HADRIAN AND THEODORE

the apostolic pope, of a great store of plate, both silver and gold. And being arrived at Rome in the time that Vitalian was over the apostolic see thereof, and having declared the cause of his coming to the said apostolic pope, no long time after both Wighard himself and almost all his company, which had come with him, were surprised by a pestilence and destroyed.

Whereupon the apostolic pope, having taken counsel thereon, inquired diligently whom he might send for archbishop over the churches of the English. Now there was in the monastery of Niridan a location near Naples, possibly Hiridano, not far from Naples in Campania, an abbot, Hadrian, an African born, a man accurately learned in the sacred writings as well as trained in monastical and ecclesiastical discipline, and right skillful in the Greek as well as the Latin tongue. This man being called to the pope was willed by him to take the bishopric upon him and travel unto Britain. But he, answering that he was no meet man for so high a degree, said that he could point out another who, both for his learning and his age, was better fit for undertaking the bishopric. And when he presented to the pope a certain monk belonging to a neighboring monastery of virgins, called Andrew, this man was by all that knew him esteemed worthy of the bishopric. Yet the burden of a weak and sickly body made it impossible that he should be appointed bishop. And Hadrian, being required again to take it upon him, desired certain days of respite, if haply in time he could find another to be ordained bishop.

At this very time there was in Rome a monk of Hadrian's acquaintance, named Theodore, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, a man well learned both in profane and divine literature and in the Greek and Latin