ked; and many of them being regardless, thro' Fear, were fwallow'd up by the River they were paffing. The harmless Army beheld its Revenge, and became unactive Spectators of their Victory. The fcatter'd Spoils were gather'd up, and the Religious Soldiers rejoyc'd in their Heavenly Succefs. The Prelates triumph'd after vanquishing the Enemy without Bloodshed, and having gain'd a Victory by Faith, without humane Force. The Bishops having fettled the Affairs of the Ifand, and reftor❜d Tranquility by the Defeat, as well of the invifible, as of the carnal Enemies, prepar'd to return home. Their own Merits, and the Interceffion of the Holy Martyr Alban, obtain'd them a safe Paffage, and the happy Veffel reftor'd them in Peace to their rejoycing People.

CHA P. XXI.

The Pelagian Herefy again reviving, GerE man returning into Britain with Severus, firft heal'd a lame Youth, then baving condemn'd, or converted the Hereticks, they reford Spiritual Health to the People of God.

OT long after, Advice was brought from the fame Ifland, that the Pelagian Herefy was again fpread abroad, by a few Perfons. Again the moft holy Mana was in

treated

This fecond Voyage of St. German is Juppos'd twenty Tears after the firft.

4

treated by all the Pricfts, that he would defend the Caufe of God, which he had before afierted. He peedily comply'd with their Request; and taking along with him Severus, a Man of fingular Sanctity, who was Difciple to the most holy Father Lupus, Bishop of Troyes, and then ordain'd Bifhop of Treves, was preaching the Word of God to the People of the hither Germany, put to Sea, and was calmly wafted over into Britain. In the mean time, the wicked Spirits flying about the whole Inland, unwillingly foretold that German was coming, infomuch, that one Elafius, the chief of that Religion, hafted to meet the Holy Men, without having receiv'd any known Meflage, carrying along with him his Son, who labour'd under a miferable Weakness of his Limbs in the very Flower of his Youth; for the Nerves being wither'd, his Leg was contracted, fo that the Limb being dead, he could not walk. All the Country follow'd this Elafius. The Pricfts arriv'd, the Multitude, knowing nothing of their coming, met them, and they blefs'd and preach'd the Word of God to them. They found the People conftant in the Faith they had left, understood that few had gone aftray, found out the Authors, and condemn'd them. Then Elafius caft himself at the Feet of the Priests, prefenting his Son, whofe Diftrefs was visible, without being fignify'd by Intreaties. All in general were griev'd, but efpecially the Priefts, who reprefented their Compaffion before the Throne of Mercy, and German caus'd the Youth to fit down, he handled the Leg drawn up with the Infirmity, ftroking the fame with his healing Hand,

Hand, immediately Soundnefs follow'd the Medicinal Touch, the wither'd Nerves were reftor'd, and the Youth, was, in the Presence of all the People, deliver'd whole to his Father. The Multitude was amaz'd at the Miracle, and the inculcated Faith was confirm'd in their Minds; then were they in a Sermon warn'd and exhorted to make amends for their Errors. By the Judgment of all, the Spreaders of the Herefy, who had been expell'd the Inland, were brought before the Priefts, to be convey'd up into the Inland, that the Conntry might be absoly'd, and they corrected. Thus the Faith in thofe Parts continu'd long after untainted. All things being fettled, the bleffed Prelates return'd as profperously as they came. But German after this went to Ravenna to intercede for, the Nation of Britany in France, where being very honourably receiv'd by Valentinian and his Mother Placidia, he departed to CHRIST; whofe Body was, in regard of his Virtue, convey'd to his own City with a fplendid Attendance. Not long after Valentinian was murder'd by the Followers of Etius, whom he had put to Death, in the fixth Year of the Empire of Marcianus, with whom alfo ended. the Western Kingdom.

"

CHAP.

The Britons being for a Time deliver'd from foreign Invafions, wafted themselves by Civil Wars, and then gave themselves up to more heinous Crimes.

N the mean Time in Britain there was fome refpite from Foreign, but not from Civil War. There ftill remain'd the Ruins of Cities deftroy'd by the Enemy, and abandon'd, the Natives who had efcap'd the Enemy, fought against each other. However, the Kings, Priefts, private Men, and the Nobility ftill remembring the fate Calamities and Slaughters, in fome Meafure kept within Bounds; but thofe dying, and another Gene ration fucceeding, which knew nothing of thofe Times, and was only acquainted with the prefent peaceable State, all the Bonds of Sincerity and Juftice were fo entirely broken, that there was not any, I will not fay, remains, but not fo much as the Remembrance thereof left among a few, and thofe very few. Among other moft wicked Actions, not to be express'd, which their own Hiftoriana Gildas in a mourn

ful

a Call'd Badonicus, being born the fame Tear of the famous Battle of Baddenfdown, a Monk of Bangor, about the middle of the fixth Century, his Book, De Exidio Britanniæ, is all we have of his Works.

ful manner takes notice of, they added this, that they never preach'd the Faith to the Nation of the Saxons, or English, who inhabited Britain together with them; however the divine Goodnefs did not forfake its People, whom it foreknew, but fent to the aforefaid Nations, much more worthy Preachers, to bring it to the Faith.

CHAP. XXIII.

How the Holy Pope Gregory fending Auguftin, with other Monks, to preach to the English Nation, encourag'd them by his Exhortatory Epiftle, not to ceafe from their Labour.

N the Year from the Incarnation of our Lord, 582. Maurice, the 54th fron: Augu ftus, taking the Empire upon him, held it twenty one Years. In the 10th Year of his Reign, Gregory, a Man renowned for Learning and Behaviour, was promoted to the Bishoprick of the Roman and Apoftolical See, and prefided thirteen Years, fix Months, and ten Days. He being moved by Divine Infpiration, in the 14th Year of the fame Emperor, and about the 150 after the coming of the English into Britain, fent the Servant of God, Auguftin, and with him several other Monks, fearing the Lord, to preach the Word of God to the English Nation. They having, in Obedience to

the