The reader is forcibly reminded of the national dress of the
Highlanders in the following singular passage: "furciferos
magis vultus pilis, quam corporum pudenda, pudendisque
proxima, vestibus tegentes."
(7) See particularly capp. xxiii. and xxvi. The work which
follows, called the "Epistle of Gildas", is little more than
a cento of quotations from the Old and New Testament.
(8) "De historiis Scotorum Saxonumque, licet inimicorum," etc.
"Hist. Brit. ap." Gale, XV. Script. p. 93. See also p. 94
of the same work; where the writer notices the absence of
all written memorials among the Britons, and attributes it
to the frequent recurrence of war and pestilence. A new
edition has been prepared from a Vatican MS. with a
translation and notes by the Rev. W. Gunn, and published by
J. and A. Arch.
(9) "Malo me historiographum quam neminem," etc.
(10) He considered his work, perhaps, as a lamentation of
declamation, rather than a history. But Bede dignifies him
with the title of "historicus," though he writes "fiebili
sermone."
(11) But it is probable that the work is come down to us in a
garbled and imperfect state.
(12) There is an absurd story of a monk, who in vain attempting
to write his epitaph, fell asleep, leaving it thus: "Hac
sunt in fossa Bedae. ossa:" but, when he awoke, to his great
surprise and satisfaction he found the long-sought epithet
supplied by an angelic hand, the whole line standing thus:
"Hac sunt in fossa Bedae venerabilis ossa."
(13) See the preface to his edition of the "Saxon Chronicle".
(14) This will be proved more fully when we come to speak of the
writers of the "Saxon Chronicle".
(15) Preface, "ubi supra".
(16) He died A.D. 734, according to our chronicle; but some place
his death to the following year.
(17) This circumstance alone proves the value of the "Saxon
Chronicle". In the "Edinburgh Chronicle" of St. Cross,
printed by H. Wharton, there is a chasm from the death of
Bede to the year 1065; a period of 330 years.
(18) The cold and reluctant manner in which he mentions the
"Saxon Annals", to which he was so much indebted, can only
be ascribed to this cause in him, as well as in the other
Latin historians. See his prologue to the first book, "De
Gestis Regum," etc.
(19) If there are additional anecdotes in the Chronicle of St.