Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

Name: Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
Author: Bede, the Venerable, Saint

Bede, the Venerable, Saint

England -- Church history -- 449-1066

In the morning he came to the reeve(710) who was over him, and having told
him of the gift he had received, was conducted to the abbess, and bidden,
in the presence of many learned men, to tell his dream, and repeat the
verses, that they might all examine and give their judgement upon the
nature and origin of the gift whereof he spoke. And they all judged that
heavenly grace had been granted to him by the Lord. They expounded to him
a passage of sacred history or doctrine, enjoining upon him, if he could,
to put it into verse. Having undertaken this task, he went away, and
returning the next morning, gave them the passage he had been bidden to
translate, rendered in most excellent verse. Whereupon the abbess,
joyfully recognizing the grace of God in the man, instructed him to quit
the secular habit, and take upon him monastic vows; and having received
him into the monastery, she and all her people admitted him to the company
of the brethren, and ordered that he should be taught the whole course of
sacred history. So he, giving ear to all that he could learn, and bearing
it in mind, and as it were ruminating, like a clean animal,(711) turned it
into most harmonious verse; and sweetly singing it, made his masters in
their turn his hearers. He sang the creation of the world, the origin of
man, and all the history of Genesis, the departure of the children of
Israel out of Egypt, their entrance into the promised land, and many other
histories from Holy Scripture; the Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection of
our Lord, and His Ascension into heaven; the coming of the Holy Ghost, and
the teaching of the Apostles; likewise he made many songs concerning the
terror of future judgement, the horror of the pains of hell, and the joys
of heaven; besides many more about the blessings and the judgements of
God, by all of which he endeavoured to draw men away from the love of sin,
and to excite in them devotion to well-doing and perseverance therein. For
he was a very religious man, humbly submissive to the discipline of
monastic rule, but inflamed with fervent zeal against those who chose to
do otherwise; for which reason he made a fair ending of his life.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

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

In the morning he came to the reeve(710) who was over him, and having told
him of the gift he had received, was conducted to the abbess, and bidden,
in the presence of many learned men, to tell his dream, and repeat the
verses, that they might all examine and give their judgement upon the
nature and origin of the gift whereof he spoke. And they all judged that
heavenly grace had been granted to him by the Lord. They expounded to him
a passage of sacred history or doctrine, enjoining upon him, if he could,
to put it into verse. Having undertaken this task, he went away, and
returning the next morning, gave them the passage he had been bidden to
translate, rendered in most excellent verse. Whereupon the abbess,
joyfully recognizing the grace of God in the man, instructed him to quit
the secular habit, and take upon him monastic vows; and having received
him into the monastery, she and all her people admitted him to the company
of the brethren, and ordered that he should be taught the whole course of
sacred history. So he, giving ear to all that he could learn, and bearing
it in mind, and as it were ruminating, like a clean animal,(711) turned it
into most harmonious verse; and sweetly singing it, made his masters in
their turn his hearers. He sang the creation of the world, the origin of
man, and all the history of Genesis, the departure of the children of
Israel out of Egypt, their entrance into the promised land, and many other
histories from Holy Scripture; the Incarnation, Passion, Resurrection of
our Lord, and His Ascension into heaven; the coming of the Holy Ghost, and
the teaching of the Apostles; likewise he made many songs concerning the
terror of future judgement, the horror of the pains of hell, and the joys
of heaven; besides many more about the blessings and the judgements of
God, by all of which he endeavoured to draw men away from the love of sin,
and to excite in them devotion to well-doing and perseverance therein. For
he was a very religious man, humbly submissive to the discipline of
monastic rule, but inflamed with fervent zeal against those who chose to
do otherwise; for which reason he made a fair ending of his life.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

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