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II.

His death alone was memorable and tragical. This CHAP. young prince was endowed with the most amiable innocence of manners; and as his own intentions. were always pure, he was incapable of entertaining any fufpicion against others. Though his ftep-mother had oppofed his fucceffion, and had raised a party in favour of her own fon, he always fhowed her marks of regard, and even expreffed, on all occafions, the most tender affection towards his brother. He was hunting one day in Dorsetshire; and being led by the chafe near Corfe- castle, where Elfrida refided, he took the opportunity of paying her a vifit, unattended by any of his retinue, and he thereby prefented her with the opportunity which fhe had long wifhed for. After he had mounted his horfe, he defired fome liquor to be brought him: While he was holding the cup to his head, a fervant of Elfrida approached him, and gave him a ftab behind. The prince, finding himself wounded, put fpurs to his horfe; but becoming faint by lofs of blood, he fell from the faddle, his foot ftuck in the ftirrup, and he was dragged along by his unruly horfe till he expired. Being tracked by the blood, his body was found, and was privately interred at Wareham by his fervants.

THE youth and innocence of this prince, with his tragical death, begat fuch compaffion among the people, that they believed miracles to be wrought at his tomb; and they gave him the appellation of martyr, though his murder had no connexion with any religious principle or opinion. Elfrida built monafteries, and performed many penances, in order to atone for her guilt; but could never, by all her hypocrify or remorfes, recover the good opinion of the public, though fo eafily deluded in thofe ignorant ages.

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III.

978.

CHA P. III.

Ethelred-Settlement of the Normans Edmund Ironfide Canute-Harold Harefoot-Hardicanute-Edward the Confeffor Harold.

TH

ETHEL RED.

CHAP. HE freedom which England had fo long enjoyed from the depredations of the Danes, feems to have proceeded, partly from the establishments which that piratical nation had obtained in the north of France, and which employed all their fuperfluous hands to people and maintain them; partly from the vigour and warlike fpirit of a long race of English princes, who preferved the kingdom in a pofture of defence by fea and land, and either prevented or repelled every attempt of the invaders. But a new generation of men being now fprung up in the northern regions, who could no longer difburthen themselves on Normandy; the English had reason to dread that the Danes would again vifit an ifland to which they were invited, both by the memory of their past fucceffes, and by the expectation of affiftance from their countrymen, who, though long established in the kingdom, were not yet thoroughly incorporated with the natives, nor had entirely forgotten their inveterate habits of war and depredation. And as the reigning prince was a minor, and even when he attained to man's estate, never discovered either courage or capacity fufficient to govern his own fubjects, much lefs to repel a formidable enemy, the people might justly apprehend the worst calamities from fo dangerous a crifis.

THE Danes, before they durft attempt any important enterprise against England, made an incon

fiderable

ILI.

981.

991

fiderable descent by way of trial; and having landed CHAP. from seven veffels near Southampton, they ravaged the country, enriched themselves by fpoil, and departed with impunity. Six years after, they made a like attempt in the weft, and met with like fuccefs. The invaders, having now found affairs in a very different fituation from that in which they formerly appeared, encouraged their countrymen to affemble a greater force, and to hope for more confiderable advantages. They landed in Effex, under the command of two leaders; and having defeated and flain at Maldon, Brithnot, duke of that county, who ventured, with a small body, to attack them, they spread their devaftations over all the neighbouring provinces. In this extremity, Ethelred, to whom hiftorians give the epithet of the Unready, inftead of roufing his people to defend with courage their honour and their property, hearkened to the advice of Siricius, archbishop of Canterbury, which was feconded by many of the degenerate nobility; and paying the enemy the fum of ten thoufand pounds, he bribed them to depart the kingdom. This fhameful expedient was attended with the fuccefs which might be expected. The Danes next year appeared off the eaftern coaft, in hopes of fubduing a people who defended themselves by their money, which invited affailants, inftead of their arms, which repelled them. But the English, fenfible of their folly, had, in the interval, affembled in a great council, and had determined to collect at London a fleet able to give battle to the enemy *; though that judicious meafure failed of fuccefs, from the treachery of Alfric duke of Mercia, whofe name is infamous in the annals of that age, by the calamities which his repeated perfidy brought upon his country. This nobleman had, in 983, fucceeded to his father, Alfere, in that extenfive command;

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III.

CHAP. but being deprived of it two years after, and banished the kingdom, he was obliged to employ alk his intrigue, and all his power, which was too great for a fubject, to be restored to his country, and reinstated in his authority. Having had experience of the credit and malevolence of his enemies, he thenceforth trusted for fecurity, not to his services, or to the affections of his fellow-citizens, but to the influence which he had obtained over his vaffals, and to the public calamities, which he thought inust, in every revolution, render his affiftance neceffary. Having fixed this refolution, he determined to prevent all fuch fucceffes as might establish the royal authority, or render his own fituation dependent or precarious. As the English had formed the plan of furrounding and deftroying the Danish fleet in harbour, he privately informed the enemy of their danger; and when they put to fea, in confequence of this intelligence, he deferted to them, with the fquadron under his command, the night before the engagement, and thereby difappointed all the efforts of his countrymen b Ethelred, enraged at his perfidy, feized his fon Alfgar, and ordered his eyes to be put out. But fuch was the power of Alfric, that he again forced himfelf into authority; and though he had given this fpecimen of his character, and received this grievous provocation, it was found neceflary to entrust him anew with the government of Mercia. This conduct of the court, which in all its circumftances is fo barbarous, weak, and imprudent, both merited and prognofticated the moft grievous calamities.

993.

THE northern invaders, now well acquainted with the defenceless condition of England, made a powerful descent under the command of Sweyn king of Denmark, and Olave king of Norway; and failing up the Humber, fpread on all fides their deftructive

b Chron. Sax. p. 127. W. Malm. p. 62. Higden, p. 270.
Chron. Sax. p. 128. W. Malm. p. 62.

ravages

III.

ravages. Lindefey was laid wafte; Banbury was CHAP. destroyed; and all the Northumbrians, though moftly of Danish descent, were constrained either to join the invaders, or to fuffer under their depredations. A powerful army was affembled to oppofe the Danes, and a general action enfued; but the English were deferted in the battle, from the cowardice or treachery of their three leaders, all of them men of Danish race, Frena, Frithegift, and Godwin, who gave the example of a fhameful flight to the troops under their command.

ENCOURAGED by this fuccefs, and ftill more by the contempt which it infpired for their enemy, the pirates ventured to attack the centre of the kingdom; and entering the Thames in ninety-four veffels, laid fiege to London, and threatened it with total deftruction. But the citizens, alarmed at the danger, and firmly united among themselves, made a bolder defence than the cowardice of the nobility and gentry gave the invaders reafon to apprehend; and the befiegers, after fuffering the greatest hardships, were finally fruftrated in their attempt. In order to revenge themselves, they laid wafte Effex, Suffex, and Hampshire; and having there procured horfes, they were thereby enabled to fpread, through the more inland counties, the fury of their depredations. In this extremity, Ethelred and his nobles had recourse to the former expedient; and fending ambaffadors to the two northern kings, they promifed them fubfiftence and tribute, on condition they would, for the prefent, put an end to their ravages, and foon after depart the kingdom. Sweyn and Olave agreed to the terms, and peaceably took up their quarters at Southampton, where the fum of fixteen thousand pounds was paid to them. Olave even made a journey to Andover, where Ethelred refided; and he received the rite of confirmation from the English bishops, as well as many rich prefents from the king. He here promifed that he would never

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