throne, he found the English funk into the groffeft ignorance and barbarism, proceeding from the continued disorders of the government, and from the ravages of the Danes. He himfelf complains, that, on his acceffion, he knew not one person south of the Thames who could fo much as interpret the Latin fervice. To remedy this deficiency, he invited over the most celebrated scholars from all parts of Europe; he founded, or at least re-established, the univerfity of Oxford, and endowed it with many privileges. He gave, in his own example, the strongest incentives to ftudy. He ufually: divided his time into three equal portions; one was given to fleep, and the refection of his body, diet, and exercife; another to the dispatch of business; and the third to study and devotion. He made a confiderable progress in the different studies of grammar, rhetoric, phi-: lofophy, architecture, and geometry. He was an excellent hiftorian, he understood mufic, and was acknowledged to be the beft Saxon poet of the age. He left many works behind him, many of which remain to this day. He tranflated the pastoral of Gregory I. Boetius de Confola-. zione, and Bede's Ecclefiaftical History, into the Saxon language. Senfible that his illiterate fubjects were not much fufceptible of fpe

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culative instruction, he endeavoured to convey his morality by parables and stories, and is faid to have tranflated from the Greek the fables of Æfop. Nor did he even neglect the more mechanical arts of life. Before his time, the nerality of the people chiefly made use of timber in building. Alfred raised his palaces of brick, and the nobility by degrees began to imitate his example. He introduced and encouraged manufactures of all kinds, and no inventor or improver of any ingenious art was fuffered to go unrewarded. Even the elegancies of life were brought to him from the Mediterranean; and his fubjects, by seeing these productions of the peaceful arts, were taught to respect the virtues of justice and industry, by which alone they could be procured. It was after a glorious reign of twenty-nine years thus spent, in the advancement of his fubjects happiness, that he died in the vigour of his age and the full enjoyment. of his faculties, an example to princes, and an ornament to human nature. To give a character of this prince would only be, to fum up thofe qualities which conftitute perfection. Even virtues seemingly oppofite, were happily blended in his difpofition; perfevering, yet flexible; moderate, yet enterprifing; juft, yet merciful; ftern in command, yet gentle in G 2

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conversation. Nature alfo, as if defirous that fuch admirable qualities of mind fhould be fet off to the greatest advantage, had bestowed on him all bodily accomplishments, vigour, dig nity, and an engaging, open countenance. In fhort, hiftorians have taken fuch delight in defcribing the hero, that they have totally omitted the mention of his fmaller errors, which 'doubtlefs he muft have had in confequence of his humanity.

Alfred had, by his wife Ethelfwitha, the daughter of a Mercian earl, three fons and three daughters. His eldest fon, Edmund, died without iffue, during his father's life-time. 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 disputed by Ethel wald, his coufin-german, who raised a large party among the Northumbrians to efpoufe his caufe. At first 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

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; so 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 several 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

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dred, is faid to have entered into a confpiracy against him, in favour of the legitimate fons of the deceafed king, who were yet too young to be capable of governing themselves. 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 refenting the conduct of Constantine, 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. Thefe fubmiffions, however, being extorted, were infincere. Soon after Athelstan 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 Brunsburg, in Northumberland, in which the English monarch was again victorious. After this fuccefs, Athelstan enjoyed his crown in tranquility, and he is regarded as one of the ableft and most active of the Saxon