How Egbert, a holy man of the English nation, led a monastic life in Ireland [664 A.D.] | Book 3 | Chapter 27
IN the same year of our Lord 664, there happened an eclipse of the sun, on the third day of May,about the tenth hour of the day. In the same year, a sudden pestilence depopulated first the southern parts of Britain, and afterwards attacking the province of the...
How, when Tuda was dead, Wilfrid was ordained, in Gaul, and Ceadda, among the West Saxons, to be bishops for the province of the Northumbrians [664 A.D.] | Book 3 | Chapter 28
IN the meantime, King Alchfrid sent the priest, Wilfrid, to the king of Gaul, in order that he should cause him to be consecrated bishop for himself and his people. That prince sent him to be ordained by Agilbert,of whom we have before spoken, and who, having left...
How the priest Wighard was sent from Britain to Rome, to be ordained archbishop; of his death there, and of the letters of the Apostolic Pope giving an account thereof [667 A.D.] | Book 3 | Chapter 29
AT this time the most noble kings of the English, Oswy, of the province of the Northumbrians, and Egbert of Kent, consulted together to determine what ought to be done about the state of the English Church, for Oswy, though educated by the Scots, had rightly perceived...
How the East Saxons, during a pestilence, returned to idolatry, but were soon brought back from their error by the zeal of Bishop Jaruman [665 A.D.] | Book 3 | Chapter 30
AT the same time, the Kings Sighere and Sebbi, though themselves subject to Wulfhere, king of the Mercians, governed the province of the East Saxons after Suidhelm, of whom we have spoken above.When that province was suffering from the aforesaid disastrous plague,...
How when Deusdedit died, Wigihard was sent to Rome to receive the episcopate; but he dying there, Theodore was ordained archbishop, and sent into Britain with the Abbot Hadrian [664-669 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 1
IN the above-mentioned year of the aforesaid eclipse and of the pestilence which followed it immediately, in which also Bishop Colman, being overcome by the united effort of the Catholics, returned home, Deusdedit, the sixth bishop of the church of Canterbury, died on...
How Theodore visited all places; how the Churches of the English began to be instructed in the study of holy Scripture, and in the catholic truth, and how Putta was made bishop of the Church of Rochester in the roam of Damianus [669 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 2
THEODORE came to his Church in the second year after his consecration, on Sunday, the 27th of May, and spent in it twenty-one years, three months, and twenty-six days. Soon after, he visited all the island, wherever the tribes of the English dwelt, for he was gladly...
How the above-mentioned Ceadda was made Bishop of the province of Mercians. Of his life, death, and burial [669 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 3
AT that time, the province of the Mercians was governed by King Wulf here, who, on the death of Jaruman, desired of Theodore that a bishop should be given to him and his people; but Theodore would not ordain a new one for them, but requested of King Oswy that Ceadda...
How Bishop Colman, having left Britain, built two monasteries in the country of the Scots; the one for the Scots, the other for the English whom he had taken along with him [667 A. D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 4
IN the meantime, Colman, the Scottish bishop, departing from Britain,took along with him all the Scots whom he had gathered about him in the isle of Lindisfame, and also about thirty of the English nation, for both these companies had been trained in duties of the...
Of the death of the kings Oswy and Eghert, and of the synod held at the place Herutford, in which Archbishop Theodore presided [670-673 A. D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 5
IN the year of our Lord 670, being the second year after Theodore arrived in England, Oswy, king of the Northumbrians, fell sick, and died, in the fifty-eighth year of his age.He at that time bore so great affection to the Roman Apostolic usages, that he had designed,...
How Wynfrid being deposed, Sexwulf received his bishopric, and Earconwald was made bishop of the East Saxons [675 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 6
NOT long after these events, Theodore, the archbishop, taking offence at some act of disobedience of Wynfrid, bishop of the Mercians,deposed him from his bishopric when he had held it but a few years, and in his, place ordained Sexwulf bishop,who was founder and abbot...
How it was indicated by a light from heaven where the bodies of the nuns should be buried in the monastery of Berecingum [675 A.D.?] | Book 4 | Chapter 7
IN this monastery many miracles were wrought, accounts of which have been committed to writing by those who were acquainted with them, that their memory might be preserved, and succeeding generations edified, and these are in the possession of many persons; some of...
How a little boy, dying in the same monastery, called upon a virgin that was to follow him; and how another nun, at the point of leaving her body, saw some small part of the future glory [675 A. D.?] | Book 4 | Chapter 8
THERE was, in the same monastery, a boy, not above three years old, called Aesica; who, by reason of his tender age, was being brought up among the virgins dedicated to God; there to learn his lessons. This child being seized by the aforesaid pestilence, when his last...
Of the signs which were shown from Heaven when the mother of that community departed this life [675 A.D.?] | Book 4 | Chapter 9
Now when Ethelburg herself, the pious mother of that community devoted to God, was about to be taken out of this world, a wonderful vision appeared to one of the sisters, called Tortgyth; who, having lived many years in that monastery, always endeavoured, in all...
How a blind woman, praying in the burial-place of that monastery, was restored to her sight [675 A.D.?] | Book 4 | Chapter 10
HILDILID, a devout handmaid of God, succeeded Ethelburg in the office of abbess and presided over that monastery with great vigour many years, till she was of an extreme old age,in the observance of regular discipline, and carefully providing all things for the common...
How Sebbi, king of the same province, ended his life in a monastery [694 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 11
AT that time, as the same little book informs us, Sebbi , a very devout man, of whom mention has been made above, governed the kingdom of the East Saxons. His mind was set on religious acts, frequent prayer and pious fruits of almsgiving; he esteemed a private and...
How Haedde succeeded Leutherius in the bishopric of the West Saxons; how Cuichelm succeeded Putta in the bishopric of the church of Rochester, and was himself succeeded by Gebmund; and who were then bishops of the Northumbrians [673-681 A. D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 12
LEUTHERIUS was the fourth bishop of the West Saxons; for Birinus was the first, Agilbert the second, and Wini the third. When Coinwalch,in whose reign the said Leutherius was made bishop, died, the sub-kings took upon them the government of the nation, and dividing it...
How Bishop Wilfrid converted the province of the South Saxons to Christ [681 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 13
BUT Wilfrid was expelled from his bishopric, and having long travelled in many lands, went to Rome, and afterwards returned to Britain. Though he could not, by reason the enmity of the aforesaid king, be received into his own country or diocese, yet he could not be...
How a pestilence ceased through the intercession of King Oswald [681-686 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 14
IN this monastery, at that time, certain special manifestations of the heavenly grace are said to have been shown forth; in as much as the tyranny of the Devil had been recently cast out and Christ had begun to reign there. Of these I have thought it proper to...
How King Caedwalla, king of the Gewissae, having slain Ethelwalch, wasted that Province with cruel slaughter and devastation [685 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 15
IN the meantime, Caedwalla,a young man of great vigour, of the royal race of the Gewissae,an exile from his country, came with an army, slew Ethelwalch, and wasted that province with cruel slaughter and devastation; but he was soon expelled by Berthun and Andhun, the...
How the Isle of Wight received Christian inhabitants, and two royal youths of that island were killed immediately after Baptism [686 A. D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 16
AFTER Caedwalla had obtained possession of the kingdom of the Gewissae, he took also the Isle of Wight, which till then was entirely given over to idolatry, and by merciless slaughter endeavoured to destroy all the inhabitants thereof, and to place in their stead...
Of the Synod held in the plain of Haethfelth, Archbishop Theodore being president [680 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 17
ABOUT this time, Theodore being informed that the faith of the Church at Constantinople was much perplexed by the heresy of Eutyches, and desiring that the Churches of the English, over which he presided, should remain free from all such taint, convened an assembly of...
Of John, the precentor of the Apostolic see, who came into Britain to teach [680 A. D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 18
AMONG those who were present at this synod, and confirmed the decrees of the Catholic faith, was the venerable John, archchanter of the church of the holy Apostle Peter,and abbot of the monastery of the blessed Martin, who had come lately from Rome, by order of Pope...
How Queen Ethelthryth always preserved her virginity, and her body suffered no corruption in the grave [660-696 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 19
KING EGFRID took to wife Ethelthryth, the daughter of Anna,king of the East Angles, of whom mention has been often made; a man of true religion, and altogether noble in mind and deed. She had before been given in marriage to another, to wit, Tondbert, ealdormanof the...
A Hymn concerning her | Book 4 | Chapter 20
IT seems fitting to insert in this history a hymn concerning virginity, which we composed in elegiac verse many years ago, in praise and honour of the same queen and bride of Christ, and therefore truly a queen, because the bride of Christ; and to imitate the method...
How Bishop Theodore made peace between the kings Egfrid and Etheired [679 A. D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 21
IN the ninth year of the reign of King Egfrid, a great battlewas fought between him and Ethelred, king of the Mercians, near the river Trent, and Aelfwine, brother to King Egfrid, was slain, a youth about eighteen years of age, and much beloved by both rovinces; for...
How a certain captive’s chains fell off when Masses were sung for Him [679 A. D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 22
IN the aforesaid battle, wherein King Aelfwine was killed, a memorable incident is known to have happened, which I think ought by no means to be passed over in, silence; for the story will be profitable to the salvation of many. In that battle a youth called Imma, one...
Of the life and death of the Abbess Hilda [614-680 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 23
IN the year after this, that is the year of our Lord 680, the most religious handmaid of Christ, Hilda,abbess of the monastery that is called Streanaeshalch,as we mentioned above, after having done many heavenly deeds on earth, passed thence to receive the rewards of...
That there was in her monastery a brother, on whom a gift of song was bestowed by Heaven [680 A.D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 24
THERE was in the monastery of this abbess a certain brother, marked in a special manner by the grace of God, for he was wont to make songs of piety and religion, so that whatever was expounded to him out of Scripture, he turned ere long into verse expressive of much...
Of the vision that appeared to a certain man of God before the monastery of the city Coludi was burned down | Book 4 | Chapter 25
AT this time, the monastery of virgins, called the city of Coludi, above-mentioned, was burned down, through carelessness; and yet all that knew it might have been aware that it happened by reason of the wickedness of those who dwelt in it, and chiefly of those who...
Of the death of the Kings Egfrid and Hiothere [684-685 A. D.] | Book 4 | Chapter 26
IN the year of our Lord 684, Egfrid, king of the Northumbrians, sending his general, Berct,with an army into Ireland, miserably laid waste that unoffending nation, which had always been most friendly to the English; insomuch that the invading force spared not even the...