Page:The Journal of Classical and Sacred Philology, Volume 1, 1854.djvu/310

 300 Journal of Philology. thought eventually predominated, the ecclesiastics were in- debted for at least some portion of their mental and religious culture to the monasteries planted by their Irish rivals. Such we saw 2 had been the case with Ecgbert the elder, and with Wilbrord; and another champion of the Roman party in the north, the energetic Wilfrith, is a member of the same class. His early years were spent among the Irish brotherhood at Lin- disfarne, where he was taught the rudiments of sacred learning : " ibique monachorum famulatui se contradens, diligenter ea quae monasticae castitatis ac pietatis erant, et discere curabat et agcre. Et quia acris erat ingenii didicit citissime Psalmos et aliquot codices" (Bed. v. 19) ; Eddius, his biographer, stating in addition that he knew the whole book of Psalms " memorialiter" (Gale's Scriptores xv. c. n). At length, however, Wilfrith grew dis- satisfied with the position and proceedings of his brethren, and quitting the stronghold of Irish orthodoxy undertook a pilgrim- age to Rome. There his education for the ministry was vigorously resumed : " Quatuor Evangeliorum libros ex ordine didicit, com- putum paschae rationabilem, et alia multa quae in patria nequiverat ecclesiasticis disciplinis accommoda, eodem magistro tradente, percepit" (Bed. v. 19). We also gather from the same authority that on his return to Northumbria (G61), Wilfrith lost no time in working out his new convictions. Wherever he was able, he displaced adherents of the Irish ("qui Scotos scquebantur"), struggling, if it might be, to reduce both Anglian and Saxon provinces within the pale of the Latin Church. And we are justified in adding, that this end was virtually accomplished when the kings of Wessex and Northumbria agreed to welcome Theo- dore as the archbishop of all England, "cui omnis Anglorum Ecclesia manus dare consentiret" (Bed. iv. 2). It is, therefore, of importance to inquire at this stage of our investigation, how the early Anglo-Roman school of Christians were affected to the study of the Bible? Did they generally regard it with the feelings which it h;i<l awakened in their Irish contemporaries ? Or did they manifest a disposition to under- value it, and check its circulation ? Gregory the Great, whom they long afterwards revered as the apostle of the English, may be fairly taken as their spokesman on this point. A single extract from his writings will suffice. It occurs in one of his 8 See Journal of Philohot/, No. I. p. 88.