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Roman and Irish Missionaries in England
Others were, as Bede later tells us, laymen physicians,
scribes, lawyers, goldsmiths and the like tho the
monks were working in most of the secular occupations
too. Bishop Aidan was himself a monk of the island of
Hii or lona, which monastery was for a long time the
chief of almost all those of the northern Irish and all
those of the Picts and had the direction of their people.
Bede adds: "That island (lona) belongs to Britannia,
but had
being divided from it by a small arm of the sea,
been long since given by the Picts, who inhabit those
parts of Britannia, to the Irish monks, because they had
received the faith of Christ through their preaching.*' 1
It was from this island and college of monks that Aidan
was sent to instruct the English natives, having received
the dignity of a bishop at the time when Seginus, abbot
and priest, presided over the monastery; whence among
other instructions for life Aidan left the clergy a most
salutary example of abstinence and continence. "It was
the highest commendation of his doctrine with all men,"
adds Bede, "that he taught no otherwise than he and his
followers had lived; for he neither sought nor loved anything
of this world, but delighted in distributing im-
mediately among the poor whatsoever was given him by
the kings and rich men of the world. He was wont to
traverse both town and country on foot, never on horse-
back, unless compelled by some urgent necessity; and
wherever in his way he saw either rich or poor, he invited
them, if infidels, to embrace the mystery of the faith; or,
if they were believers, to strengthen them in the faith, and
to stir them up by words and actions to alms and good
works." 2
Things had become different in England in the days
iHist. Eccl. Ill, III.
2 Hist. Eccl. Ill, V.
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