PREFACE

THE recent formation of an English Historical Society seems to be a sign that English History is beginning to engage the attention of the public. It is needless to apologize for the publication of the present volume, inasmuch as three former versions of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History sufficiently attest the desire on the part of those who cannot read the original, to have the work translated into their native tongue. All these, however, are now become scarce and dear. It was not thought fit to reprint either of them exactly, as they all labour under certain defects which rendered such a course objectionable. The old translation by Stapleton is as early as the reign of Elizabeth, and appears to have been admirably written for that period; but the phraseology is in many places obsolete, and the slightest inspection would at once convince a person that it could not have been circulated for use in the present day. Mr. Stevens’s version is in many places obscure, from its too strict adherence to the literal meanings of words and sentences; besides which, the translator seems in some instances to have avoided difficult passages, and to have rendered them in such a way as to leave a blank in the reader’s mind as to their signification. Thirdly, the paraphrase of Hurst is imperfect. There are perhaps fifty pages of the original omitted in different places; and the object of the translator seems to have been rather to support the tenets of the Romish church, than to give a faithful and complete translation of his author. The present editor was unwilling to translate the work entirely afresh, from a conviction that it would retain much more of its dignity in a version slightly removed from the ordinary language of the day. He therefore determined to adopt one of the former translations, to revise and correct it throughout, but without destroying the peculiarities of style, which seemed well calculated to convey the subject to the mind of the reader. That by Stevens being the best adapted for this purpose, has been assumed as the basis of the present volume; but the editor considers himself as responsible for the sense of the History as it now stands, and he has not hesitated to alter whole sentences, wherever by doing so he saw a possibility of rendering the meaning of the author more explicit, or the manner in which that meaning was conveyed, less repulsive. Certain decorations have been added to the volume, calculated to combine ornament with instruction; and a correct index of proper names has been appended, by which any particular fact may be referred to without difficulty.

It only remains to say, for the information of those who like complete works, that there is nothing in the three preceding translations which is not to be found in the present volume, but, on the contrary, additional matter has been inserted, calculated to interest the student of English History.

In this second edition great care has been taken to correct the translation throughout, and the confusion in proper names, which was so marked in Mr. Stevens’s original edition, has been completely remedied.

J. A. G.

WINDLESHAM HALL, August 8th, 1843.