II. Elfrida, were averfe to her fon's government, which muft CHA P. enlarge her authority, and probably put her in poffeffion of the regency: Above all, Dunftan, whofe character of fanctity had given him the highest credit with the people, had efpoufed the cause of Edward, over whom he had already acquired a great ascendant; and he was determined to execute the will of Edgar in his favour. To cut off all oppofite pretenfions, Dunftan refolutely anointed and crowned the young prince at Kingston; and the whole kingdom, without farther difpute, fubmitted to him t. IT was of great importance to Dunftan and the monks, to place on the throne a king favourable to their caufe: The fecular clergy had ftill partizans in England, who wifhed to fupport them in the poffeffion of the convents, and of the ecclefiaftical authority. On the first intelligence of Edgar's death, Alfere, duke of Mercia, expelled the new orders of monks from all the monafteries which lay within his jurifdiction"; but Elfwin, duke of Eaft-Anglia, and Brithnot, duke of the Eaft-Saxons, protected them within their territories, and infifted upon the execution of the late laws enacted in their favour. In order to fettle this controversy, there were summoned several synods, which, according to the practice of thofe times, confifted partly of ecclefiaftical members, partly of the lay nobility. The monks wereable to prevail in thefe affemblies; though, as it appears, contrary to the fecret wishes, if not the declared inclination, of the leading men in the nation. They had more invention in forging miracles to fupport their caufe; or having been fo fortunate as to obtain, by their pretended aufterities, the character of piety, their miracles were more credited by the populace. • Eadmer, ex edit. Seldeni, p. 3. t W. Malm. lib. 2. cap. 9. w W. Malmef. lib. 2. cap. 9. IN СНАР. II. In one fynod, Dunftan, finding the majority of votes against him, rofe up, and informed the audience, that he had that inftant, received an immediate revelation in behalf of the monks: The affembly was so astonished at this intelligence, or probably so overawed by the populace, that they proceeded no farther in their deliberations. In another fynod, a voice iffued from the crucifix, and informed the members, that the establishment of the monks was founded on the will of heaven, and could not be opposed without impiety *. But the miracle performed in the third fynod was still more alarming: The floor of the hall in which the affembly met, funk of a sudden, and a great number of the members were either bruifed or killed by the fall. It was remarked, that Dunftan had that day prevented the king from attending the synod, and that the beam, on which his own chair ftood, was the only one that did not fink under the weight of the affembly : But these circumstances, instead of begetting any fufpicion of contrivance, were regarded as the fureft proof of the immediate interpofition of providence, in behalf of those favourites of heaven. EDWARD lived four years after his acceffion, and there paffed nothing memorable during his reign. His death alone was memorable and tragical. This 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 againft others. Though his ftepmother 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 x W. Malmef. lib. 2. cap. 9. Ofberne, p. 112. Brompton, p. 870. Higden, p. 269. Gervafe, p. 1647. y Chron. Sax. p. 124. W. Malmef. lib. 2. cap. 9. Hoveden, p. 427. H. Hunting. lib. 5. P. 357. Gervafe, p. 1647. Brompton, p. 870. Flor. Wigorn. p. 607. Higden, p. 269. Chron, Abb. St. Petri de Burgo, p. 29. P. 124, z Chron. Sax occafions, II; occafions, the moft tender affection towards his brother, CHA P. He was hunting one day in Dorfetfhire; and being led by the chafe near Corfe-caftle, 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 stab 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 stuck in the stirrup, and he was dragged along by his unruly horse, till he expired. Being tracked by the blood, his body was found, and was pri vately 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 pennances, in order to atone for her guilt; but could never, by all her hypocrify or remorfes, recover the good opinion of the public, though so easily deluded in those ignorant ages. CHA P. 978. CHA P. III. EthelredSettlement of the Normans Normans-Edmund Har Ironfide- Canute- Harold Harefoot- TH ETHEL RED. HE freedom, which England had fo long enjoyed from the depredations of the Danes, feems to have proceeded, partly from the establishments, which that pyratical 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 spirit 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 sprung up in the northern regions, who could no longer disburthen themfelves on Normandy; the English had reason to dread, that the Danes would again vifit an island, to which they were invited, both by the memory of their past fucceffes, and by the expectation of affistance 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 eftate, never difcovered either courage or capacity fufficient to govern his own subjects, much less to repel a formidable enemy, the people might juftly apprehend the worft calamities from fo dangerous a crifis. THE Danes, before they durft attempt any important enterprize against England, made an inconfiderable defcent 981. 991, by way of trial; and having landed from seven veffels near C H A P. Southampton, they ravaged the country, enriched themfelves by spoil, 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 fmall body, to attack them, they spread their devastations over all the neighbouring provinces. In this extremity, Ethelred, to whom historians give the epithet of the Unready, instead 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 thousand 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 eastern coast, 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; but being deprived of it two years after, and banished the |