THE DREAM OF LINUS.

LINUS groaned in his troubled sleep. He was in a cell in a frontier fort. He was an optio, the chosen man and his only crime was being a Christian. The Emperor had decreed that Christianity was to be accepted throughout the empire as the state religion. However in this fort on the Great Wall at the very edge of the Empire, the commander’s word was law. The commander still worshipped Mithras and had thrown Linus into this Cell.

Linus had a troubled nights sleep with strange conflicting dreams. His first dream was that Christianity had spread throughout the empire and had become the Imperial Religion.

Suddenly fierce men from Freisia and the Lowlands had began attacking his country. Other invaders came from over the Irish Sea and from deep inside Scotland. The legions and auxiliaries could not withstand this onslaught and were withdrawn to the continent

These new people brought strange gods with them and Britannia once again became a pagan country.

Later two groups of Christian missionaries arrived in the former province. A group of autocratic men came from Rome. A second group of gentler, milder men came from Ireland. These men could talk to the pagan and began to convert their kings and peoples to Christianity. Once again England became a Christian country.

Another group of pagans attacked England from the extreme areas of Northern Europe. They despoiled and destroyed monasteries, taking treasures which had been collected over two centuries

These people rook over almost the entire country. Only one Saxon kingdom remained. Alfred, King of Wessex finally defeated the Vikings and forced them to convert.

England was once again a Christian country and has remained so ever since.

Linus turned in his sleep and breathed his last breath.

His commander found him dead the next morning with a smile on his face. Linus had realised that his religion had finally conquered.