Historiam Eccelesiasticam Gentis Anglorum: Praefatio (i)

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Praefatio. (i)

Gloriosissimo Regi Ceoluulfo Baeda Famulus Christi Et Presbyter

HISTORIAM gentis Anglorum ecclesiasticam, quam nuper edideram, libentissime tibi desideranti, rex, et prius ad legendum ac probandum^[1] transmisi, et nunc ad transscribendum ac plenius ex tempore meditandum retransmitto; satisque studium tuae sinceritatis amplector, quo non solum^[2] audiendis scripturae sanctae uerbis aurem sedulus accommodas, uerum etiam noscendis priorum gestis siue dictis, et maxime nostrae gentis uirorum inlustrium, curam uigilanter impendis. Siue enim historia de bonis bona referat, ad imitandum bonum auditor sollicitus instigatur; seu mala commemoret de prauis, nihilominus religiosus ac pius auditor siue lector deuitando quod noxium est ac peruersum, ipse sollertius ad exsequenda ea, quae bona ac Deo digna esse cognouerit, accenditur. Quod ipsum tu quoque uigilantissime deprehendens, historiam memoratam in notitiam tibi simul et eis, quibus te regendis diuina praefecit auctoritas, ob generalis curam salutis latius propalari desideras. Ut^[3] autem in his, quae scripsi, uel tibi, uel ceteris auditoribus siue lectoribus huius historiae occasionem dubitandi subtraham, quibus^[4] haec maxime auctoribus didicerim, breuiter intimare curabo.

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^[1] Ad with the gerund to indicate purpose: to read and approve

^[2] Not only

^[3] Introduces a purpose clause

^[4] Introduces an indirect question

Vocabulary

Accendō, ere, accendī, accēnsus — to kindle, inflame, rouse

Accommodō, āre, āvī, ātus — to adapt, apply, accommodate

Amplector, plectī, plexus sum — to embrace, twine around, welcome

Anglī, ōrum, m. pl. — the Angles, the English

Auctor, auctōris, m. — author, instigator, authority.

Auctoritās, auctoritātis, f. — authority, prestige, influence.

Audiō, īre, īvī, ītus — to hear, listen to

Audītor, audītōris, m. — hearer, listener, student.

Auris, auris, f. — ear.

Breuiter— briefly, concisely

Cēterī, ae, a — the rest, the others

Cōgnōscō, ere, cōgnōvī, cōgnitus — to learn, examine, find out

Commemorō, āre, āvī, ātus — to mention, recount, recall

Cūra, ae, f. — care, concern, administrative charge

Cūrō, āre, āvī, ātus — to care for, see to, take trouble

Deprehendō, ere, deprehendī, deprehēnsus — to catch, detect, perceive.

Dēsīderō, āre, āvī, ātus — to long for, desire, request

Dēvītō, āre, āvī, ātus — to avoid, shun

Dictum, ī, n. — word, saying, statement

Dignus, a, um — worthy, fitting, suitable

Discō, ere, didicī — to learn

Dīvīnus, a, um — divine, sacred

Dubitō, āre, āvī, ātus — to doubt, hesitate

Ecclesiasticus, a, um — ecclesiastical, of the church

Ēdō, ere, eddidī, editus — to put forth, publish, bring forth.

Exsequor, exsequī, exsecūtus sum — to follow up, carry out, execute

Generālis, e — general, universal, of a whole race

Gēns, gentis, f. — nation, people, tribe, race.

Gestum, ī, n. — deed, act, history

Imitor, ārī, ātus sum — to imitate, copy

Impendō, ere, impendī, impēnsus — to weigh out, expend, devote.

Illustris, e — illustrious, clear, distinguished

Instigō, āre, āvī, ātus — to stimulate, instigate, rouse

Intimō, āre, āvī, ātus — to announce, intimate, make known

Lātē — widely

Lector, lēctōris, m. — reader.

Legō, ere, lēgī, lēctus — to read, gather

Libentissimē — most willingly, with the greatest pleasure

Malus, a, um — bad, evil

Magnus, a, um- large, great

Meditor, ārī, ātus sum — to reflect, meditate

Memorātus, a, um — mentioned, celebrated

Nihilōminus — nevertheless, nonetheless

Nōscō, ere, nōvī, nōtus — to learn, examine

Notitia, ae, f. — knowledge, notice, acquaintance

Noxius, a, um — harmful, noxious, guilty

Nuper — recently, lately

Ob (prep. + acc.) — on account of, because of

Occāsiō, occāsiōnis, f. — occasion, opportunity.

Perversus, a, um — perverse, distorted, wicked

Pius, a, um — pious, dutiful, holy

Plēnē — fully (plenius— comparative adverb)

Praeficiō, ere, fēcī, fectus — to set over, put in charge

Prāvus, a, um — crooked, wicked, depraved

Prior, prius — former, prior, previous

Prius — before, earlier, first

Probō, āre, āvī, ātus — to test, approve, prove

Prōpalō, āre, āvī, ātus — to make public, manifest

Quōque — also, too

Referō, ferre, rettulī, relātus — to bring back, report, record

Regō, ere, rēxī, rēctus — to rule, direct, guide

Religiōsus, a, um — religious, pious, sacred

Retransmittō, ere, retransmīsī, retransmissus — to send back again.

Rēx, rēgis, m. — king.

Salūs, salūtis, f. — health, safety, salvation.

Sanctus, a, um — holy, sacred, consecrated

Satis — enough, sufficiently

Scrībō, ere, scrīpsī, scrīptus — to write

Scriptūra, ae, f. — writing, scripture

Sēdulus, a, um — diligent, busy, sedulous

Seu / Sīve — or if, or, whether... or

Simul — at the same time, together

Sincēritās, sincēritātis, f. — sincerity, purity.

Sollerter — skillfully, cleverly

Sollicitus, a, um — anxious, solicitous, careful

Sōlum — only, merely

Studium, ī, n. — zeal, study, application, devotion

Subtrahō, ere, subtrāxī, subtrāctus — to draw away, withdraw.

Trānsmittō, ere, trānsmīsī, trānsmissus — to send across, transmit

Transscrībō, ere, scrīpsī, scrīptus — to copy out, transcribe

Verbum, ī, n. — word

Vērus, a, um — true, real

Vigilāns, antis — watchful, vigilant

Vir, virī, m. — man

Translation

Bede, servant of Christ and presbyter, to the most glorious King Ceowulf

An ecclesiastical history of the race of the Angles, which recently I had published, I have also sent to you, who desire it, most cheerful king for reading and approval, and now I am sending it back for transcription and fuller consideration in time; and I sufficiently grasp the zeal of your sincerity, with which you not only diligently apply your ear to hearing the words of Holy Scripture but also diligently devote your attention to learning the deeds or words of former famous men of our race. Indeed whether history should record good things from the good, an earnest hearer is roused; or it recalls evil things from the depraved, nevertheless, a religious and pious hearer or reader is inflamed to avoid that which is harmful and perverse, and himself to more skillfully carry out those things which he understands to be good and worthy of God. You, also most vigilantly perceiving that very thing, desire a history, which reflects knowledge at the same time to you and those whom divine authority has set you over, to be made public more widely because of a concern for the general well-being. However, so that I withdraw an occasion for doubting those things, which I have written, either for you, or for other hearers or readers of this history, I will take care to briefly make known from which authorities I best learned these things.