PREFACE. r
occasioned him some difficulties, as did also the ambition of
the Archbishop of Constantinople, whom he severely reproved
for assuming the title of Universal Bishop. In 596, he sent
St. Augustine, like himself a Benedictine Monk, to England,
in pursuance of a design he had long entertained. He had
indeed been himself sent out on a similar expedition, at his
own desire, by Pope Benedict I. but had been recalled
immediately after he had set out, from the unwillingness of
the people to part with him. And we find St. Augustine,
when in England, still refening to St. Gregory in his
difficulties, and receiving his directions.
On the usurpation of the Empire by Phocas, A.D. 603, he
sent letters to the Tyrant, for which he has been severely
blamed by Cave and other writers. His Benedictine bio-
graper defends him as not having exceeded the honour due
to a defacto Emperor, and the good wishes that he must
have felt even for the sake of the Church. He died the next
year, and was buried in St. Peter's at Rome. He appears to
have watched over the whole Church with a truly pastoral
solicitude, and to have exhausted himself by his perpetual
labours for its benefit. His powers of mind were evidently
great, though he has sometimes been accused of an excessive
credulity, especially with respect to the contents of his
Dialogues. Some writers again suspect that these have been
interpolated.
Perhaps the chief characteristic of his doctrine in the
present work is his assertion of real inherent righteousness in
the Saints, combined with his distinct acknowledgment and
searching investigation of sin even in the holiest of mere men.
In this respect indeed he interprets some passages, such as
the latter part of Rom. vii. differently from the Fathers in
general, yet so as to supply a corrective, through the analogy
of the Faith, to any error that might result from such a view.
In thecasejustmentioned,and insomeothers,hecloselyfollows
St. Augustine. A large collectionofpractical portions from this
work has been made, under the title of Speculum, the Mss. of
which are offrcfjuent occurrence. Of tlie whole work also there