a grant of the
Aihen-loh, and all the land for four miles round, and had it. And the
nobles about gave up to him their rights of venison, and vert, and
pasture, and pannage of swine; and Sturmi and seven brethren set out
thither, 'in the year of our Lord 744, in the first month (April,
presumably), in the twelfth day of the month, unto the place prepared of
the Lord,' that they might do what?

That they might build an abbey. Yes; but the question is, what building
an abbey meant, not three hundred, nor five hundred, but eleven hundred
years ago--for centuries are long matters, and men and their works change
in them.

And then it meant this: Clearing the back woods for a Christian
settlement; an industrial colony, in which every man was expected to
spend his life in doing good--all and every good which he could for his
fellow-men. Whatever talent he had he threw into the common stock; and
worked, as he was found fit to work, at farming, gardening, carpentering,
writing, doctoring, teaching in the schools, or preaching to the heathen
round. In their common church they met to worship God; but also to ask
for grace and strength to do their work, as Christianizers and civilizers
of mankind. What Christianity and civilization they knew (and they knew
more than we are apt now to believe) they taught it freely; and therefore
they were loved, and looked up to as superior beings, as modern
missionaries, wherever they do their work even decently well, are looked
up to now.

So because the work could be done in that way, and (as far as men then,
or now, can see) in no other way, Pepin and Carloman gave Boniface the
glade of oaks, that they might clear the virgin forest, and extend
cultivation, and win fresh souls to Christ, instead of fighting, like the
kings of this world, for the land which was already cleared, and the
people who were already Christian.

In two months' time they had cut down much of the forest; and then came
St. Boniface himself to see them, and with him a great company of
workmen, and chose a place for a church. And St. Boniface went up to the
hill which is yet called Bishop's Mount, that he might read his Bible in
peace, away from kings and courts, and the noise of the wicked world; and
his workmen felled trees innumerable, and dug peat to burn lime withal;
and then all went back again, and left the settlers to thrive and work.

And thrive and work they did, clearing more land, building their church