By BÆDA,

the "VENERABLE BEDE

"

(673-735), a native of Bernicia, who was trained for the church, and

spent most of
his life in the
Benedictine
abbey of

Jarrow on the
Tyne, where

he died.

Later his

bones were removed to

the Cathedral of Durham, and a shrine was erected to his memory. Both

3.

The Coming of the Angles and Saxons (circ. 450)

In the year of our Lord 449, Martian being made emperor with Valentinian, and the forty-sixth from Augustus, ruled the empire seven years. Then the nation of the Angles, or Saxons, being invited by the aforesaid king, arrived in Britain with three long ships, and had a place assigned them to reside in by the same king, in the eastern part of the island, that they might thus appear to be fighting for their country, whilst their real intentions were to enslave it. Accordingly they engaged with the enemy, who were come from the north to give battle, and obtained the victory; which, being known at home in their own country, as also the fertility of the country, and the cowardice of the Britons, a more considerable fleet was quickly sent over, bringing a still greater number of men, which, being added to the former, made up an invincible army. The new comers received of the Britons a place to inhabit, upon condition that they should wage war against their enemies for the peace and security of the country, whilst the Britons agreed to furnish them with pay. Those who came over were of the three powerful nations of Germany, -Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. From the Jutes are descended the people of Kent, and of the Isle of Wight, and those also in the province of the WestSaxons who are to this day called Jutes, seated opposite to Cæsar to 731. the Isle of Wight. From the Saxons, that is, the country It is in nowise which is now called Old Saxony, came the East-Saxons, the South-Saxons, and the West-Saxons.

shrine and relics were destroyed in the reign of Henry VIII. Bede's life

was spent in

the service of
the church
and of

literature.
His great
work, the Ec-
clesiastical
History,
covers the
period from

the coming of

confined to

church mat

ters, and for the later

years, especially from 633, it forms our best authority. As a historian

From the Angles, that

is, the country which is called Anglia, and which is said, from that time, to remain desert to this day, between the provinces of the Jutes and the Saxons, are descended the East-Angles, the Midland-Angles, Mercians, all the race of the Northumbrians, that is, of those nations that dwell on the north side

marked by candour and

intelligence. Saxon Conquest, see J, R. Green, The Making of England.

On the

Aforesaid

king" = Vortigern.

of the river Humber, and the other nations of the English. Bede is
... In a short time, swarms of the aforesaid nations came
over into the island, and they began to increase so much
that they became terrible to the natives themselves who had
invited them. Then, having on a sudden entered into league
with the Picts, whom they had by this time repelled by the
force of their arms, they began to turn their weapons against
their confederates. At first, they obliged them to furnish a
greater quantity of provisions; and, seeking an occasion to
quarrel, protested, that unless more plentiful supplies were
brought them, they would break the confederacy, and ravage
all the island; nor were they backward in putting their
threats in execution. In short, the fire kindled by the hands
of these pagans proved God's just revenge for the crimes of
the people; . . . For the barbarous conquerors acting here
in the same manner, or rather the just Judge ordaining that
they should so act, they plundered all the neighbouring cities
and country, spread the conflagration from the eastern to
the western sea, without any opposition, and covered almost
every part of the devoted island. Public as well as private
structures were overturned; the priests were everywhere
slain before the altars; the prelates and the people, without
any respect of persons, were destroyed with fire and sword;
nor was there any to bury those who had been thus cruelly
slaughtered. Some of the miserable remainder, being taken
in the mountains, were butchered in heaps. Others, spent
with hunger, came forth and submitted themselves to the
enemy for food, being destined to undergo perpetual servi-
tude, if they were not killed even upon the spot. Some, with
sorrowful hearts, fled beyond the seas. Others, continuing
in their own country, led a miserable life among the woods,
rocks, and mountains, with scarcely enough food to support
life, and expecting every moment to be their last.

Bæda, Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (translated by J.
A. Giles, London, 1847), Book I, Ch. XV.

By BÆDA.

See No. 3.
This extract

is taken from
the second

book of the Ecclesias

and describes

events near

time. His

information may have

been derived from those

4. Conversion of Edwin, King of the

Northumbrians (circ. 625)

The king, hearing these words, answered, that he was tical History, both willing and bound to receive the faith which he taught; but that he would confer about it with his principal friends to Bede's own and 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 consenting, the king did as he said; for, holding a council with the wise men, he asked of every 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 the king, consider what this is which is now preached to us; preaching of for I verily declare to you, that the religion which we have Paulinus. hitherto professed has, as far as I can learn, no virtue in it. Paulinus.was For none of your people has applied himself more diligently

having a personal knowledge of the facts.

66 These words = Christian

the chaplain

of the wife of Edwin, a Christian princess of Kent.

to the worship of our gods than I; and yet there 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 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."

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

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.

But Coifi added, that he wished more attentively to hear Paulinus discourse concerning the God whom he preached; which he 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 he received the faith of Christ: and when he 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, therefore, girt a sword about him, with a spear in

Paulinus became Bishop won the Christianity.

of York and

Deirans to

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 place where the idols were is still shown, not far from York, to the eastward, beyond the river Derwent, and is now called "The home Godmundingham, where the high priest, by the inspiration of the proof the true God, profaned and destroyed the altars which he had himself consecrated.

tection of the

gods."

Bæda, Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (translated by. J.
A. Giles, London, 1847), Book II, Ch. XIII.

This treaty between Charles the Great or Charlemagne (+814) and Offa, the greatest of

the Mercian kings (†796), is of interest as showing

the character of the intercourse

5. Treaty between Charles the Great and Offa (circ. 795)

"Charles, by the grace of God king of the Franks and Lombards, and patrician of the Romans, to his esteemed and dearest brother Offa king of the Mercians, sendeth health:

First, we give thanks to God Almighty for the purity of the Catholic faith, which we find laudably expressed in your letters. Concerning pilgrims, who for the love of God or land and the the salvation of their souls, wish to visit the residence of the Continent. Compare

between Eng

No. 12.

holy apostles, let them go peaceably without any molesta-. tion; but if persons, not seeking the cause of religion, but that of gain, be found amongst them, let them pay the customary tolls in proper places. We will, too, that traders have due protection within our kingdom, according to our mandate, and if in any place they suffer wrongful oppression,