FORMERLY, at your Request, most readily transmitted to you the Ecclefiaftical History of the English Nation, which I had newly publish'd, for you to read, and give

it your Approbation; and do no Send it again to be Transcrib'd, and more fully confider'd at Leisure. And I fufficiently commend your

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a Ceolwulph or Ceolulph, King of the Northumbrians, a Prince of no no fmall Learning, and an encourager en of learned Men, he resign'd his Kingdom to his Son three Years after Bede's Death, and became Monk at Lindisfarn, where he died in the Year 740. There were two others of this Name, one King of the East-Saxons, the other of the Mercians.

your Studiousness, through which you not only diligently give ear to bear the Words of the Holy Scripture, but also industriously take care to become acquainted with the Actions and Sayings of former Men of Renown, especially of our own Nation. For if History relates good Things of good Men, the attentive Hearer is excited to imitate that which is good; or if it mentions ill Things of wicked Persons, nevertheless the religious and pious Hearer or Reader, shunning that which is hurtful and perverse, is the more earnestly excited to perform those Things which he knows to be good, and worthy of God. The which you also being deeply fenfible of, are defirous that the Said History should be more fully made familiar to yourself and to those over whom the Divine Authority has appointed you Governor, through your general care of their good. But to the end that I may remove all occafion of doubting of what I have written, from you, magnanimons King, or other Readers or Hearers of this History, I will take care briefly to intimate from which Authors I chiefly learnt the fame...

The most Reverend Abbat b Albinus, a Man in all respects most Learned, was the first Promoter and Afsistant in this Small Work: He having been In

Instructed in the Church of Canterbury by Ar bishop Theodore of blessed Memory, and the bat & Adrian, Men venerable and most Lear. transmitted to me bye Nothelmus, the Relig Priest of the Church of London, either in Writ or by word of Mouth of the Same Nothelmus, that he thought worthy of Memory, that had done in the Province of Kent, or the Parts joining to it by the Disciples of the blessed F Gregory, as he had learnt the same either f written Records, or the Tradition of his Ancest The fame Nothelmus afterwards going to Ron having, with leave of the present Pope Grego Search'd into the Archives of the Holy Ron Church, found there some Epistles of the Holy F Gregory, and other Popes; and returning ho by the Advice of the aforesaid most Reverend ther Albinus, brought them to me, to be infer into our History. Thus we learnt what we w to make publick from the beginning of this Volu till the Time when the English Nation recei the Faith of CHRIST, from the Writings

B2

:

• Theodore, a Greek, sent over by Pope Vitalian, Archbishop of Canterbury. Of him Bede has treated his fourth and fifth Books.

a Adrian, Colleague with Theodore, was Abbot of Austin's, dy'd there, 723. and was afterwards canoniz

e Nothelmus was born at London, he was Prieft of Paul's, afterwards Monk of Canterbury, and Archbifl thereof two Years after Bede's Death. He wrote (acco ing to Pits p. 141.) one Book of the Life of St. Augul one Book of his Miracles, one of his Translation, wh he undertook at the Instance of Bede and Alcuinus Scholar; he likewife wrote one Book of Epistles to Be and dy'd Ann. 7396

Chap 18. Of John the Singer of the Apoftolick See, who came into Britain to

teach. P. 325 Chap. 19. How Queen Etheldrith always preferv'd her Virginity whofe Body fuffer'd no Corruption in the Grave. p. 328 Chap. 20. An Hymn on the aforesaid Holy Virgin. P. 333 Chap. 21. How Bishop Theodore made Peace between the Kings Ecgfrid and Ethilred... p. 337 Chap. 22. How a certain Captive's Chains fell off when Maffes were fung for him. I colt crop. 338 P. Chap. 23. Of the Life and Death of the Abbefs Hilda. T2: p. 341 Chap. 24. That there was in the faid Ab befs's Monaftery a Brother, on whom the Gift of writing Verfes was beftow'd by

P.

Chap. 28. How the fame St. Cuthbert, be-

ing an Anchorite, by his Prayers obtain'd

a Spring in a dry Soil, and had a Crop of

Seed fown by himself out of Seafon.

p. 363

Chap. 29. How St. Cuthbert, foretold to

the Anchorite, Hereberht, that his Death

was at hand.
P. 367

Chap. 30. Hom St. Cuthbert's Body was

found altogether uncorrupted after it had

been bury'd eleven Years and how his

Succeffor in the Bishoprick departed this

World not long after..

Chap. 31. Of one that was curd of a Pal-

fey at the Tomb of St. Cuthbert. p. 372

Chap. 32. Of one cur'd of a Diftemper in his

Eye at the Relicks of St. Cuthbert. p. 374

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