of Thanet, ftationed themselves there. In this place they kept their ground, notwithstanding a bloody victory gained over them by Ethelwolf. The reign of Ethelbald, his fucceffor, was of no long continuance; however, in fo fhort a fpace, he crouded a number of vices fufficient to render his name odious to pofterity.

This prince was fucceeded by his brother Ethelred, a brave commander, but whofe valour was infufficient to reprefs the Danish incurfions. In these exploits he was always affifted by his younger brother, Alfred, afterwards furnamed the Great, who facrificed all private refentment to the public good, having been deprived by the king of a large patrimony. It was during Ethelred's reign, that the Danes, penetrating into Mercia, took up their win- ter quarters at Nottingham; from whence, the king, attempting to diflodge them, received a wound in the battle, of which he died, leaving his brother, Alfred, the inheritance of a kingdom that was now reduced to the brink of ruin.

The Danes had already fubdued Northumberland and East Anglia, and had penetrated into the very heart of Weflex. The Mercians were united against Alfred; the dependence upon the other provinces of the empire was but precarious: the lands lay uncultivated, through fear of continual incurfions; and all the churches and monafteries were burned to the ground. In this terrible fituation of affairs, nothing appeared but objects of terror, and every hope was loft in defpair. The wifdom and virtues of one man alone were found fufficient to bring back happinefs, fecurity, and order; and all the calamities of the times found redrefs from Alfred.

This prince feemed 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 gave fplendour to his reign; and

was

was anointed by pope Leo, as future king, when he was fent by his father for his education to Rome. On his return from thence, he became every day more the object of his father's fond affections; and that perhaps was the reafon why his education was at first neglected. He had attained the age of twelve before he was made acquainted with the loweft elements of literature; but hearing fome Saxon poems read, which recounted the praife of heroes, his whole mind was roufed, not only to obtain a fimilitude of glory, but also to be able to tranfmit that glory to pofterity. Encouraged by the queen, his mother, and affifted by a penetrating genius, he foon learned to read these compofitions, and proceeded from thence to a knowledge of Latin authors, who directed his tafte, and rectified his ambition.

He was fcarce come to the throne when he was obliged to oppofe the Danes, who had feized Wilton, and were exercifing their ufual ravages on the country around. He marched against them with the few troops he could affemble on a sudden, and a defperate battle was fought, to the difadvantage of the English. But it was not in the power of miffortune to abate the king's diligence, though it repreffed his power to do good. He was in a little time enabled to hazard another engagement; fo that the enemy, dreading his courage and activity, propofed terms of peace, which he did not-think proper to refufe. They, by this treaty, agreed to relinquish the kingdom; but, inftead of complying with their engagements, they only removed from one place to another, burning and deftroying wherever they came.

Alfred, thus opposed to an enemy whom no ftationary force could refift, and no treaty could bind, found himself unable to repel the efforts of thofe ravagers, who from all quarters invaded him. New fwarms of the enemy arrived every year upon the coaft, and fresh invafions were ftill projected. Some

of

of his fubjects therefore left their country, and retired into Wales, or fled to the continent; others fubmitted to the conquerors, and purchafed their lives by their freedom. In this univerfal defection, Alfred vainly attempted to remind them of the duty they owed their country and their king; but finding his remonftrances ineffectual, he was obliged to give way to the wretched neceffity of the times. Accordingly, relinquishing the enfigns of his dignity, and dilmiffing his fervants, he dreffed himfelf in the habit of a peasant, and lived for fome time in the house of an herdfman, who had been entrusted with the care of his cattle. In this manner, though abandoned by the world, and fearing an enemy in every quarter, ftill he refolved to continue in his country, to catch the flighteft 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 amufed himself with mufic, and fupported his humble lot with the hopes of better fortune. It is faid, that one day, being commanded by the herdsman'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 the feverely upbraided him for neglect.

Previous to his retirement, Alfred had concerted measures for affembling a few trufty friends, whenever an opportunity fhould offer of annoying the enemy, who were now in poffeffion of all the country. This chofen band, ftill faithful to their monarch, took fhelter in the forefts and marthes of Somerfet, and from thence made occafional irruptions upon ftraggling parties of the enemy. Their fuccefs, in this rapacious and dreary method of living, encouraged many more to join their fociety, till at length fufficiently augmented they repaired to their monarch, who had by that time been reduced by famine to the laft extremity.

Mean

Meanwhile Ubba, the chief of the Danish commanders, carried terror over the whole land, and now ravaged the country of Wales without oppofition. The only place where he found refiftance, on his return, was from the caftle of Kenwith, into which the earl of Devonshire had retired with a fmall body of troops. This gallant foldier finding himself unable to fuftain a fiege, and knowing the danger of surrendering to a perfidious enemy, was refolved by one defperate effort, to fally out and force his way through the besiegers, fword in hand. The propofal was embraced by all his followers, while the Danes, fecure in their numbers, and in their contempt of the enemy, were not only routed with great flaughter, but Ubba, their general, was flain.

This victory once more reftored courage to the difpirited Saxons; and Alfred, taking advantage of their favourable difpofition, prepared to animate them to a vigorous exertion of their fuperiority. He foon therefore apprized them of the place of his retreat, and instructed them to be ready with all their ftrength at a minute's warning. But ftill none was found who would undertake to give intelligence of the forces and posture of the enemy: not knowing, therefore, a perfon in whom he could confide, he undertook this dangerous task himself. In the fimple drefs of a fhepherd, with a harp in his hand, he entered the Danith camp, tried all his mufical arts to pleafe, and was fo much admired, that he was brought even into the prefence of Guthrum, the Danilh prince, with whom he remained fome days. There he remarked the fupine fecurity of the Danes, their contempt of the English, their negligence in foraging and plundering, and their diffolute wafting of fuch ill-gotten booty. Having made his obfervations, he returned to his retreat, and detaching proper emiffaries among his fubjects, appointed them

to

to meet him in arms in the foreft of Selwood, a fummons which they gladly obeyed.

It was against the moft unguarded quarter of the enemy that Alfred made his moft violent attack, while the Danes, furprifed to behold an army of English, whom they confidered as totally fubdued, made but a faint refiftance. Notwithstanding the fuperiority of their number, they were routed with. great flaughter; and though fuch as escaped fled for refuge into a fortified camp in the neighbourhood, being unprovided for a fiege, in lefs than a fortnight they were compelled to furrender at difcretion. By the conqueror's permiffion, those who did not chufe to embrace Chriftianity embarked for Flanders under the command of one of their generals, called Haftings. Guthrum, their prince, became a convert, with thirty of his nobles, and the king himself aniwered for him at the font.

Alfred had now attained the meridian of glory; he poffeffed a greater extent of territory than had ever been enjoyed by any of his predeceffors; the kings of Wales did him homage for their poffeffions, the Northumbrians received a king of his appointing, and no enemy appeared to give him the least apprehenfions, or excite an alarm. In this ftate of profperity and profound 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 fuítained by war.

His care was to polish the country by arts, as he had protected it by arms. He is faid to have drawn up a body of laws. His care for the encouragement of learning did not a little tend to improve the morals and restrain the barbarous habits of the people. When he came to the throne, he found the English funk into the groffeft ignorance and barbarifm, proceeding from the continued diforders of the government, and from the ravages of the Danes. He

himself