Chapter V: Book V

Chap. I. How Ethelwald, successor to Cuthbert, leading a hermit’s life,
calmed a tempest by his prayers when the brethren were in danger at
sea. [687-699 A.D.]
Chap. II. How Bishop John cured a dumb man by his blessing. [687 A.D.]
Chap. III. How he healed a sick maiden by his prayers. [705 A.D.]
Chap. IV. How he healed a thegn’s wife that was sick, with holy water.
Chap. V. How he likewise recalled by his prayers a thegn’s servant from
death.
Chap. VI. How, both by his prayers and blessing, he recalled from death
one of his clerks, who had bruised himself by a fall.
Chap. VII. How Caedwalla, king of the West Saxons, went to Rome to be
baptized; and his successor Ini, also devoutly journeyed to the same
threshold of the holy Apostles. [688 A.D.]
Chap. VIII. How, when Archbishop Theodore died, Bertwald succeeded him
as archbishop, and, among many others whom he ordained, he made the
learned Tobias bishop of the church of Rochester. [690 A.D.]
Chap. IX. How the holy man, Egbert, would have gone into Germany to
preach, but could not; and how Wictbert went, but because he availed
nothing, returned into Ireland, whence he came. [Circ. 688 A.D.]
Chap. X. How Wilbrord, preaching in Frisland, converted many to Christ;
and how his two companions, the Hewalds, suffered martyrdom. [690 A.D.]
Chap. XI. How the venerable Suidbert in Britain, and Wilbrord at Rome,
were ordained bishops for Frisland. [692 A.D.]
Chap. XII. How one in the province of the Northumbrians, rose from the
dead, and related many things which he had seen, some to be greatly
dreaded and some to be desired. [Circ. 696 A.D.]
Chap. XIII. How another contrarywise before his death saw a book
containing his sins, which was shown him by devils. [704-709 A.D.]
Chap. XIV. How another in like manner, being at the point of death, saw
the place of punishment appointed for him in Hell.
Chap. XV. How divers churches of the Scots, at the instance of Adamnan,
adopted the Catholic Easter; and how the same wrote a book about the
holy places. [703 A.D.]
Chap. XVI. The account given in the aforesaid book of the place of our
Lord’s Nativity, Passion, and Resurrection.
Chap. XVII. What he likewise wrote of the place of our Lord’s
Ascension, and the tombs of the patriarchs.
Chap. XVIII. How the South Saxons received Eadbert and Eolla, and the
West Saxons, Daniel and Aldhelm, for their bishops; and of the writings
of the same Aldhelm. [705 A.D.]
Chap. XIX. How Coinred, king of the Mercians, and Offa, king of the
East Saxons, ended their days at Rome, in the monastic habit; and of
the life and death of Bishop Wilfrid. [709 A.D.]
Chap. XX. How Albinus succeeded to the godly Abbot Hadrian, and Acca to
Bishop Wilfrid. [709 A.D.]
Chap. XXI. How the Abbot Ceolfrid sent master-builders to the King of
the Picts to build a church, and with them an epistle concerning the
Catholic Easter and the Tonsure. [710 A.D.]
Chap. XXII. How the monks of Hii, and the monasteries subject to them,
began to celebrate the canonical Easter at the preaching of Egbert.
[716 A.D.]
Chap. XXIII. Of the present state of the English nation, or of all
Britain. [725-731 A.D.]
Chap. XXIV. Chronological recapitulation of the whole work: also
concerning the author himself.
Continuation
Index
Footnotes

EDITOR’S PREFACE

The English version of the “Ecclesiastical History” in the following pages is a revision of the translation of Dr. Giles, which is itself a revision of the earlier rendering of Stevens. In the present edition very considerable alterations have been made, but the work of Dr. Giles remains the basis of the translation. The Latin text used throughout is Mr. Plummer’s. Since the edition of Dr. Giles appeared in 1842, so much fresh work on the subject has been done, and recent research has brought so many new facts to light, that it has been found necessary to rewrite the notes almost entirely, and to add a new introduction. After the appearance of Mr. Plummer’s edition of the Historical Works of Bede, it might seem superfluous, for the present at least, to write any notes at all on the “Ecclesiastical History.” The present volume, however, is intended to fulfil a different and much humbler function. There has been no attempt at any original work, and no new theories are advanced. The object of the book is merely to present in a short and convenient form the substance of the views held by trustworthy authorities, and it is hoped that it may be found useful by those students who have either no time or no inclination to deal with more important works.

Among the books of which most use has been made, are Mr. Plummer’s edition of the “Ecclesiastical History,” Messrs. Mayor and Lumby’s edition of Books III and IV, Dr. Bright’s “Early English Church History,” and Dr. Hunt’s “History of the English Church from its foundation to the Norman Conquest.” Many of the articles in the “Dictionary of Christian Biography” and the “Dictionary of Christian Antiquities,” Dr. Mason’s “Mission of St. Augustine,” Dr. Rhŷs’s “Celtic Britain,” and a number of other books, mentioned in the notes, have been consulted.

For help received in different ways I wish to express my gratitude to various correspondents and friends. I am particularly indebted to Mr. Edward Bell, who has kindly revised my proofs and made many valuable suggestions. For information on certain points I have to thank the Rev. Charles Plummer, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, Professor Lindsay of St. Andrews University, Miss Wordsworth, Principal, and Miss Lodge, Vice-Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford; and in a very special sense I wish to acknowledge my obligations to Miss Paterson, Assistant Librarian at the University Library, St. Andrews, whose unfailing kindness in verifying references, and supplying me with books, has greatly lightened my labours.