A. D. 878, 259 



trade, it was found neceflary to enforce the prohibition by a new and 

 ftridler law, which made it criminal for any Venetian to permit any 

 flaves to be received onboard his veflel. [DanduU Chron. ap. Muratori 

 Script. Kxii, col. 883.] 



Alfred, at his acceflion to the crown had found England almoft 

 entirely over-run by the Danes, and had been even obliged to abandon 

 his kingdom to their rage, and to conceal himfelf, with the few faithful 

 fubjeds who had not deferted him, from their puriuit. Emerging fud- 

 denly from his concealment, he now gained a great and decilive viclory 

 over the Danes, fecure in the belief that the Englifh could no longer 

 prefume to make head againfl them. The confequence was, that Al- 

 fred recovered poffeflion of nearly a half of England, the Danilh king 

 Godrun being by treaty reftrided to the eaflern part of the country, 

 and profeffing himfelf a Chriftian, By this treaty there was a new na- 

 tion fettled as inhabitants of Britain *. 



886 — Paris, though the capital feat of the French kings, was ftill a 

 fmall town, contained in the little ifland of the river Seine, jufl as it 

 was when Julius Ccefar gave the fir ft hiftoric notice of it. [Afferii Vita 

 JElfredi,p. 51, ed. 1722.] 



London, which appears to have been almoft totally deftroyedand de- 

 populated by the Danes, was reftored by king Alfred in the nobleft 

 manner, and foon after filled with inhabitants, who had been driven 

 into exile, or kept in captivity by the Danes. \^A[fer. p. 51.] 



890 — About this time the iilands adjacent to the north part of Bri- 

 tain were occupied by a colony of Norwegians, who, unwilling to fub- 

 mit to Harold Harfigur, the firft fole king of all Norway, had put to 

 fea in queft of independent fettlements. Thefe fugitives frequently 

 harafi^ed the coaft of Norway with praedatory invafions, which provoked 

 Harold to follow them to their iflands with a powerful fleet. Having 

 fubdued the Orkneys and Hialtland (Shetland), he beftowed them on 

 one of his nobles, as an earldom to be held of the crown of Norwary f. 



The iflands on the weft fide of Scotland, which had been often vifit- 

 ed by the Normans in their voyages to Ireland, were now in a great 

 meafure peopled by them ; and, as being more foutherly than Shetland 

 and Orkney, they were called in their language by the general nam.e of 

 Sudureyar (i. e. the fouthern iflands). Harold lent Ketil, a nobleman 

 whofe ample eftates in Norway he wiflied for an opportunity to feize 

 upon, to reduce thofe iflands, and to govern them as his lieutenant. 



* This treaty of partition may be fecn among pendence upon, the foversigns of the adjacent 



tlie laws of Alfred. main land, it was probably very flender. The 



f We know from Adamnan's Life of Colnniba, fucceeding earls of Orkney feized upon Catnefs, 



tliat in the fixth ccntuiy the Orkneys conlb'tutcd (then including the (hire of Sutherland) and for 



a petty kingdom, which acknawleged the fuprem- it their fucceilors acknowleged themfelves vaffals 



acy of the neighbouring kingdom of the Pichts. of the crown of Scotland. 

 But, if they had now any conpeclion with, or de- 



Kk2 



