Biography of Archbishop Augustine 540-604
Around 540 Archbishop Augustine was born.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 596. This year Pope Gregory sent Augustine (age 56) to Britain with very many monks, to preach the word of God to the English people.
Bede. ST. AUGUSTINE (age 57), BEING MADE BISHOP, SENDS TO ACQUAINT POPE GREGORY (age 57) WITH WHAT HAD BEEN DONE, AND RECEIVES HIS ANSWER TO THE DOUBTS HE HAD PROPOSED TO HIM. [A.D. 597.]
In the meantime, Augustine, the man of God, repaired to Arles, and, pursuant to the orders received from the holy Father Gregory, was ordained archbishop of the English nation, by Ætherius, archbishop of that city. Then returning into Britain, he sent Laurentius the priest, and Peter the monk, to Rome, to acquaint Pope Gregory, that the nation of the English had received the faith of Christ, and that he was himself made their bishop. At the same time, he desired his solution of some doubts that occurred to him. He soon received proper answers to his questions which we have also thought fit to insert in this, our history—
Bede. AUGUSTINE, COMING INTO BRITAIN, FIRST PREACHED IN THE ISLE OF THANET [Map] TO KING ETHELBERT (age 47), AND HAVING OBTAINED LICENCE, ENTERED THE KINGDOM OF KENT, IN ORDER TO PREACH THEREIN. [A.D. 597.]
Augustine (age 57), thus strengthened by the confirmation of the blessed Father Gregory (age 57), returned to the work of the word of God, with the servants of Christ, and arrived in Britain. The powerful Ethelbert was at that time king of Kent; he had extended his dominions as far as the great river Humber, by which the Southern Saxons are divided from the Northern. On the east of Kent is the large Isle of Thanet [Map] containing according to the English way of reckoning, 600 families, divided from the other land by the river Wantsum, which is about three furlongs over, and fordable only in two places, for both ends of it run into the sea. In this island landed the servant of our Lord, Augustine, and his companions, being, as is reported, nearly forty men. They had, by order of the blessed Pope Gregory, taken interpreters of the nation of the Franks, and sending to Ethelbert, signified that they were come from Rome, and brought a joyful message, which most undoubtedly assured to all that took advantage of it everlasting joys in heaven and a kingdom that would never end with the living and true God. The king having heard this, ordered them to stay in that island [Map] where they had landed, and that they should be furnished with all necessaries, till he should consider what to do with them. For he had before heard of the Christian religion, having a Christian wife of the royal family of the Franks, called Bertha (age 32); whom he had received from her parents, upon condition that she should be permitted to practice her religion with the Bishop Luidhard, who was sent with her to preserve her faith. Some days after, the king came into the island, and sitting in the open air, ordered Augustine and his companions to be brought into his presence. For he had taken precaution that they should not come to him in any house, lest, according to an ancient superstition, if they practiced any magical arts, they might impose upon him, and so get the better of him. But they came furnished with Divine, not with magic virtue, bearing a silver cross for their banner, and the image of our Lord and Saviour painted on a board; and singing the litany, they offered up their prayers to the Lord for the eternal salvation both of themselves and of those to whom they were come. When he had sat down, pursuant to the king's commands, and preached to him and his attendants there present, the word of life, the king answered thus:—"Your words and promises are very fair, but as they are new to us, and of uncertain import, I cannot approve of them so far as to forsake that which I have so long followed with the whole English nation. But because you are come from far into my kingdom, and, as I conceive, are desirous to impart to us those things which you believe to be true, and most beneficial, we will not molest you, but give you favourable entertainment, and take care to supply you with your necessary sustenance; nor do we forbid you to preach and gain as many as you can to your religion." Accordingly he permitted them to reside in the city of Canterbury [Map], which was the metropolis of all his dominions, and, pursuant to his promise, besides allowing them sustenance, did not refuse them liberty to preach. It is reported that, as they drew near to the city, after their manner, with the holy cross, and the image of our sovereign Lord and King, Jesus Christ, they, in concert, sung this litany: "We beseech Thee, O Lord, in all Thy mercy, that thy anger and wrath be turned away from this city, and from the holy house, because we have sinned. Hallelujah."
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 597. This year began Ceolwulf to reign over the West-Saxons; and he constantly fought and conquered, either with the Angles, or the Welsh, or the Picts, or the Scots. He was the son of Cutha, Cutha of Cynric, Cynric of Cerdic, Cerdic of Elesa, Elesa of Gewis, Gewis of Wye, Wye of Frewin, Frewin of Frithgar, Frithgar of Brand, Brand of Balday, and Balday of Woden. This year came Augustine (age 57) and his companions to England.17
Note 17. For an interesting and minute account of the arrival of Augustine and his companions in the Isle of Thanet, their entrance into Canterbury, and their general reception in England, vid. Bede. "Hist. Eccles." i. 25, and the following chapters, with the Saxon translation by King Alfred. The succeeding historians have in general repeated the very words of Bede.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 601. This year Pope Gregory (age 61) sent the pall to Archbishop Augustine (age 61) in Britain, with very many learned doctors to assist him; and Bishop Paulinus converted Edwin (age 15), king of the Northumbrians, to baptism.
In Jun 601 Bishop Mellitus travelled to England on the orders of Pope Gregory I (age 61) following a request from Archbishop Augustine (age 61) for more clergy to join the Gregorian mission that was converting the kingdom of Kent.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 604. This year Augustine (age 64) consecrated two bishops, Mellitus and Justus. Mellitus he sent to preach baptism to the East-Saxons. Their king was called Seabert, the son of Ricola, Ethelbert's (age 54) sister, whom Ethelbert placed there as king. Ethelbert also gave Mellitus the bishopric of London; and to Justus he gave the bishopric of Rochester, which is twenty-four miles from Canterbury, Kent [Map].
On 26 May 604 Archbishop Augustine (age 64) died. The date probable.
Charter 3. 605. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let it be known to all, both present and future, that I, Æthelberht (age 55), by the grace of God, King of the English, made a Christ-follower by my evangelic father Augustine from being an idolater, have granted to God through this bishop a portion of my land under the eastern wall of the city of Canterbury, where I have founded a monastery in honor of the chief apostles Peter and Paul through the same founder in Christ. With this land, and with all that pertains to this monastery, I have endowed it with perpetual freedom, so that neither I nor any of my successors, nor any authority, whether ecclesiastical or secular, may ever usurp anything from it, but all shall be under the free control of the abbot.
If anyone should attempt to diminish or invalidate this donation of ours, by the authority of the blessed Pope Gregory, of our apostle Augustine, and by our own curse, let them be separated here from all communion with the holy church and on the day of judgment from the company of all the elect.
This land is bounded by the following limits: to the east, the church of Saint Martin; and thence eastward to Sywenne Hill, and thus to the north by the boundary of the Wickingas, and again eastward and southward by the boundary of the Burnware, and also eastward and southward by the south Burnware boundary, and thus southward and westward by the king’s boundary, and also northward and eastward by the king’s boundary, and thus westward to the Riðere market, and so northward to Druting Street. This was done in the city of Canterbury in the year 605 AD, in the sixth indiction.
In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi. Notum sit omnibus tam presentibus quam posteris quod ego Æthelbertus Dei gratia rex Anglorum, per euangelicum genitorem meum Augustinum de idolatra factus Christicola, tradidi Deo per ipsum antistitem aliquam partem terre iuris mei sub orientali muro ciuitatis Dorobernie [Map], ubi scilicet per eundem in Christo institutorem monasterium in honore principum apostolorum Petri et Pauli condidi, et cum ipsa terra et cum omnibus que ad ipsum monasterium pertinent perpetua libertate donaui, adeo ut nec mihi nec alicui successorum meorum regum nec ulli unquam potestati siue ecclesiastice siue seculari quicquam inde liceat usurpare, sed in ipsius abbatis sint omnia libera dicione. Si quis uero de hac donatione nostra aliquid minuere aut irritum facere temptauerit, auctoritate et beati pape Gregorii nostrique apostoli Augustini simul et nostra imprecatione sit hic segregatus ab omni sancte ecclesie communione et in die iudicii ab omni electorum societate. Circumcingitur hec terra his terminibus: in oriente ecclesia sancti Martini, et inde ad orientem be sywenne dune, et sic ad aquilonem be wykenge mearce, iterumque ad orientem et ad austrum be burnware mearce, item ad orientem et ad austrum be suth burnware mearke, et sic ad austrum et occidentem be kynges mearke, item ad aquilonem et orientem be kynges mearce, sicque ad occidentem to riðere ceape, et ita ad aquilonem to druting stræte. Actum est hoc in ciuitate Dorouernie, anno ab incarnatione Christi .dcv., indictione .vi.
Ego Athelbertus rex Anglorum hanc donationem meam signo sancte crucis propria manu confirmaui.
Ego Augustinus gratia Dei archiepiscopus libenter subscripsi.
Ego Eadbaldus regis filius faui.
Ego Hamigisilus dux laudaui.
Ego Hocca comes consensi.
Ego Augemundus referendarius approbaui.
Ego Graphio comes benedixi.
Ego Tangisilus regis optimas confirmaui.
Ego Pinca consensi.
Ego Geddi corroboraui.
A.D. 605 (Canterbury). Æthelberht, king of the English, to St Augustine for the minster of SS Peter and Paul (St Augustine's), Canterbury; grant of land to the east of Canterbury. Latin with bounds.
Archive: Canterbury, St Augustine's
MSS: 1. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 111, pp. 310-11 (s. xvi)
Note 2. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 189, 46rv (s. xiv)
Note 3. Cambridge, Trinity Hall, 1, 22r (facsimile of lost single sheet, s. xv; Deanesly 1942, pl. facing p. 114)
Note 4. Cambridge, Trinity Hall, 1, 22r (s. xv)
Note 5. BL Add. 53710, 2v-3r (s. xiv)
Note 6. BL Add. 53710, 254r (s. xvi)
Note 7. BL Cotton Claud. D. x, 9r (s. xiii)
Note 8. BL Cotton Jul. D. ii, 84r (s. xiii)
Note 9. BL Cotton Tib. A. ix, 107v-108r (s. xiv)
Note 10. BL Cotton Vesp. B. xx, 277rv (s. xii; Gem 1997, p. 53)
Note 11. BL Cotton Vitell. A. ii, 6v (s. xii)
Note 12. BL Harley 358, 47v-48r (s. xvi)
Note 13. BL Lansdowne 447, 23v-24r (s. xvii)
Note 14. BL Lansdowne 863, 90v (s. xvi)
Note 15. Bodleian, Add. C. 296, 77r (s. xvii; ex 11)
Note 16. Bodleian, Dugdale 11, 20v (s. sxvii)
Note 17. Bodleian, Tanner 165, 97r (s. xv)
Note 18. Winchester, Cathedral Library, XXB, 157rv (s. xvi)
Printed: Spelman, Concilia, i. 119, ex MS 3; Twysden, X Scriptores, cols 1761-2 ex MS 5; Mon. Angl., i. 24, ex ? MS 10; Alford 1663, ii. 3; Wilkins, Concilia, iv. 728 ex Spelman; K 3 ex MS 3 etc.; Mon., Angl. (rev. edn), i. 110 (no. 36) ex MS 17, i. 126-7 (no. 2) ex 1st edn; Hardwick, Elmham, pp. 111-13, ex MS 3; HS, pp. 55-6, ex K etc.; B 5; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 3; Kelly, St Augustine's, no. 2, ex MSS 3, 8, 10; Morris 1995, pp. 103-4, ex B.
Translated: Davis, Thorne, pp. 8-9 (ex Twysden, X Scriptores).
Comments: HS, pp. 55-6, questionable or spurious; Stevenson 1891, p. 742 n. 22, spurious, forged after 1066; Turner 1915, pp. xx-xxi; Wallenberg, KPN, p. 5, on place-names; Deanesly 1941/1, pp. 55-69; Deanesly 1942, pp. 104-10, authentic; Levison 1946, pp. 174-233, spurious, forged in late 11th century; Hunter 1973, on MS 3; Scharer 1982, p. 59, spurious; Sparks and Tatton-Brown 1987, p. 204, on bounds; Kelly 1988, perhaps forged soon after Conquest; Kelly, St Augustine's, pp. 11-13, spurious, forged on the basis of S 2; Morris 1995, pp. 89-98, some authentic basis.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 616. This year died Ethelbert (age 66), king of Kent, the first of English kings that received baptism: he was the son of Ermenric. He reigned fifty-six winters, and was succeeded by his son Eadbald. And in this same year had elapsed from the beginning of the world five thousand six hundred and eighteen winters. This Eadbald renounced his baptism, and lived in a heathen manner; so that he took to wife the relict of his father. Then Laurentius, who was archbishop in Kent, meant to depart southward over sea, and abandon everything. But there came to him in the night the apostle Peter, and severely chastised him19, because he would so desert the flock of God. And he charged him to go to the king, and teach him the right belief. And he did so; and the king returned to the right belief. In this king's days the same Laurentius, who was archbishop in Kent after Augustine, departed this life on the second of February, and was buried near Augustine. The holy Augustine in his lifetime invested him bishop, to the end that the church of Christ, which yet was new in England, should at no time after his decease be without an archbishop. After him Mellitus, who was first Bishop of London, succeeded to the archbishopric. The people of London, where Mellitus was before, were then heathens: and within five winters of this time, during the reign of Eadbald, Mellitus died. To him succeeded Justus, who was Bishop of Rochester, whereto he consecrated Romanus bishop.
Note 19. Literally, "swinged, or scourged him." Both Bede and Alfred begin by recording the matter as a vision, or a dream; whence the transition is easy to a matter of fact, as here stated by the Norman interpolators of the "Saxon Annals".