204

BEDA'S PUPILS.

[BEDA'S commune legendi studium ad tuum accire colloquium. quod si ita deo uolente posset impleri, non opus esset tibi haec per litteras scripta dirigere, cum possem liberius ore ad os loquens, quaeque uellem siue necessaria ducerem, secreta tibi allocutione suggerere. uerum quia, hoc ne fieret, superueniens ut nosti corporis mei ualetudo prohibuit: 5 agere tamen quae potui erga dilectionem tuam fraternae deuotionis intuitu curaui, mittendo uidelicet per litteras quod corporaliter ueniendo per collocutionem nequiueram. precorque te per dominum, ne harum apices litterarum arrogantiae supercilium esse suspiceris, sed obsequium potius humilitatis ac pietatis ueraciter esse cognoscas. ep 4 ad Wicredam 10 (XCIV 675 Migne) pr libenter accepi litteras tuae benignitatis, amantissime in Christo frater, et capitula quae rogasti promptus describere ac tibi dirigere acceleraui, memor familiaritatis ac dulcedinis, qua, cum illo aduenirem, me suscepisti. sed et quaestionem illam merito famosam de historia ecclesiastica, super qua me interrogasti 15 praesentem et cui tunc breuiter ut potui respondi, nunc latius etiam litteris explanare studui.

P 2 27 HE DIED AD 735 26 May Ascension day. But for a singu. lar variation of this date see the letter of Cuthbert Testimonia p 177 15 and the note thereon.

20

28 REPORT OF His last hours by Cuthbert, printed pp 176—9. HIS PUPILS eg Huaetberct (Haddan-Stubbs III 299), afterwards abbat of Wearmouth, to whom he dedicates the 'de temporum ratione' (Migne XC 296a), and (under his other name Eusebius, prooem expos in Sam lib IV Migne xc1 663d) the explanatio apocalypsis' 25 (ibid XCIII 129-134, cf the dedication to Acca of the 'expositio super acta apostolorum' ibid XCII 937); Wigberct the deacon, for whom he wrote 'de arte metrica' (ibid XCI 149); Nothelmus, afterwards abp of Canterbury, who sent him 30 questions on the books of kings ('in libros regum quaestionum XXX liber unus' ibid 715-6). 30 31 BURIED IN THE MONASTERY OF JARROW between 1021 and 1041 his bones were stolen by a presbyter Aelfred and conveyed to Durham, where they shared the fate of S Cuthbert's relics (Mabillon § 19, Stevenson xx xxi, acta ss Mart III 133, 139, Maii VI 723, Reginald Dunelm 1835 c 57, J Raine in DCB 'Cuthbert'). On 35 Jarrow see Hutchinson's Durham (Newcastle 1787 4to) II 470-80, on Monkwearmouth 500-6, Haddan-Stubbs III 470-1, Alcuin epp 13, 218, 219 ed Froben, Surtees Durham 11 1-7, 66–70. James Raine the inventories and account rolls of the Benedictine houses or

LIFE]

EXPOSITIONS of the bible.

205

cells of Jarrow and Monk-Wearmouth, Surtees soc 29, 1854 'a life of Bede was the only book, with the exception of their service books, which finds a place in their inventories'. Inventory 1310 p 3 (cf 1313 pp 10, 12, 1321 p 15, 1333 p 21) 'unus liber sancti Bedae'. 1326 5 p 15 (cf 1328 p 17, 1330 p 18, 1331 p 19) 'j liber de uita sancti Bedae'. 1338 p 24 'j liber de sancto Beda'. 1491 p 125 ‘j martyrologium cum tracta... Benedicto Biscope et sancto Beda', from which it appears that the life of Beda was bound up with that of Benedict.

P 3 3 EXPOSITIONS OF THE BIBLE Acca requesting from Beda 10 (in a letter which he enjoins him to publish before the book) a simple commentary on St Luke chiefly after Ambrose, bears witness to his biblical studies (Migne XCII 304 b) credo etiam tuo uigilantissimo studio, qui in lege dei meditanda dies noctesque ducis peruigiles, nonnullis in locis quae ab eis intermissa sunt, quid sentiri 15 debeat, auctor lucis aperiet. iustum namque satis est et supernae pietatis atque aequitatis moderamini conueniens, ut qui neglectis ad integrum mundi negotiis aeternum uerumque sapientiae lumen indefessa mente persequeris, et hic fructum intellegentiae purioris assequaris etc. Beda replies (ibid 3034 seq) ego mox lectis tuae dul20 cissimae sanctitatis paginulis iniuncti me operis labori supposui in quo (ut innumera monasticae seruitutis retinacula praeteream) ipse mihi dictator simul notarius et librarius existerem. What Ambr Aug Greg ('nostrae gentis apostolus') Hier or others had supplied, he indicated by their initials in the margin, which he 25 adjures ('per dominum legentes obtestor') transcribers to retain [in the letter to Acca before in Marci euang expositio' ibid 133-4 is the same adjuration; yet no copy is known with these marks] nonnulla... proprii sudoris indicia ubi opportunum uidebatur adnexui, qui in legis diuinae meditatione etsi non (ut ipse scripsisti) dies noctesque 30 peruigiles ducere sufficio, non parum tamen studii me in scripturis impendisse non dubito et ea solum quae mihi auctor lucis aperire dignatus est, non in hoc tantum opusculo, sed in omni prorsus lectione potuisse uidere, id est recte sentiendo dignoscere. In the prooemium to book IV of the same commentary (ibid 475) beginning with a lesson 35 (c 11 14) in which the spirit of pride is cast out by the finger of God tuam, Christe, clementiam suppliciter imploro, ut spiritus tuus bonus deducat me in uiam rectam, et eum qui ab aquilone est, longe faciat a me, quatenus eiectis a me malignis scruter mandata dei mei reuelatisque mentis oculis ad consideranda tuae sacrosanctae legis mirabilia

206

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

[BEDA'S deuotus lector ingrediar. In the liber retractationum in actus apostolorum he adds to and corrects (sometimes with reference to the Greek) the commentary composed some years before rogatu uenerabilis episcopi Acca (ibid 995o). In the 'explanatio apocalypsis' he follows mainly Tychonius, except where that author was misled by Donatist leanings 5 (ibid XCIII 133 seq) plura uero, quae illi utpote uiro ingenioso .... aperta nec quaesitu digna uidebantur, quantum uel magistrorum traditione uel memoria lectionis uel etiam captu nostri sensus attingere potuimus, superadicere curauimus... nostrae siquidem, id est Anglorum, gentis inertiae consulendum ratus, 10 quae et non dudum, id est temporibus beati Gregorii papae, semen accepit fidei et idem quantum ad lectionem tepide satis excoluit, non solum dilucidare sensus uerum sententias quoque stringere disposui. The reputation of these commentaries was great and enduring. Thus Seruatus Lupus de tribus quaestionibus (ed Baluze Par 1664) 289 Beda 15 diuinis litteris impense doctus. id ep 62 p 104 begs the abbat Alsig an Englishman to lend him Quintilian, certain commentaries of Jerome and Bedae quoque uestri similiter quaestiones in utrumque testamentum. The monk of St Gall (cent 1x in Jaffé monum Carol Berl 1867 632) doctissimi Bedae presbiteri, peritissimi quidem post 20 sanctum Gregorium in scripturis tractatoris. Walafrid Strabo often cites him in the glossa ordinaria, Smaragdus (cent Ix in Migne CII) consulted him for his collections on the epistles and gospels for the year. and some 25 lessons from him are still read in the Roman breviary (enumerated by J A Ginzel kirchenhistorische Schriften Wien 1872 25 II 13). Christianus Druthmar (cent IX? in Migne CVI 1263 ab) expos in Matt prol in Marco non est necessarium manum mittere post beatum Bedam in Luca quoque audio post sanctum Ambrosium eundem Bedam manum misisse, sed non potui inuenire adhuc nisi quasdam eius homelias (cf his citations of a rhythmus' of Beda 1464a, 1465a). Paschasius Radbert cites Hier Ambr Aug Greg IoChrys 'eorumque ultimum Bedam presbyterum' as sources of his exposition on Matt; he also (likewise to no purpose) adopted Beda's mode of citation by the initials of his authors' names (Migne cxx 35°). Dom Pitra's promise (Ceillier 19 b) 'de donner dans le spicilegium Solesmense les véritables 35 commentaires de Bède sur le Psautier et sur saint Paul, tirés des manuscrits en caractères anglo-saxons', has not been fulfilled.

P 3 8 HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA principal editions: Lat-Sax by Abr Wheloc, Cambridge Rog Daniel 1643 fol with an interesting

30

LIFE]

MISSIONS TO GERMANY.

207

preface and notes mainly polemical, containing many extracts from Anglo-Saxon homilies (cf Fuller's dedication to Sir Tho Adams of his church hist cent 8).-P F Chifflet s J Paris 1681 4to.-*Lat-Sax by John Smith Cambridge 1722 fol. Thomas Gale, dean of York, 5 had made collections which he made over to Smith, who founded his text on the famous MS of bp Moore. This edition, published by the author's son George, contains all the historical works of Beda, with learned notes (reprinted in Hussey's edition Oxford 1846) and au appendix of documents.-Lat by Petrie in the monum hist Brit 1848 10 fol.-See Abr Cronholm Bedae he critice examinata Lund 1841. English translations (1) by the famous controversialist Tho Stapleton Antw 1565 4to (dedicated to qu Elizabeth and followed by ‘a fortresse of the faith dedicated to the deceived protestants of England'), St Omers for Iohn Heigham 1622 (dedication to king James signed T S, 15 though Stapleton died 1598). The style of this version is admirable and even Cave pauses to commend the beauty of the type. (2) by Ja Stevens London 1723. (3) by L Gidley Oxford 1870. The English bishops writing to pope Leo III (795-816) quote Beda (Migne CII 1033): scribente Beda historiographo et laudabili scriptore 20 nostro. Lanfranc writing to pope Alexander II gives an account of a council held at Winchester (ep III p 301o ed Par 1648) where the history of Beda Anglorum doctor was consulted on a question of precedence.

P 4 26 MISSIONS TO GERMANY eg of Wilfrid, the two Hewalds, Suidbert, Willebrord (Clement) first bp of Utrecht, Lebwin, Winfrid 25 (Boniface), Werenfrid, Willibald and his brother Wunibald, Burchard, Lull, Witta, Adalbert, Sola, Deocharus, Willibald's sister Walpurgis abbess of Heidenheim, Kundruth and her daughter Berthgith relations of Lull and zealous teachers in the nunneries of Thuringia, Thecla abbess of Kissingen, Lioba or Leobgytha who had learnt the art of 30 poetry from the abbess Eadburg. Later the Northumbrian Willehad, Alcuin's pupil, first bishop of Bremen. See Aug Werner: Bonifacius der Apostel der Deutschen und die Romanisierung von Mitteleuropa Leipzig 1875. Willibald uita Bonif c 6 p 454 Jaffé.

35

P 5 I COLD IS PAIRED WITH HEAT measure for measure III I 118-123

ay, but to die, and go we know not where;

to lie in cold obstruction and to rot;

this sensible warm motion to become

a kneaded clod; and the delighted spirit

208

OF PURGATORY.

to bathe in fiery floods, or to reside

in thrilling regions of thick-ribbed ice.

[BEDA'S

See bp Fisher's English works E ETS 1876 423-4, 426. Caedmon has the same thought Sharon Turner A S 1117 280. On the return of the dead to life and their reports of the other world see Aug ciu 5 dei XXII 28, epist 158, 159, 162, de cura pro mortuis 12=15 (VI 879 Gaume), Greg dial 1 10 fin, 12, IV 26 (412°), 31, Bonif ep 20=10 Jaffé (cf ep 112 Jaffé), where he relates to the abbess Eadburg a story which he had from the abbess Hildelild (Migne LXXXIX 713 with the note), the monks Maximus and Bonellus and the young mason Baldarius 10 (dicta beati Valerii ad Donadeum, in Migne LXXXVII 431-6). Arber's reprint of the monk of Evesham'. For the current notions of purga. tory see Greg dial IV 25, 39, 40 fin, 41.

P 5 10 ANOTHER VISION of Greg dial IV 38.

21 YEARS AFTER THE INCARNATION Jo Wilh Jani historia 15 aerae Dionysianae Viteb 1715 4to. Julian bp of Toledo contra Iudaeos III fin in bibl max patr XII 630a iam uero residuus annorum numerus a tempore natiuitatis Christi usque in praesens in promptu est unicuique et scire si uolet et supputare si placet, assumptis uidelicet annis secundum eram ab ipsa domini incarnatione. era enim inuenta 20 est ante triginta et octo annos quam Christus nasceretur. nunc autem acclamatur era esse decxxiu. detractis igitur triginta et octo annis, ex quo era inuenta est usque ad natiuitatem Christi, residui sunt delxxxui anni. The preface to the conc German 742 was suspected by Mansi (XII 355) on account of its date; but Binterim and Hefele (Concilien- 25 gesch 111 498) reply that Boniface may well have brought this mode of computation (afterwards occasionally used by Charlemagne) from England. See Jaffé's Bonif p 127 (= Haddan-Stubbs III 384) in nomine domini nostri Iesu Christi ego Carlmannus dux et princeps Francorum anno ab incarnatione Christi septingentesimo quadragesimo 30 secundo. Pagi 604 11-12, 664 13-14 (he accepts the spurious charter, n 984 of Kemble, dated 664; see Haddan-Stubbs III 100), 686 10, 695 4, 701 1. The letter of Honorius (Bed h e II 18) is dated 11 June 634, but the words id est anno dominicae incarnationis sexcentesimo tricesimo quarto are probably Beda's gloss. The earliest genuine 35 document bearing date AD in Haddan-Stubbs is of the year 680 (111 164, cf. 300). In or after 736 (ibid 336) Boniface (ep. 30 Jaffé, 40 Würdtwein) asks Nothelm in quoto anno ab incarnatione Christi praedicatores primi missi a sancto Gregorio in gentem Anglorum uenissert.