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1723 Bede's History of English Church... , Item #EB1020

The History of the English Church and Nation

The History of the English Church and Nation, written by the
Venerable Bede and finished in the year 731, is probably one of
the most popular history books in any language and has certainly
retained its popularity longer than any rival. The enthusiasm
shown for his writings in the eighth century by English missionaries
on the Continent, such as Boniface, Lul, and others, led to the
spread of the knowledge of his works not only in England but
also in western Europe. It is true that in 736 Boniface had not yet
heard of it but, some ten years later, he is inquiring for manu­
scripts of Bede's works though we do not know definitely if the
History was amongst those he obtained; Lul, writing from Mainz,
some little time before 786, clearly has a copy of the History for
he quotes from the list of Bede's works which he found at the end
of it. From then on, as the spread of his manuscripts shows, the
History became popular all over western Europe and 160 of them
survive to this day in spite of all the wars and other dangers to
which manuscripts are always subject, as for instance after the
dissolution of the monasteries or during the eighteenth century
when vandalism and ignorance played havoc with our ancient
libraries.

The reputation of the History rapidly grew in England. In 793
King Offa of Mercia owned a copy, while Alfred, less than a hun­
dred years afterwards, apparently had it translated into English as
being, in his opinion, one of the books 'most necessary for all men
to know'. The earlier sections of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle made