york00orns

62 YORK.
division of the enormous dioceses of the early Saxon
bishops, which were for the most part commensurate
with the kingdoms in which they were estabHshed.
With regard to Northumbria it has been suggested by
Lappenberg that Theodore was not without some
suspicion that Wilfrid was laying the foundations of an
independent archbishopric. However this might be,
one thing is clear,—that in the steps which he took
for the partition of the great northern diocese, Wilfrid
was not called into council at all.
Theodore's visit to Northumbria in the year 678
appears to have been on the invitation of Ecgfrid.
He called certain bishops to assist in the deliberations
which took place. Of their names we are ignorant,
but Wilfrid was not one of them. The omission
was not a fortuitous one. Theodore was too astute a
man to act thus without a reason ; and the reason is
not far to seek. He well knew that Wilfrid would
offer a strenuous resistance to the project he meditated,
and he acted on that assumption. Three bishops
were consecrated, two for Bernicia and Deira, and
one for Lindsey, which had shortly before been regained
for Northumbria by Ecgfrid Their names
were Bosa, a monk of Whitby ;
Eata, the abbot of
Lindisfame ; and Eadhed. The consecration was
performed by Theodore alone.
It was unquestionably a high-handed act, and one
which, however admirable the poHcy which sought to
multiply the spheres of diocesan supervision, it is
impossible to justify. The consecration of the three
bishops took place in the basilica of York. Wilfrid
was absent at the time, but soon heard what had been