IMAGINES.AD.VIVVM.EXPRESSAE
EX.AEDICVLA.SANCTI.ANDREAE
PROPE.BEATI.GREGORII.MAGNI.ECCLESIAM
NECNON.EX.VITA.EIVSDEM.BEATI.GREGORII
A.IOANNE.DIACONO.LIB.IV.CAP.LXXXIII.ET.LXXXIV
CONSCRIPTA
_Fol. 368._

_Hieronymus Rossi sculp. Romae_

_GORDIANVS.S.GREGORII.PATER_ _S.GREGORIVS.MAGNVS_ _SILVIA.S.GREGORII.MATER_

INTRODUCTION.

The Great Pope, the thirteen hundredth anniversary of whose death is
commemorated on March the 12th, 1904, was born at Rome, probably about
the year 540. His father, Gordianus, was a wealthy man of senatorial
rank; his mother, Silvia, was renowned for her virtues. He received from
his parents an excellent liberal and religious education. He further
applied himself to the study of law, and--probably at about the age of
30--was made praetor of Rome by the Emperor Justin II. But he became
dissatisfied with his mode of life, and retiring to the monastery of St.
Andrew, which he had founded on the Coelian hill, lived there as monk and
as abbot. He had long been an ardent admirer of St. Bennet (who had been
dead little more than thirty years), and on his father's death had made
use of his patrimony to found six other monasteries in Sicily. He was
not, however, allowed to enjoy his retirement at St. Andrew's for long,
for Pope Benedict I. ordained him deacon, and sent him to Constantinople
as his apocrisiarius or confidential agent. Pelagius II. continued him in
this office, making use of him especially to appeal to the Emperor for
aid against the Lombards, who, while settling in North Italy, were
wandering southwards, devastating the country as they went.

When he was at length recalled to Rome, he begged to be allowed to return
to his monastery. The Pope allowed him to do this, but employed him as
his secretary. It was either now, or just before he went to
Constantinople, that there occurred the famous incident in the slave
market, when, struck by the beauty of some lads exposed for sale, he
asked what was the name of their nation. On being told, "Angles," he
exclaimed, "Good, for they have the faces of angels, and ought to be
fellow-heirs of the angels in heaven." In reply to his inquiry as to the
name of their native province, he was told that its inhabitants were
called Deiri. He answered, "Good;