Table of Contents

Title Page



Life of Bede

The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation

Book I


II. How Caius Julius Caesar was the first Roman that came into Britain. [54 BCE]
































Book II

I. Of the death of the blessed Pope Gregory. [604 A.D.]

II. How Augustine admonished the bishops of the Britons on behalf of Catholic peace, and to that end wrought a heavenly miracle in their presence; and of the vengeance that pursued them for their contempt. [Circ. 603 A.D.]

III. How St. Augustine made Mellitus and Justus bishops; and of his death. [604 A.D.]

IV. How Laurentius and his bishops admonished the Scots to observe the unity of the Holy Church, particularly in keeping of Easter, and how Mellitus went to Rome.

V. How, after the death of the kings Ethelbert and Sabert, their successors restored idolatry; for which reason, both Mellitus and Justus departed out of Britain. [616 A.D.]


VII. How Bishop Mellitus by prayer quenched afire in his city. [619 AD.]

VIII. How Pope Boniface sent the Pall and a letter to Justus, successor to Mellitus

IX. Of the reign of King Edwin, and how Paulinus, coming to preach the Gospel, first converted his daughter and others to the mysteries of the faith of Christ. [625-626 A.D.]

X. How Pope Boniface, by letter, exhorted the same king to embrace the faith. [Circ. 625 A.D.]

XI . How Pope Boniface advised the king's consort to use her best endeavours for his salvation


XIII. Of the Council he held with his chief men concerning their reception of the faith of Christ, and how the high priest profaned his own altars. [627 A.D.]

XIV. How King Edwin and his nation became Christians; and where Paulinus baptized them


XVI. How Paulinus preached in the province of Lindsey; and of the character of the reign of Edwin. [Circ. 628 A.D.]

XVII. How Edwin received letters of exhortation from Pope Honorius, who also sent the pall to Paulinus. [634 A.D.]

XVIII. How Honorius, who succeeded Justus in the bishopric of Canterbury, received the pall and letters from Pope Honorius. [634 A.D.]


XX. How Edwin being slain, Paulinus returned into Kent, and had the bishopric of Rochester conferred upon him. [633 A.D.]

Book III

I. How King Edwin’s next successors lost both the faith of their nation and the kingdom; but the most Christian King Oswald retrieved both. [633 A.D.]

II. How, among innumerable other miracles of healing wrought by the wood of the cross, which King Oswald, being ready to engage against the barbarians, erected, a certain man had his injured arm healed. [634 A.D.]



V. Of the life of Bishop Aidan. [635 A.D.]

VI. Of King Oswald’s wonderful piety and religion. [635-642 A.D.]

VII. How the West Saxons received the Word of God by the preaching of Birinus; and of his successors, Agilbert and Leutherius. [635-670 A. D.]

VIII. How Earconbert, King of Kent, ordered the idols to be destroyed, and of his daughter Earcongota, and his kinswoman Ethelberg, virgins consecrated to God. [640 A.D.]

IX. How miracles of healing have been frequently wrought in the place where King Oswald was











XX. How, when Honorius died, Deusdedit became Archbishop of Canterbury; and of those who

XXI. How the province of the Midland Angles became Christian under King Peada. [653 A.D.]

XXII. How under King Sigbert, through the preaching of Cedd, the East Saxons again received the faith, which they had before cast off [653 A.D.]

XXIII. How Bishop Cedd, having a place for building a monastery given him by King Etheiwald, consecrated it to the Lord with prayer and fasting; and concerning his death. [659-664 A. D.]

XXIV. How when King Penda was slain, the province of the Mercians received the faith of Christ,

XXV. How the question arose about the due time of keeping Easter, with those that came out of Scotland. [664 A.D.]





XXX. How the East Saxons, during a pestilence, returned to idolatry, but were soon brought back from their error by the zeal of Bishop Jaruman. [665 A.D.]

Book IV

I. How when Deusdedit died, Wigihard was sent to Rome to receive the episcopate; but he dying

II. How Theodore visited all places; how the Churches of the English began to be instructed in the study of holy Scripture and in the catholic truth [669 A.D.]




VI. How Wynfrid being deposed, Sexwulf received his bishopric, and Earconwald was made

VII. How it was indicated by a light from heaven where the bodies of the nuns should be buried in

VIII. How a little boy, dying in the same monastery, called upon a virgin that was to follow him; and











XIX. How Queen Ethelthryth always preserved her virginity, and her body suffered no corruption

XX. A Hymn concerning her.

XXI. How Bishop Theodore made peace between the kings Egfrid and Etheired. [679 A. D.]




XXV. Of the vision that appeared to a certain man of God before the monastery of the city Coludi was burned down.



XXVIII. How the same St. Cuthbert, living the life of an Anchorite, by his prayers obtained a spring

XXIX. How this bishop foretold that his own death was at hand to the anchorite Herebert. [687 A.D.]




Book V



III. How he healed a sick maiden by his prayers. [705 A.D.]

IV. How he healed a thegn’s wife that was sick, with holy water.

V. How he likewise recalled by his prayers a thegn’s servant from death.

VII. How Caedwalla, king of the West Saxons, went to Rome to be baptised; and his successor Ini,



X. How Wilbrord, preaching in Frisand, converted many to Christ; and how his two companions,

XI. How the venerable Suidbert in Britain, and Wilbrord at Rome, were ordained bishops for





XVI. The account given in the aforesaid book of the place of our Lord’s Nativity, Passion, and

XVII. What he likewise wrote of the place of our Lord’s Ascension, and the tombs of the

XVIII. How the South Saxons received Eadbert and Eolla, and the West Saxons, Daniel and

XIX. How Coinred, king of the Mercians, and Offa, king of the East Saxons, ended their days at


XXI. How the Abbot Ceolfrid sent master-builders to the King of the Picts to build a church, and

XXII. How the monks of Hii, and the monasteries subject to them, began to celebrate the canonical

