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 (age 47) 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 (age 57), and his companions, being, as is reported, nearly forty men. They had, by order of the blessed Pope Gregory (age 57), taken interpreters of the nation of the Franks, and sending to Ethelbert (age 47), 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 (age 47) 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 (age 47) came into the island, and sitting in the open air, ordered Augustine (age 57) 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 (age 47) commands, and preached to him and his attendants there present, the word of life, the king (age 47) 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."

Charter 3. 605. In nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi. Notum sit omnibus tam presentibus quam posteris quod ego Æthelbertus (age 55) 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 (age 55) 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.