A L F 



A L F 



lofj, yet fo great was tlic dread iu which the Danes ftooJ 

 of ^yiVcd's military fame, tliat tliey mnde a ticaty with him, 

 and retired from his dominions into tliole of the king of Mer- 

 cia. Soon after, huwcver,thcy broke their faith; fur, meeting 

 on tlic road to Mercia a body of Enghlh horfe, advancing 

 in an miprepared manner, as they rched on tiie late treaty 

 of jieace, they flew the greater number of them, and took 

 podtllion of Exeter. The king prefently marched againll 

 them witli what forces he co\iId collect, and belkged them 

 there. At this junclnre Alfred's fleet engaged a numerous 

 one of the enemy, funk many, and difperled the rell ; which, 

 attempting to gain fome of the Englilh ports, were driven 

 on the coalls and wholly loft. The Danes now again fued 

 for peace, and gave hollages ; but in 877, having obtained 

 new reinforcements, tliey entered Wiltfliire in fuch numbers, 

 •iiid fo wearied out the Saxons, that the latter could no longer 

 be perliiaded to make head againll them. Some retreated 

 iiito Wales ; others fubinitted to the ufui-pers ; and Alfred 

 himfelf found it ncccflary to be governed by cireumftances. 

 He, therefore, atTumcda dilguife, the moft likely to conceal 

 hmi ; not giving up either his hopes or his courage ; but 

 waiting for a proper opportunity to recover his throne, and 

 Jtftorc to their liberties his forely opprefled people. 



Having properly diipofed of his family, and fettled a 

 mode of communication with his tried and faithful friends, 

 he engaged himfelf in the fervice of his own neat-herd, to 

 take the care of his cows. Affcr and other ancient writers 

 relate, as a proof how completely Alfred was difguifed, that 

 one day the good woman of the houfe fet a cake before the 

 lire to bake, wiiere the king was bufily employed in trimming 

 his bow and arrows ; on coming back, and tinding it burnt, 

 through neglecl of turning it in her abi'encc, which (lie 

 fuppolcd he would have done, (he chid him very feverely 

 for his inattention ; and told him, that though he could not 

 turn the cake, flie knew he was ready enough to eat it. We 

 find, however, that Alfred foon left this liation ; and with 

 his wife and fome of his moft valued friends, found a fafe 

 retreat in the ide of jEthelingey (Athelney), in Somerfet- 

 Ihire, which was fecurtd by vail morafles around it, and ac- 

 cefTible only by one very oblcure pafTage. The following 

 lloiy, which we receive from William of Malniefbury, has 

 been cited to Ihew the extremities to whieli this moil illuf- 

 trious monarch was now reduced. A pilgrim came to his 

 callle and requefted alms. The queen informed Alfred, 

 that they had only one fmall loaf remaining, which was in- 

 Infiicicnt for themfelves and tiieir friends, who were gone 

 abroad in quell of filh and other food, though with fmall 

 hopes of fuccefs. " Give the poor man one half of the loaf," 

 faid the king : " he that could feed jooo men with five 

 loaves and two lilhes can certainly make that half of the 

 loaf fuffice for more than our nccefllties." The man was 

 relieved accordingly ; and the king's benevolence was recom- 

 penfed by the early arrival of his people with an unexpetledly 

 ample ftore of frefh provifions. [iV beautiful painting from 

 this fubjed, by Mr. Weft, was prefcnted by the venerable 

 Alderman Boydell fome years fmce to theftationers company; 

 in the court -room of whofe hall it ftill remains an honourable 

 fpecimen of the artift's talents, and a lafting memento, 

 among many others, of the liberality of the donor.] 



When the king had been about a year in this retreat, being 

 informed that fome of his fubjeds, under the brave Odun, 

 Earl of Devonlhire, had routed a great army of the Danes, 

 killed their chiefs, and taken their magical ilandard, he 

 ilfued letters, giving notice where he was, and inviting his 

 nobility to come and confult with him. I5efore they came 

 jto a final determination, however, Alfi-ed, difguifed as an 



itinerant harper, drolled into the enemy's camp ; w':;re, 

 without fiifpieion, he was admitted not only to the tenm of 

 the common foldiers, but even into thofe of the chief Daiiilh 

 commauderi. Having examined every thing with great ac- 

 curacy, he retired again to /Ethelingcy, and hnnmoned with 

 all privacy his faithful fubjects to meet him in arms at Brex- 

 ton, in the forell of Selwood, in Wiltlhirc. They obeyed 

 the fuminons ; and, fired with the hopes of liberty, fell upon 

 the Danes with incredible alacrity, at a moment when the 

 latter had not the leaft fufpicion of a foe, and imagined Al- 

 fred to be a mere fugitive from them. 



The attack was made at iEthendunc, now EJdington. 

 Thofe of the enemy who elcaped from this battle pofieffed 

 themfelves of a neighbouring caftle, or fort, almofl ruined, 

 which they fortified immediately, and in which they were 

 quickly beiieged by the victorious Saxons; but, after a long 

 and clufe fiege, the Danes were forced to fuiTender at dil- 

 cretion. Alfred, however, treated them like a merciful 

 prince, giving up to fuch of them as fliould embrace the 

 Chriftian religion, the whole kingdom of the Eall Angles, 

 on condition that they fliould oblige the reft of their coun- 

 trymen to quit the illand, and prevent, as far as they were 

 able, the landing of any more foreigners. For the per- 

 formance of thefe articles he took hoftages ; and when, in 

 purfuance of the treaty, Guthrum, the Danidi chief, came, 

 with thirty of his chief officers, to Alfred, to be baptized, 

 the king anfwered for him at the font, gave him the name 

 of jEthelftan, and adopted him for a fon. His friends and 

 himfelf were nobly entertained for twelve days, and then^ 

 difmilTed with royal prefents. 



One advantage the Saxons derived from thefe Danes turn- 

 ing Chriftians ; which was, that now they kept their oaths, 

 and removed into the country which had been afiigned to 

 them, where they quietly fettled themfelves. 



In 884 a new ivvarm of Danes landed in Kent, and laid 

 fiege to Rochefter ; but the inhabitants boldly defended the 

 place till the king, reaching them with an anny, compelled 

 ^the enemy to raife the fiege, and return once more to France. 



Alfred, having now fome leifuie, refolved to repair, re- 

 fortify, and repeople the ancient city of London, which he 

 had lately recovered from the Danes ; and meant to keep as 

 a frontier. Accordingly, he placed a garrifon in it, and 

 made ^thered governor thereof, whom he had created Eail 

 of Mercia, and to whom he gave his daughter jEthelfieda 

 in marriage. 



After fome years of reft, however, Alfred was again 

 called into the field ; for the Danes, being foundly beaten 

 in the weft of France, in 893, came with a fleet of 250 fail on 

 the eall coaft of Kent, and, landing, fixed themfelves at 

 Appledore. Shortly after came another fleet up the Thames, 

 conlifting of 80 veflcls, and, having landed the foldiers, built 

 a fort at Middleton, now Milton. Alfred drew together a 

 confiderable army; but, before he marched toward the enemy, 

 compelled the Danes fettled in Efl'cx and Northumberland, 

 to give him hoftages for their good behaviour. He then 

 moved toward the invaders, and prudently pitched his camp 

 on a Ipot between the enemy's two armies, thereby preventing 

 their junction. A great body, however, moved into Eflex, 

 and thence, croffing the river, came into Surr}-, at Farnham; 

 in which county, the king's forces met and defeated them. 



Amid thele contefts, the Danes of Northumberland, in 

 breach of their oath, and notwithftanding the hoftages 

 which they had given, equipped two fleets, one of 100, the 

 other of 40 veffels, and came to Exeter, which place they 

 befieged. Alfred left not a moment in oppofing this new 

 enemy. Having left fome forces at London to make head-' 

 6 againft 



