est magno cum honore ab ipso, convenientibus plurimis episcopis, in vico regio, qui vocatur in Compendio. Quo adhuc in transmarinis partibus propter ordinationem demorante, imitatus industriam filii, rex Oswius misit Cantiam virum sanctum, modestum moribus, Scripturarum lectione sufficienter instructum, et ea, quæ in Scripturis agenda didicerat, operibus solerter exsequentem, qui Eboracensis ecclesiæ ordinaretur episcopus. Erat autem presbyter vocabulo Ceadda, frater reverendissimi antistitis Cedd, cujus sæpius meminimus, et abbas monasterii illius, quod vocatur Lestingau. Misitque rex cum eo presbyterum suum vocabulo Eadhedum, qui postea, regnante Egfrido, Rhipensis ecclesiæ præsul factus est. Verum illi Cantiam pervenientes invenerunt archiepiscopum Deusdedit jam migrasse de seculo, et necdum alium pro eo constitutum fuisse pontificem. Unde diverterunt ad provinciam Occidentalium Saxonum, ubi erat Wine episcopus; et ab illo est vir præfatus consecratus antistes, assumtis in societatem ordinationis duobus de Britonum gente episcopis, qui Dominicum Paschæ diem, ut sæpius dictum est, secus morem canonicum a quarta decima usque ad vicesimam lunam celebrant. Non enim erat tunc ullus, excepto illo Wine, in tota Britannia canonice ordinatus epis

copus.

Consecratus ergo in episcopum Ceadda mox cœpit ecclesiasticæ veritati et castitati curam impendere; humilitati, continentiæ, lectioni operam dare; oppida, rura, casas, vicos, castella, propter evangelizandum, non equitando, sed apostolorum more pedibus incedendo, peragrare. Erat enim discipulus Aidani, eisdemque actibus ac moribus juxta exemplum ejus, ac fratris sui Cedd, suos instituere curavit auditores. Veniens quoque Britanniam Wilfridus jam episcopus factus et ipse perplura catholicæ observationis moderamina ecclesiis Anglorum sua doctrina contulit; unde factum est, ut, crescente

Ceadda.

frid was honourably consecrated, several bishops meeting A.D. 665. together for that purpose in a village belonging to the king, called Compiegne. He made some stay in the parts beyond the sea, after his consecration, and Oswy, following the example of the king his son, sent a holy man, of modest behaviour, well read in the Scripture, and diligently practising those things which he had learned therein, to be ordained bishop of the church of York. This was a priest called Ceadda, brother to Bishop the reverend prelate Cedd, of whom mention has been often made, and abbot of the monastery of Lestingau. With him the king also sent his priest Eadhed, who was afterwards, in the reign of Egfrid, made bishop of the church of Ripon. On arriving in Kent, they found that Archbishop Deusdedit was departed this life, and no other prelate as yet appointed in his place; whereupon they proceeded to the province of the West Saxons, where Wine was bishop, and by him the person abovementioned was consecrated bishop; two bishops of the British nation, who kept Easter-Sunday according to the canonical manner, from the fourteenth to the twentieth day of the moon, as has been said, being taken to assist at the ordination; for at that time there was no other bishop in all Britain canonically ordained, besides that Wine.

Ceadda, being thus consecrated bishop, began immediately to devote himself to ecclesiastical truth and to chastity; to apply himself to humility, continence, and study; to travel about, not on horseback, but after the manner of the apostles, on foot, to preach the Gospel in towns, the open country, cottages, villages, and castles; for he was one of the disciples of Aidan, and endeavoured to instruct his people, by the same actions and behaviour, according to his and his brother Cedd's example. Wilfrid also being made a bishop, came into Britain, and in like manner by his doctrine brought into the English Church many rules of Catholic observance. Whence it

per dies institutione catholica, Scoti omnes, qui inter Anglos morabantur, aut his manus darent, aut suam redirent ad patriam.

CAP. XXIX. UT WIGHARDUS PRESBYTER, ORDINANDUS

IN ARCHIEPISCOPUM, ROMAM DE BRITANNIA SIT MISSUS; QUEM REMISSA MOX SCRIPTA PAPE APOSTOLICI IBIDEM OBIISSE NARRAVERINT,

IS temporibus reges Anglorum nobilissimi, Oswius provinciæ Northanhumbrorum, et Egbertus Cantuariorum, habito inter se consilio, quid de statu ecclesiæ Anglorum esset agendum, intellexerat enim veraciter Oswius, quamvis educatus

a Scotis, quia Romana esset catholica et apostolica ecclesia, assumserunt, cum electione et consensu sanctæ ecclesiæ gentis Anglorum, virum bonum et aptum episcopatu presbyterum, nomine Wighardum, de clero Deusdedit episcopi, et hunc antistitem ordinandum Romam miserunt; quatenus, accepto ipse gradu archiepiscopatus, catholicos per omnem Britanniam ecclesiis Anglorum ordinare posset antistites. Verum Wighardus Romam perveniens, priusquam consecrari in episcopatum posset, morte præreptus est; et hujusmodi literæ regi Oswio Britanniam remissæ sunt.

"Domino excellentissimo filio Oswio regi Saxonum, Vitalianus episcopus, servus servorum Dei.

" Desiderabiles literas excellentiæ vestræ suscepimus, quas relegentes cognovimus ejus piissimam devotionem ferventissimumque amorem, quem habet propter beatam vitam; et quia, dextera Domini protegente, ad veram et apostolicam fidem sit conversus, sperans, sicut in sua gente regnat, ita et cum Christo in futuro conregnare. Benedicta igitur gens, quæ talem sapientissimum et Dei cultorem promeruit habere regem; quia non solum ipse followed, that the Catholic institutions daily gained A.D. 665. strength, and all the Scots that dwelt in England either conformed to these, or returned into their own country.

CHAP. XXIX. HOW THE PRIEST WIGHARD WAS SENT
FROM BRITAIN TO ROME, TO BE CONSECRATED ARCH-
BISHOP, OF HIS DEATH THERE, AND OF THE LETTERS OF
THE APOSTOLIC POPE GIVING AN ACCOUNT THEREOF.

sent to Rome

crated.

Ar this time the most noble King Oswy, of the pro- Wighard vince of the Northumbrians, and Egbert of Kent, having to be conseconsulted together about the state of the English A.D. 665. Church, (for Oswy, though educated by the Scots, perfectly understood that the Roman was the Catholic and Apostolic Church,) with the consent of the holy church of the English nation, accepted of a good man, and fit priest, to be made a bishop, called Wighard, one of Bishop Deusdedit's clergy, and sent him to Rome to be ordained bishop, to the end that he, having received the degree of an archbishop, might ordain Catholic prelates for the churches of the English nation throughout all Britain. But Wighard, arriving at Rome, was cut off by death, before he could be consecrated bishop, and the following letter was sent back into Britain to King Oswy :

letter to

"To the most excellent Lord, our son, Oswy, king of vitalian's the Saxons, Vitalian, bishop, servant of the servants of Oswy. God. We have received your excellency's pleasing letters; by reading whereof we understood your most pious devotion and fervent love to obtain everlasting life; and that by the protecting hand of God you have been converted to the true and apostolic faith, hoping that as you reign in your nation, so you will hereafter reign in Christ. Blessed be the nation, therefore, that has been found worthy to have such a wise king and worshipper of God; forasmuch as he is not himself alone a worshipper

BB

Dei cultor exstitit, sed etiam omnes subjectos suos meditatur die ac nocte ad fidem catholicam atque apostolicam pro suæ animæ redemtione converti. Quis enim audiens hæc suavia non lætetur? Quis non exultet et gaudeat in his piis operibus? Quia et gens vestra Christo omnipotenti Deo credidit, secundum divinorum prophetarum voces, sicut scriptum est in Isaïa, [xi. 10,] In die illa radix Jesse, qui stat in signum populorum, ipsum gentes deprecabuntur. Et iterum, [xlix. 1,] Audite insulæ, et attendite populi de longe. Et post paululum, [xlix. 6,] Parum, inquit, est, ut mihi sis servus ad suscitandas tribus Jacob, et fæces Israel convertendas. Dedi te in lucem gentium, ut sis salus mea usque ad extremum terræ. Et rursum, [xlix. 7,] Reges videbunt, et consurgent principes, et adorabunt. Et post pusillum, [xlix. 8,] Dedi te in fœdus populi, ut suscitares terram, et possideres hereditates dissipatas, et diceres his, qui vincti sunt, "Exite," et his, qui in tenebris, "Revelamini." Et rursum, [xlii. 6, 7,] Ego Dominus vocavi te in justitia, et apprehendi manum tuam, et servavi; et dedi te in lucem gentium et in fœdus populi, ut aperires oculos cæcorum, et educeres de conclusione vinctum, de domo carceris sedentes in tenebris.

"Ecce, excellentissime fili, quam luce clarius est, non solum de vobis, sed etiam de omnibus prophetarum gentibus, quod sint credituræ in Christo omnium conditore. Quamobrem oportet vestram celsitudinem, utpote membrum exsistens Christi, in omnibus piam regulam sequi perenniter principis apostolorum, sive in Pascha celebrando, sive in omnibus, quæ tradiderunt sancti apostoli Petrus et Paulus, qui, ut duo luminaria cœli illuminant mundum, sic doctrina eorum corda hominum quotidie illustrat credentium."