of life. His widow Ethelburga retired from the world into the monastery of Liming in Kent, founded for her by her brother Edbald, where her holy and exemplary life caused her to be revered as a saint after her death, in A.D. 647.

CHAPTER IV.

FROM THE DEATH OF KING EDWIN TO THE DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP THEODORE.

ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRISTIANITY.

I like a blunt indifference;

Affections, which if put to proof are kind;
And piety tow'rds God. Such men of old
Were England's native growth.

WORDSWORTH.

E have thus far seen the work of the Gospel among our Saxon forefathers done only by the Italian missionaries, and a few fellow-labourers from the shores of France. But we shall now see how the truth, taught by the ancient Britons to the wild nations of Ireland and Scotland, came back to enlighten the country from which it had at first been spread. The sons of king Ethelfrid, after Edwin had succeeded to his throne, had taken refuge among the Picts and Scots, with a large body of young nobility attached to their party. Here the disciples of Columba, from Iona, had taught them the Christian faith, and they had been baptised. After the fall of Edwin, one of whose sons by a former wife had fallen by his father's side, and the other was a prisoner in the hands of Penda,-Ethelburga having carried his children of the second marriage into Kent,-there were none of his line left to dispute the succession with them. Accordingly they returned; and Eanfrid, the eldest, took

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possession of Northumberland and Durham, called by the Saxons Beorna-ric, or Bear-land," either from the fierce creatures which then infested it, or because it was by the name of "bears" that the old pagans of the North distinguished their bravest warriors. A nephew of Edwin's, by name Osric, was at the same time set up by the Saxons of Yorkshire to be king of "Deer-land." The choice was unhappy. Osric, who had received baptism from the hands of Paulinus, no sooner was declared king, than he renounced the Christian faith; and then marching to York, which had surrendered to Cadwal, attempted to besiege him there. The Welch chieftain, seeing him ill provided for the attack, sallied out and destroyed him and his forces; and after long harassing the province, contrived to slay Eanfrid also, who had likewise become an apostate, at a conference. Oswald, the second son of Ethelfrid, was at hand with a small but resolute band of followers; and by a victory near Hexham entirely changed the fortunes of the contending parties. Cadwal and his large host were left in heaps of slaughter on the field; and thus ended a war, in which the Britons seemed for a short time likely to regain their old possessions, but which was disgraced by too much cruelty to be crowned with lasting success.

There is no Saxon king whose name has been more honoured in old traditions than that of OsWALD, whom this victory raised at once to the throne of Northumbria, and to the title of "Lord of

1 To be called a bear in these degenerate days is not considered a compliment; but in old times, in the North, as the bear was the strongest animal known, it was as high a title to be called Beorn-mod, or Beorn-red, 'bear-hearted,' as to have the surname of William the Lion, or Richard Coeur-de-Lion. 2 See above, p. 28.

Britain," and all the power of Edwin. It is said, that before he led his men to this dangerous onset, he planted an ensign of the cross in front of their ranks, and kneeling with them before it, prayed for deliverance and victory. "This sign of the holy rood," he said, "is our token of blessing; at this rood let us bow, not to the tree, but to the almighty Lord that hung upon the rood for us, and pray Him to defend the right." When he was established in the kingdom, he sent ambassadors to the Scottish princes, with whom he and his thanes had found refuge, and prayed them to send him some bishop, from whom the English people might receive the precepts of the faith which he had learnt among them. They sent him without delay a man of great gentleness and piety, as Alfred describes him, full of zeal and of the love of God. This was AIDAN, to whom, at his own choice, Oswald gave for his see the island of Lindisfarne, on the coast of Northumberland, near to Bambrough, his own royal seat, A.D. 635. This was the first foundation of the bishopric of Durham.

Aidan was a monk of Iona, the monastery of St. Columba before mentioned,3 which in this century had sent forth many missionaries, who had founded other monasteries in the north of Scotland, and was the chief seat of dignity in the Scottish Church. After he had come to Lindisfarne, many other Scottish monks and priests came to associate themselves with him. They followed the Welch or ancient British way of calculating Easter, which afterwards led to some inconvenience with those who had been taught the Roman calendar; but nothing could be more exemplary than the life and behaviour of these northern churchmen. Aidan himself was a pattern

3 Ch. i. p. 20.

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of that frugal and self-denying life, of which his countrymen in later times have shewn so many praiseworthy examples. "He was one," says Bede, "who seemed neither to covet nor love any of this world's goods and all the gifts he received from princes or rich men he distributed in alms to the poor. Wherever he went, whether to town or village, he went on foot, never riding on horseback, unless some urgent need required it, and inquiring of rich and poor whom he met whether they were Christians; if they were not, he invited them to learn the faith; if they were, he sought by discourse to establish them in what they had learnt, and by words and deeds to encourage them in works of mercy. His attendants, clergy or laymen, whereever he journeyed, were seen employed either in reading the Scriptures or in learning psalmody, whenever they were not engaged in holy prayers. If ever he was invited to the king's table, he went with one or two of his priests; and when he was refreshed, he soon rose and took his leave to return to read or pray. By his example, the religious men and women were taught to observe the fasts of Wednesday and Friday, abstaining from food till the ninth hour of the day; and this they did throughout the year, except from Easter to Whitsunday. To the rich and powerful he gave his reproofs without fear or favour; offering them no fee or present, but entertaining them when they visited his house with hospitable cheer. Besides the bounty which he shewed to the poor out of the worldly goods which were presented to him, he employed a great portion of them in redeeming those who had been unjustly sold for slaves; and many of those whom he had thus redeemed, he afterwards made disciples in the faith; and when they were well instructed, promoted them to the sacred order of priesthood."

G