Chronology of Aldfrith's Life 293 



returned to the land of his exile or his choice. There is another 

 reason for placing the visit to England at an earlier date than 685, 

 which is that, while in his second letter Aldhelm addresses his 

 correspondent as king, in this he exhorts him, in the capacity of a 

 man of learning, to render his treasures of knowledge accessible 

 to others ('aperito gurgitem, et sitientia rigato arva mentium'^), 

 and actually applies to him the word 'teacher' ('praeceptoris voca- 

 mine'^). In fact, since Aldfrith bore the double character of 

 philosopher and king,^ which Plato* desired to see united in the 

 same person, it is in the former of these aspects that Aldhelm is 

 here regarding him.^ Once in each of these letters he rather 

 pointedly calls Aldfrith's attention to Solomon,^ in each case 

 alluding to the significance of his name, perhaps by way of deli- 

 cate flattery — frid of course meaning 'peace.'" 



The second letter, being addressed to Aldfrith as king, must 

 have been written between 685 and 705. In the opening sen- 

 tence,** the association of Aldhelm and Aldfrith in earlier life is 



^ Giles 93. 17. 



^ Giles 92. 14; cf. Bonhoff, p. 100. 



^ So Alcuin, Dc Pontificibus 843-5 : 



Qui sacris fuerat studiis imbutus ab annis 



^tatis prim?e ; valido sermone sophista ; 



Acer et ingenio; idem rex simul atque magister. 



* Rep. 473 D ; see Plummer 2. 332, and add Alcuin (Episf. loi) to Charle- 

 magne. 



^ Bede twice calls him 'vir doctissimus' (Eccl. Hist. 4. 26; 5. 12), 

 and Eddi twice calls him 'sapientissimus' (chaps. 44, 59), the second time 

 implying wisdom rather than learning. In Irish writings he is called 

 (Plummer 2. 263) 'the wondrous sage, Adamnan's (624-703 or 704) pupil,' 

 and 'Erin's chief sage of learning.' 



" Giles, pp. 93, 219. 



'' Cf. Plummer 2. 312. The anonj'mous life of Cuthbert (chap. 28) speaks 

 of Aldfrith, 'qui nunc regnat pacificc' 



^ This sentence is as follows (Giles, p. 216; Ehwald, pp. 61-2): 'Non 

 ambigo, reverentissime fili, sed, profunda credulitatis frena relaxans, confido 

 quod provida sagacitatis vestras praecordia reminiscantur, nos ante bis bina 

 lustrorum volumina inextricabile conglutinati foederis pignus pepigisse, et 

 spiritali sodalitatis vinculo devotse caritatis contubernia copulasse ; nam, 

 pridem, tempore pubertatis nostrse, cum septiformi spiritalium charismatum 

 munificentia vestra solers indolis sub manu venerandi pontificis ornaretur, 

 paternum memini me nomen adeptum, teque adoptivse dignitatis vocabula 

 cum cselestis gratiae prserogativa sortitum.' An approximate translation 



