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It is indeed probable, that he had already planned the union of the Heptarchy; but, in order to avert the suspicions of the neighbouring states, he attacked the Britons in Cornwall, and continued to act as mediator among the Saxon princes, whose differences were become almost irreconcileable. His moderation in these good offices, the prudence he manifested in his own government, and his known capacity in the affairs of war and peace, procured him such a degree of reputation, that he was soon considered as chief of the Saxon Heptarchy.

But his ambition was not to be satisfied with a mere nominal superiority; he still aimed at breaking down all distinctions, and uniting these petty states into one great and flourining kingdom. The king of Mercia was the first who furnished him with a pretext for recovering the part of his dominions which had formerly been dismembered hy that state. Boernulf, the monarch of that country, who had already almost obtained the sovereignity over the Heptarchy, taking advantage of Egbert's absence, who was employed in quelling the Britons, invaded his dominions with a numerous army, composed of the flower of his country. Egbert was not remiss in marching to oppose him, with a body of troops less numerous than those of Boernulf, but more brave and resolute. Both armies met at Wilton, and a battle ensuing, the Mercians were / defeated with great slaughter.

In the mean time, while the victor pursued his conquest over the enemies country, he dispatched his eldest son, Ethelwolf, with an army, into the kingdom of Kent, who soon made himself master of the whole nation, and expelled Baldred, their monarch, to whom his subjects had paid a very unwilling obedience. The East Saxons also, and part of Surry, dissatisfied with their subjection to the Mercians, readily submitted to Egbert; nor

were the East Angles backward in sending ambas, sadors to crave his protection and assistance, against that nation whose yoke they had for some time endured, and were resolved no longer to bear. The Mercian king attempting to repress their defection, was defeated, and slain; and two years after, Ludecan, his successor, met with the same fate. Withalf, one of their eoldermen, soon after put himself at their head, but being driven from province to province by the victorious arms. of Egbert, he was, at last, obliged to take shelter in the abbey of Croyland, while Egbert made him self master of the whole kingdom of Mercia. However, in order to accustom that people to his dominion, he permitted Withalf to govern the kingdom as a vassal, and tributary under him ; thus, at once, satisfying his ambition, and flattering the people with an appearance of their former government.

The kingdom of Northumberland was the last that submitted to his authority. This state had been long harassed by civil wars and usurpations: all order had been destroyed among the people, and the kingdom was weakened to such a degree, that it was in no condition to withstand such an invader as Egbert. The inhabitants, therefore, unable to resist his power, and desirous of possessing some established form of government, very chearfully sent deputies, who submitted to his authority, and expressed their allegiance to him as their sovereign. By this submission, all the kingdoms of the Heptarchy were unitedunder his command; but, to give splendor to his authority, a general council of the clergy and laity was summoned at Winchester, where he wast solemnly crowned king of England, by which name the united kingdom was thenceforward called.

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A. D. 827.

Thus, about four hundred years after the first arrival of the Saxons in Britain, all their petty settlements were united into one great state, and nothing offered, but prospects of peace, security, and encreasing refinement. At this period, namely, about the eighth century, the arts and sciences, which had been before only known to the Greeks and Romans, were disseminated over Europe, where they were sufficient to raise the people above mere barbarians; but yet lost all their native splendour in the transplantation. The English, at this time, might be considered as polite, if compared to the naked Britons at the invasion of Cæsar. The houses, furniture, cloaths, eating, and all the real luxuries of sense, were almost as great then as they have been since. But the people were incapable of sentimental pleasure. All the learning of the times was confined among the clergy; and little improvement could be expected from their reasonings, since it was one of their tenets to discard the light of reason. An eclipse was even by their historians talked of as an omen of threatened calamities; and. magic was not only believed, but some actually believed themselves magicians. The clergy themselves were not averse to these opinions, as such, in some measure served to encrease their authority Indeed, the reverence for the clergy was carried so high, that if a person appeared in a sacerdotal habit on the high way, the people flocked round him, and with all the marks of profound respect, received every word he uttered as an oracle. From this blind attachment, the social and even the military virtues began to decline among them. The reverence towards saints and reliques served to supplant the adoration of the supreme Being. Monastic observances were esteemed more meritorious than active virtues; and bounty to the church atoned

for all the violence done to society. The nobility whose duty it was to preserve the military spirit from declining, began to prefer the sloth and security of a cloister, to the tumult and glory of war; and those rewards, which should have gone to encourage the soldier, were lavished in maintaining the credulous indolence of monastic superstition.

CHAPTER IV.

From the Accession of Egbert, to the Norman Conquest.

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T might have been reasonably expected, that a wise and fortunate prince, at the head of so great a kingdom, and so united and numerous a people as the English then were, should not only have enjoyed the fruits of peace and quiet, but left felicity to succeeding generations. The inhabitants of the several provinces, tired out with mutual dissensions, seemed to have lost all desire of revolting the race of their ancient kings was extinct, and none now remained, but a prince who deserved their allegiance, both by the merit of his services and he splendor of his birth. Yet, such is the instability of human affairs, and the weakness of man's best conjecture, that Egbert was haraly settled on his united throne, when both he and his subjects began to be alarmed at the approach of new and unknown enemies, and the island exposed to fresh invasions.

A. D.

About this time, a mighty swarm of those nations, who had possessed the 819. countries bordering on the Baltic, began, under the names of Danes and Normans, to infest the western coasts of Europe; and to fill all places, wherever they came, with slaughter and devasta

tion. These were, in fact, no other than the ancestors of the very people whom they came to despoil, and might be considered as the original stock from whence the numerous colonies that infested Britain, had migrated some centuries before. The Normans fell upon the northern coasts of France; the Danes chiefly levelled their fury against England, their first appearance being when Brithric was king of Wessex. It was then that a small body of them landed

A. D.

787. on the coasts of that kingdom, with a view of learning the state of the country; and having committed some small depredations, fled to their ships for safety. About seven years after this first attempt, they made a descent upon the kingdom of Northumberland, where they pillaged a monastery; but their fleet being shattered by a storm, they were defeated by the inhabitants, and put to he sword. It was not till about five years after the accession of Egbert, that their invasions became truly formidale. From that time they continued, with unceasing ferocity, until the whole kingdom was reduced to a state of the most distressful bondage.

As the Saxons had utterly neglected their naval power since their first settlement in Britain; the Danes, who succeeded them in the enpire of the sea, found no difficulty in landing upon the isle of Sheppy, in Kent, which they ravaged, returning to their ships loaden with the spoil. Their next attempt, the year ensuing, was at the mouth of the Tyne, where they landed a body of fifteen thousand men, that made good their ground against the efforts of Egbert, who, after a battle, was obliged to draw off his forces by night. Within two years after, they landed in Cornwall; and being joined by the Britons there, they advanced towards the borders of Devonshire, where they

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