27]

A TIME OF PESTILENCE.

281

Rathmelsigi, and were seized with the plague. Ecgberct in fear of death went forth from his chamber and prayed for time to be given him in which to repent, and vowed if his life were spared, he would never return to Britain, would fast a whole day and night in every week, and 5 chant the whole psalter daily. When he had returned to his couch, his companion awoke, and told how by a vision he had learnt that Ecgbert's prayer was granted. The next night Edilhun died, but Ecgbert recovered and lived till 729 A D. He practised more severities than he had included in his vow, for in the forty days' fast he took only bread and 10 the thinnest milk once in the day. This same abstinence he also practised for forty days before Christmas and forty days after Pentecost.

P 79 3 ECLIPSIS p 169 1 22. de sex aet A M 4622. de temporibus (end XC 292° Migne).

TERTIO a mistake for primo 3 45 p m. Ussher 491. Petavius 15 de ratione temporum (1705) I 543. Pagi 664 8., The annals of Tigernach (O'Connor script rer Hib I xcii) and Ulster (Ussher 490) are correct (Stevenson) The Saxon Chronicle has Beda's date ie v non Maii.

4 PESTILENTIAE 1 28. p 42 1 23. p 64 1 20. p 105 1 30. p 118 1 10. p 89 1 17 Vighard and all his suite struck down by it at Rome. 20 h a c 8 end. 9 pr its ravages in Beda's own monastery 12 years later 686 A D. Adamnan uita Columbae II 46 (with note pp 182 183 ed Reeves 1857). III 12. In the life of Geraldus Saxo (Ussher 539 col I end) it is said to have swept away two-thirds of the inhabitants of Ireland. IO PÆGNALAECH this name in the Saxon version is Pegina25 leah. But the Sax Chron gives Wagele. After what has been said above on the confusion of Peada and Weda p 66 1 10 n the variation of the initial letters will be easily accounted for. Smith taking Beda's form thinks the similarity of name is enough to identify it with Pincanheal (now Finchale two miles from Durham) where a synod was held 30 in 788 AD. Ingram, who brings forward another form of the word Vegnalech from Leland collectan II 143 ed 1774, conjectures that it is Whalley. This Whalley is an extensive parish lying in three counties, Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire, containing several towns, chapelries and townships, with a fine abbey church, so that it is not unlikely 35 to have been of ancient celebrity. The form comes very near to that of the Sax Chron. In Sim Dunelm Whalley is written Walaleage, see Pearson historic maps of England.

II IBIDEM foreign students in Ireland 1 24. p 2619 n. p 32 1 22. p 42 1 18 n. p 149 1 1. V 9 (pr and p 191 1 39 S). 10 (p 193

282

OF READING THE PSALTER.

[III

1 16). 12 (p 197 1 21). Synodus episcoporum Patricii c 33 clericus qui de Britannis ad nos uenit sine epistula, etsi habitet in plebe, non licitum ministrare' (Migne LIII 826). Gertrude, abbess of Nivelle (cent VII) who is said to have known nearly the whole bible by heart, sent for teachers from Ireland (Mabillon AA SS OS B II 465 de 5 transmarinis regionibus gnauos homines ascibat ad docendum).

P 79 14 LECTIONIS uita Cuthb 6 § 11 Cuthbert on entering Melrose as a monk aequalem ceteris fratribus uitae regularis obseruantiam tenere uel etiam artioris disciplinae studiis supergredi curabat, legendi uidelicet operandi uigilandi atque orandi sollertior. Charlemagne in 787 gave 10 directions for education in monasteries (capitularia regum Francorum Par 1780 I 201 202).

27 RATHMELSIGI Mellifont co Louth 5 m WNW of Drogheda. The remains of the abbey are still seen. On St Mel see AA SS Mar II 551. 561-2.

28 MORTALITATE 1 4 n.

P 80 2 VENERANDAE CANITIEI PRESBYTER P 56 1 12. So Beda 20 cites the evidence of (the presbyters) Herefrid (uita Cuthb praef § 1 and c 8), Inguald (ibid 5 end) and Sigfrid (ibid 6).

6 SEDVLVS Beda often uses the adj thus h a 1 pr monasterium... sedulus rexit. ibid 9 (p 297 1 50 S) hoc sedulus eisdem solebat iterare mandatum. but also sedulo v 13 pr. cf festinus Greg dial I 10 col 25

200a.

16 PSALTERIVM h a 9 (end) Benedict, when drawing to his end, would employ a reader to beguile his sleepless nights by reading the patience of Job or some other consolatory passage of scripture. et quia nullatenus ad orandum surgere, non facile ad explendum solitae 30 psalmodiae cursum linguam uocemue poterat leuare, didicit uir prudens affectu religionis dictante per singulas diurnae siue nocturnae orationis horas aliquos ad se fratrum uocare, quibus psalmos consuetos duobus in choris resonantibus, et ipse cum eis quatenus poterat psallendo, quod per se solum nequiuerat, eorum iuuamine suppleret. cf. 13 pr of 35 Ceolfrid, in prospect of death post incomparabilem orandi psallendique sollertiam, qua ipse cotidianus exerceri non desiit. 14 pr completa horae tertiae psalmodia. ibid 16 Ceolfrid, from the day of his quitting his monastery to the day of his death (114 days) exceptis (=beside, not

27, 28]

ORDINATION OF WILFRID.

283

reckoning) canonicis orationum horis, quotidie bis psalterium ex ordine decantare curauit. cf Rock church of our fathers III 321. Bingham XIV I 'of the psalmody of the ancient church'. Lull (Bonif ep 116 Jaffé) directs a week's fast to be kept in Thuringia in order to 5 avert a scourge of rain et unusquisque seruorum dei et sanctimonialium quinquaginta psalmos cantet omni die in illa septimana.

P 81 3 SCOTTORVM SIVE PICTORVM p 19 1 1 n. EXEMPLO IO VIVENDI ET INSTANTIA DOCENDI P 27 1 2 n.

11-13 three quadragesimal fasts also in Theodore's penitential 15 II 14 I (Haddan-Stubbs III 202) ieiunia legitima tria sunt in anno pro populo; xl ante pascha, ubi decimas anni soluimus; et xl ante natalem domini: et post pentecosten xl dies et noctes. cf I 2 1 (p 178). 6 2 (p 182). 8 10 and 11 (p 184). 10 2 (p 186). 12 8. 14 2 and 3 (p 187). 149 (p 188). 14 24 (p 189). 15 4 (p 190). W E Scudamore in DCA 20 1 662-3. Bingham XXI 1 and 2.

XXVIII

VILF

ILFRID is sent by king Alchfrid to Agilberct bishop of Paris for ordination, and while Vilfrid tarried abroad king Osuiu sent Ceadda brother of bishop Cedd into Kent to be ordained. The arch25 bishop Deusdedit was just dead, so Ceadda was ordained by Vini bishop of the West Saxons who was at that time the only bishop in Britain who had been canonically ordained. By the labours of Ceadda and Vilfrid the Scots who continued to live among the Angles were brought to accept the catholic institutions, or else they departed to their own 30 country.

P 81 15 INTEREA perhaps still in 664, for 709, the year of Wilfrid's death, was the 45th of his episcopate (v 19). See Haddan-Stubbs III (108 109). ALCHFRID he desired to make a pilgrimage to Rome at this time propter adoranda apostolorum limina, in company with 35 Benedict Biscop; but his father Osuiu kept him at home (h a 2). His Romish predilections bound him to Wilfrid h e v 19 (p 206 1 8 S), who on returning to Britain from France coniunctus est amicitiis Alch

284

WILFRID'S STAY IN GAUL.

[III

fridi regis, qui catholicas ecclesiae regulas sequi semper et amare didicerat. He gave him lands at Stanford (? Stainforth in the W Riding); and at Ripon, turning out the Scots who remained true to their national usage, to make way for him. Here he was ordained presbyter by Agilberct, desiderante rege ut uir tantae eruditionis ac religionis sibi specialiter 5 indiuiduo comitatu sacerdos esset ac doctor. quem non multo post, detecta et eliminata (ut et supra docuimus) Scottorum secta, Galliam mittens, cum consilio atque consensu patris sui Osuiu, episcopum sibi rogauit ordinari, cum esset annorum circiter triginta, eodem Agilbercto tunc episcopatum agente Parisiacae ciuitatis: cum quo et alii undecim episcopi 10 ad dedicationem antistitis conuenientes multum honorifice ministerium impleuerunt. Eddius 11 the kings and wise men elect Wilfrid as most capable of enforcing the Roman usage. 12 he asserts that all the existing bps, quorum nullum meum est accusare, aut quartadecimani sunt ut Brittones, ut Scotti, aut ab illis...ordinati. To make sure therefore of 15 recognition by Rome, he asked leave to seek consecration in Gaul. cf Haddan-Stubbs III 106. Wilfrid certainly did not return from Gaul until three years before Theodore's arrival in England, which was in AD 669 (Eddius 15), that is until A D 666 (Haddan-Stubbs 108).

P 81 16 REGEM Clotaire III (655-670), a mere boy king of Neustria. 20 17 ORDINANDVм Wilfrid objected to the consecration of English bishops inasmuch as they were either converts to the Scottish calculation regarding the observance of Easter, or had received ordination from those who were of that opinion uita Wilfridi 12.

19 MAGNO CVM HONORE Eddius 12 before all the people et in 25 sella aurea sedentem more eorum sursum eleuarunt, portantes in manibus soli episcopi intra oratoria nullo alio attingente hymnosque et cantica in

choro canentes.

20 PLVRIMIS (Eddius 12) twelve in all.

21 CONPENDIO Compiègne Bouquet 111 321.696. Gall Chr IX 434 30 (Stevenson).

23 FILII Alchfrid.

25 DIDICERAT OPERIBVS p 27 1 2 n.

27 CEADDA P 64 1 26. Eddius 14 while Wilfrid was abroad, king Osuiu was won over by the Scottish party ordinantesque seruum dzi 35 religiosissimum et admirabilem doctorem de Hibernia uenientem nomine Ceadda... in sedem episcopalem Eboracae ciuitatis indocte contra canones constituerunt. AA SS Mar I 143.

28]

TESTS OF CATHOLICITY.

285

P 81 29 LAESTINGAEV p 64 1 15.

30 PRESBYTERVM SVVM as chaplain v 19 cited on 1 15. Cuthbert, abbat of Wearmouth (in Bonif ep 134 P 301 Jaffé) sent presents to Lull per Hunuini meum presbyterum. EADHAEDVM P 114 1 28. 5 P. 170 1 4.

ΙΟ

P 82 I ECGFRIDO Eddius 17. 19-21. 24.

2 INVENERVNT this expression should be noticed as an indication of the little communication between the north and south of England at this period.

3 DEVSDEDIT died 14 July 664 (111 20) and the see remained vacant till 26 Mar 668 (Iv 1).

8 BRETTONVM Theodore's penitential 11 9 1 (Haddan-Stubbs III 197) qui ordinati sunt a Scottorum uel Britonum epis15 copis, qui in pascha uel tonsura catholici non sunt, adunati ecclesiae non sunt, sed iterum a catholico episcopo manus impositione confirmentur. Accordingly Ceadda was reconsecrated p 93 1 5—13.

9 SAEPIVS P 23 16 n. p 51 13.

SECVS as the mos canonicus is that of Rome (cfl 11 canonice) 20 contra is the word wanted. See secus in the glossary. May not secus ac, otherwise than,' have induced Beda to give the word a sense opposite to the received? Mr Gidley alone has seen the difficulty.

25

JO VLLVS qu Boniface of E Anglia and possibly Damianus of Rochester (Haddan-Stubbs III 106).

II

CANONICE ORDINATVS pope Zacharias (Bonif p 187 Jaffé) denounces roundly the erroneos simulatores sub nomine episcoporum uel presbyterorum, qui numquam ab episcopis catholicis fuerunt ordinati. 13 CASTITATI qu purity of doctrine, orthodoxy? v 18 (p 203 11 S) Aldhelm wrote a book against the error of the Britons, quo uel 30 pascha non suo tempore celebrant uel alia perplura ecclesiasticae castitati [in Aldhelm caritati] et paci contraria gerunt. v 20 (end) in catholicae fidei confessione castissimus.

14 OPPIDA RVRA P 2716. p 581 15–25 n. p 61 1 13.

15 NON EQVITANDO p 27 1 7 n.

17 EISDEM ACTIBVS III 5.

19 VENIENS Wilfrid returned from Gaul in the year 666 A D.

18 CEDDI C 22 23.