very period at which we have arrived, a confederation of the Britons under Cadwalla, aided by Penda, King of Mercia, recovered the whole country, as we shall presently see.

As for the religious condition of the north, the Britons of Cumbria were the descendants of the Church of the old Roman province; and the disciples of Ninian, of Kentigern, and of Columba, were scattered among the Picts and Scots. Nennius asserts that

a Welshman, Rhun, son of Urien, converted the Northumbrians; the Welsh Chronicle gives the year 626 A.D. as the date of his labours; and this may be the distorted record of some missionary enterprise immediately preceding the time of the appearance of Paulinus on the scene.1

די

history of Edwin is briefly this. The NorthumJoen divided into two kingdoms, Bernicia

ed by two branches of the house of

On the death of Elle of Deirastory of Gregory and the English rum-Æthelfrith, King of Bernicia, master of Deira also, and Elle's son

of three years old, and his friends, in other lands. Edwin wandered from kingdom, till he found a refuge at the edwald, King of the East Angles. Æthelmessengers offering a large sum for the life gitive, and again with a larger bribe, and still vith threats of war.

wald was disposed to surrender the fugitive er than risk the hazard of war. A trusty friend Edwin warned him of the danger, advised him to 1 Professor Ray's Celtic Britain, p. 130.

CHAPTER XXIII

PROGRESS OF THE WORK IN NORTHUMBRIA

It will be well to pause here, in order to consider the condition of this new district to which we are introduced. The settlements of the Angles from the Humber, northwards, were among the earliest, but they seem at first to have been only along the coast. The invaders forced their way inland slowly, against tenacious resistance, and with varying fortunes; for they had not only to fight against the Britons and drive them westward, but they had to guard their right flank, which, the further they extended their conquests, was the more and more exposed to attack from the Picts and Scots. Cumbria was still independent, and continued to be ruled by native kings till the early part of the tenth century. It would be difficult to define the boundary between the two countries at this time. Long after the period at which we have arrived, there were two small independent British districts, Loidis and Elmet, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The town of Leeds takes its name from the former, and the village of Barwick-in-Elmet defines the whereabouts of the latter. The war of conquest, which had ceased a century ago in Kent and the south-east of the island generally, was still of doubtful issue in the north; not many years after the

very period at which we have arrived, a confederation of the Britons under Cadwalla, aided by Penda, King of Mercia, recovered the whole country, as we shall presently see.

As for the religious condition of the north, the Britons of Cumbria were the descendants of the Church of the old Roman province; and the disciples of Ninian, of Kentigern, and of Columba, were scattered among the Picts and Scots. Nennius asserts that

a Welshman, Rhun, son of Urien, converted the Northumbrians; the Welsh Chronicle gives the year 626 A.D. as the date of his labours; and this may be the distorted record of some missionary enterprise immediately preceding the time of the appearance of Paulinus on the scene.1

The history of Edwin is briefly this. The Northumbrians had been divided into two kingdoms, Bernicia and Deira, governed by two branches of the house of Ida the Conqueror. On the death of Elle of Deirathe Elle of the story of Gregory and the English slaves in the Forum-Ethelfrith, King of Bernicia, made himself master of Deira also, and Elle's son Edwin, a child of three years old, and his friends, sought refuge in other lands. Edwin wandered from kingdom to kingdom, till he found a refuge at the court of Redwald, King of the East Angles. Æthelfrith sent messengers offering a large sum for the life of the fugitive, and again with a larger bribe, and still again with threats of war.

Redwald was disposed to surrender the fugitive rather than risk the hazard of war. A trusty friend of Edwin warned him of the danger, advised him to 1 Professor Ray's Celtic Britain, p. 130.

flee, and offered to be his guide to a place of safety. The friend may very probably have been sent by Redwald, who hoped thus to evade his difficulty; but Edwin refused. "I thank you for your good will," he said, "but I cannot do what you propose, or be guilty of breaking the compact I have made with so great a King, when he has done me no harm nor offered me any injury. If I must die, let it be by his hand rather than by that of any meaner person. For whither shall I now flee, when I have for so many years been a wanderer through all the provinces of Britain to escape the hands of my enemies?"

While Edwin sat outside the palace, in the dark, brooding over his condition, a stranger appeared to him, who asked what reward he would give to the man who should persuade Redwald not to deliver him up to his enemies. Edwin replied that he would give him all he was able to give. But what if I also promise that you shall overcome your enemies, and surpass in power all who have reigned before you over the English nation?" Edwin promised that he would make a suitable return to him who should accomplish this. But," persisted the stranger, “if he can also give you better advice for your life and salvation than any of your progenitors ever heard of, will you consent to submit to him and to follow his wholesome counsel ?" Edwin promised that he would in all things follow the counsel of the man who should deliver him from his calamities and raise him to a throne. The stranger then laid his hand upon Edwin's head, saying, “ When this sign shall be given you, remember this discourse, and fulfil your promises"; and the stranger disappeared.