Bede's Ecclesiastical History of EnglandBede, the Venerable, Saint
History
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
Bede, the Venerable, Saint
England -- Church history -- 449-1066
The affairs of the Northumbrians being thrown into confusion at the moment
of this disaster, when there seemed to be no prospect of safety except in
flight, Paulinus, taking with him Queen Ethelberg, whom he had before
brought thither, returned into Kent by sea, and was very honourably
received by the Archbishop Honorius and King Eadbald. He came thither
under the conduct of Bassus, a most valiant thegn of King Edwin, having
with him Eanfled, the daughter, and Wuscfrea, the son of Edwin, as well as
Yffi, the son of Osfrid, Edwin’s son.(275) Afterwards Ethelberg, for fear
of the kings Eadbald and Oswald,(276) sent Wuscfrea and Yffi over into
Gaul to be bred up by King Dagobert,(277) who was her friend; and there
they both died in infancy, and were buried in the church with the honour
due to royal children and to Christ’s innocents. He also brought with him
many rich goods of King Edwin, among which were a large gold cross, and a
golden chalice, consecrated to the service of the altar, which are still
preserved, and shown in the church of Canterbury.
At that time the church of Rochester had no pastor, for Romanus,(278) the
bishop thereof, being sent on a mission to Pope Honorius by Archbishop
Justus, was drowned in the Italian Sea; and thus Paulinus, at the request
of Archbishop Honorius and King Eadbald, took upon him the charge of the
same, and held it until he too, in his own time, departed to heaven, with
the fruits of his glorious labours; and, dying in that Church, he left
there the pall which he had received from the Pope of Rome. He had left
behind him in his Church at York, James, the deacon,(279) a true churchman
and a holy man, who continuing long after in that Church, by teaching and
baptizing, rescued much prey from the ancient enemy; and from him the
village, where he chiefly dwelt, near Cataract,(280) has its name to this
day. He had great skill in singing in church, and when the province was
afterwards restored to peace, and the number of the faithful increased, he
began to teach church music to many, according to the custom of the
Romans, or of the Cantuarians.(281) And being old and full of days, as the
Scripture says, he went the way of his fathers.
BOOK III
Chap. I. How King Edwin’s next successors lost both the faith of their
nation and the kingdom; but the most Christian King Oswald retrieved both.
[633 A.D.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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