endowed with learning, this ought not to be a lo or difficult work; but since now by God's will t time is suitable, make up by increased exertion f the past neglect." The letter itself states that was written after Laurence and Peter had arrive in Rome, who were sent by Augustine to acquai Gregory "that the nation of the English had receive the faith of Christ, and that he himself was mad their bishop." The only way of explaining th matter seems to be that the letter to Bertha wa sent back at once by Laurence and Peter in 597 A.1 not by Laurence and Mellitus in 601 A.D.; and th the announcement that "the nation of the Englis had received the faith of Christ" did not includ the King, but, on the contrary, purposely omitte his name; and that the letter to Bertha has bee assigned to the later date in error. Returning to th letter, Gregory goes on to urge the Queen: "Therefor by constant persuasion strengthen the mind of you glorious husband in the love of the Christian fait let your solicitude for him infuse increase of love. God, and so kindle his mind and the minds of thos subject to him with the fullest conversion, that bot he may offer a great sacrifice to Almighty God throug the earnestness of your devotion, and that those thing which are told of you may grow and be every wa approved. For your good deeds have come to b known not only to us Romans, but to many place and even to Constantinople and to the most serer Prince (viz. the Eastern Emperor); so that not onl Christians rejoice, but there is joy among the ange in heaven." He concludes by commending the afor mentioned, his very reverend brother and fellow-bisho

and the servants of God, "whom we have sent with him for the conversion of your nation," and hopes that she may reign happily with her glorious husband, and after many years receive the joys of the future life which knows no end.

GREGORY also sent back by Laurence and Peter a lo letter to Augustine, in reply to questions which t quondam prior had submitted to his quondam abb It is not the only evidence that, so long as he live Gregory took an active interest in the affairs of t English mission, and that Augustine dutifully receiv the counsels and reproofs of his old master. Gregor replies embody Augustine's questions; it will suff to make some extracts from the Letters.

"1. Concerning bishops, how are they to beha themselves towards their clergy? Into how ma portions are the things given by the faithful to t altar to be divided? and how is the bishop to a in the church?"

"Holy Scripture, and especially St. Paul's Epistle Timothy, answers the question. But it is the custom the Apostolic See to prescribe this rule to all bisho newly ordained, that all the stipend which accr should be divided into four portions-one for t bishop and his family, for hospitality and ma tenance, another to the clergy, a third to the po and the fourth for the repair of churches. But si your Fraternity was brought up under monas

rules, it does not become you to live apart from your clergy in the Church of the English, which, by God's help, has lately been brought to the faith; you are to follow that course of life which our fathers did in the infant Church, when none of them said that anything which he possessed was his own, but all things were in common to them."

[In Letters of Gregory there is inserted here another question: "I desire to know whether clerics who cannot be continent may marry, and if they marry, whether they ought to return to the world.” To which there is the same answer which we find in Bede]:

"If there are any clerics, not in holy orders, who cannot live continent, they should take wives and receive their stipends outside (the community), because we know it is written in the authorities above mentioned, that distribution was made to every man according to his need. Their stipends are therefore to be cared for and provided, and they are to be kept under ecclesiastical rules, that they may live orderly and attend to singing of Psalms, and, by the help of God, keep their hearts and tongues and bodies from all unlawful things. But for those living in common, why need we say anything about assigning portions, or maintaining hospitality, or fulfilling works of mercy, since everything beyond your needs is to be expended in pious and religious works, and since our Lord and Master says as to all which remains, 'Give alms of such things as ye have, and behold all things are clean to you' (Luke xi. 41)'?"

Augustine's second question:-" 2. Since the faith is one, why are the customs of the Churches different―

one use of the mass exists in the Roman Church, a another is observed in the Churches of Gaul?"

Answer of the blessed Pope Gregory :

"Your Fraternity knows the use of the Roma Church, in which you remember you were broug up; but it seems good to me that if you have four anything in the Roman or Gallican, or any oth Church, which may be more acceptable to Almigh God, you should carefully select it, and introdu into the Church of the English, which is still ne in the faith, whatsoever you can gather from t several Churches. For things are not to be loved f the sake of places, but places for the sake of thing From them choose things which are pious, religiou and right, and, having collected them into one pack (fasciculum), place them in the minds of the Englis as their use.

Augustine's third question :-" 3. I pray you to i form me what he ought to suffer who shall take thing from the Church by theft."

Answer of the blessed Pope Gregory:

"It depends upon the person who has committed th theft; for some steal who are not in need, and some ste through want. Therefore some must be punished b fine, and some by stripes, some with greater severity, an some more mildly. And when greater severity is use it is to proceed from charity, not from anger, for this done to him who is corrected, lest he be delivered u to hell. . . . You may add that they ought to restor those things which they have stolen from the Churc but far be it from the Church to receive profit fro those things which she seemed to lose, and seek gai out of her losses."