6

HISTORY OP ENGLAND

chap. Arthur andMordred are mythical persons, whose very exis-

-tence may be questioned, and whose adventures must be

classed with those of Hercules and Romulus.

Conver- At length the darkness begins to break; and the countrythesaxons which had been lost to view as Britain reappears as England,tianity. The conversion of the Saxon colonists to Christianity wasthe first of a long series of salutary revolutions. It is truethat the Church had been deeply corrupted both by thatsuperstition and by that philosophy against which she hadlong contended, and over which she had at last triumphed.She had given a too easy admission to doctrines borrowedfrom the ancient schools, and to rites borrowed from theancient temples. Roman policy and Gothic ignorance,Grecian ingenuity and Syrian asceticism, had contributedto deprave her. Yet she retained enough of the sublimetheology and benevolent morality of her earlier days toelevate many intellects, and to purify many hearts. Somethings also which at a later period were justly regarded asamong her chief blemishes were, in the seventh century,and long afterwards, among her chief merits. That thesacerdotal order should encroach on the functions of the civilmagistrate would, in our time, be a great evil. But thatwhich in an age of good government is an evil may, in an ageof grossly bad government, be a blessing. It is better thatmankind should be governed by wise laws well administered,and by an enlightened public opinion, than by priestcraft:but it is better that men should be governed by priestcraftthan by brute violence, by such a prelate as Dunstanthan by such a warrior as Penda. A society sunk in igno-rance, and ruled by mere physical force, has great reasonto rejoice when a class, of which the influence is intellectualand moral, rises to ascendency. Such a class will doubtlessabuse its power: but mental power, even when abused, isstill a nobler and better power than that which consists merely