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On the Ruin of Britain

St Gildas, tr. Williams, 1899

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1. Preface. Motives for writing stated
Before, however, fulfilling my promise, let me attempt to say a little, God willing, …
3. Description of Britain
4. Character of People
5. Subjection by Rome
6. Insurrection Against Rome
7. Second Subjection and Servitude
8. Rise of Christianity
9. Evangelization of Britain. The Diocletian Persecution
10. Holy Martyrs
The former of these, through love, hid a confessor when pursued by his persecutors, and …
12. Heresies
13. The Tyranni, Particularly Maximus
14. Picts and Scots
15. Defence Made Against Them
16. Repeated Devastation
17. Second Revenge (by Roman aid)
The Romans, therefore, declare to our country that they could not be troubled too …
19. Third Devastation by Picts and Scots
20. Letter to Agitius (Aetius). A.D. 446
Growth of crimes among the Britons · The coming of the enemy suddenly made known
The noted plague · Deliberation how to oppose the Picts and Scots. The Saxons invited to…
23. The Saxons prove far more cruel than the former enemies
For the fire of righteous vengeance, caused by former crimes, blazed from sea to sea, …
Some of the wretched remnant were consequently captured on the mountains and killed in …
26. The Final Victory Over the Saxons. Siege of Mons Badonicus
27. Part II. General Denunciation of Princes and Judges
28. Constantius of Damnonia
Come now! (I reprove, as if present, one whom I know to be yet surviving). Why art thou …
Thou also, lion whelp, as the prophet says, what doest thou, Aurelius Caninus? Art thou …
31. Vortiporius, Prince of the Demetae (Dyfed)
32. Cuneglasus
33. Maelgwn of Anglesey (?)
When the dream of thy oppressive reign turned out according to thy wish, didst thou not, …
Yet not by such stumbling-blocks of evils, as if by a kind of barrier, is thy mind, …
But warnings are certainly not wanting to thee, since thou hast had as instructor the …
Reasons for Introducing Words of the Holy Prophets (sancti vates)
38. Part III
But although this one example, with its impregnable confirmation, should be fully …
What befell two sacrilegious kings of Israel, just like those of ours, Jeroboam and …
Azarias, also the son of Obed, spoke unto Asa, when he was returning from the slaughter …
What shall I say of Isaiah, the first of the prophets? He began his prophecy or his …
Receive one who truly and publicly assents to these words, when he declares the …
And after some further words, treating of the day of judgment and the unspeakable fear of…
And below: They that are merry in heart shall sigh, the joy of tabrets shall cease, the …
After a while, giving a reason why such things should be threatened, he says thus: Behold…
So far, let it suffice to have said a few, out of many, of the words of Isaiah the …
Then the prophet speaks in his own person, saying: O Lord thine eyes behold faithfulness.…
But God forbid that what follows should befall you: Thou shalt, speak all these words …
What then shall unhappy leaders do now? Those few who have abandoned the broad way and …
Holy Habakkuk also crieth out, saying: Woe to him that buildeth. a city in blood, and …
Listen also to what the blessed prophet Hosea says of princes: For that they have …
Hear also the holy prophet Amos threatening as follows: For three transgressions of the …
But listen also what the holy prophet Micah has said: Hear thou, O! tribe; what shall …
But hear also what threats the distinguished prophet Zephaniah heaps up: The great day of…
Listen also what Haggai, the holy prophet, says: Thus saith the Lord: Once shall I move …
Now again, observe what Zachariah, son of Adda, the chosen prophet, has said, beginning …
Holy Malachy the prophet also says: Behold the day of the Lord shall come, burning as a …
But hear what holy Job also has taught respecting the beginning and end of the wicked, …
Listen besides to what the blessed prophet Esdras, that volume of the law, has …
Listen also to what Ezekiel the famous prophet, the wonderful seer of the four beasts of …
Let this be sufficient to say respecting the threats of the holy prophets. I have, …
who honour me, and they that despise me shall be unknown. But let us pass on to the other…
64. Part IV
How gladly, in this place, as one tossed by the waves of the sea, and carried into the …
1. Charges against wicked and reprobate priests, cc. 66-68
For what is so impious and so wicked as, after the pattern of Simon Magus, though …
What wilt thou, unhappy people, expect from such belly beasts, as the apostle says? Shalt…
2. Defects of those acknowledged to be blameless in their lives when compared (a) with…
Who, burning with an extraordinary zeal for God, has risen strongly to the immediate …
Which of them, desiring to die to the world and live unto Christ, has made prostrate such…
Which of them, as Elisaeus, punished a beloved disciple, when burdened beyond his wont by…
73. (b) Compared with New Testament examples
74. (c) Compared with examples furnished by Church History
But let me return to my theme. Who of you, I say, like noble Polycarp, the pastor of the …
3. Quotations of incriminatory passages directed against “lazy and unworthy priests” (a)…
What happened also to that true prophet, after the fulfilment of the sign foretold by …
Hear also the holy prophet Isaiah, speaking of the priests in the following manner: Woe …
Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scoffing men, that rule over my people which is …
Jeremiah also, celibate and prophet, listen what he says to foolish pastors: Thus saith …
Again: My children are gone forth from me, and they are not; there is none to stretch …
Again: Woe unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, saith the …
Little do you think or do what the holy prophet Joel also has said in admonition of lazy …
Give express heed to what the holy prophet Hosea also says to priests of your small …
To you also there is signified an alienation of this kind from the Lord by the prophet …
Understand also with your ears the holy Micah as he, like a heavenly trumpet, sounds …
Hearken again to what Zephaniah, distinguished prophet, has treated of respecting your …
But hear also the blessed, prophet Zechariah admonishing you by the word of God. For thus…
Hear, moreover, what proclamation the holy prophet Malachi has made against you. You …
Listen, however, to what the prophet Ezekiel said: Woe shall come upon woe, and messenger…
Again also: And I sought for a man from among them that walked uprightly, and stood …
But let these few testimonies from the many of the prophets be sufficient By them is the …
This single testimony might fully suffice to confute all those that are without shame. …
But in order not to extend this little work to too great a length for those men who …
What indeed shall become of you who, as the prophet says, cling to God with your lips …
The people, certainly, whom you guide, or rather whom you deceive, have need of hearing. …
But let us see what a true disciple of Christ, Paul the teacher of the gentiles, utters …
Who of the men referred to above has in truth been without these all? For if there were …
What severity therefore awaits those who not only do not do what ought to be fulfilled, …
Again, in the First Epistle to the Corinthians he says: As a wise master-builder I laid a…
In the Second Epistle to the Corinthians also he says: Therefore seeing, we have this …
Listen also to what he says to the Ephesians. Are you ignorant that you are held guilty …
But listen also to that which he says to the Thessalonians: For neither were we at any …
Hear therefore what the same holy apostle predicted by the spirit of prophecy, respecting…
He indicates plainly how priests should show themselves in their office, when writing as …
Quotations from the Ordinal or Service Book used in the consecration of priests or…
These, without doubt, are things commanded by the apostle, and were read on the day of …
4. Conclusion
But let us also see the following words: Ruling his own house well, having his children …
And let no one of the priests flatter himself solely on his consciousness of a pure body,…
d2
1. Of Excommunication
2. Respecting Abstinence from Foods
3. Respecting the Last Days
4. Of Monks
GILDAS SAYS: An abbot of the stricter rule should not admit a monk of another abbot …
GILDAS.—Cursed is he that moves boundaries, certainly those of his neighbour. Let each …
ITEM.—It is better for co-bishops and co-abbots, as well as fellow-subjects, not to …
GILDAS.—To the wise man truth shines from whatsoever mouth it has issued forth.
GILDAS.—Miriam is condemned with leprosy, because she agreed with Aaron in blaming Moses …
10. Fragment 10 (Doubtful)
11. Fragment 11 (Doubtful)