der one common jurisdiction; but, to give splendour to his authority, a general council of the clergy and laity was fummoned at Winchester, where he was folemnly crowned king of England, by which name the united kingdom was thenceforward called.

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 profpects of peace, fecurity, and increafing refinement.

It was about this period that St. Gregory undertook to fend miffionaries among the Saxons to convert them to Chriflianity. It is faid, that before his elevation to the papal chair, he chanced one day to pass thro' the flave-market at Rome, and perceiving fome children of great beauty who were fet up for fale, he enquired about their country, and finding they were English pages, he is faid to have cried out, in the Latin language, Non Angli, fed Angeli forent, fi effent Chriftiani; They would not be English, but Angels, had they been Chriftians. From that time he was ftruck with an ardent defire to convert that unenlightened nation, and ordered a monk, named Auguftine, and others of the fame fraternity, to undertake the miffion into Britain.

This pious monk, upon his firft landing in the ile of Thanet, fent one of his interpreters to Ethelbert, the Kentifh king, declaring he was come from Rome with offers of eternal falvation. The king immediately ordered them to be furnished with all neceffaries, and even vifited them, though without declaring himself as yet in their favour. Auguftine, however, encouraged by this favourable reception, and now feeing a profpect of fuccefs, proceeded with redoubled zeal to preach the gofpel. The king openly efpoufed the Chriftian religion, while his example wrought fo fuccesfully on his fubjects, that numbers of them came voluntarily to be baptized, their miffi

oner

oner loudly declaring againft any coercive meanstowards their converfion. In this manner the other kingdoms, one after the other, embraced the faith; and England was foon as famous for its fuperftition as it had once been for its averfeness to Chriftianity..

PEA

CHA P. III.

THE INVASION OF THE DANES.

EACE and unanimity had been scarcely established in England when a mighty fwarm of those nations called Danes, who had poffeffed the countries bordering on the Baltic, began to level their fury against England. A fmall body of them at first landed on the coafts, with a view to learn the state of the country; and having committed fome small depredations, fled to their hips for safety. About feven years after this firft attempt, they made a defcent upon the kingdom of Northumberland, where they pillaged a monaftery; but their fleet being fhattered by a storm, they were defeated by the inhabitants, and put to the fword. It was not till about five years after the acceffion of Egbert, that their invafions became truly formidable. From that time they continued, with unceafing ferocity, until the whole kingdom was reduced to a ftate of the most diftrefsful bondage.

Though often repulfed, they always obtained their end, of spoiling the country, and carrying the plunder away. It was their method to avoid coming, if poflible, to a general engagement; but fcattering themselves over the face of the country, they carried away, indifcriminately, as well the inhabitants themfelves, as all their moveable poffeffions.

At length, however, they refolved upon making a fettlement in the country, and landing on the ifle

of

of Thanet, ftationed themselves there. In this place they kept their ground, notwithstanding a bloody victory gained over them by Ethelwolf. The reign of Ethelbald, his fucceffor, was of no long continuance ; however, in fo short space, he crouded a number of vices fufficient to render his name odious to pofterity.

This prince was fucceeded by his brother Ethelred, a brave commander, but whofe valour was infufficient to reprefs the Danish incurfions. In these exploits he was always affifted by his younger brother, Alfred, afterwards furnamed the Great, who facrificed all private refentment to the public good, having been deprived by the king of a large patrimony. It was · during Ethelred's reign, that the Danes, penetrating into Mercia, took up their winter quarters at Nottingham; from whence, the king, attempting to diflodge them, received a wound in the battle, of which he died, leaving his brother, Alfred, the inheritance of a kingdom that was now reduced to the brink of ruin.

The Danes had already fubdued Northumberland and Eaft Anglia, and had penetrated into the very heart of Weffex. The Mercians were united against Alfred; the dependence upon the other provinces of the empire was but precarious: the lands lay uncultivated, through fears of continual incurfions; and: all the churches and monafteries were burned to the ground. In this terrible fituation of affairs, nothing. appeared but objects of terror, and every hope was loft in defpair. The wifdom and virtues of one man alone were found fufficient to bring back happinefs, 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 gave fplendour to his reign; and

was

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 reafon why his education was at first neglected. He had attained the age of twelve, before, he was made acquainted with the loweft elements of literature; but hearing fome Saxon poems read, which recounted the praife of heroes, his whole mind was roused, not only to obtain a fimiltude of glory, but also to be able to tranfmit that glory to pofterity. Encouraged by the queen, his mother, and affifted by a penetrating genius, he foon learned to read these compofitions, and proceeded from thence to a knowledge of Latin 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 Wil-ton, and were exercifing their ufual ravages on the country around. He marched against them with the few troops he could affemble 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, 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 oppofed to an enemy whom no ftationary force could refift, nor no treaty could bind, found himself unable to repel the efforts of thofe ravagers, who from all quarters invaded him. New fwarms of the enemy arrived every year upon the coaft, and fresh invafions were ftill projected.

Some

of

of his fubjects 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 univerfal 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 neceflity of the times. Accordingly, relinquishing the enfigns of his dignity, and difmiffing his fervants, he dreffed himself in the habit of a peafant, and lived for fome time in the house. of an herdsman, who had been entrusted 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 flightest occasions 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 amufed himfelf with mufic, and fupported his humble lot with the hopes of better fortune.. It is faid, that, one day, being commanded by the herdfman'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 affembing a few trufty friends, whenever an opportunity fhould offer of annoying the enemy, who were now in poffeffion of all the country. This chofen band, ftill faithful to their monarch, took fhelter in the forefts and marfhes of Somerfet, 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 mo-narch, who had by that time been reduced by famine to the last extremity.

Mean