I 150. THE VENERABLE BEDE. 6G9
tion, a division plainly borrowed from Augnstin.1 Its sources are Julius Africanus, Eusobius, Jerome, and Victor of Tunnena.2 2. History of the Goths, Vandals and Suevi,3 brought down to 61. A work which, like Gregory of Tours' History of the Franks, is the only source for certain periods. It has been remarked4 that Isidore, like Cassiodorus, in spite of his Roman origin, had a high regard for the Goths. 3. Famous Men? a continuation of Gennadius' appendix to Jerome's work with the same title. It sketches forty-six authors, beginning with Bishop Hosius of Cordova, and extending to the beginning of the seventh century.
VI. Miscellaneous. Under this head come thirteen, brief Letters* and minor works of doubtful genuineness. There are also numerous spurious works which bear his name, among which are hymns.
§ 156. The Venerable Bede (Bceda).
I. Venerabilis B^EDA: Opera omnia, in Migne, Tom. XC.-XCV., sub stantially a reprint of Dr. J. A. Giles' edition. London, 1843-1844, 12 vols. His Ecclesiastical History (Historica ecclesiastica) has been often edited, e. g. by John Smith, Cambridge, 1722; Joseph Steven son, London, 1838, and in the Monumenta historica Britannica I. 1848; George H. Moberley, Oxford, 1869; Alfred Holder, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1882. Books III.-V. 24 were separately ed. by John E. B. Mayor and John R. Lumby, Cambridge, 1878. The best known English translation of the History is Dr. Giles' in his edition, and since 1844 in Bohn's Antiquarian Library. His scientific writings are contained in THOMAS WRIGHT : Popular Treatises on Science written during the Middle Ages. London, 1841. Marshall trans lated his Explanation of the Apocalypse, London, 1878. For fur ther bibliographical information regarding the editions of Bede's History, see Giles' ed. ii. 5-8.
1 De Cmtate Dei, XXIT. 30 (ed. Dombart, IT. 635, Clark's Aug. Lib. II. 544)'. s See the essays of ITertzberg, already mentioned in Lit. on p. 662.
3 Historia de regibus Gothorum, Wandalorum et Suevorum, Migne, LXXXIII. col. 1057-10S2.
4 Ebert, I. 566.
5 De viris illustribus, Migne, LXXXIII. col. 1081-1106.
6 Epistolce, ibid. col. 893-914.
670 FOURTH PERIOD. A. D. 590-1049.
II. Eiographies are contained in the above-mentioned editions. Hist. V. 24, and the letter on his death by Cuthbert (Giles' trans, in Bohn, pp. xviii.-xxi.) are the best original sources. The old Vitce given in the complete editions are almost worthless. Modern works are HEXRIK GEHLE : Disputatio historico-theologica de Bedce venerabilis presbyteri Anglo-Saxonis vita et scriptis. Leyden, 1838. CARL SCHOELL : De ecclesiasticce Britonum /Scotorumque histories fonfibus. Berlin, 1851. KARL WERNER : Beda der Ehrwilrdige und seine Zeit. Wien, 1875. 2d ed. (unchanged), 1881. GEO. F. BROWNE: The Venerable Bede. London, 1879. Cf. Du PIN, VI. 89-91. CAVE, II. 241-245. CEILLIER, XII. 1-19. CLARKE, II. 426-429. BAHR, IV. 175-178, 292-298. EBERT, I. 595-611.
The Venerable BEDE (properly Bseda) is never spoken of without affectionate interest, and yet so uneventful was his useful life that very little can be said about him personally. He was born in 673, probably in the village of Jarrow, on the south bank of the Tyne, Northumbria, near the Scottish border. At the age of seven, being probably an orphan, he was placed in the monastery of St. Peter, at Wearmouth, on the north bank of the Wear, which had been founded by Benedict Biscop in 674. In 682 he was transferred to the newly-founded sister monastery of St. Paul, five miles off, at Jarrow.1 He is not known ever to have gone away from it farther than to the sister monastery and to visit friends in contiguous places, such as York. The stories of his visit to Rome and professorship at Cambridge scarcely deserve mention. His first teacher was Benedict Bis cop, a nobleman who at twenty-five became a monk and freely put his property and his learning at the public service. Biscop traveled five times to Rome and each time returned, like Ethel bert and Alcuin subsequently, laden with rich literary spoils and also with pictures and relics. Thus the library at Wearmouth became the largest and best appointed in England at the time.2 It was Biscop's enterprise and liberality which rendered it possible
1 King Egfrid gave the land for these monasteries.
2 Biscop was the first to import masons and glaziers into England, and to introduce the .Roman liturgy and the art of. chanting.