View
220
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
1/98
The Exemplar of Gildas’ De Excidio By S. H. Rosenbaum
here are certain noticeable discrepancies in the text of the De Excidio et
Conquestu Britanniae, exemplified by the location of the controversial passage known as the “Gemitus Britannorum”, which engender perpetual
debate. Internal evidence suggests a radically different reason for its seemingly
random placement than mere authorial ignorance or source misinterpretation.1
This paper advocates a far superior premise; I postulate that at the very head of the
manuscript stemma, Gildas’ exemplar suffered from disfoliation prior to initial
copying. The resulting errors, both primary (due to loose pages) and secondary
(scribal attempts at emendation) have been perpetuated in all descendants of the
text. From a bibliographical standpoint, this suggestion of manuscript degradation
and subsequent contamination is perfectly logical. Especially in this instance,
where no archetype in Gildas’ own hand exists, and our prime textual witness dates
only to the mid-10th century, assuming that copies of copies (upon which we base
our historical paradigms) actually represent an untouched original, is sadly
misleading.2 Textual criticism requires us to doubt these assumptions and
continuously seek the closest approximation to Gildas’ exemplar. While the mere
mention of trying to restore this famous text might be met with incredulity, with
close observation of the hidden nature of his compact and self-contained sentences,
(which render potential disjunct almost invisible) and an awareness of the guiding
principles behind the actions of those who compounded the disturbance, a
reconstruction may be approached with some degree of precision.
1 To list all instances of this sentiment would be tedious, so here are a few to prove my
point: D. J. V. Fisher; The Anglo-Saxon Age c.400-1042, (Routledge: London 2014 ) pp. 17-18
M. Todd; A Companion to Roman Britain, (Wiley & Sons: Hoboken 2008) p.437P. Sims-Williams; Anglo-Saxon England vol.12, ed. by P. Clemoes, S. Keynes, M. Lapidge,
(Cambridge Univ. Press 1983) pp.13-4
H. Goetz, J. Jarnut, W. Pohl; Regna and Gentes: The Relationship Between Late Antique and Early Medieval Kingdoms etc., (Brill: Boston 2003) p. 353
M. Lapidge, D. Dumville; Gildas: New Approaches, (Boydell Press: Cambridge 1984) p.20
M. Winterbottom; Gildas, The Ruin of Britain and Other Works, (Phillimore & Co.: London1978) intro. p. 3 and note 20.1, p. 1492 A contradiction exists between what is known archaeologically, and what our current
narrative of post Roman-Britain states. If we assume that our hypothesis (based largely on the
De Excidio) is valid, and in consequence encounter contradiction, can it remain immutable?
T
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
2/98
Methodology
The process of solving this puzzle and uncovering the f orm of Gildas’ exemplar
begins with a detailed examination of the so-called Gemitus Britannorum. While
many scholars have already proposed that these lines belong elsewhere, theinformation afforded by this suggestion has never been expanded upon. If it is
indeed a misplaced page or pages, the internal details of the text itself should
provide the necessary data concerning the format of the exemplar. The limited
number of line-per-page versus letter size combinations that are possible with this
section of text ensures that when the right formula is encountered, it will be
recognized by its applicability. In other words, its veracity can be proven by the
systematic application of the layout throughout the text. The process is anything
but arbitrary, and must operate within the parameters of several logical
considerations. An awareness of apocryphal punctuation and chapter divisions
indicates that sentence structure as we know it must be treated as a guide and not a
rule.3 Capitulum, or enlarged initials have been factored in, but the extensive
abbreviation, the contractions and suspensions found in our prime witness have
been excluded.4 Please bear in mind that the following suppositions are
preliminary; while the above mentioned features loom large in the equation, subtle
variations and their effect on exact textual line order do not.
The prime details with which we must work are the forty six words of the GemitusBritannorum proper, (from “Igitur rursum miserae” to “continue rebellabant”)
the adjacent material concerning a hitherto unmentioned period of famine, and the
twenty line-per-page format of our prime witness. These words can easily be
arranged into a single sided page or a single page with lines on both sides. But this
result is hardly satisfactory, and does not take into account the subtle break in the
narrative between the letter to Aetius and the famine. Something appears to be
absent. As it stands, the theme of the famine is not developed, nor is the outcome
of the failed embassy. If material is indeed missing, this would indicate a text with
smaller internal divisions, and not just a single loose page. Intensive
experimentation with letter size, font, and line-per-page combinations, applied to
the entire text, ultimately revealed the original format.
3 For the sake of convenience, periodic use will be made of these traditional divisions.
4 Special thanks go to Mr. Andrew Gough and Mrs. C. Wotherspoon (Manuscript reference
specialist at the British Library) for their professionalism and high resolution copies.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
3/98
The Original Format
The text falls naturally into only one format: an exemplar which was ruled for 10
lines, with a rough average of 20 words in a single column, per page.5 Only with
this layout do Gildas’ sentences remain intact, with two per page. This formulaseems wasteful at first, unless we are indeed working with small pages; something
which in fact, Gildas himself seems to indicate. His comment “quibus ueluti
pulchro tegmine opusculi nostri molimen” (chap. 37) makes one immediately think
of something resembling the Cuthbert Gospel.6 It is entirely plausible that Gildas
appropriated a small blank devotional book for his personal writings.
What we are dealing with in these four distinct groupings of 23, 23, 20, and
22 words respectively, is bibliographic evidence of a bifolium, likely the innermost
of the quire. It is out of place because at some time in the distant past it cameloose, and was placed between pages some distance from its original location. The
“Gemitus bifolium” as it shall be called (being what it is) shows us that we must
proceed carefully; for if an entire bifolium had come loose, we must then expect
loose and misplaced folia, and sadly, missing material altogether. Follow along, if
possible, with a copy of the text of the De Excidio as we replace the “Gemitus
bifolium” to its original location.7
The Gemitus Britannorum
There are several words in the above-mentioned fragment that help to place it, such
as miserae reliquiae , famis, montibus, speluncis, saltibus, etc. Reviewing the text,
one comes to the foederate rebellion and its aftermath, where the words montibus,
miserarum reliquiarum, etc. are also encountered. The similarity of wording is no
coincidence, but where exactly does the bifolium go? If we look closely, there is a
section beginning with “Ita enim degenerauerat” and ending with “in aeuum
seruituri” which seems to intrude rather abruptly into the narrative. This passage,
comprised of two distinct sections of 24 and 19 words respectively, indicates that
one has encountered a loose page.
5 Some pages have as little as 16 words; others towards the end of the work seem to have
as many as 27 words per page. The average still worked out to around 20 words per page.6 It is perhaps no coincidence that this layout strongly r esembles some of Aldhelm’s
averages as found in various pocket-sized copies of De LaudeVirginitatis. 7 First person perspective is used deliberately to discuss these steps in the research process.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
4/98
How do we know that it was a loose folium? While the lines surely belong
within the “Gemitus bifolium” contextually, the fragment was between two other
pages when initial copying occurred, but reversed with the gutter margin out. In
other words, the verso side was copied first, then the recto. Switch it around and it
fits into the bifolium perfectly. The famine is now elaborated, as is theconsequences of the failed embassy (note that it begins with “Itaque nonnulli”).
However, if one tallies the words before and after the center “Fame folium”
you will notice that the text bisects a complete page: “Si tamen multae” through
“Si tamen non continuo” etc. (24 words total). What best explains the process by
which a recto side was copied separately from its verso side? The loose “Fame
folium” itself constitutes the primary error. In this case, we have either a scribe
attempting to make a seamless narrative or, equally plausible, an example of
homeoteleuton, or eye-skip. Note the similarity between the two lines beginning
with “si tamen”. This section strongly illustrates the sequential nature of the
errors that have crept into the text of the De Excidio; disfoliation occurred prior to
initial copying, the mistakes being then compounded by scribal slips and perhaps
intentional emendation. I have no doubt that a close examination of sentence
structure and word distribution, combined with a re-evaluation of the restored
cursus, will vindicate these corrections.
Additional issues revealed
After re-establishing the “Gemitus bifolium” to its proper place, as well as the
center “Fame folium”, I realized that if one mistake had occurred, there may have
been others. Returning to the vicinity where the Appeal to Aetius made its home
for the last 1500 years, evidence for a broken narrative was sought. This passage,
which follows the withdrawal of Imperial forces, is fortunate to have numerous
collaborative retellings that survive in various sources which will help us find and
fix possible errors. Some background information needs to be provided, for
someday, a thorough comprehension of the event this section describes will be theessential starting point for any study of Later Roman Britain. Although this is not
the venue for a full telling, a rough outline must be offered for comparison.8
8 S. H. Rosenbaum; Insights into the Writer Vegetius and Identifying the Disaster Behind
the Epitoma Rei Militaris (unfinished) the former available at Academia.edu.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
5/98
The Clades Caeliana
Decades after all regular milites are presumed to have been withdrawn, an army of
Romano-Britons were lured out from their garrison posts only to perish in a
doomed punitive campaign at the hands of the Picts and Scots. This expeditionaryforce, which combined sedentary limitanei, innumerable recruits freshly levied,
Germanic foederates of dubious loyalty, and a horde of camp followers, marched
into and remained stationary in Ayrshire, Scotland. Camped ad hoc, this multitude
quickly polluted its own water supply, exhausted its provisions, and with the onset
of winter, withered away from disease, deprivation, and desertion. Plagued by
indecision at all levels of command, the army neither advanced nor retreated. The
foederates grew restless as the countryside was stripped bare of food, fodder, and
firewood. Eventually, the stativa castra was attacked front and rear in a famous
night assault and the auxiliares, who had previously urged retreat, bolted. The
Britons had no choice but to follow, and the disorderly withdrawal became a rout.
I need not speak of the following events, enshrined in Ayrshire legend, being as
they were a repetition of folly and slaughter.
The Account by Gildas
Despite the affair being dismissed as folklore, diligent independent study
revealed that reminisces can be found in many places.9 Armed with all this new
information, we can compare Gildas’ version of this forgotten event and check it
for accuracy. One immediately notices that the lines beginning with “Ut
commoratio” and ending with “artis solacio” (18 and 21 words respectively)
appear out of sequence. The period of deprivation preceded the flight of the
auxiliares and final massacre; one source even tells of the army eating the horses,
wild mushrooms, and eventually each other before the rout and final battle.10 This
passage does not fit where it stands; it is in fact related contextually to that
beginning with “Hoc scilicet eis”. What we are dealing with is another loose
page, the centermost of the quire, just like the previous one encountered.
9 References appear in the Gesta Danorum, De Rebus Bellicis, De Munitionem Castrorum
and form the basis of many lessons in the Epitoma Rei Militari. A version appears in the Vita
Sancti Germani as the “Alleluia victory” but with every single detail reversed. See for yourself.10
Gesta Danorum, I.8.7.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
6/98
How do we know this? First; the lines are found tucked between blocks of
text adjacent to the “Gemitus bifolium”, the first loose and misplaced portion of
text to be conclusively identified. Second; we know it was a loose leaf because it
has been copied in reverse, just like the “Fame folium”. The unbound page clearly
fits after “cito exitu deuitabant” because “domesticis motibus” refers to thedissatisfaction rampant among the mutinous auxiliares, the cause of the anger and
discontent being clearly stated. Disease and death being so prevalent in camp,
supplicants could not pay the costs of a proper funeral; such impiety was the great
fear within the superstitious pagan mind and undoubtedly augmented the general
feeling of impending doom.11
Restoring the “Domesticis folium” to its proper place introduces another
problem. When we inventory the lines beginning with “Quid plura?” the word
count according to our proposed layout comes up short. The missing 14 words can
be found in the line beginning with “Interea non cessant”; when rejoined, it
completes the page with exactly 23 words per side. Pardon my audacity, but
concerning this corrupt passage I will offer up certain emendations for
approbation; “de muris tractis sola alii debantur” and “ Relictis cives talibus
muniis celso” are perfectly logical corrections,12 considering common issues with a
likely textual intermediary in an insular script.13 That said, what best explains the
broken nature of the lines? This symptom also occurred around the “Fame
f olium”, a condition which tells us that secondary scribal meddling has beenencountered here as well. As restored, the material accurately portrays the Clades
Caeliana as known from the various sources.14 The rhythmic cadence and flow of
this forgotten historical narrative are now matched accordingly.
11 The story is complete with omens and voices warning of the impending disaster. It is a
fascinating study of historical divergence, and sadly, of scholarly neglect.12
D. Dumville; The Chronology of the De Excidio Britanniae, Book I , in: M. Lapidge and
D. Dumville; Gildas: New Approaches, (Boydell press: Cambridge 1984) pp. 66-7. Dumville
questions the word civitatibus and rightly so.13
While the dramatic image of men pulled from Hadrian’s Wall with hooks certainly
appealed to the imagination (as perpetuated by Bede’s version), the sources cannot corroborate.
The mention of tela however, recalls well the desultory rain of enemy arrows upon the campfrom higher ground; cf. Vegetius: Epitoma Bk. I. 22, Bk. III. 8, De Munitionibus Castrorumchap. 57.14
Gildas even confirms certain suspected details, such as the presence of auxiliares and
their mutinous conduct.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
7/98
Quire Composition
Much information can be gained from this section; near verbatim use of this once
faulty passage by the Venerable Bede indicates that these errors predate the eighth
century, confirming the disfoliate condition of the archetype. Also, with the centerof this quire established, and the center of the Gemitus quire identified, we can
carry our deductions even further.
Counting center to center, the text falls naturally into approximately 27
pages; 25 pages if the single folia are excluded. This is an odd number, which
indicates the existence of another quire (with a single folium) between the two.
Incidentally, this reveals the number of sheets per gathering. There may well be a
religious significance lurking in the fact that six, when folded, make twelve. These
twelve pages, like the apostles, accompany an individual who located in the centerof the group. This in turn reinforces the notion that Gildas was using a small,
blank gospel or psalm book, as suggested before.
British Political Circumstances
We now move on to take a closer look at this middle portion, fully armed with all
that has been learned so far, to see if anything is amiss. Gildas concludes his rather
accurate retelling of the Clades Caeliana, and mentions only in passing the
Alleluia victory of St. Germanus.
15
He knows the story well (with the Britonstrusting in God not in man) but strangely does not elaborate. Perhaps success did
not fit well within his overall theme of disaster. Gildas even gives a short
explanation of the causes of the war, the perfidy of the Britons who attempted in
vain to create discord between the Picts and Scots.16 After this passage he reverses
the narrative in order to give an exposé of the concurrent political situation. He
tells of rulers appointed and removed capriciously, at the whim of someone
powerful who was initially welcomed as a political savior.
15 The mission to Britain by St. Germanus, which culminated in the dramatic “Alleluia
victory”, is firmly fixed in the year 429, and was motivated in full by the widespread political,military, and spiritual upheaval immediately following the Clades Caeliana. It allows one to date
the disaster closely, to the winter of 428-9.16
Boece; Historia Gentis Scotorum, Bk. I. 27-8. Most of the work should be considered
spurious, but this information matches perfectly.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
8/98
This character (the subject of an unfinished paper) was completely
dominated by his innumerable and infamous personal flaws.17 Gildas lists them
all: envy, indiscretion, alcoholism, greed, perjury, and blind ambition. Who was
this man who had nothing but contempt for his principes officiorum? This tyrant
left behind ample traces of his identity and actions, if one knows where to look.18
Pestifera “In Toto Orbe Diffusa”
Immediately noticeable, is that these sections which deal with affairs of state (and
are linked by the theme of odia and animositatum) are interrupted by a large
passage beginning with “Et omnia quae displicuerunt” and ending with “omni
plebi debuerint”. It is well known that the source of most these lines can be found
in Isaiah, 1:4-6, but if we look closely, they concern an entirely different topic.
The context of the quotation, with its festering boils not soothed with oil, can only be identified with disease. This entire section refers to sickness and death, grief
and lamentation, and is unrelated to the political matter which surrounds it.
Addition details can be discerned which reinforce this conclusion. For
instance, consider the word pendebantur , which is used by Gildas in the sense of a
final judgment. Note that the poet Lucretius uses it in his “De rerum natura”: “nec
iam religio diuum nec numina magni pendebantur enim...” (6.1276-7). While the
exact usage differs from Gildas, look at the context; it speaks of the breakdown of
civil society during the Athenian plague, cf. Thucydides (“History of the
Peloponesian War”, II. 53). Gildas uses pendebantur to describe God’s final
judgment upon all the desperate and irrational acts that took place during a plague,
and not the procedure for the appointment and removal of rulers. This tells us
strongly that this portion of text originally came after the outbreak of the plague, as
does a few other words. Medico and medicinae refers to a powerful Christian
panacea; one that, if used correctly, would cure believers and spare them from the
deadly infection. Gildas is also quite consistent with naming his sources, but in
this case he simply uses the words “illud propheticum” as if Isaiah had already been mentioned. In the original order, he was.
17 S. H. Rosenbaum, The Political Disintegration of the Late Roman West (forthcoming)
18 As this information will only be given once before the publication of the above
mentioned paper, record the following and compare the details at leisure: Cod. Theod. I.10.8,
Nov. Val. I. 2, and De Rebus Bellicis, chap. III, IV. If one looks closely, a common thread is
distinguished.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
9/98
The Center Bifolium
These lines constitute another loose and misplaced bifolium, one which was
originally located between the words “ut olim amorrhaeorum complerentur” and
“Initur namque consilium”. But, like the previous fragments, subtle textualdisjunct indicates secondary errors due to emendation. Observe that the Isaiah
quotation is a coherent unity; our rule of thumb recommends that it cannot be
broken up. In other words, as it stands, its consistent lines (which are quoted
whole) must not be interrupted by a center folium. At this point we must fall back
on Latin prosody to guide us. It would appear that the line “Ac si nihil mundo
medicinae a uero omnium medico largiretur” goes at the head of the lines
beginning with “et omnia que displicuerunt”; this is based partly on word endings
(mundo, uero, medico, and deo) and on how well “Ac si nihil” and “si non
gratiora” complement each other. “Sicque agebant cuncta quae saluti contraria
fuerint” goes at the head of the page followed by “et non solum etc.” judging by
fuerint and debuerint . As restored, the lines fit perfectly; they now comprise four
pages of 27 ( Ac si nihil ) 26 (Sicque agebant ) 26 ( Ita ut merito patriae) and 23
words respectively (Quid adhuc percutiemini).
I cannot adequately explain the process by which a verso page was copied
separately from its recto side, with a full page copied in-between. Obvious
evidence for eye-skip is lacking; logically we may suspect secondarycontamination representative of a scribe trying to make sense of a broken narrative
through intentional emendation.
The Center Leaf
If we have identified the “Dereliquistis bifolium” as the center folding of the quire,
where is the center leaf? Just like the other fragments with which we have been
dealing, it can be found several pages from its original location. Several clues help
identify the loose page from the surrounding textual mess. The most obvious are
the lines “et tanta malorum labe infectam” which refer to a period in time after the
plague has already emerged. In fact these lines, which consist of 25 and 21 words
respectively, preserve our missing page. Unlike the “Fame folium” and
“Domesticis folium”, this page was copied correctly, and fits exactly as it should
within the “Dereliquistis bifolium”.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
10/98
Britanniae in Dicionem Saxonum Rediguntur
Additional information can be gleaned by the restoration of this page to its proper
context. The “return of old enemies” (adventus ueterum uolentium) has nothing to
do with the Picts and Scots, and everything to do with “adhuc percutiemini”.These lines, which are now found in correct proximity, have been reused by Gildas
from previous text (chap. 7) to describe the actions of the Roman praepositos.
Who were these men that returned to Britain with avaricious intent? They are not
barbarians, but professional bureaucrats. Several pages later Gildas calls them
plainly: “orientali manu”.19 Distrustful of native battalions and completely reliant
upon hired thugs, they are the ones directly responsible for the ruin of Britain.
A Bevy of Errors
Returning to our task, but one hurdle remains. The positioning of the “Aduentus
folium” between unrelated pages provided ample opportunity for secondary scribal
havoc. Like the other loose folia, it seems to bisect the text. However, in this case,
someone has divided the whole page and not just one side. The top portion
consists of “Sed comparati etc.” (recto) and “Per latum diversorum etc.” (verso).
The matching bottom section is found to have been copied first: “Ita ut perspicue
etc.” (recto) followed by “Seduci uanis eorum etc.” (verso). These disparate
passages only make sense when rejoined. Note the complementary effect of seduci
and ducentem. Despite the success of this reunion, stubborn discrepancies
remained in the form of a lackluster word count among the proceeding pages.
Although I eventually recognized that “Appropinquabat siquidem tempus quo eius
iniquitates, ut olim amorrhaeorum20 , complerentur” actually belongs after “sed ne
hac quidem emendantur” based on prosody (siquidem, quidem, etc.), there is only
15 words in total. Sadly, like the low word count for the page beginning with
“Dum ergo”, we may be looking at lost lines.
19 Gildas is not speaking of Saxons at this point; he uses the term orientali only for Greeks,or men from the eastern half of the empire, cf. chap. 4: “porphyrius rabidus orientalis”. These
greedy opportunistic parasites, led by their supreme chieftain, hid beneath a veneer of
Christianity their true beliefs. The Anglo-Saxons remembered them with the name Glommas.20
Note that Gildas uses the Amorites to describe the proud tyrant and his ilk. They were
known for their idolatrous, pagan ways and customs; they were not just deviants, but arrogant,
overfed, unconcerned, inhospitable, greedy oppressors who offended God at every turn. Their
riches, luxury and fornication became a by-word for all Canaanites.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
11/98
As previously mentioned, a close examination of the internal layout,
sentence structure, word count and line distribution, will undoubtedly prove that
the rhythmic cursus, once broken, has been mostly restored in these three quires.
This is emerging work, the conclusions of which must not be thought of as final,
but preliminary.
Recapitulation
Let us review what has been learned so far. Gildas wrote his treatise on something
small, a psalm book or pocket gospel of octavo size or even less. It was likely
scribed for ten lines on each page, and was constructed of gatherings of six sheets
with one individual leaf in the middle of each quire. With this layout established,
some interesting patterns emerge.21 Lines begin with matching letters and similar
words are located above and below each other. We can actually see Gildas in theact of composition, looking at the finished lines above as he carefully picked his
words. The result was a beautiful prosimetric text, which combined ambitious
prose narrative interspersed with morsels of inspired Latin verse. This closely
resembles another text I study, an unidentified Anglo-Latin masterpiece which
post-dates Gildas by a century.
At some point after composition,22 a succession of folia and bifolia separated
from the binding and were, with the exception of the “Domesticis folium”23
consistently placed one or more pages to the left of where they originated. We
may surmise several logical reasons for this occurrence. Either these sections
suffered from some physical strain on the binding or they were removed
deliberately. Without a clear motive the latter is unlikely, thus unintentional action
should be suspected for causing the damage.
21 Some of the word groupings on certain pages appear to resemble large capital letters. Or
have I been staring at the text for too long?22
The date should have never been in doubt. Based on the context of “apostolicis
sanctionibus” (chap. 65, 5.) cf. Codex Canonum Ecclesiasticarum by Dionysius Exiguus, and
the mention of unresolved “scismatis” (chap. 69,1.) one may accurately place the writing of the
“sermons vs. kings and priests”. Based on the short reign traditionally given to Constantine in
Welsh sources, the “history” was written interregnum approximately three years prior to the
sermons.23
This page was moved one page to the right.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
12/98
The passages with which we have been dealing may well have been very
popular with Gildas’ brethren who had access to the work; the scope of events is
wide, the pace brisk and the language colorful. Frequent handling of these specific
pages would adequately explain broken bindings.
One additional possibility is apparent. If one tallies the quire which
follows the “Appeal to Aetius” gathering, it stops at just three pages and switches
suddenly to the second half of the work, sometimes called the “denunciation of the
princes”. Perhaps it is no coincidence that certain recensions of this text also end
at this point.24
This is not the venue to debate the authorship of parts II and III, (I have no
doubt that Gildas wrote them) so I will leave it to other scholars to apply the
formula outlined in this paper to these latter chapters.25
Either the lines will fit the previous layout, indicating more loose and misplaced leaves from the same book,
or the observation outlined above will show that the admonition of the kings
formed a separate and significant manuscript which was inserted between the
pages at a date after the composition of the De Excidio. Such an inclusion would
certainly have stretched and ultimately broken the back of a small book. By my
count, approximately nine pages or more of the original work remain unaccounted
for.26
At some point, perhaps soon after the death of Gildas, his little book became
a haphazard collection of discontinuous material.27 That the text was allowed to
fall apart in the first place should come as no surprise to us; despite his reputation
as a church leader, the recipient of deferential letters, his personal works likely
endured a cycle of pertinence and irrelevance. After all, no nation enjoys being
reminded of its mistakes in such vehement fashion.
24 T. D. O’Sullivan; The De Excidio of Gildas: Its Authenticity and Date, (Brill: Leiden1978) intro. 3.25
I did apply it to the catalogue of topics in the preface; based on a count of words, certain
items in the listings, de fame, de epistolis etc. appear to be spurious additions.26
That is, not assigned to the Historia. Portions of the transition between the general
denunciation of princes and the diatribe against priests may be suspected.27
One cannot imagine that an author such as Gildas would have let his woks fall into this
state. He of all people would have known where one of his loose pages belonged.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
13/98
Eventually, the debilitated condition of the manuscript necessitated
preservation. We may observe that the scribes tasked with this initial copying
effort undertook their work mechanically. No effort was made to actually
comprehend the text. No one knew the original order, nor cared. Nobody tried to
reorder or rebind the obviously loose and misplaced pages. It was copied page for page exactly as the scribe (possibly illiterate) found them. The resulting text, much
compressed, would have effectively erased the original format as well as all
evidence of disfoliation.
Until the rise of Northumbria ended any lingering British notions of political
preeminence, the warnings in the De Excidio were not wanted or needed. The text
only emerged from this period of neglect after the growth of Gildas’ reputation as a
prophet.28 Realizing that everything he predicted had come to pass, scholarly
interest in the work was rekindled. At some point during this time, the lone copy
of his jumbled archetype passed through the hands of someone with a proficient
command of Latin. We may accuse this anonymous writer for the secondary layer
of contamination. Confronted with a narrative that may not have made sense, no
knowledge of the exemplar or its condition, no surviving historical narratives to
guide him, and no ethical standards preventing emendation during copying, certain
changes were freely made. With some skill, he boldly shuffled whole lines and
paragraphs around in a successful attempt to create seeming coherence. This text,
(B) then became the sole progenitor.29
28 Wulfstan; Anglo-Saxon Homilies
29 “B” representing the hypothetical archetype of Mommsen’s “C”; we know it had reached
this stage by the time of the Venerable Bede.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
14/98
Concluding Remarks
I find it necessary to remind readers of this paper that all therein represents
emerging work. As such, it should be subject to the strictest scrutiny. While the
basic premise will be stoutly defended, overlooked points of interest and items ofvalid dissent are most welcome. Arguments are not won by words alone; physical
proof can be equally persuasive. With that in mind, I have provided an imperfect
example of the restored text, slightly more than the three quires discussed in this
paper. If printed double-sided, it can be reassembled with the help of adhesives
into its original gatherings. For many people, this will be like reading a new text
for the first time.30 Folia and bifolia in red indicate the loose and misplaced pages.
To get a feel for the original format and then experience first-hand the process of
disfoliation, they can be returned to where they were found in MS. Cotton Vitellius
A.VI. It is greatly hoped that fellow scholars will apply the outlined format to
other sections of the De Excidio, in that a complete reconstruction of the archetype
was never my intention and is beyond the scope of this work.
We scholars owe Gildas an apology. It is the height of arrogance to assume,
1500 years later, a greater knowledge of fifth and sixth century British events than
he. For far too long we have concluded that he was misinformed, ignorant of
events, or reliant upon faulty oral tradition, never once suspecting that unfortunate
circumstances of transmission were actually to blame.
31
Gildas knew exactly whathe was talking about; his details are accurate overall, and if his comments appear
guarded, there must have been reasons. It is up to us to quit looking at this subject
through the narrow lens of Bede and all later writers. Only by comparing Gildas’
information with other cognate material, even if this material seems at first obtuse,
we can begin to understand his works.
Please pardon the many obscure references found throughout this paper.
They are certainly not meant to confound, but enlighten the reader by stimulating
his or her personal curiosity. Great unexplored avenues of study await those whohave a sincere and determined desire for fresh historical knowledge.
S. H. Rosenbaum, Forkhorn Hall Publications 2016®
30 Not since the lifetime of Gildas himself have these lines been adjoined.
31 Exemplified by M. Winterbottom; Gildas, The Ruin of Britain and other Works,
(Phillimore &Co.: London 1978) intro. p. 3
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
15/98
Tantum talemque exercitum,
terra ac mari fatigari,
sed ut potius sola
consuescendoarmis ac uiriliter
dimicando
terram substantiolam
coniuges liberos et,
quod hismaius est,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
16/98
Libertatem uitamque
totis uiribus
uindicaret,
et gentibus nequaquamsibi fortioribus,
nisi segnitia
et torpore dissolueretur,
inermes
uinculis uinciendasnullo modo,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
17/98
Sed instructas
peltis ensibus hastis
et ad caedam promptas
protenderet manus,suadentes,
quia et hoc
putabant aliquid
derelinquendo
populo commodiadcrescere,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
18/98
Murum
non ut alterum,
sumptu publico
priuatoqueadiunctis secum
miserabilibus indigenis,
solito structurae more,
tramite a mari
usque ad mareinter urber, (burgi?)
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
19/98
Quae ibidem
forte ob metum hostium
collocatae fuerant,
directo librant;foria formidoloso
populo monita
tradunt,
exemplaria
instituendorumarmorum relinquunt.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
20/98
In litore quoque oceani
ad meridianam plagam,
quo naues eorum
habebantur,quia et inde
barbaricae ferae
bestiae timebantur,
turres per interualla
ad prospectummaris collocant,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
21/98
Et ualedicunt
tamquam ultra
non reuersuri.
Itaque illisad sua remeantibus
emergunt certatim
de curucis,
quibus sunt
trans tithicamuallem euecti,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
22/98
Quasi in alti titane
incalescenteque caumate
de arissimis
formanium couerniculisfusci uermiculorum
cunei,
tetri scottorum
pictorumque gentes,
moribus ex partedissidentes,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
23/98
Sed una eademque
sanguinis fundendi
auiditate concordes
furci ferosquemagis uultus
pilis
quam corporum
pudenda pudendisque
proxma uestibustegentes,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
24/98
Cognitaque
condebitorum
reuersione et reditus
denegationesolito confidentiores
omnem aquilonalem
extremamque terrae
partem pro
indigenis murotenus capessunt.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
25/98
Statuitur ad haec
in edito arcis acies,
segnis ad pugnam,
inhabilis ad fugam,trememntibus
praecordiis inepta,
quae diebus
ac noctibus
stupido sedilimarcebat.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
26/98
Hoc scilicet
eis proficiebatimmaturae mortis
supplicium quitali
funere rapiebantur,
quo fratrum
pignorumque suorummiserandas imminentes
poenas cito
exitu deuitabant.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
27/98
Et augebantur
externae cladesdomesticis motibus,
quod huiuscemodi
tam crebis direptionibus
uacuaretur omnis
regio totiuscibi baculo,
excepto uenatoriae
artis solacio.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
28/98
Ut commoratio
eorum ferarumassimilaretur
agrestium
nam et ipsos mutuo,
perexigui uictus
breui sustentaculomiserrimorum ciuium,
latrocinando
temperabant:
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
29/98
Interea
non cessant uncinatanudorum tela.
quibus miserrimi ciues
de muris tractis
sola alii debantur.
quid plura?relictis ciues talibus
muniis celso
iterum ciuibus fugae,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
30/98
Iterum dispersiones
solito desperabiliores,iterum ab hoste
insectationes,
iterum strages
accelerantur crudeliores;
et sicut agni a lanionibus,ita deflendi ciues
ab inimicies
discerpuntur.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
31/98
Et tum
primum inimicis
per multos annos
praedasin terra agentibus
strages dabant
non fidentes
in homine,
sedin deo.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
32/98
Secundum illud
Philonis:
‘Necesse est
edesse diuinum,ubi humanum
cessat auxilium.’
Quieuit parumper
inimicorum audacia
nec tamennostrorum malitia.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
33/98
Recesserunt
hostes a ciuibus
nec ciues
a suis sceleribus.moris namque
continui erat genti,
sicut et nunc est,
ut infirma esset
ad retundendahostium tela,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
34/98
Et fortis esset
ad ciuilia bella
et peccatorum onera
sustinenda,infirma, inquam,
ad exequanda pacis
ac ueritatis insignia
Et fortis
ad sceleraet mendacia.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
35/98
Reuertuntur
ergo impudentes
grassatores
hiberni domos,post
non longum temporis
reuersuri.
Picti in extrema
parte insulaetunc primum
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
36/98
Et deinceps
requieuerunt,
praedas
et contritionesnonumquam facientes.
In talibus
itaque indutiis
desolato populo
saeua cicatricobducitur.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
37/98
Fame alia uirulentiore
tacitus pullulante.
quiescente
autem uastitatetantis
abundantiarum copiis
insula affluebat
ut nulla habere
tales retro aetasmeminisset.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
38/98
Cum quibus omnimodis
et luxuria crescit.
creuit etenim
germine praepollenti,ita ut competentur
eodem tempore
diceretur:
‘Omnino talis
auditor fornicatio qualisnec inter g entes.’
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
39/98
Non solum uer hoc uitium,
set et omnia quae
humanae naturae
accidere solent,et praecipue,
quod et nunc
quoque in ea totius
boni euertit statum,
odium ueritatis
cum assertoribus
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
40/98
Amorque mendacii
cum suis fabricatoribus,
susceptio mali
pro bono,ueneratio nequitiae
pro benignitate,
cupido tenebrarum
pro sole
exceptio satanaepro angelo lucis.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
41/98
Ungebantur reges
non per deum
sed qui ceteris
crudeliores exstarent,et paulo post
ab unctioribus
non pro ueri
examinatione
trucidabantur aliiselectis trucioribus.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
42/98
Si quis uero
eorum mitior
et ueritati
aliquatenus propioruideretur,
in hunc quasi
britanniae subuersorem
omnia odia telaque
sine respectucontorquebantur.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
43/98
Ebrietate quam plurimi
quasi uino madidi
torpebant resoluti et
animositatum tumore,iurgiorum
contentione,
inuidiae rapacibus ungulis,
indiscreto
boni maliqueiudicio carpebantur,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
44/98
Sed comparati
iumentis insipientibus
strictis, ut dicitur,
morsibus rationisfrenum offirmantes.
Ita ut perspicue,
sicut et nunc est,
effundi uideretur
contemptiosuper principes,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
45/98
Per latum diuersorum
uitiorum morti
procliue ducentem,
relicto salutarilicet arto itinere,
discurrebant uiam.
Seduci uanis
eorum et errare
in inuioet non in uia.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
46/98
Dum ergo,
ut salomon ait,
‘seruus durus
non emendaturuerbis’,
Flagellatur
stultus
et non sentit,
Lacuna?
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
47/98
Pestifera namque
lues feraliter
insipienti populo
incumbit,quae in breui tantam
eius multitudinem
remote mucrone
sternit,
quantam ne possintuiui humare.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
48/98
Sed
ne hac quidem
emendantur.
Appropinquabatsiquidem
tempus quo eius
iniquitates,
ut olim
amorrhaeorum,complerentur.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
49/98
Ut illud
esaiae prophetae
in eo quoque
implereturdicentis:
‘Et uocauit deus
ad planctum
et ad caluitium
et ad cingulumsacci:
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
50/98
Ecce!
uitulos occidere
et iugulare
arietes,Ecce!
manducare et bibere
et dicere
manducemus et bibamus
cras enimmoriamur’.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
51/98
Ac si nihil mundo medicinae
a uero omnium medico
largeretur
Et omnia quaedisplicuerunt deo
et quae placuaerunt
aequali saltem
lance pendebantur,
si non gratiorafuissent displicentia.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
52/98
Sicque agebant
cuncta quae saluticontraria fuerint.
Et non solumhaec saeculares uiri,
sed et ipse grex domini
eiusque pastores
qui exemplo esse
omni plebi debuerint.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
53/98
Interea uolente deo
purgare familiam suam
et tanta malorum
labe infectam
auditu tantum
ribulationis emendare,non ignoti rumoris
penniger ceu uolatus
arrectas omnium
penetrat aures.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
54/98
Iamiamque
aduentus
ueterum uolentium
penitusdelere et inhabitare
solito more
a fine usque
ad terminum regionem.
nequaquam tamenob hoc proficiunt,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
55/98
Ita ut merito patriae
illud propheticum,
quod ueterno
illi populo denuntiatum est,potuit aptari.
‘filii’ inquiens
‘sine lege,
dereliquistis deum,
et ad iracundiamprouocastis sanctum israel.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
56/98
Quid adhuc
percutiemini apponentes
iniquitatem?
omne caputlanguidum
et omne cor
maerens:
a planta pedis
usque ad uerticemnon est in eo sanitas.’
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
57/98
Initur namque consilium
quid optimumquidue saluberrimum
ad repellendastam ferales
et tam crebras
supra dictarum
gentium irruptiones
praedasquedecerni deberet.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
58/98
Cum omnes consiliarii
una cum superbo
tyranno caecantur,
adinuenintestale praesidium,
immo excidium patriae
ut ferocissimi
illi nefandi
nominis saxonesdeo hominibusque inuisi,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
59/98
Quasi in caulas lupi,
in insulam
ad retundendas
aquilonales gentesintromitterentur.
Quo utique
nihil ei usquam
perniciosius
nihilque armariusfactum est.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
60/98
O’ altissimam
sensus calignem!
O’ desperabilem
crudemquementis
hebetudinem!
Quos propensius
morte,
cum abessent,tremebant,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
61/98
Sponte,
ut ita dicam,
sub unius tecti
culmini inuitabant.‘Stulti principes’,
ut dictum est,
‘taneos
dantes pharaoni
consiliuminsipiens’.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
62/98
Tum erumpens
grex catulorum
de cubili
laeanae barbarae,tribus, ut lingua eius
exprimitur, cyulis,
nostra longis nauibus,
secundis uelis
omine auguriis que, quibusuaticinabatur,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
63/98
Certo apud
eum praesagio,
quod ter centum
annis patriam,cui proras
librabat,
insideret,
centum uero
qunquaginta,saepius uastaret.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
64/98
Euectus, primum
in orientali parte
insulae iubente
infausto tyrannoterribiles
infixit ungues,
quasi pro patria
pugnaturus,
sed eam certiusimpugnaturus.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
65/98
Cui supradicta
genetrix, comperiens
primo agmini
fuisse prosperatum,item mitit satellitum
canumque prolixiorem
catastam,
quae ratibus
aduecta adunaturcum manipularibus spuriis.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
66/98
Inde germen
iniquitatis,
radix amritudinis,
uirulenta plantatio nostriscondigna meritis,
in nostro cespite,
ferocibus palmitibus
pampinisque pullulat.
igitur intromissiin insulam barbari,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
67/98
Ueluti militibus
et magna, ut mentiebantur,
discrimina pro bonis
hospitibus subituris,impetrant sibi
annonas dari:
quae multo tempore
impertitae clauserunt,
ut dicitur,canis faucem.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
68/98
Item queruntur
non affluenter
sibi epimenia contribui,
occasiones de industriacolorantes,
et ni profusior
eis munificentia cumularetur,
testantur se cuncta
insulae rupto foederedepopulaturos.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
69/98
Nec mora, minas
effectibus prosequuntur.
confouebatur namque
ulitionis iustaepraecedentium scelerum
causa de mari
usque ad mare
ignis orientali
sacrilegorummanu exaggeratus,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
70/98
Et finitimas quasque
ciuitates agrosque
populans non quieuit
accensus doneccunctam paene
exurens insulae
superficiem rubra
occidentalem trucique
oceanum linguadelamberet.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
71/98
In hoc ergo
impetu assyrio
olim in iudaeam
comparandocompletur
quoque in nobis
secundum historiam
quod propheta
deploransait:
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
72/98
‘Incenderunt igni
sanctuarium tuum’
‘in terra,
polluerunt tabernaculumnominis tui’,
‘deus,
uenerunt gentes
in heredi tatem tuam;
coinquinarunt templumsanctum tuum’,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
73/98
Ita ut cunctae coloniae
crebris arietibus
omnesque colonis
cum praepositis ecclesiae,cum sacer dotibus
ac populo, mucronibus
undique micantibus
ac flammis crepitantibus,
simul solosternerentur,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
74/98
Et miserabili
uisu in medio
platearum ima
turrium editocardine euulsarum
murorumque celsorum
saxa, sacra altaria,
cadauerum frustra,
crustis ac si gelantibuspurpurei cruoris tecta,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
75/98
Uelut in quodam
horrendo torculari
mixta uiderentur,
et nulla essetomnimodis praeter
domorum ruinas,
bestiarum uolucrumque
uentres in medio sepultura,
salua sanctarumanimarum reuerentia,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
76/98
Si tamen
multae inuentae
sint quae arduis
caeli id temporisa sanctis angelis
ueherentur.
Si tamen non continuo
trucidarentur,
quod altissimae gratiaestabat loco:
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
77/98
Igitur rursum miserae
mittentes epistolas reliquiae
ad agitium romanae
potestatis uirum,
hoc modo loquentes:
‘Agitio ter consuli
gemitus britannorum;’
et post paucaquerentes:
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
78/98
‘Repellunt barbari
ad mare,
repellit mare
ad barbaros;inter haec duo
genera funerum
aut iugulamur
aut mergimur;’
Nec pro eis quicquam
adiutorii habent.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
79/98
Itaque nonnulli
miserarum reliquiarum
in montibus
deprehensiaceruatim
iugulabantur:
alii fame confecti
accedentes manus
hostibus dabantin aeuum seruituri,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
80/98
Ita enim degenerauerat
tunc uinea
illa olim bona
in amaritudinem uti raro,secundum prophetam,
uideretur quasi
post tergum
uindemiatorum
aut messorumracems uel spica.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
81/98
Interea
famis dira
ac famosissima
uagis ac nutantdibushaeret,
quae multos
eorum cruentis
compulit praedonibus
sine dilatione uictusdare manus,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
82/98
Ut pauxillum
ad refocillandam
animam cibi caperent.
Alios uero nusquam:quin potius
de ipsis montibus,
speluncis ac saltibus,
dumis consertis
continuerebellabant.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
83/98
Alii transmarinas
petebant regiones
cum ululatu magno
ceu celeumatis uicehoc modo sub uelorum
sinibus cantantes:
‘dedisti nos
tamquam oues escarum
et in gentibusdisperisti nos’:
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
84/98
Alii mantanis
collibus minacibus
praeruptis uallatis
et densissimissaltibus marinisque
rupibus uitam
suspecta semper
mente credentes,
in patria licettrepidi persabant.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
85/98
Tempore igitur
interueniente aliquanto,
cum recessissent
domum crudelissimipraedones,
roborante deo reliquiae,
quibus confugiunt
undique
de diuersis locismiserrimi ciues,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
86/98
Tam audie
quam apes alueariprocella imminente,
simul deprecanteseum tot corde
et, ut dicitur,
innumeris ‘onerantes
aethera uotis’,
ne ad internicionemusque delerentur,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
87/98
Uictores prouocantes
ad proelium:
quis uictoria domino
annuente cessit duceambrosio aureliano
uiro modesto,
qui solus forte
romanae gentis
tantae tempestatiscollisione occisis
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
88/98
In eadem
parentibus purpura
nimirum indutis
superfuerat,Cuius
nunc temporibus
nostris suboles
magnopere auita
bonitate degenerauit,uires capessunt,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
89/98
Ex eo tempore
nunc ciues,
nunc hostes,
uincebant,
ut in ista gente
experietur dominussolito more
praesentem israelem,utrum diligat eum an non:
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
90/98
Usque ad annum obsessionis
badonici montis,
nouissimaeque ferme
de furciferisnon minimae stragis,
quique quadragesimus
quartus (ut noui)
orditur annus mense
iam uno emnso,qui et meae natiuitatis est.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
91/98
Sed ne nunc quidem,
ut antea,
ciuitates patriae
inhabitantur;sed desertae dirutaeque
hactenus squalent,
cessantibus licet
externis bellis,
sed non ciuilibus.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
92/98
Haesit etenim tam desperati
insulae excidii
insperatique mentio auxilii
memoriae eorumqui utriusque miraculi
testes extitere:
Et ob hoc reges, publici,
priuati, sacerdotes, ecclesiastici,
suum quiqueordinem seruarunt.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
93/98
At illis decedentibus
cum successiset
aetas tempestatis
illius nescia et praesentistantum serenitatis
experta,
ita cuncta ueritais
ac iustitiae
moderamina concussaac subuersa sunt
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
94/98
Ut earum
non dicam uestigium
sed ne monimentum
quidem in supra dictispropemodum
ordinibus appareat,
exceptis paucis
et ualde paucis
qui ob amissionemtantae multitudinis,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
95/98
Quae cotidie prona
ruit ad tartara,
tam breuis
numerus habenturut eos quodammodo
uenerabilis mater ecclesia
in suo sinu recumbentes
non uideat,
quos solos uerosfilios habet.
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
96/98
Quorum ne quis me
agregiam uitam omnibus
admirabilem deoque
amabilem carpere putet,quibus nostra infirmitas
in sacris orationibus
ut non penitus conlabatur
quasi columnis
quibusdam ac fulcrissaluberrimus sustentatur,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
97/98
Si qua liberius
de his,
immo lugubrius,
cumulo malorumconpulsus,
qui seruiunt
non solum uentri
sed diabolo
potius quamchristo,
8/19/2019 The Exemplar of Gildas' De Excidio
98/98
Qui est benedictus
in saecula deus,
non tam discptauero
quam defleuero.quippe quid celabunt
ciues quam
non solum norunt
sed exprobrant
Recommended