Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

KING EDWIN CONSIDERS ADOPTING
CHRISTIANITY

(Bede's Ecclesiastical History, 731)

(Translated by J. A. GILES)

which we have hitherto professed has, as far as I can learn, no virtue in it. For none of your people has applied himself more diligently to the worship of our gods than I; and yet there 5 are many who receive greater favours from you, and are more preferred than I, and are more prosperous in all their undertakings. Now if the gods were good for anything, they would rather forward me, who have been more 10 careful to serve them. It remains, therefore, that if upon examination you find those new doctrines, which are now preached to us, better and more efficacious, we immediately receive them without any delay."

15

Another of the king's chief men, approving of his words and exhortations, presently added: "The present life of man, O king, seems to me, in comparison of that time which is unknown to us, like to the swift flight of a sparrow through the room wherein you sit at supper in winter, with your commanders and ministers, and a good fire in the midst, whilst the storms of rain and snow prevail abroad; the sparrow, I say, flying in at one door, and immediately out at 25 another, whilst he is within, is safe from the wintry storm; but after a short space of fair weather, he immediately vanishes out of your sight, into the dark winter from which he had emerged. So this life of man appears for a short space, but of what went before, or what is to follow, we are utterly ignorant. If, therefore, this new doctrine contains something more certain, it seems justly to deserve to be followed." The other elders and king's counsellors, by divine inspiration, spoke to the same effect.

King Edwin,' therefore, delaying to receive the word of God at the preaching of Paulinus,2 and using for sometime, as has been said, to sit several hours alone, and seriously to ponder 20 with himself what he was to do, and what religion he was to follow, the man of God came to him, laid his right hand on his head, and asked, "Whether he knew that sign?" The king in a trembling condition, was ready to fall down at his feet, but he raised him up, and in a familiar manner said to him, "Behold by the help of God you have escaped the hands of the enemies whom you feared. Behold you have of his gift obtained the kingdom which you 30 desired. Take heed not to delay that which you promised to perform; embrace the faith, and keep the precepts of Him who, delivering you from temporal adversity, has raised you to the honour of a temporal kingdom; and if, 35 from this time forward, you shall be obedient to his will, which through me he signifies to you, he will not only deliver you from the everlasting torments of the wicked, but also make you a partaker with him of his eternal kingdom in heaven."

But Coifi added, that he wished more attentively to hear Paulinus discourse concerning the God whom he preached; which he 40 having by the king's command performed, Coifi, hearing his words, cried out, "I have long since been sensible that there was nothing in that which we worshipped; because the more diligently I sought after truth in that worship, the less I found it. But now I freely confess, that such truth evidently appears in this preaching as can confer on us the gifts of life, of salvation, and of eternal happiness. For which reason I advise, O king, that we instantly abjure and set fire to those temples and altars which we have consecrated without reaping any benefit from them." In short, the king publicly gave his license to Paulinus to preach the Gospel, and renouncing idolatry, declared that

The king, hearing these words, answered that he was both willing and bound to receive the faith which he taught; but that he would confer about it with his principal friends and 45 counsellors, to the end that if they also were of his opinion, they might all together be cleansed in Christ the Fountain of Life. Paulinus 2 consenting, the king did as he said; for, holding a counsel with the wise men, he asked of every 50 one in particular what he thought of the new doctrine, and the new worship that was preached? To which the chief of his own priests, Coifi, immediately answered, "O king, consider what this is which is now preached to 55 he received the faith of Christ: and when he us; for I verily declare to you, that the religion

1 The famous King Edwin of Northumbria, 617-733.

2 An early English bishop, who had come to Northumwith the princess Ethelburh of Kent, when she e Edwin's queen.

inquired of the high priest who should first profane the altars and temples of their idols, with the enclosures that were about them, he answered, "I; for who can more properly than

myself destroy those things which I worshipped through ignorance, for an example to all others, through the wisdom which has been given me by the true God?" Then immediately, in contempt of his former superstitions, he desired the king to furnish him with arms and a stallion; and mounting the same, he set out to destroy the idols; for it was not lawful before for the high priest either to carry arms, or to ride on any but a mare. Having, 10 answered, "I cannot sing; for that was the therefore, girt a sword about him, with a spear in his hand, he mounted the king's stallion and proceeded to the idols. The multitude, beholding it, concluded he was distracted; but he lost no time, for as soon as he drew near the temple he profaned the same, casting into it the spear which he held; and rejoicing in the knowledge of the worship of the true God, he commanded his companions to destroy the temple, with all its enclosures, by fire. This 20 place where the idols were is still shown, not far from York, to the eastward, beyond the river Derwent, and is now called Godmundingham, where the high priest, by the inspiration of the true God, profaned and destroyed the 25 created heaven for the sons of men, as a roof of altars which he himself had consecrated.

towards him, he rose up from table and returned home.

Having done so at a certain time, and gone out of the house where the entertainment was, 5 to the stable, where he had to take care of the horses that night, he there composed himself to rest at the proper time; a person appeared to him in his sleep, and saluting him by his name, said, "Cadmon, sing some song to me." He

THE VISION OF CÆDMON

(From the same)

(Translated by J. A. GILES)

reason why I left the entertainment, and retired to this place, because I could not sing." The other who talked to him, replied, "However you shall sing."-"What shall I sing?" 15 rejoined he. "Sing the beginning of created beings," said the other. Hereupon he presently began to sing verses to the praise of God, which he had never heard, the purport whereof was thus:-We are now to praise the Maker of the heavenly kingdom, the power of the Creator and his counsel, the deeds of the Father of glory. How he, being the eternal God, became the author of all miracles, who first, as almighty preserver of the human race,

the house, and next the earth. This is the sease, but not the words in order as he sang them in his sleep; for verses, though never so well composed, cannot be literally translated 30 out of one language into another, without losing much of their beauty and loftiness. Awaking from his sleep, he remembered all that he had sung in his dream, and soon added much more to the same effect in verse worthy of the Deity.

There was in this abbess's monastery' a certain brother, particularly remarkable for the grace of God, who was wont to make pious 35 and religious verses, so that whatever was interpreted to him out of Scripture, he soon after put the same into poetical expressions of much sweetness and humility, in English, which was his native language. By his verses the 40 dream, and repeat the verses, that they might

In the morning he came to the steward, his superior, and having acquainted him with the gift he had received, was conducted to the abbess, by whom he was ordered, in the presence of many learned men, to tell his

all give their judgment what it was, and whence his verse proceeded. They all concluded, that heavenly grace had been conferred on him by our Lord. They expounded to him a passage

minds of many were often excited to despise the world, and to aspire to heaven. Others after him attempted, in the English nation, to compose religious poems, but none could ever compare with him, for he did not learn the art 45 in holy writ, either historical or doctrinal,

of poetry from men, but from God; for which reason he never could compose any trivial or vain poem, but only those which relate to religion suited his religious tongue; for having lived in a secular habit till he was well advanced 50 in years, he had never learned anything of versifying; for which reason being sometimes at entertainments, when it was agreed for the sake of mirth that all present should sing in

ordering him, if he could, to put the same into verse. Having undertaken it, he went away, and returning the next morning, gave it to them composed in most excellent verse; whereupon the abbess, embracing the grace of God in the man, instructed him to quit the secular habit, and take upon him the monastic life; which being accordingly done, she associated him to the rest of the brethren in her monastery, and

their turns, when he saw the instrument come 55 ordered that he should be taught the whole

Goodmanham, about twenty-three miles from York, was a chief seat of the old worship. It was here that the Witan had met to consider the new religion.

The monastery at Streoneshalh, now Whitby, on the coast of Yorkshire. The abbess was Hild.

series of sacred history. Thus Cædmon, keeping in mind all he heard, and as it were

2 For a translation of the Old English version of Cædmon's hymn, see p. 8.

chewing the cud, converted the same into most
harmonious verse; and sweetly repeating the
same, made his masters in their turn his hearers.
He sang the creation of the world, the origin of
man, and all the history of Genesis: and made
many verses on the departure of the children
of Israel out of Egypt, and their entering into
the land of promise, with many other histories
from holy writ; the incarnation, passion,
resurrection of our Lord, and his ascension into 10
heaven; the coming of the Holy Ghost, and the
preaching of the apostles; also the terror of
future judgment, the horror of the pains of hell,
and the delights of heaven; besides many more
about the Divine benefits and judgments, by
which he endeavored to turn away all men from
the love of vice, and to excite in them the love
of, and application to, good actions; for he
was a very religious man, humbly submissive to
regular discipline, but full of zeal against those 20
who behaved themselves otherwise; for which
reason he ended his life happily.

sing the nocturnal praises of our Lord? They answered, "It is not far off." Then he said, "Well, let us wait that hour," and signing himself with the sign of the cross, he laid his 5 head on the pillow, and falling into a slumber, ended his life so in silence.

Thus it came to pass, that as he had served God with a simple and pure mind, and undisturbed devotion, so he now departed to His presence, leaving the world by a quiet death; and that tongue, which had composed so many holy words in praise of the Creator, uttered its last words whilst he was in the act of signing himself with the cross, and recommending 15 himself into His hands, and by what has been here said, he seems to have had foreknowledge of his death.

BEDE'S ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF (From the same)

(Translated by J. A. GILES)

Thus much of the Ecclesiastical History of Britain, and more especially of the English nation, as far as I could learn either from the writings of the ancients, or the tradition of our ancestors, or of my own knowledge, has, with the help of God, been digested by me, Bede, the servant of God, and priest of the monastery of the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul, which is at Wearmouth and Jarrow;1 who being born in the territory of that same monastery, was given, at seven years of age, to be educated by the most reverend Abbat Benedict, and afterwards by Ceolfrid; and, spending all the remaining time of my life in that monastery, I wholly applied myself to the study of Scripture, and amidst the observance of regular discipline, and the daily care of singing in the church, I always took delight in learning, teaching, and writing. In the nineteenth year of my age, I received deacon's orders; in the thirtieth, those of the priesthood, both of them by the ministry of the most reverend Bishop

2

For when the time of his departure drew near, he laboured for the space of fourteen days under a bodily infirmity which seemed to pre-25 pare the way, yet so moderate that he could talk and walk the whole time. In his neighborhood was the house to which those that were sick, and like shortly to die, were carried. He desired the person that attended him, in the 30 evening, as the night came on in which he was to depart this life, to make ready a place there for him to take his rest. This person, wondering why he should desire it, because there was as yet no sign of his dying soon, did what he 35 had ordered. He accordingly went there, and conversing pleasantly in a joyful manner with the rest that were in the house before, when it was past midnight, he asked them whether they had the Eucharist there? They answered, 40 "What need of the Eucharist? for you are not likely to die, since you talk so merrily with us, as if you were in perfect health."-"However," said he, "bring me the Eucharist." Having received the same into his hand, he asked, 45 John,3 and by the order of the Abbat Ceolfrid.

whether they were all in charity with him, and without any enmity or rancour? They answered, that they were all in perfect charity, and free from anger; and in their turn asked him, whether he was in the same mind towards 50 them? He answered, "I am in charity, my children, with all the servants of God." Then strengthening himself with the heavenly viaticum, he prepared for the entrance into another life, and asked, how near the time 55 was when the brothers were to be awakened to

From which time, till the fifty-ninth year of my age, I have made it my business, for the use of me and mine, to compile out of the works of the venerable Fathers, and to interpret and explain according to their meaning these following pieces.*

1 Bede entered the monastery of St. Peter at Wear-
mouth, in Durham, in his seventh year, and the associated
monastery of St. Paul at Jarrow in his nineteenth year.
2 The famous Benedict Biscop, Abbot of Wearmouth.
Ceolfrid was his successor.

2 John of Beverley, bishop of Hexham.
4 Here follows a list of Bede's works.

Cuthbert1

CUTHBERT'S LETTER ON THE DEATH
OF BEDE

(c. 735)

(Translated by P. V. D. SHELLY)

5

And when he had come to the words "leave us not orphans," he burst into tears and wept much. And after a while he began to repeat what he had begun. And we, hearing these 5 things, mourned with him. Now we read, and now we wept; nay, we read as we wept. In such gladness we passed the quinquagesimal days until the above mentioned day, and he rejoiced greatly and gave thanks to God because he had been worthy of such affiiction. He would often say, "God scourgeth every son whom He receiveth," and much more from the holy scriptures. A saying of Ambrose's he would also repeat, "I have not lived in such a manner as to be ashamed to live among you; but neither do I fear to die, because we have a good God." In these days also, he strove to produce two works worthy of memory, in addition to teaching us and singing psalms. He translated into our tongue, for the use of the Church, the gospel of St. John, to where it is said, "But what are these among so many?" and certain excerpts from the works of Bishop Isidore, saying, "I do not wish that my pupils should read falsehood, or labor herein without profit after my death." When the third Tuesday before the Ascension of our Lord had come, he began to experience great difficulty in breathing, and a slight swelling developed in his feet. But he labored all that day, and dictated happily, and among other things said, "Learn quickly, for I know not how long I shall live, or whether in a little while my Maker shall take me." To us, however, it seemed that he knew

To his most dear fellow-lector Cuthwin, beloved in Christ, Cuthbert, his co-disciple in God, sends greeting. The little gift you sent 10 me I have received with pleasure, and with great joy have I read your letter, full of a devout learning, in which I learn, what I so greatly desired, that you are diligently celebrating masses and prayers for our father and 15 master, Bede, beloved of God. Whereforemore on account of my love for him than be cause of any confidence in my powers-I am pleased to tell you in a few words how he departed from this life, since this, I understand, 20 is what you desire and request. About two weeks before the day of the Resurrection, he was afflicted with great weakness and with shortness of breath, although he was without pain; and so, happy and rejoicing, giving 25 thanks to Almighty God every day and every night, indeed almost every hour, he lived until the day of our Lord's ascension, that is the seventh of the Kalends of June. To us, his pupils, he continued to give lessons every day, 30 and the rest of the day he spent in singing psalms. Ever vigilant, he would spend the whole night in rejoicing and in giving thanks, except when a little sleep prevented. Upon awaking, however, he would again repeat the 35 well the time of his going forth. Thus he spent customary prayers and with hands uplifted continue to give thanks to God. Truly I may say that I have neither seen with my eyes nor heard with my ears any one give thanks so diligently to the living God.

the night in vigils and thanksgiving. And at dawn, that is on Wednesday, he commanded us to write diligently what we had begun; and this we did unto the third hour. From the third 40 hour we walked with the relics of the saints, as the custom of the day demanded. One of us remained with him, who said to him, "There is yet one chapter lacking. Does it not seem hard that you should be questioned further?" But he answered, "It is easy. Take pen and ink, and write quickly." He did so. At the ninth hour he said to me, "In my chest I have a few little valuables, pepper, napkins, and incense. Go quickly and bring hither the priests of our

O truly blessed man! He was wont to repeat the words of St. Paul the Apostle, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," and many other things from the Scriptures, by which he would admonish us to 45 rouse ourselves from the sleep of the soul by thinking upon our last hour. Also he sometimes spoke in our tongue, the English, for he was very learned in our songs: . . . He would also sing Antiphons, according to his 50 monastery, that I may distribute among them usage and ours, one of which is: "O King of glory, Lord of Hosts, who in triumph didst this day ascend above all the heavens, leave us not orphans, but send upon us the promise of the Father, the Spirit of Truth, Alleluia." 55

1 Cuthbert, who must not be confused with the better known St. Cuthbert, was a pupil of Bede. May 26, 735. Hebrews, x, 31. Here follows the so-called Bede's Death Song, for a translation of which see p. 8.

what gifts God has granted me. The rich men, in this day, may wish to give gold and silver and the like treasures; I, with great charity and gladness, shall give to my brothers what God has bestowed." And with fear I did this. Then addressing one and all, he besought them to sing masses for him and to pray diligently;

The time between Easter and Pentecost. 6 Hebrews, xii, 6.

7 St. John, vi. 9.

« ZurückWeiter »