AUGUSTINE, or AUSTIN, Saint, the first archbishop of Canterbury: d. 26 May 604. While prior of the Benedictine monastery of Saint Andrew at Rome he was selected by Pope Gregory I, together with other monks, to con vert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, and establish the authority of the Roman See in Britain. Arriving at Aix-en-Provence, they heard• various reports about the savage nature of the Britons, and hesitated before proceed ing further. Augustine went to Rome to seek permission to turn back, but Pope Gregory prevailed on him to continue, and asked the Frankish clergy to assist the enterprise. There fore in the spring of 597 the missionaries landed on the Island of Thanet and were kindly received by Ethelbert, King of Kent, whose wife Bertha was already a Christian. The conversion of the King speedily followed, contributing greatly to the success of Augus tine's work; large numbers of persons were converted and baptized, and it was soon mani fest that a new influence for good had come into the lives of the Anglo-Saxons. In ac knowledgment of his success, the Pope di rected Augustine in 597 to go to Arles, where he was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury and metropolitan of England. On his return he at once informed the Pope of his success, sending a presbyter and a monk to Rome for that purpose and also to obtain instructions concerning other questions with regard to the propagating of the faith. The answers of
Gregory to the archbishop's inquiries are fine examples of tact, good sense and judgment in dealing with the problems confronting the early missionaries, and instead of destroying the heathen temples they were converted into Christian churches. Saint Augustine was a zealous missionary of the Church and labored with untiring energy to extend the authority of the Church and to convert the ancient Brit ons, whom the English had driven into the mountains of Wales. In this, however, he was only partially successful, some of the British bishops refusing to acknowledge his authority and to unite with the English Church. Augustine died in Canterbury perhaps in 604, though the year is uncertain and is placed by some as late as 613, and his body was removed to the Cathedral of Canterbury in 1091. The 1300th anniversary of Augustine's landing was celebrated in 1897, when several biographical volumes appeared—by E. W. Benson, Father Brou, S. G. F. Browne and W. E. Collins. Consult also Bede, 'Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglortnn); Cooke, J. A., Churches in Great Britain Prior to the Coming of Augustine' (London 1897); Mason, 'The Mission of Saint Augustine to England> (Cambridge 1897); and Stanley, 'Historical Memorials of Canterbury> (New York 1892).