afrighted and leaping of his horse fell prostrate at the Bishops feete now likewise alighted from horse back humbly crauing pardon of his fault The holy man touching him as he lay along with his rodd Soe S. Pâ—ter prono â—â—eed death to Ananias Act. 5. with an Episcopall authoritie vsed these words I tell thee sayd he that because thou had refused to refraine from the house of that wicked and damnable person in that verie house thou shalt breath thy last All which came afterwards to passe as holy CEDDE had foretould For within a short time by the hands of the same Earle and his brother the king was most cruelly murthered in that house his butchers alleadging noe other cause mouing them thereunto but his ouermuch clemencie and mercie in romitting offences committed against him soe that it is credibly thought that this vntimely death of soe good and vertuous a Prince did not only wash away his fault but increase his meritt III. THIS blessed Bishop was wont sometimes to visitt his countrey in Northumberland and to comfort his countreymen there with his diuine preachings and godly exhortations whereby he gott soe much fauour with king Edilwald sonne to king Oswald that raigned ouer the people of that countrey called Deiri that mooued thereunto both by the sainctitie and wisedome of this vertuous Bishop and allsoe by the meanes of his good brother Celin chaplaine to the king and court he gaue to S. CEDDE a peece of land for the building of a Monasterie whither he and his people might resort to serue God receiue the Sacraments The holy Bishop made choise of a place for this purpose in the desert mountaines which before that time was rather a couert for theeues wild beasts then a fitt habitation for Christians But he would not permitt the foundatioÌ„ to be laid before he had purged and consecrated the place with fasting and prayer both which he performed euerie day vntill the euening and then he contented him self with one and that a small meale consisting of a little bread one egge a little milke mingled with water Thus he passed all the lent excepting sundaies vntill Fasting in Lent vntill euening he was called away from this holy exercise vppon some speciall busines of the king by which he was forced to intermitt his pious de seigne when there remayned only tenne daies of the fortie to come But because he would not let his holy taske be there broken off he intreated Cimbell avertuous Priest his naturall brother to finish the godly worke he had begunne according to the fore-shewed example Which being by Cimbell gladly vndertaken and as piously He buildeâ—h a monasterie performed soone after Bishop CEDDE erected the Monasterie now called Lesting ordering it according to the same lawes and discipline of religion as that of Lindisfurne or Holy Iland where he had learned his first lesson and rudiments of vertue IV. BVT IN that great controuersie which arose afterwards betweene the old Scottish or Irish Monks and the Monks of S BENEDICTS order the Apostles of England touching the celebration of Easter in which it was sharpely disputed an each side especially betweene S. WILFRID the Benedictine Monke and Bishop Colman a Scott holy CEDDE being a diligent interpreter for both parts was soe conuinced by the diuine arguments of S. WILFRID that he quite gaue ouer to follow the footsteps of the Scotts and came to the knowledge of the true and Catholicke manner of obseruing the feast of Easter and allsoe to weare a round shauen crowne after the Monasticall fashion of Benedictines brought first into England by S. AVGVSTIN our Apostle and his fellowes that were all Benedictine Monks And afterwards by the perswasion of WILFRID Colman and his adherents being fled into Scotland S. CEDDE him self receiued the rule of our most holy father S. BENEDICT and induced all the Monkes of his new Monasterie of Lesting of which he was head to doe the like vnder the same holy rule he gouerned them in all manner of vertues vntill his death Thus after some yeares well spent both in gouernment of his Bishoprick and this Monasterie at the length as he visitted the same in time of plague he fell into a sicknes which sett free his soule from the teadiousnes of this worldly life to tast the desired ioyes prepared for the reward of his merits and good works in heauen He was first buried abrode but afterwards a Church of stone being built there in honour of S. Cedde dieth our blessed Ladie he was taken vp and layd at the right side of the aultar At his departure he resigned the gouernment of the Monasterie to his brother S. CHAD whose life you may reade the second of March V. WHEN the Monks of the Monasterie he had erected amongst the East-Saxons vnderstood of his death thirtie of them went into Northumberland desiring eyther to liue by the bodie of their holy father or if God soe pleased to die and be buried there Such was the great loue they bore vnto this blessed Saiuct But in that time of mortalitie they all walked the pathes of death excepting one litle boy who as it was piously thought was preserued from death by the speciall prayers and intercessions of this holy Bishop For liuing manie yeares after and studying holy scriptures he came at length to knowledge that he had neuer receiued the Sacrament See the peculiar prouidence of allmightie God of Baptisme wherevppon he was forthwith christened and afterwards being promoted to priesthood he became a verie profitable member of Gods Church hauing been by the prayers and merits of S. CEDDE miraculously preserued from the danger of a temporall and eternall death S. CEDDE died about the yeare of our Lord 664. Of him doe make mention S. BEDE whom we haue followed IOHN CAPGRAVE WILLIAM MELMESBVRY de Pontific Lond. NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 13. TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 4. cap. 66. and manie others The life of S. WVLSINE Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 8. SAINCT WVLSINE borne in London of worthie parents was carefully brought vp in the seruice and feare of God vntill he was growne out of his childhood and then they offered him vnto God and S. BENEDICT in the Monasterie of the Benedictine Monks at The vertue of his youth Westminster to be trained vp in that diuine schoole of vertue wherein he became soe good a proficient that in a short time his graue cariage and religious behauiour gaue a great testimonie â—f future sainctetie By watching fasting and prayer he ouercame the two sworne enemies of goodnes the flesh and the Deuill Soe highly he contemned the pleasures and vanities of the world that nothing seemed to him more irksome and teadious then the verie thought thereof in respect of the great comfort he receiued out of the diuine contemplation of heauen and heauenly things whereunto he addicted all the
in morall matters ought to be preferred before allmost all the doctours of the Church He died the twelfth day of March in the yeare of our Lord 607. the third of Phocas the Emperour But that I may end where I began how farre is the greatest part of our wretched Countrey fallen from that religion which this The conclusion holy Pope first planted therein Nay such as he him self and the Apostles he sent were that is Priests and Monks are now held for wicked traitours and whatsoeuer slanders worse can be vttered against their holy profession and function O what would Blessed Sainct GREGORY say yf he liued now to see his pious labours come at length to soe vnhappie a periode to see Churches pulled downe Monasteries robbed priests tortured imprisoned and hanged all goodnes pietie and religion expelled and beatten into corners all vice impietie and heresie set abroach to lead men hedlong into the bottomlesse gulphes of damnation But let vs hope at lest for better and expect till the goodnes of allmightie God shal please to receaue vs againe into his fauour whose eternall prouidence doubtlesse hath permitted vs to fall into these miseries being pulled therevnto with the weight of our owne heauie sinnes and offences Let vs make our dayly prayers vnto our Lord I. C. that by the merits and intercession of this glorious Sainct our first Father and Apostle whom he soe highly exalted both in heauen and earth that he would graunt vs the grace to imitate that patterne of life and religioÌ„ which he hath layd before vs in his owne workes and sent vs at first by his disciples Whose care of our Countrey as in his life it was verie great soe since his death eueÌ„ to this day he hath not forgotten vs for as then he sent his Benedictin Monks to bring the first tidings of catholick religion amongst vs English soe yet he ceaseth not to send from a monasterie lately built and dedicated to his holy name manie learned men of the same Benedictin order and religion to labour in the conuersion of soules to their auncient catholique and Apostolique fayth For whom I the vnworthiest amongst them dare bouldly auouch soe much that they are all readie to seale the writing of that fayth religioÌ„ which they preach with the testimonie of their owne dearest bloud God of his infinite mercie through the merits of this glorious sainct graunt grace vnto our wretched countrey soe to listen vnto those and others her teachers that she may returne againe to the vnitie of our holy mother the Catholique and Apostolique Church Amen The life of S. PATRICK Bishop and confessor Apostle of Jreland MAR. 17 VVriten by Ioceline a Monk of Furnes SAINCT PATRICK for the excellencie of his vertues worthyly surnamed the Great was borne of the race of auncient Britans in that part of Wales now called Pembrookshire but the glorie and fame of his diuine learning life and miracles shined chiefly among His parents the inhabitans of Jreland who then were called Scotts His fathers name was Calphurnius his mothers Conquessa sister to the great Sainct MARTIN Archbishop of Tours In his Youth togeather with his two sisters and a brother he was taken Captiue and like an other Joseph sould into Ireland to a king named Milcho And as Joseph He is sould into IrelaÌ„d being a Slaue in Egipt was after a long â—uffring of aduersitie raysed at length to the supreme power Princedom of the countrey soe PATRICK hauing endured the affliction of his sale and slauerie in Ireland receaued the dignitie and primacie of the spirituall gouernment of the same Joseph furnished the hunger-starud EgiptiaÌ„s with graine PATRICK in his time nourished the poore Jrish languishing in the blindnes of Idolatrie with the wholesom foode of the Christian fayth They both tasted the smart of bodyly affliction for the greater good of the soule and were as gould in a furnace purified in the scorching flames of aduersitie Then by the commaund of the Prince PATRICK was made gardian of the Kings hoggs in the north part of the Countrey when it was strange to see He keepeth swine the wonderfull encrease of that ffock vnder soe pious a guide The holy youth bowing humbly to his fortune turned that necessitie His exercise of pietie being in miâ—erie into a vertue and hauing by this office purchased to him self a solitarines he piously laboured in the sauation of his owne soule Dwelling in the mountaines woods and caues of a desert he exercised him self in prayer fasting and meditation wherein he tasted the diuine sweetnes of allmightie God being amidst these afflictions often visited and conforted with angels from heauen It was not the crueltie eyther of heate cold frost or snow or anie other roughnes of weather that could fright him from his spirituall exercises But he still went on corragiously in his pious course dayly encreasing and profitting more and more in the way of vertue and growing stronger in fayth and the loue of IESVS-CHRIST II. AT LENGTH the allmightie goodnes that freed the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egipt deliuered his seruant Patrick by speciall miracle out of this affliction and restored him after six yeares seruitude in Ireland to his natiue contrey and friends He hath a vision againe to the great ioy and confort of his parents and kinsfolks He remayned some dayes with them till by the occasioÌ„ of a dreame or vision he was inspired otherwise For he saw a man in his sleepe who as he throught came out of Ireland with manie letters in his hand whereof he gaue him one which began thus This is the voice of the Irishmen And hauing read soe much he seemed at the same instant to heare the voyces of manie infants in Jreland crying out of their mothers wombs We beseech thee holy Father come walke amongst vs and deliuer vs. And a waking he gaue thanks vnto allmigtie God iudging for certaine that God had called him to coÌ„uert that couÌ„trey Therefore he resolueed to settle him self to the studie of holy learning and the better to putt his resolution in practise like an other Abraham he left his countrey parents friends and all and went ouer into France where vnder the learned tutorship of He studieth in France vnder S. German S. GERMANS Bishop of Aâ—xer he spent eighteen yeares in the continuall studie and reading of holy scriptures And at length the fame holy bishop seeing the great signes of vertue learning and religion in PATRICK promoted him to the sacred dignitie of Priesthood Then he departed to his vncle S. MARTIN Archbishop of Tours with whom he stayed some daies reading and conferring what he had learned And because S. MARTIN was a monk he gaue likewise the monasticall habit to his cozen togeather with all his manner of regular obseruance which PATRICK not only receaued with deuotion but perseuering euer after therein was an ornameÌ„t to the habitt he wore with the
of Deus-dedit or Gods-guist sixth Bishop thereof was vacant and destitute of a Pilote when the people and Clergie of Benedictin Monks mooued Egbert then King of Kent and Oswin king of the Northumbers to send one Wighart aâ—vertuous and holy Priest to Rome to be consecrated Kings of Engl. sent to Rome for an Archbishop of Canturb Bishop of Canturbury But Wighart coming to Rome in the hott time of plague died before he had receaued his intended dignitie Wherevppon Vitalianus then Pope sent for S. ADRIAN out of his Monasterie of Niridan and desired him to accept the charge and dignitie of the Archiepiscopall Sea of Canturbury But he refused this offer humbly answearing that vnworthy hy was to vndertake and more vnable to performe anie such weightie office in Gods Church And therefore desired some daies of deliberation to search S. Adrian refuseth the Archbishoprik out an other whose worth did more worthilie correspond with soe hight a degree and calling In this while he found out a holy Benedictin Monk of his acquaintance called Theodore that liued in Rome and him he presented vnto the Pope as one fitt for that dignitie he being a man excellent in the two chiefest ornaments of the mind learning and vertue This man the Pope accepted and consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury on condition that ADRIAN who had refused the chief dignitie should at lest accompanie him into England as his coadiutour in that Apostolicall mission Herevnto the blessed Sainct willingly consented and vndertooke the voyage making him self a subiect where he might haue been a commaunder His great humilitie and choosing rather to profitt the nation with his preaching and learning then gouerne it by an Episcopall authoritle such was his wonderfull humilitie and burning zeale to gayne soules to God III NOW therefore this holy couple tooke their iourney towards England and coming into France S. ADRIAN who was famous in that countrey for hauing been sent on diuers embassages betweene Christian Princes was for his greater meritt suspected to goe to the Kings of England on some busines of estare from the Emperour plotted against the French and therefore was stayed by the King of the Gaules vntill he had cleered him self of that suspition Which done he went after Theodore into England where within a yeare or two he was by the same Theodore made Abbot of the Benedictin Monks in the monasterie of S. PETER in Canturbury now called S. Austins from the Benedictin Monk S. AVSTIN our Apostle He is made Abbot of S. Peters in Canturb who lies buried there In this place S. ADRIAN gathered togeather a great number of disciples whom he taught and instructed out of the holy scriptures to find the readie way to euerlasting life and besides this he taught them Musick Astronomie and Arithmetick as allsoe the Greek and Latin tongue which his pious labours tooke soe good effect that manie of his schollers spake Greek and Latin as perfectly as their owne mother tongue and especially two farre exceeded their other fellowes in all manner of learning one was called Albin who succeeded S. ADRIAN in the regencie of the Abbey the other Tobias who was afterwards Bishop of Rochester IV. Moreouer this blessed Sainct was of soe great meritt and soe highly esteemed before allmightie God that he is reported to haue bin the worker of manie miracles and that by his intercession a deâ—d man was raysed to life At length hauing laboured in the vineyard of our Lord a long time both in Jtalie and England leauing His death behind him manie learned disciples the fruits of his labours the thirtie ninth yeare after he came to Canturbury he left this world to receaue his reward in heauen the ninth day of January the yeare of our Lord 708. He was buried in the Church or chappell of the B. Virgin MARIE which King Edbald had built in the foresayd Monasterie of S. AVGVSTIN And this Church happening afterwards to be burnt S. ADRIAN appeared to one of the Monks and coÌ„maunded He appeareth in glorie him to goe to S. DVNSTAN who then was Archbishop of Canturbury with these words in his name Thou liuest in houses well couered and fenced against the weather but the Church of the Mother of God wherein I and other domesticks of heauen doe inhabite lies open exposed to the iniurious stormes of the wind Wherevppon S. DVNSTAN carefully caused that Church to be repayred which him self afterwards frequented euerie night such diuine sweetnes he receaued by his prayers offered to God in that place But one night entring into it he beheld S. ADRIAN seated amongst a glorious quier of Angels and Saincts praysing and glorifieing allmightie God His bodie was allwaies held in great veneration but especially from hence forth and manie miracles are reported by the authour of his life to haue been wrought at his tombe which for breuities sake we omitt desiring of allmightie God grace rather to imitatehis vertues then to admire his wonders Of S ADRIAN maketh mention S. BEDE as before BARONIVS tom 8. ann 668. TRITHEMIVS in his 3. booke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order HARPSFIELD saec 7. cap. 8. 9. MOLANVS IOHN CAPGRAVE and others The life of S BRITHWALD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT IAN. 9. Out of venerable Bede hist. de gest SAINCT BRITHWALD a Monk of S. BENEDICTS order in the famous Abbey of Glassenbury was made Abbot of the monasterie called Reaculer in Kent where at that time the Kings of Kent sometimes kept their Court allbeit now saith Camden it be but a poore village not farre distant from Tanet Being a man of verie great learning and knowledge in diuine scriptures and wonderfull well practised in Ecclesiasticall and Monasticall discipline he was chosen by the Benedictins of Canturbury to succeed S. THEODORE in that sea which had bin vacaÌ„t the space of two yeares in the yeare 692 and consecrated Archbishop thereof the yeare following He was the eight Archbishop of Canturbury and gouerned his Chutch with all true vertues belonging to a good Bishop the space of thirtie seauen yeares six moneths and fourteen daies In his time a Councell was held at London wherein the point of worshiping holy Images was handled and confirmed At length this holy man loaden with manie yeares of venerable ould age and full of vertues holines yeelded vp his blessed soule to the beginning of that life which neuer ends the ninth day of January in the yeare 731. William Malmesbury a very graue authour affirmeth out of Goscelinus who writeth the acts of the first nine Archbishops of Canturbury that S. BRITHWALD was famous for working of manie miracles And he is reported to haue written the historie of the bâ—ginning of the Benedictin monasterie of Euesham with the life of S EGVINE Bishop of Worcester Thus much out of venerable BEDE NICHOLAS HARPSFIELD and others TRITHEMINS in his worke of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order WION
out like soe manie madd things terribly amazed at such an vnusuall accident And the captaine blasphemer of all the Host blinded not only in corporall sight but in mind too began to curse both God and man This miracle published by the clamours of that blind companie drew all the neighbours and a great part of the cittie thither to be spectatours of that miraculous tragedie At length some friends of the Host tooke vp poore Sweder out of the durt and brought him before that blinded crew When it was a rare spectacle to behold seauen blind men for soe manie they were fall downe vppon their knees and with blind teares craue pardon of him whom them selues had made soe dumb that by word of mouth he could not answer their petition but by signes and by signes he did withall perswading them by writting to forsake their Idolatrie and vse meanes to goe along with him to Werdt where at S. SWIBERTS Are restored to sight at S. Swiberts ToÌ„b tombe they should vndoubtedly recouer theyr former sight On the morrow they tooke their iourney towards Werdt in a waggon accompained with the Hosts wife and some of his kinsfolks who brought with them the loaues turned into stones Being all come to the holy tombe Sweder made a mentall prayer to the holy sainct recommending him self and those wretched soules to his pietie Vnto whom as he prayed S. SWIBERT visibly appeared and annointing his mouth with a strainge oyntment he perfectly recouered him to his speech most deuoutly breaking out into the lowd prayses of allmightie God and his Sainct When the blind men heard the yong man speak and prayse SWIBERT for the recouerie of his language they began to conceaue greater confidence to haue their cause heard and therefore earnestly imploring the help of CHRIST and his blessed Sainct presently they had their fight miraculously restored to the great ioy and admiration of their friends that were present The loaues of bread or rather the stones of bread they left at the sepulcher in memorie of the miracle as trophies of SWIBERTS glorie And they them selues staying there three daies were conuerted to the fayth and baptised and by that meanes cured of a double blindnes But returning to their owne towne againe their clâ—ere seeing was cause that manie Pagans were made to see their owne blindnes and forâ—ake their Idolatrie God graunt that this example may soe withold our dayly contemners of Gods Saincts from their wicked practise of blasphemie that seeing their owne errours they may giâ—e due honour to God and his Saincts in whom he is allwaies glorious and wonderfull Amen In the yeare of our lord 803. S. SWIBERT was canonized by Pope Leo the third then present in person at Werdt and eye-witnesse of some miracles done togeather with the Emperour Charles the Great who gaue manie rich guifts vnto the monasterie And the feast of his Canonization and exaltation of his holy bodie is celebrated in Germanie on the fourth day of September Besides the foresayd S. MARCELINE S. LVDGER Bishop of Mounster in an epistle written to RIXFRID Bishop of Vtreieght maketh worthy mention of S. SWIBERT and reciteth manie miracles done at his tombe Allâ—oe S. BEDE lib. 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 TRITHEMIVS of the famous men of S. BENEDICTS order 3. book chap. 165. BARONIVS tom 8. 9. HARPSFIELD saec 8. cap. 4. the ROMAN Martirologe and others dâ—e largely speake his prayses The life of Sainct DAVID Bishop and Confessor MAR. 1. Written by Kentigerne Bishop S. DAVID borne of the noble race of auncient Brittanes and vncle to famous Prince Arthur was reuealed vnto S. PATRICK Apostle of Ireland thirtie yeares before his birth Being brought vp from his infancie in pietie and learning he was a child of soe great towardnes that he farre excelled all his fellowes in both His masters were S. ILTVTE and one Pauline both famous men in vertue and learning whose footstepps like a good scholler were soe faythfully imitated by this worthy youth that he not only paraleld them but in his time went far beyond them both in the discipline of diuine religion and secular learning He kepp close in the studie of holie His studie of holy scripture scripture for the space of tenne yearâ—s before he would presume to make him self publick to the world in the instructioÌ„ of others When at length like a fayre ship laden with the balast of a well grounded vertue and fraught with the treasure of admirable knowledge and learning he floted with full sayles ouer the world with the fauourable wind of great fame and renowne dayly manuring the sacred vineyard of our lord and sounding the hearts of his people with the feruent and florishing eloquence of his exhortations and sermons By which and his vâ—matchable pietie he vtterly ruined dissolued He vanquisheth the Pelagian horesie and extinguished the rebellion of the Pelagian heresie which in those dayes began to take head cleerly purged all the stinking dregs and corruption thereof out of the hearts of that people That we may boldly say he was sent into this world by the particular prouidence of allmightie God whoe allwaies hath care of his faythfull flock to be such a Pastour thereof who with his admirable and allmost incredible workes and miracles should preserue and deliuer his Church from the diabolicall infection of this pestiferous heresie II. Amongst other worthy schollers and followers of his learning and vertue the most famous were these Saincts Aidan Paternus and Thâ—lian whoe endeauoured as farre as they were able to perfect them selues by his holy manner of life vertues With these he trauelled ouer the countrey allwaies preaching and teaching the poeple as he went He built manie monasteries for the habitation of such as desired to liue a more retired life At the place now called Glastenburie he built a Church new from the ground And coming He built Glasteuburie Church thence to Bath he cured the infection of the waters thereabouts and with his holy prayers and benediction gaue them a perpetuall heate and made them verie healthfull aâ—d souueraigne for manie diseases euer after as to this present day is experienced to the wonderfull comfort and commoditie of all England Coming at length with his coÌ„panie which was no small one to Meâ—eâ—ia in Pembrookshire he began to build a monasterie in that place farre froÌ„ all worldly tumults meaning to make it his principall abode whilst he remayned in this mortall life But the deuill who from the beginning was an enuious hinderer of monks and monasteries stirred vp a wicked member of his a Tiran of that countrey called Baia with A Tiran plotteth his death his complices to putt the holy man and his companie to death And by the way as they went to the execution of this mischief he and his fellowes were suddenly shaken with such cruell feauers that they were not able to performe theyr wicked intentions When in the meane time the wife of this ring leader
day not only in Wales but all England ouer is most famous in memorie of him But in these our vnhappie daies the greatest part of his solemnitie consisteth in wearing of a greene leeke it is a sufficieÌ„t theame for a zealous VVelchman to ground a quarrell against him that doeth not honour his capp with the like ornament that day VII THE miracles which were wrought by his meritts after his death are such soe manie that they farre exceed the limitts of this short discourse we will only relate some which haue the testimonie of an eye-witnesse to prooue them true In the raigne of King Stephen Gyrald Cambr. in Topogr Camb. Iâ—â—uers miracles the brooke which runnes aboue the Church-yarde of Meneuia or S. DAVIDS flowed with wine and the same time out of a Well or fountaine there called Pisteldewy that is the Conduit of Dauid sprang forth a great quantitie of milke And this is reported by him that liued at the fame time and most exactly was acquanited with the matters of that countrey A litle portable bell called S. DAVIDS Note a strange miracle was of great fame and admiration in VVales which when the souldiers presumed to retaine at the Castle of Raidnock contrarie to the desire of a woman that brought it suddenly the night following the whole towne was deuowred with fier the wall only excepted where that bell was hanged A boy that endeauoured to take yong pigeons out of a nest in S. DAVIDS Church of Lhanuaos had his fingers soe fastened to the stone that he could by noe meanes gett loose All much amazed at this miracle specially his parents and friends who togeather with the boy before the aultar of the same Church gaue them selues to continuall watching fasting and prayer the space of three dayes as manie nights when to the great ioy of all the stone fell from his hand The Authour of this storie not only liued at the same time but both saw and spake to the man to whom it happened who confessed him self that it was soe And which is more that stone being conserued in the Church remayned as an euerlasting witnes of the miracle with the plaine forme of his fingers imprinted in it as in a peece of waxe VIII MANIE thousands of other miracles haue been wrought by the meritts of this holy man both in his life and after his death which for breuities sake me omitt And here now could I willingly enter into a large field of this holy Saincts prayses did not feare of being ouer teadious withould my penne as vnworthy to be the truÌ„pett of the same of soe renowned a man I will only desire all true hearted VVelchmen allwaies to honour this their great Patrone and Protectour and humbly desire him that as in his life time he ouerthrew with his learning all the bullwarkes of the Palagian heresie soe now with his prayers and intercession to allmightie God he would supplicate the diuine Goodnes to cast a mercifull eye vppon his poeple and reduce his sometimes beloued countrey out of the Blindnes of Protestancie groueling in which it languisheth more lamentably then euer it did in the former errour that once againe those hills and valleies may resound with the Ecchoes of Gods diuine prayses sung in such monasticall quiers as haue been the ornaments there of in former ages and now are only the sad monuments of their auncient glorie God of his infinite mercie by the intercession of this glorious Sainct giue strength to those few that are in the truth soe to remayne and grace to the rest to acknowledge the same truth and forsake their present errours The life of S. Dauid was written by S. Kentigerne but whether the same be extant it is vncertaine Ioannes Anglicus and Giraldus Cambrensis haue written the same allsoe out of whom and Nicholas Harpsfield me haue gathered the foresayd historie Manie other authors make worthie mention of him The life of Sainct CHAD Bishop and Confessor of the holy order of S. BENEDICT MAR 2. Gathered out of Venerable Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT CHADDE borne in Northumberland brother to S. CEDDE Bishop of London of whom you may reade the seauenth of January was at first scholler vnto S. AIDAN Bishop of Lindisfarne in whose vertuous schole he made a great progresse in learning and good manners being allwaies verie carefull to execute in deed whatsoeuer he learned by studie In his youth he went into Jreland where tohgeather with S. EGBERT he led a strict monasticall life in continuall continencie exercising him self with great diligenâ— in the pious art of prayer and meditation of the holy scripture Returning into England after that famous controuersie betweeue S. WILFRID the Benedictine monk and Bishop Colman concerning the due celebration of Easter and other Church-rites was decided togeather with his brother S. CEDDE he receaued the rule of our holy father S. BENEDICT and succeeded his brother in the gouernment of the Benedictine Abbey of Lesting in Yorke-shire Which charge he discharged with great sainctitie and example of good life till in the yeare of our Lord 664. when S. WILFRID being chosen Bishop of Yorke and sent into France to be consecrated by the Bishop of Paris stayed soe long beyond the seas that Sainct CHADD by the meanes of king Oswy was consecrated and installed in the Episcopall sea of Yorke by the hands of Wini Bishop of the West-saxons and the only He is cousecrated Bishop of Yorke Bishop lawfully ordayned Bishop extant then in England II. SAINCT CHAD being aduanced to this height of dignitie began presently to make the pietie and vertue of his life correspond to the eminencie of his sacred function bending all his endeauours for the conseruing of the Ecclesiasticall veritie and ordinances of the Catholick Church and making his owne dayly exercise a true patterne of deuotion humilitie and continencie vnto his subiects He was wont to read much preach often trauell abrod after the true Apostolicall manner allwaies on foote from towne and village piously furnishing the whole countrey with the sacred doctrine of CHRISTS ghospel At length S. THEODORE being consecrated Archbishop of Canturbury made a visitt ouer the Churches of England correcting as he went whatsoeuer he found amisse when amongst the rest he chanced to rebuke S. CHAD as not lawfully consecrated See the wonderfull humilitie of the Sainct If thou His great humilitie knowest answeared he verie modestly that I haue not rightly vndertaken the bishoprick I most willingly giue vp my office for indeed I allwaies iudged my self farre vnworthie thereof and it was meere obedience which forced mee at first to take this sacred charge vppon mee But THEODORE being ouercome with the resigned humilitie of this answeare replied that it was not necessarie to leaue his bishoprick but only to haue his installement approoued after the Catholick manner But S. CHAD after three yeares gouernment of that sea being more desirous of a priuate and quiet life resigned vp
morning to the great admiration and ioy of all he made knowne by the soundnes of his witt and vnderstanding that he had there receaued the cure of his madding phrensie The place of his buriall is inclosed with a wodden chest which hath a hole on the one side through which those that came thither for deuotion were wont to reach forth some of the dust and hauing dissolued it in water it cured both man and beast that drank it of what disease soeuer they were infected The life of this B. Sainct we haue gathered chiefly out of S. Bedes History of England Iohn Capgrane hath the same in his lines of English Saincts Trithemius in his treatise of the famous men of S. Benedicts order lib. 3. cap. 117. Arnould Wion Baronius Camden and others make worthie mention of him In the Prouinciall CoÌ„stitutions of England his feast is ordayned to be celebrated with nine lessons and soe it was obserued in the Sarum Breuiarie But since Breuiaries were made treason in England all goodnes was banished the Psal 150. v. 1. publick view of that vnhappie Countrey and God whom the Psalmist bids vs to praise in his Saincts is depriued of his due honour and glorie and his Saincts are quite robbed of their part therein The life of Sainct WILLEICK Priest and Confessor monck of the holy order of S. Benedict MAR. 2. Out of Marceline in the life of S. Swibert S. WILLEICK borne in England went ouer into lower Germanie S. Willeick a Monk-Canon of Vtteicht in low Germanie where togeather wich S. SWIBERT and other English Benedictine Monks he preached CHRISTS ghospell to the Pagans and conuerted manie to the true fayth He was one of the first Monk-Canons of the new Cathedrall Church of Vtreiâ—ght where he who had left the world with a pure intention soe sincerely endeauoured to perfect him self in the seruice of CHRIST IESVS that he appeared as a sweet vessell of vertues to the rest of his brethren For from his youth he had liued allwaies with the great S. SWIBERT in the continuall exercise of prayer continencie and meditation of the holy scriptures euer striuing to make him self as pure wax to receiue the impression and seale of that worthie Saincts vertues He was skillfull in holy scriptures and well practised in the Latin and Dutch tongue verie cloquent in his discourse but meeke and humble in his behauiour a conquerour of wrath and couetousnes a despiser of pride and vaine glorie and a comfortable father to the poore and sickly For whom carefully to prouide he was inclined not only out of an innate pietie of mind but made that appeare by his great labour and paines taken in prouiding and succouring their necessities him self He conuerted allsoe manie Heathens through the Prouinces as he trauelled from the venom of Idolatrie to the sweetnes of CHRIST fayth II. AFTERWARDS being made Priour of S. SWIBERTS Benedictine monasterie at Werdt he became a true mirrour and paterne of all He is made Priour of the Monasterie of Werdt true vertues to his brethren whereby manie by his example and authoritie were curbed within the rules of a regular life Neyther was he profitable with his vertues and good example to the monasterie only but by his deuout exhortations and pious sermons he conuerted the neighbouring poeple from the sottish customs of their Idolatrous life to the loue of CHRIST heauenly things And the greatnes of his vertue and meritt was testified by miracle For being on a time at Cullen with the most deuout Dutchesse Plectrude of whom mention is made in the life of S. SWIBERT one Gothebald a chief man of the towne lay languishing vnder the pittilesse burden of such a cruell disease that depriued of all vse of his limmes he seemed indeed to be quite dead when his funerall rites were allreadie prepared and his graue gaped to receiue him In the meane time Marie that was his wiues name obtained of the Dutchesse to haue Willeick the disciple and priest of great S. SWIBERT to come visitt He cureth a sickman that diyng man Who coming into the chamber and hauing made his prayers to allmightie God he gaue him his benediction when presently the sick man arose in perfect health out of his bed gaue thanks to the supreme giuer of all goodnes and sate at table with the rest in great ioy and alacritie and S. Willeick whose companie he much desired could hardly be drawne from his deuotions of thanks giuing to take his repast with the rest Herevppon the deuout Dutchesse Plectrude held this holy man in farre greater honour and esteeme theÌ„ before yeelding infinite prayses to the omnipotent worker of wonders But S. WILLEICK hauing gouerned his monasterie His death the space of thirteene yeares in all tenne after the death of his master S. SWIBERT in great holines of life and conuersation gaue vp his blessed soule to the neuer-dieing rewards of his labours to beare a part in the quire of Benedictin Monks in heauen He died the second day of March in the yeare of Our Lord 727. At whose tombe in testimonie of his vertues and holy life were wrought maine miraculous cures of diseases Of him make mention besides the foresayd Marcelline Trithemius in his 3. booke and 167. chap. of the famous men of S. Benedicts Order Molanus in his additions to Vsuard Wion in his Benedictine Martirologe and others The life of Sainct WINWALOKE Abbott and Confessor MAR. 3. Gathered by Surius out of auÌ„cient manuscripts SAINCT WINWALOKE sonne to Fracanus cosen germane of Cotton king of the Brittaines began from his tender age to giue greate signes of his ensuing vertue and good life despising the pleasures of the world and wholly bequeathing him self to the diuine seruice of allmigthy God His desire of a deuout life And the better to put his good purposes and pious inspirations in execution he desired leaue of his father to goe to a holy man of that countrey to perfect him self in that diuine schoole in the studie of vertue and learning But his father who desired rather to see him aduanced to worldy preferment and honour flatly denied his godly request Wherevppon this blessed yong man appealed to his allmightie father in heauen earnestly crauing his assistance in this case And his prayers were not in vaine for not long after his father being abrode in the plaine fields in a sayre sunny day on the suddaine there happened such a horrible tempest of rayne hayle and snow seconded with the roaring of such dreadfull thunder and flashes of lightning falling thick about him that strucken with the exceeding terrour thereof he fell flatt on the ground where musing with him self what might be the reason of such an vnexpected storme it came into his mind that perhaps it was a punishment sent him from God aboue for detayning his sonne in the tempestuous world out of the sweet hauen of his diuine His father giueth him to God seruice HerevppoÌ„ he
his feete humbly desiring his prayers for the remission of his sinnes The Sainct lifting him vp encouraged him with a familiar exhortation to the conteÌ„pt He connetteth a King to good life of the world the diuine loue of heaueÌ„ with such a liuely moouing discourse that the king receaued wonderfull great cofort thereat and returning againe to his pallace reformed his bad life euer after Manie other miracles are reported to haue been wrought by the meritts of this blessed sainct which exceede our breuitie to relate our discourse hasteneth now towards his death which as it could not come vnto soe holie man in an ill season soe it could not befall him in a better time then it did For the night before his departure hauing had a reuelation of that happie hower he made it knowne vnto the rest of his brethren who with bitter teares witnessed the sorrow they conceaued for the losse of soe good a father and entreated him to appoint one to succeed him in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Monasterie whereunto he willingly consented And on the morrow hauing celebrated The mannâ—r of his death the holy Sacrifice of Masse and receaued the sacred bodie bloud of our lord standing yet at the aultar he sweetly rendred vp his blessed soule into the hands of his deare redeemer without anie apparance of sensuall paine at all After which quiet separation his bodie by the hands of his brethren was reuerently committed to a poore house of clay in the earth and his vnspotted soule freed from her terrene habitation was coÌ„ueyed into the heauenly court of allmightie God by a Sacred Conuoy of celestiall spiritts He florished about the yeare of our lord 459. and died the third day of March in the first weeke of Lent His holy reliques were translated afterwards to S. PETERS Abbey of Benedictin Monks in the cittie of Gaunt in Flanders The memorie of which translation is celebrated the first day of August His life is found written by Joannes Anglicus JOHN Capgraue and other auncient manuscripts sort downe by SVRIVS on t of which me haue gathered it VSVARD MOLANVS doe make mention of him The life of Sainct OWEN Confessor and Monk of the holy Order of S. Benedict MAR. 4. Out of venerable Bede de gest Ang. SAINCT OWEN being chief steward of the royall familie of S. ETHELDRED wife to Egfrid King of the Northumbers encreased so excellently in the feruour of vertue that forsaking that princely seruice and all the pleasures and riches he enioyed in the world he putt on poore apparell and went to the monasterie of Lesting where the holy Bishop S. CHAD then liued He brought nothing with him but an axe in his hand to shew that he came not to the monasterie He forsaketh the world to liue idlely as manie doe but to gett his liuing by the labour of his hands which afterwards by his great industrie he prooued for hauing receaued the habitt of a Benedictin monk in the same place by how much his want of learning did disfurnish him of abilitie to meditate on the misteries of the holy scriptures by soe much the more he employed and applied his whole endeauours to serue the monasterie with the labour of his hands But when the holy Bishop S. CHAD remooued his seate to Lichfield he tooke this holy monk along with him and iudged him worthie to be one of those eight whom as we haue sayd in his life he made his more familiar companion in that little retiring place of his deuotions which he built neere adioyning vnto the Church for his more priuate exercise of pietie There S. OWEN being for reuerence and respect of his deuotion numbred a mongst the other brethren when the rest were earnestly busied at their prayers and meditations he laboured abrode in making prouision of such things as were necessarie He was a man of verie great meritts and one who had left the world with a pure intention sincere desire of the eternall reward promised to such as follow the footstepps of CHRIST and his Apostles And therefore he His guift of reuelation was esteemed of allmightie God to be in all things most worthie to whom he might more peculiarly reueale his heauenly secrets being for his sinceritie most worthie to be beleeued in his relations For this cause the glorious vision of the Angelicall troupes which came from heauen with their melodious tunes to bring newes of the neere-approching death of S. CHAD was shewed vnto this holy Monke as he laboured without when the holy Bishop was at his prayers within This you may reade in the life of S. CHAD the second of March And this only testimonie of alimightie Gods particular fauour vnto this holy sainct may serue for a sufficient proofe of his great vertue and sainctitie who after the death of the holy Bishop hauing long exercised him self in the execution of his His happie death pious vocation left the world the second time to receaue an euerlasting reward in heauen for hauing renounced it at first and yielded vp his pure soule into the hands of his most deare redeemer Thus much of him we haue gathered chiefly out of S. BEDES-historie of England Trithemius in his third booke and 118. Chapter of the illustrious men of S. BENEDICTS order and Arnold Wion in his Appendix to his Martirologe doe both make worthy mention of him What day he died it is not knowne The life of Sainct PIRAN Bishop and Confessor MAR. 5. Written by Joannes Anglicus recited by Iohn Capgraue SAINCT PIRAN borne in Jreland of a noble race for the loue of God contemned the riches of the world and became an Hermite in the same countrey leading the space of manie yeares a very strict and rigid manner of life by which and his concontinuall preaching and working of manie miracles he drew diuers out of the blindnes of Idolatrie to the true fayth of CHRIST He was His vertuous life wonderfull sparing in his diet continuall in watching and prayer and from his very childhood to the hower of his death allwaies employed in reading teaching practising the workes of charitie humilitie coÌ„tinencie all other vertues Being made Priest he omitted noe dutie belonging to that dignitie feeding the hungry cloathing the naked instructing the ignorant restrayning froÌ„ vice moouing to vertue At length he departed out of Jreland came into that part of England called Cornwall where with some others in a poore little habitation he prepared himself for death the hower whereof being The manner of his death partly by a grieuious sicknes of which neuer in his life he had tasted before and partly by a diuine inspiration made knowne vnto him he caused his graue to be opened and entring him self into it yielded vp his blessed soule out of that house of clay to be carried vpp to the neuer dying ioyes of heauen in the glorie of a great light and splendour that appeared at the same
seemed to be in him by nature since he had consecrated his infancie through the ignorance of vice and emulatiō of vertue Being sett to schoole he profitted beyond all his other fellowes He had scarse seene fifteen yeares of age but straight he began with a graue prudence to cōsider with him self of the dangers miseries of the world plottīg how he might better settle him self in the true seruice of God when he resolued that noe manner of life was comparable to that of monks religious men Therefore being desirous to leaue the world become a monk he asked the S. Auselme asking the habitt of a monke is denied habitt of an Abbot of that countrey who fearing his fathers displeasure that was ignorant of ANSELMS intētion herein refused to graunt his request But ANSELME cōstant in his holy purpose made his prayer to allmightie God to send him some corporall sicknes that soe at lest he might become a monk and a Patient in Religion to cure the diseases or rather conserue the innocencie of his soule His prayers were heard and his request graunted when languishing in his desired sicknes he sent to the Abbot with manie earnest entreaties to be admitted into his order for that now he feared death was at hand But he vpō the same humane respects as before againe denied his petitiō II. AFTERWARDS his health returning againe worldly pleasures and prosperities soe sweerly smiled vppon him now in the flower of his youth that the feruour of his former purposes and desires began by little a little to grow cold especially after the death of his good mother whom he highly loued and respected he tooke againe to him self free scope to follow the inclination and desires of his sensuall appetits not only forgetting the spiritt of his first Vocatiō but allsoe omitting his studie in sciences which before he had soe carefully His fathers anger against him followed But while thus he hunted in the traine of his owne passions it pleased allmightie God to looke vpon him with the ey of a mercifull clemencie and permitted his father to enter into such an extreme dislike of him that he could not affoord him as much as a good looke hating and disdayning in his sonne as well the good as the euill when on the other side nether his filiall humilitie or dutie was of power to appease or anie way satisfie his angrie father Wherevppon he chose rather to renounce all his worldly inheritance then to endure the stormes of such furie fearing to runne the hazard of further inconuenience Therefore iudging his friends and domesticques to be his greatest enemies he forsoke his fathers house to seeke his content and repose else-where He departed with one only companion partly in France partly in Burgundy he spent the space of three yeares But the worthie fame of Lanfranks pietie and learning coming to his eares he ranged him self into the list of manie other yong men of his vertuous schoole in the Benedictin Abbey of He becometh schol ler to Lanfrank Bec in Normandy When it was rare to see how ANSELME was not soe ioyfull to be a scholler of soe excellēt a master as Lanfrank was glad to be a master to soe worthy a scholler The masters care and labour in teaching was rewarded in the scholler with an extraordinarie diligence of learning what he taught in soe much that in a short time he not only made a great progresse into the knowledge of holy scriptures and other good doctrine but allsoe exercising him self in watching and prayer and other actes of deuotion he became verie desirous to attaine to the height of vertuous perfection For the familiar conuersation he vsed with his good and vertuous master S. LANFRANK caused the light of his auncient resolution towards a monasticall life againe like a fayre morning of pietie to breake out through the clouds of worldly vanities wholly to dedicate him self to Gods seruice True it is that he was much perplext with difficulties to attayne the end he aymed at On the one side he found him self greatly inclined to lead a solitarie life in the desert thereby to applie and employ his thoughts more securely in diuine cōtēplation on the other side he thought it a more secure way to liue vnder the rod of obedience in a monasterie againe his father hauing left him heyre of great lands and goods he was in doubt whether he might not doe God greater seruice liuing in the world and yearly distributing the best part of his meanes to the poore pious vses In these perplexities this prudent yong man would not of him self resolue anie thing in a matter of soe great moment but consulted his master LANFRANK sincerely laying open the secret thoughts of his heart fully He consulteth Lanfrank of choosing a course of life resigning his will into his hands with intention to follow the dictamen of his good counsell The master was vnwilling to resolue his scholler in a matter of such importance but referred it to the iudgment of the venerable Prelat Maurill Archbishop of Roane vnto whom they went both and proposed their difficultie who hauing heard the cause counselled ANSELME to embrace a religious and monasticall life as the most perfect and assured way to heauen and following this aduise he resolued to humble his neck vnder the sweet yoake of CHRIST in the holy order of Sainct BENEDICT III. BVT THERE remayned yet an other difficultie of choosing the place whether he should take the habitt at Cluny or Bec at the first he thought his labour and learning might be to manie profitable at the other he feared it would like a little starre before the sunne be darkened with the bright splendour of LANFRANK and soe become of little or noe seruice at all While his thoughts were tossed with these wauering opinions he began to discourse with him self in this sort Why ANSELME what dost thou meane what doest thou think on Doest thou intēd to make a monasticall life the first stepp to obtaine fame glorie renowne and superioritie God forbid For the true scope of a monke must be to humble him self to others and He taketh the habitt of S Benedict vtterly to despise all titles of honour dignitie And this thou wilt attaine to at the Abbey of Bec or noe where Therefore without all delay he went thither putt on the habitt of S. BENEDICTS order in the sayd monastery where the venerable man Hurluin was Abbot who out of his owne meanes and patrimonie had first built founded that Abbey ANSELME was then at the age of 27. yeares when he became soe carefull attentiue to imitate the vertues of his other brethren that at the terme of three yeares he became him self to be a bright mirrour of religious perfection and monasticall discipline to the whole conuent Soe that B. LANERANK being taken from the Priorship to be made Abbot of the monastery of Cane ANSELME much against
and writings renowned monuments which he left behind him doe abundantly witnes Manie whereof the enuious iniurie of the times haue robbed vs off For for these fiue hundred yeares past that booke of his soe much celebrated by Venerable BEBE of the right and true manner of obseruing Easter which he writt against the Britans hath not appeared Which worke of saint ALDELME was of great profitt to manie of them to roote out of their stubborne minds that inueterate errour Sainct BEDE hath allsoe in estimation his booke of virginitie in which he writeth much in the prayse of that heauenly vertue and proues by the examples of the Saincts that embraced it that it is nether hard nor difficill to obserue In fine saint BEDE S Bedes prayse of S. Aldelme adornes him with this testimoniall of his prayse man most learned in all things neate in his speech and wonderfull in the knowledge of Scriptures both liberall and Ecclesiasticall And surely S. ALDELME was the first of our contreymen that writt verses in Latine as he him self doth testifie in these two Primus ego in patriam mecum modò vit a super fit Aonio rediens deducam vertice Musas First to my Countrey from the Romanhill I le bring yf life me last the Muses quill Allsoe in compounding pronouncing and singing verses and Aldesmes skill in poesie and singing songs in his mother-tongue he was admirably excellent And in King Elfreds time as the same King doeth witnes manie of saint ALDELMES ditties were yet sung in England One thing related of this purpose by King Elfred is most worthie of memorie The poeple of those times being yet but rude rusticks and verie negligent in the diuine seruice seemed to come to Church but for fashion sake as manie now adaies doe where they made noe long stay but as soone as the misterie of masse was done they flocked homewards without anie more adoe Our prudent ALDELME perceauing this small deuotion in the poeple placed him self on a bridge ouer which they were to passe from Church to their Villages where when the hastie multitude of poeple came whose minds were A pioâ—s art allreadie in their beef-pott at home he begane to putt forth his voyce with all the musicall art he could and charmed their eares with his songs For which when he grew to be gratefull and plausible to that rude poeple and perceaued that his songs flowed into their eares and minds to the greate pleasure contentment of both he beganne by little and litle to mingle his ditties with more serious and holy matters taken out of the holy Scripture and by that meanes brought them in time to a feeling of deuotion and to spend the sundaies and holy daies with farre greater proâ—â—â—â— to their owne soules Now let vs goe on with the course of his life III. THEREFORE when he had taken the habit and profession of a His exercises in the Monasterie monke he bent all the forces and powers both of soule and bodie worthyly to performe in deed what he promised by word Wherefore he neuer moued a foote out of the Monasterie vnlesse some vrgent necessitie did compelle him he spent all his time in reading and prayer that as he him self doth testifie elsewhere in an Epistle by reading he might heare the voyce of allmightie God speaking and by prayer he might speake vnto him him self His diet was poore and verie sparing thereby to force the bodie to the subiection of the soule to which purpose he vsed an other wonderfull austeritie For in a fountaine neere adioyning which afterwards He reciteth the Psalter in the waters bore his name he was wont by night according to the example of the auucient Saincts to plunge him self vp to the neck wheÌ„ce he would not stirre vntill he had recited ouer the whole Psalter of Dauid for his nightly taske of prayers By which and other such exercises he soe tamed the sensualitie of the flesh that if he happened at anie time to feele the tickling motions and stings thereof he would not therefore like a coward-souldier presently An example to be admired not imitated auoyd and flie from the presence of an obiect mouing therevnto vntill after manie prayers and psalmes most deuoutly offered to Allmightie God he found all that vncleane motion of bodie to be vtterly extinguished and beaten downe A rare allthough to others a dangerous manner of ouercoming and questionlesse much enuied of the deuills But yf anie one chaunce to contend against the truth of this historie in soe Christian a philosopher I remitt him Diogeâ— Laert. l. 4. de vit philosoph to those profane writers who dare affirme of their Zenocrates that hauing slept a whole night with the fayre Phrine he was enkindled with noe manner of lustfull heate and proclaymed publickly the day following that he had laine with a statue and not with a woman IV. WHILST this holy man shined thus in learning and vertue like a bright sunne amongst the monks of Malmesbury by the common consent of them all he was chosen Abbot of the same monasterie He is made Abbot of Malmesbury Which dignitie was not soe much an ornament to him as he was an honour to it For by his holy industrie soe great an encrease of vertue and learning to his brethren and of buildings lands and reuenewes was added to the monasterie that he may deseruedly be esteemed as the father and builder of them But the greatest donation of lands came chiefly from Elentherius Bishop of the West-Saxons from Kenfrith Duke of the Mercians and from the three good Kings Ethelred Cedwall and Inas who all held saint ALDELME in great esteeme and veneration by reason of his wonderfull vertue as manifestly appeares by their charters and writings made to that Monasterie for his sake which I haue read He built allsoe the Monasteries of Frome and Bradford which eyther by the crueltie of the Danes or other such barbarous poeple or else by the iniuries of eating age haue been destroyed manie yeares agoe S. ALDELME whilst he was Abbot writt that booke which we haue spoken off against the Britans errour in the celebration of Easter He reduduceth the Britans to the true Easter For the matter being eagerly handled in manie Sinods of the West-Saxons to conclude by what meanes it was best to bring those erroneous poeple to the practise of the Catholick Church some were of opinion that they should be compelled by force of armes but the contrarie and gentler opinon obtayned that not with the sword but by reason and disputation they ought to he dealt with Nether was the victorie iudged to be of great difficultie if ALDELME did but take the matter in hand He vndertooke it and worthily and fruitfully performed it as we haue sayd before Soe that the Britans next after God are much obliged vnto saint ALDELME in this behalf Whose great pietie towards them is allsoe honourably to be obserued
the assistance of the Holy Ghost He neuer went to his studies but from his prayers and seldom to his prayers but from his studies For whatsoeuer time he had that was free from his dayly exercise of monasticall discipline and from the continuall care of watching singing and praying night and day in the Church he was wont wholly and most diligently to spend in the studie of good learning Whence it came to passe that with this diligence of a greedie witt he searched and pierced into the secrets of allmost all sciences For beginning His skiâ— in the liberall sciences from the first rudiments of learning he was most readie in the Greek and Latine tongues most elegant in Poetrie and Rhetorick most subtile in Logick and Metaphisick admirable in Astronomie and the Mathematicks most exact in Arithmetick and Church-accompts most conuersant in history and most excellent in all the liberall sciences Philosophie and Deuinitie In a word he exactly learned soundly vnderstood firmely retayned and cleerly taught all good arts and knowleges that I may boldly say that not only England but the whole Christian world in that age could find but few to him comparable and not one that went beyond him in learning This manie learned Historiographers doe testifie this his owne deeds and the bookes which he writt soe full of all good learning doe manifestly auouch III. To the age of thirtie yeares he liued vnder the tutorship and obedience of his masters the two forenamed Lights of Canturbury S. THEODORE and saint ADRIAN and S. IOHN surnamed of Beuerley bishop of Yorke all three bright ornaments of the Benedictine Order therefore the fitter vnder whom S. BEDE a Benedictine might suck the sweet milke of Religion and learning Afterwards being by the commaund of his Superiours made Priest he applied him self to teach and write And first at the intreatie of Acca Bishop and the desire of the Brethren of his Monastery he began to make commentaries vppon all the holy Scripture But let vs heare his owne most modest testimonie of him self and how sweetly the holy Ghost speakes in him let vs experience how finely his words come from him In the end of his Historie of England before the catalogue which he made of his owne workes he hath this ensuing epilogue which because it containes an abridgement of his whole life we doe more willingly sett downe Thus much sayth he I Bede the seruant of God and Priest of the S. Pedes testimony of â—â—mselâ— Monasterie of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul which is at Weremouth and Iarrow haue by the helpe of our Lord gathered of the Ecclesiasticall historic of the Britans and chiefely of the English nation according as I could learne it ether out of the writings of the Auncients or by the tradition of our Auncestors or out of mine owne knowledge Who being borne in the territorie of the same Monastery when J was seauen yeares old by the care of my friends and Kinsfolkes J was giuen to be brought vp to the most reuerend Abbot Bennet and afterwards to Ceolfrid and from that time spenaing my whole age in the same Monastery I applied all my endeauours to the studie of Scripture and betweene the obseruance of regular discipline and the dayly care of singing in the Church I was allwaies delighted ether in learning or teaching or writing But in the nineteenth yeare of my age I tooke deacons hip and the degree of Priesthood at the thirtith both by the ministerie of the most reuerend Bishop Iohn and the commaund of Ceolfrid Deacon at 〈…〉 teen Priest at thirue Abbot From which time of Priesthood receaued to the nine and fiftith yeare of my age I haue been carefull to make these brief annotations vppon the holy Scripture for the necessitie of me and my brethren out of the workes of the Venerable Fathers or to adde somewhat ouer and aboue to the forme of their sense and interpretation And hauing here sett downe the number of thirtie six volumes which he had written in seauentie eight bookes he addes these words And I beseech thee O good Iesus that on whoÌ„ thou hast mercifully bestowed to conceiue the words of thy wisedom and knowledge to him thou wouldest out of thy bountie allsoe graunt to come at length to the fountaine of all wisedom and for euer to appeare before thy face who liuest and raignest God world without end Amen Hereunto he addes an Epilogue to the Reader which worthyly setts forth his rare vertue of humilitie in these words I humbly entreate all of our nation to See his great humilitie whom the reading or hearing of this historie may arriue that they would often remember to make intercession to the supreme clemencie for my infirmities both of boâ—ie and soule c. Here our witt fayles vs and words are wanting not knowing whether to prayse first the great number of his bookes or the sweet modestie of his speeches that doubâ—lesse allmightie God had infused him with a large draught of his diuine wisedom to make him able to enrich the world with soe manie volumes in soe short a time a midst the continuall exercise of the monasticall rule and discipline of the monasterie IV. BVT now the fame of his learning was soe renowned and memorable that manie flocked vnto him as vnto an Oracle to learne Manie flock to his schoole the liberall sciences and to be instructed in the more difficult places of holy Scripture in soe much that the monasterie of Weremouth became an vniuersitie of learned Benedictine Monkes where all arts and sciences diuine and humane were taught And all by the meanes of saint BEDE in whom lay hid soe great a treasure of learning witt and wisedom that each one might take as much as he was able to comprehend and he remayne nothing poorer Others that could not in person consulted him by letters desiring the exposition of such hard questions of the Scripture as their owne vnderstanding could not reach to Nay soe famous and renowned was the The fame of his learning name of this holy Doctour that the Ocean was to weake a bound to contayne it it was blowne to the head of the world Rome whose loftie magnificence wanted the Counsell of our BEDE for the discussion of the more difficult points of religion But that he went euer to Rome I dare not auouch it is more probable that he did not but sure we are that he was sent for by Pope Sergius as this Epistle doeth testifie Sergius Bishop seruant of the seruants of God to the religious Abbot Pope Sergius his Epistle Ceolfrid health and Apostolicall benediction With what words or meanes can we prayse the clemencie and vnspeakable prouidencie of our God and giue him worthy thankes for his immense benefitts bestowed who bringeth vs that were seated in the darknes and shades of death to the diuine light of knowledge And a litle after Therefore because of some questions of
Ecclesiasticall causes risen which can no longer be left without examination we haue need of learned men to conserre with we exhort the godly and He is sent for to Rome beloued goodnes of thy pietie that as it becomes a deuout maintayner of our holy mother the vniuersall Church thou fayle not to leud obedient deuotion to this our desire but without anie delay send the religious seruant of God Bede the Venerable Priest of thy monastery to the shrines of the Princes of the Apostles Peter and Paul thy louers and protectours and to the sight of my meaunes and by the grace of God and thy holy prayers thou needest not mistrust but that he will returne safely againe vnto thee after the celebration of the foresayd articles by the helpe of God are finished For we hope it will be profitable to all vnder thy charge whatsoeuer by his worth shall be made famous and imparted to the whole Church V. BVT doeth not this greatly redound to the prayse and honour of our saint BEDE that the Roman greatnes should desire his counsell in matter of learning who lay hid in a poore cowle and cloister in the farthest corner of the world Surely William De gest Reg. Ang. l. 1. c. 3. Malmesbury iudged aright when he calls him A man whom one may with more ease admire then worthyly prayse who borne in the furthest corner of the world dazeled all countreies with the lightning of his learning Nay more his writings were of soe reuerend esteeme and authoritie in the Christian world that during his life time first by the ordonance of an English Synod and afterwards the whole Catholick and Apostolick Church approouing it they were read and sung publickly in the Ecclesiasticall office a thing which after the Apostles and their immediate disciples was neuer graunted to anie of the auncient Fathers or Doctours of Gods Church And hence it was to omitt other fabulous Why he is called Venerable stories hereof that both in his life time and after his death he was qualified with the title of VENERABLE BEDE For his homelies being to be read in the Church he yet liuing and a title of the Author to be prefixed before the lessons as the manner is because they could not stile him Sainct Ante obitum nemo Supremaque funera faelix They worthyly adorned him with the name of VENERABLE eyther by reason of the singular grauitie and modestie of his cariage or else because that Pope Sergius in the aboue cited epistle qualified him with that Epithete And the same title grew soe vniuersally then in vse that to this present day he is commonly called thereby and it remaynes still prefixed to all his Homelies which are read or sung in the Church VI. SVCH then was the incomparable learning of this our famous Doctour of England Sainct BEDE who liuing in a Benedictine Six hundred Benedictine Monks in his Monastery Abbey in which were at that time aboue six hundred monkes he not only excelled them all and became a Master to them all but an amazement to the whole Christian world besides But what was BEDE soe eagerly bent to the studies of learning during the time of his life that he neglected the studie of vertue and pietie It can not be sayd For as an auncient authour doeth testifie aâ— his very first entrance into the lists of the sciences togeather with his yeares the grace of spirituall guifts encreased in his soule that with the spirit of wisedom vnderstanding he might receaue allsoe the spirit of the feare of our Lord where with chastising his bodie and bringing it into obedience to his mind he learned to Malmesb de reg lib. 1. cap. 3. possesse the vessell of the flesh in sanctification and honour Furthermore all doubt of the holines of his life is banished from humane thoughts by this irrefragable sentence which the Maiestie of diuine wisedom left to the world In animam maleuolam non introibit sapientia nec habitabit in corpore subdito peccatis Wisedom will not enter into a malitious soule nor dwell in a bodie subiect to sinne Which is not spoken of worldly wisedom that entreth indifferently into the harts of all men and in which oftentimes wicked persons and those that to the last gaspe set noe limits to their wickednes are found to excell according to that of our Sauiour The children of this world are wiser then the children of light But that the Wiseman calls wisedom which auoydes the faynednes of good discipline and which separateth it self from thoughts that are without the true vnderstanding of well-liuing and well-saying Whence it is that Quintilian rightly defined a true Oratour when he sayd Orator est vir bonus dicendi peritus An Oratour is a good man skillfull in speaking Therefore this our Ecclesiasticall Oratour saint BEDE did first purifie his owne conscience that soe he might worthyly attayne to a diuine knowlege to discouer the vnderstanding of the misteries of holy scripture For how could that man be subiect to vice who tasted the most inward marrow of those diuine writings and employed all the thoughts powers of his soule in the continuall explication thereof This his owne words doe proue when he sayth that his expositions Lib. 3. sup Sam yf they brought noe other profitt to the readers at lest they were anayleable to him in this that whilst he applied his whole studie thereunto he sett aside and auoyded the lightnes of the world and all vaine cogitations Therefore this holy man being free from all vice displayed the vayle of the hidden misteries and with a modest and deuout eloquence layd open to the world those diuine secrets which he had learned VII HIS custom was to be by his reading greatly enkindled to Trithem de vir illust l. 3. c. 155. deuotion and compunction which he oftentimes witnessed with bitter teares that flowed from him at his booke And after his reading and studie our pious Doctour betooke him self to his prayers hauing learnt that the way to attayne the knowledge of holy Scripture lay more in the grace of God then his owne forces O man worthy to be honoured of all ages who enriched the treasure of his mind with vertue and prayer and adorned the Christian world with learning Noe man euer saw him idle soe vehemently he burned with the loue of sacred studie and deuotion He had manie famous schollers whom he not only taught by his owne studie and example the secrets of all humane and diuine learning but which is the chiefest made them excellently perfect in religion and holy life He was a man in all things most worthy of prayse and according to his title VENERABIE in learning and good manners In charitie towards God and his neighbour most excellent admirable in deuotion and glorious in chastitie of life Of a decent and comly stature graue in his gate of a high voyce an eloquent tongue and a goodly aspect or
countenance in which a kind of sweet pleasantnes shined through a venerable seueritie Wherevppon to good and deuout persons he was affable but terrible to the negligent and high-minded and yet he carried him self with soe great meeknes and humilitie to all that in the whole Monasterie in which were six hundred Monkes is was hard to find his equall in true vertue and religion VIII BVT aboue all the pure holines and holy purenes of his life and mind appeared more excellently at his death the manner whereof we haue related out of Cuthbert his disciple afterwards Abbot Cuthbert in ep ad Cuth winū condiscipulum of the same monastery who was present at his holy departure He fell first into sicknes allmost a fortnight before Easter from which time vntill Ascension-day he laboured grieuously with a weaknes in his stomake and the shortnes of wind yet he ceased not to dictate dayly to his schollers at his accustomed howers and spent the rest of the day in reciting of psalmes and prayers and the whole night vnlesse when a litle sleepe did hinder him he passed ouer in spirituall ioy and thanksgiuing striuing by these pious exercises to deceaue the sharpnes of his disease I confesse truly sayth the Authour His employments during his sicknes that I neuer saw or heard off anie one other that soe diligently gaue thankes vnto allmightie God O truely blessed man During this sicknes besides these employments he turned the Ghospell of saint IOHN into English and gathered some memorable notes out of the bookes of saint ISIDORE vsing these words to his schollers Learne my children whilst I am with you for J know not how long J shall subsist or how soone my creatour will take me away that my soule may returne to him that sent it J haue liued a long time my Lord God hath well prouided for me in this space of life now I desire to be dessolued to liue with CHRIST IX ALLSOE a firme hope of the ioyes to come and a pious feare of the fearfull iudgemēts of allmightie God being sett in an equall proportion A pions lesson in the ballance of his mind he vsed that sentence of saint PAVL Horrendum est incidere in manus Dei viuentis It is a dreadfull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God and manie other such like out of the sacred scripture whereby he exhorted his schollers and brethren that were about him to awake out of the dullnes of the soule by the remembrāce of the last terrible hower adding a speech in the mother-tongue of the fearefull seperation which death makes between the soule and the bodi◠Then he would sing himnes and Anthimes to the great consolation of him self and all the assistants till teares of deuotion trickling downe his cheekes hindred his pious musicke and made the attendants that endeauoured to helpe him out to weepe singing and sing weeping striuing as it were with their songs to serue him singing and with their teares to helpe him weeping But he allbeit he wept enioyed soe great comfort and spirituall ioy in his soule that when he was most cruelly oppre sled with the burden of his disease he gaue thankes vnto allmightie The securitie of his conscience God for his goodnes in soe punishing him Vsing those words of the Scripture God scourgeth euery child that he receaueth and alluding to the words of saint AMBROSE dying I haue not liued soe amongst yee that I need be ashamed of my life and nether doe I feare to die because we haue a good Lord. Thrice happy soule that could speake with soe great securitie of conscience that he was nether ashamed to liue nor afrayd to die not fearing the sight of men in this world and with a quiet mind expecting the secret iudgement of God in the next X. BVT on tuesday before the Ascension of our Lord his sicknes His siknes encrea seth beganne more grieuously to afflict him and a little swelling appeared in his feet an vndoubted presage of his neere-approaching death Yet all that day he passed ouer ioyfully teaching and dictating to his schollers the night following he watched singing himnes and psalmes of prayses and thanksgiuing to Allmightie God till the next day which was the last of his labours first of his rest brought him the embassage of his ensuing happines when he still diligently dictated to his brethren about him whilst the bitter teares of the writers greeuing to be depriued of soe good a Master were as gaules to make their inke more black and dolefull In the after noone he sent his beloued disciple Cuthbert who writt this historie to his Cell to fetch thence such small guifts as he had to be disposed amongst his more familiar friends for a memorie of him Then a great part of the Priests other monkes of the monasterie being He receaueth the last sacraments gathered togeather they fortified the holy man with the sacraments of Extreme Vnction and the sacred Eucharist who hauing giuen the salutation of peace vnto all his Brethren beseeching each one in particular to be mindfull of him in their Masses and prayers he ioyfully expected the happy minute that should free his soule from the burden of her mortalitie to the immortall reward of his labours But sayd one of his deuout Schollers my beloued Master yet there remaines one sentence vnwritten Write then quickly replied the holy Doctour for my time is short Which being done now answered he I haue written it and the whole worke is ended Thou sayst well replied the Sainct that it is ended for now I desire to end allso to liue with my Creatour And causing them to place him towards the oratorie where he was wont to pray lying downe vppon a hayre-cloath with perfect sense and a ioyfull countenance he inuited the grace of the holy Ghost deuoutly singing this Anihime O rex gloriae Domine virtutum qui triumphator hodie super omnes caelos ascendists ne derelinquas nos Orphanos sed mitte promissum His last song of deuotion Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis and hauing added Gloria Patri filio spiritui sancto he deuoutly rendred vp his blessed spirit to the euerlasting Kingdom of all blessednes when such sweet and fragant odours followed his swan-like soule that the amazed assistants throught them selues in a Paradise of heauenly baulmes and all generally Sweet odouts at his death affirmed that they neuer saw anie man end his life in soe great tranquillitie and deuotion He died on the feast of our Lords triumphant Ascension into heauen the twentie sixth day of May but his feast is obserued the twentie seauenth of the same because the twentie sixt was solemnly obserued to the honour of our glorious Apostle Saint AVGVSTINE throughout all England His death was about the yeare 735. at the age of nintie or as others say of an hundred and fiue yeares for in the computation of his age