to you such things as be necessary, neither we will
forbid you, but as many as ye can convert to your faith
and religion by your preaching ye shall have license
to baptize them, and to accompany them to your law.
And then the king gave to them a mansion in the city
of Dorobernence, which now is called Canterbury.
And when they drew nigh the city they came in with
a cross of silver, and with procession singing the
litany, praying Almighty God of succor and help that
he would take away his wrath from the city and to inflame
the hearts of the people to receive his doctrine.
And then St. Austin and his fellowship began to preach
there the word of God, and about there in the province,
and such people as were well disposed anon were converted,
and followed this holy man. And by the holy conversation
and miracles that they did much people were converted
and great fame arose in the country. And when
it came to the king’s ear, anon he came to the
presence of St. Austin and desired him to preach again,
and then the word of God so inflamed him, that incontinent,
as soon as the sermon was ended, the king fell down
to the feet of St. Austin and said sorrowfully:
Alas! woe is me, that I have erred so long and know
not of him that thou speakest of, thy promises be
so delectable that I think it all too long till I
be christened, wherefore, holy father, I require thee
to minister to me the sacrament of baptism. And
then St. Austin, seeing the great meekness and obedience
of the king that he had to be christened, he took
him up with weeping tears and baptized him with all
his household and meiny, and informed them diligently
in the Christian faith with great joy and gladness.
And when all this was done St. Austin, desiring the
health of the people of England, went forth on foot
to York; and when he came nigh to the city there met
him a blind man which said to him: O thou holy
Austin, help me that am full needy. To whom St.
Austin said: I have no silver, but such as I have
I give thee; in the name of Jesu Christ arise and
be all whole, and with that word he received his sight
and believed in our Lord and was baptized. And
upon Christmas day he baptized, in the river named
Swale, ten thousand men without women and children,
and there was a great multitude of people resorting
to the said river, which was so deep that no man might
pass over on foot, and yet by miracle of our Lord
there was neither man, woman, ne child drowned, but
they that were sick were made whole both in body and
in soul. And in the same place they builded a
church in the worship of God and St. Austin.
And when St. Austin had preached the faith to the
people and had confirmed them steadfastly therein,
he returned again from York, and by the way he met
a leper asking help, and when St. Austin had said
these words to him: In the name of Jesu Christ
be thou cleansed from all thy leprosy, anon all his
filth fell away, and a fair new skin appeared on his
body so that he seemed all a new man.