A HISTORY OF LONDON the city was rather a mihtary outpost than a thriving community. Further north, in many places within the empire of y^thelbert, which extended to the Humber, have been found jewelled relics that must have been made by Kentish goldsmiths of the sixth and seventh centuries. The absence of any Saxon burials in London distinguished by the charac- teristic grave-furniture of the pagan period is thus partly accounted for ; but it is evident from history that the new faith did not prevail without a struggle, and during the ensuing fifty years, at least, many East Saxons must have died and been buried with heathen obsequies within the walls. But no burial obviously of early Anglo-Saxon date is known in the area concerned, and the cemetery or cemeteries in use during the seventh century, before interments were confined by ecclesiastical law to the sacred precincts of a church, perhaps await discovery, or have more probably been destroyed in the course of centuries by building operations. The Roach Smith collection, so rich in cinerary urns and similar relics of the Roman period, contains no Saxon objects of sepulchral character, that is, of the kind often deposited in the graves of either sex, such as spear, sword, and shield in association, or neck- laces of glass and amber beads, brooches and toilet articles of definite and well- known types. That paganism died hard in London is clear even from the scanty notices in Bede and the chronicles. In the year of ^Ethelbert's death (6i6) Mellitus succeeded to the archbishopric of Canterbury, and London took the opportunity of seceding from the faith. ^Ethelbert's son and successor, Eadbald, flouted the church, and his three cousins of Essex, who succeeded Sebert, had in fact driven out Mellitus, and were more obstinately hostile to the church than the Kentish king, who shortly repented. According to Bede divine retribution was not long delayed, and the three apostate princes of Essex were slain with their army in an engagement with the Saxons of the west, the latter power being apparently content with a nominal overlordship, as the succession of East Saxon kings remained unbroken.* The rise of Northumbria to the foremost position in England during the first quarter of the seventh century resulted in the reconversion of Essex, Oswiu having prevailed on Sigebert to be baptized and to receive Cedd, the brother of St. Chad, as bishop of London in 654. Subsequently a plague proved too strong for the faith of his people, and Christianity was only established on a permanent basis by Jaruman of Lichfield. Meanwhile the control of London had evidently passed out of the hands of Northumbria into those of Mercia, for Wine purchased the bishopric of London from Wulfhere in 666. Only twenty years later King Ine of Wessex speaks of Earconwald as his bishop, and it must be presumed that London had again changed masters. Such, in short, is the course of events in London during the period that is illustrated somewhat fully by Anglo-Saxon remains else- where, in the eastern half of England, but in London itself we find no such reflection of political events. The appearance of the Danes in the latter part of the ninth century accounts for the prevalence of swords and other weapons among the few Saxon relics of the city, and the following summary will indicate in what respects they differ from corresponding types of the pagan period.
- Loftie, Hist. ofLond. i, 58.
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