converfation. Nature alfo, as if defirous that fuck admirable qualities of mind fhould be fet off to the greatest advantage, had beftowed on him all bodily accomplishments, vigour, dignity, and an engaging, open countenance. In short, hiftorians have taken fuch delight in defcribing the hero, that they have totally omitted the mention of his fmaller errors, which doubtless he must have had in confequence of his huma nity.

Alfred had, by his wife Ethelswitha, the daughter of a Mercian earl, three fons and three daughters. His eldeft fon, Edmund, died without iffue, during his father's lifetime. His third fon, Ethelward, inherited his father's paffion for letters, and lived a private life. His fecond fon, Edward, fucceeded him on the throne.

EDWARD was fcarce fettled on the throne, when his pretenfions were difputed by Ethelwald, his coufin-german, who raised a large party among the Northumbrians to espouse his caufe. At fifft his aims feemed to be favoured by fortune; but he was foon after killed in battle, and his death thus freed Edward from a very dangerous competitor. Nevertheless, the death of their leader was not fufficient to intimidate his turbulent adherents. During the whole of

this prince's reign, there were but few intervals free from the attempts and infurrections of the Northumbrian rebels. Many were the battles he fought, and the victories he won; fo that, though he might be deemed unequal to his father in the arts of peace, he did not fall fhort of him in the military virtues. He built feveral caftles, and fortified different cities. He reduced Turkethill, a Danish invader, and obliged him to retire with his followers. He fubdued the Eaft Angles, and acquired dominion over the Northumbrians themselves. He was affifted in thefe conquefts by his fifter, Ethelfleda, the widow of Ethelbert, earl of Mercia, who, after her husband's death, retained the government of that province. Thus, after Edward had reduced the whole kingdom to his obedience, and began his endeavours to promote the happiness of his people, he was prevented by death from the completion of his defigns.

To him fucceeded ATHELSTAN, his natural A. D. 925. fon, the illegitimacy of his birth not being then deemed a fufficient obftacle to his inheriting the crown. To this prince, as to the former, there was fome oppofition made in the beginning. Alfred, a nobleman of his kin-.

1

dred, is faid to have entered into a confpiracy against him, in favour of the legitimate fons of the deceased king, who were yet too young to be capable of governing themfelves. Whatever his attempts might have been, he denied the charge, and offered to clear himself of it by oath before the pope. The proposal was accepted; and it is afferted, that he had scarce fworn himself innocent, when he fell into convulfions, and died three days after. This monarch received alfo fome disturbance from the Northumbrian Danes, whom he compelled to furrender; and resenting the conduct of Constantine, the king of Scotland, who had given them affiftance, he ravaged that country with impunity, till at length he was appeased by the humble fubmiffions of that monarch. These fubmiffions, however, being extorted, were infincere. Soon after Athelftan had evacuated that kingdom, Conftantine entered into a confederacy with a body of Danish pirates, and fome Welch princes who were jealous of Athelftan's growing greatnefs. A bloody battle was fought near Brunfburg, in Northumberland, in which the English monarch was again victorious, After this fuccefs, Athelstan enjoyed his crown in tranquillity, and he is regarded as one of the ableft and most active of the Saxon

kings. During his reign the Bible was tranf lated into the Saxon language; and fome alliances also were formed by him with the princes on the continent. He died at Gloucef- A. D. 941, ter, after a reign of fixteen years, and was fucceeded by his brother, Edmund.

EDMUND, like the reft of his predeceffors, met with disturbance from the Northumbrians on his acceffion to the throne; but his activity foon defeated their attempts. The great end therefore which he aimed at, during his reign, was to curb the licentiousness of this people, who offered to embrace Christianity as an atonement for their offences. Among other schemes for the benefit of the people, he was the firft monarch who by law inftituted capital punishments in England. Remarking that fines and pecuniary mulets were too gentle methods of treating robbers, who were in general men who had nothing to lose, he enacted, that, in gangs of robbers, when taken, the oldeft of them should be condemned to the gallows. This was reckoned a very severe law at the time it was enacted; for, among our early ancestors, all the penal laws were mild and merciful. The refentment this monarch bore to men of this defperate way of living was the caufe of his death. His virtues, abilities, wealth, and temperance, promised

him a long and happy reign; when, on a certain day, as he was folemnizing a festival in Gloucestershire, he remarked that Leolf, a notorious robber, whom he had fentenced to banishment, had yet the boldness to enter the hall where he was dining, and to fit at the table among the royal attendants. Enraged at this infolence, he commanded him to leave the room; but on his refufing to obey, the king, whose temper was naturally choleric, flew against him, and caught him by the hair. The ruffian, giving way to rage alfo on his fide, drew a dagger, and lifting his arm, with a furious blow ftabbed the monarch to the heart, who fell down on the bofom of his murderer, The death of the affaffin, who was inftantly cut in pieces, was but a small compensation for the lofs of a king, loved by his fubjects, and deferving their efteem.

The late king's fons were too young to fucceed him in the direction of fo difficult a government as that of England; his brother EDRED was therefore appointed to fucceed, and, like his predeceffors, this monarch found himfelf at the head of a rebellious and refractory people. The Northumbrian Danes, as usual, made feveral attempts to fhake off the English yoke; fo that the king was at laft obliged to

place