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[1] Erat in eōdem monastēriō puer trium circiter nōn amplius annōrum, Aesīca nōmine, quī propter īnfantīlem adhūc aetātem in virginum Deō dēdicātārum solēbat cellā nūtrīrī ibique meditārī. [2] Hic praefātā pestilentiā tāctus, ubi ad extrēma pervēnit, clāmāvit tertiō ūnam dē cōnsecrātīs Chrīstō virginibus, propriō eam nōmine quasi praesentem alloquēns, ‘Eadgyd, Eadgyd, Eadgyd,’ et sīc termināns temporālem vītam intrāvit aeternam. [3] At virgō illa quam moriēns vocābat mox in locō quō erat eādem adtācta īnfirmitāte, ipsō quō vocitāta est diē dē hāc lūce subtracta et illum, quī sē vocāvit, ad rēgnum caeleste secūta est.

[4] Item quaedam ex eīsdem ancellīs Deī, cum praefātō tācta morbō atque ad extrēma esset perducta, coepit subitō circā mediam noctem clāmāre hīs quae sibi ministrābant, petēns ut lucernam, quae inibi accēnsa erat, extinguerent. [5] Quod cum frequentī vōce repeteret, nec tamen eī aliquis obtemperāret, ad extrēmum intulit: ‘Sciō quod mē haec īnsānā mente loquī arbitrāminī; sed iam nunc nōn ita esse cognōscite; nam vērē dīcō vōbīs quia domum hanc tantā lūce implētam esse perspiciō, ut vestra illa lucerna mihi omnimodīs esse videātur obscūra.’ [6] Et cum nē adhūc quidem tālia loquentī quisquam respondēret vel assēnsum praebēret, iterum dīxit: ‘Accendite ergō lucernam illam, quamdiū vultis, attamen scītōte quia nōn est mea, nam mea lūx incipiente aurōrā mihi adventūra est.’ [7] Coepitque nārrāre quia appāruerit sibi quīdam vir Deī, quī eōdem annō fuerat dēfūnctus, dīcēns quod adveniente dīlūculō perennem esset exitūra ad lūcem. [8] Cuius vēritās vīsiōnis cita circā exortum diēī puellae morte probāta est.

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MIRACLES AT BARKING ABBEY: DEATHS FORETOLD

This brief chapter begins with the story of a miracles associated with a three-year old boy named Æsica. Æsica presumably would have been sent to Barking for an education. Recall that Bede himself entered the monastery school at Jarrow when he was seven. The miracles in this chapter continue the theme of impending death and the revelation of light from heaven.

(1) in virginum … nūtrīrī: re-order: solēbat nūtrīrī in cellā virginum dēdicātārum Deō

meditārī: “to study,” “learn his lessons”

(2) ad extrēma: "to the end [of his life]" (see also 4.8.5, below).

clāmāvit: “called out for” (with an accusative direct object)

tertiō: “three times”

propriō … nomine: “by her own name”

Eadgyd: Edith

(3) ipsō … subtracta: re-order: ipsō diē, quō vocitāta est, subtracta est dē hāc lūce…; ipsō diē, quō is the ablative of time when (AG 423)

(4) esset: with both tacta and perducta (pluperfect passive subjunctives)

clāmāre hīs: “to call for those”

sibi: referring to the subject of the main clause rather than of the subordinate clause in which it appears (indirect reflexive, AG 300.2)

(5) frequentī vōce: “with repeated utterance”

intulit: “said” (DMLBS, inferre 4)

sciō quod: introducing indirect discourse with the indicative: “I know that…”

nōn ita esse cognōscite: accusative-infinitive construction after cognōscite, with the accusative implied: “know that it isn’t so…”

dīcō… quia: introducing indirect discourse with the indicative

omnimodīs: adverb, “altogether”

(6) cum nē adhūc quidem … quisquam: “and when, still, no one”; nē … quidem emphasized what it surrounds.

respondēret: “replied to” + dat., loquentī “her as she spoke”

(7) nārrāre quia … dīcēns quod: both phrases introduce indirect statement with the subjunctive.

adveniente dīlūculō: “with the coming dawn”

(8) puellae morte: morte is ablative of means after probāta est: “was proved by the girl’s death.”

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Chapter 4.8

MIRACLES AT BARKING ABBEY: DEATHS FORETOLD

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