ther in confusion and fear as they looked around
at the bewildering scene.

Groups of buyers and sellers were there, talking in an unknown
language. There were many other slaves for sale; men, women, and
children; white, black, and brown; brought together from many parts of
the world. People in strange bright dresses were always passing; some
coming to buy slaves, some to meet their friends, and others out of
mere curiosity. In all the careless, chattering crowd there was not
one face that seemed friendly towards the poor strangers from across
the sea.

Presently the boys remarked among the gay throng an old man who seemed
quite different from the rest. He wore a plain dark gown, with sandals
on his feet. A long silvery beard flowed nearly to his girdle; and the
boys liked his face, with its kind, benevolent expression.

This was the monk Gregory, who was loved by all the people of Rome for
his simple goodness of heart.

As the old man passed through the hall he looked pityingly at the poor
people who were waiting to be sold. When he came to the English boys
he paused, struck by their beautiful rosy faces, fair hair, and rounded
limbs.

'Who are these children?' he asked the trader who was standing beside
them.

'They are Angles,' replied the trader.

'Surely not Angles, but angels,' said Gregory; 'for they have the faces
of angels.'

He looked at them again very thoughtfully, and asked the trader whether
these children were Christians.

'No, sir,' replied the merchant; 'the Angles are heathens, and have a
very cruel religion.'

'What a pity, what a pity!' said the good monk. 'What is the name of
their country?'

'They come from a place called Deira,' said the trader.

'Ira' is the Latin word for wrath; and Gregory seemed to find a meaning
in all the names connected with these angel-faced children.

'De ira,' he said; 'ay, from the wrath of God they shall be called to
Christ's mercy.--And what is the name of their King?' he inquired.

'Ella,' replied the merchant.

'Ella!' cried the monk; 'Alleluia shall be sung in Ella's land'; and he
passed on his way with a silent vow that one day he would find a means
of teaching the English people to become Christians.

Here the history of these children ends, so far as we know it. The old
writer who tells us of the meeting of the monk Gregory with the captive
children does not say what became of them after this. Surely they
found good masters and hap