Bede and science
Faith Wallis|Scott DeGregorio
Readers of the Ecclesiastical History may be tempted to skip opening chapter, which seems more about obsolete geography than history. Yet this prologue tells us much Bede's conception science and its place within his wider enterprises learning. First, island Britain is carefully measured in length, breadth coastal circumference. Then there follows a catalogue island's natural endowments: plant animal life, hot salt springs minerals. literally exudes health: waters have medicinal properties, jet from mines repels serpents. Finally, northerly latitude makes for exceptionally long summer days winter nights. One could say, then, that Bede frames vision English identity by space, time an inventory world. These two signposts - nature measurement also mark off frontiers science. They are substance early treatises On Nature Things (c. 703) Times (703), they woven together magisterial The Reckoning Time (725).
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