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A Primary History of Britain for Elementary Schools
A Primary History of Britain for Elementary Schools Author:William Smith Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Chap. IV. Gregory in the Market-Place. 13 Chap. IV.—Conversion Of The English. From The Arrival Of St. Augustine To The Accession Of Egbert, A.d. 597-800. ... more » The deluge of invasion which swept over Britain had almost, but not quite, hidden the island from the sight of Christian Europe. In Kent, at least, the new settlers kept up intercourse with the kindred Germans who had conquered Gaul; and King Ethelbert was married to Bertha, daughter of Charibert (Herbert), the Frank king of Paris. The Christian queen came attended by a bishop, for whose use the little British church of St. Martin, beyond the walls of Canterbury, was repaired. But King Ethelbert and his people remained Pagans, like all the rest of the English, whose reputation for ferocity warned peaceful strangers from their shores. Now it happened, as the tale is told, that some Anglian boys from Northumbria, taken (we may suppose) by pirates, were exposed for sale at Eome, when the Abbot Gregory went to the market-place. Struck by their white skins, their fair faces, and their beautiful hair, Gregory asked from what land the boys were brought. He was told, " From Britain, for such was the appearance of its people." Again he asked, " Whether those islanders were Christians or still in bondage to pagan error;" and he was told that they were pagans. On this, sighing deeply, he said, "Alas! that men of so bright a face are held by the prince of darkness, and that a countenance so graceful covers a mind void of inward grace!" Then he asked the name of that nation, and was told that they were called Angles. " And well named," said he, " for they have an angelic face, and such ought to be co-heirs with the Angels in heaven. But what name has the province from which they were brought?" It was answered that those provincia...« less