wept, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, because they thought that they should see his face no long time in this world. But they rejoiced for that he said, ‘It is time for me, if it be my Maker’s will, to be set free from the flesh, and come to Him Who, when as yet I was not, formed me out of nothing. I have lived long; and well has my pitiful judge disposed my life for me; the time of my release is at hand; for my soul longs to see Christ my King in His beauty.’ Having said this and much more for our profit and edification, he passed his last day in gladness till the evening; and the aforesaid boy, whose name was Wilbert, still said, ‘Dear master, there is yet one sentence not written.’ He answered, ‘It is well, write it.’ Soon after, the boy said, ‘Now it is written.’ And he said, ‘It is well, thou hast said truly, it is finished. Take my head in thy hands, for I rejoice greatly to sit facing my holy place where I was wont to pray, that I too, sitting there, may call upon my Father.’ And thus on the pavement of his little cell, chanting ‘Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,’ and the rest, he breathed his last. “And without doubt we must believe that inasmuch as he had always been devout and earnest on earth in the praise of God, his soul was carried by angels to the joys of Heaven which he desired. And all who heard him or beheld the death of our father Bede, said that they had never seen any other end his life in so great devotion and peace. For, as thou hast heard, so long as the soul abode in the body, he chanted the ‘Gloria Patri’ and other words to the glory of God, and with outstretched hands ceased not to give thanks to God. “But know this, that much could be told and written concerning him, but my want of learning cuts short my words. Nevertheless, with the help of God, I purpose at leisure to write more fully concerning him, of those things which I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears.” ERRATA Page 9, headline, _for_ “54 A.D.” _read_ “54 B.C.” Page 21, headline, _for_ “394 A.D.” _read_ “395 A.D.” Page 214, note 4, _for_ “cc.” _read_ “pp.” [Transcriber’s Note: This is the footnote to Bright.] Page 215, note 1, _for_ “St. James ‘the Less’ ” _read_ “James, ‘the Lord’s brother.’ ” [Transcriber’s Note: This is the footnote to “the Eastern.”] Page 220, note 2, _for_ “Lumley” _read_ “Lumby.” [Transcriber’s Note: This is the footnote starting “A stone.”] Page 254, note 1, line 4, _for_ “existence” _read_ “co-existence.” [Transcriber’s Note: This is the footnote starting “Eutyches was Archimandrite.”] Page 316, line 7, _for_ “Gedmund” _read_ “Gebmund.” Page 346, note 6, _for_ “p. 56” _read_ “p. 356.” [Transcriber’s Note: This is the footnote starting “Ripon, _v. infra_”] PREFACE _To the most glorious king Ceolwulf._(_6_)_ Bede, the servant of Christ and Priest._