with him. He removed the archiepiscopal seat from Caerleon to Menevia, now called St. David's: he died at the age of one hundred and forty-six.

St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, deserves notice in this place, as he was born, A. D. 373, at Kirk-Patrick in Scotland, and became one of the most famous ecclesiastics of his time. His British name, given at his baptism, was Suceath, that is, valiant in war. By some pirates he was taken prisoner, and carried into Ireland; where he was sold as a slave to a person named Milicho, in whose service he continued six years, and acquired the Irish language. Escaping from slavery, after two years he formed the benevolent purpose of converting the Irish; and spent thirty-five years in preparatory studies on the continent, under the direction of his mother's uncle, St. Martin of Tours, who ordained him deacon, and St. Germanus, who ordained him priest. Pope Celestine consecrated him Bishop of Ireland, and gave him the name of Patricius, expressive of his honourable family, and to give weight to his commission. Patrick arrived in Ireland A. D. 441, the year after Palladius had made some unsuccessful attempts; and his first convert was Sinell, the eighth king in descent from the renowned Cormac of Leinster. He proceeded to Dublin, and into Ulster, where a remarkable barn was fitted up for a church, which afterwards became the famous abbey of Saul. After seven years he returned to Britain, which he is said to have delivered from the heresy of Pelagius; and, with several assistants in the ministry, he completed the conversion of all the people of Ireland. Patrick then visited Rome, to give an account of his success; and, having returned, spent the remainder of his life between the monasteries at Armagh and Saul, enforcing the doctrines he had preached. Several schools are said to have been established by Patrick, who died March 17, 493, aged one hundred and twenty years.

Different and most extravagant accounts are given of the life, ministry, and miracles of St. Patrick; with which, however, we cannot trouble our readers. Besides St. Patrick, called the "Great," and "Apostle of Ireland," there are two others of this name mentioned, Patrick the Elder, who died

in 449, and Patrick the Younger, nephew to the Saint, who survived him several years.

What was the measure of scriptural knowledge possessed by these distinguished ecclesiastics-how far they preached the pure Gospel of Christ-and in what degree the people who enjoyed their ministry were truly evangelized and brought to God we have but scanty means of ascertaining. Truth requires us to remark, that all the accounts which we possess relating to those times, abound with most ridiculous fables; besides notices of the most superstitious and puerile rites and ceremonies, and incredible stories of miracles, while very little reference is made to the blessed Word of God. Still we may hope that some were born of the Spirit, who will appear with exceeding joy in the great day of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Scarcely any thing further can be known concerning religion in Britain, before the arrival of the Saxons: but the barbarous Scots and Picts frequently ravaging the northern parts of the country, out of enmity to the Britons and their new religion, demolished many of their places of worship. By this means, shocking corruption of manners arose among the clergy, who had long declined from the purity of scriptural > truth. Gildas and Bede, however, state, that the peace which had been made with these marauders, and the consequent plenty, occasioned dreadful depravity among the people; and that gluttony, drunkenness, avarice, and luxury, reigned among the ecclesiastics; so that they no longer preached the Gospel to their flocks, nor regarded the claims of their professed religion. Certain it is, that Britain became an easy prey to the barbarous Saxons.

BOOK II.

FROM THE ARRIVAL OF THE SAXONS IN BRITAIN, A. D. 449, TO THEIR CONVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY, ABOUT A. D. 700.

CHAP I.

THE SAXON CONQUEST OF BRITAIN.

Miseries of Britain-Disorders of the Roman Empire-Rome taken by AlaricThe Romans retire from Britain - Its Invasion by the Scots and Picts - Aid of the Saxons solicited-They settle in Britain - The Natives expelled - The Britons take shelter in Wales-The Saxons destroy the Christian Temples.

CALAMITIES of the most grievous kinds befel the Christian church in Britain, through the conquest of it by the barbarous pagan Saxons. Some brief notices of this portion of its annals are therefore indispensable, to prepare our readers for surveying the continued progress of the church of God in this island.

Rome declined from imperial glory after Constantine the Great had established Constantinople as his eastern metropolis. His feeble sons, dividing the empire between them, increased its weakness; and ambitious leaders contending for the imperial throne, brought new evils in their train. Britain was affected by all the disorders which prevailed at Rome.

Maximus, with the flower of the British youth, sailed for the continent, A.D. 383, to assert his claim; and, in 408, Constantine made a similar attempt, joined by most of the wealthy Romans in Britain. These adventurers failed: but difficulties increasing, Honorius the emperor, A. D. 411, formally released the Britons from the Roman jurisdiction. In that memorable year, Alaric, king of the Visigoths, took and plundered the ETERNAL CITY. During the progress of that fierce barbarian, the Roman legions had been recalled from Britain; and with these troops most of the native youths were E

induced to leave their country, and enter the ranks among the imperial soldiers.

Britain was thus left in a defenceless condition, of which the Scots and Picts being soon aware, made dreadful ravages on the northern borders. By repeated invasions, they succeeded in depopulating those parts, and threatened to establish themselves in the country. The Britons, unable to withstand their enemies, applied in the first place for succours to Ætius, prefect of Gaul; it is said, in these humiliating terms: "To Ætius, thrice consul, the groans of the Britons! The barbarians drive us to the sea back on the swords of the barbarians

-the sea throws us so that we have no

thing left us but the wretched choice of being either drowned or butchered * !”

Ætius could not spare troops for their relief; and Vortigern, king of the Silures, the most powerful prince of the country, being chosen military chief, timidly suggested that an application should be made to the Saxons. These people, who, under different leaders, had made repeated incursions upon the British coast, were equally terrible with the northern invaders. Tradition has preserved the alleged terms on which they were invited by the Britons; and which, if correct, were acted upon, and even enlarged, by the Saxons. Hengist and his brother Horsa commanded the first expedition, consisting of fifteen hundred chosen warriors, of the Jutes and Angles, tribes of Saxons, known by Cæsar's writings as the ancient Suevi. They landed, A. D. 449, in the isle of Thanet, which was ceded to them for their place of residence, and as the reward of their anticipated services.

Reports having been extensively circulated of the fertility of Britain, and the effeminacy of its people, brought over numerous adventurers. Among these were Octa and Edessa, the son and nephew of Hengist, who appointed them to occupy the coast of Northumberland. Vortigern, being captivated by Rowena, the beautiful niece of Hengist, became blind to the interests of his countrymen; who chose Vorti

* Henry's History of Great Britain, book i, chap. i.

mer, his eldest son, for their commander, and attempted to repel the intruders. Much blood was shed on both sides, and Horsa was slain; but the victory over the Britons being complete, left Hengist in possession of Kent, of which he assumed the title of King, A. D. 457. Vortimer is believed to have fallen, A. D. 474, by poison, administered by the fair but treacherous Rowena. Various success attended these parties in their continued conflicts, until the Britons were expelled the whole of that part of the island since called England, and found shelter among the mountains of Cambria.

Many, however, submitted to the Saxon yoke; others fled into the province of Armorica, in France; while others found a refuge in Cornwall, as the rest had in Wales, which provinces had not been entered by the Saxons. Several fruitless attempts to regain their country were made by the British patriots, under their martial leaders, the princes Ambrosius and Arthur; the former of whom fell in battle, A. D. 508. Arthur continued the struggle during many years, especially against Cerdic, who had assumed the title of King of the West Saxons but though he could not prevail so as to extend his territories, he secured for his countrymen a permanent settlement in Wales, and thus became at least a shield to the remnant of the church of Christ in Britain.

Different chiefs introduced numerous swarms of these Germans to join their countrymen, till by degrees they had subjugated the whole of England; dividing it among the several leaders, who formed seven petty kingdoms, which are celebrated in history as the Saxon Heptarchy.

With savage fierceness the Saxon idolaters maintained themselves in Britain; and not satisfied with having seized the lands of the original proprietors, inflamed by superstition, they trampled upon the forms of Christianity, and cruelly persecuted its professors. Gildas (a monk of Bangor, born A. D. 511) says, "From the east to the west, nothing was to be seen but churches burnt and destroyed to their very foundations. The inhabitants were extirpated by the sword, and buried under the ruins of their houses. The altars were daily profaned by the blood of the slain thereon *."

* De Excidio Britanniæ, sec. 24.