Angor, paupertas, mœror, mors, casus, egestas.
Sed pax et pietas, bonitas, opulentia regnat,
Gaudia, lætitiæ, virtus, lux, vita perennis,
Gloria, laus, requies, honor et concordia dulcis,
Insuper omne bonum cunctis Deus ipse ministrat.
Semper adest præsens, cunctos fovet, implet, honorat,
Glorificat, servat, veneratur, diligit, ornat,
Collocat altithrono, lætosque in sede polorum,
Præmia perpetuis tradens celestia donis.
Angelicas inter turmas sanctasque cohortes.
Vatidicis junctos Patriarchis atque Prophetis,
Inter Apostolicas animis lætantibus arces.
Atque inter roseis splendentia castra triumphis,
Candida virgineo simul inter agmina flore.
Quæ trahit alma Dei genitrix, pia virgo Maria,
Per benedicta patris fulgenti regna paratu,
Inter et Ecclesiæ sanctos, natosque, patresque :
Inter et ætherium celesti
pace senatum.
Quid rogo, quid durum, seclo consetur in isto,
Utque illas inter liceat habitare cohortes,
Sedibus et Superum semper gaudere beatis.
Incolumem mihi te Christi carissima proles,
Protegat, et faciat semper sine fine beatam,
Meque tuis Christo precibus commenda benignis.
(Precatio ad Deum.)

Rex Deus immensi quo constat machina mundi,
Quod miser imploro per Christum te pie clemens:
Da vigilem sensum rex regum cuncta gubernans,
Da, precor, ingenium, da mentis lumen honestum.
Sit mihi recta fides, et falsis obvia sectis,
Sit mihi præcipue morum correctio præsens,
Sim carus, humilis, verax, cum tempore prudens,
Secreti tacitus, et linguæ fulmine cautus,
Da fidum socium, da fixum semper amicum.

VI. DE DUODECIM SIGNIS ZODIACI.

PRIMUS adest Aries, obscuro lumine labens, Proximat inde sequens projecto corpore Taurus, Sic gemini fulgent jactantes orbibus ignem, Estifer est pandens ferventia sidera Cancri, Hunc subter fulgens serpit vis torva Leonis, Quem rutilo sequitur collucens corpore Virgo Exin projectæ claro collumine Chelæ, Ipsas consequitur lucens vis magna Nepæi, Inde Sagittipotens dextra flexum tenet arcum, Post hunc cornifero Capricornus lumine pergit, Humidus at lato collucet Aquarius orbe, Squammiferi rectoque natant tunc ordine Pisces.

VII. DE ÆTATIBUS.

TER binos deciesque novem super exit in annos Justa senescentum quos implet vita virorum, Hos novies superat vivendo garrula Cornix, Et quater egreditur cornicis sæcula Cervus, Æripedem cervum ter vincit Corvus et illum Multiplicat novies Phoenix reparabilis Ales, Quem nos perpetuo decies prævertimus ævo Nymphæ Hamadryades quarum longissima vita est. Hæc cohibet finis vivacia freta animantum,

Cætera secreti novit Deus arbiter ævi.

BEDE VENERABILIS

EPISTOLÆ.

1. EPISTOLA AD ALBINUM ABBATEM.

ESIDERATISSIMO et reverendissimo patri Albino, Beda Christi famulus, salutem! Gratantissime suscepi munuscula tuæ dilectionis, quæ per venerabilem fratrem nostrum Nothel. mum presbyterum mittere dignatus es, et maxime lit

teras, quibus me jam se

cunda vice in ecclesiastica gentis nostræ historia, ad quam me scribendam jamdudum instigaveras, creber adjuvare atque institutere curasti. Propter quod et ipse tibi rectissime eandem historiam, mox ut consummare potui, ad transscribendum remisi. Sed et aliud, quod te partim desiderare comperi, volumen tibi vice remunerationis æque ad transscribendum destinavi, videlicet, illud quod de structura templi Salominis atque allegorica ejus interpretatione nuper edidi. Teque, amantissime pater, supplex obsecro, ut pro mea fragilitate cum his, qui tecum sunt, famulis Christi, apud pium Judicem sedulus intercedere memineris: sed et eos, ad quos eadem nostra opuscula pervenire feceris, hoc idem facere monueris. Bene vale, semper amantissime in Christo pater optime.

I. AN EPISTLE TO ABBOT ALBINUS,

RELATING TO HIS ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

EDE, the Servant of Christ, to the most Beloved and Reverend Father Albinus, Health! I have thankfully received the testimonies of your love which you have condescended to send me by the hands of our venerable brother Nothelm the priest, and especially your

letter, in which you have shown so much solicitude, this second time, to give me aid and information for my Ecclesiastical History, a work which I first undertook at your instigation. Wherefore also I have with great propriety sent it to you, as I was able to finish it, to be copied. But I intend to repay you by forwarding to you another volume for the same purpose, as I find, also, is consistent with your own wishes, namely, that which I have lately published on the building of Solomon's temple, and its allegorical signification. And I humbly beseech you, most loving father, and Christ's servants who are with you, to intercede fervently with the righteous Judge in behalf of my frailty; and to admonish those, to whom you shall show my work, to do the same. Fare you well, my good and ever loving father in Christ.