Page:Historical Works of Venerable Bede vol. 2.djvu/353

 CHRONICLE.] Vandals in Africa, an Arian, banished more than 334 the sixth catholic bishops, and closed their churches; he moreover inflicted tortures of all kinds on their people, even amputating the hands, and cutting out the tongues of multitudes, but after all he could not silence the confession of the Catholic faith. The Britons under Ambrose Aurelian, a man of great modesty, and perhaps the only the one of Roman descent that had survived the Saxon against slaughter, his noble parents having fallen victims to the same, ventured forth against the Saxons to gain a victory over that hitherto victorious people; from that time they fought with varied success, until by the arrival of more formidable numbers, the entire island was after a long season subdued.

A.M. 4472 [521].

Anastasius reigned 28 years.Thrasamund, king of the Vandals, closed the Catholic churches, and banished 220 the church, bishops into Sicily. Pope Symmachus, besides numerous churches which he either built or restored, founded an hospital in honor of Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and Saint Laurence, and for a whole year supplied the exiled bishops with money and clothing in Africa or Sardinia. Anastasius, for favoring the heresy of Eutyches, and persecuting the Catholics, was struck with lightning and died.

A.M. 4480 [529].

Justin the elder reigned 8 years. .John, pontiff of the Roman church, visited Constantinople, and in the midst of great multitudes who came out to meet him, restored sight to a blind beggar at the Golden gate; and on his return to Ravenna, was together with his companions thrown into fetters by Theodoric, who was