From this time British and Roman cuftoms entirely ceased in the island; the language, which had been either Latin or Celtic, was difcontinued, and the Saxon or English only was spoken. The land, before divided into colonies or governments, was cantoned into fhires, with Saxon appellations to distinguish them. The habits of the people in peace, and arms in war, their titles of honour, their laws, and methods of trial by jury, were continued as originally practifed by the Germans, only with fuch alterations as encreafing civilization produced. Conquerors, although they diffeminate their own laws and manners, often borrow from the people they fubdue. In the present inftance they imitated the Britons in their government, by defpotic and hereditary monarchies, while their exemplary chastity, and their abhorrence of slavery, were quite forgotten.

The Saxons being thus established in all the defirable parts of the island, and having no longer the Britons to contend with, began to quarrel among themfelves. A country divided into a number of petty independent principalities, must ever be fubject to contention, as jealousy and ambition have more frequent incentives to operate. The wars therefore and revolutions of thefe little rival ftates were ex

tremely

tremely numerous, and the accounts of them have fwelled the hiftorian's page. But thefe accounts are fo confusedly written, the materials fo dry, uninteresting, and filled with fuch improbable adventures, that a repetition of them can gratify neither the reader's judgment nor curiofity. Instead therefore of entering into a detail of tumultuous battles, petty treacheries, and obfcure fucceffions, it will be more conformable to the present plan, to give some account of the introduction of Christianity among the Saxons, which happened during this dreary period.

The Chriftian religion never suffered more perfecution than it underwent in Britain from the barbarity of the Saxon pagans, who burned all the churches, ftained the altars with the blood of the clergy, and maffacred all those whom they found profeffing Chriftianity. This deplorable state of religion in Britain was firft taken into confideration by St. Gregory, who was then pope, and he undertook to fend miffionaries thither. It is faid, that, before his elevation to the papal chair, he chanced one day to pass through the flave-market at Rome, and perceiving fome children of great beauty who were fet up for fale, he enquired about. their country, and finding they were English pages,

pages, he is faid to have cried out, in the Latin language, Non Angli fed Angeli forent, fi essent Chriftiani; They would not be English, but Angels, had they been Chriftians. From that time he was ftruck with an ardent defire to convert that unenlightened nation, and actually embarked in a fhip for Britain, when his pious intentions were fruftrated by his being detained at Rome by the populace, who loved him. He did not however lay afide his pious refolution; for, having fucceeded to the papal chair, he ordered a monk, named Auguftine, and others of the fame fraternity, to undertake the miffion into Britain. It was not without fome reluctance that these reverend men undertook fo dangerous a task; but fome favourable circumstances in Britain feem

ed providentially to prepare the way for their arrival. Ethelbert, king of Kent, in his father's life-time had married Bertha, the only daughter of Coribert, king of Paris, one of the defcendants of Clovis, king of Gaul. But before he was admitted to this alliance, he was obliged to ftipulate that this princess. should enjoy the free exercise of her religion, which was that of Chriftianity. She was therefore attended to Canterbury, the place of her refidence, by Luidhard, a Gaulish prelate, who officiated in a church dedicated to St. Martin,

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which had been built by the Romans, near the walls of Canterbury. The exemplary conduct and powerful preaching of this primitive bifhop, added to the queen's learning and zeal, made very ftrong impreffions upon the king, as well as the reft of his fubjects, in favour of Christianity. The general reception of this holy religion all over the continent might also contribute to difpofe the minds of these idolaters for its admiffion, and make the attempt lefs dangerous than Auguftine and his affociates at firft fuppofed.

This pious monk, upon his first landing in the Ifle of Thanet, fent one of his interpreters to the Kentish king, declaring he was come from Rome with offers of eternal falvation. In the mean time he and his followers lay in the open air, that they might not, according to the belief of the times, by entering a Saxon houfe, fubject themfelves to the power of heathen necromancy. The king immediately ordered them to be furnished with all neceffaries, and even vifited them, though without declaring himfelf as yet in their favour. Auguftine, however, encouraged by this favourable reception, and now feeing a prospect of fuccefs, proceeded with redoubled zeal to preach the gospel, and even endeavoured to call in the aid of miracles to enforce his exhortations.

hortations. So much affiduity, together with the earnestness of his addrefs, the aufterity of his life and the example of his followers, at last powerfully operated. The king openly espoused the Christian religion, while his example wrought fo fuccefsfully on his fubjects, that numbers of them came voluntarily to be baptized, their miffioner loudly declaring against any coercive means towards their converfion. The heathen temples being purified, were changed to places of Chriftian worship, and fuch churches as had been fuffered to decay were repaired. The more to facilitate the reception of Christianity, the pope enjoined his miffioner to remove the pagan idols, but not to throw down the altars, obferving, that the people would be allured to frequent those places, which they had formerly been accustomed to revere. He also permitted him to indulge the people in those feafts and chearful entertainments which they had been formerly accustomed to celebrate near the places of their idolatrous worship. The people thus exchanged their ancient opinions with readiness, fince they found themfelves indulged in those innocent relaxations which are only immoral when carried to an excefs. Auguftine was confecrated archbishop of Canterbury, endowed with authority over all the British churches,

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