Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book I Preface
by Venerable Bede
TO THE MOST GLORIOUS KING CEOLWULPH, BEDE, THE SERVANT OF CHRIST AND PRIEST
Formerly, at your request, most readily transmitted to you the Ecclesiastical History
of the English Nation, which I had newly published, for you to read, and give it your
approbation; and I now send it again to be transcribed and more fully considered at your
leisure. And I cannot but recommend the sincerity and zeal, with which you not only
diligently give ear to hear the words of the Holy Scripture, but also industriously take
care to become acquainted with the actions and sayings of former men of renown, especially
of our own nation. For if history relates good things of good men, the attentive hearer is
excited to imitate that which is good; or if it mentions evil things of wicked persons,
nevertheless the religious and pious hearer or reader, shunning that which is hurtful and
perverse, is the more earnestly excited to perform those things which he knows to be good,
and worthy of God. Of which you also being deeply sensible, are desirous that the said
history should be more fully made familiar to yourself, and to those over whom the Divine
Authority has appointed you governor, from your great regard to their general welfare. But
to the end that I may remove all occasion of doubting what I have written, both from
yourself and other readers or hearers of this history, I will take care briefly to
intimate from what authors I chiefly learned the same.
My principal authority and aid in this work was the learned and reverend Abbot Albinus;
who, educated in the Church of Canterbury by those venerable and learned men, Archbishop
Theodore of blessed memory, and the Abbot Adrian, transmitted to me by Nothelm, the pious
priest of the Church of London, either in writing, or word of mouth of the same Nothelm,
all that he though worthy of memory, that had been done in the province of Kent, or the
adjacent parts, by the disciples of the blessed Pope Gregory, as he had learned the same
either from written records, or the traditions of his ancestors. The same Notheim,
afterwards going to Rome, having, with leave of the present Pope Gregory, searched into
the archives of the holy Roman Church, found there some epistles of the blessed Pope
Gregory, and other popes and returning home, by the advice of the aforesaid most reverend
father Albinus, brought them to me, to be inserted in my history. Thus, from the beginning
of this volume to the time when the English nation received the the faith of Christ, have
we collected the writings of our predecessors and from them gathered matter for our
history; but from that time till the present, what was transacted in Church of Canterbury,
by the disciples of St. Gregory or their successors, and under what kings the same
happened, has been conveyed to us by Nothelm through the industry of the aforesaid Abbot
Albinus. They also partly informed me by what bishops and under what kings the provinces
of the East and West Saxons, as also of the East Angles, and of the Northumbrians,
received the faith of Christ. In short I was chiefly encouraged to undertake this work by
the persuasions of the same Albinus. In like manner, Daniel, the most reverend Bishop of
the West Saxons, who is still living, communicated to me in writing some things relating
to the Ecclesiastical History of that province, and the next adjoining to it of the South
Saxons, as also of the Isle of Wight. But now, by the pious ministry of Cedd and Ceadda,
the province of the Mercians was brought to the faith of Christ, which they knew not
before, and how that of the East Saxons recovered the same, after having expelled it, and
how those fathers lived and died, we learned from the brethren of the monastery, which was
built by them, and is called Lastingham. What ecclesiastical transactions took place in
the province of the East Angles, was partly made known to us from the writings and
tradition of our ancestors, and partly by relation of the most reverend Abbot Esius. What
was done towards promoting the faith, and what was the sacerdotal succession in the
province of Lindsey, we had either from the letters of the most reverend prelate Cunebert,
or by word of mouth from other persons of good credit. But what was done in the Church
throughout the province of the Northumbians, from the time when they received the faith of
Christ till this present, I received not from any particular author, but by the faithful
testimony of innumerable witnesses, who might know or remember the same, besides what I
had of my own knowledge. Wherein it is to be observed, that what I have written concerning
our most holy father, Bishop Cuthbert, either in this volume, or in my treatise on his
life and actions, I partly took, and faithfully copied from what I found written of him by
the brethren of the Church of Lindisfarne; but at the same time took care to add such
things as I could myself have knowledge of by the faithful testimony of such as knew him.
And I humbly entreat the reader, that, if he shall in this that we have written find
anything not delivered according to the truth, he will not impute the same to me, who, as
the true rule of history requires, have laboured sincerely to commit to writing such
things as I could gather from common report, for the instruction of posterity.
Moreover, I beseech all men who shall hear or read this history of our nation, that for
my manifold infirmities both of mind and body, they will offer up frequent supplications
to the throne of Grace. And I further pray, that in recompense for the labour wherewith I
have recorded in the several countries and cities those events which were most worthy of
note, and most grateful to the ears of their inhabitants, I may for my reward have the
benefit of their pious prayers.