the miracles whereby he established his prestige. Augustine's questions to Pope Gregory I show a small mind busied about trifles. Even the point by which the Welsh clergy judged his character shows a decided want of tact and conciliatory power. Augustine succeeded in the conversion of Kent, because everything was prepared to assure his success. He was a zealous monk, and the exhibition of monastic life was effective amongst the English. The greatest credit to Augustine is that Gregory I chose him for his work, and that he diligently carried out Gregory's directions and sought his advice. We cannot rank him higher than a capable official of the Roman church.
[The authority for Augustine is Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica, bk. i. ch. 23-bk. ii. ch. 3. Bede incorporates the letters of Pope Gregory, which may also be found in Gregorii Epistolæ, Op. ii. The Acta Sanctorum, 26 May, contains a Life of Augustine by Gocelin, an Augustinian monk (circa 1090), which adds little to Bede. Of modern writers, Bright, Early Church History; and Green, The Making of England.]
AUGUSTUS FREDERICK, Duke of Sussex (1773–1843), sixth son and ninth child of King George III and Queen Charlotte, was born at Buckingham Palace 27 Jan. 1773. On account of delicate health he scarcely ever resided in England from the time that he entered the university of Göttingen until 1804. Probably his lengthened sojourn on the Continent tended to foster his intellectual tastes, and undoubtedly the opportunity it afforded for diversified social intercourse assisted to liberalise his sentiments and to impart a genial facility to his manner. While resident in Rome in the winter of 1792, Prince Augustus made the acquaintance of Lady Augusta Murray, second daughter of the fourth Earl of Dunmore, and after four months' intimacy offered her his hand. The lady, who was some years older than the prince, at first declined the proposal, from regard to his interests; but on 21 March, 1793, they pledged eternal constancy to each other in a solemn written engagement. This was followed on 4 April by a marriage ceremony, performed by a clergyman of the Church of England named Gunn. To guard against the possibility of objections to the marriage from the fact that it had taken place in Roman jurisdiction, the ceremony was repeated at St. George's, Hanover Square, on 5 Dec. following, under the disguised names of Augustus Frederick and Augusta Murray. Shortly after the birth of a son on 13 January, 1794, news of the marriage reached the king, who, in accordance with the regulations of the Royal Marriage Act of 1772 (12 George III, c. ll), declared it void in August 1794. There were two children born of the marriage, Augustus Frederick, 13 Jan. 1794, and Ellen Augusta, 11 Aug. 1801, who married Sir Thomas Wilde, afterwards Lord Truro, and Lord Chancellor of England. They took the surname of d'Este, which belonged to common Italian ancestors of the father and mother, for Lady Augusta Murray was also of royal descent. For some years the prince ignored the decision of the court, but ultimately he acquiesced, and even in 1809 applied for the custody of his children, because he had heard that their mother was bringing them up in the idea that 'they were princes and princesses.' In 1806 Lady Augusta received royal license to assume the name of D'Ameland instead of Murray. The son Sir Augustus Frederick d'Este, made various efforts to get his claims recognised, and in 1831 filed a Bill in chancery, 'to prove the marriage good and valid' (see Papers elucidating the Claims of Sir Augustus d'Este, K. C. H., 1831, and A Letter to a Noble Lord explanatory of a Bill in the Court of Chancery, 1831).
It was not till 1801 that Prince Augustus was raised to the peerage by the title of Baron Arklow, Earl of Inverness and Duke of Sussex. His adoption of liberal political views estranged him from his father and the court, and excluded him from lucrative employments similar to those enjoyed by the other royal dukes. Indeed, he had incurred the resentment of his father for political contumacy as early as his seventh year, when 'he was by order of the king locked up in his nursery, and sent supperless to bed, for wearing Admiral Keppel's election colours' (Earl of Albemarle, Fifty Years of my Life, vol. ii. p. 103). The Duke of Sussex gave an energetic support to all the progressive political policy of his time, including the abolition of the slave trade, catholic emancipation, the removal of the civil disabilities of Jews and dissenters, the abolition of the corn laws, and parliamentary reform. His interest in the advancement of art and science was also genuine and enlightened, and he readily lent his influence to promote schemes of benevolence. In his later years he was in great request as chairman at anniversary dinners. When his eldest brother became Prince Regent in 1811, he succeeded him as grand master of the freemasons. He was elected president of the Society of Arts in 1816, and from 30 Nov. 1830 to 30 Nov. 1839, was president of the Royal Society. In the latter capacity he gave brilliant receptions in his
