Page:Elizabeth Elstob - An English-Saxon homily on the birth-day of St. Gregory.djvu/87

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

Birth-Day of S. Gregory.

7

dicilian-lande. & þæt seo-
foðe binnon Romana by-
rig getimbrode. on þam
he sylf regolice under
abbodes hæsum droht-
node჻ Ða seofon myn-
stru he gelende mid his
agenum. & genihtrum-
lice to dæghwæmlice big-
leofan gegodode჻ Ðone
ofereacan his æhta he
aspende on godes þear-
fum. & ealle his æðelbo-
rennysse to heofonlicum
wuldre awende჻ He eode
ær his gecyrnednysse

Sicily; and the seventh he
built in the City of Rome;
in which he himself lived
as a Regular, under the
Government of the Abbot.
These seven Monasteries he
adorn'd with his own Sub-
stance, and plentifully en-
dow'd them for their daily
Subsistence. The remain-
der of his Estate he be-
stow'd on God's Poor; and
he exchanged his Nobili-
ty of Birth for heavenly
Glory. He was used ^[1] be-
fore his Conversion to

But after his Return from his Embassy, Gregory ruled the Monastery himself; in which Government Peter at length succeeded, and held the Chair while the Holy Father writ his Dialogues. See the Life of Greg. lib. i. c. 2 § viii. by the same Learned Benedictines. They observe likewise that Bolandus reads from two MSS. instead of Hilarionis, Laurionis; but thinks it should be read Valentionis. And it may not possibly be amiss to take notice, that one of our English Historians agrees with the reading of his two MSS. giving this account of St. Gregory’s succeeding to the Government of the Monastery: In quo post primos Abbates Laurionem & Maximianum tertius ipse præfuit. See Will. Thorn Monk of St. Augustin’s Cant. in his Hist. of the Abbots of St. Augustin’s inter x. Script. pag. 1757.

↑ I. e. before his exchange of the Secular Habit for the Ecclesiastick. This describes the Holy Father before this Change in the Secular Office of Prætor Urbanus, in which being oblig'd to use the Ensigns of this Authority, we find him array'd in the Robe of State appropriate to the Magistrate who held that high Office. Gregorius Turonensis, and from him Paul. Diacon. tells us, it was the Trabea, and

[p7-1] I. e. before his exchange of the Secular Habit for the Ecclesiastick. This describes the Holy Father before this Change in the Secular Office of Prætor Urbanus, in which being oblig'd to use the Ensigns of this Authority, we find him array'd in the Robe of State appropriate to the Magistrate who held that high Office. Gregorius Turonensis, and from him Paul. Diacon. tells us, it was the Trabea, and

[1]