Page:Elizabeth Elstob - An English-Saxon homily on the birth-day of St. Gregory.djvu/91

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Birth-Day of S. Gregory.

11

genam of þære munucli-
cere drohtnunge & him
to ^[1] fylst geset on dia-
conhade ge ende byrdne჻
Ða gelamp hit æt sumum
sæle. swa swa gyt for
oft deð. þæt Englisce
^[2] cyðmen brohton heo-
ra ware to Romana-by-
rig. & Gregorius eode
be þære stræt to þam
Engliscum mannum heo-
ra þing sceawigende჻ Ða
geseah he betwuxt þam
warum cypecnihtas ge-
sette. þa wæron hwites
lichaman & fægres and-
witan men. & æðelice

from conversing with
Monks, and appointed him
to be his Assistant, hav-
ing ordained him a ^[3] Dea-
con. It happened at some
time, as it often doth,
that some English Mer-
chants brought their Mer-
chandizes to Rome: And
Gregory passing along the
Street to the English-men
taking a view of their
Goods, he there beheld a-
mongst their Merchandi-
zes ^[4] Slaves set out to sale.
They were white comple-
xion'd, and Men of fair
countenance, having noble

↑ gefylst. C. H.
↑ cyppmen. C. H.
↑ His being received to the Order of Deacon is thus express'd by Paul. Diac. Ecclesiastici ordinis officio sublimavit, Levitamque septimum ad suum adjutorium adscivit. The Pope promoted him to the Ecclesiastical Order, and took him to be his Assistant, having ordain'd him his seventh Deacon. From which there are two things to be observ'd; first, that the Order of Deacon is express'd by the Word Levita, answerable to that of the Levites in the Mosaical Law. Secondly, that that antient Custom was still in force at Rome, of which Cornelius the Bishop of Rome makes mention in his Ep. Euseb. lib. vi. cap. 43, that there should be only seven Deacons. In all likehhood in imitation of the first Apostolical Church, in which seven Deacons only were ordain'd. This matter may be seen in the Life of Gregory by the often cited Benedict. lib. i.
↑ William Thorn Monk of St. Augustin's Canterbury tells us, there were three of these Boys: Vidit in foro Romano tres pueros Anglicos lactei candoris venales. X. Script. p. 1757. c. i.

[1] ylst. C. H.

[2] yppmen. C. H.

[3] His being received to the Order of Deacon is thus express'd by Paul. Diac. Ecclesiastici ordinis officio sublimavit, Levitamque septimum ad suum adjutorium adscivit. The Pope promoted him to the Ecclesiastical Order, and took him to be his Assistant, having ordain'd him his seventh Deacon. From which there are two things to be observ'd; first, that the Order of Deacon is express'd by the Word Levita, answerable to that of the Levites in the Mosaical Law. Secondly, that that antient Custom was still in force at Rome, of which Cornelius the Bishop of Rome makes mention in his Ep. Euseb. lib. vi. cap. 43, that there should be only seven Deacons. In all likehhood in imitation of the first Apostolical Church, in which seven Deacons only were ordain'd. This matter may be seen in the Life of Gregory by the often cited Benedict. lib. i.

[4] William Thorn Monk of St. Augustin's Canterbury tells us, there were three of these Boys: Vidit in foro Romano tres pueros Anglicos lactei candoris venales. X. Script. p. 1757. c. i.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]