Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 23: The Eighth Century: Bede, John Damascene, Boniface, Hadrian I, Paul the Deacon, Paulinus of Aquileia, Einhard, Alcuin
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. XII, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, of the New Testament, eighth century. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
The Venerable Bede
The Venerable Bede, an English Presbyter, flourished at the same time; for in the year of the Lord 731 he was alive, as he himself testifies at the end of the fifth book of the English history. He wrote very many things, which are contained in eight volumes.
The first volume contains what belongs to grammar, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music and like arts. The second volume contains the book On the nature of things; On the reckoning of times; On the six ages of the world; On times, for understanding the computation; the Times of sacred Scripture; Sentences from Cicero and Aristotle; On proverbs; On the substances of the elements; four books of Philosophy; a book On Easter, or the equinox; a letter on the divination of death and life; a book On Noah's ark; a book On the tongues of the nations; lastly the Sibylline oracles. The third volume contains five books of the history of his nation, with an epitome; the lives of Saints Cuthbert, Felix, Vedast, Columban, Attala, Patrick, Eustasius, Bertulf, Arnulf and Burgundofara; likewise a poem on the martyrdom of Justin; the Martyrology; On the site of Jerusalem; the interpretation of the Hebrew and Greek names that occur in the sacred Bible; Excerpts and collections. The fourth volume contains the explanation on the Pentateuch and the books of Kings; likewise four books of allegorical explanations on Samuel; likewise the explanation on Esdras, Tobias, Job, Proverbs and the Canticles; lastly two books On the tabernacle and its vessels and vestments. The fifth volume contains commentaries on the whole new Testament, except the letters of blessed Paul. The sixth volume contains the retractations and questions on the Acts of the Apostles; commentaries on all the letters of St. Paul taken from the sayings and words of Augustine. The seventh volume contains homilies on the season and on very many saints; likewise a book On the valiant woman; a book On offices; the Sparks, or common places; fragments on the Wisdom books, and verses of the Psalter. The eighth volume contains the book On the temple of Solomon; the book On creation, or the work of the six days; Questions on the Octateuch; on the four books of Kings; various questions; commentaries on the Psalms; commentaries on Boethius's book On the Trinity; On the words of Christ; Meditations on the passion; On the remedies of sins.
First note. There is extant a little index of the works of the Venerable Bede written by himself, as also his life up to the fifty-ninth year of his age is described by himself after the history of his nation. Some works he wrote afterwards; for he lived a very long life; so it is not strange if some things are now carried about under his name which he does not mention in his little index.
Second note. There are not lacking those who would take away from the catalogue of the works of the Venerable Bede the commentaries on the letters of St. Paul woven from the words of Augustine. But no one did it more probably than Cardinal Baronius. For in Annals volume 7, at the year of Christ 562, he relates from Cassiodorus that a certain Peter, Abbot of Tripoli, annotated the letters of St. Paul with examples from the little works of St. Augustine, “so that through another's mouth he might declare the secret of his own heart; which he so fitly adapted to each place that you would rather believe it came from the study of blessed Augustine. For it is wonderful that he so cleared one by the other that, with no addition of his own words mixed in, he seems to have fulfilled the desire of his own heart”; so Cassiodorus. So Cardinal Baronius judges that those commentaries on the letters of St. Paul are not Bede the Presbyter's but Peter's, Abbot of Tripoli. And because in Bede's preface to the letters are found these words, “On the Apostle, whatever I found expounded in the little works of St. Augustine I took care to transcribe all in order,” Cardinal Baronius answers that that preface is not Bede's, but of someone who added those words so as to ascribe these commentaries to Bede.
But I, though I disagree most unwillingly with a man most learned and most good, and, while he lived, most closely joined to me, will yet set out the reasons that move me to think those commentaries truly Bede's, and leave the judgement to the reader. First, that preface was not indeed joined to these commentaries by Bede; but yet it is wholly taken from Bede's words which are found at the end of the history, or epitome, to which Bede himself had subjoined his life and the little index of his works, as the Cardinal Baronius himself affirms, Annals volume 8, at the year of the Lord 731, where he gives word for word the index itself, which is lacking in many codices; and in it are those words: “On the Apostle, whatever I found expounded in the little works of St. Augustine I took care to transcribe all in order.” Nor does Cardinal Baronius say in that place that those words are not Bede's; nor is it credible that anyone was so bold and rash as to wish to add something to Bede's index. And if those words are Bede's, as truly they are, it is altogether necessary either that Bede lied, which no one would say, or that those commentaries are truly Bede's. Then, if those commentaries are not Bede's, it certainly follows that Bede, who laboured so diligently in explaining the books of both Testaments, passed over only the Apostle, whose letters seem to be the noblest part of the Scriptures. Further, what hinders that two authors, Peter the Abbot and Bede the Presbyter, at different times and places, toiled with the same zeal at explaining Paul from the writings of Augustine? If we had the commentary of Peter the Abbot, and, comparing it with the commentary of Bede, saw that they are one and the same, then it would plainly have to be admitted that this work is not to be ascribed to Bede; but since that is not extant, it is altogether lawful to think that it was different from this one, that is, put together from different sayings and words of Augustine.
Third note. Of the lives of the saints found in the third volume of Bede, some were not written by Bede himself. Certainly the life of St. Patrick, comprised in two books, is not found in the index, and it is clear enough that it was written by Probus, as is read at the end of the second book. So too the life of St. Columban was written not by Bede but by Jonas; and the life of St. Arnulf was written by Paul the Deacon, not Bede. So too among the collections and flowers found in the third volume there is almost nothing worthy of Bede's mind. The collection on the lights of the Church is found also in the fourth volume of St. Jerome, and is neither Jerome's nor Bede's. The collection on the four kinds of wood in the Lord's Cross has nothing solid. The little prayer where three Jameses are invoked, and another where the Angels Uriel and Rumiel are invoked, are far from the weight and knowledge of Bede. But as there are among the works of Bede some that are not Bede's, so there are lacking the commentaries on Isaias, Jeremias, Daniel and the twelve minor Prophets which are counted in the index of Bede's works; and they seem to have perished.
St. John Damascene. 731
St. John Damascene, a man of great learning and holiness, was a contemporary of the Venerable Bede; and the one lit up the west, the other the east, with his wisdom. For in the time of Pope Gregory II and of the heretic emperor Leo the Isaurian he wrote orations in defence of the sacred images against the said Leo, about the year of the Lord 731; but he survived long after, and suffered much from the emperor Constantine Copronymus for the Catholic faith. So those wander far from the truth who write that Damascene flourished in the time of Theodosius the elder. He wrote many splendid works, and first of all four books On the orthodox faith, in which he was the first to comprise the whole of theology in right order; whom the Master of the sentences and the Doctors called scholastics imitated. He wrote besides three most learned and most useful orations against the attackers of the sacred images. He wrote also other lesser little works: On logic, one book; On physics, 5; the Introduction to the dignities, 1; On the two wills of Christ, 1; On the hundred heresies, 1; On the Trisagion, 1; the Dispute of a Christian and a Saracen, 1; the History of Barlaam and Josaphat, 1; an oration On those who have fallen asleep in the faith, 1; the Parallels, 3; On the transfiguration of Christ; orations on the birth of the Blessed Virgin and on her Assumption; a dialogue against the Manichees; the life of St. Stephen the younger. There have lately been added a book of the same Damascene against the Acephali, but mutilated, and another against the Nestorians, in Henricus Canisius, volume 4 of the Ancient Readings.
Note. Of these works nothing can be called into doubt except the history of Barlaam and the Oration on those who have fallen asleep in the faith. The history of Barlaam and Josaphat is notable and useful. But because Barlaam, while he instructs his disciple Josaphat, bids him believe in the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son, doubt has arisen whether this work could be John Damascene's, who in book 1 On the orthodox faith, chapter 14 [8], teaches that the Holy Spirit does not proceed from the Son but through the Son. But it can be answered that in the history of Barlaam the words “from the Son” seem to have been added by someone; for in the new edition corrected by Billy “from the Son” is not found. Doubt exists also whether this narrative is a true history, or rather made up to instruct noble youths, like the life of Cyrus in Xenophon. But that it is a true history is clear from this, that St. John Damascene at the end of the history invokes Saints Barlaam and Josaphat, whose deeds he had written; and the Catholic Church venerates the same Saints Barlaam and Josaphat, written in the martyrology, on the 27th of November. The Oration on those who have departed in the faith has raised a scruple, because it tells that Falconilla was freed from the punishments of hell by the prayers of the first woman Martyr [Thecla], and the soul of Trajan by the prayers of Pope St. Gregory; which narratives seem false, and more like fables than histories. But it may be that St. John Damascene, though otherwise learned and prudent, easily put faith in these narratives, and was not anxious to search out their truth.
St. Boniface of Mainz. 740
St. Boniface, English by nation, Archbishop of Mainz and Martyr, lived in the times of the Roman Pontiffs Gregory II and III and Zachary, and died in the year 755 [“735” printed; the reference below has 755]. He wrote many letters, which are extant printed in the year 1605 at Mainz. On his deeds see Cardinal Baronius, Annals volume 9, at the year 755.
Antony Melissa
Antony Melissa, a Monk, wrote two books of common places for following virtues and fleeing vices, which he gathered from the Fathers; and because the last he cites is St. John Damascene, we have put him in this place, since we did not know his true age. These books are extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 5, second edition. But they are to be read with caution, because they were given a Latin dress and printed by Heretics. See the observations of Jacques Billy added to the letters of Isidore of Pelusium, and the notes of Fronton du Duc, and the expurgatory Index printed at Rome in the year 1607.
Pope Hadrian the first. 772
Pope Hadrian the first began to sit in the Apostolic See in the year of the Lord 772, in the reign of the heretic Constantine Copronymus, and sat twenty-four years less a month and a half, to the year of the Lord 795. He was a holy and learned man; and besides many letters, which are extant partly in the seventh Synod, act 2, partly among the papal letters, he wrote a notable book in defence of the seventh Synod, and an answer to the book sent by Charles King of the Franks from the Council of Frankfurt; which book of Pope Hadrian is extant after the seventh Synod in the new Roman edition of the general Councils printed in Greek and Latin in the year 1612. But it must be known that the book to which Hadrian answers was not composed by King Charles (as the Iconoclast Heretics falsely affirm), but is a book containing objections against the seventh Synod, which the Fathers of the Council of Frankfurt thought had been held without the consent of the Roman Pontiff, and to swarm with many errors, and so seemed not to be received but rejected.
Paul the Deacon. 774
Paul the Deacon of Aquileia was secretary to Desiderius King of the Lombards when Desiderius was taken by Charles King of the Franks and his kingdom overthrown, in the year of the Lord 774; who, then made a Monk of Monte Cassino, led his life piously and religiously, as Leo of Ostia writes in the Chronicle of Monte Cassino, book 2 [1], chapter 17. He wrote six books on the deeds of the Lombards. He is said also to have written books of Roman history, which we see joined to the history of Eutropius after the reign of Jovian, where Eutropius stops; but learned men deny that those books are Paul the Deacon's. He wrote besides on the rule of St. Benedict, as Leo of Ostia testifies in the place noted; and it is said to be found in manuscript in the monastery of Monte Cassino. He wrote sacred hymns, of which one, which begins “Ut queant laxis resonare fibris”, is used by the Church on the birthday of St. John the Baptist. Lastly he wrote homilies and other things, which are not extant except in manuscript in libraries.
Paulinus of Aquileia. 780
Paulinus, Bishop of Aquileia, a learned and pious man, in the time of Charlemagne wrote against Felix and Elipandus a book On the holy Trinity, which is extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 4, second edition. He died in the year of the Lord 802, famous for miracles.
Einhard. 780
Einhard, Chancellor of Charlemagne, wrote his life quite diligently. He wrote also a history of the Franks. He wrote too on the translation of Saints Peter and Marcellinus, in prose and verse, which are extant in Surius, volume 7 [3?], on the 2nd of June. At last, leaving the world, he was made a Monk and Abbot.
Albinus Alcuin. 780
Albinus Alcuin, an Englishman, a disciple of Bede [of Bede's school], called into Gaul by Charles King of the Franks, wrote many things, of which are extant: the book On divine offices; the letter to King Charles; and another to Odvin the Presbyter. These, I say, are extant in the codex printed at Cologne in the year 1568 with seven other authors on the same subject. There are extant besides, in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 3, second edition: Questions on Genesis, 1 book; on Ecclesiastes, 1; On virtues and vices, 2 [1?]; Questions on the Trinity, 1; On the Trinity, 3 books; On the reason of the soul, a letter to Eulalia; On divine offices, 1. There are extant also letters of the same Albinus, 67 in number, in Henricus Canisius, volume 1 of the Ancient Readings.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De Venerabili Beda. Venerabilis Beda Presbyter Anglus floruit eodem tempore; anno siquidem Dom. 73!. in vivis erat, ut ipse testatur in fine quinti libri historiae Anglicanae. Scripsit plurima, quae octo tomis continentur. Primus tomus. Continet ea, quae ad grammaticam, arith¬ meticam, geometriam, astronomiam, musi¬ cam et similes artes pertinent. Secundus tomus. Continet librum de natura rerum. De temporum ratione. De sex aetatibus mundi. De temporibus ad intelligendam suppu¬ tationem. Temporum sacrae Scripturae. Sententias ex Cicerone et Aristotele. De proverbiis. De substantiis elementorum. Philosophiae libros quatuor. Librum de Pascha, sive aequinoctio. Epistolam de devinatione mortis, et vitae. Librum de arca Noe. Librum de linguis gentium. Denique oracula Sibyllina. Tertius tomus. Continet libros quinque historiae gentis suae, cum epitome. Vitas SS. Guthberti, Felicis, Vedasti, Co- lumbani, Attala?, Patricii, Eustasii, Ber- tolfi, Arnolphi, Burgondoforae. Item carmen de Justini martyrio. Martyrologium. De situ Hierusalem. Interpretationem nominum Hebraicorum et Graecorum in sacris Bibliis occurrentium. Excerpta, et.collectanea. Quartus tomus. Continet explanationem in Pentateuchum, et libros Regum. Item in Samuelem explanationum allego- ricarum libros quatuor. Item explanationem in Esdram, Tobiam, Job, Proverbia, et Cantica. Denique de tabernaculo, et vasis, ac ve¬ stibus ejus libros duos. Quintus tomus. Continet commentaria in totum novum Testamentum, exceptis epistolis B. Pauli. Sextus tomus. Continet retractationes, et quaestiones in Acta Apostolorum. Commentaria in omnes epistolas S. Pauli ex Augustini sententiis, et verbis excerpta. Septimus tomus. Continet homilias de tempore, et de sanctis plurimis. Item librum de muliere forti. Librum de officiis. Scintillas sive loco communes. Fragmenta in libros Sapientiales, et Psal¬ terii versus. Octavus tomus. Continet lib. de templo Salomonis. Librum de creatione sive opere sex dierum. Quaestiones in Octateuchum. In quatuor libros Regum. Quaestiones varias. Commentaria in Psalmos. Commentaria in Boetii librum de Trinitate. De verbis Christi. Meditationis passionis. De remediis peccatorum. 420 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS Observatio prima. dicibus deest, ad verbum ponit et in eo in- Exstat indiculus operum venerabilis Bedae ab ipsomet scriptus, ut etiam vita ejusdem usque ad annum aetatis quinquagesimum nonum ab ipso descripta est post histoiiam gentis suae. Aliqua opera postea scripsit. Vixit enim longissimam vitam : ideo mirum non est, si aliqua nunc ejus nomine circum¬ ferantur, quorum ipse in indiculo suo non meminit. Observatio secunda. Non desunt, qui a catalogo operum vene¬ rabilis Bedae demere velint commentaria in epistolas S. Pauli ex Augustini verbis conte¬ xta. Sed nullus probabilius id fecit, quam Card. Baronius. Siquidem tomo septimo annalium ad annum Christi 562. refert ex Cassiodoro , Petrum quemdam Abbatem Tripolitanum S. Pauli epistolas exemplis opusculorum S. Augustini subnotasse, utper os alienum sui cordis declararet arcanum, quae ita locis singulis competenter aptavit, ut hoc magis studio B. Augustini credas esse profectum. Mirum est enim, sic alterum ex altero dilucidasse, ut nulla verborum suo¬ rum adjectione permixta, desiderium cordis proprii complesse videatur haec Cassiodorus. Censet igitur Card. Baronius, commentaria illa in epistolas S. Pauli, non Bedae esse Presbyteri, sed Petri Tripolitani Abbatis. Quia vero in praefatione Bedae in epistolas habentur haec verba : « In Apostolum quae¬ cumque in opusculis S. Augustini exposita inveni , cuncta per ordinem transcribere curavi, » respondet Card. Baronius, eam praefationem non esse Bedae, sed alicujus, qui ut haec commentaria Bedae adscriberet illa verba adjecit. Ego vero quamvis a viro doctissimo, et optimo, et mihi cum viveret, conjunctissimo valde aegre dissentiam : exponam tamen ra¬ tiones, quae me movent, ut existimem ista commentaria vere esse Bedae, et judicium lectori relinquam. Primum, praefatio illa non est quidem a Beda his commentariis adjuncta ; sed tamen tota sumpta est a verbis Bedae, quae haben¬ tur ad finem historiae, sive epitomes, cui subjecerat ipse Beda vitam suam, et indicu¬ lum operum suorum, ut Card. ipse Baron. affirmat, tomo vm. annal. ad annum Dom. 731., ubi ipsum indiculum, qui in multis co- sunt illa verba: «In Apostolum quaecumque in opusculis S. Augustini exposita inveni, cuncta per ordinem transcribere curavi. » Neque eo loco Card. Baronius dicit ea verba non esse Bedae, neque credibile est, ullum fuisse tam audacem, et temerarium, ut indi¬ culo Bedae aliquid addere vellet. Quod si verba illa sunt Bedae, ut vere sunt, necesse est omnino, aut Bedam esse mentitum, quod nemo diceret, aut commen. taria illa vere esse Bedae. Deinde, si ea commentaria non sunt Be¬ dae, certe sequitur, ut Beda, qui tam diligen¬ ter in utriusque Testamenti libris explanandis laboravit, solum Apostolum praetermiserit, cujus epistolae nobilissima pars Scripturarum esse videntur. Praeterea quid impedit, quominus duo au¬ ctores, Petrus Abbas, et Beda Presbyter, diversis temporibus et locis eodem studio in Paulo ex Augustini scriptis explicando aesu- daverint ? si commentarium Petri Abbatis haberemus, et eo collato cum commentario Bedae, unum et idem esse videremus : tum plane fatendum esset, non esse hoc opus Bedae adseribendum : sed cum illud non exstet, licet omnino existimare, diversum ab isto fuisse, id est ex diversis Augustini sen¬ tentiis verbisque conflatum. Observatio tertia. Ex vitis sanctorum, quae habentur tertio tomo Bedae, quaedam sunt, quae ab ipso Be¬ da scriptae non sunt. Certe vita S. Patricii duobus libris comprehensa, non haibetur in indiculo, et satis constat scriptam a Probo, ut in extremo libro secundo legitur : sic etiam vitam S. Columbani non Beda, sed Jonas scripsit : et vitam S. Arnulphi Paulus Diaconus scripsit, non Beda ; sic etiam inter collectanea et flores, quae habentur m. tomo, nihil fere est quod sit Bedae ingenio dignum, collectaneum de luminaribus Ecclesiae ha¬ betur etiam in quarto tomo S. Hieronymi, et nec Hieronymi, nec Bedae est. Collectaneum de quatuor generibus ligni in Cruce Domini, nihil solidi habet. Oratiuncula, ubi invocan¬ tur tres Jacobi, et altera, ubi invocantur Angelus Uriel, et Rumiel, longe absunt a gravitate, et scientiae Bedae ; sed sicut sunt inter opera Bedae aliqua, quae non sunt Be¬ dae, ita desunt commentaria in Isaiam, Hie- Ali ANNO DOM. 700. AD 800. 421 reiniam, Danielem et duodecim Prophetas minores, quae in indiculo operum Becke nu¬ merantur ; et periisse videntur. De S. Jo. Damasceno. 731. Sanctus Joannes Damascenus, virmagnse doctrinae, et sanctitatis, aequalis fuit venera¬ bilis Bedae, et unus occidentem, alter orien¬ tem sapientia sua illustravit : nam tempore • Gregorii II. Papae, et Leonis Isauri impera¬ toris Haeretici scripsit orationes pro defen¬ sione sacrarum imaginum adversus praedi¬ ctum Leonem, circa annum Dom. 731. sed diu postea supervixit, et multa passus est ab imperatore Constantino Copronymo propter fidem Catholicam. Itaque longe a veritate aberrant, qui Damascenum lempore Theo¬ dosii senioris floruisse scribunt. Scripsit multa praeclara opera, atque in primis libros quatuor de fide orthodoxa in quibus ipse primus universam theologiam recto ordine comprehendit. Eum imitati sunt Magister sententiarum, et Doctores, qui scholastici dicuntur. Scripsit praeterea orationes tres doctissimas et utilissimas adversus irnpu- gnatores sacrarum imaginum. Scripsit etiam alia minora opuscula : De logica librum unum. De physica, 5 De introductione dignitatum, 1 De duabus voluntatibus Christi, 1 De centum haeresibus, 1 De trisagio, 1 De altercatione Christiani, et Sa¬ raceni, 4 Historiae Barlaam, et Josaphat, 1 De his qui in fide dormierunt ora¬ tionem, 1 Parallelorum, 3 De transfiguratione Christi. De nativitate B. Virginis, etde ejus¬ dem Assumptione orationes. Adversus Manichaeos dialogum. Vitae S. Stephani junioris. Accesserunt nuper liber ejusdem Dama¬ sceni contra Acephalos, sed mutilus : et alius contra Nestorianos, apud Henricum Canisium tomo quarto antiquae lectionis. Observatio. Ex his operibus nihil in dubium revocari potest nisi historia Barlaam : et Oratio de his qui in fide dormierunt. Historia Barlaam et Josaphat, insignis et utilis est. Sed quia Barlaam, dum instruit discipulum suum Jo¬ saphat, jubet eum credere in Spiritum san¬ ctum ex Patre et Filio procedentem : dubi¬ tatio exorta est an hoc opus esse potuerit Joannis Damasceni, qui libro primo de fide Orthodoxa cap. 14. docet Spiritum sanctum non procedere ex Filio sed per Filium. Sed responderi potest, in historia Barlaam par¬ ticulam illam (ex Filio) videri additam ab aliquo : nam in nova editione per Billium castigata, non habetur (ex Filio ). Dubitatio quoque existit, an haec narratio sit vera hi¬ storia, an potius conficta ad erudiendos no¬ biles adolescentes : qualis est vita Cyri apud Xenophontem. Caeterum veram historiam esse constat ex eo, quod Sanctus Joannes Damascenus in fine historiae invocat San¬ ctos Barlaam et Josaphat, quorum res gestas scripserat, et Ecclesia Catholica in martyrologio descriptos veneratur, die 27. Novembris, eosdem Sanctos Barlaam et Jo¬ saphat. Oratio de his qui in fide migraverunt, scrupulum injecit, quia narrat Falconillam precibus primae Martyris, et Trajani animam precibus S. Gregorii Papae ab inferni sup¬ pliciis liberatos, quae narrationes falsae esse videntur, et fabulis similiores, quam histo¬ riae. Sed fieri potest, ut Sanctus Joannes Damascenus, quamvis alioqui doctus et pru¬ dens, istis narrationibus facile fidem habue¬ rit, neque de veritate earum investiganda sollicitus fuerit. De S. Bonifacio Moguntino. 740. Sanctus Bonifacius natione Anglus Archie- piscopus Moguntinus, et Martyr, vixit tem¬ poribus Gregorii II. et III. et Zachariae Pontificum Romanorum et obiit anno 735. Scripsit epistolas multas, quae excusae ex¬ stant anno 1605. Mogun. De ejus rebus ge¬ stis. vide Card. Baroni um tomo ix. anna¬ lium, ad annum 755. De Antonio Melissa. Antonius Melissa Monachus scripsit libros duos communium locorum ad virtutes se¬ quendas, et vitia fugienda, quos ex Patribus collegit : et quoniam ultimus, quem citat, est Sanctus Joannes Damascenus, ideo hoc loco eum posuimus cum veram aetatem ejus ignoraremus, Exstant hi libri in bibliotheca 422 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS sanctorum Patrum tomo quinto editionis secundae. Sed caute legendi sunt, quoniam ab Haereticis latinitate donati et impressi sunt. Vide observationes Jacobi Billii additas ad epistolas Isodori Pelusiotae, et Fronton- nis Ducaei notas, et Judicem expurgatorium Romae impressum anno 1607. De Hadriano Papa primo . 772. Hadrianus Papa primus sedere coepit in Apostolica Sede, anno Dom. 772. Constan¬ tino Copronymo Haeretico imperante, et sedit annis viginti quatuor minus uno mense cum dimidio, usque ad annum Dom. 795. Vir fuit sanctus, et eruditus, et praeter epistolas multas, quae exstant partim in septima Syno¬ do act. ii. partim inter epistolas pontificias : scripsit insignem librum pro defensione septimae Synodi, et responsionem ad librum missum a Carolo rege Francorum ex Con¬ cilio Francfordiensi : qui liber Hadriani Papae exstat post septimum Synodum, in nova editione Romana Conciliorum gene¬ ralium, Graece et Latine impressorum anno 1612. Sciendum est autem librum, cui re- . spondet Hadrianus, non fuisse compositum a Carolo rege (ut Haeretici Iconoclastae falso affirmant), sed esse librum continentem objectiones adversus septimam Synodum, quam Patres Concilii Francfordiensi arbi¬ trati sunt celebratam fuisse sine consensu Rom. Pontificis, et erroribus multis scatere, atque ideo non recipiendam, sed rejicien¬ dam videri. De Paulo Diacono. 774. Paulus Dioconus Aquileiensis, a secretis erat Desiderii regis Longobardorum, quando per Garolum regem Francorum Desiderius captus, et regnum ipsius eversum fuit anno Domini 774., qui deinde Monachus Cassinen- sis factus pie et religiose vitam duxit, ut scribit Leo Hostiensis in Chronico Cassinensi lib. n. cap. 17. Scripsit libros sex de gestis Longobardorum. Scripsisse etiam dicitur libros historiae Romanae, quos videmus ad¬ junctae historiae Eutropii post imperium Jo- viani , ubi desit Eutropius. Sed viri docti negant eos libros esse Pauli Diaconi. Scri¬ psit praeterea in regulam S. Benedicti, ut Leo Hostiensis testatur loco notato ; et ea dicitur haberi manuscripta in monasterio Cassinensi. Scripsit hymnos sacros quorum unus qui incipit « Ut queant laxis resonare fibris » ab Ecclesia frequentatur in natali S. Jo. Baptistae. Denique scripsit homilias, et alia, quae non exstant nisi manuscripta in bibliothecis. De Paulino Aquileiensi. 780. Paulinus Aquileiensis Episcopus, vir do¬ ctus et pius, tempore Caroli Magni scripsit contra Felicem et Elipandum, librum de sancta Trinitate, qui exstat in bibliotheca sanctorum Patrum tomo quarto edit. ii. , obiit anno Dom. 8u2. clarus miraculis. De Eginartho. 780. Eginarthus Cancellarius Caroli Magni scri¬ psit ejus vitam satis diligenter. Scripsit et¬ iam historiam Francorum. Scripsit quoque de translatione Sanctorum Petri et Marcel- lini, prosa et versu, quse exstant apud Suri- um tomo vii. die 2. J unii. Tandem Monachus, et Abbas relicto saeculo factus est. De Albino Alcuino. 780. Albinus Alcuinus Anglus Bedae discipulus, in Gallias a Carolo rege Francorum evocatus multa scripsit : e quibus exstant : Liber de divinis officiis. Epistola ad Carolum regem. Et altera ad Odvinum Presbyterum. Haec. inquam, exstant in codice impresso Coloniae anno 1568. cum aliis septem aucto¬ ribus de eodem argumento. Exstant praeterea in bibliotheca SS. Patrum tom m. edit. 2. Quaestionum in Genesim lib. 1 In Ecclesiastem, 1 De virtutibus et vitiis, 2 Quaestionum de Trinitate, 1 De Trinitate, libri 3 De ratione animae epistola ad Eula- lium. De divinis officiis, 1 Exstant etiam epistolae ejusdem Albini num. 67. apud Henricum Canisium tomo 1. antiquae lectionis.