Alcuin’s epic poem The Bishops, Kings, and Saints of York tells the story of the intellectual, political, and religious history of Northumbria. Drawing heavily on Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, it traces the spread of Christianity in Alcuin’s native land, connecting the propagation of the faith to the power and prosperity of the kingdom. The fact that Alcuin carried his history all the way through to events of his own lifetime allowed him to acknowledge his intellectual debts in a unique fashion. The lives and contributions of Bede, Egbert, and Aelberht are all woven into the poem. In this way, the blossoming of the intellectual community of York becomes, for Alcuin, part of a larger and longer story of spiritual growth. In these excerpts from the poem, Alcuin celebrates the character and deeds of Bede and Aelberht. As you read them, consider what they tell you about the relationship between faith and scholarship in early medieval Europe.

Alcuin on Bede

Early in the reign of Archbishop Egbert,

a priest of outstanding merits named Bede closed his eyes

on this present life and sought the kingdom of the stars.

From early boyhood he had concentrated intensely on books,

and had devoted himself wholeheartedly to sacred studies.

With loving concern his parents had made him enter at the age

of seven the cloistered precincts of the monastery of Jarrow,

where the famous Ceolfrith presided as abbot.

Led by love of Christ, Ceolfrith went on pilgrimage

and died in exile in the city of Langres,

where that happy man was buried with due honour.

After a long time his body was found wholly uncorrupted,

and brought back from there to his native land.

Bede was brought up in that monastery, and his tender years

were a pattern of outstanding behaviour.

Wise even as a youth, he was always keen and eager

to learn or to write, working with unfailing diligence, and such

was his progress that he was made a teacher, as he deserved.

This famous scholar wrote many works,

unravelling the mysterious volumes of Holy Scripture,

and composed a handbook on the art of metre.

He also wrote with marvellous clarity a book on time,

containing the courses, places, times, and laws of the stars.

He was the author in lucid prose of books on history,

and the composer of many poems in metrical style. He followed

the footsteps of the ancient fathers in actions, spirit, and faith

walking the straight and narrow path through all his days.

The quality of this teacher’s life was clearly revealed

after his death by a miraculous act of healing:

when a sick man was surrounded by relics of that blessed

father he was completely cured from his illness.

Alcuin on Aelberht

He was a good and just man, generous, devout, and kind,

a pillar, teacher, and lover of the Catholic faith,

the leader and master of his church, its protector and son,

a lover of justice, a clarion of the law, a herald of salvation,

hope of the poor, father to orphans, comforter of the needy,

strong in adversity and humble in good fortune,

stern to the hardened, gentle to the good, harsh to the proud,

of discerning intellect, not wordy inspeech, but energetic to

act; the greater and higher his honours grew,

the more he humbled himself with lowly pride.

I ask you, please, to walk a little further with me,

keeping step with my poem, young men of York,

for he often steeped your senses in nectar,

pouring sweet draughts from his honeyed soul.

From his earliest days reason, the loveliest of things,

had held him in her sway and carried him to the highest

summit of learning, revealing to him wisdom’s secrets.

He was of highly distinguished birth and his family soon

devoted him with care to sacred studies,

attaching him to the monastery in his boyhood, that

he might mature in spiritual powers during his tender years.

Nor were his parents’ high hopes in vain.

For as that outstanding boy grew up,

his learning made equal progress.

Thus growing in qualities, in years, and wisdom,

he became a holy deacon at the proper time.

In youth he filled this station successfully and well,

and as an upright young man took vows to the priesthood,

advancing in office, as he grew in holy merits.

Then, as a pious and wise teacher and priest,

he became a boon companion of bishop Egbert,

to whom he was related by blood

and who marked him out to defend the entire clergy,

making him a teacher in the city of York.

There he watered parched hearts with diverse streams

of learning and the varied dew of knowledge:

skilfully training some in the arts and rules of grammar

and pouring upon others a flood of rhetorical eloquence.

Some he polished with the whetstone of true speech,

teaching others to sing in Aonian strain,

training some to blow on the Castalian pipe,

and run with lyric step over the peaks of Parnassus.

To others this master taught the harmony of the spheres,

the labours of the sun and the moon,

the five zones of heaven, the seven planets,

the regular motions of the stars, their rising and setting,

the movements of the air, the tremors of the earth and sea,

the natures of men and cattle, of birds and wild beasts,

the diverse forms and shapes of numbers.

He regulated the time for Easter’s celebration,

revealing the great mysteries of holy Scripture,

for he fathomed the depths of the rough and ancient law.

Whenever he saw young men of excellent character,

he took them to him, to teach, cherish, and love.

And so this teacher had several pupils whom he trained

in various disciplines by means of the holy writings.

More than once he took the pilgrim’s route to foreign lands

with joy, led by love of holy wisdom and hope

of finding new books and studies there

to bring back with him.

He travelled devoutly to the city of Rome,

rich in love of God, visiting holy places far and wide.

Then, returning home, the great teacher was everywhere

received with honour by the mighty of the earth.

Powerful kings wished to keep him with them

to water their fields with his stream of divine learning.

Source: Alcuin, The Bishops, Kings, and Saints of York, ed. Peter Godman (Oxford, U.K.: Clarendon Press, 1982), pp. 101, 103, 105, 111, 113, 115, 117.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER