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

This prince feemed born not only to defend his bleeding country, but even to adorn humanity. He had given very early instances of those 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 reafon why his education was at first 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 praise of heroes, his whole mind was roufed, not only to obtain a fimilitude of glory, but alfo to be able to transmit that glory to pofterity. Encouraged by the queen, his mother, and affifted by a penetrating genius, he soon learned to read these compofitions, and proceeded from thence to a knowledge of Latin.

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

He was fcarce come to the crown, when he was obliged to oppofe the Danes, who had feized Wilton, and were exercifing their ufual ravages on the countries around. He marched against them with the few troops he could af semble on a fudden, and a defperate battle was fought, to the difadvantage 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, instead 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 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 univerfal defection, Alfred vainly attempted to remind them of the duty they owed their country and their king; but finding his remonftrances inef fectual, 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 peafant, and lived for fome time in the house of an herdsman, 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 flightest 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 amufed himself with mufic, 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 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 affembling a few trusty 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 shelter in the forefts and marfhes 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 Danifh 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 caftle of Kenwith, into which the earl of Devonshire had retired with a small body of troops.

troops. This gallant foldier finding himself un able to fuftain a fiege, and knowing the danger of furrendering to a perfidious enemy, was refolved, by one desperate effort, to fally out and force his way through the befiegers, sword 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 flaughter, but Ubba, their general, was flain.

This victory once more restored 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 ftrength 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 task himself. In the fimple dress of a fhepherd, with an harp in his hands, he entered the Danish camp, tried all his arts to please, 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 remarked