Pastoral Rule, Dialogues & Letters 444

After almighty God had adorned your kingdom with the rectitude of faith, and made it conspicuous among the other nations by the integrity of the Christian religion, we conceived great grounds for confidence concerning you, that you desire your subjects to be converted, through you, to that faith of which you are surely their kings and lords. And so it has come to us that the nation of the English, by God's mercy, longingly desires to be converted to the Christian faith, but that the priests near at hand are negligent and fail to kindle their desires by their exhortation. On this account, therefore, we have made provision to direct thither Augustine, servant of God and bearer of this letter, whose zeal and diligence are well known to us, together with other servants of God.

We have also enjoined upon them that they should take with them some priests from the neighbourhood, with whom they may be able to learn the minds of those people, and by their admonition, as far as God shall grant, to help their wills. That they may be able to prove effective and fit in this matter, greeting your Excellency with fatherly charity, we ask that those whom we have directed may deserve to find the grace of your favour. And since it is a cause of souls, let your power defend and help them; that almighty God, who knows that you comfort His cause with a devout mind and with all diligence, may dispose your affairs by His propitiation, and after earthly power may lead you to the heavenly kingdom.

Furthermore, we request that your Excellency should hold as commended our most beloved son Candidus the priest, and the little patrimony of our Church which is situated in those parts, so that the blessed Peter, prince of the Apostles, may repay you by his intercession, since with an eye to reward you have afforded protection to the goods of his poor.