Ancient_and_modern_York_a_guide

10 ANCIENT AND
the faith of Christ. Gregory, afterwards called the Great,
while in a private station, saw in the market place of
of Rome, some Saxon youths exposed for sale as slaves.
Struck with their fair complexions and blooming counte
nances, he asked to what country they belonged ; and on
being told that they were Angles (i.e. English), he replied,
that if they were Christians they would be Angels. He
asked what was their native province ; and on being told
that it was* Deiri : Dei'ri ! he exclaimed, that is good !
They shall be saved, De ira—from the anger of God. He
enquired who was their king ; and was told that it was
.3511a or Alia; he cried, Alleluia!—We must endeavour
that thepraises of God be sung in their country.^ Gregory
kept his pledge, and sent Augustin to England, a.d. 597,
who was the instrument employed by God's providence to
banish idols from this island.
York Minster was founded a few years afterwards.
Edwin, king of Northumberland, justly celebrated as the
greatest prince of the Heptarchy in his age, ascended the
throne at York. He married Ethelburga, the daughter
of the king of Kent, a convert to Christianity ; and in the
year 626, himself received baptismj from Paulinus, who
had been invested^ bishop of the kingdom of Northum
berland in the previous year. The venerable Bede's
Ecclesiastica Historia Gentis Anglorum, contains a most
interesting record of this happy event. He informs us
that Edwin was baptized on Easter day, at York (Eboraci),
in the church of the holy apostle Peter, which he had
ordered to be hastily constructed of wood. As soon as
• As the youths, we are told, were taken by merchants trading on the coast,
East Yorkshire, must be referred to, as the Romans and Italians traded there ;
but not on the coast of Lancashire, in the Irish sea.
♦ Sec Hume's England.
t Before Edwin embraced the Christian religion, he held a council of his
nobles and counsellors to discuss the subject. The first who spoke was the
high priest of the heathen gods, at York, Coifi by name, who acknowledged the
utter vanity of those idols which he served.—Palgrave't Hitt. Anglo-Saxons.
U See Saxon Chronicle.