Complete Works of Bede

by Bede

  Nostra quoque egregia iam tempora uirgo beauit; Aedilthryda nitet nostra quoque egregia.

  Orta patre eximio, regali et stemmate clara, Nobilior Domino est, orta patre eximio.

  Percipit inde decus reginae, et sceptra sub astris, Plus super astra manens, percipit inde decus.

  Quid petis, alma, uirum, sponso iam dedita summo? Sponsus adest Christus; quid petis, alma, uirum?

  Regis ut aetherei matrem iam credo sequaris, Tu quoque sis mater regis ut aetherei.

  Sponsa dicata Deo bis sex regnauerat annis, Inque monasterio est sponsa dicata Deo.

  Tota sacrata polo celsis ubi floruit actis, Reddidit atque animam tota sacrata polo.

  Uirginis alma caro est tumulata bis octo Nouembres, Nec putet in tumulo uirginis alma caro.

  Xriste, tui est operis, quia uestis et ipsa sepulchro Inuiolata nitet: Xriste, tui est operis.

  Ydros et ater abit sacrae pro uestis honore, Morbi diffugiunt, ydros et ater abit.

  Zelus in hoste furit, quondam qui uicerat Euam; Uirgo triumphat ouans, zelus in hoste furit.

  Aspice, nupta Deo, quae sit tibi gloria terris; Quae maneat caelis, aspice, nupta Deo.

  Munera laeta capis, festiuis fulgida taedis, Ecce uenit sponsus, munera laeta capis.

  Et noua dulcisono modularis carmina plectro, Sponsa hymno exultas et noua dulcisono.

  Nullus ab altithroni comitatu segregat agni, Quam affectu tulerat nullus ab altithroni.

  Chap. XX.

  A Hymn concerning her.

  It seems fitting to insert in this history a hymn concerning virginity, which we composed in elegiac verse many years ago, in praise and honour of the same queen and bride of Christ, and therefore truly a queen, because the bride of Christ; and to imitate the method of Holy Scripture, wherein many songs are inserted in the history, and these, as is well known, are composed in metre and verse.

  “Trinity, Gracious, Divine, Who rulest all the ages; favour my task, Trinity, Gracious, Divine.

  “Let Maro sound the trumpet of war, let us sing the gifts of peace; the gifts of Christ we sing, let Maro sound the trumpet of war.

  “Chaste is my song, no rape of guilty Helen; light tales shall be told by the wanton, chaste is my song.

  “I will tell of gifts from Heaven, not wars of hapless Troy; I will tell of gifts from Heaven, wherein the earth is glad.

  “Lo! the high God comes to the womb of a holy virgin, to be the Saviour of men, lo! the high God comes.

  “A hallowed maid gives birth to Him Who gave the world its being; Mary, the gate of God, a maiden gives Him birth.

  “The company of her fellows rejoices over the Virgin Mother of Him Who wields the thunder; a shining virgin band, the company of her fellows rejoices.

  “Her honour has made many a blossom to spring from that pure shoot, virgin blossoms her honour has made to spring.

  “Scorched by the fierce flames, the maiden Agatha yielded not; in like manner Eulalia endures, scorched by the fierce flames.

  “The lofty soul of chaste Tecla overcomes the wild beasts; chaste Euphemia overcomes the accursed wild beasts.

  “Agnes joyously laughs at the sword, herself stronger than steel, Cecilia joyously laughs at the foemen’s sword.

  “Many a triumph is mighty throughout the world in temperate hearts; throughout the world love of the temperate life is mighty.

  “Yea, and our day likewise a peerless maiden has blessed; peerless our Ethelthryth shines.

  “Child of a noble sire, and glorious by royal birth, more noble in her Lord’s sight, the child of a noble sire.

  “Thence she receives queenly honour and a sceptre in this world; thence she receives honour, awaiting higher honour above.

  “What need, gracious lady, to seek an earthly lord, even now given to the Heavenly Bridegroom?

  “Christ is at hand, the Bridegroom (why seek an earthly lord?) that thou mayst follow even now, methinks, in the steps of the Mother of Heaven’s King, that thou too mayst be a mother in God.

  “Twelve years she had reigned, a bride dedicated to God, then in the cloister dwelt, a bride dedicated to God.

  “To Heaven all consecrated she lived, abounding in lofty deeds, then to Heaven all consecrated she gave up her soul.

  “Twice eight Novembers the maid’s fair flesh lay in the tomb, nor did the maid’s fair flesh see corruption in the tomb.

  “This was Thy work, O Christ, that her very garments were bright and undefiled even in the grave; O Christ, this was Thy work.

  “The dark serpent flies before the honour due to the holy raiment; disease is driven away, and the dark serpent flies.

  “Rage fills the foe who of old conquered Eve; exultant the maiden triumphs and rage fills the foe.

  “Behold, O bride of God, thy glory upon earth; the glory that awaits thee in the Heavens behold, O bride of God.

  “In gladness thou receivest gifts, bright amidst the festal torches; behold! the Bridegroom comes, in gladness thou receivest gifts.

  “And a new song thou singest to the tuneful harp; a new-made bride, thou exultest in the tuneful hymn.

  “None can part her from them which follow the Lamb enthroned on high, whom none had severed from the Love enthroned on high.”

  CHAP. 21

  Anno regni Ecgfridi nono, conserto graui proelio inter ipsum et Aedilredum regem Merciorum iuxta fluuium Treanta, occisus est Aelfuini frater regis Ecgfridi, iuuenis circiter X et VIII annorum, utrique prouinciae multum amabilis. Nam et sororem eius, quae dicebatur Osthryd, rex Aedilred habebat uxorem. Cumque materies belli acrioris et inimicitiae longioris inter reges populosque feroces uideretur exorta, Theodorus Deo dilectus antistes, diuino functus auxilio, salutifera exhortatione coeptum tanti periculi funditus extinguit incendium; adeo ut, pacatis alterutrum regibus ac populis, nullius anima hominis pro interfecto regis fratre, sed debita solummodo multa pecuniae regi ultori daretur. Cuius foedera pacis multo exinde tempore inter eosdem reges eorumque regna durarunt.

  Chap. XXI.

  How Bishop Theodore made peace between the kings Egfrid and Ethelred. [679 a.d.]

  In the ninth year of the reign of King Egfrid, a great battle was fought between him and Ethelred, king of the Mercians, near the river Trent, and Aelfwine, brother to King Egfrid, was slain, a youth about eighteen years of age, and much beloved by both provinces; for King Ethelred had married his sister Osthryth. There was now reason to expect a more bloody war, and more lasting enmity between those kings and their fierce nations; but Theodore, the bishop, beloved of God, relying on the Divine aid, by his wholesome admonitions wholly extinguished the dangerous fire that was breaking out; so that the kings and their people on both sides were appeased, and no man was put to death, but only the due mulct paid to the king who was the avenger for the death of his brother; and this peace continued long after between those kings and between their kingdoms.

  CHAP. 22

  In praefato autem proelio, quo occisus est rex Aelfuini, memorabile quiddam factum esse constat, quod nequaquam silentio praetereundum arbitror, sed multorum saluti, si referatur, fore proficuum. Occisus est ibi inter alios de militia eius iuuenis, uocabulo Imma; qui cum die illo et nocte sequenti inter cadauera occisorum similis mortuo iaceret, tandem recepto spiritu reuixit, ac residens, sua uulnera, prout potuit, ipse alligauit; dein modicum requietus, leuauit se, et coepit abire, sicubi amicos, qui sui curam agerent, posset inuenire. Quod dum faceret, inuentus est, et captus a uiris hostilis exercitus, et ad dominum ipsorum, comitem uidelicet Aedilredi regis, adductus. A quo interrogatus, qui esset, timuit se militem fuisse confiteri; rusticum se potius et pauperem, atque uxoreo uinculo conligatum fuisse respondit; et propter uictum militibus adferendum in expeditionem se cum sui similibus uenisse testatus est. At ille suscipiens eum, curam uulneribus egit; et ubi sanescere coepit, noctu eum, ne aufugeret, uinciri praecepit. Nec tamen uinciri potuit; nam mox, ut abiere, qui uinxerant, eadem eius sunt uincula soluta.

  Habebat enim germanum fratrem, cui nomen erat Tunna, presbyterum et abbat
em monasterii in ciuitate, quae hactenus ab eius nomine Tunnacaestir cognominatur; qui cum eum in pugna peremtum audiret, uenit quaerere, si forte corpus eius inuenire posset, inuentumque alium illi per omnia simillimum, putauit ipsum esse; quem ad monasterium suum deferens, honorifice sepeliuit, et pro absolutione animae eius sepius missas facere curauit. Quarum celebratione factum est, quod dixi, ut nullus eum posset uincire, quin continuo solueretur. Interea comes, qui eum tenebat, mirari et interrogare coepit, quare ligari non posset, an forte litteras solutorias, de qualibus fabulae ferunt, apud se haberet, propter quas ligari non posset. At ille respondit nil se talium artium nosse; ‘Sed habeo fratrem,’ inquit, ‘presbyterum in mea prouincia, et scio, quia ille me interfectum putans pro me missas crebras facit; et si nunc in alia uita essem, ibi anima mea per intercessiones eius solueretur a poenis.’ Dumque aliquanto tempore apud comitem teneretur, animaduerterunt, qui eum diligentius considerabant, ex uultu et habitu et sermonibus eius, quia non erat de paupere uulgo, ut dixerat, sed de nobilibus. Tune secreto aduocans eum comes, interrogauit eum intentius, unde esset, promittens se nil ei mali facturum pro eo, si simpliciter sibi, quis fuisset, proderet. Quod dum ille faceret, ministrum se regis fuisse manifestans, respondit: ‘Et ego per singula tua responsa cognoueram, quia rusticus non eras, et nunc dignus quidem es morte, quia omnes fratres et cognati mei in illa sunt pugna interemti; nec te tamen occidam, ne fidem mei promissi praeuaricer.’

  Ut ergo conualuit, uendidit eum Lundoniam Freso cuidam; sed nec ab illo, nec cum illuc duceretur, ullatinus potuit alligari. Uerum cum alia atque alia uinculorum ei genera hostes inponerent, cumque uidisset, qui emerat, uinculis eum non potuisse cohiberi, donauit ei facultatem sese redimendi, si posset. A tertia autem hora, quando missae fieri solebant, sepissime uincula soluebantur. At ille dato iure iurando, ut rediret, uel pecuniam illi pro se mitteret, uenit Cantiam ad regem Hlotheri, qui erat filius sororis Aedilthrydae reginae, de qua supra dictum est, quia et ipse quondam eiusdem reginae minister fuerat; petiitque et accepit ab eo pretium suae redemtionis, ac suo domino pro se, ut promiserat, misit.

  Qui post haec patriam reuersus, atque ad suum fratrem perueniens, replicauit ex ordine cuncta, quae sibi aduersa, quaeue in aduersis solacia prouenissent; cognouitque, referente eo, illis maxime temporibus sua fuisse uincula soluta, quibus pro se missarum fuerant celebrata sollemnia. Sed et alia, quae periclitanti ei commoda contigissent et prospera, per intercessionem fraternam, et oblationem hostiae salutaris caelitus sibi fuisse donata intellexit.

  Multique haec a praefato uiro audientes, accensi sunt in fide ac deuotione pietatis ad orandum, uel ad elimosynas faciendas, uel ad offerendas Deo uictimas sacrae oblationis, pro ereptione suorum, qui de saeculo migrauerant; intellexerunt enim, quia sacrificium salutare ad redemtionem ualeret et animae et corporis sempiternam.

  Hanc mihi historiam etiam quidam eorum, qui ab ipso uiro, in quo facta est, audiere, narrarunt; unde eam, quia liquido conperi, indubitanter historiae nostrae ecclesiasticae inserendam credidi.

  Chap. XXII.

  How a certain captive’s chains fell off when Masses were sung for him. [679 a.d.]

  In the aforesaid battle, wherein King Aelfwine was killed, a memorable incident is known to have happened, which I think ought by no means to be passed over in silence; for the story will be profitable to the salvation of many. In that battle a youth called Imma, one of the king’s thegns, was struck down, and having lain as if dead all that day and the next night among the bodies of the slain, at length he came to himself and revived, and sitting up, bound his own wounds as best as he could. Then having rested awhile, he stood up, and went away to see if he could find any friends to take care of him; but in so doing he was discovered and taken by some of the enemy’s army, and carried before their lord, who was one of King Ethelred’s nobles. Being asked by him who he was, and fearing to own himself a thegn, he answered that he was a peasant, a poor man and married, and he declared that he had come to the war with others like himself to bring provisions to the army. The noble entertained him, and ordered his wounds to be dressed, and when he began to recover, to prevent his escaping, he ordered him to be bound at night. But he could not be bound, for as soon as they that bound him were gone, his bonds were loosed.

  Now he had a brother called Tunna, who was a priest and abbot of a monastery in the city which is still called Tunnacaestir after him. This man, hearing that his brother had been killed in the battle, went to see if haply he could find his body; and finding another very like him in all respects, he believed it to be his. So he carried it to his monastery, and buried it honourably, and took care often to say Masses for the absolution of his soul; the celebration whereof occasioned what I have said, that none could bind him but he was presently loosed again. In the meantime, the noble that had kept him was amazed, and began to inquire why he could not be bound; whether perchance he had any spells about him, such as are spoken of in stories. He answered that he knew nothing of those arts; “but I have,” said he, “a brother who is a priest in my country, and I know that he, supposing me to be killed, is saying frequent Masses for me; and if I were now in the other life, my soul there, through his intercession, would be delivered from penalty.”

  When he had been a prisoner with the noble some time, those who attentively observed him, by his countenance, habit, and discourse, took notice, that he was not of the meaner sort, as he had said, but of some quality. The noble then privately sending for him, straitly questioned him, whence he came, promising to do him no harm on that account if he would frankly confess who he was. This he did, declaring that he had been a thegn of the king’s, and the noble answered, “I perceived by all your answers that you were no peasant. And now you deserve to die, because all my brothers and relations were killed in that fight; yet I will not put you to death, that I may not break my promise.”

  As soon, therefore, as he was recovered, he sold him to a certain Frisian at London, but he could not in any wise be bound either by him, or as he was being led thither. But when his enemies had put all manner of bonds on him, and the buyer perceived that he could in no way be bound, he gave him leave to ransom himself if he could. Now it was at the third hour, when the Masses were wont to be said, that his bonds were most frequently loosed. He, having taken an oath that he would either return, or send his owner the money for the ransom, went into Kent to King Hlothere, who was son to the sister of Queen Ethelthryth, above spoken of, for he had once been that queen’s thegn. From him he asked and obtained the price of his freedom, and as he had promised, sent it to his master for his ransom.

  Returning afterwards into his own country, and coming to his brother, he gave him an exact account of all his misfortunes, and the consolation afforded to him in them; and from what his brother told him he understood, that his bonds had been generally loosed at those times when Masses had been celebrated for him; and he perceived that other advantages and blessings which had fallen to his lot in his time of danger, had been conferred on him from Heaven, through the intercession of his brother, and the Oblation of the saving Sacrifice. Many, on hearing this account from the aforesaid man, were stirred up in faith and pious devotion to prayer, or to alms-giving, or to make an offering to God of the Sacrifice of the holy Oblation, for the deliverance of their friends who had departed this world; for they knew that such saving Sacrifice availed for the eternal redemption both of body and soul. This story was also told me by some of those who had heard it related by the man himself to whom it happened; therefore, since I had a clear understanding of it, I have not hesitated to insert it in my Ecclesiastical History.

  CHAP. 23

  Anno post hunc sequente, hoc est anno dominicae incarnationis DCLXXX, religiosissima Christi famula Hild, abbatissa monasterii, quod dicitur Strenaeshalc, ut supra rettulimus, post multa, quae fecit in terris, opera caelestia, ad percipienda praemia vitae caelestis de terris ablata transivit die XV. Kalendarum Decembrium, cum esset annorum LXVI; quibus aequa partione divisis, XXXIII primos in saeculari habitu nobilissime conversa
ta conplevit, et totidem sequentes nobilius in monachica vita Domino consecravit. Nam et nobilis natu erat, hoc est filia nepotis Edwini regis, vocabulo Hererici; cum quo etiam rege, ad praedicationem beatae memoriae Paulini primi Nordanhymbrorum episcopi, fidem et sacramenta Christi suscepit, atque haec, usquedum ad eius visionem pervenire meruit, intemerata servavit.

  Quae cum, relicto habitu saeculari, illi soli seruire decreuisset, secessit ad prouinciam Orientalium Anglorum, erat namque propinqua regis illius, desiderans exinde, siquo modo posset, derelicta patria et omnibus, quaecumque habuerat, Galliam peruenire, atque in monasterio Cale peregrinam pro Domino uitam ducere, quo facilius perpetuam in caelis patriam posset mereri. Nam et in eodem monasterio soror ipsius Heresuid, mater Alduulfi regis Orientalium Anglorum, regularibus subdita disciplinis, ipso tempore coronam expectabat aeternam; cuius aemulata exemplum, et ipsa proposito peregrinandi annum totum in praefata prouincia retenta est; deinde ab Aidano episcopo patriam reuocata accepit locum unius familiae ad septentrionalem plagam Uiuri fluminis, ubi aeque anno uno monachicam cum perpaucis sociis uitam agebat.

  Post haec facta est abbatissa in monasterio, quod uocatur Heruteu;

  quod uidelicet monasterium factum erat non multo ante a religiosa Christi famula Heiu, quae prima feminarum fertur in prouincia Nordanhymbrorum propositum uestemque sanctimonialis habitus, consecrante Aidano episcopo, suscepisse. Sed illa post non multum tempus facti monasterii secessit ad ciuitatem Calcariam, quae a gente Anglorum Kalcacaestir appellatur, ibique sibi mansionem instituit. Praelata autem regimini monasterii illius famula Christi Hild, mox hoc regulari uita per omnia, prout a doctis uiris discere poterat, ordinare curabat; nam et episcopus Aidan, et quique nouerant eam religiosi, pro insita ei sapientia et amore diuini famulatus, sedulo eam uisitare, obnixe amare, diligenter erudire solebant.

  Cum ergo aliquot annos huic monasterio regularis uitae institutioni multum intenta praeesset, contigit eam suscipere etiam construendum siue ordinandum monasterium in loco, qui uocatur Streaneshalch, quod opus sibi iniunctum non segniter inpleuit. Nam eisdem, quibus prius monasterium, etiam hoc disciplinis uitae regularis instituit; et quidem multam ibi quoque iustitiae, pietatis, et castimoniae, ceterarumque uirtutum, sed maxime pacis et caritatis custodiam docuit; ita ut in exemplum primitiuae ecclesiae nullus ibi diues, nullus esset egens, omnibus essent omnia communia, cum nihil cuiusquam esse uideretur proprium. Tantae autem erat ipsa prudentiae, ut non solum mediocres quique in necessitatibus suis, sed etiam reges ac principes nonnumquam ab ea consilium quaererent, et inuenirent. Tantum lectioni diuinarum scripturarum suos uacare subditos, tantum operibus iustitiae se exercere faciebat, ut facillime uiderentur ibidem, qui ecclesiasticum gradum, hoc est altaris officium, apte subirent, plurimi posse repperiri.