ground. In this terrible fituation of affairs, nothing appeared but objects of terror, and every hope was loft in despair. The wifdom and virtues of one man were found fufficient to bring back happiness, fecurity, and order; and all the calamities of the times found redress from Alfred.

This prince feemed born not only to defend his bleeding country, but even to adorn humanity. He had given very early inftances of thofe great virtues which afterwards adorned his reign; and was anointed by pope Leo as future king, when he was fent by his father for his education to Rome. On his return from thence, he became every day more the object of his father's fond affections; and that, perhaps, was the reason why his education was at firft neglected. He had attained the age of twelve, before he was made acquainted with the lowest elements of literature; but hearing fome Saxon poems read, which recounted the praife of heroes, his whole mind. was roufed, not only to obtain a fimilitude of glory, but also to be able to transmit that glory to pofterity. Encouraged by the queen, his mother, and affifted by a penetrating genius, he foon learned to read thefe compositions, and proceeded from thence to a knowledge of Latin,

authors,

authors, who directed his tafte, and rectified his ambition.

He was scarce come to the crown, when he was obliged to oppofe the Danes, who had feized Wilton, and were exercifing their usual ravages on the countries around. He marched against them with the few troops he could af femble on a fudden, and a defperate battle was fought, to the disadvantage of the English. But it was not in the power of misfortune to abate the king's diligence, though it repreffed his power to do good. He was in a little time. enabled to hazard another engagement; fo that the enemy, dreading his courage and activity, propofed terms of peace, which he did not think proper to refufe. They had by this treaty agreed to relinquish the kingdom; but, inftead of complying with their engagements, they only removed from one place to another, burning and deftroying wherever they came.

Alfred, thus opposed to an enemy whom no flationary force could refift, nor no treaty could bind, found himself unable to repel the efforts of those ravagers, who from all quarters invaded him. New fwarms of the enemy arrived every year upon the coast, and fresh invasions were still projected. It was in vain that Alfred purfued them, ftraitened their quarters, and

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compelled them to treaties; they broke every league; and continuing their attacks with unabated perfeverance, at length totally difpirited his army, and induced his fuperftitious foldiers to believe themselves abandoned by heaven, fince it thus permitted the outrages of the fierce idolaters with impunity. Some of them therefore left their country, and retired into Wales, or fled to the continent. Others fubmitted to the conquerors, and purchased their lives by their freedom. In this universal defection, Alfred vainly attempted to remind them of the duty they owed their country and their king; but finding his remonftrances ineffectual, he was obliged to give way to the wretched neceffity of the times. Accordingly, relinquishing the enfigns of his dignity, and difmiffing his fervants, he dreffed himself in the habit of a peasant, and lived for fome time in the house of an herdfman, who had been entrufted with the care of his cattle. In this manner, though abandoned by the world, and fearing an enemy in every quarter, ftill he refolved to continue in his country, to catch the flighteft occafions for bringing it relief. In his folitary retreat, which was in the county of Somerset, at the confluence of the rivers Parret and Thone, he amused himself with music, and

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fupported his humble lot with the hopes of better fortune. It is faid, that, one day, being commanded by the herdsman's wife, who was ignorant of his quality, to take care of fome cakes which were baking by the fire, he happened to let them burn, for which the feverely upbraided him for neglect.

Previous to his retirement, Alfred had concerted measures for affembling a few trufty friends, whenever an opportunity fhould offer of annoying the enemy, who were now in pòffeffion of all the country. This chofen band, ftill faithful to their monarch, took fhelter in the forefts and marshes of Somerset, and from thence made occafional irruptions upon ftraggling parties of the enemy. Their fuccefs, in this rapacious and dreary method of living, encouraged many more to join their fociety, till at length fufficiently augmented, they repaired to their monarch, who had by that time been reduced by famine to the laft extremity.

Mean while, Ubba, the chief of the Da"nish commanders, carried terror over the whole land, and now ravaged the country of Wales without oppofition. The only place where he found refiftance was, in his return, from the castle of Kenwith, into which the earl of Devonshire had retired with a small body of troops.

troops. This gallant foldier finding himself unable to fuftain a fiege, and knowing the danger of furrendering to a perfidious enemy, was refolved, by one defperate effort, to fally out and force his way through the befiegers, fword in hand. The propofal was embraced by all his followers, while the Danes, fecure in their numbers, and in their contempt of the enemy, were not only routed with great slaughter, but Ubba, their general, was flain.

This victory once more reftored courage to the difpirited Saxons; and Alfred, taking advantage of their favourable difpofition, prepared to animate them to a vigorous exertion of their fuperiority. He foon therefore apprized them of the place of his retreat, and inftructed them to be ready with all their strength at a minute's warning. But ftill none was found who would undertake to give intelligence of the forces and pofture of the enemy. Not knowing, therefore, a perfon in whom to confide, he undertook this dangerous tafk harfelf. In the fimple drefs of a thepherd, with an harp in his hand, he entered the Danish camp, tried all his arts to pleafe, and was fo much admired, that he was brought even into the prefence of Guthrum, the Danish prince, with whom he remained fome days. There he re

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