ENGLAND. 



PART I. HISTORY. 



Arrival of 

 the Saxons. 



They quar- 

 rel with the 

 Britons. 



Are defeat- 

 ed by Vor- 



tiDier, 



But at lait 

 prevail. 



A. D. 488. 



U NDER the article BRITAIN, will be found a history of 

 the island from its first population by the Celts, until 

 the arrival of the Saxons in 44g. This people had been 

 invited over from Germany by the Britons, to assist 

 them in repelling the inroads of the Scots and Picts. 

 Led on by Hengist and Horsa, two brothers, who were 

 celebrated as among the noblest and bravest leaders of 

 the nation, they soon finished the task which they were 

 called to accomplish. The northern barbarians were 

 unable to resist their valour. They were defeated in 

 several encounters, and at last compelled to retire with- 

 in their mountain barriers, which have ever since con- 

 tinued to form the boundaries of England and Scot- 

 land. 



Vortigern, king of the Britons, rewarded his brave 

 auxiliaries with large possessions in the country which 

 they had delivered ; but he soon found in them a more 

 formidable enemy than those from which he had been 

 freed. The Saxons in Germany, allured by the fertile 

 soil and soft climate of Britain, flocked in great num- 

 bers to the standard of their countrymen. Conscious 

 of their superior valour, they now thought of conquer- 

 ing the island for themselves ; and from being the pro- 

 tectors, soon became the masters of the country. They 

 soon found a pretence for quarrelling with the inhabi- 

 tants ; and, forming an alliance with the Scots and Picts, 

 turned their anus against their former friends. The 

 Britons, roused to indignation at such treacherous con- 

 duct, threw aside their indolence and effeminacy, and 

 began to exert their ancient valour when it was too late. 

 They deposed Vortigern, who had rendered himself 

 despicable by his vices and his weakness, and entrusted 

 their fortunes to his son Vortimer. Vorttmer opposed 

 the Saxon arms with various success. In one battle 

 near Aylesford, Horsa, the Saxon general, was slain ; 

 but Hengist being continually reinforced by fresh troops 

 from the continent, overcame all opposition, and spread 

 his devastations over the whole country. In his bloody 

 career, he spared neither age, sex, nor condition ; the 

 priests were slaughtered on the altars ; and the bishops 

 and nobility were mingled with the vulgar in the com- 

 mon calamity. Some accepted of life and servitude 

 under their conquerors ; and others fled to the continent, 

 and gave to their new settlement the name of Brittany. 

 But Hengist prosecuted his conquests until he extended 

 his authority over the counties of Kent, Middlesex, Es- 

 sex, and part of Surry, which was denominated the 

 kingdom of Kent, and was the first Saxon state esta- 

 blished in England. Hengist fixed his royal seat at 

 Canterbury, and, after reigning 40 years, he died about 

 the year 488. 



Saxons, Angles, and Jutes, from Germany, encour- 

 aged by the success of their countrymen, from time to 

 time, nocked in multitudes into Britain, and spread 

 their conquests over the country, until the natives were 

 either reduced to entire submission, or were compelled 

 to seek for independence among the inaccessible moun- 

 tains of Cornwall and Wales. 



After a violent struggle of near 150 years, the Hep- History. 

 tarchy, or seven Saxon kingdoms of Kent, Sussex, Wes- * - Y~" 

 sex, East Anglia, Mercia, Essex, and Northumberland, The csta- 

 were established in Britain ; and the whole southern bhshment 



part of the island, except Wales and Cornwall, had 

 changed its inhabitants, language, and customs. KENT, 

 as we have observed, was founded by Hengist. SUS- 

 SEX owed its establishment to /Ella, a Saxon chief, who 

 arrived with a band of adventurers in 477 ; and, after 

 many battles with the natives, secured to himself the 

 county of Sussex and a great part of Surry. WESSEX 

 comprehended Hants, Dorset, Wilts, Berks, and the 

 Isle of Wight, and was founded by Cerdic and his son 

 Kenric. They landed in 495, but their progress was 

 long retarded by the valour of the Britons. Nazan- 

 Leod, who is styled by Henry of Huntingdon, " the 

 greatest of all the British kings," assembled almost the 

 whole strength of the natives to meet the invaders. A 

 desperate battle ensued, which was long and obstinately 

 contested on both sides ; but the Saxons prevailed, and 

 Nazan-Leod, with 5000 of his army, perished on the 

 field. Upon the death of their king, the southern Bri- 

 tons applied for assistance to Arthur, prince of the Si- 

 lures. This prince, by his wisdom and valour, long 

 supported their sinking cause. He is said to have de- 

 feated the enemy in twelve pitched battles ; but his 

 military achievements are so disfigured by the fictions 

 of the bards, that some have even doubted of the exist- 

 ence of such a person. It is certain, however, that 

 about that time the Saxons were opposed witli con- 

 siderable success; and it was not till after 25 years of 

 almost constant warfare, that Cerdic was enabled to set* 

 tic and enjoy his conquests. EAST ANGLIA, containing 

 Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, and the Isle of Ely, was 

 established by Ufla, in 575 ; and about 10 years after, 

 Crida laid the foundation of MERCIA, which extended 

 over seventeen counties, viz. Gloucester, Hereford, Wor- 

 cester, Warwick, Leicester, Rutland, Northampton, Lin- 

 coln, Huntingdon, Bedford, Buckingham, Oxford, Staf- 

 ford, Nottingham, Derby, Shropshire, Cheshire, and part 

 of Hertford. The kingdom of ESSEX, under Erkenwin, 

 was dismembered from Kent, and comprehended the 

 county of the same name, with Middlesex and part of 

 Hertl'ord. NORTHUMBERLAND embraced the counties 

 of York, Lancaster, Durham, Cumberland, Westmore- 

 land, and Northumberland, with some of the southern 

 counties of Scotland, and was at first divided into the 

 kingdoms of Beruicia and Dieri. Ida established the 

 first in 542 j and /Ella the other nearly about the same 

 time ; but Adelfrid, the grandson of Ida, having mar- 

 ried Acca, the daughter of /Ella, expelled her brother 

 Edwin from his throne, and united the two kingdoms 

 into one. 



No sooner had the Saxons established their dominion 'Hie Saxons 

 over the country, and driven the natives from their quarrel with 

 homes, or reduced them to slavery, than dissensions each otllet - 

 and emulations began to appear among the conquerors. 

 Fierce and uncivilized, they thought only of war. The 



