4.“关你什么事？”埃德温白了他一眼。“嗯，”这个人应了一声，又继续说道：“如果有一个人可以在你目前的危难中救你的命，还能重新把王位还给你，你会拿什么回报他呢？”“我可以给他我在这世上拥有的任何东西。”埃德温如此回答。“如果有人给你指引道路，通向未来的幸福彼岸，你会听从吗？”“会，我当然会。”埃德温说。“那既然如此，”这位神秘人边说边把一只手放在这位国王的头上，“记住我这个手势，当王位重归于你之时，别忘了你刚才许下的承诺。”
5.而几乎就在同时，王宫里面雷德沃尔德的王后正在苦苦哀求她的丈夫不要对他的客人埃德温下毒手。在这诚恳的哀求下，这位盎格利亚国王最终选择开战，而没有耻辱地玷污自己的双手。接下来他便代表埃德温出战，在艾德河岸取得大捷，最终诺森布里亚的篡位者在这场战争中身亡，该国的王冠又重新回到了这位“流亡国君”的头上。
6.满头黑发的主教保利努斯也来到埃德温身边，成了他第二任妻子的专职牧师，因此对保利努斯而言，把基督教传入诺森布里亚王国的时机已经成熟了。他看准了埃德温的敬畏之心，当然也许是他听说过埃德温的那个怪梦。有一天他走进埃德温的房间，把一只手放到了这位国王的头上。顿时埃德温又想起他经历过的一次九死一生的遇刺事件，当时有一个人扮成使者模样，突然持剑向他冲来，要不是一位忠诚的王臣在剑落下的前一秒挡在他身前，他早就倒在血泊之中了。这样一来，通过这个手势，他越发听从并信任保利努斯，最终他宣称乐意成为一名基督徒。
7.第一个受洗的诺森布里亚人就是埃德温刚出生不久的女儿，后来当她能够进入教堂礼拜的时候，大祭司便瞅准机会，上演了一场闹剧，让众人看到了他平日装模作样的礼拜是多么的虚假，他对神殿是多么的漠不关心。
8.诺森布里亚有一条法律，规定牧师不允许骑马，也不允许携带长矛。为了挑战他服务已久的权威，这位大祭司故意骑上马，手里握着一根长矛，疯狂冲向神殿大门并将长矛掷了进去。这样的胆大妄为居然没有被惩罚，当地的百姓愤怒了，全民暴动，到处放火，不久这座异教种殿就在熊熊大火中成了灰烬。人们后来又在约克修建了一座很大的木制教堂，埃德温就是在这里受洗成为基督徒的。
9.麦西亚王国的异教徒国王彭达非常憎恨埃德温，因为埃德温的信仰在他看来不过是种软弱无力的迷信；同时他还嫉妒诺森布里亚王国远近闻名的安宁与富足。于是他在公元633年组建了一支军队，拉上威尔士国王入伙，在哈特菲尔德的松林里与埃德温开战。埃德温在这场战争中阵亡，他的头颅被麦西亚人挑在长矛尖上从战地带了出来。
17
THE RISE OF WESSEX
韦塞克斯崛起
ancestors，forefathers.
ascendency，chief power；superiority.
descent，landing；attack.energies，powers.pirates，sea-warriors.
pounced，seized suddenly.
submission，yielding.supremacy，chiefship.testifies，bears witness.
victorious，successful；triumphant.
welded，beaten，as iron with hammers.
1.In course of time the numerous States founded by the English settlers were welded into three-Anglian Northumbria，Anglian Mercia，and Saxon Wessex-which answered nearly to three of the Roman provinces.Then the three became one，a single sceptre，that of Wessex，like Aaron’s rod，swallowing up the rest.
2.During the thirty-seven years of Ina‘s reign （688-725），Wessex rose rapidly in power and in fame.In imitation of the Kentish Kings，this monarch framed a code of laws for the guidance of his subjects.
But the ascendency of the West Saxons may be chiefly dated from a battle fought near Burfordin Oxfordshire，in which ？thelbald of Mercia was forced to flee before the standard of the Golden Dragon.Mercia never recovered the blow；and Wessex pursued her victorious career with new strength，until her power was acknowledged from the Isle of Wight to the Cheviots，fromYarmouth to the hills of Wales.
NORSE GALLEY.
a Aaron’s rod.-When Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh，Aaron cast down his rod，and it became a serpent.The Egyptian sorcerers at Pharaoh‘s call cast down their rods，and they also became serpents.But “Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods”.
b The Golden Dragon.-The symbol on the flag of Wessex.
3.It was indeed time that the scattered energies of England should be centred in a solid heart；for a fierce and terrible foe，whose native thirst for blood was made more intense by religious hatred，was about to swoop upon her shore.The Danes were abroad on the eastern sea，eager to smite their brethren，awho had forsaken the ancient faith of Thor and Woden“God of peace”
for the worship of the
4.The first descent of these pirates，who came to inflict on the Angles and the Saxons what their fore-fathers had inflicted on the Britons，took place inb787at Dorchester.
There the crews of three ships landed to plunder，and weredriven on deck again，after having killed the sheriff.They chose a safer place for their second descent.Sailing northward，they pounced on the island ofLindisfarne，where pious Oswaldhad founded a monastery；and there they
slew and burned and robbed without stint or stay.
5.What has well been called “the fatal beauty of England”had strong charms for these redhaired sailors of the North.Gladly did the sons of princely houses grasp the battle-axe，and steer away for a land of green and gold，where no icy winter ever chained up the sea.
6.Brihtric，whose usurpation of the Wessex crown had driven the true heir，eEgbert，into exile at the court of Charlemagne，had been but a short timeKing when the Danish keels touched at Dorchester.His death brought backfthe wanderersto the throne of his ancestors in the last year of the eighthcentury.Some fifteen years‘residence among the polished Franks had prepared the Brighteyed Prince for the lofty station of a King.His keen glance saw the weakness of the neighbouring States，and all that art and valour could command was used to subdue them.
7.Mercia fell smitten on the field of Ellendune；and with it fell itsfeeble limbs，Kent and Sussex.The Prince of Northumbria，making a virtue of necessity，arrested the uplifted sword by submission.Thus the Angles bowed undeer the Saxon sceptre，and a United Nation had its birth.Yet the old supremacy of the Anglian race was not forgotten，as the name of the kingdom-England，that is，Angle-land-testifies to this day.
a Thor and Woden.-Gods of the northern heathen nations.Thursday is named after Thor，and Wednesday after Woden.
b Dorchester.-County town of Dorsetshire.
c Lindisfarne.-one of the Farne Islands，off the coast of Northumber land.
d Oswald.-The King of Northumbria who came after Edwin.He reigned from 634till 642.
e Charlemagne.（Sharlmain）.-Charles the Great，King of the Franks from 771till 814.He was founder of the Western Empire （800），and one of the greatest of the early kings of Europe.
f The Wanderer.-That is，Egbert -properly Ecg-berht-that is，Eye bright.
g Ellendune.-Near Wilton，in Wiltshire.
8.All the lowlands owned Egbert’s rule，the Cymri of the mountains alone holding fast their ancient freedom.The last years of the West Saxon Kino were spent in beating back，as well as he could，the crafty attacks of the Danes.