"
His land was a land of plenty, he told them; food, drink, and lodging
should be theirs, and none should do them wrong; England should be their
home while they chose to stay.
With these words the audience ended. Augustine and his monks fell again
into procession, and, with singing of psalms and display of holy
emblems, moved solemnly towards the city of Canterbury, where Bertha's
church awaited them. As they entered the city they sang:
"Turn from this city, O Lord, thine anger and wrath, and turn it from
Thy holy house, for we have sinned." Then Gregory's joyful cry of
"Alleluia! Alleluia!" burst from their devout lips, as they moved into
the first English church.
[Illustration: CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL.]
The work of the "strangers from Rome" proceeded but slowly. Some
converts were made, but Ethelbert held aloof. Fortunately for Augustine,
he had an advocate in the palace, one with near and dear speech in the
king's ear. We cannot doubt that the gentle influence of Queen Bertha
was a leading power in Ethelbert's conversion. A year passed. At its end
the king gave way. On the day of Pentecost he was baptized. Christ had
succeeded Odin and Thor on the throne of the English heart, for the
story of the king's conversion carried his kingdom with it.
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