establishment of bishoprics and church lands. It is unsurprising, then, that people Edwin’s had initially been as resistant to conversion as their king. Bede, reluctant to present bad examples, does not overemphasize the king’s responsibility for earlier failed attempts; instead he presents Edwin as man of Paulinus’ ‘a great natural and thoroughly considering his options. In the first frame sagacity’, calmly of the kingship envelope (II.9), Bede presents warlike qualities and successful Edwin’s conquests in a way that expressed the breadth of authority. By placing king’s Edwin’s conversion in the second frame of the kingship envelope, Bede was able to more specifically convey how the king pressed his influence to promote the Roman mission. Bede shows positive impact in the support shown by his chief counsellors in Edwin’s II.13. Here the famous analogy of human life as a sparrow flying through a hall in winter encourages counsellors to agree with the adoption of the new religion. Edwin’s king’s Attending this counsel was the chief religious leader of tradition. Northumbria’s pagan This priest, named Coifi, listened to explanation of Christianity and then Paulinus’ abandoned idolatry, broke formerly observed taboos and desecrated a pagan temple to signify his commitment. Bede does not mention any dissent among counselors, Edwin’s and so implies that agreement was universal among the Northumbrian magnates to adopt Christianity. kingship-based envelope structure thus frames exile experience Bede’s Edwin’s between a warrior king whose own reluctance to adopt Christianity is prohibiting the conversion of his people generally, and a converted king spurring even the most devout pagans to accept the new faith. The conversion of the Northumbrians is, in Bede’s presentation, uppermost among the changes which resulted from exile. The Edwin’s widespread nature of Northumbrian conversion, as Bede portrays it, is first indicated with baptism at Easter 627: Bede says that Edwin was accompanied by all of his Edwin’s nobles and a great number of commoners. He goes on to describe the intense desire of the
establishment of bishoprics and church lands. It is unsurprising, then, that Edwin’s people had initially been as resistant to conversion as their king. Bede, reluctant to present bad examples, does not overemphasize the king’s responsibility for Paulinus’ earlier failed attempts; instead he presents Edwin as ‘a man of great natural sagacity’, calmly and thoroughly considering his options. In the first frame of the kingship envelope (II.9), Bede presents Edwin’s warlike qualities and successful conquests in a way that expressed the breadth of king’s authority. By placing Edwin’s conversion in the second frame of the kingship envelope, Bede was able to more specifically convey how the king pressed his influence to promote the Roman mission. Bede shows Edwin’s positive impact in the support shown by his chief counsellors in II.13. Here the famous analogy of human life as a sparrow flying through a hall in winter encourages Edwin’s counsellors to agree with the king’s adoption of the new religion. Attending this counsel was the chief religious leader of Northumbria’s pagan tradition. This priest, named Coifi, listened to Paulinus’ explanation of Christianity and then abandoned idolatry, broke formerly observed taboos and desecrated a pagan temple to signify his commitment. Bede does not mention any dissent among Edwin’s counselors, and so implies that agreement was universal among the Northumbrian magnates to adopt Christianity. Bede’s kingship-based envelope structure thus frames Edwin’s exile experience between a warrior king whose own reluctance to adopt Christianity is prohibiting the conversion of his people generally, and a converted king spurring even the most devout pagans to accept the new faith. The conversion of the Northumbrians is, in Bede’s presentation, uppermost among the changes which resulted from Edwin’s exile. The widespread nature of Northumbrian conversion, as Bede portrays it, is first indicated with Edwin’s baptism at Easter 627: Bede says that Edwin was accompanied by all of his nobles and a great number of commoners. He goes on to describe the intense desire of the