. England, from earliest times to the Great Charter . t. Moreover, a presbyter was to be sent over to Britain lest any heathen shoulddie unbaptized on thejourney. It was not, however,until the year followingthat a decided effortwas made by Gregoryto convert the that year (596) themonk Augustine, aservant of God, andwith him a number ofother monks, was sentto preach the Gospel tothe Enghsh nation. At first the mission-aries were terrified atthe thought of havingto venture amor^ thebarbarians, of whosenameless cruelties theyhad been doubtless wellinformed. As Bede tellsus : Smitten pow
. England, from earliest times to the Great Charter . t. Moreover, a presbyter was to be sent over to Britain lest any heathen shoulddie unbaptized on thejourney. It was not, however,until the year followingthat a decided effortwas made by Gregoryto convert the that year (596) themonk Augustine, aservant of God, andwith him a number ofother monks, was sentto preach the Gospel tothe Enghsh nation. At first the mission-aries were terrified atthe thought of havingto venture amor^ thebarbarians, of whosenameless cruelties theyhad been doubtless wellinformed. As Bede tellsus : Smitten powerlesswith fear, they desired toreturn home rather than to go on to a barbarous, fierce, and un-believing people of whose very language they were considered the matter fully, they did eventually cometo the inglorious conclusion that safety rather than honourshould be served. Augustine was sent back to obtain leavefrom Gregory to abandon an expedition so perilous, laborious,and uncertain. Gregory, however, was made of sterner stuff;98. St AugustineRoyal MS. COLUMBA AND AUGUSTINE the weaklings were exhorted to proceed, their Pope sayingmost truly that it would have been better never to havebegun good works than to turn from them in thought whenonce begxm. Augustine, now an abbot, was sent backarmed with letters commendatory, and his followers werestrictly enjoined to obey him. Vergilius, Bishop of Aries,Arigius, Patrician of Gaul, Theoderic and Theodebert, Kingsof the Franks, Brunichilda, Queen of the Franks and armt bymarriage to Bertha, Queen of Kent, were requested to giveall aid in their power to Augustine, and every step was takento smooth the path of the missionaries. Augustines Arrival Augustme, thus exhorted to effort and strengthened byhelp and guidance, appears to have persuaded his followers toaccompany him into the unknown. After a lengthy journeyhe reached Britain, with some forty companions, in the springof 597. It was upon the island of Thanet that
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