tripolis the 17. emperour froÌ„ August reigned 17. yeres This maÌ„ being rough of nature entaÌ„gled with much warres gouerned the coÌ„mon welth very valiauÌ„tly but yet with much trauail After he had vanquyshed his ciuill enemies with which he was very sore assayled he is called in to Britanny by the meanes of the great defection of the most part of the country from the Signorie of the Romans Where after he had recouered by great and greuous warres a great part of the land he made a partition betwext them and the other wild and sauage people not with buylding of a waâ—â— of stone as some suppose but with a trench and a raÌ„paire of turâ—e and timber thyck fensed with bulwarkes and turrets Which sayed trench he caused to be drawen from one sea to the other And there at yorke he died leauing behinde him 2. sonnes Bassianus and Geta which Geta being condemned of treason died And Bassianus taking vpon him the surname of Antonius gouerned the empire after the deceasse of his father Of the Raygne of Dioclesian and of the persecution which he raysed against the Christians The. 6. Chap. THe yere of our Lorde 286 Dioclesianus the xxxiij Emperour after August being chosen of the army raygned xx yeres and he created Maximinianus surnamed Herculeus his fellowe in gouernement of the Empire In whose time one Carausius of low degre in byrth but valiaunt in armes and politicke in counsell was appointed toward the sea coaste against the French menne and the Saxons whiche then with continuall robberies much wasted that countries But he so behaued him selfe that he did more hurt there then the ennemies them selues For such pillage as he had recouered from them he did not restore it to the right owners but reserued it to him selfe whereby he was suspected that he wittingly suffered them to pill and spoyle at pleasure Wher vppon being commaunded to be put to death of Maximinianus he toke vppon him the princely authoritie and vsurped the gouernance of the Britannes which after he kept vij yeres At length by treason of his fellow Allectius he was slayne Which Allectius him selfe Carausius being killed kept the possession of the Iland iij. yeres whom Asclepiodotus chiefe gouernour of the army ouercam and receiued the Iland in his possession the tenth yere after it was inuaded In the meane time Dioclesian in the easte Maximinianus in the West raysing the tenth persecution after Nero against the Christians commaunded the churches to be spoyled the Christians to be tormented and killed which persecution was both longer and also crueller then all the other for hole x. yeres together it continued in burning the churches in baÌ„nishing the innoceÌ„ts in murdering the Martyrs and neuer ceased Brefely among other places it made Britanny to be honored wyth the glory of many holy Martyres which constantly stode and died in the confession of their faith The passion of Saynt Albane and his fellowes which did shead their bludd for Christes sake The 7. Chap. AMong other suffered Saynt Albane of whom Fortunatus priest in the booke he wrote in the prayse of virgines speaking of the Martyres which from all coastes of the world cam vnto God sayth Albanum egregium foecunda BritaÌ„nia profert The fertile lande of batfull Britanny Bringeth furth Albane a Martyr right worthy This Albane being yet but a Pagane when the cruell commaundements of the wicked Princes were set forth against the Christians receiued in to his house one of the clergy whiche had fled from the persecutours whom he perceiuing bothe night and day to continewe in praying and watching beinge sodaynly towched with the grace of God began to follow the example of his faith and vertu and by litle and litle instructed by his holesom exhortations forsaking his blind idolatry became ChristiaÌ„ with his hole hart At length after the sayd person of the clergy had certain daise taried with him it came to the eares of the Prince that this holy confessor of Christ whose time was not yet come that god appointed for him to suffer martyrdome lay hid in Albanus house Whereuppon he commauÌ„did his souldiours to search his house with all diligence Whether when they were cum saynt Albane apparelled in his gests and masters garments offerid him selfe to the souldiours and so was brought bound vnto the iudge It chaunced that the iudge the same time was doing sacrifice vnto the deuills before the aultars And when he had sene Albane being all chaufed with anger for that he feared not voluntarily to offer him selfe vnto the souldiars and perell of death for his geste whom he had harbored he commaunded him to be brought before the idoles of the diuells before whom he there stode And for so much quoth he as thou haddest rather to conueye awaye the rebell and traytour to our Gods then deliuer him vp vnto the souldiours that he might sustaine due punishement for his blasphemous despising of the Gods looke what paynes he should haue suffered if he had ben taken the same shalt thou suffer if thou refuse to practise the rites of ower religion But Saynt Albane which wilfully had before discouered him selfe to be a Christian litle heeded the menacies of the Prince But being thorouly fensed with spirituall armour of grace told him plainly to his face that he would not obey his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t Then said the iudge of what house or stock art thou Albane aunsweredâ— what is that to the of what house I am but if thou be desirous to know of what religion I am be it knowen vnto the that I am a Christian and that I employe my selfe to Christian maners and excercises Then the iudge demaunded him his name My parents quoth he nameth me Albane and I honor and worship the true and liuing god whiche made al thing of naught TheÌ„ the iudge being very wroth sayde If thou wilt enioy long life cum of and do sacrifice vnto the great goddes Albane aunswered theis sacrifices whiche yow offer vp vnto the diuells neither helpe the offerers nor obtaine them their desires but rather purchase them for their reward eternall paynes in hell fire The iudge hearing this being in a rage commaunded the holy confessor of God to be all beaten of the tormentours thinking his constance would relent at strypes which refused to yeld to words but he shewed him self not only patient but also ioyful in the middle of all his torments The iudge when he sawe he could be nether wonne with wordes nor tourned with torments from the religion of Christes faith commaunded that he should be behedded In the way as he was ledd to his death he came to a floudde which with a very swift course ranne betwixt him and the place where he should suffer Now he saw a great company of all sexes degrees and ages going with him to the place of his execution in so much that it semed the iudge was left alone at home without any to attend vppon him This company was so
He also shall make your memory the more famous vnto your posterite whose honour you seke and maintaine among your people For so Constantinus being sometimes a most vertuous Emperour him selfe and calling his subiectes from the wicked worshipping of Idoles brought them all with him selfe vnder the obeysance of God almighty our Lord Iesus Christe Whereby it was brought to passe that his name was of higher renoune then any of the princes that went before him and so much in glorie excelled all his auncetours howe much also he passed them in well doing Wherfore let your highnes also seeke now to publish vnto the kinges and countries subiecte to your dominion the knowledg of one god the Father the Son and the holy Goste to th entent thereby you may passe in honorable fame the aūcient kinges of your natiō and how much the more you trauail to do away sinne in your subiectes you may haue so much the lesse fear of your own sinnes before the dreadful bench of Gods iustice Our right reuerend brother Augustine bishop being brought vp in rule of religiō hauing good knowledg in the holy scriptures and a man through the grace of god of much vertue what so euer he shall aduertise you to doe gladly heare it deuoutly doe it diligently remember it For if you will heare him in that he speaketh vnto yow in Gods behalfe God also shall the soner heare him speaking and entreating for yow If otherwise as God forbid yow refuse to geue eare and heede to his wordes how can God heare him praying for yow whom yow despise to heare speaking to yow from god Wherfor with all yowr harte ioyne yower selfe with him and assiste him in gods busynes with all such authorite that God hath geuen yow that he may make yow partaker of his kyngdom whose fayth yow in your kyngdom cause to be receiued and obserued We will also yower highnes to know that according as we ar taught in the holy scriptures by the very wordes of God the end of this world draweth onward and the kyngdom of the sayntes of God shall follow which neuer shall haue ende And the ende of the world approching many thinges shall fall vppon vs which haue not ben heard of before that is to witt chaunge of the ayer terrible sightes from heauen tempestes contrary to the order of the times All which shall not yet fall in ower dayes Wherfor if yow shall know any of these to happen in your land let not yower mynd be dismayed therwyth For therfor shall there be signes sent before the end of the world to th entent we should the more diligently tender the helth of ower soules liue euer in dowte and feare of death ready prepared by good workes for the cumming of Criste our Iudge Thus much haue I sayd in few wordes right honorable Son intending to speak more at large as I shall heare the fayth to be enlarged in your kyngdom Then shall I be so much the more encouraged to speake how much the greater comfort I shall conceiue by the conuersion of your country I haue sent yow small presentes which yet shall not seme small vnto yow if yow shall accepte them as halowed wyth the blessing of S. Peter All mighty god make perfecte in yow his grace according as he hath begonne And send yow both longe life here vppon the earthe and that ended eternall life in his kyngdom of heauen The grace of God kepe yower highnes in safte my dere Son Datum vt supra How Augustine repayred the church of our Sauiour and buylded the abbay of S. Peter the Apostle The. 32. Chap. AVgustine after he had obtayned to haue a bishops see appoynted him in the kinges citty as is aboue sayd through the ayd of the kyng he recouered there a churche which was there of owld buylt by the Romans which wer Christianes and did dedicate it to the name of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and there made a house for him and his successors And not far eastward from the citty he buylded a monastery in the which kyng Ethelbert through his aduise buylded a new church in the honor of Saynt Peter and Paule and enriched it with sundry gyftes in which both the body of Augustine him selfe and of all the bishops of Cātorbury and of all the kinges of kent wer wont to be enterred Which church yet not Augustine him selfe but Laurentius his successor did consecrat The first Abbat of that monastery was one Petrus a priest which being legat vnto Fraunce was drowned in a creake called Amflete and burned after a homly maner of the inhabitours of the same place But ower Lord entending to haue it knowen how worthy a man he was made that euery night there appeared a light from heauen vppon the place where he lay buried which when the neyghbours about had espyed gathering therby that he was some good and holy man and searching out what and from whence he was remoued his body from thence and buried it honorablye in the towne of Bulleyne in a place of the churche conuenient sor so worthy a person How Edilfrith kyng of the Northumbers wasted Britanny and conquered the Scottes The. 33. Chap. ABout this time Edilfrith a man very valiaunt and much desirous of renowne was king of Northumberland one that more wasted the Land of Brytanny then any of the English Princes So that it semed he might be cōpared vnto Saul kyng of the Iraelites saue only in that he was voide and ignorant of Gods religion For none of all the coronells none of all the kinges did conquer more of the lande of Britanny ether makyng them tributary ether dreuing them cleane owt of the countrye and planting the Englsh in their places then did this Edilfrith To whom that might be wel applyed that the Patriarke Iacob sayd when he gaue his sonne Beniamin his blessing in the person of Saul Beniamin like a rauening wolfe in the morning shall eate his pray and at night shall diuide the spoyle Wherby Edanaden kyng of Skottes much grudging to see him goe forward after this sorte assembled a mayne and a strong army agaynste him But the sayd Edelfrith encountering him in the field with a few men gaue him the ouerthrow and in that famous place of Degsastone disconfited his great army In which field Theobald brother to Edilfrith was slayne with that parte of the army wherof he was generall This battell was foughtē in the yere of our lorde 603. and the xj yere of his raygne which lasted xxiiij yeres and the first yere of the raigne of Phocas then Emperour of Rome From that time forward vnto this present neuer was there king of Scottes which durst meete the English men in the field THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE HISTORIE OF the churche of Englande Of the life lerning and death of blessed Pope Gregory The. 1. Chapter IN the yeare of the incarnation of our Lord 605. the hollie pope Gregory when he had most
gloriously gouerned the see of the Roman and Apostolique churche 13. yeares 6. moneths and. 10. dayes departed this lyfe and was translated to the eternall seate of the kyngdome of heauen Of whome it becometh me in this our historie of the churche of England more largely to speake bycause by his diligence he conuerted our nation that is the Engleshmen from the powre of Satan to the fayth of Christ. Whome we maye well and also must call our Apostle For as sone as he was high Bishop ouer the whole wordle and appointed gouerner of the churches lately conuerted to the belefe of the trueth he made our nation the churche of Christe which had ben euer vntill that time the bondsclaue of Idolls So that we maye lawfully pronownce of him the sayng of the Apostle That althowgh he were not an Apostle to others yet he was vnto vs. For the signet and token of his Apostleship we are in our Lorde This Gregory was a Roman borne his fathers name Gordian his pedegre of awncient stocke not only noble but also religiouse For Felix somtime bishop of that same see Apostolique a man of greate renomme in Christe and the churche was his greate grandfathers father This nobilite of religion he kept and maintayned with no lesse vertue and deuotion then his parents and auncient kinsfolke had done befor him But his woldly nobilite he forsoke alltogether and by the speciall grace of God turned the same to the purchasing of eternall glorie in heauen For changing sodenly his secular habite he wēt into a monasterie Where he began to lyue in such grace of perfection that vnto his mynde as often after he was wont to wytnes with weeping teares all transitorie things were already subiecte that he far surmounted al worldly workes that he was wont to thinke of nothing but heauenly things yea that being yet clogged with his erthly bodie he now by contemplation did passe the verie naturall bounds of his flesh and that he derely loued death also whiche to most men is a paynfull payne as an entraunce of lyfe to him and reward of his labour All which things he sayd of him selfe not craking of his encrease in vertues but rather lamenting the lacke and decaye of thē In which defecte as he was wont to saye he thought himselfe nowe to haue fallen by reason of his ecclesiasticall charge and occasion of greater care For talking on a time secretly with Peter his deacon when he had recompted the olde giftes and vertuous graces of his minde strayght way he sayde sorowfully But nowe alas by the meanes of this my ecclesiastical charges my mynde is encombred againe with secular affayres and after the good quyet and rest whiche it had is nowe defiled againe with the dust of earthly busines And when condescending to manie it wandereth and roueth aboute owtward matters after desiring inward good thowghtes it returneth therunto no dowbte the weaker Therfore I weigh with my selfe what I doe now suffer and I weigh also well what I haue forgone And when I behold what I haue lost this that I suffer wexeth more greueouse Thus sayde this holie man of a greate and passing humilitie But we must thinke that he lost none of his monasticall perfection by anye occasion or trowble of ecclesiasticall charge or office of a Bishop but rather that then he did much more good and profited more in vertue by the laboure of conuerting manye to the faythe then he hadd done before with the priuate quiet of his owne conuersation onlye For euen being bisshopp he ordered his house like a monasterye For as sone as he was taken owte of the monasterye and ordayned to the ministerye of the aulter being afterwarde sent as legate from the see Apostolike to Constantinople he for all that in the earthly princes palace liued so that he neuer intermitted his purpose of heauenly conuersation For he toke with him certaine brethern of the monasterie which for verie brotherly loue folowed him to that Imperiall citie for the better keping of his regular obseruance that alwaie by their example for so he writeth he might be fastned as with a stronge cable or anker to the pleasaunte porte of prayer when soeuer he were tossed withe the raging whaues of wordly cares and might also strengthen his minde by daylie conference and reading with them whensoeuer it shuld be shaken with secular affaires And truly he was by these mens companie not only defended from the assaultes of the worlde and earthly troubles but also more and more stirred vp to the exercises of heauenly life For they exhorted him that he would discusse and expound with some godly and misticall interpretation the booke of blessed Iob which was enwrapped with manie greate obscurities Neither could he denie them his paines which of brotherly loue moued him to this profitable laboure but hath therfore meruelously declared in 35. bookes of Expositions how this worke of Iobes historie first is to be vnderstāded according to the letter them how it may be referred to Christe and the sacramentes of the church last in what sense the same may be applied to euerie particular faithfull man Which worke he began to write while he was legate in Constantinople but he finished it afterward when he was Bisshop of Rome This blessed man being in Constantinople supressed an heresie of the state of our resurrectiō which then there arose in the very beginning by the force of catholike trueth and verite For Eutychius Bishop of Constantinople began to preache a false doctrine which was that our bodies in the glorie of the resurrection shuld be so subtile as is either the winde or ayer so that it should not be possible to feele ' or touche them Which when S. Gregory had heard he proued this opinion to be quite contrary to the right faith by the reason of truth and also by the example of the resurrection of our Lorde For the right and catholike faith beleueth that our bodies being exalted in the glorie of immortalitie shal in dede be subtile by the effect of spiritual poure but yet not withstāding able to befelt and touched for the truth of our nature according to the example of the bodie of our Lorde of which now rosen from death him selfe sayde to his disciples Touche ye and see for aspirite hath nor flesh nor bones as ye see me haue In the assertion of this faith the right reuerend father Gregory did laboure so much against this vpstert heresie quenched the same with such diligence and so vanquished it by the healp of the vertuous Emperour Tiberius Constantinus that from thence forth noman was founde which durst be a styrrer vp againe or mainteiner therof He made also an other excellent booke which is called the Pastorall Wherin he declareth plainly what manner of man he ought to be which should be chosen to rule the churche And how the rulers therof ought to lyue them selues and with what
discretion instruct euery one of their hearers and also with how great consideration they shuld daily weigh their owne weakenes Moreouer he wrote 40. homilies vppon the Gospell which he hath diuided by equall nuÌ„ber into 2. volumes He made also 4. bookes of dialogues in which at the request of his Deacon Peter he hath gathered the vertuous dedes of holy men which him selfe could either knowe in Italie or heare of for their same to the example of good lyfe for all the posterite That like as in his bookes of Expositions he teacheth in what vertues a man must laboure so by the describing of holy mens miracles he might shewe what and how greate the excellencie of those vertues is Furdermore bicauseâ— the first and last partes of Ezechiel the prophet semed obscure and darke he hath fully shewed by 22. Homilies how much light and good matter is within them That I nede not speake of his smal booke of answers which he wrot back to the questioÌ„s of S. Austin the first bishop of Englishmen as I haue declared before placing the whole booke it self in this mine historie Neither of his other littell booke of Synodes or CouÌ„cels which he hath made moste profitably conferring with the bishops of Italie for the necessarie affaires of the church Nor of his familiar letters sent vnto diuers men Surely it is my thinke maruaile that he should write so manie and such great volumes being as he saith of him self almost in al his youth vexed with the paines of his bowells and entralles by the weakenes of his stomake euer more sickly and made faint and feble with agues though not verie feruent for the time yet with quotidians continually trubling him But in these his greate griefes counting carefully with him selfe that the scripture saithe Euerie sonne which is receiued is scourged before the harder he was kept downe with these present aduersities the more certainly did he lifte vp himselfe with the hope of euerlasting comforte And this muche haue I sayde hitherto in the praise of his excellent witte which could not no not with so greate weakenes of the bodie be any thing debated Now whereas other bishops bestowed their laboure in building of churches and decking the same with gold and siluer this man gaue him selfe all together to the gayning of soules Whatsoeuer monie he had he diligently distributed and gaue the same to poore men that his righteousnes might remayne worlde without end and his horne be exalted in glorie for euer Who might truely saye of himselfe that saying of blessed Iob The eare hearing did bring me to blesse and the eye seing did beare witnes for me bycause I had delyuered the poore man crieng out and the fatherles childe who had no helper The blessing of the perishing man came vppon me and the heauy harte of the wydowe did I comforte I haue put on iustice and decked me theer with as with a garment and pretiouse crowne in my iudgement I haue ben an eye to the blinde and a foote to the lame I was a father of poore men and the cause which I knewe not I diligently sought for I dyd breake in peaces the iawes of the vniuste man and euen out of his teath pluckt I the praye And a litle after Yf I haue denied saith Iob to poore men what they haue asked and haue made the eyen of the widowe looke longe for her healpe Yf I haue eaten my meate alone and the poore fatherles childe hath not eaten thereof with me For euen from myne infancie mercie hath growen with me and out of my mothers wombe hit was borne with me c. Moreouer to this good S. Gregories piete and perfecte righteousnes this pertaineth also that he hath made our nation by preachers which he sent hither partetaker nowe of eternall libertie taking vs from the teeth of our old ennemie the dyule For which our faith and saluation reioysing with himselfe and commending the same with worthie prayse he saith thus in his exposition of blessed Iob Beholde the tongue of Britannie which ons knew nothing but to rore rudely hath of late begonne to sing the Hebrewe Alleluya in geauing praise to God Beholde the Ocean sea on s rough and high but now milde and calme obeyeth to the feate of holie men and the furiouse fluddes thereof which earthly Princes with force could neuer fraye the same for feare of God the poore priestes doe binde with bare wordes And that Ocean sea whiche neuer feared the mightie hostes of infidels and heathen souldiers doth now treÌ„ble at the tongues of humble faithful men For wheras by good preceptes and heauenly wordes yea and with manifest miracles too the grace and knowledge of God is powred into it by the terrour of his diuinitie it is so bridled and kept lowe that now it feareth to be troublesâ—me and most ernestly desireth to come to the glorie of immortalitie By which wordes this holye father Gregory doth de clare that S. Austin and his companie brought the EnglishmeÌ„ to the knowledg of trueth not only by preaching to them in worde but also by shewing them heauenly signes and miracles This holie Pope Gregory amongest his other doinges caused that in the chappels of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule masses should be said ouer their bodies In the celebratioÌ„ of which masses he added these three words and petitioÌ„s ful of greate goodnes and perfectioÌ„ Diesque nostros in tua pace disponas atque ab aeterna daÌ„natione nos eripi et in electoruÌ„ tuoruÌ„ iubeas grege numerari Which is to saye And dispose our dayes in thy peace coÌ„maunde vs to be takeÌ„ froÌ„ eternal daÌ„natioÌ„ and to be numbred in the flocke of thine electes He gouerned the church of Christ in the reygne of the Emperoures Morys and Phocas But in the. 2. yeare of this Phocas Empire departing owt of this life he went to the true lyfe which is in heauen His bodie was buryed in S. Peters churche before the Vesterie the xij daye of Marche With the which bodie he shall ryse agayne herafter in glorie with other Pastors of the holie church In his tuÌ„be was writen such an epitaphe as foloweth This corps o earth taken of the take now agayne to keape Vntyll the same the lord shall styrre to lyfe from deathfull sleape His spirite aboue the starres is gon where death shal not it presse VVhich rather was a waye to him the true lyfe to possesse The chefest Byshop buryd is in this sepulchre here VVhich euer and in euery place in goodnes dyd appere The hungrie man with foode he fedde the naked he arayde VVith sacred sermons Christen sowles from Satans powre he stayed He dyd in worke what thinge in word soeuer he dyd teach That he might be a sample set to men while he dyd preache The English land to Christe he turned by vertues force and guyde Making by that new nation all Christendom more wyde Toy howe thy care
commaundements of God his diligent reading continuall watching his priestly grauitye in rebuking the proude and haughty and mild demeanour in comforting the weake and refreshing the nedy And to be short I commend him as one that laboured all dayes of his life as of his most nere acquaintance I vnderstaÌ„d to obserue and fulfill all that was writen and commaunded in holy scriptures the Prophets and Apostles These thinges in that holy prelate I do much embrace and commend as things vndoubtedly pleasing almighty God But that he obserued not Easter in his due time either as ignorant therof or witting it well yet being lead with the authoritye of his countre not acknowleadging it this I neither commend nor allowe Yet in this very point this I allowe in him that in his manner of obseruing Easter he beleued reuerenced and preached no other thing then we doe that is the redemption of mankynde by the passion resurrection and ascension of Christ Iesus the mediatour betwene God and man And therfore he obserued his Easter not as many falsely do suppose altogether with the Iewes that is the fourtenth day of the moone what so ever day it fell vpon but he kept it euer vpon a sonday reakoning from the fourtenth day of the moone to the twentith and that for the faith vndoubtedly which he had in our lordes resurrectioÌ„ beleuing it to be in the first fery after the sabooth day in hope of our resurrection to come which the holy churche beleueth shall happen vpon the same first fery that is vpon a Sonday euen as owr lorde arose vpon a sonday as the scripture testifieth Of the life and death of the vertuous kinge Sigebert The. 18. Chap. ABout this tyme after Carpwalde Redwaldes successor Sigibert his brother a vertuous and deuoute man raigned ouer the East english natioÌ„ This prince while he liued in Fraunce flying the emmyte of kinge Redwald was there baptised Wherevpon after his returne coming to the Crowne and desyring to folow that godly order and trade which he had sene practised in Fraunce set vp a schole to bring vp children by the helpe and ayde of Byshopp Felix whom he toke owt of kent for that purpose appoynting them masters and teachers after the maner of the kentish men This kinge was so flamed with the loue of heauen that leauing at the laste all affaires of his realme to the gouuernement of his cosen Egrick who also before had part of his dominion with him he entred to a monastery whiche he had made for him selfe where being shoren in he bestowed his tyme to the atchieuing of the eternall kingdome of heauen Wherein hauing with much deuotion warfared a longe time to God the vplandishe english men withe their olde Capitain Penda inuaded his dominions His people after long resistaunce finding them selues to weake beseched Sigibert for the encouraging of their souldiars to come forth in to the field with theÌ„ Which when of his owne accorde he woulde not agree vnto they plucked him by force owt of the monastery and brought him against his wil vnto the field hoping that the souldyars in the presence of their olde valiaunt Capitain would lesse think vpon flight and running away Notwithstanding the vertuous man remembring his profession being sett in the middest of the army caryed only a litle rodde in his hande Thus of the cruel hethen he was killed withe kinge Egrick and the whole army discomfited Anna sonne to Guido of the kinges bloude succeded in the kingdome a man of great vertu and the father of a blessed issue as we shall hereafter in his place declare This kinge also was afterward slayne of the selfe same Penda Capitain of the Marshes or vplandish enhlishmen then heathen and vnchristned How Furseus builded a monastery amonge the Eastenglish men and of his visions and holynesse which also his â—â—esh remaining after his death vncorrupted dothe witnesse The. 19. Chapter IN the time that Sigibert gouuerned yet the east partes of England a holy man called Furseus came thither out of Ireland a man notable bothe for his sayings and doings of great vertu and much desiring to wander and trauail in Gods quarell where so euer occasion serued Coming therefore to the east coastes of England he was reuerently receiued of the saied kinge where poursuing his godly desire of preaching the worde of God he bothe conuerted many infidels and confirmed the faithefull in the faith and loue of Christ by his painefull preaching and vertuous examples Falling here in to sicknes he had from God a vision by the ministery of Angels wherin he was warned to go forth cherefully in his paine full preaching of the ghospell and perfeuere in his accustomed watching and praying bicause his ende and death was certain though the houre thereof were most vncertain according to the saying of our Lorde VVatch therfore bicause ye knowe not the daye nor the houre With this vision being much confirmed and encouraged he hastened with all spede to builde vp the monastery in the place kinge Sigibert had geuen him and to instruct it with regular discipline This monastery was pleasauÌ„tly situated for the woddes and sea adioyning being erected in the village of Cnobherburg and enriched afterward by Anna kinge of that prouince and many other noble men with sundry faire houses and other ornaments This Furseus came of the noblest race of the Scottish nation nobler yet of minde then of bloud From the very time of his childehood he gaue him selfe to reading of holy scripture and monastical discipline Especially as it becoÌ„meth holy and perfit men what soeuer he lerned to be acceptable to God he was hoful and dili gent to execut and perfourme Brefely in processe of time he builded him selfe a monastery wherein he might with more leasure and liberty attend to coÌ„templation and spiritual deuotion In the which monastery being striken with sicknesse he was taken out of his body as the booke writen of his life doth sufficiently testifie In the which traunce continuing from euening vntil the next morning he was brought to the sight of the Angelicall company and to the hearing of their blessed praises and thankes geuings to God Among other thinges which he heard them singe he was wonte to tell of the versicle I bunt sancti de virtute in virtutem Holy men shall procede from vertu to vertu And againe Videbitur Deus dcorum in Syon The God of Goddes shall be sene in Syon This holy man being restored againe to his body was within three daies after taken out againe at what time he sawe not only greater ioyes of the blessed company of heauen but also beside great conflictes of the wicked sprits which very busely went about to stoppe him of his iourney toward heauen with their often accusations auailing yet nought against him the holy Angels warding him and defending him Of all the which thinges who listeth more at large to be instructed as with what
petition was heard and graunted for xij dayes after she was taken out of this life also and receaued euerlasting rewarde in chaunge of those temporall afflictions Nowe when Torithgid the foresaid handmayd of Christe had lyued three yeare more after the death of the Abbesse she was so far pyned away with the sickenesse that we spake of before that the skyn and bones did scant cleaue together And at last the time of her departing being nowe at hand she could not only styr none of all her limmes but was speachelesse and could not moue her tongue In which case as she lay three daies and as many nightes sodainly being relieued with a ghostly vision she opened her mouthe and eyes and looking vp to heauen begaÌ„ thus to speake to the vision which she sawe Thy comminge is to me moâ—â— ioyfull and thou arte hartely wellcome And when she had so sayd she held her peace a litle as it were abyding for an aunswere of him whome she sawe and spake to And then as it were a litle angerly she sayed againe I can not gladly suffer this And straightway holding her peace a litle she spake the third tyme and sayd If it may not by any meanes be to day I beseche the that the meane time be not longe delayed wherewith holding her peace a litle as she had done before she ended and concluded her talke thus And if it be fully so appointed and that this sentence and order can not be changed I beseke thee that there be no more but only this next night betwene After which wordes being demaunded of them that sate about her to whom she spake forsoth quoth she to my most dere mother Edilburge Whereby they vnderstode she came to bringe her word that the time of her passing hence was nye For euen as she made request after one day and one night passed she was deliuered both of the bond of the flesh and of her sickenesse and entred into the ioyes of eternall blesse How a certaine blynd woman praying in the Churchyard of the same monasterie receaued her sight The. 10. Chap. IN the place and office of Abbesse Edelburg succeded a deuout handmayd of God named Hildilhid the which many yeares euen till her very great and extreme age gouerned the same monasterie exceding diligently bothe in keping of regular discipline and order and also in prouiding such thinges as apperteined to daily vses This woman bicause of the straightnesse of the place wherein the monasterie was built thought good to haue the bones of the holy monkes and handmaydes of Christ which were there buried taken vp and remoued all to the churche of the blessed mother of God and there to be buried and laid in one place In which place how often the brightenes of the heauenly light appered howe often and howe great a flagrant odour of a meruailouse swete sauour and what other miracles were there shewed who so will know and reade he shal fynd the same aboundantly in that booke out of which we haue taken these thinges Yet my thinke I can in no case let passe a miracle of one that was healed which miracle as the same booke declareth was wrought in the Churcheyard of the sayd religiouse house There dwelled an Erle therby whose wyfe had a certaine darkenes sodainly comen ouer her eyes the griefe whereof daily encreasing she was so farre troubled and molested therewith that she could not see any litle light at all This lady remaining a space in this blindnesse it came sodainly to her mind on a time that if she were brought to the monasterie of the holy virgins and there prayed at the reliques of the Saintes she might receaue her sight againe And she made no delay till she had straight fulfilled that which she had ones conceaued in her mind For being lead by her maydes to the monasterie being hard by adioyning where she had full belefe to be holpeÌ„ and healed she was straight brought into the churchyard And as she praied ther for a space on her knees her petition was heard and obtained anon For rising vp from her prayer before she went out of the place she receaued the benefit of her sight that she sought And where she was lead thither by the handes of her wayting maydes she went ioyfully home by herselfe without any guide so that it might seme that she had lost the light of this world only for this end that she might shewe by her healinge what and howe great the light is that Christes Saintes haue in heauen and what grace of power and vertue How Sebbi king of the same prouince ended his lyfe in monasticall conuersation The. 11. Chapter AT that time as also the foresayd booke sheweth there raigned ouer the East Saxons a man very deuout and godly named Sebbi of whome we made mention aboue For he was very much geuen to exercises of religion and vertu to much and often praier and to charitable almesdedes esteming the solitarie and monastical life before all the rychesse and honours of a kingdome Which kinde of lyfe he had taken long time before and giuen vp his kingdome had not the selfewilled mind of his wife refused to separate from him And therfore some men thought as it had bene often sayed that a man of such a nature and well disposed mind was more mete to be made a bishop then a king Nowe when this souldiour of the ecclesiasticall kingdome had passed ouer xxx yeres in his temporall reigne at lenght he died But first he admonished his wife that then at least they should wholly geue themselues both together to serue God whereas they could no lenger now enioye or rather serue the world together Which thing when he had with much a doo obtained of her he came to the bisshop of London named Waldher who had succeded Erconwald and at his hand and blessing receaued the habit of religion which he had long desyred To which bishop he brought a great somme of mony to be bestowed and giueÌ„ to the poore reseruing nothing at all for him selfe but rather desyring to remaine poore in spirite for the kingdome of heauen And when he perceaued the day of his death to be at hand bicause the foresayd sicknesse grewe on still vpon him for the princely haught courage that he had he began to feare least at his death throughe the bitter pange of the same he might hap either to vtter with his mouth or with some other part of his body doo any thing that were not mete and comly for his person And therefore he sent for the bishop of London where he also then continewed and desyred him that at his departing and passing out of this world there should be no mo present but the bishop himselfe and two of his chapplens Which thing when the bishop had promised moste gladly to doo not long after the said man of God setting him selfe to slepe sawe a comfortable vision which toke from him all care of
to the faith a Saxon borne which was taken with the same sickenesse and had kept his bed no small time And when the second day of the said fasting and praying was nowe come it happened that about vij a clocke in the morning as the boy was leafte al alone in the place where he lay sicke sodainly by the appointement of God there vowtsafed to appere vnto him the most blessed two chiefe Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul For the boy was of a very innocent and meke mind and nature and with sincere deuocion kepte the sacramente of faith which he had receaued In this vision the Apostles first saluted him with most gentle wordes saying Feare not Sonne the death for which thou art so pensife for we wil this day bring thee to the kingdom of heauen But first thou must tary til the Masses be said and after thou hast receaued thy viage prouisioÌ„ the body and bloud of our Lord being so released both of sickenes and death thou shalt be lifted vp to the euerlasting ioyes in heauen Therefore doo thou call for priest Eappa vnto thee and tell him that our Lorde hath heard your prayers and deuocion and hath mercifully looked vpon your fastinge neither shall there any one more dye of this plage either in this monasterie or in any of the possessions that adioyne to the same But as many as belonge to you any where and lye sicke shall rise againe from their sickenes and be restored to their former health saue only thow which this daye shalt be deliuered from death and be brought to heauen to the vision of our Lord Christ whome thow haste faithfully serued Which thing it hath pleased the mercy of God to doo for you through the intercession of the godly and dere seruant of God king Oswald which sometime gouerned the countre of Northumberland most nobly both with the authoritie of this temporall kingdome and also in holynesse and deuotion of Christen pietie which leadeth to the euerlasting kingdom For on this very day the same king being bodely slaine in battaile of the infidels and miscreants was straight takeÌ„ vp to heaueÌ„ to the eternal ioyes of the soule and felowship of the chosen and electe companies Let them seke in their booke that haue the notes of the departing of the dead and they shall fynd that he was takeÌ„ out of the world on this selfe day as we haue sayd And therfor let theÌ„ say Masses and geue thankes that their prayer is heard and also for the memory of the sayd king Oswald which sometime gouerned their nation For therefore did he humbly pray our Lord for them as being strauÌ„gers and exiles of his people And when all the bretherne are come together to the churche let them all be houselled and so fynish their faste and refresh their bodies with sustenaunce All the which wordes when the boy had declared to the priest being called vnto him the priest enquired of him what maner of aray and lykenes the men had which appeared vnto him He aunsweared they were very notable and goodly in their aray and countenaunces and exceding ioyfull and beautifull such as he neuer had sene before nor beleued that any men could be of so great comlynesse and beautie The one was shauen like a priest the other had a long beard And they sayd that the one of them was called Peter and thother Paul and that they were the ministers and seruantes of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ of whome they were sent from heauen for the sauing and defense of our monasterie Wherefore the priest belieued the wordes of the boye and went out by aud by and sought in his booke of Cronicles and found that king Oswald was slaine on that very day Then called he the bretherne together and commaunded dyner to be prouided and masses to be sayd and that they should all communicat after the accustomed maner And also willed a parte of the same sacrifice of our Lordes oblation to be brought to the sicke boye which thinge so done not loÌ„g after the boy died the very same day and proued by his death that the wordes were true which he had heard of Christes Apostles And this morouer gaue witnesse to his wordes that at that time no creature of the same monasterie was taken out of the world except him only By which vision many that might heare of the same were meruaylowsly styrred and enflamed both to praye and call for Gods mercy in aduersitie and also to vse the holesome helpes and medicines of fastinge And from that time not in that monasterie only but in very many other places to the birthe day of the sayd kinge and champion of Christ began yearely to be kept holy with masses and deuout seruice most reuerently Howe king Ceadwall â—lew Edilwach king of the Genisses and wasted that prouince with cruell death and ruyn The. 15. Chap. IN this meane time Ceadwall a valiant yong man of the royall blood of the Genisses being bannyshed from his countre came with an hoste of men and slewe king Edilwach of Sussex and wasted that prouince cruelly murdering and spoyling euery where But he was sone after driuen owt by two Capitaines of the kinges Berthun and Authun whiche from that tyme dyd holde and kepe the dominion of the prouince The chief of whiche two was afterward slaine of the same Ceadwall being then kinge in the west countre and the prouince subdued and browght into more greuouse subiection then it was before Againe he that raigned after Ceadwall oppressed it with lyke miserie and bondage a great many yeres Whereby it came to passe that the people of Sussex in all that time could haue no bishop of their own but were faine their first byshop VVilfride being called home againe to be vnder the diocese of the byshop of the Genisses which belongeth to the VVest Saxons as many as were in the territory of Selsee Howe the Ile of Wyght receaued christen inhabitantes in which I le two childerne of the kinges blood as sone as they were Christened were slayne The. 16. Chap. AFter that Ceadwall had thus obtayned the kingdome of the Geuisses or west Saxons he tooke the I le of Wight also which was so all giuen to the worshipping of idols that he entended vtterly to bannysh and dryue owt thence all the old natiue inhabitantes and to put people of his owne countre in their place For thowghe he was not yet at that time christened and regenerated in Christ him selfe at it is sayd yet he bownd him selfe with a vowe that if he tooke the Iland he wold giue vnto God the fourth part therof and of all the pray Which thing he so perfourmed that bishop VVilfride happening to be there at that time a man of his own countree he gaue and offred the same vnto him to the vse and seruice of our Lorde The sayd Iland conteyned as the English doo rate it M. CC. tenementes Whereof was giuen to
sepulchre as an aulter foure-square The greater parte standeth for an other aulter in the same churche in the manner of a quadrangle couered with faire white clothe The colour of the sayd sepulchre semeth to be white and read decently mixed together VVhat he wrote of the place of Christes ascension and the patriarches sepulchres The. 18. Chapter THe Author aboue mentioned writeth also in this wyse touching the place of Christes ascension The mounte Olyuete is as hye as the mounte Syon but not so brode nor so longe There growyth no trees but vynes and olyues wheate and barlye it bryngyth forth good stoore The vayne and soyle of that grounde is not shryueled nor fleaten but grene and full of grasse In the very toppe where Christ ascendyd to heauen standyth a greate rounde church with thre porches rownde in a circuite vawtyd and coueryd ouer The ynner chapell hauing an aultar toward the east with a goodly frount in the top could not be vauted nor coueryd ouer bicause the very place of Christes ascension might be kept open In the mydle of which churche the last prynte of Christes feete left vppon earth ar to be sene where he ascendyd into heauen openinge aboue and ready to embrace hym And although the earthe be fett away dayly of the Christians yet it remayneth still and kepyth the very figure and prynte made with the steppes of his holy feete when he ascended Rounde aboute the print of those blessed feete lyeth a brasen wheele as hygh as a mans neck hauynge an entraunce and way in vppon the east side and a greate lampe hanginge aboue it in a pullye whiche burneth day and night In the weast side of the same church be eyght windowes and so many lampes hanging in cordes directly ouer them They shine thorough the glasse to Ierusalem and their light is said to stirre the hartes of all that behold and see it with a certaine feruent zeale and compunction At the day of Christes ascension euery yere when Masse is done there cometh downe from heauen a greate gale of wynde and maketh all that ar in the churche prostrate them selfes downe flatt vppon the grownd Of the situation also of Hebron and monumentes of old auncient fathers there he writeth in this sorte Hebron somtimes the chiefest cytie in al Kinge Dauids realme shewing now only by her ruines howe princely and puissaunt she was in time paste hathe towarde the east with in a furlonge the double denne where the Patriarches sepulchres ar enuironed with a fowre square walle their hedds turned toward the northe Euery tumbe hath his stone Al the thre stones of the patriarches being all whyte squared as other stones are vsed in building of great churches Adam lieth aboute the north side and vttermost parte of the walle not farr from them in an obscure tumbe nor curiously wrought nor workmanly sett There ar besides base memorialls of thre simple weemen The hill Mambre also is a mile from these monumentes ful of grasse and pleasaunt flowres towarde the north and in the top it hath a goodly champion and playne fielde In the north parte wherof Abrahams Oke which is nowe but a stumpe as hygh as ij men can reache is compassed rounde abowt with a churche I haue thought it good for the profitt of the readers to intermingle in my historie these thinges taken out of the Authors bookes and comprised here in latin after the trewe meaning of his woordes but more brieflie and in fewer woordes If any man be desirous to knowe more of this matter either lett him reade the same booke or that litle abridgment which I drew owt of him but late How the South saxons receaued Eadbert and Collan for their bysshopps the weast Saxons Daniel and Aldethelme for theirs and of certaine writinges sett foorth by the same Aldethelme The. 19. Chap. THe yere of the incarnation off Christe 705. Alfride kinge of Northumberlande dyed the xx yere of his raigne not yet fully expired After hym sucdeded Osrede his sonne a child but eyght yeres olde and raigned xj yeares In the beginning of his raygne Hedde bysshop of the weast Saxons departed from this mortall life to immortal ioye For vndoubtedly he was a iuste man one that lyued vpryghtlye in all pointes leke a good bishoppe and preached sincerely leke a trewe pastour and that more of the loue of vertue naturally graffyd in him then of any instructours by often readinge taught him Furthermore the reuerend father and worthy prelate Pechtehlme of whom we must speake hereafter in place where he shall be mentioned who being but yet a deacon and younge monke liued familiarly a longe time with his successour Aldethelme was wounte to tell vs that in the place where the said Hedde died for reward of his holy life many great miracles and cures were don and that men of the same prouince vsed commonly to carry away dust from thence and mingle it with water for such as were deseased and sicke that also the drinking and sprinckling of the same did cure many sicke men and beastes also By which occasion for often carying away of the sacred dust a great deepe pitt was made there After his death that bisshopprick was diuided into ij dioceses The one was geuen to Daniell which he keapeth at this present the other to Aldethelme where he ruled the people very painefully for iiij yeares They were borhe lerned men skilfull in holy scripture and all ecclesiastical doctrine Aldethelme when he was priest and yet but Abbot of the monastery of Mailsbury wrote by the commaundement of the whole Synode of his countrye a booke against the errour of the Britons for not keping the fest of Easter in his dewe time and doing many thinges besides contrary to the trewe obseruation and vnite of the church By reading of the same book he reduced many Brytōs subiect at that time to the Weastsaxons to the catholike solemnisation of the feast of Easter He wrote also a notable booke of virginitie bothe in longe verse and prose with doble paines folowing the example of Sedulius He set forth also many other workes For he was notably well lerned very fine and eloquent in his talke and for knowledge as well in liberall sciences as in diuinite to be had in admiration After his death Forthere was made bishop in his place a man also much conuersant in holy scripture These ij hauing the gouuernaunce and whole rule of that diocese it was determined by a decree in the Synode that the prouince of South Saxons which to that present day appertained to the diocesse of Winchester where Daniel was bisshoppe should haue a see and bishopp of their owne seuerally Whereuppon Eadberte Abbot in the monasterie off that blessed bishoppe VVilfride was made and consecrated first bisshopp of that diocese After his death Ceolla toke the bisshoppricke vppon him Who not past iij. or iiij yeares past departing this life the see to this day is vacant
churches through out all England Byshop Chadd a man of great huÌ„blenesse Lincolne diocese and Lichfield and VVorceter * Lincolne shere Eccles. 3. How seling before death The great feare of God in B. Chadd Psal. 17. Lincolne shere Charite beleueth all things 1. Cor. 13. Miracles at the tombe of S. Chead Lincolne dyocese Holy IloÌ„d An. 670. The first Synode or Conuocation of the english church The determinations of the holy fathers to be folowed Vowe of obedience â— religioÌ„ An. 673. Theodore the Archebishop of Caunterbury deposeth VVinfride bishop of Lichefilde c. Essex Saint Erkenwalde the 4. bishop of London Berking in Essex Children browght vp in NoÌ„â—eries 2. Câ— 1â— Sinne purged by paine in this lyfe Good workes * The like maner of deuotion vsed Constantia a holy woman at the â—â—mbe of Hilarion the monk as S. Hierom recordeth in the life of Hilarion writen by him Tom. 1. Beholde how farre differeÌ„t the faith of our primitiue church is from the false faith of protestants Note the iudgemeÌ„t of S. Bede An. 677. An. 678. The dioceâ—es of Yorke Carlele and Dyrham Holy â—â—nd Lincolne shere The first bishops of Lincolne The CoÌ„uersion of Sussex to the faith Sussex In Bosam a monasterie before the faith openly receiued in Sussex A miserable famine in Sussex before the faith receaued The first christeniÌ„g in Sussex miraculous Selsee Selsee the first monasterie in Sussex now brought to the faith Miracles in the monasterie of Sâ—â—â—ee in Sussex Fasting against the plage Intercession of Saintes Masse in the memory of Saints That is of Hampshere The Vites inhabited HaÌ„pshere as the Saxons Sussex Sussex and HaÌ„psphere The secoÌ„d Synode of the church of EnglaÌ„de The v. firste general councels receaued by a coÌ„moÌ„ consent of the church of EnglaÌ„d about 800 yeares past The 5â— In this monasterie S. Bede was brought vp Priuilege from Rome for the libertie of monasteries Order of singing and churche seruice from Rome The heresy of the Monotholite The Pope is informed of the state of the church Lege Cipr. lib. 1. epist 3. et Aug. ep 92. 93. VVhy the miracles here reported ought not to be mistrusted Luc. 22. Nonnes coÌ„secrated of bishops The I le of Eelye VVhat burdens are borne now a dayes of lesse then kinges children and yet no grief felt at all * The napkins and partlets taken from S. Paules body healed the sicke and expelled diuels Act. cap. 19. c. In Cambridge shere An example for the coÌ„firmatioÌ„ of purgatory The sacrifice of the Masse propitiatory An. 680â— Vow and habit monasticall Colchester Dorchester in Barkeshere In holy Ilond Going to Rome accompted a matter of deuotion in our primitiue church 2. Cor. 22. The ferâ—â—ry Reseruation of the blessed Sacrament Howseling befoer death Blessing with the signe of the crosse A Nunnerie burned for the sinnes of the inhabitaÌ„s CoÌ„fessioÌ„ to the priest Psal. 94. Penaunce enioyned Abuses of religious persons punished by God from heauen An. 684. The welâ—hmen An. 635. Holy IloÌ„de The I le of Cochette The life of S. Cutbert being yet a monke In the first booke the. 27. chap. The life of S. Cutbert writen by S. Bede is ex tant in the. 3. tome of his workes The third Synod of the english church CoÌ„secration of bishops with a number of bisshops S. Cutbert the example of a good Bisshoppe S. Cutberts deuotion at masse time Quomodo in vâ—â—asua dilexerunt se iâ—a in merâ—e noÌ„ sunt separati As they loued in their lyfe so in their death they were not seuered Holy Ilond The deuotion of bisshops in times past In the third tome of S. Bedes workes If they which now preach only faith had such faith they should see such miracles now Holy Ilond Of S. Iohn of Beuerlake Act. cap. 3. Dedication of churches The faith of our primitiue church An. 689. Pilgrimage to Rome a woÌ„t matter in our primitiue church An. 690. An. 692. * People of high Allemaigne about the cyte of Camin * People of the higher part of â—â—iseland VVe reade in the Actes of the Apostles that S. Paul and Stlas were forbidden of the holy Ghost which was by reuelatioÌ„ to preache the worde in Asia and in Bithinia Act. cap. 16. The Redshankes Friseland conuerted to the faithe The gouuernemeÌ„t of the old Saxons The martyrâ—ome o◠〈◊〉 english priests in Saxony * People of the higher Frisia An. 696. VVilbrord an english man the first Archebishop of Vltraict in FrisselaÌ„d Let the Christian reader here aduise him self whether he may scorne at this vision bicause in heathen writers as in the Menippus of Lucian and other such fonde tales are fained or rather to beleue it bicause so lerned and holy a man râ—porteth it the time also of our first coming to the faith considered Truly I thinke therefore the heathen and infidell faineth such thinges in his false religion bycause he knoweth thaâ— God reueleth the lâ—ke to such as serue him in true religion Euen as S. Augustin noteth that therefore the diuell is delighted with externall sacrifice of man bicause he knoweth that kinde of worship to be due and proper to God him selfe Lib. 10. de Ciuit. dei Cap. 19. Holy Ilond A true and necessary doctrine for this wicked time Psal. 13. A old prouerbe Actor 7. In Northumberland Catholike â—osâ—ruations to be preferrâ—d The place of Christes natiuite * Of this church erected by Helena mother of Constantin Paulinus Nolensis maketh mention Epist. 11. ad Seuerum The deuotion of the Christians in Ierusalem aboue a thousand yeres past Et erit sepulchrum eius glorisum And the place of his buriall shall be glorious sayth the prophet Esaie Cap. 11. * VVho thinketh this incredible lett him geue a reason of the pathe way by Salisbury called S. Thomas pathe by Clarengdon parke * This abridgement is extant in the 3. tome of S. Bedes workes An. 705. * In the borders of VVilshere The dioceses of Sussex and HaÌ„pshere diuided Celse fouÌ„ded by Eadbert the first bishop of Celse in Sussex by Chichester Lib. 3. cap. 52. The lyfe of bishop VVilfrid the Apostle of Sussex Holy Ilond * The countre about Salisbury Lib. 3. cap. 28. Lib. 4. cap. 12. The heresie of the monothelites condemned The See Apostolique Bishopp VVilfride the Apostle of Sussex * Now called weimouth in which Abâ—by vnder this Ceolfrid S. Bede was brought vp and liued al daies of his life A lerned letter of the Abbat Ceolfridâ— vnto Naitan kinge of the Peyghtes or Redshankes A proufe out of holy Scripture of the Catholique obseruation off Easter Exodi 12. a. 2 c. 18. This first moneth beginneth in the first moone after the Aequiuâ—ctium Exodi 12. a. 2. Exod. 12. c. 15. Nume 33. a. 3. Exod. 12. c. 17. It is so called Act. 20. and Ioan. 20. The B. Sacrament is offred vp to god the father Leuit. 23. a. 5. Leuit. 23. The contrary opinion is refuted * The xxj daie of marche Gene. 1. * The moneth of Aprill * Dies Dominicâ— He meaneth the Pelagians The inuention of the golden number Matt. 16. Act. 8. They did beare the signe of the crossâ— in their so rehead which vsed to bleâ—se them selues therewith This accompt is now called the golden numbre An. 716. Rom. 10. An. 728. An. 725. An. 729. An. 731. * Of Yorke * Of holy Iland and al NorthuÌ„berland
of the history which I read and partely also haue added thereunto such things as I could learne my selfe by the faithful testimony of such as knew him I humbly beseche the Reader that if he shal finde any thing otherwise then truth in this treatise he wil not impute it vnto me as the which hath endeuoured to put in writing to the instruction of our after-commers such thinges as we could gather by common report which is the true lawe of an history THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF THE church of Englande Of the situation of Britanny and Ireland and of the people which inhabited there of owld time The 1. Chapter BRitāny an Iland of the Oceane which of owld time was called Albion doth stande betwext the north and the west right ouer against Germany Fraunce and Spayne iij of the greatest countries of Europe Which being eight hundred myles longe Northward is but ij hundred myles broade excepte yow reckon the cabes or poyntes of the mountaynes which runneth owt a long far into the sea wherby the Iland is in cumpasse forty and eight times lxxv myles Of the sowth side it hath Flaunders the first hauen towne wherof to arriue at for a man comyng owt of England is called Ruthubi the hauen whereof is now corruptely called Reptacester 50 myles of from Calleis or as some write 60. myles On the back syde of it where it lyeth open vnto the mayne Oceane it hath the Iles called Orcades It is an Iland very batfull of corne frute and pasture In sum places it beareth vines it hath plentif of fowles of diuerse sortes both by sea and by land of sprynges also and riuers full of fysh but specially of lampriles and eles Ther be many times also takē porposes Dolphyns and whales beside many kynde of shellfishes among other of muskles in whom be founde perles of all coulours as red purple crymson but specially white ther is also great store of cockles whereof is made the dye of crymson whose rudd will be appalled nether with heate of sonne nether with wette of wether but the oulder it is the more bright and beutifull glasse it casteth It hath also sprynges fitt to make salt and others of whott waters where ar buylded seuerall places meete for all ages as well for men as women to bathe them selues For the water as saynt Basill writeth runnyng thowrogh certayne metalles receiueth therof such vertue of heate that it is not only made warme therby but also skalding whot This Iland is stored wyth mynes of sundry metalles as of brasse lead iron and syluer It bringeth furth also great plētyf of the Geate stone and that of the best This stone is blacke and burneth being put to the fire and then is of vertu good to chase away serpentes If you rub him till he be warme he holdeth fast such thinges as ar layd vnto him euen as Aumber doth This Iland had in it sumtimes xxviij fayre cities beside an innumerable sort of castles whiche also wer well and strongly fensyd wyth walles turrettes gates and bullwarkes And for as much as it is placed right in manner vnder the north pole it hath light nightes in the sommer so that at mydnight many times men dowteth whether it be yet twylight of the euening past or breach of the day followyng Wherby the daies be of a great length there in sommer as contrary the nighte in wynter that is to wytt xviij howers by reason the sonne there is so farre gō sowthward And so in like maner the nightes in the sommer ar there very shorte and the daies in the wynter that is to wytt vj. equinoctiall howers where as in Armenia Macedonia Italia and other countries subiect to the same line the longest day or night passeth not xv the shortest ix howers This Iland at this present to the number of the v. bookes of Moses wyth v. sundry languages doth study and set furth the knowledge of one perfecte truth that is wyth the language of the English the Britannes the Scotts the Pictes and the latine which by study of the scriptures is made common to all the rest At the first this land was inhabited of none other nation but only of the Britānes of whom it receiueth his name which Britānes comyng out of Armorica called now litle Britāny as it is thought chose vnto them selues the sowth parte of this land And after when they from the sowth forward had in their possession a great parte of the I le it chaūced that certaine people of the Pictes coming owt of Scythia as it is sayd trauailing vppō the seas with a few long shippes the winde dryuing them in cumpasse rownde about the coaste of Britannye blewe them a land on Irelands syde on the north partes therof Which they finding inhabited of the Scottes besought thē to allow them some part of the land where they might plante them selues But they coulde not obtayne their desire This Ireland next vnto Britanny is the greatest lland of the Oceane sea and standeth westward of Britanny But as Northward it is not so longe as it so westward it is much longer and reacheth vnto the North partes of Spayne hauing the mayne sea runnyng betwext The Pictes as I haue sayd arriuing wyth their nauy in Ireland required of the inhabitants that they might be suffered there to rest and place them selues The Scottes aunsered that the Iland was not bigg inowgh to hold them both But we can geue you good counsel quoth they what we thynke best for you to doe We know well there is an other Iland not farre from oures standing easte ward from hence which we may see owt of this land in a fayer sonnye day If you will goe thether you may inhabit ther at will And if there be any resistance made against you we wil ayde you Whervpon the Pictes arriuing in Britanny planted them selues in the North partes therof For as for the sowth partes the Britānes had taken vpp before And wheras the Pictes hauing no wyues did require of the Scottes to marry their dawghters the Skottes agreed to graunt them their bone vnder condition that as often as the matter was in dowt they should choose their kyng rather of the next of the howse of the woman then of the man Which order it is well knowen the Pictes kepeth euen to this day In processe of yeres after the Britās and the Pictes the Skottes also wer receiued in to Britanny amōg the Pictes Which coming owt of Ireland vnder Rewda their Capitaine either by force or frendship entered and inhabited the country in Scotland which they possessed Of which capitaine euen vnto this day they ar callid dall reudini for in their language dall signifieth part Irelande both in bredth holsomnes and fines of ayre for passeth Britanny so that there snow remayneth skant iij. dayse to gether and no man there for foddering of his beastes ether maketh hay in the sommer or buyldeth stawles for