oblatus Britonum sacerdotibus nil curationis vel sanationis horum ministerio perciperet; tandem Augustinus justa necessitate compulsus flectit genua sua ad Patrem Domini nostri Jesu Christi, deprecans ut visum cæco, quem amiserat, restitueret, et per illuminationem unius hominis corporalem, in plurimorum cordibus fidelium spiritualis gratiæ lucem accenderet. Nec mora, illuminatur cæcus, ac verus summæ lucis præco ab omnibus prædicatur Augustinus. Tum Britones confitentur quidem intellexisse se veram esse viam justitiæ, quam prædicaret Augustinus; sed non se posse absque suorum consensu ac licentia priscis abdicare moribus. Unde postulabant ut secundo synodus pluribus advenientibus fieret. Quod cum esset statutum, venerunt, ut perhibent, septem Britonum episcopi et plures viri doctissimi, maxime de nobilissimo eorum monasterio, quod vocatur lingua Anglorum Bancornaburg, cui tempore illo Dinooth abbas præfuisse narratur, qui ad præfatum ituri concilium venerunt primo ad quendam virum sanctum ac prudentem, qui apud eos anachoreticam ducere vitam solebat, consulentes an ad predicationem Augustini suas deserere traditiones deberent. Qui respondebat, "Si homo Dei est, sequimini illum." Dixerunt, "Et unde hoc possumus probare?" At ille, "Dominus," inquit, "ait, [Matt. xi. 29,] Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum et humilis corde. Si ergo Augustinus ille mitis est et humilis corde, credibile est quia jugum Christi et ipse portet et vobis portandum offerat; sin autem immitis ac superbus est, constat quia non est de Deo, neque nobis ejus sermo curandus." Qui rursus aiebant, "Et unde vel hoc dignoscere valemus?"-"Procurate," inquit, "ut ipse prior cum suis ad locum synodi Augustine's A.D. 603. priests of the Britons, found no benefit or cure from Synod at their ministry; at length, Augustine, compelled by Oak. real necessity, bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying that the lost sight might be restored to the blind man, and by the corporeal enlightening of one man, the light of spiritual grace might be kindled in the hearts of many of the faithful. Immediately the blind man received sight, and Augustine was by all declared the preacher of the Divine truth. The Britons then confessed, that it was the true way of righteousness which Augustine taught; but that they could not depart from their ancient customs without the consent and leave of their people. They therefore desired that a second synod might be appointed, at which more of their number would be present. This being decreed, there came (as is asserted) seven bishops of the Britons, and many most learned men, particularly from their most noble monastery, which, in the English tongue, is called Bancornaburg, over which the Abbot Dinooth is said to have presided at that time. They that were to go to the aforesaid council, repaired first to a certain holy and discreet man, who was wont to lead an eremitical life among them, advising with him, whether they ought, at the preaching of Augustine, to forsake their traditions. He answered, "If he is a man of God, follow him."-" How shall we know that?" said they. He replied, "Our Lord saith, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; if, therefore, Augustine is meek and lowly of heart, it is to be believed that he has taken upon him the yoke of Christ, and offers the same to you to take upon you. But, if he is stern and haughty, it appears that he is not of God, nor are we to regard his words." They insisted again, "And how shall we discern even this?"-" Do you contrive," said the anchorite, "that he may first arrive with his company at the place where adveniat, et si vobis appropinquantibus assurrexerit, scientes quia famulus Christi est, obtemperanter illum audite; sin autem vos spreverit, nec coram vobis assurgere voluerit, cum sitis numero plures, et ipse spernatur a vobis." Fecerunt ut dixerat, factumque est ut, venientibus illis, sederet Augustinus in sella; quod illi videntes mox in iram conversi sunt, eumque notantes superbiæ cunctis, quæ dicebat, contradicere laborabant. Dicebat autem eis, "Quia in multis quidem nostræ consuetudini, imo universalis ecclesiæ, contraria geritis; et tamen si in tribus his mihi obtemperare vultis, ut Pascha suo tempore celebretis; ut ministerium baptizandi, quo Deo renascimur, juxta morem sanctæ Romanæ et apostolicæ ecclesiæ compleatis; ut genti Anglorum una nobiscum verbum Domini prædicetis; cetera quæ agitis, quamvis moribus nostris contraria, æquanimiter cuncta tolerabimus." At illi nil horum se facturos, neque illum pro archiepiscopo habituros esse respondebant; conferentes ad invicem, "Quia si modo nobis assurgere noluit, quanto magis, si ei subdi cœperimus, jam nos pro nihilo comtemnet!" Quibus vir Domini Augustinus fertur minitans prædixisse, quia si pacem cum fratribus accipere nollent, bellum ab hostibus forent accepturi; et si nationi Anglorum noluissent viam vitæ prædicare, per horum manus ultionem essent mortis passuri. Quod ita per omnia, ut prædixerat, divino agente judicio, patra tum est. Siquidem post hæc ipse, de quo diximus, rex Anglorum fortissimus Ethelfridus, collecto grandi exercitu, ad Civitatem Legionum, quæ a gente Anglorum Legacestir, a Britonibus autem rectius Carlegion appellatur, maximam gentis perfidæ stragem dedit. Cumque bellum acturus videret sacerdotes eorum, qui ad exorandum Augustine's the synod is to be held; and if at your approach he shall Synod at rise up to you, hear him submissively, being assured that Oak. he is the servant of Christ; but if he shall despise you, and not rise up to you, whereas you are more in number, let him also be despised by you." They did as he directed; and it happened, that when they came, Augustine was sitting on a chair, which they observing, were in a passion, and charging him with pride, endeavoured to contradict all he said. He said to them, "You act in many particulars contrary to our custom, or rather the custom of the universal church, and yet, if you will comply with me in these three points, viz. to keep Easter at the due time; to administer baptism, by which we are again born to God, according to the custom of the holy Roman Apostolic Church; and jointly with us to preach the word of God to the English nation, we will readily tolerate all the other things you do, though contrary to our customs." They answered they would do none of those things, nor receive him as their archbishop; for they alleged among themselves, that "if he would not now rise up to us, how much more will he contemn us, as of no worth, if we shall begin to be under his subjection?" To whom the man of God, Augustine, is said, in a threatening manner, to have foretold, that in case they would not join in unity with their brethren, they should be warred upon by their enemies; and, if they would not preach the way of life to the English nation, they should at their hands undergo the vengeance of death. All which, through the dispensation of the Divine judgment, fell out exactly as he had predicted. A.D. 603. the Britons. For the warlike king of the English, Ethelfrid, having Slaughter of raised a mighty army, made a very great slaughter of A.D. 613. that perfidious nation, at the City of Legions, which by the English is called Legacestir, but by the Britons more rightly Carlegion. Being about to give battle, he observed their priests, who were come together to offer Deum pro milite bellum agente convenerant, seorsum in tutiore loco consistere, sciscitabatur qui essent hi, quidve acturi illo convenissent. Erant autem plurimi eorum de monasterio Bancor, in quo tantus fertur fuisse numerus monachorum, ut cum in septem portiones esset cum præpositis sibi rectoribus monasterium divisum, nulla harum portio minus quam trecentos homines haberet, qui omnes de labore manuum suarum vivere solebant. Horum ergo plurimi ad memoratam aciem, peracto jejunio triduano, cum aliis orandi causa convenerant, habentes defensorem nomine Brocmalium, qui eos intentos precibus a barbarorum gladiis protegeret. Quorum causam adventus cum intellexisset Rex Ethelfridus, ait, "Ergo si adversum nos ad Deum suum clamant, profecto et ipsi, quamvis arma non ferant, contra nos pugnant, qui adversis nos imprecationibus persequuntur." Itaque in hos primum arma verti jubet, et sic ceteras nefanda militiæ copias, non sine magno exercitus sui damno, delevit ; exstinctos in ea pugna ferunt, de his, qui ad orandum venerant, viros circiter mille ducentos, et solum quinquaginta fuga esse lapsos; Brocmalius ad primum hostium adventum cum suis terga vertens, eos, quos defendere debuerat, inermes ac nudos ferientibus gladiis reliquit. Sicque completum est præsagium sancti pontificis Augustini, quamvis ipso jam multo ante tempore ad cœlestia regna sublato, ut etiam temporalis interitus ultionem sentirent perfidi, quod oblata sibi perpetuæ salutis consilia spreverant. CAP. III.-UT IDEM MELLITUM AC JUSTUM EPISCOPOS FECERIT; ET DE OBITU EJUS. ANNO Dominicæ incarnationis sexcentesimo quarto, Augustinus Britanniarum archiepiscopus ordinavit duos episcopos, Mellitum videlicet et Justum. Mellitum quidem ad prædicandum provinciæ Orientalium Sax |