A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

620 A Source Book for Ancient Church HistoryThe Venerable Bede (672 or 673-735), monk at Jarrow, themost learned theologian of the Anglo-Saxon Church, wasalso the first historian of England. For the earliest period heused what written sources were available. His work becomesof independent value with the account of the coming ofAugustine of Canterbury, 597 (I, 23). The history extends toA. D. 731. The best critical edition is that of C. Plummer,1896, which has a valuable introduction, copious historicaland critical notes, and careful discrimination of the sources.Wm. Bright's Chapters on Early English Church History isan elaborate commentary on Bede's work as far as 709, thedeath of Wilfrid. Translation of Bede's History by J. A. Giles,may be found in Bohn's Antiquarian Library, and better byA. M. Sellar, 1907.[567]In the following passage we have the only reference made byBede to the conversion of Ireland, and his failure to mentionPatrick has given rise to much controversy, see J. B. Bury,The Life of St. Patrick and his Place in History, 1905.This passage, referring to Palladius, is a quotation from theChronica of Prosper of Aquitaine (403-463) ann. 431 (MSL,51, critical edition in MGH, Auct. antiquiss, 9:1); fromGildas, De excidio Britanniæ liber querulus (MSL, 69:327,critical edition in MGH, Auct. antiquiss, 13. A translationby J. A. Giles in Six Old English Chronicles, in Bohn'sAntiquarian Library), is the reference to the letter written tothe Romans; from the Chronica of Marcellinus Comes (MSL,51:913; critical edition in MGH, Auct. antiquiss, 11) is thereference to Blæda and Attila.In the year of the Lord's incarnation, 423, Theodosius the youngerreceived the empire after Honorius and, being the forty-fifth fromAugustus, retained it twenty-six years. In the eighth year of hisreign, Palladius was sent by Celestinus, the pontiff of the Roman