Pope Gregory the Great--Desires to reduce Britain--Policy of Gregory and Augustine--Arrival of the Mission--Appreciation--Britain superior to Rome--Dionoth at Bangor--First and Second Romish Aggressions--Anguish of the Britons--Pride of Rome--Rome has recourse to the Sword--Massacre--Saint Peter scourges an Archbishop--Oswald--His Victory--Corman--Mission of Oswald and Aidan--Death of Oswald. [Sidenote: GREGORY THE GREAT.] It is matter of fact that the spiritual life had waned in Italian catholicism; and in proportion as the heavenly spirit had become weak, the lust of dominion had grown strong. The Roman metropolitans and their delegates soon became impatient to mould all Christendom to their peculiar forms. About the end of the sixth century an eminent man filled the see of Rome. Gregory was born of senatorial family, and already on the high road to honour, when he suddenly renounced the world, and transformed the palace of his fathers into a convent. But his ambition had only changed its object. In his views, the whole church should submit to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Rome. True, he rejected the title of universal bishop assumed by the patriarch of Constantinople; but if he desired not the name, he was not the less eager for the substance.[39] On the borders of the West, in the island of Great Britain, was a Christian church independent of Rome: this must be conquered, and a favourable opportunity soon occurred. [39] He says (Epp. lib. ix, ep. xii.): De Constantinopolitana ecclesia quis eam dubitet apostolicæ sedi esse subjectam? Concerning the church of Constantinople, who doubts that it is subject to the apostolical see. [Sidenote: POLICY OF GREGORY AND AUGUSTINE.] Before his elevation to the primacy, and while he was as yet only the monk Gregory, he chanced one day to cross a market in Rome where certain foreign dealers were exposing their wares for sale. Among them he perceived some fair-haired youthful slaves, whose noble bearing attracted his attention. On drawing near them, he learned that the Anglo-Saxon nation to which they belonged had refused to receive the Gospel from the Britons. When he afterwards became bishop of Rome, this crafty and energetic pontiff, "the last of the good and the first of the bad," as he has been called, determined to convert these proud conquerors, and make use of them in subduing the British church to the papacy, as he had already made use of the Frank monarchs to reduce the Gauls. Rome has often shown herself more eager to bring Christians rather than idolaters to the pope.[40] Was it thus with Gregory? We must leave the question unanswered. [40] We know the history of Tahiti and of other modern missions of the Romish church.