It chanced that shortlie after, king Redwald had aduanced him to the kingdom of Northumberland, to wit, about 6 yeares, the same Redwald deceassed, which made greatlie for the more augmentation of Edwins power.  For the people of the Eastangles, which (whilest Edwin remained amongst them as a banished man) had conceiued a good opinion of him for his approoued valiancie and noble courage, offered themselues to [Sidenote:  Carpwaldus.] be wholie at his commandement.  But Edwin suffering Carpwald or Erpwald the sonne of Redwald to inioie the bare title and name of the king of that countrie, ruled all things at his owne will and pleasure.  Neither was there anie prouince within Britaine that did not obeie him, or was not readie to doo him seruice (the kingdome of Kent onelie excepted) for he suffered the Kentishmen to liue in quiet, because he began to haue a liking to the sister of king Eadbald, namelie the ladie Ethelburga, otherwise called Tate or Tace.

[Sidenote:  Beda. lib. 2. cap. 9.] He made request therefore by sending ambassadours to hir brother, to haue the said ladie in marriage, and at length obteined hir, with condition that she being a christian woman, might not onelie vse the christian religion, but also that all those, whether men or women, priests or ministers, which came with hir, might haue licence to doo the same, without trouble or impeachment of anie maner of person.  Herevpon she being sent vnto him, there was appointed to go with hir [Sidenote:  Matth.  West. Beda. lib. 2. cap. 9.] (besides manie other) one Pauline, which was consecrated bishop by [Sidenote:  625.] the archbishop Iustus the 21 of Iulie, in the yeare of our Lord 625, who at his comming into Northumberland thus in companie with Ethelburga, trauelled earnestlie in his office, both to preserue hir and such christians in the faith of Christ, as were appointed to giue their attendance on hir, least they should chance to fall:  and also sought to win some of the Pagans (if it were possible) vnto the same faith, though at the first he little profited in that matter.

In the yeare following, there came a murtherer vnto the court of king Edwin, as then soiourning in a palace which stood vpon the side of the riuer of Dorwent, being sent from Quichelme king of the Westsaxons, to the intent to murther Edwin, because he had of late sore damnified the countries of the Westsaxons.  This murtherer was called Eumerus, & [Sidenote:  Other say an axe, as Matth.  West.] caried vnder his coate a shost double edged woodknife inuenomed of purpose, that if the king being but a little hurt therewith, should not die of the wound, yet he should not escape the danger of the [Sidenote:  Emmerus.] poison.  This Eumerus on Easter mondaie came to the king, and making foorth to him as it had beene to haue declared some message from his maister, when he had espied his time, drew his weapon, and offered to strike the king.  But one of the kings seruants named Lilla, perceiuing this, stept betwixt the king and the blow.  Howbeit the murtherer set the stripe forward with such force, that the knife running through the bodie of Lilla wounded also the king a little:  and before this murtherer could be beaten downe, he slue another of the kings seruants, a knight that attended vpon him, called Fordher.