ON ST. CEOLWULF, KING, THEN MONK, IN ENGLAND.
EIGHTH CENTURY.
CommentaryCeolulphus, King of Northumbria in England, then monk (St.)
From various sources.
[1] The Humber is a famous estuary of England at the mouth of the Ure, or Ouse, river; which Ptolemy called the outflow of the river Abus; and both words derive from the British word "aber," which signifies the mouth of a river. The region which extends from the Humber toward Scotland Northumbria was called Nordan-Humbria, or Nort-Humbria, from it; a large kingdom in the Saxon heptarchy, and sometimes divided into two, the kingdoms of the Deirans and the Bernicians. The name of Northumbria now extends less widely, being a county stretching from the territory of Durham to the borders of Scotland (which also formerly obeyed the English).
[2] Nordan-Humbria produced many Kings who were afterwards enrolled in the registers of the blessed: Edwin, Oswald, Oswin, and even Oswiu, the slayer of Oswin; the holy King Ceolulphus, to whom Ceolulphus should be added, a most wise King at first, then a most devout monk. His lineage was illustrious, propagated from Ida, the first King of that province, who lived around the year 550. Thus the Westminster writer under the year 730: Ceolwulf was the son of Cutha, who was the son of Cuthwin, born of illustrious lineage, who was the son of Lethewaldus, who was the son of Egwaldus, who was the son of Aldhelmus, who was the son of Oga, who was the son of Ida. Florence of Worcester and Henry of Huntingdon record nearly the same.
[3] Born of these ancestors, but far more distinguished by wisdom and piety, he received the kingdom of Northumbria, being adopted by Osric. Thus Florence of Worcester under the year 729: Osric, King of the Northumbrians, departed this life, and made Ceolwulf, brother of the former King Kenred, his heir. Huntingdon relates the same, adopted by his predecessor; as does Ranulf of Chester. Somewhat more fully, William of Malmesbury, in book 1 of the Deeds of the Kings of the English: Alfrid, he says, had as his successor his son Osred, a boy of eight years, who, overseeing the kingdom for eleven years and disgracing his shameful life with the violation of nuns, was at last slain by the treachery of his kinsmen, and brought the same fortune upon them. For Kenred, reigning two years, and Osric eleven, had this alone as memorable: that, atoning for the blood of their lord, though killed deservedly (as they supposed), they polluted the air with a foul death. Osric indeed deserved, that he might depart more joyfully, and be far more exultant than many other shades, as the pagan poet says, because while alive he had adopted Ceolwulf, brother of Kenred, as his successor. Ceolwulf therefore ascended the trembling summit of the kingdom, from Ida the seventh and a worthy one. Harpsfield therefore errs, who in century 8, chapter 21, writes that Ceolulphus was designated as successor by Ostred.
[4] eminently learned, Moreover, the same Malmesbury writes that Ceolulphus was suited to everything else, and, he says, did not lack learning in letters, acquired with a keen mind and eager study. Let Bede vouch for the truth of my words, who, at that time when Britain was most overflowing with learned men, offered to this King above all the History of the English to be revised, choosing in him the authority to confirm what was well said, on account of his power and knowledge; and to correct what was poorly said, on account of his talent. The words of Bede are these: To the most glorious King Ceolwulf, Bede, servant of Christ and Priest. The Ecclesiastical History of the English people, which I had recently composed, I most gladly sent to you, desiring King, both previously for reading and approval, and to him Bede's History was sent: and now for copying and meditating upon more fully at your leisure; and I embrace the zeal of your sincerity sufficiently, in that you not only lend a diligent ear to hearing the words of Holy Scripture, but also vigilantly devote care to learning the deeds and sayings of former times, and especially of the illustrious men of our nation. For whether history relates good things of good men, the attentive hearer is spurred to imitate the good; or whether it records evil things of the wicked, the devout and pious hearer or reader, by avoiding what is harmful and perverse, is more keenly kindled to pursue those things which he recognizes to be good and worthy of God. You yourself, most vigilantly perceiving this very thing, desire the aforesaid History to be more widely spread for the knowledge of yourself and of those whom the divine authority has placed under your governance, for the sake of the general welfare.
[5] Ceolulphus both diligently perused that History and derived from it the singular benefit which the Author had hoped for. Thus Henry of Huntingdon: This is that King from whose reading, to whom Bede, a holy and venerable man, a man of flourishing genius and a philosopher of Christ, wrote the Ecclesiastical History of the English. How much the King profited from the History having been sent to him, the blessed end of the King shows. By this reading he both roused himself even to abdicating the kingdom, as we shall presently relate, and confirmed his own mind to bear adversities bravely. For, as Harpsfield says, the beginnings and progress of his reign seem to have been entangled in many difficulties of adverse circumstances. The Westminster writer testifies to this under the year 733: King Ceolwulf, he says, was captured, tonsured, and restored to his kingdom.
[6] Finally Ceolulphus, as Malmesbury writes, considering it beneath Christian seriousness to die amid earthly affairs, after eight years of his reign, laying aside the King, received the monastic habit in the monastery of Lindisfarne; in the year, as the Worcester writer says, 738. Huntingdon relates the matter more fully: Ceolwulf, therefore, having often conversed with Bede while he lived, and having often put before his eyes, both before and after Bede's death, the history written to him, began diligently to examine within himself the deeds and end of each king; and he saw more clearly than daylight that earthly kingdoms and human affairs are sought with toil, possessed with fear, and lost with grief. And because to some who are less shrewd, or young in years, the temporal things seem beautiful and delightful, and when they hear it preached that these should be forsaken and despised, it seems frivolous and contrary to reason, since they have not yet perceived how the riches of the world bite, how they come to nothing, and finally generate no fruit except belated repentance, and moved by other reasons, none of this hindered the King, who was experienced and wise. For he had felt in his own person that the kingdom had been gained for him with toil, and possessed with fear: he did not wish to lose it with grief. Therefore of his own free will, not a slave but a master of his riches, like a great man he cast aside things of little worth. But what especially had inflamed him was that, while children or women, the common folk, or even the wealthy, rushed to behold him and to marvel at his blessedness, he himself was tortured within by horrible cares of death, betrayal, and manifold calamity, wasting away in both mind and body: and while others judged him most blessed, he himself, who alone knew the secrets of his soul, judged himself most wretched. When therefore he had reigned for a short time, that is, eight years, it seemed to him a very long time, and he was greatly distressed that for so long he had wasted his life, given over to vain cares and fragile disciplines: and he strove to dedicate at least the remainder of his life not to erring folly but to wisdom and his own benefit: and taking his example from the aforementioned history of the blessed man, and examples, that truly bravest of men followed six most brave Kings; namely, Ethelred, King of Mercia, and Cenred his successor, and also Cadwalla, King of Wessex, and Ine his successor; and also Sigebert, King of East Anglia, who became a monk and was afterwards killed by Penda; and Sebbi, King of Essex, who became a monk and foresaw, beheld, and rejoiced in the happy day of his death. These men did not devour their substance with harlots, he abdicates the kingdom; but going forth with grief they sowed their seeds, so that coming they may come with exultation, bearing their sheaves to God. Ceolwulf therefore completed the hebdomad of perfect Kings, and having received the monastic habit, a crown of precious stone was placed upon his head by the Lord.
[7] Ranulf of Chester differs from the other authors concerning the place where he professed the monastic life, writing thus under the year 738: Ceolwulf, King of Northumbria, after the eighth year of his reign, having left the kingdom to his cousin Egbert, became a monk in the monastery of Bede. and becomes a monk at Lindisfarne: Harpsfield, following Ranulf, says: in the monastery of Bede, or, as some write, at Lindisfarne, he professed the monastic life. Florence of Worcester, William of Malmesbury, and Roger of Hoveden, who write that he became a monk in the monastery of Lindisfarne, are far more authoritative than Ranulf. We treated of St. Bede's monastery, built by St. Benedict Biscop in the place called Giruum, now Jarrow, near the very mouth of the river Tyne, on January 12, in the Life of St. Benedict, number 9. We shall treat of Lindisfarne, an island situated at the mouth of the Lindi stream, or rather rivulet, which is now called Holy Island by the English, often elsewhere, especially on March 20 in the Life of St. Cuthbert, and on August 31 in the Life of St. Aidan.
[8] With this King now made a monk, as Roger of Hoveden says, he arranges for the monks to be permitted wine. the monks of the Church of Lindisfarne were given permission to drink wine or beer: for previously they were accustomed to drink only milk or water, according to the ancient tradition of St. Aidan, the first Bishop of the same Church, and of the monks who, coming with him from Scotland and receiving from King Oswald a dwelling there, rejoiced to live with great strictness, serving the life to come.
[9] At length, renowned for many good deeds, Ceolulphus departed to heaven. Hoveden writes that this happened in the year 764, he dies: Florence of Worcester in 760, but the Westminster writer in 739. In this year also, he says, Ceolwulf, the most noble King of the Northumbrians, departed from this life to Christ, as some hold.
[10] Concerning his burial, Malmesbury writes: How great the grace of his merits was in the place where he lived he is famed for miracles. is attested by the celebrated burial near Blessed Cuthbert, and many miracles sent from above. The body of Ceolwulf, as Hoveden attests, was afterwards carried to the church of Norham, and there, as is reported by the inhabitants of that place, it was famed for many miracles. That translation seems to have been made at the same time as that of St. Cuthbert and other Saints, of which Malmesbury writes in book 3 on the Deeds of the Pontiffs of the English. For when the Danes and Norwegians were ravaging the coasts of England at the end of the eighth century, and had depopulated the island of Lindisfarne itself, after careful deliberation it was resolved, says Malmesbury, that from that island, which was exposed to the jaws of maritime raiders, the bodies of the Saints should be transferred to the mainland. The body cannot be carried to Ireland: Then, when certain men attempted by a pious theft (as they supposed) to transport the body of the great Cuthbert to Ireland, they lost the fruit of their labor; for they either waited for the wind on the shore for many days, or, driven out a little into the deep by a somewhat stronger breeze, were immediately driven back. Therefore they deposited the sacred body with due honor at Bulbeford, whether a bishop's see or not is uncertain, near the river Tweed. Thus he writes. But what he calls Bulbeford, others call Bubedford; Camden writes that it was called Ubbanford: it is translated to Norham: now it is called Norham, or Northam, and is a town of the Bishops of Durham, as the same authority attests, near the river Tweed, at the very borders of Scotland. Camden testifies that there stands there a church in which King Ceolwulf was buried. Harpsfield also mentions the miracles of Ceolulphus.
[11] His name is inscribed in the first edition of the English Martyrology under the 14th of March. His name inscribed in the sacred calendars. On which day Ferrarius also records him, but erroneously calls him Gonulfus. But Hugo Menardus lists him on the 15th of January in the Benedictine Martyrology, and Wilson follows him in the later edition of his English Martyrology, though what he writes in both places, that he died around the year 737, is refuted by the other writers on English affairs, who record that he abdicated the throne in the year 738, although they do not agree on how long he lived in the monastery.