Historic%20Yorkshire

4
ALFRED, KING OF NORTHUMBRIA.
his education at Ripon,under Wilfrid (who afterwards
received canonisation as St. Wilfrid of Ripon). Alfred,
soon after his return to his nativeland, recommenced his
old friendship with Wilfrid, and bestowed upon him the
Archiepiscopal mitreof York; but Wilfrid (who hasbeen
termed by that eminentantiquary,Mr. Frederick Ross, a
seventh-century Beckett), encroaching on the favour
displayed to him, began a series of presumptive
aggressions on the prerogatives of the King. Alfred,
who was little of a disposition to brook such return for
his kindness,banished the haughtyWilfrid, who fled to
Rome, andlaid his grievancesat the feet of His Holiness
the Pope. The Holy Father, John VIL, listened with*
complacency, and ordered his immediate return, sending
at the same time, by the hands of the triumphant priest,
a lettercouched in the most peremptory terms, ordering
his reinstatement in all the dignities and emoluments
of his late office. Probablythe elatedecclesiastic, upon
speeding back to the Kingof Northumbria, was considerably
astonished at beingaddressed to the followingeffect
by thatindependentand liberal-mindedman:"Youbring
a writing from the apostolic seat, as you choose to term
it, couched in dictatorial terms to me, the King of
Northumbria ; butIwish you to understand thatIdo
not alter my course of conduct at the dictation of a
foreign priest; nor doIrender obedienceto any writing,
whether from the apostolic seat or elsewhere." From
the foregoing it is evident that the supremacy of the
papal decrees was a growth of mediæval times, rather
than a necessary, and always present, portion of their
history.
Alfred marriedKyneburga,the daughter of Penda, the
King of Mercia, who had been slain in battle with the
Northumbrians, under Oswy, at Winwinfield. By this
marriage,whichhas beenregarded as a politicalmeasure,
he had issue one son, Osred, who afterwards became
king on his death,and waskilled in a revoltofhis western
subjects at Winandermere in 716.