Judith, daughter of the King of France. He gave a tenth of his lands to the church, but did not establish tithes, as some say.

Ethelbald (856) married his step-mother Judith; she finally became the ancestress of the wife of William I. Ethelbald reigned over Wessex only, his brother holding sway over the rest of the country.

Ethelbert (860). The Danes now landed in greater force, ravaging Kent, but being defeated in storming Winchester.

Ethelred I. (866). In the same year, the Danes in great force (8 kings and 20 earls) landed in E. Anglia, and marched to York and Nottingham,-which they captured, to revenge the cruelty of Ella, King of Northumbria; who was said to have cast the British chief, Regnar Lodbrok, into a pit full of vipers. They slew Edmund, King of E. Anglia, at Bury St. Edmunds, and fought with varying success against Ethelred and Alfred, at Reading, Ashdown, Basing, and Merton; Ethelred being mortally wounded in the latter engagement.

Alfred (872) was afflicted with a painful internal disease. He was said to have been made a student by his mother, Osberga, promising an illuminated volume of Saxon poems to the first of her sons who should learn to read it. In later years, he translated Esop's Fables; Bede's History of the Saxon Church; and parts of the Bible: he also encouraged learning, and founded the University of Oxford.

In the early part of the reign, the Danes continued to make head, defeating Alfred at Wilton; but withdrawing from Wessex, into Mercia and Northumbria, on Alfred's payment of a large sum of money.

To contest the coming in of fresh swarms, Alfred founded a navy, which did great service in this direction.

In 878, Guthrum, the Dane, made a night attack on Chippenham; and Alfred barely escaped, to seek

refuge with a swineherd, in the I. of Athelney (at the junction of the Parret and Tone, in Someretshire). Here he gradually drew his forces together, after great privation-during which time, the incident of the "burning of the cakes" is said to have taken place and having visited the enemy's camp, disguised as a harper, found out their weak points. Alfred summoned his followers at Selwood Forest, and defeated the Danes at Ethandune, near Westbury (878); capturing Guthrum in the subsequent siege of their stronghold. Guthrum was established in the Danelagh (E. coast of England), on his conversion to Christianity.

In 893, the Danes under Hastings ravaged the South, but were defeated after a long period of disturbance and devastation.

Among the beneficent acts of Alfred, were—

(1). Erection of 50 forts and castles, against the Danes. (2). Establishment of a militia.

(3). Encouragement of learning and learned men; schools founded; and compulsory education of children of freemen enforced.

(4). Codified the laws of Ethelbert and Offa. (5). Foundation of a navy.

(6). Overthrow of the Danes, for a time.

(7). Fixing the boundaries of already-existing Counties, Hundreds, and Tithings.

Edward the Elder (901). The Danes were defeated at Wodensfield (910), and several more strong fortresses were erected by the king, which resisted the Danes in their incursions; in the latter part of the reign the king being acknowledged master, by the Danes of E. Anglia and Northumbria. Edward first took the title of King of England: he extended the University of Cambridge, first established by Sebert of E. Anglia.

Athelstan (925) overthrew Anlaff, and the Danes and Scots, who had entered into alliance, at Brunanburg, leaving 5 kings and 7 earls of the Danes dead

on the field (937); he caused the Bible to be translated into Anglo-Saxon, and put in every church; and gave the title of "Thane" to any merchant who made three voyages in his own ship. He kept the Britons of the West, and of Wales, in their proper limits; exacting a yearly tribute of gold, silver, and cattle, from the latter.

"To Athelstan belongs the glory of having estab"lished what has ever since been called the KINGDOM 66 OF ENGLAND."

Edmund the Elder (941) drove the Danes out of the FIVE BURGHS (Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Stamford, and Lincoln,) after having been previously defeated by Anlaff, at Tamworth. Edmund was slain by Leolf, an outlaw and robber, at Pucklekirk, Glo'stershire.

Edred (946) was a weak king, and the tool of his chancellor, Turketul, Abbot of Croyland, and Dunstan, Abbot of Glastonbury. He subjugated Northumbria, which had rebelled.

Edwy (955) married Elgiva, which offended Dunstan, who was banished for personal violence to the king. The queen was finally sent to Ireland, having been branded with a hot iron; but on attempting to return, was foully murdered by Odo, Archbishop of Canterbury. The Mercians and Northumbrians rebelled, and set up Edgar king in these districts, being instigated by Odo and Dunstan.

Edgar, the Pacific (959). Dunstan took the lead in the government, and in the persecution of the married clergy. The king maintained a large fleet, and made circuits through the kingdom for purposes of justice, and to receive homage from his vassals. He exacted a tribute of 300 wolves' heads from the Welsh, and established standard weights and measures.

Edward the Martyr found a rival to the throne in step-brother, Ethelred, and was, after a short murdered by his mother-in-law, at Corfe Castle; stabbed while drinking in the saddle. In this

reign, Dunstan was very troublesome; making use of fictitious miracles to overawe his enemies.

Ethelred the Unready (978), so called from his weak defence against the Danes, sought to buy off his enemies by bribes-raised by a Danegelt of twelve pence on each hyde of land; and to exterminate them by massacre (1002). Sweyne, King of Denmark, landed to avenge the death of his sister, Gunhilda, in this massacre; and ship-money-one ship for every 300 hydes of land-was levied by the Witan against them. Canterbury was sacked by the Danes, and the Archbishop, with 7,000 inhabitants, massacred.

In 1013, Sweyne proclaimed himself King, and Ethelred was forced to flee to Normandy, with his family. After a month, however, Sweyne died, leaving Canute to succeed him; but the Witan supported Ethelred, who died in 1016.

Edmund Ironside (1016). There were now two kings in the field, and the Danes sailed up the Thames to support Canute, but were defeated by E. Ironside at Brentford. They gained a subsequent victory at Assandune, and an agreement was come to by the rival monarchs—after Canute had been once forced to fly the country-by which the kingdom was to be divided. Edmund, however, soon after fell by the hand of an assassin; leaving two sons, one of whom became the ather of Edgar and Margaret Atheling; the latter transmitting, by marriage, the Saxon right to Malcolm King of Scotland.

DANISH RULE. 1017-1041.

Canute (1017) married the widow of Ethelred; set up a rule of justice, instead of brute force; employed his most turbulent spirits in war in Norway and Scotland; and acted in accordance with his profession as a Christian, being a munificent patron of the Church. He was the most powerful monarch in Europe at that time, ruling over England, Norway, and Denmark. He dismissed most of the Danish warriors to their

homes across the sea, retaining, however, 3,000, as well-disciplined household troops.

Harold Harefoot met with a rival in his stepbrother, who was supported by the Saxons. An agreement was at length arrived at by the two brothers, assisted by the Witan, by which the kingdom was divided. The speedy death of Harold gave Hardicanute (1040) the whole kingdom. He soon became unpopular for heavily taxing the people,-and for desolating the county of Worcester, and burning the county town, for having murdered two of his collectors.

SAXON LINE RESTORED.

Edward the Confessor (1042) had been trained on the Continent, and his whole reign prepared the way for the Norman Conquest. He married Edith the Fair, daughter of Godwin, who had already taken a leading part in the late reign. Godwin refused to punish the people of Dover (1051), for resisting the insolence of a Norman Count, and was outlawed by the king: he, however, soon returned with strong forces, and had his lands restored, the Norman court favorites being banished. He subsequently died in a fit, at the royal table, leaving Harold his heir.

Harold (1066) was elected King, by the Witan, on the death of the Confessor; and was at once called to repel the invasion of Harpager, King of Norway; and Tostig, Harold's own outlawed brother, who sought to recover the Earldom of Northumbria, from which he had been dispossessed for his cruelty. A battle took place at Stamford Bridge, on the Derwent, when both Harpager and Tostig fell.

In the meantime, William of Normandy claimed the crown, in virtue of an alleged promise of the Confessor, and from an oath sworn by Harold-under restraint that he would assist the Duke's pretensions. Four days after the battle of Stamford Bridge, William landed, with 60,000 followers, and a banner consecrated by the Pope, at Pevensey, in Sussex. Harold