Bede ( Beda, or Baeda), 'The Venerable'

b. circa 673; d. 735

English historian, born in the territory of the monastery of St Peter at Wearmouth. When seven years old he was admitted to this monastery, and studied under Benedict Biscop and his successor, Coelfrid. In 682 Biscop founded the neighbouring monastery of Jarrow, and it was here that Bede generally resided. In his 19th year he was admitted to the diaconate by St John of Beverley, then Bishop of Hexham, and 11 years later the same bishop ordained him priest. At the end of his Ecclesiastical History Bede gives us these particulars of himself, and goes on to mention how the observance of the monastic discipline, the daily charge of singing in the church, and the delights of learning, teaching, and writing had made up his tranquil life. Bede was fortunate in his environment; he was able to draw on the vast library collected by Biscop, and there is no evidence that he himself ever travelled beyond York and Lindisfarne. Yet his learning was great, covering, though probably not so fully as has sometimes been supposed, almost all the subjects then known: Latin, Greek, astronomy, medicine, and, possibly, some Hebrew.

His Ecclesiastical History is a chief source of knowledge of the early history of England. Its facts are derived partly from the Roman writers, but also from local sources and traditions. King Alfred translated it into Anglo-Saxon. Bede also wrote scientific works, including a treatise on the calendar, and other historical essays, such as the History of the Abbots of his own monasteries. Another large division of his work consisted of theological treatises and biblical commentaries. Bede possessed the gift of co-ordinating the facts at his disposal into a vivid historical pattern, and this gift, combined with his real critical faculty, has helped his historical writing to stand the test of time. Though never canonised, the title 'Venerable' was added to his name in the 9th century. Leo XIII pronounced Bede a doctor of the Church in 1899.

© JM Dent/Historybookshop.com

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