4 St. Gregory accompayiiecl on fiis Legation by Monks. Ep. to evils thereof, and we ourselves,who are supposed to be devoted to the inner mysteries, are thus become involved in outward cares; just as it happened then also when I was brought to the ministry of the Altar, this was brought about for me without my knowledge, viz. that 1 should receive the mighty charge of the Holy Order, to the end that I might be nicen- quartered under less restraint^ in an earthly palace, whither cubarem^"^^^^^ I was followed by many of my brethren from 'germa-the monastery, who were attached to me by a kindred' affection. Whichhappened,Iperceive,byDivinedispensation, in order that by their example, as by an anchored cable, T might ever be kept fast to the tranquil shore of prayer, whenever I should be tossed by the ceaseless waves of secular affairs. For to their society I fled as to the bosom of the safest port from the rolling swell, and fi'om the waves of earthly occupation ; and though that office which withdrew me from the monastery had with the point ofits employments stabbed me to death as tomy former tranquillity of life, yet in Reg- S. their society, by means of the appeals of diligent reading, I c. 38. was animated with the yearnings of daily renewed compunc- and 42. ^q^^ j^- ^yr^g ^j^g^ w^^^ \^ seemed good to those same brethren, you too adding your influence, as you yourself remember, to oblige me by the importunity of their requests 3i.e.ourtQ Set forth the book of blessed Job ; and as far as the Truth' should inspire me with powers, to lay open to them those mysteries of sucb depth ; and theymade this too an additional burden which their petition laid upon me, that I would not the world. We endure pestilences with- " But because I being unworthy and out pause, but signs in the sun and weat have taken upon me the old and moon, and stars, we do not at all as much batteredvessel, forthewavesmake yet see manifestly; but that even these away in on all sides, and the rotten things are not far off", we collect from planks shattered by a daily and vehe- the mere change of the atmosphere ment tempest tell of shipwreck, I be- already, though before Italy was given seech you by Almighty God, to stretch up to be smitten by the sword of a the hand of your prayers in this my Gentile foe, we beheld* fiery ranks in peril, since you may implore mercy the heavens, the very blood itself of the even so much the more earnestly, in human race, which was afterwards spilt, proportion as you also stand the further streaming. Further the confounding removed from the agitated state of of the waves and of the sea has not as calamity which we undergo in this yet sprung up in new sort, &c." Hom. land." Ep. iv. 6. 1. written soon after i. in Ev. §. i. see also sects. 3. 5. he had succeeded to the Pontificate. * This wa.s probably the appearance of the Aurora Borealis, which Speed describes as ' fiery dragons.' Hist. p. 300. and Matthew of Westminster as * appearances of lances and fiery spears.' Matth. of West. p. 101. Speed gpeaks also of a shower of blood, and bloody crosses/alli7ig on men'sgarments. i