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derstand, PPP. SSS. RRR. FF F. he thus interpreted it, Pater Patriæ Perditus eft, Salus Seeum Sublata eft, Ruit Regnum Roma, Ferro Flamma Fame; whereupon the Senate decreed him venerable. But this Account of that TItle is as trifling and ridiculous, as that of the Angels writing it in his Epitaph. I shall therefore pass it over as a direct Fable; fince it is certain that Bede was not at Rome, himself telling us, that he never stirr'd out of his Monastery, that is, not upon any remarkable Journey; and as Baronius obferves, if he had been at Rome himself, there had been no Necessity for Neothelmus undertaking a Journey to search the Archives there. Some I know have doubted the Authority of the Invitation, and question whether Bede was in Prieft's Orders at the Time of Sergius's Death, and if not, confequently could have writ nothing to deserve that notice; but whether true or no, is not worth while to enquire. However, Bede may be said to be no Traveller, and his own Account allow'd as to his secluded Life; yet it is certain, he sometimes made Excursions and Vifits to other Places; and particularly to the Monastery at York, where he went and staid fome Weeks with Egbert, a young Nobleman, Nephew to Ceolulph the King, who was there a Student, and afterwards Archbishop of York; but those Visits, as himself says, in a Letter to him, were employ'd in learned Converse, and Instruction. It is not improbable that he might sometimes likewife pay Vifits to the Court; for Ceolu'ph, King of the Northumbrians, in one of whose Provinces, i. e. Bernicia, Bede lik'd, was himself a Man of fingular

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fingular Learning, and a very great Encourager ofit in others; and for our Bede, had, doubtless, an extraordinary Respect, as appears by his Request to him to write the Ecclestastical History, and the other, fubmitting the Papers to his Perusal. That Prince was not only a Lover of Learned Men in general, but especially of that Part of them, who led a Monaftical Life, infomuch that about three Years after Bede's Death, he resign'd his Crown, and became a Monk at Lindisfarn. done, div

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It was at the Request of this Prince that he began his Ecclefiaftical History of this Nation, as he had found it set down by others, or received it from the Traditions of his Cotemporaries. Bishop Nicholson believes, from some Passages in Bede, that other Persons had before his Time treated of the Ecclefiaftical Affairs of this Nation, and whom he had follow'd, of which there seems no room to doubt, and I believe we may reckon among them, the old Book of St. Alban's, Life of St. German, Epistles of Pope Gregory, Florus, the Martyrology, &c. As to civil Transactions, he has follow'd Gildas and Marcellinus; and in Geographical and Natural Accounts, Pliny and Orofius, the latter of which he has tranfcribed in some whole Chapters. As to the Affairs of his own Time, he has told us to whom he was indebted for them. Bede seems by his manner of Writing, to have been a Man of a fimple and unaffected Piety, of great Probity of Manners, of fingular Modesty and Humility, as appears by fome of his Letters, of indefatigable Industry in doing good, and strict Enquiry into the Matter he has related. As his Life was a retir'd Confinement

finement, much Action cannot be expected from one who seldom or never mov'd out of his Cloyster; but his being Exemplary, and of a Piece with his Practice and Character, take from one of his Scholars, who was an Eyewitness of it.

"To his most beloved in CHRIST, Fellow "Reader Cuthwin, Cuthbert his Schoolfellow, "eternal greeting in our Lord. I very willing

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ly receiv'd the small Present you sent me, "and with much Satisfaction read the Letters "of your devout Erudition; wherein I found "that Mafles and Holy Prayers are diligently "celebrated by you for the beloved of God,

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our Father and Master, Bede, wherefore it "is more pleasing, for the Love of him, (ac"cording to my Capacity) in a few Words to

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relate, in what manner he departed this World, understanding that you also defire and "ask the fame. He was much troubled with "a Distemper of short Breathing, yet without

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Pain, before the Day of our Lord's Refurrecti"on, that is, about two Weeks; and thus he af"terwards led his Life chearful and rejoycing,

giving Thanks to Almighty God every Day "and Night, nay, every Hour, till the Day of our Lord's Afcenfion, that is, the seventh of "the Kalends of June, and daily read Lessons

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to us his Disciples, and whatsoever remain'd " of the Day, he spent in finging of Pfalms; "he also pass'd all the Night waking in Joy " and Thanksgiving, unless a short Sleep pre "vented it; but awaking he presently repeat"ed his wonted Exercises, and ceas'd not to give Thanks to God with Hands expanded. "O truly happy Man! He sang the Sentence

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"of St. Paul, the Apostle, It is dreadful to fall " into the Hands of the living God, and much

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more out of Holy Writ; and being learned " in our Verses, he said some Things also in "our Tongue, that is, the English, for then "likewife putting the same into English, he " faid, No Man is wiser than is requifite, to con"fider before the neceffary Departure; that is, "before the Soul departs from hence, what "Good or Evil it has done, and how to be "judg'd after the Departure. He also sang "Antiphons according to ours and his Custom,

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one of which is, O glorious King, Lord of "Powers, who triumphing this Day, didft afcend "above all the Heavens; do not forsake us "Orphans; but Send down the promis'd Fa"ther's Spirit of Truth upon us. Hallelujah. " And when he came to that Word, do not for"fake ns, he burst out into Tears, and wept "much, and an Hour after he began to repeat "what he had commenc'd, and we hearing it, "griev'd with him. By turns we read, and by

turns we wept, nay, we always read with "Tears. In fuch Joy we led the Days of Lent, "till the aforesaid Day; and he rejoiced much, " and gave God Thanks, because he had de" ferv'd to be so infirm. He often faid and "repeated, That God scourges every Son he re"ceives; and much more out of the Scripture; "as alfo the Sentence of St. Ambrose, I have "not liv'd so as to be asham'd to live among you; ss nor do I fear to dye, because we have a good "God. During these Days he labour'd to com

pose two Works well worthy to be remem"ber'd, befides the Lessons we had from him, "and finging of Pfalms; viz. he tranflated છે? ?

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"the Gofpel of St. John into our own Tongue, " for the Benefit of the Church, and fome Col"lections out of the Book of Notes of Bishop "Ifidorus, faying, I will not have my Lads read "a Falshood, and to labour herein after my Death, " without any Advantage. When the Tuesday "before the Afcenfion of our Lord came, he "began to be more vehemently distemper'd in "his Breath, and a small Swelling appear'd in "his Feet; but he pass'd all that Day plea "santly, and dictated, and now and then a"mong other Things, said, Go on quickly, I " know not how long I shall hold out, and whether " my Maker will foon take me away. But to us "he feem'd very well to know the Time of "his Departure, and so he spent the Night “waking in Thanksgiving; and the Morning "appearing, that is, Wednesday, he order'd we "should speedily write what we had begun; " and this done we walk'd till the third Hour "with the Relicks of Saints, according to the "Custom of that Day. There was one of us " with him, who faid to him, Most dear Ma"fter, there is still one Chapter wanting: do you think it troublesome to be askd any more Questi"ons? He answer' It is no Trouble. Take your Rey and make ready and write "faft. Which he did, but at the ninth Hour " he said to me, Run quickly and bring the Priests " of our Monakery to me. He spoke to every "one of them, admonishing and intreating "that they would carefully say Masses and "Prayers for him, which they readily promis'd; " but they all mourn'd and wept, especially "because he said, They should no more fee his Face in this World. They rejoic'd for that "he

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