GREGORY THE GREAT A PUNSTER.
Gregory the great was a punster, as appears from an anecdote related of him, and which gave the first impulse to his exertions to promulgate Christianity in this country. It was sometime before he was advanced to St. Peter's chair, and when he was only a deacon in the church, that he saw some handsome youths for sale in the open market: struck with their appearance, he inquired whence they were, and was answered they were Angli (English.) "They are rightly called," said he, "for they seem Angeli," (of or belonging to angels,) and asking what province they were of among the Angli; he was told of Deira (part of the kingdom of Northumbria.) Ah, exclaimed he, De ira Dei sunt liberandi. Learning farther that their king was named Alle, he said how fitly may he sing Allelujahs to God, who possesseth such subjects. From that time he seriously endeavoured to bring about the conversion of the English nation, and a few years afterwards, being Pope, he happily effected it by the travels and labours of St. Augustine, who was the first Archbishop of Canterbury.