The Paladins of Edwin the Great

  CHAPTER VI

  THE GREAT BRETWALDA

  Edwin had achieved the most excellent and most difficult work thatcould have been undertaken in that age. He had established profoundpeace which continued until his death. His sons Offrid and Eadfridhad grown to be fine young men. The former was married and had a soncalled Iffi, after the King's grandfather. Ethelburga had borne Edwinfour children--Eanflaed, born on the fatal day of the assassinations;Ethelhun and Etheldrith, who died in infancy; and a son named Wuscfrea,after the King's great-grandfather. The five paladins were constantlyin attendance on Edwin, ready with their services and advice; includingGodric, whose sons were old enough to manage his affairs in the countryof the Gainas, with the help of his man Wiglaf. Mary Audr (Nanna)lived with her sister Braga at Stillingfleet, to be near her husband.Bergliot, with her two sons and the royal children Oswin and Ebba,was at Hemingborough, for the wife of Osric was dead, and he too wasgenerally with the King.

  The most important matter requiring statesmanlike treatment was thechange of religion. The baptism of the King had led to a strong andgeneral tendency among the people in the same direction, but Edwin wasdetermined that no constraint should be used. The choice was to beabsolutely free. Rhunn ap Urien remained, baptizing all classes, andby his preaching many believed on Christ. James the Deacon was a mostzealous missionary, and visited all parts of the country, explainingthe precepts of Christianity, catechising and baptizing. He was theman whom Edwin would have preferred as bishop. But he found that thedismissal of Paulinus would be painful to Ethelburga. He thereforesent for the Roman monk, who was certainly a zealous preacher and aman of ability. The interview took place in the same chamber where hehad failed to dupe the King. Edwin said to Paulinus, "Do your workzealously as the bishop of my church. Preach and baptize. Attend tothe spiritual needs of my household and of that of the Queen. Butremember! there must be no miracles. In this country men are too shrewdto be treated with such stimulants." Paulinus replied in a becomingmanner, and henceforward confined himself to legitimate work; and PopeHonorius sent him the pall. The Bishop of York preached and baptized inBernicia and in Deira, and in the parts of Lindsey, where he convertedBlecca, thegn of the Lindiswaras, and all his family. A man namedDeda informed the Venerable Bede that a very old man had told him howhe, with a great number of people, was baptized in the river Trent byPaulinus, near Southwell. Deda's informant even described the personalappearance of the Roman Bishop. Edwin himself persuaded Eorpwald, whohad succeeded Redwald as King of East Anglia, to embrace Christianitywith all his people. There had been a close friendship between themsince the battle on the Idle. There was, however, a revolt of the partyadhering to the old religion, headed by a chief named Richbert, andKing Eorpwald was murdered. The worship of Woden again prevailed inEast Anglia for three years. Then Sigebert, a half-brother of Eorpwald,who had been educated in France, succeeded in 630. The new King inviteda monk from Burgundy named Felix to assist him, and when he was made abishop, gave him Dunwich for his see. Under Sigebert and Felix the EastAnglians once more became Christians.

  After much consultation with his paladins, the King resolved to builda church of stone at York to replace the wooden baptistery, and to bededicated to St. Peter. Edwin entrusted the provision of materials toCoelred, and the erection of the edifice to Sivel. The chief of theStillingas had organised a very efficient fleet to patrol the Humberand its tributaries. There must be no more kidnapping. Every unknownboat was stopped and examined, and the crews had to give a strictaccount of themselves. A strong patrol was always maintained at thejunction of the Ouse and Wharfe. Coelred employed some of his vesselsto convey the blocks of limestone from Calcaria to York, and Porlorsuperintended the work at the quarries. They were near the ford ofNehalennia, and the brothers often remembered with affection the deityworshipped by their gentle mother, and the memorable day when theyvisited the shrine at Appleton with the Princess Alca. Sivel was wellable to design a working plan. He built with the objects of durabilityand strength, constructing his walls by laying the stones in theherring-bone fashion. Part of Sivel's walls may still be seen in thecrypt of York Minster. The work progressed steadily. The King dedicateda large gold cross and a golden chalice for the use of his church ofSt. Peter at York, which was not finished at the time of Edwin's death.

  The paladins of Edwin desired that as Bretwalda of all Britain heshould assume some of the imperial state they had seen at the court ofthe Emperor Maurice. Sivel called him Basileus and Sebastos in statedocuments. His banners were borne before him when he rode about tovisit all parts of his dominions. On the occasions of his walking alongthe streets a tuft of feathers fixed on a spear, called _Tufa_ by theRomans, was carried before him. The privilege of performing this dutybelonged to Godric.

  The King appointed a council consisting of Coelred, Porlor, andSivel to examine the code of laws established by Ethelbert, to adaptthem for use in Northumbria, and to prepare a code for submission tothe national "Witan." This assembly of notables of the kingdom wascalled at regular intervals throughout the reign of Edwin. With somealterations, they adopted the code proposed by the King as the lawsof Northumbria. When these great men returned to their homes theywere the means of making known the beneficent measures of the King,and of impressing upon all men the importance of abiding by the lawand keeping the King's peace. "It was reported that there was thensuch perfect peace in Britain, wheresoever the dominion of King Edwinextended, that, as it is proverbially said, a woman with her new-bornbabe might walk throughout the island from sea to sea without receivingany harm." Once Porlor related to Edwin the story of his journey withCoelred across the Vindhya Hills to Ujjayani in India, and describedthe care of the Malwa Rajas for the comfort of their subjects bybuilding fountains along the road at intervals and planting trees. TheKing was much struck by Porlor's account, and was anxious to imitatea measure which must add so much to the convenience of travellers. Hesaw the importance of encouraging traffic and movement of all kinds."In several places where he had seen clear springs near the highways hecaused stakes to be fixed with brass dishes hanging at them for the useof passers-by; nor durst any man touch them for any other purpose thanthat for which they were designed, either through the dread they had ofthe King or for the affection which they bore him."

  All matters relating to the currency were naturally entrusted toSivel, who was so well informed respecting the working of the mint atAntioch. In Britain it was in a deplorable state of decadence. TheRoman coins of three metals were used long after the legions departed,until those in circulation were quite worn out. The expedient was thenadopted of melting the defaced money of all three metals together,from which very small coins were struck called _stycas_. They maybe considered to have been worth about a shilling of our time, withreference to buying power. They had some letters or runes on them, butnothing the meaning of which was intelligible, and no king's name.Sivel began with a reform of the _stycas_. He caused Edwin's name asKing of the English to be clearly stamped on the obverse; his own name,as the moneyer, with the place (EOFER), on the reverse, and a cross inthe centre. There was no room for more on these minute pieces. Sivelwas also anxious to introduce a silver penny like those of the Easternemperors, and he actually designed one. On the obverse was King Edwin'shead, with the inscription--

  EDVIN : REX : A : BRET :

  and on the reverse a winged figure of Alca, and the letters--

  SIVEL : SERV : ALCA : DIV :

  Several were struck; but it was found that the precious metals at thecommand of Edwin's government were not sufficiently abundant to bringit into circulation. Sivel had his mint and treasury at York, and hetaught several young English lads to read and write, so as to serve ashis scribes. He recorded the events of the reign, the measures thatwere adopted, and even notes of important speeches delivered in theWitan, such as those of Coifi and Saebald on the occasion of the debateon the change of religion. No one can doubt that such a record onceexisted who comp
ares the number of anecdotes and incidents and speecheschronicled by Bede respecting the reigns of Edwin and his immediatesuccessors with the meagre lists of dates and names and battles whichis all we are told of the other kings of the Heptarchy. Exclusive ofmonkish miracles and discussions about the date of keeping Easter, noother reign is to be compared with that of Edwin for the amount ofinformation that is given by Bede. It cannot, therefore, be disputedthat the good monk of Jarrow must have had before him either Sivel'srecord or very full extracts from some such document.

  Edwin's favourite residence always continued to be at Aldby, near thegrave of Alca, but the duties of administration made his sojourns atYork very frequent. He periodically visited all parts of his dominions.In the far north he had a country seat called Adgefrin on the riverGlen, where the court often remained for a month at a time. Anothercountry seat was at Catterick, where the fine buildings of the Romanstation of Cataractonium were rendered fit for habitation. Here theDeacon James eventually took up his permanent abode. Another was atCampodunum--the modern Tanfield, near Ripon; another at Driffieldin the Wolds. At Barwick-in-Elmet the King sometimes resided in afortified house, near the lofty tumulus erected to the memory ofHereric, the good Atheling. On these occasions he usually invited hiscousin Braga, with her saintly little daughters, to keep him company.

  Coelred and Porlor snatched occasional intervals to rest from thecares of state with their sisters at Stillingfleet. Good old Tanwin hadbeen gathered to his fathers, but his trusty son Froda was lieutenantto the brothers, and they intended, in the fulness of time, that heshould succeed them as leader of the Stillingas. They enjoyed the restin the old home and the visits to Bergliot at Hemingborough, where theyplayed with the sons of their beloved Lilla, and taught them warlikeexercises. But what Coelred and Porlor loved most in their advancingyears was to sit or recline together on the grave of Shuprak, and talkover the past of their eventful lives. Here they could pour out theinnermost thoughts of their hearts to each other, and revive all theold memories. From the time that they were little boys they had lovedAlca with a pure and holy fervour which entirely prevented any otherwoman from obtaining a place in their hearts. Now that she was gone,the devoted, loving service was changed into worship and a tendermemory. They were, while this life lasted, all in all to each other. Itwas a very pleasant spot. The mighty trees of the primeval forest, withmasses of ferns at their roots, overshadowed them, while a grassy slopeextended from Shuprak's grave to the bright little beck which babbledover rounded pebbles under the willow trees. The quickset hedge and theopen gateway forming the boundary of the court of Stillingfleet werevisible on the crest of the opposite hill.

  One evening, as they were reclining together against the mound overtheir faithful dog, a clap of thunder rumbled in the distance. Itreminded both of the day of the kidnapping. For a long time neitherhad spoken. How enjoyable is an occasional interval of silence by theside of a dear friend! Coelred was the first to speak. "I remember," hesaid, "when we all dashed wildly into the forest on that fateful day, Iturned my head for a moment and saw our mother standing in the gateway,looking at us with her hand shading her eyes. We were near this veryspot." "Dear gentle mother!" said Porlor, "she never saw us or heard ofus again. Yet Alca must have cheered her last moments with her graciousconfidence that we should return." "I often think," said Coelred,"that there is no difference between the parting of friends on earthand the parting by death--at least it has been so in our case. We cameback and found father and mother and many friends cut off by death. Weleft friends far away, and have never heard of them since. To us thereis no difference." "I think there is a difference," answered Porlor."Sivel heard of the wicked murder of the Emperor Maurice when he was atCanterbury, and of the cruel slaughter of the good General Narses bythe usurper Phocas. How gladly would we have drawn our swords in theirdefence, or to avenge their deaths! Of the rest of our far-off friendswe have heard nothing, it is true. But if we know our friends we canmake forecasts which cannot be far wrong. We may be certain that thedear Guru ended his days happily and peacefully, and that death had noterror for him. Good old Monas, after a few years of prayer under hispalm trees, passed away in the certainty that his doctrine was the trueone, and in the undoubting belief of reward hereafter. But I wonderwhat has become of that strange young Arab, Muhammad ben Abdallah.""No common fate," exclaimed Coelred. "I think that he now leads thebelievers in some new religion that he has preached. Remember what oldMonas said."

  They then talked of themselves, "And what of ourselves?" continuedCoelred. "The Valkyrie have been long in choosing us. Our turn cannotbe far off now. Are we ready, my brother?" "I believe," said Porlor,"that we have done the work that was set before us with all our might.That work cannot fail to appear to ourselves, and it certainly appearsto the world, to have been of service to our King and our countrymen.Our country has been raised to great prosperity. Alca would have smiledupon us. It is enough. We may rejoice when the Valkyrie choose us.""But this great prosperity--this happiness enjoyed by our country--willit last?" "No," said Porlor, "it cannot last. We must work on untilour appointed time, without comprehending the ways of the All-father.There will be wild kings and confusion again and again. But of thisbe certain:--No good work is ever wasted. All may appear hopeless tothose who come after us. They may think our work was in vain. But itis not so. We have done little. Much of our seed is cast among thornsor by the wayside. But some few seeds have fallen on good ground andwill bear fruit for ever. We are not unprofitable servants. Our work isdone. I feel that our time is near. My Coelred, we will die together."They wound their arms round each other in a brotherly embrace, as theyhad done under the palm trees by the Red Sea.

  Presently the sound of horse's hoofs was heard, and Godric emerged fromthe forest. He had come on a visit to Stillingfleet for a day or two,and announced that on the third day they were all summoned to attendthe King to Adgefrin. The days passed away happily, and when the timecame, Coelred and Porlor bade their sisters a tender farewell. Mountingtheir horses, they passed through the well-known old gateway for thelast time.

  At the Aldwark they found the King engaged in conversation withBassus and Sivel. The great general was representing to Edwin thatneither Penda nor Cadwalla was a neighbour on whose good faith reliancecould be implicitly placed. Penda, the King of Mercia, had succeededin 626, not without suspicion that he had made away with his cousinKearl, the late King, by violence. He was a truculent, faithless man,always committing aggressions on his neighbours, and ever thirstingfor blood. He had, however, freely acknowledged the Bretwaldaship ofEdwin, assisted him in his march to Wessex, and continued to professfriendship. Bassus thought that he protested too much. Cadwalla,the King of Gwynedd, although professing Christianity, was a morebrutal savage than Penda. He was endowed with some cunning, and alsoprofessed friendship for the great Bretwalda. Bassus had reason forsuspecting that there was a secret understanding between the twotraitors. He was no alarmist, but there had been a long peace, andthe King was unsuspicious and over-confident. A sudden invasion wouldfind him unprepared. "What has happened to make you speak thus, myBassus?" asked the King. The faithful paladin was unable to say thatanything had actually happened. "Ah! you think we are rusting in thelong peace. If there should ever be war, which God forbid," he addedaffectionately, "in Bassus will be our hope and our reliance." Theother friends had unbounded faith in the military sagacity of theirbeloved companion. But Edwin would hear no more. Bassus and Sivelremained at York. The rest fared northward, with the King and hisfamily, to the royal country seat of Adgefrin.