GREGORY, surnamed the Great, born at Rome, was descended of an illustrious patrician family, and the son of the senator Gordian. He discovered such abilities in the exercise of the senatorial employments, that Justin the younger appointed him prefect of Rome, and Pelasgus II. sent him as nuncio to Constantinople, to demand succours against the Lombards. When he had thoughts of retiring to enjoy a solitary life, he was, in the year 590, elected pope by the clergy, the senate, and the people of Rome, and succeeded Pelasgus II. Besides his learning and diligence in instructing the church, both by writing and preaching, he had a happy talent in winning over princes in favour of the temporal as well as spiritual interests of religion. He undertook the conversion of the English, and sent over some monks, under the direction of Augustin their superior, by whom the seeds of Christianity were first planted in this island. His morality with respect to the chastity of churchmen was so rigid, that according to him a man who had ever known a woman ought not to be admitted to the priesthood; and he always caused the candidates for holy orders to be examined upon that point. He likewise exerted himself most vigorously against such as were found guilty of calumny and other vices. But, notwithstanding all this zeal, he flattered the emperor Phocas, whilst the hands of that prince were yet red with the blood of Mauritius and his three children, who had been butchered in his sight. He likewise flattered Brunehaut, queen of the Franks, whose character was worse than doubtful. He is further accused of having destroyed the monuments of ancient Roman magnificence, that those who visited the eternal city might not attend to the triumphal arches rather than to holy things; and burned a multitude of heathen books, including amongst these the History of Livy. He died in 604. Of all the popes, he is the one who left the greatest number of writings. The best edition of his works is that of Paris, 1705, in four vols. folio, published under the auspices of Denis de Sainte-Marthe and Guillaume Bessin of the congregation of St Maur.