| 1. The Story of Augustine | [213] |
| 2. Home Again | [230] |
| 3. Death of Alca | [248] |
| 4. Edwin | [270] |
| 5. Baptism | [296] |
| 6. The Great Bretwalda | [315] |
| 7. The End | [331] |
| Epilogue | [344] |
ILLUSTRATIONS
By Ralph Peacock
| Porlor and his Companions kidnapped by Sea–thieves | [Frontispiece] |
| Dancing round the Sacred Ash | To face page [14] |
| Princess Alca telling Stories to the Boys | " " [46] |
| Mystacon attacked by his Boy Captives | " " [104] |
| Coelred and Porlor in Egypt | " " [144] |
| Coelred and Porlor on their Way to the Wells | " " [158] |
| Death of Mystacon | " " [206] |
| The Young Warriors presented to Ethelfrith | " " [244] |
| Lilla saves the King's Life | " " [304] |
| King Edwin, Coelred, and Porlor slain | " " [338] |
PREFACE
Very little is known for certain of one of the most important events in the history of the world, the coming of the Englishmen to England. It took a long time, fully a century, from 450 A.D. to 550 A.D., and they came constantly, in small detachments for the most part, landing on the coast, in all directions, from the Forth to the Isle of Wight. They came amidst the ruins of the mighty Roman Empire, a new race of empire–founders, with all the germs of a still mightier future.
The new–comers from the older Angeln or England, now called Sleswig, came in the greatest numbers. We know not why, but it certainly was a wholesale movement. They kept launching their small fleets of dragon ships, and crossing the North Sea with their gods, their door–posts, and their beautiful golden–haired wives and children, until none were left. They brought with them all the deep religious feeling, all the imaginative mythology, all the heroic tales of the old land. They first disembarked on the coast between the Forth and the Tees, driving back the natives into Strathclyde, after a struggle which lasted for many years. Among them came Ida the son of Eoppa, with twelve sons, in forty dragon ships full of English warriors. He founded the castle of Bambrough on the coast, which was at first surrounded with a hedge and afterwards with a wall; and in 547 A.D. he became king of the country of Bernicia, between the Forth and the Tees. Ida was surnamed the "Flame–bearer." He reigned for twelve years in Bernicia, when Ethelric his son succeeded him.
Many more warriors landed on the coast between the Tees and the Humber; and in 559 A.D. their Eolderman, named Ella, the son of Iffi, the son of Wuscfrea, and twelfth in descent from Woden, became king of the more southern Northumbrian kingdom of Deira.
When they were settled in their kingdom of Deira, with Ella as their king, and Elfric his brother as their leader in war, the sea–rovers became farmers, ready to defend their possessions and to fight for the acquisition of more territory for their countrymen. They were the ceorls or freemen assembling in communities of families, within a boundary or mark, and known by a common name with the addition of the patronymic ing. The ceorl owned a hide of land, bore arms, had a vote, and took part in the thing, or general assembly of his mark. The union of marks formed a wapentake (Vopnatak), from the custom of touching the chief's spear in token of fealty. The union of Wapentakes formed the Scire or Shire with its Shire–mót. The Ceorl was the freeman, while the Eorl was the nobleman or chief in peace and war, and the Eolderman was a prince of the family of the Cyning (from cyne, generous) or king, who wore the cynehelm or circlet of gold.