Chapter 2.16

< Vt Paulīnus in prōvinciā Lindisssī praedicāverit, et dē quālitāte rēgnī Eduīnī >

[1] Praedicābat autem Paulīnus verbum etiam prōvinciae Lindissī, quae est prīma ad merīdiānam Humbrae flūminis rīpam, pertingēns usque ad mare, praefectumque Lindocolinae cīvitātis, cui nōmen erat Blaecca, prīmum cum domū suā convertit ad Dominum. [2] In quā vidēlicet cīvitāte et ecclēsiam operis ēgregiī dē lapide fēcit, cuius tēctō vel longā incūriā vel hostīlī manū dēiectō, parietēs hāctenus stāre videntur, et omnibus annīs aliqua sānitātum mīrācula in eōdem locō solent ad ūtilitātem eōrum quī fidēliter quaerunt ostendī. [3] In quā ecclēsiā Paulīnus, trānseunte ad Christum Iūstō, Honōrium prō eō cōnsecrāvit episcopum, ut in sequentibus suō locō dīcēmus.

[4] Dē huius fide prōvinciae nārrāvit mihi presbyter et abbās quīdam vir vērācissimus dē monastēriō Peartaneu, vocābulō Dēdā, retulisse sibi quendam seniōrem, baptīzātum sē fuisse diē mediā ā Paulīnō episcopō, praesente rēge Eduīnō, et multam populī turbam, in fluviō Treenta iuxtā cīvitātem quae linguā Anglōrum Tiovulfingacӕstir vocātur; quī etiam effigiem eiusdem Paulīnī referre esset solitus, quod esset vir longae statūrae, paululum incurvus, nigrō capillō, faciē macilentā, nāsō aduncō pertenuī, venerābilis simul et terribilis aspectū. [5] Habuit autem sēcum in ministeriō et Iācōbum diāconum, virum utique industrium ac nōbilem in Christō et in ecclēsiā, quī ad nostra usque tempora permānsit.

[6] Tanta autem eō tempore pāx in Brittaniā, quāquāversum imperium rēgis Eduīnī pervēnerat, fuisse perhibētur ut, sīcut usque hodiē in prōverbiō dīcitur, etiam sī mulier ūna cum recēns nātō parvulō vellet tōtam perambulāre īnsulam ā marī ad mare, nūllō sē lēdente valēret. [7] Tantum rēx īdem ūtilitātī suae gentis cōnsuluit, ut plērīsque in locīs, ubi fontēs lūcidōs iuxtā pūplicōs viārum trānsitūs cōnspexit, ibi ob refrīgerium viantium ērēctīs stīpitibus aereōs caucōs suspendī iubēret, neque hōs quisquam, nisi ad ūsum necessārium, contingere prae magnitūdine vel timōris eius audēret, vel amōris vellet. [8] Tantum vērō in rēgnō excellentiae habuit, ut nōn sōlum in pugnā ante illum vēxilla gestārentur, sed et tempore pācis equitantem inter cīvitātēs sīve vīllās aut prōvinciās suās cum ministrīs, semper antecēdere signifer cōnsuēsset, necnōn et incēdente illō ubilibet per platēās illud genus vēxillī, quod Rōmānī tufam, Anglī appellant thuuf, ante eum ferrī solēbat.

PAULINUS'S PREACHING IN LINDSEY

(1) prōvinciae Lindissī: locative: “in the kingdom of Lindsey.”

prīma: i.e., prima prōvincia

ad merīdiānam: ad = “on” the west shore.

praefectum Lindocolīnae cīvitātis: “the reeve of Lincoln.” A reeve was a chief magistrate.

(2) operis ēgregiī: genitive of quality (AG 345): “of remarkable workmanship”

tēctō … dēiectō: ablative absolute, probably to be taken as concessive: “although the roof had fallen...”

longā incūriā, vel hostīlī manū: ablatives of means

hāctenus: “still, up to the present”

omnibus annīs: “every year”

ad ūtilitātem: “for the benefit of” + genitive

(3) trānseunte ad Chrīstum Iūstō: ablative absolute; trānsīre ad Chrīstum is another euphemism for “to die.” Justus was the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury (624–627)

Honōrium: Honorius, fifth Archbishop of Canterbury (627–655), consecrated by Paulinus at Lincoln.

ut in sequentibus suō locō dīcēmus: “as we will relate in its place in the following [chapters].” The consecration of Honorius is the subject of Chapter 2.18.

A PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF PAULINUS

Bede draws upon oral tradition to provide a description of Paulinus's appearance: Bede heard from Deda, abbot of Partney, who heard it from an old man who had been baptized by Paulinus himself. Bede was writing roughly 100 years after the events related in this chapter.

(4) presbyter: originally, an elder; here, a priest

narrāvit … sē fuisse: double indirect statement with accusative-infinitive construction; the kernel of the sentence is [Dēdā] narrāvit mihi quendam seniōrem retulisse sibi sē baptīzātum fuisse (“Deda told me that a certain old man recounted to him that he had been baptized…).

Peartaneu: Partney, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire

multam populī turbam: understand baptīzātam fuisse.

in fluviō Treenta: the River Trent

Tiovulfingacæstir: Littleborough, Nottinghamshire, northwest of Lincoln on the western side of the River Trent

effigiem: “appearance”

(5) ad nostra usque tempora permānsit: this is taken to mean the James the Deacon, as he is known, lived at least until the time of Bede’s own birth, which was probably between 671 and 673. For more on James the Deacon, see 2.20.13–14.

THE PEACE OF EDWIN'S REIGN

(6) quāquāversum: “wherever”

sīcut usque hodiē in prōverbiō dīcitur: in other words, “as has become proverbial”

recēns nātō: “newborn”: recens is adverbial (“recently born”)

lēdente: laedente; nūllō sē lēdente, ablative absolute, “with no one harming her”

(7) Tantum: adverbial, “to so great a degree”

iuxtā pūplicōs viārum trānsitūs: pūplicōs = pūblicōs; “next to the public passages of the roads.” Colgrave-Mynors translates “near the highway.”

ob refrīgerium viantium: ob, “with a view to,” “for”: “for the refreshment of travelers”

ērēctīs … iubēret: ērēctīs stīpitibus could be taken as an ablative absolute (“once poles had been raised”), but works best as the ablative expressing the place from which something is hung (with suspendere); so, rearrange as: ut ... iubēret aereōs caucōs suspendī ērēctīs stīpitibus (“that he ordered bronze drinking cups to be hung from raised poles”). Caucus is a Late Latin word for “cup.”

quisquam … amōris vellet: the syntax is a bit compressed here; fill it out as: neque quisquam vel audēret contingere hōs, nisi ad ūsum necessārium, prae magnitūdine timōris eius, vel vellet contingere hōs, nisi ad ūsum necessārium, prae magnitūdine amōris eius. Prae, here means, “on account of,” and takes the ablative; eius is an objective genitive: “on account of the greatness of [their] love of him.”

(8) Tantum … excellentiae: excellentiae is a partitive genitive after tantum (AG 346, note 1).

sed et: sed etiam (correlative with nōn sōlum)

equitantem: understand eum, as the object of antecēdere cōnsuēsset (“was accustomed to go before him as he rode”).

nec nōn: “and furthermore”

tufam … thuuf: most likely a kind of sceptre

NOTE: Lemmatization of Anglo-Saxon Names
—: declined forms unattested
[ ]: nominative forms unattested (back-formed for purposes of lemmatization)
*: form unattested but hypothesized based on existing patterns

praedicō –āre –āvī –ātum: to preach

Paulīnus –ī m.: Paulinus, Bishop of York, 625-633; bishop of Rochester, 633-644

Lindissi: Lindsey

merīdiānus –a –um: southern

Humbra –ae f.: the Humber

pertingō –tingere: arrive at, extend to, reach

praefectus praefectī m.: prefect

Lindocolina (Lindocolinum) : the Roman Colonia of Lindum, modern Lincoln

Blaecca — m.: Blæcca, Praefectus of Lincoln

dominus dominī m.: lord; Lord (of Jesus Christ)

vidēlicet: clearly

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

incūria –ae f.: negligence

hostīlis hostīlis hostīle: hostile

dēiciō dēicere dēiēci deīctum: to throw down, eject

pariēs parietis m.: wall

hāctenus: thus far, so far, of space and time

sānitās –ātis f.: health

mīrāculum –ī n.: miracle

ūtilitās ūtilitātis f.: usefulness

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

Paulīnus –ī m.: Paulinus, Bishop of York, 625-633; bishop of Rochester, 633-644

Christus –ī m.: Christ

Honōrius –ī m.: Honorius, Archbishop of Canterbury, 627x631-653

cōnsecrō cōnsecrāre cōnsecrāvī cōnsecrātus: to consecrate

episcopus –ī m.: bishop

presbyter –erī m.: a priest

abba (indecl.): father

vērāx –ācis : speaking truly, true, veracious; adv. vērāciter, truthfully.

monastērium –ī n.: a monastery

Peartaneu: Partney, near Spilsby, Lincolnshire

vocābulum –ī n.: a designation, name

Deda — m.: Deda, Abbot of Partney

senex senis: old, aged

baptīzo –āre –āvī –ātum: to baptize

Paulīnus –ī m.: Paulinus, Bishop of York, 625-633; bishop of Rochester, 633-644

episcopus –ī m.: bishop

Aeduini –ī m.: Edwin, King of the Northumbrians, 616-633

fluvius fluvi(ī) m.: river

Treenta: the river Trent

iūxtā: according to

Anglī –ōrum m.: the Angles, a Germanic tribe; the English

Tiouulfingacaestir: Littleborough?, Nottinghamshire

effigiēs –ēī f.: something molded or fashioned; a figure

Paulīnus –ī m.: Paulinus, Bishop of York, 625-633; bishop of Rochester, 633-644

statūra –ae f.: height, stature

paululum: a little

incurvus –a –um: bent, curved

capillus capillī m.: hair

macilentus –a –um: thin

nāsus nāsī m.: nose

aduncus –a –um : hooked, bent

pertenuis m,f pertenue n.: very thin

venerābilis –e: venerable, deserving of respect

terribilis terribile: terrifying

aspectus aspectūs m.: sight

ministerium –ī n.: service, ministry

Iācōbus –ī m.: James, the Deacon

diāconus –ī m.: deacon

utīque: certainly

industrius –a –um: industrious

Christus –ī m.: Christ

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

permaneō permanēre permānsī permānsum: to remain

Britannia –ae f.: Britain

quaquaversum: wherever

Aeduini –ī m.: Edwin, King of the Northumbrians, 616-633

perhibeō –ēre –uī –itus: to hold persistently; maintain

prōverbium –ī n.: a proverb

nātus –a –um: born

parvulus –a –um: very small

perambulō perambulāre perambulāvī perambulātus: to go through

ūtilitās ūtilitātis f.: usefulness

plērus –a –um: very many

lūcidus –a –um: bright, shining

iūxtā: according to

cōnspiciō cōnspicere cōnspexī cōnspectus: to catch sight of, behold

refrīgerium –ī n.: refreshment, cooling

viō –āre –āvī –ātus : to travel

ērigō ērigere ērēxī ērēctus: to set up, erect

stīpes –itis m.: log or post

aereus –a –um: made of copper or bronze

caucus –ī m. : drinking vessel

suspendō suspendere suspendī suspēnsum: to hang

necessārius –a –um: necessary, essential

prae: before (+ abl.)

excellentia –ae f.: excellence

vexillum –ī n.: a military ensign, standard

gestō gestāre gestāvī gestātus: to carry, bear

equitō equitāre equitāvī equitātus: to be a horseman; to ride

vīlla vīllae f.: estate

minister ministrī m.: attendant, servant

antecēdō –cēdere –cessī –cessum: to go before

signifer –ferī m.: a standard–bearer

cōnsuēscō cōnsuescere cōnsuēvī cōnsuētus: to accustom

incēdō incēdere incessī incessus: to go, happen

ubilibet: anywhere; in any place

platēa –ae f.: street

vexillum –ī n.: a military ensign, standard

Rōmānus –a –um: Roman

tūfa –ae f.: a kind of military standard

Anglī –ōrum m.: the Angles, a Germanic tribe; the English

thuuf (Old English): a kind of military standard, cp. Latin tufa –ae f.

Aeduini –ī m.: Edwin, King of the Northumbrians, 616-633

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Suggested Citation

Rob Hardy. Bede: Historia Ecclesiastica Selections. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-947822-20-7. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/bede-historia-ecclesiastica/book-2/chapter-2-16