dære fare tihte: "Ne beo ge afyrhte ðurh geswince þæs langsuman færeldes, ode purh yfelra manna ymbe-spræce; ac mid ealre ânrædnysse and wylme pære soðan lufe pas ongunnenan ðing þurh Godes fultum gefremmað. And wite ge þæt eower med on dam ecan edleane swa miccle mare bið, swa micclum swa ge mare for Godes willan swincað. Gehyrsumiað eadmodlice on eallum ðingum Augustine, pone de we eow to ealdre gesetton: hit fremad eowrum sawlum swa hwet swa ge be his mynegunge gefyllað. Se Ælmihtiga God purh his gife eow gescylde, and geunne me þæt ic mote eoweres geswinces wæstm on ðam ecan eðele geseon, swa þæt ic beo gemet samod on blisse eoweres edleanes, deah de ic mid eow swincan ne mæge; forðon de ic wille swincan.” Augustinus ða mid his geferum, þæt sind gerehte feowertig wera, ferde be Gregories hæse, oðþæt hí to disum íglande gesundfullice becomon.

On dam dagum rixode Apelbyrht cyning on Cantwarebyrig ríclice, and his rice was astreht fram dære micclan eá Humbre oð suð sæ. Augustinus hæfde genumen wealhstodas of Francena rice, swa swa Gregorius him bebead, and he, durh dæra wealhstoda muð, þam cyninge and his leode Godes word bodade: hu se mildheorta Hælend, mid his ágenre Trowunge, þysne scyldigan middaneard alysde, and geleaffullum mannum heofonan ríces infær geopenode. Pa andwyrde se cyning Æðelbriht Augustine, and cwæð, þæt he fægere word and behất him cydde; and cwæð, þæt he ne mihte swa hrædlice pone ealdan gewunan de he mid Angelcynne heold forlætan: cwæð þæt he moste freolice da heofonlican lâre his leode bodian, and þæt he him and his geferan bigleofan denian wolde; and forgeaf him da wununge on Cantwarebyrig, seo was calles his rices heafod-burh.

Ongaun da Augustinus mid his munecum to geefenlæcenne þæra apostola líf, mid singalum gebedum, and wæccan, and fæstenun Gode deowigende, and lifes word pam de hí mihton

words: "Be ye not afraid through the toil of the tedious journey, or through the speeches of evil men; but with all steadfastness and fervour of true love perform the thing begun through the aid of God. And know ye that your meed in the everlasting reward will be so much the greater, by how much the more ye toil for the will of God. Obey Augustine humbly in all things, whom we have appointed to you for chief: it will benefit your souls whatsoever ye fulfil by his admonition. May Almighty God through his grace shield you, and grant to me that I may see the fruit of your toil in the eternal country, so that I may be found together with you in the joy of your reward, though I may not toil with you; for I have the will to toil." Augustine then with his companions, who are reckoned at forty men, journeyed by Gregory's command, till they came safely to this island.

In those days king Ethelbyrht reigned powerfully in Canterbury, and his realm was stretched from the great river Humber to the south sea. Augustine had taken interpreters from the realm of the Franks, as Gregory had commanded him, and he, through the mouth of those interpreters, preached the word of God to the king and his people: how the merciful Jesus by his own passion redeemed this guilty world, and opened to believing men an entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Then king Æthelbyrht answered Augustine, and said, that he announced to him fair words and promises, and said that he could not so hastily forsake the old usage, which he with the English nation observed: he said that he might freely preach the heavenly doctrine to his people, and that he would supply subsistence to him and his companions; and gave him then a dwelling in Canterbury, which was the head city of all his realm.

Augustine then with his monks began to imitate the life of the apostles, serving God with constant prayers, and watchings, and fastings, and preaching the word of life to those to

HOM. VOL. II.

K

bodigende, ealle middaneardlice ding, swa swa ælfremede, forhōgigende; ða þing ána þe hí to bigleofan behōfedon underfonde, be ðam de hí tæhton sylfe lybbende, and for dære soðfæstnysse de hí bodedon gearowe wæron ehtuysse to ðoligenne, and deade sweltan, gif hí ðorfton.

Hwæt da gelyfdon forwel menige, and on Godes naman gefullode wurdon, wundrigende þære bilewitnysse heora unscað igan lifes, and swetnysse heora heofonlican lare. Đa æt nextan gelustfullode ðain cyninge Æðelbrihte heora clæne lif and heora wynsume behát, þa soðlice wurdon mid manegum tacnum geseðde; and he ða gelyfende wearð gefullod, and micclum da cristenan gearwurdode, and swa swa heofonlice ceaster-gewaran lufode: nolde swa-ðeah nænne to cristendome geneadian, forðan de hê ofaxode æt dam láreowum his hæle, þæt Cristes deowdom ne sceal beon geneadad, ac sylfwilles. Ongunnon ða dæghwomlice forwel menige efstan to gehyrenne da halgan bodunge, and forleton heora hæðenscipe, and hí sylfe geðeoddon Cristes gelaðunge, on hine gelyfende.

Betwux ðisum gewende Augustinus ofer sæ to dam ercebiscope Etherium, and he hine gehâdode Angelcynne to ercebiscope, swa swa him Gregorius ær gewissode. Augustinus ða gehādod cyrde to his biscop-stole, and asende ærendracan to Rome, and cydde dam eadigan Gregorie þæt Angelcynn cristendom underfeng, and he eac mid gewritum fela ðinga befrán, hu him to drohtnigenne wære betwux dam níg-hworfenum folce. Hwæt ða Gregorius micclum Gode dancode mid blissigendum mode, þæt Angelcynne swa gelumpen was, swa swa he sylf geornlice gewilnode, and sende eft ongean ærendracan to dam geleaffullan cyninge Æþelbrihte, mid gewritum and menigfealdum lacum, and oðre gewritu to Augustine, mid andswarum ealra dæra ðinga þe he hine befrán, and hine eac disum wordum mánode: "Broder min se leofosta, ic wat þæt se Ælmihtiga God fela wundra purh de pære deode de hê geceas geswutelað, þæs ðu miht

whom they could, despising all worldly things as extraneous; receiving those things only which were necessary for their subsistence, living themselves conformably to what they taught, and for the truth which they preached were ready to undergo persecution and suffer death, if they had cause.

Hereupon very many believed, and were baptized in God's name, wondering at the meekness of their harmless life, and the sweetness of their heavenly lore. Then at last king Æthelbyrht was delighted with their pure life and pleasing promises, which truly were verified by many miracles; and he then believing was baptized, and greatly honoured the christians, and as heavenly citizens loved them: yet would he not compel any one to christianity, for he had been informed by the teachers of his salvation, that Christ's service should not be forced, but voluntary. Very many then begun to hasten daily to hear the holy preaching, and forsook their heathenism, and joined themselves to the church of Christ, believing in him.

In the meanwhile Augustine went beyond sea to the archbishop Etherius, and he ordained him archbishop of the English nation, as Gregory had previously directed him. Augustine then being ordained, returned to his episcopal see, and sent messengers to Rome, and announced to the blessed Gregory that the English nation had received christianity, and he also by letters asked many things, as to how he should live among the newly converted people. Hereupon Gregory fervently thanked God with joyful mind, that it had so taken place in the English nation as he himself had earnestly desired, and sent messengers again to the believing king Æthelbyrht, with letters and manifold gifts, and other letters to Augustine, with answers to all the things he had asked him, and admonished him also in these words: "My dearest brother, I know that the Almighty God manifesteth many miracles through thee to the nation that he hath chosen,

blissigan and eac de ondrædan. Pu miht blissigan gewisslice þæt dære deode sawla þurh ða yttran wundra beoð getogene to dære incundan gife; ondræd de swa-deah þæt ðin mód ne beo ahafen mid dyrstignysse on dam tacnum þe God ðurh de gefremad, and pu donon on îdelum wuldre befealle wiðinnan, ponon de du wiðutan on wurdmynte ahafen bist."

Gregorius asende eac Augustine halige lac on mæsse-reafum, and on bocum, and dæra apostola and martyra reliquias samod; and bebead þæt his æftergengan symle done pallium and done ercehád æt dam apostolican setle Romaniscre gelaðunge feccan sceoldon. Augustinus gesette æfter ðisum biscopas of his geferum gehwilcum burgum on Engla eode, and hí on Godes geleafan deonde ðurhwunodon oð ðisum dægðerlicum dæge.

Se eadiga Gregorius gedihte manega halige traht-bec, and mid micelre gecnyrdnysse Godes folc to dam ecan life gewissode, and fela wundra on his life geworhte, and wuldorfullice pas papan setles geweold Oreottyne gear, and six mondas, and tyn dagas, and siððan on ðisum dæge gewất to dam ecan setle heofenan rices, on dam he leofað mid Gode Ælmihtigum á on ecnysse. Amen.

XIII. KL. APRILIS.

DEPOSITIO SCI CUTHBERHTI EPISCOPI.

CUTHBERHTUS, se halga biscop, scinende on manegum geearnungum and healicum geðincðum, on heofenan rice, mid pam Elmihtigum Scyppende on ecere blisse rixiende wuldrað.

Beda, se snotera Engla deode lareow, pises halgan líf endebyrdlice mid wunderfullum herungum, ægder ge æfter án