Egbert

ON SAINT EGBERT

PRIEST ON THE ISLAND OF IONA.

IN THE YEAR 729.

Egbert, Priest, on the Scottish island of Iona (St.)

By G. H.

The venerable Bede inserted into his English history with diligent labor the famous things done by St. Egbert the Priest, which we give here excerpted from there. He died in the year 729 on this April 24, The time of his death: on the solemn day of Easter, as Bede most correctly observed. For in that year there concurred the Lunar cycle 8 and the Solar 10, with the Dominical letter B, which marks indicate excellently that Easter was then celebrated on this April 24; on which day these things are read in the entries of the Roman Martyrology: Sacred veneration, "In Ireland, of St. Egbert, Priest and monk, a man of admirable humility and continence"; and in the Notes various passages of the Ecclesiastical History of Bede are indicated. The same is treated in the old Calendar of Trier of St. Maximin, and in the manuscript Florarium Sanctorum, in the addition of Grevenus and Molanus, in the English Martyrology and Irish Calendars. He is also inscribed in the Natales of the Saints of Belgium published by Molanus, and in the Belgian Fasti of Miraeus, because he himself wished to come to Frisia, but, forbidden by a divine oracle, sent others thither. And for this very cause he is venerated in the diocese of Utrecht under the rite of a semidouble office, with the lessons of the second Nocturn contracted, Prayer. where the following prayer is prescribed: "O God, by whose Spirit blessed Egbert, thirsting for the salvation of the gentiles, appointed various heralds of the faith for the evangelic work; direct, we beseech, through his interceding merits, the hearts of thy servants to thee, that, having conceived the fervor of thy Spirit, they may be found both stable in faith and effective in work."

[2] Trithemius in book 3 On the Illustrious Men of the Order of St. Benedict, chapter 130, writes these things: Of the Order of St. Benedict? "Egbert, a monk and priest, and rector and Abbot of the monasteries of St. Columbanus in Ireland and Britain, a man of most holy conversation, had zeal and grace in the preaching of the word of God. His disciple was St. Willibrord, Bishop of Utrecht. He flourished in the year of the Lord 700." Thus Trithemius, whom Wion, Menardus, and Bucelinus follow. But whom he calls Columbanus, by Bede and others is called Columba the Abbot, and is reported to have prescribed his own rule to his own, which will be discussed on his birthday June 9. Ghinius inscribes him in the Natalia of Saint Canons. Ferrarius in the General Catalogue of the Saints who are not in the Roman Martyrology, thinking he was some other Egbert, proposes these things: "On the island of Iona, of St. Egbert Abbot and Priest"; Whether the same is twice proposed by Ferrarius? and Molanus is cited in the Additions and Natales of the Saints; but that one is one and the same. Again Ferrarius writes thus: "At Dorn in Sutherland, of St. Egbert Priest." The same is read in the Scottish Menologion of Dempster, with letters B. and W. added, by which are indicated the Martyrology of Wion and the Scottish Breviary — especially that of Aberdeen. From this we took care to have the eulogies of the Saints copied for us: but no mention of St. Egbert have we found in them; and Wion only proposes the words of the Roman Martyrology, and in the Notes copies some things from Trithemius. Nevertheless, for causes unknown to us, St. Egbert could have had some veneration at Dorn. In a certain Heortology rather than a Martyrology, a heroic poem under Bede's name published by Luc d'Achery in volume X of the Spicilegium, only some Saints are mentioned whose cult seems to have been more celebrated in England. In the first place is St. George, to whom are joined Egbert and both Wilfrids; and about Egbert these things are said:

Egbert, bright with worthy praise of virtues, On the Octave venerably ascends to the star-bearing Olympus.

LIFE

From the Ecclesiastical History of the Venerable Bede.

Egbert, Priest, on the Scottish island of Iona (St.)

FROM Bede.

[1] In the 664th year of the Lord's incarnation, a sudden plague of pestilence, having first depopulated the southern parts of Britain, also seizing the province of the Northumbrians, and raging far and wide for a long time with bitter disaster, laid low a great multitude of men. Book 3, ch. 27 By this plague Tuda ^a, priest of the Lord, was snatched from the world, and in the monastery called Pegnalech was honorably buried. As the plague raged in Northumbria and Ireland, But this ^b plague pressed the island of Ireland also with equal disaster. There were there at that time many noble and middling men of the English nation, who in the time of bishops Finan ^c and Colman, having left their native island, for the sake of either divine reading or a more continent life, had withdrawn thither. And some indeed at once committed themselves faithfully to monastic conversation; others rejoiced rather to give time to reading, going around the cells of the Masters. The Scots received them all most willingly, From England to Ireland, and took care to furnish them their daily food without price, also books for reading, and free instruction. There were among these two youths of great disposition from the English nobles, Edelhun ^d and Egbert; of whom the former was the brother of Ethelwin ^e, a man equally beloved of God, St. Egbert having set out with St. Edelhun, who himself also in the following age went to Ireland for the sake of reading, and being well instructed returned to his fatherland, and being made Bishop in the province of Lindsey, governed the church most nobly for a long time.

[2] These therefore, when they were in a monastery which in the Scots' tongue is called Rathmelsigi ^f; and all their companions were either snatched from the world by mortality or dispersed to other places; both were seized by the disease of the same mortality, and most grievously afflicted. Seized by the plague, Of whom Egbert (as a certain most truthful priest of venerable hoary hair was telling me, who affirmed that he had heard these things from himself), when he reckoned he was about to die, went out in the morning time from the chamber in which the sick were resting, and sitting alone in a fitting place, began sedulously to think upon his actions; and compunct by the memory of his sins, washed his face with tears, He deplores the sins of adolescence, and from the depth of his heart begged God that he should not yet have to die, before he might more perfectly chastise from time onward the past negligences which he had committed in boyhood or infancy, or exercise himself more abundantly in good works. He also vowed a vow, that he would so live as a pilgrim, that he would never return to the island in which he was born, He offers various vows to God, that is, Britain; that besides the solemn psalmody of the canonical time (if bodily health did not hinder), daily he would chant the whole psalter in memory of divine praise; that in every week he would pass a day and night fasting. And when, his tears and vows being ended, he returned to the house, he found his comrade asleep; and himself also mounting his pallet, began to relax his limbs into rest; and when he had rested a little, his comrade, being awakened, looked at him, and said:

"O brother Egbert, O what have you done? I was hoping that we would enter into eternal life together. But know that what you asked you shall receive." For he had learned by vision both what the other had asked, and that he had obtained what he asked. And his comrade having died, What more? Edilhun himself died the following night. But Egbert, having shaken off the trouble of his sickness, recovered; and living for a long time after, and adorning the received rank of the priesthood with worthy acts, He recovers, after many good works of virtues, as he himself desired, lately, that is, in the year of the Lord's incarnation 729, And lives until the year 729. when he himself was ninety years old, passed to the heavenly kingdoms.

[3] He led a life in great perfection of humility, meekness, continence, simplicity and justice; whence also to his own nation Excelling in great virtue and zeal for souls, and to those nations of the Scots or Picts in which he was an exile, by the example of living, the insistence of teaching, the authority of correcting, and the piety of bestowing from what he had received from the rich, he did much good. He added to the vows of which we have spoken, He fasts strictly. that in Lent he would always eat no more than once a day, and nothing but bread and the thinnest milk, and this in measure. Which milk, namely, he was wont to place fresh the day before in a vessel, and after the night, with the thicker surface removed, himself drank what remained, with a little bread (as we said). The same mode of continence he also took care to observe always for forty days before the Lord's Nativity, and as many after the solemnities of Pentecost, that is, Pentecost Quinquagesima, were completed.

Book 4, ch. 3

[4] The discourse of the most reverend Father Egbert, of whom we have spoken above, agrees also with the revelation and report of Brother Trumbert concerning the death of Bishop Ceadda ^g. He, long ago, when that same Ceadda was an adolescent, being himself also an adolescent, was zealously leading a monastic life in Ireland in prayers, continence, and meditation of the divine Scriptures. He lived a long time with St. Ceadda, But when the other afterwards returned to his fatherland, he himself remained a pilgrim for the Lord until the end of his life. When therefore there came to him long afterwards, for the sake of a visit, from Britain a most holy and most continent man named Higbald ^h, who was Abbot in the province of Lindsey, and, as it befitted saints, they were speaking of the life of the earlier fathers, and rejoicing to emulate it, mention intervened of the most reverend Bishop Ceadda. He knew that his soul was taken up by his brother St. Cedd, And Egbert said: "I know a man still in the flesh on this island, who, when that man was passing from the world, saw the soul of his brother Cedd with a troop of angels descending from heaven, and with his soul having been taken with them, returning to the heavenly kingdoms." Whether he said this of himself or of some other, remains uncertain to us: yet since so great a man said it, there can be no doubt that it is true.

Book 5 ch. 10

[5] At that time the venerable and with all honor to be named servant of Christ and priest Egbert, whom we have mentioned as leading a pilgrim life on the island of Ireland for the acquiring of a heavenly fatherland, proposed in his mind to profit many, that is, having begun the apostolic work of God's word, to commit it to some of those nations which had not yet heard it. In Germany he knew there were very many nations, About to depart for the conversion of the Frisians and others, from whom the Angles or Saxons, who now inhabit Britain, are known to have derived their race and origin. Whence up to now they are corruptly called ⁱ "Germans" by the neighboring people of the Britons. These are ^k the Frisians, ^l Rugini, Danes, ^m Huns, Old ⁿ Saxons, ^o Boruchtuarii. There are also very many other peoples in those parts, still serving in pagan rites, to whom the aforesaid soldier of Christ disposed to come, having circumnavigated Britain, if perchance he might transfer some of them, rescued from Satan, to Christ. Or if this could not be done, he thought to come to Rome, to see and adore the thresholds of the blessed Apostles and Martyrs of Christ. But that he should accomplish none of these things, heavenly oracles and even works at the same time resisted him. For his companions being chosen, most vigorous and suitable for preaching the word, as being distinguished both in action and in learning, and all things being prepared which seemed necessary for those sailing, there came on a certain day early in the morning one of the brothers, once in Britain a disciple and minister of the priest beloved of God Boisil [p], when the same Boisil was Prior of the monastery of Melrose under the Abbot Eata [q], relating to him a vision which had appeared to him the same night. "When," he said, "having completed my morning hymns, I had laid my limbs on the bed, and a light sleep had crept over me, my former master and most loving fosterer Boisil appeared, and asked me whether I could recognize him. I said: 'Yes: you are Boisil.' And he said: Impeded by St. Boisil appearing to another, 'For this I have come, that I may bring the answer of the Lord Saviour to Egbert, which, however, with you reporting, must come to him. Say therefore to him: that he cannot fulfill the journey which he has proposed; for it is God's will that he should go rather to teach the monasteries of Columba [r].'" And is bid to go to the monastery of St. Columba: Now Columba was the first teacher of the Christian faith to the Picts across the mountains to the north, and the first founder of the monastery which on the island of Iona remained venerable for a long time to many peoples of the Scots and Picts. Which Columba now by some, with a name composed from cell (cella) and Columba, is called Columkelli.

[6] Now Egbert, hearing the words of the vision, ordered the brother who had reported it that he should not tell this to anyone else, lest perhaps the vision be deceitful. Not yet obeying the admonition, He himself, silently considering the matter, feared that it was true. Yet he was unwilling to cease from preparing the journey on which he would go to teach the peoples. But after a few days, the aforesaid Brother came to him again saying that also that night after his matins were completed, Boisil had appeared to him in a vision, saying: He is again admonished, 'Why so negligently and tepidly did you tell Egbert what I charged you to tell? But now go and tell him that, willy-nilly, he must come to the monasteries of Columba, because their ploughs are not going rightly; it behooves him to call them back to the right path.' Hearing this, again he ordered the brother not to disclose these things to anyone. He himself, although he was made certain of the vision, nonetheless tried to begin the planned journey with the aforesaid brothers. And when now they had placed on the ship what the necessity of so great a journey demanded, and were awaiting for some days opportune winds, there came on a certain night so fierce a tempest, that, some of the things that were in the ship having been lost, it left the ship lying on its side among the waves; yet all the things that were Egbert's and his companions' were saved. And attempting departure is impeded by a storm.

[7] Then he, as if saying that prophetic saying, "This tempest is because of me," Jonah 1:12 withdrew himself from that journey, and suffered himself to remain at home. But one of his companions, named Witbert, With Witbert of his companions going to Frisia, when he too was distinguished by contempt of the world and by the knowledge of doctrine (for he had led a pilgrim life for many years in Ireland, an anchoretic life in great perfection), boarded a ship; and arriving at Frisia, for two continuous years he preached the word of salvation to that nation and its King Radbod, nor did he find any fruit of so great labor among his barbarian hearers. Then, returning to the place of his beloved pilgrimage, And after two years returning. he began, in his accustomed silence, to devote himself to the Lord. And because he could not profit foreigners toward faith, he took care to profit his own more by the examples of his virtues. [s]

Ch. 11,

[8] But when the man of the Lord, Egbert, saw that he himself was not permitted to come to preach to the nations, retained for another utility of the holy Church, of which he had been forewarned by an oracle; nor was Witbert coming into those parts profiting anything, he still attempted to send holy and industrious men to the work of the word, among whom eminently Willibrord shone with the rank and merit of a priest. But with St. Willibrord sent with his companions, Who when they had come there (they were twelve in number), turning aside to Pepin, Duke of the Franks, were graciously received by him: and because he had lately taken lower Frisia, having driven King Radbod from there, he sent them there to preach: He had the desired success: and aiding them himself with imperial authority, lest anyone should bring any annoyance to the preachers; and lifting up with many benefits those who were willing to receive the faith. Whence it came to pass, by divine grace helping, that in a short time they converted many from idolatry to the faith of Christ.

Ch. 23.

[9] Not much [t] afterwards, those also who inhabited the island of Iona, monks of the Scottish nation, with the monasteries subject to them, were brought, the Lord working, to the canonical rite of Easter and of the tonsure. In the year 716 in the island of Iona kindly received, For in the 716th year from the incarnation of the Lord, in which, Osred having been killed, Coenred took up the rule of the kingdom of the Northumbrians, when there had come to them from Ireland the father and priest beloved of God and to be named with all honor, Egbert, he was honorably and with much joy received by them. And since he was both a most sweet teacher and a most devoted executor of those things which he taught must be done, willingly heard by all, he changed by pious and diligent exhortations that inveterate tradition of their fathers (concerning whom it is allowed to bring forth that Apostolic saying: "That they had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge") Rom. 10:2, and taught them thoroughly to celebrate the principal solemnity, according to the Catholic and Apostolic custom (as we said), under the figure of a perpetual Crown [u]. Which is proved to have been done by a wondrous dispensation of divine piety, that since that nation, which they knew had the knowledge of divine knowledge, willingly and without envy took care to communicate it to the people of the English, itself also might afterwards, through the English nation, in those things which it had less, come to the perfect norm of living. Just as, on the contrary, the Britons, who did not wish to open to the English that knowledge of the Christian faith which they had — now that the English peoples had believed and had been instructed through all things in the rule of the Catholic faith — themselves, still inveterate and limping from their paths, He led the monks to the legitimate celebration of Easter: both still stretch forth their heads to be made without a crown, and venerate the solemnities of Christ without the fellowship of the Church of Christ. The Iona monks, however, Egbert teaching, received the Catholic rites of living, under Abbot Dumchad [y], about eighty years after they had sent [z] Aidan as bishop to the preaching of the English nation. Now the man of the Lord Egbert remained thirteen years in the aforesaid island, which he himself — as though it were bright with a new grace of ecclesiastical fellowship and peace — consecrated

to Christ; He dies in the year 729, April 24, on Easter day. and in the 729th year of the Lord's Incarnation, in which the Lord's Easter was celebrated on the 8th day before the Kalends of May, when he had celebrated the solemnities of Masses in memory of that same Lord's Resurrection, on the same day he also migrated to the Lord; and the joy of the highest festivity, which he began with the Brothers whom he had converted to the grace of unity, he completed with the Lord and the Apostles and the other citizens of heaven; nay, he does not cease to celebrate the same thing without end. A wonderful dispensation, moreover, of divine providence it was, that the venerable man not only passed on Easter from this world to the Father, but also on the day when Easter was celebrated on which never before had it been wont to be celebrated in those places. Therefore the Brothers rejoiced at the certain and Catholic knowledge of the Paschal time, and were glad at the patronage of the Father going to the Lord, by whom they had been corrected. He rejoiced that he had been kept in the flesh until he should see his hearers, on that Easter day which before they had always avoided, receive and celebrate with him. And so, certain of their correction, the most reverend Father exulted to see the day of the Lord: he saw it, and was glad.

Ch. 34

In the 729th year of the Lord's Incarnation, the holy man of the Lord Egbert, on Easter day itself, migrated to the Lord.

ANNOTATIONS.