To Queen Brunhild, on the Mission to the Angles

Gregory to Brunhild, and so on. [a]

Your excellency’s Christianity has been truly known to us for a long time. So we do not doubt your goodness in the least, but hold it as certain in every way that you will join us devoutly and zealously in the cause of the faith, and will supply most generously the help of your religious sincerity. Being well assured of this, and greeting you with fatherly love, we inform you that it has come to our knowledge that the nation of the Angles, by God’s permission, wants to become Christian, but that the priests in their neighborhood show no pastoral concern for them. So that their souls may not perish in eternal damnation, we have taken care to send to them Augustine, the servant of God, who brings this letter, whose zeal and earnestness are well known to us, together with other servants of God. Through them we may learn their wishes and, as far as possible, with you also working alongside us, see to their conversion. We have also charged them to take with them presbyters from the neighboring regions to carry out this plan. [b]

So let your excellency, always ready for good works, both because of our request and out of regard for the fear of God, please hold him as commended to you in every way. Give him the favor of your protection earnestly, and lend the help of your patronage to his labor. And so that he may reap its fullest fruit, see that he travels safely under your protection to the nation of the Angles named above, so that our God, who has adorned you in this world with good qualities pleasing to him, may cause you to give thanks both here and in eternal rest with his saints. Further, we commend to your Christianity our beloved son Candidus, presbyter and rector of our church’s patrimony in your parts, and we ask that he may obtain the favor of your protection in all things. [c]