550 
ENGL 
pouring in to their affiftanee. Alfred, thus oppofed to 
an enemy whom no ftaticfnary force could fubdue, nor 
any treaty bind, found himfelf unable to repel the efforts 
of tliofe^barbarians, who from all quarters invaded him. 
It was in vain that he purfued them, and compelled 
them to treaties ; tliey broke every league ; and,,continu¬ 
ing their attacks with ferocious perfeverance, they at 
length difpiritcd his army, and induced Ixis fuperftitious 
foldiers to believe themfelves abandoned by heaven, 
ftnce it tlifts permitted the outrages of the fierce idolaters 
to go on with impunity. Many of them quitted their 
country, and retired into Wales, or fled to the continent. 
Others, fubmitting to the conquerors, purchafed their 
lives by bartering their freedom. In this univerfal de¬ 
fection, Alfred vainly attempted to remind them of the 
duty they owed their country and their king; fo that, 
finding his remonflrances ineffectual, he was obliged to 
give way to the wretched neceility of the times. Accord¬ 
ingly, relinqniChing all enfigns of dignity, and difmiffing 
his attendants, he dreffed.^himfelf in the habit of a pea- 
fant, and lived for fome 'time in the houfe of an herdf- 
man, who had been entrufted with the care of his cattle. 
In this manner, though abandoned by the world, and 
furrounded by enemies in every quarter, ftill he refolved 
to continue in his country, in order to feize the flighted 
occafions for bringing it relief. In his folitary retreat, 
which was in the county of Somerfet, at the confluence 
of the rivers Parret and Thone, he folaced himfelf with 
mufic, and fupported his humble lot by the hopes of 
better fortune. It is faid that, one day, being ordered 
by the herdfntan’s wife, who was ignorant of his quality, 
to take care of fome cakes which were baking by the fire, 
he happened to let them burn, for which flie feverely 
reprimanded, or boxed him on the ear. 
Previous to his retirement, Alfred had concerted mea- 
fures for affembling a few trufty friends, whenever an 
opportunity fhould offer of annoying the enemy, who 
were now in poffellion of all the country. This chofen 
band, ftill faithful tp their monarch, took Chelter in the 
forefts and marfties of Somerfet, and from thence made 
©ccafional irruptions upon draggling parties of the Danes. 
Their fuccefs, in this predatory method of living, encou¬ 
raged many more to join them, till at length, fufficiently 
augmented, they repaired to Alfred, who was by this time 
reduced to the laft extremity. 
Mean-while, Ubba, the chief of the Danifh com¬ 
manders, had carried terror over the whole land, and now 
ravaged Wales without oppofition. The only place 
where he found refiftance was, in his return, from the 
raffle of Kenwith, into which the earl of Devonfhire had 
retired with a fntall body of troops. This gallant foldier 
finding himfelf unable to fuftain a fiege, and knowing the 
danger of furrendering to a perfidious enemy, was refolv¬ 
ed to force his way through the beliegers, fword in hand. 
The propofal was embraced by all his followers, while 
the Danes, fecure in their numbers, and in their contempt 
©f the enemy, were not only routed with great (laughter, 
but Ubba, their general, was (lain. This viftory gave 
courage to the difpirited Saxons; and Alfred, embracing 
th& favourable difpofition, prepared to animate them to 
make a vigorous (land. He apprifed them of the place of his 
retreat, of the veteran band that had attached itfelf to 
him, and inftrutted them to be ready with all their 
ftrength at a minute’s warning. But none was found 
hardy enough to watch and give intelligence of the forces 
and pofture of the enemy. Not knowing, therefore, a 
perfon in whom to confide, he undertook this dangerous 
talk himfelf. In the Ample drefs of a ftiepherfl, with an 
harp in his hand, he entered the Danifh camp, tried all 
his arts to pleafe, and was fo much carelfed, that he was 
brought into the prefence of Guthrum, the Danifh prince, 
with whom he remained fome days. There he noticed 
the fupine fecurity of the Danes, their contempt of the 
Englifti, their negligence in foraging, and their diflblute 
vrafie of fuel) ill-gotten booty.. Having made thefe ob- 
A. N D. 
fervations, he returned to his retreat,, and difpatched 
melfengers to his fubjefits, appointing them to meet him 
in arms in the foreft of Selwood—a fumntons which they 
gladly obeyed. 
It vvasxagainft the mod unguarded quarter of the enemy 
that Alfred directed his attack. The Danes, furprifed 
to behold an army of Englifti, whom they confidered as 
totally fubdued, made but a faint refiftance, notwithftand- 
ing the fuperiority of their number. They were routed 
with great (laughter: and, though fuch a> efcapedHed 
for refuge into a fortified camp in the neighbourhood, yet, 
being unprovided for a fiege, they were foon compelled 
to furrender, A.D.876. By Alfred’spermiftion, tliofe 
who did not chufe to embrace Chriftianity, embarked 
for Flanders, under the command of one of their generals, 
named Haftings; Guthrum, their prince, became a con¬ 
vert, with thirty of his nobles, and the king himfelf an- 
f we red for him at the font. Of the pagan Danes who 
had enlifted with Haftings, a part foon returned, contrary 
to ftipulation, again to ravage that country where they 
had been fo mercifully fpared ; and landing on the coaft 
of Kent, they advanced towards Rochefter, in hopes of 
furprifing that city, They were deterred^ however, from 
proceeding, by hearing that Alfred was'iipon his march 
to oppofe them. That fucb deprecations might be pre. 
vented for the future, this monarch equipped a ftrong 
fleet, with which lie attacked and deflroyed fixteen of 
their veflels in the port of Harwich. There was ftill the 
portof London open to the invaders; but, as that city was 
but weakly garrifoned, he foon' reduced it to capitula- 
tion. Having augmented its fortifications, and embel- 
lifhed it with a number of new edifices, he delivered it 
in charge to his fon-in-law, Ethelred, and thus fecured 
the whole country from foreign depredators. 
Alfred had now attained the meridian of glory; he 
poflefted a greater extent of territory than had ever been 
enjoyed by any of his predeceffors; the kings of Wales 
did hint homage for their poffeftionsj the Northumbrians 
received a king of his own appointing; and no enemy 
appeared to give him the leaf! alarm. In this ftate of 
tranquillity, which lafted for twelve years, Alfred was 
diligently employed in cultivating the arts of peace, and 
in repairing the damages which the kingdom had fuftain- 
ed by war. After rebuilding the towns which had been 
deftroyed by the Danes, he eftabliftied a regular militia 
for the defence of the kingdom. He took care that all 
his fubjects fhould be armed and regiftered ; he afligned 
them a regular rotation of duty ;—a part was employed 
to cultivate the land, while others were appointed to 
military duty. He took care to provide a naval force 
that was more than a match for the invaders, and trained 
his fubjedts to naval tactics. A fleet of an hundred and 
twenty (hips of war was thus ftationed along the coafts ; 
and, being well fupplied with all things necelfary both 
for fuftenance and war, it impreffed the incurfive enemy 
with awe. Not but that there occafionally happened 
fome .very formidable defeents, which the king'found it 
difficult to reprefs. Haftings, the Danifh chieftain in 
particular, appeared off the coaft of Kent with a fleet of 
three hundred and fifty fail ; and, although his forces 
were vigoroufly oppofed and repulfed by the vigilance of 
Alfred, yet he found means to fecure himfelf in the pof- 
feflion of Bamflete, in the county of Effex. But it was 
not long before his garrifon was overpowered by a body 
of the citizens of London, with great (laughter, and his 
wife and two fons made captives. Thefe experienced 
the king’s clemency : he reftored them to Haftings, on 
condition that he fhould immediately depart from the 
kingdom. 'Nor were .the Eaft-Anglian Danes, nor the 
infurgents of Northumberland, more fuccefsful. Thefe 
broke out in open rebellion ; and, yielding to their favou¬ 
rite habits of depredation, embarked omboard two hun¬ 
dred and forty veffels, and appeared before the city of 
Exeter. There, however, they experienced a very 
bloody reception from Alfred, and were fo difeouraged, 
that 
* 
