Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book IV Chapter XXV
by Venerable Bede
OF THE VISION THAT APPEARED TO A CERTAIN MAN OF GOD BEFORE THE MONASTERY OF THE CITY
COLUDI WAS BURNED DOWN.
[A.D. 679]
AT this time, the monastery of virgins, called the city of Coludi, abovementioned,
was burned down, through carelessness; and yet all that knew the same, might observe that
it happened through the malice of those who dwelt in it, and chiefly of those who seemed
to be the greatest. But there wanted not a warning of the approaching punishment from the
Divine goodness, by which they might have stood corrected, and by fasting, prayers, and
tears, like the Ninevites, have averted the anger of the just judge.
There was in that monastery a man of the Scottish race, called Adamnan, leading a life
entirely devoted to God in continence and prayer, insomuch that he never took any food or
drink, except only on Sundays and Thursdays; but often spent whole nights in prayer. This
austerity of life he had first adopted from necessity to correct his evil propensities ,
but in process of time the necessity became a Custom.
For in his youth he had been guilty of some wicked action, for which, when he came to
himself, he conceived extraordinary horror, and dreaded lest he should be punished for the
same by the upright judge. Repairing, therefore, to a priest, who he hoped might show him
the way of salvation, he confessed his guilt, and desired to be advised how he might avoid
the future wrath of God. The priest having heard his offence, said, "A great sore
requires much attention in the cure; and, therefore, give yourself up as far as you are
able to fasting, reading of Psalms, and prayer, to the end, that thus preventing the wrath
of our Lord, in confession, you may find Him merciful." Being highly affected with
the grief of a guilty conscience, and desiring, as soon as possible, to be loosed from the
inward fetters of sin, which lay heavy upon him, he answered, " I am young in years,
and strong of body, and shall, therefore, easily bear whatever you shall enjoin me to do,
so that I may be saved in the day Of our Lord; though you should command me to spend the
whole night in prayer standing, and to pass the whole week in abstinence." The priest
replied, "It is too much for you to hold out the whole week without bodily
sustenance; but it is sufficient to fast two or three days; do this till 1 come again to
you in a short time, when I will more fully show you what you are to do, and how long to
continue our penance." Having so said, and prescribed the measure of his penance, the
priest went away, and yon some sudden occasion passed over into Ireland, whence he derived
his origin, and returned no more to him, as he had appointed. Remembering this injunction
and his own promise, he totally addicted himself to tears, penance, holy watching, and
continence; so that he only fed on Thursdays and Sundays, as has been said; and ate
nothing all the other days of the week. When he heard that his priest was gone to Ireland,
and had died there, he ever after observed that same abstinence, according to his
direction; and as he had begun that course through the fear of God, in penitence for his
guilt, so he still continued the same unremittingly for the Divine love, and in hope of
his reward.
Having practised this carefully for a long time, it happened that he had gone on a
certain day to a distance from the monastery, accompanied by one of the brothers; and as
they were returning from this journey, when they drew near to the monastery, and beheld
its lofty buildings, the man of God burst out into tears, and his countenance discovered
the trouble of his heart. His companion, perceiving it, asked what was the reason, to
which he answered: "The time is at hand, when a devouring fire shall consume all the
structures which you here behold, both public and private." The other, hearing these
words, as soon as they came into the monastery, told them to Ebba, the mother of the
congregation. She, with good cause, being much concerned at that prediction, called the
man to her, and narrowly inquired of him how he came to know it. He answered, "Being
busy one night lately in watching and singing psalms, I on a sudden saw a person unknown
standing by me, and being startled at his presence, he bade me not to fear, and speaking
to me in a familiar manner, 'You do well,' said he ' in that you spend this nighttime of
rest, not in giving yourself up to sleep, but in watching and prayer.' I answered, "I
know I have great need of wholesome watching, and earnest praying to our Lord to pardon my
transgressions,'" he replied, 'You are in the right, for you and many more do need to
redeem their sins by good works, and when they cease from labouring about temporal
affairs, then to labour the more eagerly for the desire of heavenly goods; but this very
few do; for I, having now visited all this monastery regularly, have looked into every
one's chambers and beds, and found none of them except yourself busy about the care of his
soul; but all of them, both men and women, either indulge themselves in slothful sleep, or
are awake in order to commit sin; for even the cells that were built for praying or
reading, are now converted into places of feasting, drinking, talking, and other delights;
the very virgins dedicated to God, laying aside the respect due to their profession,
whensoever they are at leisure, apply themselves to weaving fine garments, either to use
in adorning themselves like brides, to the danger of their condition, or to gain the
friendship of strange men; for which reason, a heavy judgment from heaven is deservedly
ready to fall on this place and its inhabitants by devouring fire.' " The abbess
said, "Why did you not sooner acquaint me with what you knew?" He answered,
" I was afraid to do it, out of respect to you, lest you should be too much
afflicted; yet you may have this comfort, that the calamity will not happen in your
days." This vision being divulged abroad, the inhabitants of that place were for a
few days in some little fear, and leaving off their sins, began to punish themselves; but
after the abbess's death they returned to their former wickedness, nay, they became more
wicked; and when they thought themselves in peace and security, they soon felt the effects
of the aforesaid judgment.
That all this fell out thus, was told me by my most reverend fellowpriest, Edgils,
who then lived in that monastery. Afterwards, when many of the inhabitants had departed
thence, on account of the destruction, he lived a long time in our monastery, and died
there. We have thought fit to insert this in our History, to admonish the reader of the
works of our Lord, how terrible He is in his counsels on the sons of men, lest we should
at some lime or other indulge in the pleasures of flesh, and dreading the judgment of God
too little, fall under his sudden wrath, and either be severely afflicted with temporal
losses, or else being more severely tried, be snatched away to eternal perdition.
