THE VENERABLE BEDE

and Latin, a man of virtuous character and venerable age, that is, sixty-six years old. Hadrian presented him to the pontiff and obtained his ordination as bishop, yet under these conditions: that he himself would lead him into Britain, because he had already traveled to parts of Gaul twice for various reasons, and for that cause had greater knowledge of the route and was sufficiently provided with his own household staff; and that, acting as his collaborator in doctrine, he would diligently ensure that he Theodore did not introduce anything into the church over which he presided that was contrary to the truth of the faith, in the manner of the Greeks. He was ordained subdeacon and waited four months until his hair could grow so that it could be shorn into a crown; for he had previously worn the tonsure after the manner of the Easterns, of the holy apostle Paul. He was ordained by Pope Vitalian in the year of the Lord’s incarnation six hundred and sixty-eight, on the twenty-sixth day of March, a Sunday. And so, together with Hadrian, he was sent to Britain on the twenty-seventh of May. When they had arrived together by sea to Marseilles and then by land to Arles, and had delivered to John, the archbishop of that city, the letters of commendation from Pope Vitalian, they were detained by him until Ebroin, the mayor of the royal palace, granted them the means to proceed wherever they wished. Having received this, Theodore set out for Agilbert, the bishop of the Parisians, of whom we spoke earlier, and was kindly received by him and kept there for a long time. Hadrian proceeded first to Emme, the bishop of Sens,

1 Slaves of his own, which would save cost.
2 Perhaps because of the Monothelite controversy.
3 Who shaved the whole head. They also wore beards.
4 Clothaire III.