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KEDE's LEITER TO EGBERT. 87
dence for the founder and his
people with naught of
religion about it but the name. He warned Egbert
of these manifold abuses, which loudly demanded repression
and reformation by a strong and determined
hand ; that hand, it is obvious, being the hand of the
bishop of the diocese, for the monasteries at that time
were under no papal exemptions. Bede offered also
many wise and holy counsels. Personal holiness in
the teacher was to illustrate the lessons which he
gave. Study and meditation were to occupy hours
too often wasted in idle and purposeless talk. The
number of priests was to be augmented, in order that
the villages might not lack needful teaching and the
due administration of the Church's sacraments. The
Creed and the Lord's Prayer were to be translated into
their own mother tongue for the use of the unlearned.
He advocated also an extension of the episcopate.
He reminded Egbert of the plan laid down long
before by the far-seeing Gregory, that the northern
provinces should have no fewer than twelve bishops
to watch over the flocks which lay scattered over the
vast territory ; and he urged him to obtain the pall,
and endeavour, with the help of Ceonwulf the king, to
carry out this much needed measure of reform.
The words of Bede were not written in vain.
Egbert applied for the pall, which was given him in
735 by Pope Gregory HI. He became primate of
the Northern Province, and all the bishops within its
limits were under him as his suffragans. He was no
unworthy ruler. He was a laborious student, and
wrote several works which were highly estimated,,
especially a Pontifical, or book containing the offices