affirm'd, that Dunftan at his Coronation foretold, by the Spirit of Prophecy, the Miferies to which England was going to be expos'd in his Reign. But Predictions of this Nature are always to be fufpected, when attributed to Saints, fuch as Dunstan, by Authors who wrote after the Event. However this be, the People had very different Thoughts of this new Reign. They flatter'd themfelves they were about to enjoy a State of Tranquillity, under a Prince who had given an Inftance of his good Nature, by lamenting bitterly the Death of the King his Brother, though it *Malm. procur'd him the Crown. An Hiftorian tells us, his Tears appear'd fo unfeafonable to his Mother, that catchBrompton ing up a Wax-Taper in a Paffion, the beat him fo unmercifully with it, that he cou'd not endure the Sight of a WaxLight ever after.

and

His Character.

The first thing Ethelred did after his Coronation, was the removing the Body of the late King to ShaftsburyChurch. Hardly had he perform'd this Office, but he found himself attack'd by the Danes, who fuffer'd him to enjoy no Quiet during the Refidue of his Life. If this Prince had follow'd the Steps of his Predeceffors, perhaps he would have caus'd thefe old Invaders to have laid afide all Thoughts of any new Attempts upon England. But his natural Cowardice, join'd to an extream Sluggishness * an infatiable Avarice, and many other Failings, foon let them fee, they had not much to fear from fuch an Enemy. For about fixty Years they feem'd to have forgot England, and the English for their Part to have loft all Remembrance of the Calamities they had fuffer'd from the Hands of those cruel Enemies. However, after fo long an Interval, during which the Danes fettled in England, feem'd to have entertain'd the fame Affection for this their fecond Country, as the Natives themfelves, the foreign Danes took it in

*This cowardly and fluggish Temper of his was predicted by Dunstan, when at his Baptifm (like Conftantine the Emperor, from thence call'd, Copronymus) he bewray'd the Font, which, Malmsbury fays, difturb'd Dunstan fo, that it made him fwear, by God and St. Mary, this Boy will prove a Poultron, Lib.2.c 10. de Geft. leg. Ang. But this has very much the Air of a Monkish Afperfion.

in their Heads to renew their Invafions. They had no fooner appear'd, but the others, refuming their old Inclinations, went and join'd their Countrymen, in order to lay hold on the prefent Opportunity, to free themselves from the Dominion of the English.

The piratical Rovers made their firft Attempt on South- Danes rehampton, where they arriv'd with feven Ships, and after new their plundering the Town and Country adjoining, they carried Invasions.

the fame Devaftations into Cornwal.

This Year another Band landed at Portland, pillag'd and fack'd the Country round about, after which they proceeded elfew here to increase their Spoils *.

Thefe frequent Defcents were fo much the more incommodious to the English, as they had fo many Coafts to guard, being by that Means at a Lofs to know where the Enemy wou'd land. If at any time it fell out, that they had it in their Power to give them Battle, all the Advantage they cou'd get by it, in cafe Fortune favour'd them, was to recover the Plunder. But when they themselves were worfted, the Country was fure to be expos'd to all imaginable Barbarities; before any more Forces cou'd be drawn together, very often whilft the English Troops were upon the March to make Head againft one Band of these Rovers, they were forc'd to change their Route, in order to oppofe another that feem'd the more dangerous. Thus, what Care foever might be taken, one Part of the Kingdom was always expos'd, fince there was no foreseeing where the Pirates would land. There was but one Way to remedy this Evil, which was, to keep a Fleet at Sea ftrong enough to engage the Danes, before they difembark'd their Troops. But the King's Minority Scarce permitted this Expedient to be put in practice.

In this Manner the firft ten Years of this Reign were fpent. It wou'd be needlefs to defcribe at length the Ravages the Danes committed during that time. It is ealy to imagine that nothing was to be feen all over the

This Year alfo the City of London was deftroy'd by Fire, but by what Accident is unknown.

981.

Kingdom

The Death
of Elfer

Duke of
Mercia.

984.

Death of

Kingdom but Murders, Conflagrations, Plunderings, and other Devaftations, which, after fome fhort Intermiffions, were continually renew’d.

During thefe Troubles, Elfer Duke of Mercia, one of the best Supports of his Country, died in 983. The little Efteem he had for the Monks, after Edgar's Death, was in all probability the Reafon of their noifing Abroad, among their Votaries, that he was eaten up of Lice. Alfrick his Son fucceeded him.

The next Year, Ethelwold Bishop of Winchester, one of Dunstan's Confidents, and a great Friend to the Monks, Ethelwold departed this Life. He is faid to have founded a dozen MoBishop of nafteries. If that be true, he was, no doubt, affifted by the Liberality of the two former Kings, with whom he was mightily in Favour.

Win

cheiter.

Monkery

The Intereft of the Monks entirely vanish'd in the Reign goes to de- of Ethelred, by reafon of the frequent Invasions of the Danes, and becaufe the People's Minds were wholly taken up about their Misfortunes. They even began to call in Queftion the Sanctity of the Monks, not being able to forbear wondering, that Man who had obtain'd from Heaven fo many Miracles on their own private Account, cou'd not by their Merits and Prayers, fecure the Kingdom from the Calamities it lay under. On the other Hand, as their Credit with the preceding Kings had gain'd them a great Reputation, fo this King's being no Friend to them, was very prejudicial to them. Ethelred, whofe Thoughts were not turn'd to Religion, put the Monks and other Ecclefiafticks upon the fame Foot with the reft of his Subjects. He gave a convincing Proof how little he regarded the Clergy, in a Difference between him and the Bishop of Rochester. The Bishop having haughtily refus'd to comply with fome Demand the King made him, he order'd the Soldiers to lay wafte the Lands belonging to the Cathedral dedicated to St. Andrew. In vain did the Bishop threaten him with Vengeance from the Apoftle, and to as little purpofe did he get Archbishop Dunftan to interpofe in the Matter; Ethelred minded neither of them, nor wou'd he defift 'till a Sum of Money was offer'd him. Dunstan, difpleas'd to the highest

Degree

Degree at these Proceedings, denounc'd against the King and his Council the Judgments of God, that were ready to fall on their Heads for prefuming to lay facrilegious Hands on the Church's Property; but he was not regarded: His Credit was funk fo low, that hardly was he known to be alive, fo great Care had the new Miniftry taken to keep him under. He died quickly after, in the Year Dunftan's 990; not fo much of old Age, as out of Regret for not Death. having that Deference and Refpect paid him as formerly.

990.

York dies.

Ofwald, Archbishop of York, foon follow'd him. He Ofwald was his particular Friend, and one of the three Prelates who Archbishop of had the Management of all Ecclefiaftical Affairs during the Reign of Edgar. The Death of thefe Patrons of the Monks, a contagious Diftemper, which carry'd off abundance of People, and moreover the continual Invafions of the Danes, put an End to the Quarrel between the fecular and regular Clergy, in fuch a Manner, that it was never more heard of.

invade

After the Danes had pillag'd the Coafts of England for 991. ten Years together, they gave over their Ravages for about The Danes two Years. This intermiffion put the English in hopes, England that their Enemies having turn'd their Thoughts to fome again. other Country, wou'd for the future leave them in quiet, But their Hopes foon vanifh'd: In 991, Justin and Guth- Sax. Ann. mund two Danish Captains, landed a great Body of Troops at Gipfwick. Whilft they were taken up with plundering, Brithnoth, Duke of Eaft-Anglia, advanced toward them, in hopes of furprizing them, but he found them too well prepar'd for him. He was overthrown, and his Defeat expos'd the adjacent Country to the greater DevaftatiThe victorious Danes having nothing more to fear, penetrated farther into the Country, where they committed terrible Ravages. Ethelred being without an Army, Ethelred and in no Condition to ftop their Progrefs, was perfwaded gives them by Syric Archbishop of Canterbury, to get rid of them by Money.

ons.

giving

*Ipfwich in Suffolk, wherein are twelve Parifh-Churches, with the Ruins of fix or feven Religious Houfes. In Cambden's Time it had fourteen. As for the Antiquity, we find no mention of it before that Danish Invation.

993. Another Danish Fleet.

994.

Olaus in

vade Eng

land.

giving them a Sum of Money *. Perhaps he wou'd have acted wifer, if in Imitation of Alfred and Edgar, he had laid out the Money in fortifying the Kingdom against their Infults. However this be, the Archbishop's Advice was look'd upon afterwards as very fatal to England. The Money given to this Band ferv'd only for a Bait to allure others, who thought they had an equal Right to take the Advantage of the Weaknefs of the English.

Two Years after, another of their Fleets failing up the Humber, the Pirates landed on the North-Side, and ravag'd in a mercilefs Manner all that belong'd to the English in those Quarters. Ethelred fent an Army against them, under the Command of three Earls, Fræna, Frithegift, and Goodwin. But the Generals, after they had led their Troops quite up to the Enemy, were the first that turn'd their Backs, and by their fhameful Flight were the Caufe of the Lofs of the Army. The King had been fo unwise as to confide in thefe three Lords, who being of Danish Extraction, were fufpected of Treachery.

How great foever the Miferies might be that these FoSweynand reigners hitherto had brought on England, it may be affirm'd, they were nothing in Comparison of what follow'd. Sweyn King of Denmark, and Olaus (a) King of Norway, allur'd by the good Succefs of their Subjects in England, had a mind alfo to have a Share of the Booty they every Year brought off from thence. To this End, having fitted out a numerous Fleet, they enter'd the Thames, and landed their Troops near London. They made feveral Attempts to become Mafters of the City, but meeting with a braver Refistance than they expected, they retir'd. To make themselves amends for the Time they had loft before London,

*Ten Thousand Pound. Sax. Ann. 991.

(a) Some pretend Olaus or Olaf was the fame with Anlaf mention'd in the Reigns of Edmund and Edred. But befides that the one was King of Norway, which can't be faid of the other, Anlaf must have been exceeding old, fince feventy Years before he was a General, Hiftorians not carefully diftinguishing the Princes that were call'd Anlafor Olaf, made selden fay, it was a Name that bred great Confufion in the English History.