EUSEBIUS CAESARIENSIS & BEDE, VENERABLE. Eusebius Caesariensis: Ecclesiastica historia [translated by Rufinus Tyrannus]; et Beda: Ecclesiastica historia gentis Angloru[m]. Two works in one volume.

INCLUDES GEOGRAPHY OF BRITANNIA & HIBERNIA

Hagenau : Heinrich Gran for Johann Rynman, 7 December 1506. Small folio. Collation: pi6 a8 b6 c8 d6 e8 f-x6 y-z8: 154 leaves (last leaf blank). Gothic letter. Text in double columns, 51 lines per column. Colophon: Ecclesiastice Historie gentis Anglorum Venerabilis Bede: Impesis ac sumptib[us] circu[m]specti viri Ioannis Rynman. Libri Impe[n]sis ac sumptib[us] circu[m]specti viri Ioannis Rynman: accurate reuisi Imp[re]ssiq[ue] in Imp[er]iali oppido Hagenaw p[er] industriu[m] Henricu[m] Gran inibi incola[m] Finiu[n]t feliciter Anno salutis nostre Millesimo q[ui]nge[n]tesimosexto ip[s]a vigilia Conceptionis gloriose v[ir]ginis Marie. Old boards with modern leather spine titled in gilt, old printed shelf label on front pastedown. Manuscript note pasted to front with some bibliographical information in Italian about the book (referencing old bibliographies and the like). Inscribed by Eric Mac Finn on half-title ‘EM Finn / Collegio Irlandese / Ag ceannt Luzzietti, lá fhéile Íta 1924” [Bought at Luzzietti’s auction, 15 January, 1924 for Lire 55]. A very good copy, on thick paper.
An early combined edition of the two most important and influential works on the history of the early Christian Church. Eusebius (d. AD 339), Bishop of Caesarea wrote the Historia ecclesiastica during the reign of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome, and ended his narrative before the death of Constantine’s son Crispus in July AD 326. It is a 4th-century chronological account of the development of Early Christianity from the 1st century to the 4th century. It follows the chronology of Roman emperors, with a focus on Christian bishops, persecutions, heresies and martyrdom, and on the Christians relationship with the Jews and the heathen. It was written in Koine Greek and survives also in Latin, Syriac, and Armenian manuscripts.
It is the most important contemporary history of the early Church, and one of the most valuable historical sources written in the late antiquity, especially noted for its detailed description of the various early sects, movements and schisms within the burgeoning church. This edition includes the continuation by Rufinus of Aquileia of the history down to the year 403 AD.
Books 1-9 of Ecclesiastica historia were translated into Latin by Rufinus of Aquileia. Eusebius employed and quoted from ancient sources preserved at the Library in Caesarea, several of which we only know of today thanks to this work.
St. Bede the Venerable (born 672/673, traditionally Monkton in Jarrow, Northumbria, England - died May 25, 735, Jarrow; canonized 1899; feast day May 25 was an Anglo-Saxon theologian, historian, and chronologist. St. Bede is best known for his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (“Ecclesiastical History of the English People”), a source vital to the history of the conversion to Christianity of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. During his lifetime and throughout the Middle Ages, Bede’s reputation was based mainly on his scriptural commentaries, copies of which found their way to many of the monastic libraries of western Europe. The method of dating events from the
The Historia ecclesiastica gentis anglorum is the first history of the early Christian church in England, written by the English monk Bede (672-735), as well as the first ever history of England. Bede drew greatly from Eusebius e.g., the chronological arrangement, the interest in heresy and in the episcopal succession in Britain adding dramatic features such as direct speech or obituary notices (Thacker, p.172). After an introduction to the geography of Britannia and Hibernia, the work explores, in 5 chapters, English history from the time of Vespasian to Offa, King of Mercia. This is interspersed with annalistic sections on missions (e.g., Augustine), the conversion of the Britons, episodes in the reigns of the Saxon kings concerned with conversion, the strength of their faith, their fight against the heathen (e.g., King Earconbrech) and the foundation of monasteries.
Provenance: From the library of Eric Mac Fionn with his inscribed name and initials. Mons. Eric MacFhinn [1895-1987] edited the Irish-Language monthly Ar Aghaidh for some 35 years. He was born near Mílic in Co. Galway; his father Robert Fair was a doctor in Oughterard. Servants in the house spoke Irish. Eric took an interest in the language, and by 1910 he had decided to sign his name as ‘MacFhinn’. His father was Protestant and his mother Catholic; he was raised as a Catholic, and went to school in Athlone, and later to the Jesuits.
He took a BA at UCD, where Irish was one of his subjects. He followed with an MA in philosophy in 1915, and went to Rome to study for a doctorate. In 1919 he was ordained a priest, and taught for a while in the Diocesan College in Garbally, Co. Galway. Returning to Rome, he studied church history in the Vatican archives; he was said to know more about the history of the mediaeval church than any other Irishman. From 1926 to 1931 he taught French, English, history and geography at Garbally; it is said that he taught even English through the medium of Irish. In 1931 he became a lecturer in Education at University College, Galway, teaching through Irish, the first lecturer there to do so outside the Department of Irish. He was active in the Gaelic League and Oireachtas, was Chairman of Cumann Béaloideasa Éireann [the Folklore Commission] in the 1940s, and later Chairman of An Coimisiún Logainmneacha [the Placenames Commission]. In the 1950s he was a member An Chomhairle Oideachais [Education Commission], where he submitted a minority report. He retired from UCG in 1965, and was created Monsignor in 1967 in recognition of his work in education.
The monthly Ar Aghaidh [‘Forward’], which circulated widely in the Connemara Gaeltacht, was founded by Prof. Liam Ó Buachalla of UCG in 1931. Fr. Eric became a contributor, and soon became Editor, continuing until its closure in 1970. From 1915 onward he wrote widely in such periodicals as An Claidheamh Solais, An Branar, An Stoc, Irisleabhar Mhá Nuat, the Galway Historical and Archeological Society Journal and many others. In 1974 he published a biography of Fr. Michael O’Hickey, possibly the last work in Irish to be printed [at his particular request] in the ‘sean-chló’ [Elizabethan type]. He spent his final years in hospital, after his memory failed.
He left his books, papers and art collection to Garbally College, where the Library bears his name. He had at one time a very large collection of valuable Irish historical works; it was his habit to sign his name prominently in indelible ink on the title page of works he acquired, many of them rare 16th and 17th century works.