THE HEPTARCHY.

67

for converting her husband and his people to enChristianity, carried Paullinus, a learned bishop, r.along with her " ; and besides stipulating a tole-ration for the exercise of her own religion, whichwas readily granted her, she used every reason topersuade the King to embrace it. Edwin, like aprudent prince, hesitated on the proposal; butpromised to examine the foundations of that doc-trine; and declared , that, if he found them satis-factory, he was willing to be converted Ac-cordingly he held several conferences with Paul-linus; canvassed the arguments propounded withthe wisest of his counsellors; retired frequentlyfrom company, in order to revolve alone thatimportant question; and, after a serious and longenquiry, declared in favour of the Christian re-ligion *\ The people soon after imitated his ex-ample. Besides the authority and influence ofthe King, they were moved by another strikingexample. Coifi, the high-priest, being con-verted after a public conference with Paullinus ,led the way in destroying the images, which hehad so long worshipped , and was forward inmaking this atonement for his past idolatry "

This able prince perished with his son, Osfrid,in a great battle which he fought against Penda,king of Mercia, and Cædwalla, king of the

H. Hunting, lib. Z.

Bede, lib. 2. cap. 9.

Bede, lib. 2. cap. 9. Malmes. lib I. cap. Z.

Bede, lib. 2. cap. iz. Bromrton, Higden, lib. 5.