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 year of our Lord 394,(63) Arcadius, the son of Theodosius, the
forty-third from Augustus, succeeding to the empire, with his brother
Honorius, held it thirteen years. In his time, Pelagius,(64) a Briton,
spread far and near the infection of his perfidious doctrine, denying the
assistance of the Divine grace, being seconded therein by his associate
Julianus of Campania,(65) who was impelled by an uncontrolled desire to
recover his bishopric, of which he had been deprived. St. Augustine, and
the other orthodox fathers, quoted many thousand catholic authorities
against them, but failed to amend their folly; nay, more, their madness
being rebuked was rather increased by contradiction than suffered by them
to be purified through adherence to the truth; which Prosper, the
rhetorician,(66) has beautifully expressed thus in heroic(67) verse:—
They tell that one, erewhile consumed with gnawing spite,
snake-like attacked Augustine in his writings. Who urged the
wretched viper to raise from the ground his head, howsoever hidden
in dens of darkness? Either the sea-girt Britons reared him with
the fruit of their soil, or fed on Campanian pastures his heart
swells with pride.
Chap. XI. How during the reign of Honorius, Gratian and Constantine were
created tyrants in Britain; and soon after the former was slain in
Britain, and the latter in Gaul.
In the year of our Lord 407,(68) Honorius, the younger son of Theodosius,
and the forty-fourth from Augustus, being emperor, two years before the
invasion of Rome by Alaric, king of the Goths, when the nations of the
Alani, Suevi, Vandals, and many others with them, having defeated the
Franks and passed the Rhine, ravaged all Gaul, Gratianus, a citizen of the
country, was set up as tyrant in Britain and killed. In his place,
Constantine, one of the meanest soldiers, only for the hope afforded by
his name, and without any worth to recommend him, was chosen emperor. As
soon as he had taken upon him the command, he crossed over into Gaul,
where being often imposed upon by the barbarians with untrustworthy
treaties, he did more harm than good to the Commonwealth.(69) Whereupon
Count Constantius,(70) by the command of Honorius, marching into Gaul with
an army, besieged him in the city of Arles, took him prisoner, and put him
to death. His son Constans, a monk, whom he had created Caesar, was also
put to death by his own follower Count Gerontius,(71) at Vienne.
Rome was taken by the Goths, in the year from its foundation, 1164.(72)
Then the Romans ceased to rule in Britain, almost 470 years after Caius
Julius Caesar came to the island. They dwelt within the rampart, which, as
we have mentioned, Severus made across the island, on the south side of
it, as the cities, watch-towers,(73) bridges, and paved roads there made
testify to this day; but they had a right of dominion over the farther
parts of Britain, as also over the islands that are beyond Britain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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