The Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical history of England / [translated by J. Stevens] Also the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. With illustrative notes, a map of Anglo-Saxon England and a general index. Edited by J.A. Giles.

  • Bede, the Venerable, Saint, 673-735.
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical history of England / [translated by J. Stevens] Also the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. With illustrative notes, a map of Anglo-Saxon England and a general index. Edited by J.A. Giles. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    prayers are diligently celebrated by you for our father and master, Bede, whom God loved : this was what I principally desired, and therefore it is more pleasing, for the love of liim (according to my capacity), in a few words to relate in what manner he departed this world, understanding that you also desire and ask the same. He was much troubled with short- ness of breath, yet ivuthout pain, before the day of our Lord’s resurrection, that is, about a fortnight ; and thus he aftei- wards passed his life, cheerful and rejoicing, giving thanks to Almighty God every day and night, nay, every hour, till the day of our Lord’s ascension, that is, the seventh before the kalends of June [tAventy-sixth of May], and daily read lessons to us his disciples, and Avhatever remained of the day, he spent in singing psahns ; he also passed all the night awake, in joy and thanksgiving, unless a short sleep pre- vented it; in which case he no sooner aivoke than he pre- sently repeated his wonted exercises, and ceased not to give thanks to God wuth uplifted hands. I declare with truth, that I have never seen with my eyes, nor heard with my ears, any man so earnest in giving thanks to the living God. “ O truly happy man ! He chanted the sentence of St. Paul the apostle, ‘ It is dreadful to fall into the hands of the living God,’ and much more out of Holy Writ; wherein also he admonished us to tliink of our last hour, and to shake off the sleep of the soul ; and being learned in our poetry, he said .some things also in our tongue, for he said, putting the same into English, “ ‘ For tham neoil-fere Nenig wyrtheth Thances snottra Thonne him thearf sy To gehiggeiie Air liis heonen-gange Hwet his gaste Codes oththe yveles After deathe lieoiicn Demed wurtlie.’ which means this :— “ ‘ No man is wiser than is requisite, before the necessary departure ; that is, to consider, before the soul departs hence, what good or evil it hath done, and how it is to be judged after its departure.’ “ He also sang antiphons according to our custom and his own, one of which i.s, ‘ O glorious King, Lord of all power, who, triumphing this day, didst ascend above all the heavens ; do not forsake us orphans ; but send down upon us the Spirit c 2