practicalguideto00unse_0

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beniglited people to the Christian faith. In 621, Edwin
ascended the throne at York as King of Northumbria, and in
627, on Easter-day, was publicly baptised by Paulinus, a
Eoman missionary, who very soon after became the first
Archbishop of York.
The celebrated library connected with the Minster was
founded by Archbishop Egbert (731 to 767), and became,
under the famous and learned Alcuin (in the time of Archbishop
Albert, 7 67-782), one of the most valuable in the world.
About the year 810, Egbert, king of Wessex, after being
engaged in a variety of struggles, and having surmounted
many difficulties, succeeded in obtaining the supreme dominion,
and uniting the seven kingdoms of the Heptarchy into one
monarchy. The Northumbrians, however, being more remote
from the influence of his successors, soon asserted their independence,
and raised Osbert to the throne at York. The
northern kingdom now suffered for many years from internal
divisions and ravages of the Danes, who, in 867, defeated
and killed Osbert in a battle near York, and committed
frightful atrocities in the city. The Danes thus wrested Northumbria
from the Saxons, after they had possessed it for about
three hundred years ;
but, in 910, Edward the Elder obtained
a complete victory over them, killing two of their kings and
several thousand soldiers.
After many turbulent years of bloody revolutions, Northumbria
was, in 951, reduced by Edred to an earldom,
York still continuing its capital .
;
Osulf, an Angk>-
Saxon, was the first earl. He was joined by Oslac in the
following reign in the government ; but their authoritywas
subsequently united in the person of Waltheof, th.3
second earl. The principal earls of Northumbria were:
Siward, a man of extraordinary strength and valour ;
Tostig, brother of King Harold ;
and Morcar, who was
reigning earl at the Conquest. Siward died here in 1055,
and was buried near the Minster, or, as some historians say,
at Galmanho, now St. Olaves, in Marygate. It is related of
him that, being brought to the last extremity by disease, he
exclaimed : Oh, what a shame is it for me who have
escaped death in so many battles, to die like a beast at last
Put me on my coat of mail, gird on my sword, place on my
helmet, give me my shield and axe ;
thus, as a valiant soldier