ground-work of those which were afterwards published by Alfred. He also affembled a general council of the clergy, in which it was determined, that all churches, monafteries, and places of religious worship which had gone to ruin or decay, fhould be rebuilt and repaired. At length, after a distinguished reign of thirty-feven years, in the decline of life, he made a pilgrimage to Rome; and on his return home, shut himself up in a cloister, where he died. To him fucceeded Ofwald, Cudred, Sigebert, Cenulph, and Brithric; all thefe claiming the crown, not entirely by hereditary right, nor yet totally rejecting their fa mily pretenfions.

It was in the reign of the last-named mo, narch, that Egbert, a grand-nephew of the late king Ina, began to grow very popular among the Weft Saxons, both on account of his family and private merit. Being fenfible, however, of the danger of popularity, under fuch a jealous monarch as Brithric, he withdrew fecretly into France, to the court of Charlemagne, at that time the most polished prince of Europe. This was a school, in which young Egbert failed not to make a rapid proficiency; and he foon acquired fuch accomplishments, both in arts and arms, as raised him great

ly

ly fuperior to any of his countrymen at

home.

Nor was it long before this prince had an opportunity of difplaying his natural and acquired talents to advantage. For Brithric being poifoned by his wife Eadburga, the nobility recalled him from France, in order to afcend the throne of his ancestors. About that

A.D.799. time alfo, a fortunate concurrence of events

feemed to prepare the way for his becoming fole monarch of the whole country. In all the kingdoms of the Heptarchy, an exact rule of fucceffion was but little regarded; while, at the fame time, family pretenfions were not laid totally afide. Every perfon of the collateral line had as good a right to affert his right as those who claimed by direct descent; fo that the reigning monarch was under continual apprehenfions from the princes of the blood, whom he was taught to confider as rivals, and whofe death alone could enfure him tranquility. From this fatal caufe, together with the paffion princes then had of retiring to monafteries, and the opinion of merit attending the prefervation of chastity, even in a married ftate; from thefe caufes, I fay, the royal families had been entirely extinguished in all the kingdoms, except that of Weffex. Thus,

Egbert

Egbert was the only furviving defcendant of thofe conquerors, who boafted their defcent from Woden; and confequently, befide his perfonal merit, he had hereditary pretenfions to the throne of the united kingdoms.

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

But his ambition was not to be fatisfied with a mere nominal fuperiority; he ftill aimed at breaking down all distinctions, and uniting thefe petty states into one great and flourishing kingdom. The king of Mercia was the firft who furnished him with a pretext for recovering the part of his dominions, which had formerly been difmembered by that ftate. Beornulf, the monarch of that country, who had already almoft obtained the fovereignty

over

59

1

over the Heptarchy, taking advantage of Eg bert's abfence, who was employed in quelling, the Britons, invaded his dominions with a numerous army, compofed of the flower of his country. Egbert was not remifs in marching to oppofe him, with a body of troops lefs numerous than thofe of Beornulf, but more brave and refolute. Both armies met at Wilton, and a battle enfuing, the Mercians were defeated. with terrible flaughter.

In the mean time, while the victor pursued his conqueft into the enemies' country, he dispatched his eldest fon, Ethelwolf, with an army, into the kingdom of Kent, who foon made himself master of the whole nation, and expelled Baldred, their monarch, to whom his subjects had paid a very unwilling obedience. The Eaft Saxons also, and part of Surry, diffatisfied with their fubjection to the Mercians, readily fubmitted to Egbert; nor were the Eaft Angles backward in fending ambassadors to crave his protection and affiftance, against that nation whofe yoke they had for fome time endured, and were refolved no longer to bear. The Mercian king attempting to repress their defection, was defeated, and flain: and two years after, Ludeçan, his fucceffor, met with the fame fate, Withalf, one of their colder

men,

men, foon after put himself at their head, but being driven from province to province by the victorious arms of Egbert, he was, at laft, obliged to take shelter in the abbey of Croyland, while Egbert made himself master of the whole kingdom of Mercia. However, in order to accuftom that people to his dominion, . he permitted Withalf to govern the kingdom as a vassal, and tributary under him; thus, at once, fatisfying his ambition, and flattering the people with an appearance of their former government.

The kingdom of Northumberland was the laft that fubmitted to his authority. This ftate had been long harraffed by civil wars and ufurpations all order had been deftroyed among the people, and the kingdom was weakened to fuch a degree, that it was in no condition to withstand fuch an invader as Egbert. The inhabitants, therefore, unable to refift his power, and defirous of poffeffing some eftablifhed form of government, very chearfully fent deputies, who fubmitted to his authority, and expreffed their allegiance to him as their fovereign. By this fubmiffion, all the kingdoms of the Heptarchy were united under his command; but, to give splendour to his authority, a general council of the clergy and