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i 2. &c. The names and qualities of such persons from whom S. Beda received in∣formation in his History.
1. IN the next place for a proof of his ve∣racity in his History, wee will produce his Epistle to the illustrious and learned King Ceolulf then raigning over the Northumbers,
to whom S. Beda presented the same, desi∣ring not so much his protection, as iudg∣ment and censure of it. In which Epistle to the end he might approve his care and dili∣gence to inform himself in the truth, he produces the names and characters of the principall persons from whom he received information and assistance, persons of such abilities, piety and esteem, that no man can reasonably suspect in them either want of knowledge or of sincerity: Thus therefore he writes:
* 1.22. The principall Authour and assistant in this work (saith he) was Albinus the most re∣verend Abbot of Canterbury, a man of eminent learning in all kinds of litterature, having been educated therein by those two most venerable and learned men, Theodore Arch-bishop of the said Church of happy memory, and Hadrian Abbot. This worthy Abbot Albinus was pleased to com∣municate to mee partly in writing, and partly by the Religious Preist of the Church of London, No∣thelm, whom he sent to acquaint mee with all particular occurrents worthy memory which had, after diligent enquiry, come to his knowledge, either in the Province of Kent or adiacent Re∣gions, concerning the Gests of the Disciples of the Blessed Pope S. Gregory, or whatsoever he could find in ancient Record, or receive from the Tra∣dition of Ancestours. The said Nothelm likewise afterward going to Rome, by permission of Pope Gregory searching the Archives of that Church, found and copied out certain Letters both of the said Pope and some of his Predecessours touching the affaires of Brittany, which at his return, by the advice of the most Reverend Abbot Albin, he brought to mee to be inserted in this Hi∣story.
3. In the which, those things which are related from the beginning thereof to the times in which the English Nation receiued the Christian Faith, wee collected principally out of such Writings as we could here and there meet with. Then from that time to the present age all the Gests perfor∣med in the Province of Kent by the Disciples of S. Gregory and their Successours, and under what Kings they were performed, all these came to my knowledge by the industry of the foresaid Abbot Albin, and the relation of Nothelm sent by him. The same persons likewise informed mee in se∣verall things touching the Conversion of the West and East-Saxons the East-Angles and Nor∣thumbers, by the preaching of what Bishops, and in the raign of what Kings those Provinces recei∣ved the Christian Faith. In a word it was princi∣pally by the advice and perswasion of the same Albinus that I had the courage to sett upon this work.
4. Besides these, the most Reverend Bishop of the West Saxons Daniel, who is yet alive, gave mee an account in writing of many things regar∣ding the Ecclesiasticall History of that Province, and that of the South-Saxons confining to it, to∣gether with the Isle of Wight. Again how by the ministery of the Holy Preists Ceddand Ceadda the Province of the Mercians came to embrace the Faith of Christ, before unknown to them, and that of the East-Saxons to recover that Faith which once received was afterward reiected by them: And likewise how those two Holy Fathers spent their lives in all Sanctity, and how happily they dyed, all these things wee learnt from the Religious Brethren of the Mo∣nastery of Lestingen, built by them. More∣over in the Province of the East-Angles the Ecclesiasticall Gests, wee understood partly by writings and Tradition of their Ancestours, and partly by the relation of the most Reverend Ab∣bot Esius.
5. But as touching the Province of Lindissi (or Lincoln) how the Faith of Christ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spread there, together with the Succession of Bishops, we were informed in some part by Let∣ters of the most Revered Bishop Cymbert (or Kinebert) or by discoursing with severall men of good credit. To conclude, the occur∣rents hapning in the Kingdom of the Nor∣thumbers and severall regions of it, these I came to the knowledge of by the constant re∣port, not of a few, but of allmost innume∣rable Witnesses, who might well know or re∣member them, besides many things to which I my self can give testimony. Among which those things which I have written concerning our most holy Father and Bishop Saint Cuth∣bert, either in this History, or in a par∣ticular Book of his Gests, those I received and transcribed out of certain writings com∣piled by the Religious Monks of the Church of Lindesfarn, the sincerity of which I had no reason to suspect: and to those I added with great care many other things which I my self learnt from the most sure attesta∣tion of severall faithfull and sincere per∣sons.
6. To conclude, I humbly entreat the Reader, that in case he find in those my Wri∣tings any particular passage swerving from Truth, he would not impute that to mee as my fault, since my only care has been simply and sincerely to commit by writing to posterity for their instruction, such things as either from vulgar fame or writings of former ages I have collected. Now it is against the generall Law of History, that the Writer should be answerable for the mistakes of other men. Thus much touching the Truth and sincerity of S. Beda's History.
XXIII. C
Bed. Epist. ad Ceolulf. Re∣gem.