Mr. G. Turnbull on Edin's Hall. 19 



of the Highlands and islands of Scotland. These are acknow- 

 ledged to have been the workmanship of the ancient Scandi- 

 navians, whose place of settlement in Denmark adjoined that of 

 the Saxons in Jutland, and who were members of the same 

 Teutonic race. It is reasonable to assume therefore that both 

 used the same style of architecture and masonry. If the ancient 

 Danes and Norwegians built edifices of uncemented stone, so 

 probably did the continental Saxons, who afterwards settled in 

 England. 



Agrees with accounts of sites. — The site of Edin's Hall agrees 

 with what appears, in most instances, to have been that of 

 the residences of the first Saxon kings of England. These 

 residences were situated not so frequently in towns as in the 

 country. Bede calls them "Regise villa?," royal vills, com- 

 monly translated royal country-seats. These are distinguished 

 by him from "Urbes," cities or towns*. Kemble, referring 

 generally to the situation chosen for the fortresses of kings 

 and chiefs, describes it thus : — " A gentle hill crowned with a 

 slight earth-work or even a stout hedge, and capacious enough 

 to receive all who require protection t-" Such is nearly a de- 

 scription of the site of Edin's Hall. And it may be remarked 

 that Adgefrin, now Yeavering, on the river Glen, noted as the 

 place where three of Edwin's children and a multitude of his 

 followers were baptized, is situated in a district not dissimilar 

 to that of Edin's Hall. Near to both places are considerable 

 eminences (viz. Cockburn Law and Yeavering Bell) commanding 

 prospects of extensive districts of country. 



Illustrates a passage in Bede. — There is an interesting passage 

 in the ' Ecclesiastical History' of the Venerable Bede, which 

 throws light on the subject of this memoir, and which is itself 

 illustrated by it. 



We are told that King Edwin, though a pagan, espoused a 

 christian princess, named Ethelberga, who was daughter to the 

 king of Kent. By her influence, and by the preaching of the 

 missionary Paulinus, who had accompanied her to Northumbria, 

 Edwin was persuaded to embrace her faith. He resolved, how- 

 ever, to delay the public acknowledgement of his conversion 

 until he had consulted the great council of his kingdom. He 

 assembled therefore the Witena-gemote, and asked the members 

 what they thought of the new doctrine and worship. One of 

 them made the following reply, which is described by Kemble 

 as the earliest specimen of English parliamentary eloquence : — 

 " It appears to me, king, that man's present life on earth is 



* Bede, Eccl. Hist. B. iii. c. 17- t Kemble's Saxons, i. 301. 



c2 



