Historical Tales, Vol IV: English

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HOW ENGLAND BECAME CHRISTIAN.



One day, in the far-off sixth century, a youthful deacon of the Roman Church walked into the slave-market of Rome, situated at one extremity of the ancient Forum. Gregory, his name; his origin from an ancient noble family, whose genealogy could be traced back to the days of the early Cæsars. A youth was this of imperial powers of mind, one who, had he lived when Rome was mistress of the physical world, might have become emperor; but who, living when Rome had risen to lordship over the spiritual world, became pope,-the famous Gregory the Great.

In the Forum the young deacon saw that which touched his sympathetic soul. Here cattle were being sold; there, men. His eyes were specially attracted by a group of youthful slaves, of aspect such as he had never seen before. They were bright of complexion, their hair long and golden, their expression of touching innocence. Their fair faces were strangely unlike the embrowned complexions to which he had been accustomed, and he stood looking at them in admiration, while the slave-dealers extolled their beauty of face and figure.

“From what country do these young men come?” asked Gregory.

“They are English, Angles,” answered the dealers.

“Not Angles, but angels,” said the deacon, with a feeling of poetic sentiment, “for they have angel-like faces. From what country come they?” he repeated.

“They come from Deira,” said the merchants.

“De irâ” he rejoined, fervently; “ay, plucked from God’s ire and called to Christ’s mercy. And what is the name of their king?”

“Ella,” was the answer.

“Alleluia shall be sung there!” cried the enthusiastic young monk, his imagination touched by the significance of these answers.
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