laboured to convert.

As the early historical records of these islands were made by Christian
ecclesiastics, allowance must be made for the religious bias of the
writers, which caused them to make Christianity appear as the only religion
existing at the time. But though the historical records are silent on the
subject the laws and enactments of the different communities, whether lay
or ecclesiastical, retain very definite evidence of the continuance of the
ancient cults.

In this connexion the dates of the conversion of England are instructive.
The following table gives the principal dates:

597-604. Augustine's mission. London still heathen.
Conversion of AEthelbert, King of Kent. After AEthelbert's
death Christianity suffered a reverse.

604. Conversion of the King of the East Saxons, whose
successor lapsed.

627. Conversion of the King of Northumbria.

628. Conversion of the King of East Anglia.

631-651. Aidan's missions.

635. Conversion of the King of Wessex.

653. Conversion of the King of Mercia.

654. Re-conversion of the King of the East Saxons.

681. Conversion of the King of the South Saxons.

An influx of heathenism occurred on two later occasions: in the ninth
century there was an invasion by the heathen Danes under Guthrum; and in
the eleventh century the heathen king Cnut led his hordes to victory. As in
the case of the Saxon kings of the seventh century, Guthrum and Cnut were
converted and the tribes followed their leaders' example, professed
Christianity, and were baptized.

But it cannot be imagined that these wholesale conversions were more than
nominal in most cases, though the king's religion was outwardly the tribe's
religion. If, as happened among the East Saxons, the king forsook his old
gods, returned to them again, and finally forsook them altogether, the
tribe followed his lead, and, in public at least, worshipped Christ, Odin,
or any other deity whom the king favoured for the moment; but there can be
hardly any doubt that in private the mass of the people adhered to the old
religion to which they were accustomed. This tribal conversion is clearly
marked when a heathen king married a Christian queen, or vice versa; and it
must also be noted that a king never changed his religion without careful
consultation with his chief men.[3] An example of the two religions
existing side by side is found in the account of Redwald, King of the East
Saxons, who 'in the same temple had an alt