  In old days the people of England were not all free, as they are now. Sometimes young men, and women, and little children were sold as slaves, and had to work hard for their masters. Many of these slaves were sent to Rome, for the Romans thought the tall, fair Angles very beautiful, and liked to have them as their servants. Once, a wise and good preacher, named Gregory, was walking through the market-place in Rome, when he saw a group of slaves standing there, waiting to be bought. Among these slaves were some pretty boys with long yellow hair, and blue eyes, and white skin. This was a strange sight to Gregory, for most of the people in his land had dark hair, and brown skin. "Who are these boys?" asked he of a man who was standing by. "They are Angles from over the sea," replied the man. "Surely not Angles, but Angels," said the preacher, looking kindly into the boys' faces. "Do they come from England?" "From heathen England, where men do not know the true God," said the man. "Some day they shall be taught to know God, and then indeed they shall be angels," said Gregory. Now Gregory did not go away and forget this. When he became a great man and Bishop of Rome, he sent a good preacher, named Augustine, to England, to preach to the people there, and to teach them to be Christians. THE ENGLISH PRISONERS AT ROME |
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