AND SOLD BY LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, 1815. St. Augustin, (26TH MAY.) AUGUSTIN,- -or more properly AUSTIN,-is highly esteemed, not only for his numerous personal virtues and his splendid abilities, but for the great and important services he rendered to this kingdom, by the conversion of our pagan ancestors from their superstitious and erroneous belief; whence he obtained the title of " APOSTLE OF THE ENGLISH." As Christianity had been introduced for centuries before ST. AUSTIN'S mission, that epithet would not appear to be correctly applied to him. (See vol. I. p. 257.) ST. GREGORY the First, who had long meditated this benevolent and pious intention, selected AusTIN, who was a monk of the convent of ST. ANDREW at Rome, and FORTY OTHER EMINENT PERSONS of that order, about the year 596, to perform this office; and the zeal and ability they evinced in the undertaking, amply testified the wisdom of their election. The English historians VOL. II, |