CHAP. fifted on the univerfality of theirs. That Eafter 1. must neceffarily be kept by a rule, which comprehended both the day of the year and age of the moon, was agreed by all; that the tonfure of a priest could not be omitted without the utmost impiety, was a point undifputed: But the Romans and Saxons called their antagonists fchifmatics; because they celebrated Eafter on the very day of the full moon in March, if that day fell on a Sunday, instead of waiting till the Sunday following; and because they shaved the fore-part of their head from ear to ear, instead of making that tonfure on the crown of the head, and in a circular form. In order to render their antagonists odious, they affirmed, that once in seven years they concurred with the Jews in the time of celebrating that festival: And that they might recommend their own form of tonfure, they maintained, that it imitated fymbolically the crown of thorns worn by Chrift in his paffion; whereas the other form was invented by Simon Magus, without any regard to that representation". These controverfies had, from the beginning, excited fuch animofity between the British and Romish priests, that, instead of concurring in their endeavours to convert the idolatrous Saxons, they refused all communion together, and each regarded his opponent as no better than a Pagan. The difpute lafted more than a century; and was at last finished, not by men's discovering the folly of it, which would have been too great an effort for human reafon to accomplish, but by the entire prevalence of the Romish ritual over the Scotch and British. Wilfrid, bishop of Lindisferne, acquired great merit, both with the court of Rome and with all the fouthern Saxons, by expelling the quartodeciman fchifm, as it was called, from the Northumbrian

Bede, lib. 2. cap. 19.

b Bede,

z Bede, lib. 5. cap. 21. Eddius, a Bede, lib. 2. cap. 2. 4. 20. Eddius, $12. lib. 5. cap. 16. 22.

24.

kingdom,

1

i

I.

kingdom, into which the neighbourhood of the Scots CHAP. had formerly introduced it “.

THEODORE, archbishop of Canterbury, called, in the year 680, a fynod at Hatfield, confifting of all the bishops in Britain ; where was accepted and ratified the decree of the Lateran council, fummoned by Martin, against the heresy of the Monothelites. The council and fynod maintained, in oppofition to thefe heretics, that, though the divine and human nature in Chrift made but one perfon, yet had they different inclinations, wills, acts, and fentiments, and that the unity of the person implied not any unity in the confcioufnefs. This opinion it feems fomewhat difficult to comprehend; and no one, unacquainted with the ecclefiaftical hiftory of thofe ages, could imagine the height of zeal and violence with which it was then inculcated. The decree of the Lateran council calls the Monothelites impious, execrable, wicked, abominable, and even diabolical; and curfes and anathematizes them to all eternity'.

THE Saxons, from the firft introduction of Chrif tianity among them, had admitted the use of images; and perhaps that religion, without fome of thofe exterior ornaments, had not made fo quick a progrefs with these idolaters: But they had not paid any fpecies of worship or addrefs to images; and this abuse never prevailed among Chriftians, till it received the fanction of the fecond council of Nice,

СНАР.
II.

827.

CHA P. II.

Egbert- Ethelwolf Ethelbald and Ethelbert

Ethered Alfred the Great-
Alfred the Great

the Elder

Edwy

TH

Athelftan Edmund

-

Edward

Edred

Edgar-Edward the Martyr.

EGBER T.

THE Kingdoms of the Heptarchy, though united by fo recent a conqueft, feemed to be firmly cemented into one ftate under Egbert; and the inhabitants of the feveral provinces had loft all defire of revolting from that monarch, or of reftoring their former independent governments. Their language was every where nearly the fame, their cuftoms, laws, inftitutions civil and religious; and as the race of the ancient kings was totally extinct in all the fubjected states, the people readily transferred their allegiance to a prince, who seemed to merit it, by the fplendour of his victories, the vigour of his administration, and the fuperior nobility of his birth. A union alfo in government opened to them the agreeable profpect of future tranquillity; and it appeared more probable, that they would henceforth become formidable to their neighbours, than be expofed to their inroads and devaftations. But these flattering views were foon overcaft by the appearance of the Danes, who, during fome centuries, kept the Anglo-Saxons in perpetual inquietude, committed the most barbarous ravages upon them, and at laft reduced them to grievous fervitude.

THE emperor Charlemagne, though naturally generous and humane, had been induced by bigotry to exercife great feverities upon the Pagan Saxons in Germany, whom he fubdued; and befides often ra

13

vaging

II.

vaging their country with fire and fword, he had in CHAP.
cool blood decimated all the inhabitants for their re-
volts, and had obliged them, by the most rigorous
edicts, to make a feeming compliance with the
Christian doctrine. That religion, which had eafily
made its way among the British Saxons by infinua-
tion and addrefs, appeared fhocking to their German
brethren, when imposed on them by the violence of
Charlemagne; and the more generous and warlike
of these Pagans had fled northward into Jutland, in
order to escape the fury of his perfecutions. Meet-
ing there with a people of fimilar manners, they were
readily received among them; and they foon ftimu-
lated the natives to concur in enterprifes, which
both promised revenge on the haughty conqueror,
and afforded fubfiftence to thofe numerous inhabit-
ants with which the northern countries were now
overburdened ". They invaded the provinces of
France, which were expofed by the degeneracy and
diffenfions of Charlemagne's pofterity; and being
there known under the general name of Normans,
which they received from their northern fituation,
they became the terror of all the maritime and even
of the inland countries. They were alfo tempted to
vifit England in their frequent excurfions; and being
able, by fudden inroads, to make great progrefs
over a people who were not defended by any naval
force, who had relaxed their military inftitutions,
and who were funk into a fuperftition which had
become odious to the Danes and ancient Saxons,
they made no diftinction in their hoftilities between
the French and English kingdoms. Their first ap-irst Danish
pearance in this island was in the year 787h, when Invasion
Brithric reigned in Weffex. A fmall body of them

landed in that kingdom, with a view of learning 707.
the ftate of the country; and when the magiftrate
of the place queftioned them concerning their enter-

Ypod. Neuftria, p. 414.

h Chron. Sax. p. 64.

F 2

prife,

CHAP. prife, and fummoned them to appear before the II. king, and account for their intentions, they killed

$32.

833.

him, and flying to their fhips, escaped into their own country. The next alarm was given to Northumberland in the year 794'; when a body of these pirates pillaged a monaftery; but their hips being much damaged by a ftorm, and their leader flain in a fkirmish, they were at laft defeated by the inhabitants, and the remainder of them put to the fword. Five years after Egbert had established his monarchy over England, the Danes landed in the Ifle of Shepey, and having pillaged it, escaped with impunity. They were not fo fortunate in their next year's enterprife, when they difembarked from thirty-five fhips, and were encountered by Egbert, at Charmouth in Dorsetshire. The battle was bloody; but though the Danes loft great numbers, they maintained the poft which they had taken, and thence made good their retreat to their fhips'. Having learned by experience, that they must expect a vigorous refiftance from this warlike prince, they entered into an alliance with the Britons of Cornwal; and landing two years after in that country, made an inroad with their confederates into the county of Devon; but were met at Hengefdown by Egbert, and totally defeated". While England remained in this ftate of anxiety, and defended itfelf more by temporary expedients than by any regular plan of administration, Egbert, who alone was able to provide effectually against this new evil, unfortunately died; and left the government to his fon Ethelwolf.

1 Chron. Sax. p. 66.
1 lbid.

P. 72.
Sax. p. 72.

Alur. Beverl. p. 108. k Chron. Sax. Ethelwald, lib. 3. cap. 2. Chron