A. D. 930. 267 



fcribed upon it by a Scottifli engraver. \Wyntoivn*i Cronykil. V. i, p. 



About this time many fhips from the adjacent parts of Norway, and 

 «lfo from Denmark and Saxony, frequented Tunfberg, a port of Nor- 

 way, at the head of the bay oppofiteto Yutland. Biorn, viceroy of this 

 part of Norway under his father Harold, declining his ufual occupation 

 of piracy, employed his fhips in trading voyages. \_Stwrro, Hijl. Har. 



938 — Athelflan having taken advantage of the death of his brother- 

 in-law Sitrik, the Danifh king of Northumberland, to feize upon his 

 dominions, Aulaf *, the fon of Sitrik by his firft marriage, in order to 

 recover his heritage, procured a very general confederacy of the neigh- 

 bouring kings, among whom was Conftantine king of Scotland, the 

 Britiih king of Cumberland, and the Danifh and Norwegian kings of 

 Ireland and the Ifles. The allies entered the Humber with a fleet, faid 

 to confift of no lefs than fix hundred and fifteen fliips f, and proceeded 

 to Brunanburh, (probably Burn in Lincoln-fhire) where they were met 

 by Athelftan ; and there enfued one of the mofl obftinate, and mod 

 celebrated, battles recorded in antient Englifli hiftory, which began in the 

 morning, and continued till the evening, when Athelflan remained 

 mafter of the field. Five kings, and leven great officers, were flain on 

 the fide of the allies ; and Aulaf and Conftantine efcaped to their fhips. 

 Athelflan does not feem to have had any fleet to oppofe to that of his 

 enemies, which appears to have retired unbroken ; and we afterwards 

 find Aulaf and his nephew Regnald joint kings of Northumberland. 



The fame of this great battle is faid to have fpread all-over Europe, 

 the feveral kings of which courted the alliance and friendfhip of Athel- 

 flan, by embalfies and prefents. The king of Norway fent on this oc- 

 cafion a magnificent fhip, with gilded beaks, or roftra, and a purple fail, 

 her fides being guarded all round with gilded fhields %. The German 

 emperor fent aromatics, fuch as had never been feen in England, gems, 

 running horfes, a vefFel of oynx with figures carved upon it with won- 

 derful art, the fword of Conftantine, the lance of Charlemagne, a crowTi 

 made of gold and pretious ftones, fome fuperftitious reliques, &c. 



Athelftan, who appears to have had a higher idea of the importance 

 of commerce, than could be expedled in an age wherein only the cleri- 



• So he appears to have been called on his own Harold Harfagur. He fays, the rofli a of the 



coins. I believe his name oiiglit rather to be fhip were of gold ; but that muft be taken with 



Olaf, as the northern writers i'pell it. In thofe allowance. To be able to gild upon metal, ( foi- 



ages uniformity of fpelling was not at all attended we cannot fuppofe the rollra to have confided of 



so. maflt's of folid gold) fo as to refift the corrolion 



f Some authors make the number of Ihips of the fait water, may be confidcred a£ a mark of 



much greater. very great progrefs made in that art, efpecially if 



I William of Malmfbury [_GtJl. reg. jingl. f. we attend to the remotenefs of Norway fiom thofe 



aS a] calls the king of Norway Harold ; but the countries which were then cileemed the iroft civtI- 



chronology anfwers better to one of the fons of i/.cd. 



LI 2 



