Austin, (St.), the first archbishop of Canterbury, was originally a monk in the convent of St Andrew at Rome, and educated under St Gregory, afterwards Pope Gregory I., by whom he was dispatched into Britain with forty other monks of the same order, about the year 596, to convert the English Saxons to Christianity. They landed in the isle of Thanet; and having sent some French interpreters to king Ethelbert with an account of their errand, the king gave them leave to convert as many of his subjects as they could, and assigned their place of residence at Dorovernum, since called Canterbury; to which they were confined till the king himself was converted, whose example had a powerful influence in promoting the conversion of his subjects; but though he was extremely pleased at their becoming Christians, he never attempted to compel them. He dispatched a priest and a monk to Rome, to acquaint the pope with the success of his mission, and to define his resolution of certain questions. These men brought back with them a pall, and several books, vestments, utensils, and ornaments for the churches. His holiness, by the same messengers, gave Augustin directions concerning the settling of episcopal sees in Britain; and ordered him not to pull down the idol temples, but to convert them into Christian churches; only destroying the idols, and sprinkling the place with holy water, that the natives, by frequenting the temples they had been always accustomed to, might be the less shocked at their entrance into Christianity. Augustin resided principally at Canterbury, which thus became the metropolitan church of England; and having established bishops in several of the cities, he died on the 26th of May 607. The Popish writers ascribe several miracles to him. The observation of the festival of St Augustin was first joined in a synod held under Cuthbert archbishop of Canterbury, and afterwards by the pope's bull in the Augustinian reign of king Edward III.

Augustine (St.), an illustrious father of the church, was born at Thagaste, a city of Numidia, on the 13th of November 354. His father, a burgess of that city, was called Patricius; and his mother, Monica, who being a woman of great virtue, instructed him in the principles of the Christian religion. In his early youth he was in the rank of the catechumens; and falling dangerously ill, earnestly desired to be baptized; but the violence of the distemper ceasing, his baptism was delayed. His father, who was not yet baptized, made him study at Thagaste, Madaura, and afterwards at Carthage. Augustine having read Cicero's books of philosophy, began to entertain a love for wisdom, and applied himself to the study of the holy scriptures; nevertheless, he suffered himself to be seduced by the Manicheans. At the age of nineteen he returned to Thagaste, and taught grammar, and also frequented the bar: he afterwards taught rhetoric at Carthage with applause. The influence of the scholars at Carthage made him take a resolution to go to Rome, tho' against his mother's will. Here also he had many scholars; but disliking them, he quitted Rome, and settled at Milan, and was chosen public professor of rhetoric in that city. Here he had opportunities of hearing the sermons of St Ambrose, which, together with the study of St Paul's epistles, and the conversion of two of his friends, determined him to retract his errors, and quit the sect of the Manicheans. This was in the 32nd year of his age. In the vacation of the year 386, he retired to the house of a friend of his, named Verecundus, where he seriously applied himself to the study of the Christian religion, in order to prepare himself for baptism, which he received at Easter, in the year 387. Soon after this, his mother came to see him at Milan, and invite him back to Carthage; but at Ostia, whither he went to embark in order to his return, she died. He arrived in Africa about the end of the year 388; and having obtained a garden-plot without the walls of the city of Hippo, he associated himself with eleven other persons of eminent sanctity, who distinguished themselves by wearing leathern girdles, and lived there in a monastic way for the space of three years, exercising themselves in fasting, prayer, study, and meditation, day and night: from hence sprung up the Augustinian friars, or eremites of St Augustine, being the first order of mendicants; those of St Jerome, the Carmelites, and others, being but branches of this St Augustine. About this time, or before, Valerius bishop of Hippo, against his will, ordained him priest: nevertheless, he continued to reside in his little monastery, with his brethren, who, renouncing all property, possessed their goods in common. Valerius, who had appointed St Augustine to preach in his place, allowed him to do it in his presence, contrary to the custom of the churches in Africa. He explained the creed in a general council of Africa held in 393. Two years after, Valerius, fearing he might be preferred to be bishop of another church, appointed him his coadjutor or colleague, and caused him to be ordained bishop of Hippo, by Megales bishop of Calama, then primate of Numidia. St Augustine died the 28th day of August, 430, aged 76 years, having had the misfortune to see his country invaded by the Vandals. Augustine Vandals, and the city where he was bishop besieged for seven months.

The works of St Augustine make ten volumes; the best edition of them is that of Mauin, printed at Antwerp in 1700. They are but little read at this time, except by the clergy of the Greek church and in the Spanish universities. The booksellers of London receive frequent commissions for them, and indeed for the most of the fathers, from Russia, and also from Spain.

Augustine (St.), a fort of North America, on the east coast of Cape Florida, situated in W. Long. 81° 10', N. Lat. 30° 0'. This fort was built by the Spaniards; who were scarce well established there when they were attacked by Sir Francis Drake in 1586, who reduced and pillaged the fort and town adjacent. In 1665, it underwent a similar fate, being attacked by Captain Davis at the head of a considerable company of buccaneers. In 1702 an attempt was made by Colonel More to annex St Augustine to the British dominions. He invested it with only 500 English and 700 Indians; which small force, however, would have been sufficient to reduce the place, had not succours arrived when it was on the point of surrendering. Even then, it is thought that he might have defeated the reinforcement which arrived; but he chose to raise the siege, and retire with precipitation. In 1740, another unsuccessful attempt was made on this fort by General Oglethorpe; it was, however, together with the whole country of Florida, ceded to Great Britain by the treaty of Paris in 1763; but has since been restored to Spain by the treaty of peace 1783.