THE HISTORICAL WORKS
OF VENERABLE BEDE

VENERABLE BEDE

TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN, BY J. A. GILES, LL. D. LATE FELLOW OF C. C. COLL., OXFORD.

VOLUME II BIOGRAPHICAL WRITINGS, LETTERS, AND CHRONOLOGY.

LONDON: JAMES BOHN, 12, KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND, MDCCCXLV.

TO THE RIGHT REVEREND CHARLES JAMES, LORD BISHOP OF LONDON, THIS TRANSLATION OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL BIOGRAPHIES
OF VENERABLE BEDE, IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY HIS LORDSHIP’S OBEDIENT AND HUMBLE SERVANT, J. A. GILES.

CONTENTS

Title Page: THE HISTORICAL WORKS OF VENERABLE BEDE

THE HISTORICAL WORKS OF VENERABLE BEDE

THE PUBLISHER’S ADVERTISEMENT

THE LIFE OF BEDE

CHAPTER I
OF HIS BIRTH

CHAPTER II
OF HIS YOUTH

CHAPTER III
OF HIS ADMISSION TO HOLY ORDERS

CHAPTER IV
OF HIS CLERICAL AND LITERARY LABOURS

CHAPTER V
OF HIS SUPPOSED JOURNEY TO ROME

CHAPTER VI
OF HIS PRETENDED RESIDENCE AT CAMBRIDGE

CHAPTER VII
OF HIS OCCASIONAL VISITS TO HIS FRIENDS

CHAPTER VIII
OF BEDE’S DISCIPLES

CHAPTER IX
OF HIS DEATH

CHAPTER X
HIS BURIAL IN THE CHURCH OF JARROW, AND THE REMOVAL OF HIS REMAINS TO THE CATHEDRAL OF DURHAM

THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK OF THE LIFE AND MIRACLES OF SAINT CUTHBERT BISHOP OF LINDISFARNE

CHAPTER I
HOW CUTHBERT, THE CHILD OF GOD, WAS WARNED BY A CHILD OF HIS FUTURE BISHOPRIC

CHAPTER II
HOW HE BECAME LAME WITH A SWELLING IN HIS KNEE, AND WAS CURED BY AN ANGEL

CHAPTER III
HOW HE CHANGED THE WINDS BY PRAYER, AND BROUGHT THE SCATTERED SHIPS SAFE TO LAND

CHAPTER IV
HOW, IN COMPANY WITH SHEPHERDS, HE SAW THE SOUL OF BISHOP AIDAN CARRIED TO HEAVEN BY ANGELS

CHAPTER V
HOW, ON HIS WAY, HE WAS SUPPLIED WITH FOOD BY GOD

CHAPTER VI
HOW, AS HE WAS COMING TO A MONASTERY, BOISIL, A HOLY MAN, BORE TESTIMONY TO HIM BY PROPHESYING IN SPIRIT

CHAPTER VII
HOW HE ENTERTAINED AN ANGEL, AND WHILST MINISTERING TO HIM EARTHLY BREAD, WAS THOUGHT WORTHY TO BE REWARDED WITH BREAD FROM HEAVEN

CHAPTER VIII
HOW CUTHBERT WAS RECOVERED FROM SICKNESS, AND BOISIL ON HIS DEATH-BED FORETOLD TO HIM HIS FUTURE FORTUNES

CHAPTER IX
HOW CUTHBERT WAS ZEALOUS IN THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

CHAPTER X
HOW CUTHBERT PASSED THE NIGHT IN THE SEA, PRAYING; AND WHEN HE WAS COME OUT, TWO ANIMALS OF THE SEA DID HIM REVERENCE; AND HOW THE BROTHER, WHO SAW THOSE THINGS, BEING IN FEAR, WAS ENCOURAGED BY CUTHBERT

CHAPTER XI
HOW, WHEN THE SAILORS WERE PREVENTED FROM SAILING BY BAD WEATHER, HE PREDICTED THAT IT WOULD BE FINE ON A CERTAIN DAY, AND HOW HE OBTAINED FOOD BY PRAYER

CHAPTER XII
HOW HE FORETOLD THAT, ON A JOURNEY, AN EAGLE WOULD BRING HIM FOOD, AND HOW THIS TOOK PLACE ACCORDINGLY

CHAPTER XIII
HOW HE FORESAW A VISION OF A FIRE COMING FROM THE DEVIL WHILST HE WAS PREACHING, AND HOW HE PUT OUT THE SAME

CHAPTER XIV
HOW, WHEN A HOUSE WAS REALLY SET ON FIRE, HE PUT OUT THE FLAMES BY PRAYER

CHAPTER XV
HOW HE CAST OUT A DEVIL FROM THE PRÆFECT’S WIFE, EVEN BEFORE HIS ARRIVAL

CHAPTER XVI
HOW HE LIVED AND TAUGHT IN THE MONASTERY OF LINDISFARNE

CHAPTER XVII
OF THE HABITATION WHICH HE MADE FOR HIMSELF IN THE ISLAND OF FARNE, WHEN HE HAD EXPELLED THE DEVILS

CHAPTER XVIII
HOW BY HIS PRAYERS HE DREW WATER FROM THE DRY GROUND, AND HOW HE GOT ON DURING HIS RETIREMENT

CHAPTER XIX
HOW HE SOWED A FIELD WITH BARLEY, AND KEPT OFF THE BIRDS FROM THE CROP BY HIS MERE WORD

CHAPTER XX
HOW THE CROWS APOLOGIZED TO THE MAN OF GOD FOR THE INJURY WHICH THEY DID HIM, AND MADE HIM A PRESENT IN COMPENSATION

CHAPTER XXI
HOW EVEN THE SEA WAS SUBSERVIENT TO HIS WANTS

CHAPTER XXII
HOW HE GAVE SALUTARY ADMONITIONS TO MANY WHO CAME TO HIM, AND EXPOSED THE IMPOTENT SNARES OF THE OLD ENEMY

CHAPTER XXIII
HOW ÆLFLED THE ABBESS AND ONE OF HER NUNS WERE CURED OF AN INFIRMITY BY MEANS OF HIS GIRDLE

CHAPTER XXIV
OF HIS PROPHECY IN ANSWER TO THE SAME ÆLFLED, CONCERNING THE LIFE OF KING ECGFRID AND HIS OWN BISHOPRIC

CHAPTER XXV
HOW, WHEN ELECTED TO THE BISHOPRIC, HE CURED A SERVANT OF ONE OF THE KING’S ATTENDANTS BY MEANS OF HOLY WATER

CHAPTER XXVI
OF HIS MANNER OF LIFE IN HIS BISHOPRIC

CHAPTER XXVII
HOW, THOUGH AT A DISTANCE, HE SAW IN SPIRIT THE DEATH OF KING ECGFRID, AND THE END OF HIS WARFARE, WHICH HE HAD FORETOLD

CHAPTER XXVIII
HOW HE FORETOLD HIS OWN DEATH TO HEREBERT, THE HERMIT, AND BY PRAYERS TO GOD OBTAINED HIS ATTENDANCE

CHAPTER XXIX
HOW, THROUGH HIS PRIEST, HE CURED THE WIFE OF AN EARL WITH HOLY WATER

CHAPTER XXX
HOW HE CURED A GIRL OF A PAIN IN THE HEAD AND SIDE, BY ANOINTING HER WITH OIL

CHAPTER XXXI
HOW HE CURED AN INFIRM MAN BY CONSECRATED BREAD

CHAPTER XXXII
HOW, BY PRAYER, HE RESTORED TO LIFE A YOUNG MAN WHOM HE FOUND AT THE POINT OF DEATH ON A JOURNEY

CHAPTER XXXIII
HOW, AT A TIME OF SICKNESS, HE RESTORED A DYING BOY IN HEALTH TO HIS MOTHER

CHAPTER XXXIV
HOW HE SAW THE SOUL OF A MAN, WHO HAD BEEN KILLED BY FALLING FROM A TREE, ASCEND TO HEAVEN

CHAPTER XXXV
HOW HE CHANGED WATER BY TASTING IT, SO THAT IT HAD THE FLAVOUR OF WINE

CHAPTER XXXVI
HOW SOME OF THE BRETHREN, FOR DISOBEDIENCE TO HIM, WERE DETAINED BY A STORM AT SEA

CHAPTER XXXVII
OF THE TEMPTATIONS WHICH HE UNDERWENT IN HIS SICKNESS, AND HIS ORDERS CONCERNING HIS BURIAL

CHAPTER XXXVIII
HOW, DURING HIS ILLNESS, HE CURED ONE OF HIS ATTENDANTS OF A DIARRHÅ’A

CHAPTER XXXIX
OF HIS LAST INSTRUCTIONS TO THE BRETHREN; AND HOW, WHEN HE HAD RECEIVED THE VIATICUM, HE YIELDED UP HIS SOUL IN PRAYER

CHAPTER XL
HOW, ACCORDING TO THE PREVIOUS WARNING OF THE PSALM WHICH THEY SUNG AT HIS DEATH, THE BRETHREN OF LINDISFARNE WERE ASSAILED FROM WITHOUT, BUT BY THE HELP OF GOD WERE PROTECTED

CHAPTER XLI
HOW A BOY, WHO WAS POSSESSED BY A DEVIL, WAS CURED BY SOME WATER, MIXED WITH DIRT, FROM THE PLACE WHERE THE WATER IN WHICH HIS CORPSE HAD BEEN WASHED HAD BEEN THROWN

CHAPTER XLII
HOW HIS BODY AFTER NINE YEARS WAS FOUND UNDECAYED

CHAPTER XLIII
HOW THE BODY OF BISHOP EADBERT WAS LAID IN THE GRAVE OF THE MAN OF GOD, AND THE COFFIN OF THAT SAINT PLACED UPON IT

CHAPTER XLIV
HOW A SICK MAN WAS CURED AT HIS TOMB BY PRAYER

CHAPTER XLV
HOW A PARALYTIC WAS HEALED BY MEANS OF HIS SHOES

CHAPTER XLVI
HOW THE HERMIT FELGELD WAS CURED OF A SWELLING IN THE FACE BY DWELLING UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ROOF OF THE MAN OF GOD

THE LIFE OF SAINT VEDAST BISHOP OF ARRAS

CHAPTER I
HOW THE MAN OF GOD, ST. VEDASTUS, WAS INTRODUCED TO KING HLUTHWIC (CLOVIS THE GREAT)

CHAPTER II
HOW THE KING, AFTER HIS VICTORY, WAS EAGER TO BE BAPTIZED, AND HOW HE TOOK ST. VEDAST TO TEACH HIM AND ADMINISTER TO HIM THE SACRAMENT OF THE FAITH

CHAPTER III
HOW THE MAN OF GOD, VEDAST, RESTORED SIGHT TO A BLIND MAN IN THE PRESENCE OF THE KING AND PEOPLE

CHAPTER IV
HOW KING CLOVIS WAS BAPTIZED IN THE CITY OF RHEIMS, AND THEN COMMENDED THE MAN OF GOD VEDAST TO THE PONTIFF REMEDIUS

CHAPTER V
OF THE CONVERSATION OF THE MAN OF GOD AT RHEIMS, AND OF THE MIRACLE WHICH HE WROUGHT THERE

CHAPTER VI
HOW THE HOLY MAN WAS ORDAINED BY SAINT REMEDIUS, AND SENT TO THE CITY OF THE ATREBATES TO PREACH THE WORD OF GOD; AND HOW HE HEALED A BLIND AND LAME MAN AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE CITY

CHAPTER VII
HOW HE EXPLORED EVERY PART OF THE CITY, AND WITH DIFFICULTY FOUND THE VESTIGES OF AN ANCIENT CHURCH AMONG THE RUINS WHICH WERE BECOME DENS FOR WILD BEASTS

CHAPTER VIII
HOW AT A BANQUET GIVEN BY CLOTHAIRE, THE MAN OF GOD, BY THE SIGN OF THE CROSS, FOILED THE MACHINATIONS OF THE DEVIL

CHAPTER IX
OF THE SICKNESS, DEATH, AND BURIAL OF THE HOLY MAN, AND HOW THE HOUSE IN WHICH HE DIED ESCAPED UNTOUCHED BY A FIRE

CHAPTER X
A HOMILY PREACHED TO THE PEOPLE ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF ST. VEDAST

THE BOOK OF THE HOLY PLACES ABRIDGED FROM THE WORKS OF THE ANCIENTS

CHAPTER I
OF JERUSALEM

CHAPTER II
OF THE SEPULCHRE OF OUR LORD, OF THE CHURCHES OF CONSTANTINE AND GOLGOTHA, AND OF THE OTHER HOLY PLACES IN JERUSALEM

CHAPTER III
OF MOUNT SION AND THE CHURCH BUILT THEREON, OF BETHSAIDA AND SILOAM

CHAPTER IV
OF ACHELDEMACH, AND THE PLACE WHERE JUDAS HANGED HIMSELF

CHAPTER V
OF THE NAPKIN FROM OUR LORD’S HEAD, AND OF ANOTHER AND LARGER TOWEL MADE BY THE VIRGIN MARY

CHAPTER VI
OF THE PLACES NEAR JERUSALEM, AND THE CHURCH IN THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT, WHERE SAINT MARY WAS BURIED

CHAPTER VII
OF MOUNT OLIVET, AND THE CHURCH FOUNDED UPON IT, WHERE OUR LORD ASCENDED TO HEAVEN

CHAPTER VIII
OF THE SITUATION OF BETHLEHEM, AND THE CHURCH WHERE OUR LORD WAS BORN; AND OF THE TOMBS OF DAVID AND HIERONYMUS, AND THE THREE SHEPHERDS

CHAPTER IX
OF THE SITE OF HEBRON, AND OF THE MONUMENTS OF THE FATHERS AND OF ADAM

CHAPTER X
OF JERICHO AND THE HOLY PLACES IN THOSE PARTS

CHAPTER XI
OF THE RIVER JORDAN AND THE SEA OF GALILEE, OTHERWISE CALLED THE SEA OF TIBERIAS

CHAPTER XII
OF THE DEAD SEA, AND THE NATURE OF THE COUNTRY WHICH BORDERS ON IT

CHAPTER XIII
OF THE PLACE WHERE OUR LORD WAS BAPTIZED

CHAPTER XIV
OF THE LOCUSTS, THE WILD HONEY, AND THE FOUNTAIN OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

CHAPTER XV
OF JACOB’S FOUNTAIN, NEAR SICHEM

CHAPTER XVI
OF TIBERIAS, CAPARNAUM, NAZARETH, AND THE HOLY PLACES IN THOSE PARTS

CHAPTER XVII
OF MOUNT TABOR, AND THE THREE CHURCHES THEREON

CHAPTER XVIII
OF DAMASCUS

CHAPTER XIX
OF ALEXANDRIA, THE RIVER NILE, AND THE CHURCH IN WHICH MARK THE EVANGELIST IS BURIED

CHAPTER XX
OF CONSTANTINOPLE, AND THE CHURCH THEREIN WHICH CONTAINS OUR LORD’S CROSS

CHAPTER XXI
RECAPITULATION

APPENDIX

A NARRATIVE OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE BODY OF ST. CUTHBERT FROM LINDISFARNE TO DURHAM EXTRACTED OUT OF THE: ACTA SANCTORUM, JO. BOLLANDI

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI