276 A. D. 978-1016. 



filver in the year 991, fixteen thoufand pounds in 994, twenty-four' 

 thoufand pounds in 1002, thirty thoufand pounds in 1007, and forty - 

 eight thoufand * pounds in 1012 ; after which the greatefl part of the 

 country funk under the power of the Danes, whofe king Swein died in 

 the year 10 14 in England, of which he had been for fome time the real 

 and abfolute fovereign. 



Hiflorians attempt to account for thefe uninterrupted calamities by 

 laying the blame on wicked, incapable, and treacherous, minifters and 

 generals, to whom the weak king entrufted the conduit of government 

 and the defence of the country. Certain it is that the Enghfli armies 

 appear to have been totally enervated throughout this reign, and that 

 the fleet raifed by a requifition upon all the lands of the kingdom, 

 which was more numerous than that of any preceding king of England, 

 anfwered no purpofe but exhaufring the ftrength and treafure of the 

 country, and encouraging the enemy. 



The city of London was burnt in 982 or 983. Stow \^Annales, p. 114, 

 cd. 1600] copying from Rudburn, an unedited writer of the fifteenth 

 century, fays, that the greatefl; part of the houfes were then on the wefl; 

 fide of Ludgate, and only fome fcattering houfes where the heart of the 

 city now is ; and that Canterbury, York, and fome other citigfs in Eng- 

 land, then furpaflTed London in building. The fea contributed to the 

 diftrefs of the times by an extraordinary inundation in the year 1014, 

 which fwept away feveral towns and a prodigious number of people. 

 To complete the general calamity of England, it was harafl^ed by civil 

 diflienfions, and affhdled by contagious diforders, which deftroyed both 

 man and beaft, the neceflliry confequence of famine and unwholefome 

 food. 



London foon recovered from the conflagration ; and the citizens dif- 

 tinguiflied thcmfelves as the only people in England who made any 

 flrenuous or eftedual oppofition to the enemy. In the year 994, when, 

 Olaf and Swein came up the river with nitiety-four fliips, and attempt- 

 ed to burn the city, they were repulfed with more bravery than they 

 fuppofed any citizens were capable of. This perhaps inclined Okif more 

 readily to accept Ethelred's propofal for buying him off" from the con- 

 federacy : and it is remarked, that he honourably adhered to the terms 

 of the treaty, his piracies being thenceforth exercifed in Northumber- 

 land, Scotland, the Iflands, Ireland, and France. The Danes were fruf- 

 trated in all their attempts upon the city in 1008, and in 1013 they- 

 were again repulfed with their king Swein. It is upon this occafion ihac 



* The Saxon Chronicle has only eight tliou- repeat, their dcftriidivc vilit:; by an cxhaufted 



fand ; but Florence, Simeon, &c. have tiunfciibed cuiiiitry, pofTcfling iu> mines of iilvcr, tliat we kno>r. 



from copies wherein the number Hood 48,000, of, and Icarcely any commerce, may ftajjgcr cre- 



which accords with tlie progrctTivc augmentation dibility, though vmiclicd liy the rcfpcitable aii- 



sf the extorfion. The fiims thus paid to induce thority of the Saxon Chronicle and the oldcil Eng- 



ihc Northern inTadera to defift from, or rather to liili hiflorians. 



