E N *G I 
their ground againft the efforts of Egbert; who, after an 
obftinate bat.le", was obliged to draw off his forces by 
night. Within two years after, they landed in Cornwall; 
and being joined by the independent Britons there, they 
advanced towards the borders of Devonlhire, where they 
were totally routed by Egbert, at Hengfdown-hill, near 
Kellington. By this victory h,e fecured tlie kingdom from 
invafion for a confiderable time; but his death put a 
period to the fucceffes of his country, and invited the 
enemy to renew their devaftations with impunity. 
He was fucceeded by Ethelwolf his fon, A. D. 83S, 
who had neither the courage nor abilities of his father. 
Tliis prince had been educated in a cloifler, and had ac¬ 
tually taken orders during the life of his elder brother; 
but, upon his death, he received a difpenfation to quit 
the monkifli habit, and to marry. He was fcarcely fettled 
ou tlie throne, when a fleet of Donifli veffels, confiding 
of thirty-three fail, landed at Southampton, who was re- 
pulfed, but not without great daughter on both (ides. 
However, no defeat could reprefs the obflinacy, nor any 
difficulties invpede the inroads, of thefe fierce invaders, 
who-ftill perfevered in their defcents ; and, year after 
year, made frefli iiiyafions on the country, marking their 
way with (laughter and defolation. Though often re- 
pulfed, they generally fucceeded in carrying off the plun¬ 
der. It was their method to avoid coming, if poflible, 
to a general engagement; Tut feathering themfelves over 
the face of the country, they carried away, indiferimi- 
natcly, as well, the inhabitants themfelves, as all their 
moveable poffeflions. If the military force of the coun¬ 
try was drawn out againft them, the invaders either (food 
their ground, if firong enough to oppofe, or retreated to 
their (hips, if incapable of refifiance. Thus, by making 
continual and repeated defcents, every part of England 
was kept in conftant alarm, and every county was fearful 
of giving afliftance to the next, as its own fafety was in 
danger. From this general calamity the priefis and monks 
were not exempted ; they were rather the chief objects 
on whom the Danifh idolaters wreaked their refentment. 
In this (fate of fluctuating fuccefs'affairs continued for 
fonie time, the Englifh often repelling, and as often being 
repulfed by their fierce invaders ; till, at length, the 
Danes refolved upon making a fettlement in Hie country, 
and landing on the ifie of Thanef, A. D, 852, ftationed 
themfelves there. In this place they kept Their ground, 
notwithfianding a bloody victory gained over them by 
Ethelwolf. From thence they fodn "after removed to the 
ifle of Sheppey, which they confidered as more conve¬ 
nient for their tumultuary depredations. In the mean 
time Ethelwolf, infiead of exerting his ftrength to repel 
thefe invaders, was more folicitous to obey the dictates 
of monkilh fuperfiition. In order to manifeft his devo¬ 
tion to the pope, he Cent his fon Alfred to Rome, to re¬ 
ceive confirmation from his holinefs ; and, not fatisfied 
with this teftimony of his zeal, he undertook a pilgrimage 
thither in perfon. He palfed twelve months in that city, 
and gained no fmall applaufe for his devotion, which he 
teftified by his great liberality to the church. In his re¬ 
turn home he married Judith, daughter to the emperor 
Charles the Bald ; but, on his landing in his.own domi¬ 
nions, he was furprifed to find his title to the crown dif- 
puted. His fecond fon, Ethelbald, upon the death of his 
elder brother, perceiving the miferable (late to which the 
kingdom was reduced by the king’s weaknefs and fuper¬ 
fiition, formed a confpiracy to expel him from the throne. 
The people were equally divided between the claims of 
the father and fon ; fo that a bloody and unnatural war 
feented likely to augment the calamities of the times. A 
divifion of the fovereignty at length terminated the dif- 
pute; the king, was content with the eaftern part of the 
monarchy, while his fon was appointed to govern the 
weftern, which was the moft powerful, and the mod; ex- 
pofed to danger. Having come to this agreement, a 
council was fummoned of all the dates and nobles of the 
kingdom ; and, befides the ratification of this grant, a 
Vol. VI. No. 371. 
AND. 549 
tithe of the produce of the land was fettled upon the 
clergy. 
Ethelwolf furvived this event only two years, when lie 
left the kingdom between his two eldefl fons, Ethelbald 
and Ethelbert; the weft being configned to the former, 
the eafi: to the latter. The.reign of Ethelbald was fliort, 
but diftinguiflied by a number of vices. He married Ju¬ 
dith, his own mother-in-law ; but was prevailed upon to 
divorce her. The reign of his brother was of longer du¬ 
ration ; and, as we are told, mo-re meritorious. Never-' 
thelefs the kingdom was Hill infefted by the Danes, who 
committed great outrages. Ethelbald was fucceeded , by 
his brother Ethelred, a brave^prince, but whole valour 
was infufficient to reprefs the Danifh incurfions. In 
thefe exploits he was often afiifted by his younger bro¬ 
ther, Alfred, afterwards furnamed the Great, who fa- 
crificcd all private refentment to the public good, having 
been deprived by the king of a large patrimony. It was 
during this prince’s reign that the Danes, penetrating 
into Mercia, took up their winter quarters at Notting¬ 
ham. Their next ftation was at Reading, from whence 
they infefted the country in every direction. Ethelred, 
attended by his brother Alfred, marched againft them 
at the head of the Weft Saxons, and after many recipro¬ 
cations of fuccefs, and feveral obftinate battles, the..king 
died of a wound, and left to his brother Alfred the inhe¬ 
ritance of a kingdom reduced to the brink of ruin. 
Nothing could be more deplorable than the ftate of 
the country when Alfred came to the throne. The 
Danes had iubdued Northumberland and the Ealt Angles, 
and had penetrated into the heart of Weffex. The 
Mercians were united againft him ; the dependence upon 
the other provinces of the empire was but precarious: 
the lands lay uncultivated through fear of continual in¬ 
curfions; and the churches and monafteries were burnt 
to the ground. In this fituation of affairs, nothing ap¬ 
peared but objects of terror, and every hope was loft in 
defpair. Yet the wifdom and virtues of one man were 
alone fufficient to reftore happinefs, fecurity, and order: 
all thefe calamities found redrefs from the fugacious Al¬ 
fred. This prince feerned born not only to defend his 
bleeding country, but even to adorn humanity. He had 
given very early inftances of •thofe great virtues which 
"afterwards adorned his reign ; and was anointed by pope 
Leo as future king, when he was lent by his father for 
his education to Rome. On his return from thence, he 
became every day more the objedtof his father’s fond 
regard; and that, perhaps, was the reafon why his edu¬ 
cation was at fil'd negledted. He had attained the age of 
twelve before he was made acquainted with even the firft 
elements of literature ; but on hearing,fome Saxon poems 
read, which recounted the praife of heroes, his whole 
mind was ftimulated, not only to obtain limilar glory, 
but al(o "to be able to tranfmit that glory to pofterity. 
Encouraged^by the queen his mother, and infpired by a 
penetrating genius, he was foon able to read thofe com- 
pofitions; and proceeded from thence to a knowledge of 
the Latin authors, who directed his tafte, and rectified 
his ambition. 
He was fcarcely come to the crown when he was obliged 
to march againft the Danes, who had feized Wilton, and 
were exercifing their ufual ravages on the countries 
around. He could only oppofe them with the few troops 
he could affemble on a fudden, and a. defperate battle 
was fought, to the difadvantage of "the Englilh. But it 
was not in the power of misfortune to abate the king’s 
ardour, though it repreffed his ability to do good. He 
was in a little time enabled to hazard another engage¬ 
ment ; fo that the enemy, dreading his courage and adti- 
vity, propofed terms of peace, which he did not think 
proper to refufe. They had by this treaty bound them¬ 
felves to relinquifh the kingdom ; but, inftead of com¬ 
plying with their engagements, they only removed from 
one place to another, burning and deftroying wherever 
they came, while frefli fwarms of their countrymen were 
7 A - pouring 
