History of the Anglo-Saxons: from the earliest period to the Norman conquest

Contents

f

Chapter I. The Dawn" Of History

Obscurity of early history — Our ancient monuments a mystery — The Welsh Triads — Language of the first inhabitants of Britain unknown — Wonders of the ancient world p. 5

Chapter II. The Ancient Britons

The Celtic Tribes — Britain known to the Phoenicians and Greeks — The ancient Cymry — Different classes of the early Britons — Their personal appearance — Description of their forest-towns — A British hunter — Interior of an ancient hut — Costume of the old Cymry — Ancient armour and weapons — British war-chariots — The fearful havoc they made in battle

p. 12 CHAPTER III.

THE DRUIDS.

Interior of an old British forest — Druidical sacrifice — Their treasures — Their mysterious rites and ceremonies — The power they possessed — Their belief in a future state — Their wild superstitions — An arch-Druid described — Their veneration for the mistletoe — Description of the Druids offering up sacrifice — The gloomy grandeur of their ancient groves — Contrast between the idols of the Druids and the heathen gods of the Bomans

p. 17 CHAPTER IV.

LANDING OF JULIUS CESAR.

Caesar's reasons for invading Britain — Despatches "Volusenus from Gaul to reconnoitre the island — Is intimidated by the force he finds arranged along

b 2

IV CONTENTS.

the cliffs of Dover — Lands near Sandwich — Courage of the Roman Standard-bearer — Combat between the Britons and Romans — Defeat and submission of the Britons — Wreck of the Roman galleys — Perilous position of the invaders — Roman soldiers attacked in a corn-field, rescued by the arrival of their general — Britons attack the Roman encampment, are again defeated, and pursued by the Roman cavalry — Caesar's hasty departure from Britain — Return of the Romans at spring — Description of their armed galleys — Determination of Caesar to conquer Britain — Picturesque description of the night march of the Roman legions into Kent — Battle beside a river — Difficulties the Romans encounter in their marches through the ancient British forests — Caesar's hasty retreat to his encampment — The Roman galleys again wrecked — Cessation of hostilities — Cassivellaunus assumes the command of the Britons — His skill as a general — Obtains an advantage over the Romans with his war-chariots — Attacks the Roman encampment by night and slays the outer guard — Defeats the two cohorts that advance to their rescue, and slays a Roman tribune — Renewal of the battle on the following day — Caesar compelled to call in the foragers to strengthen his army — Splendid charge of the Roman cavalry

— Overthrow and retreat of the Britons — Cossar marches through Kent and Surrey in pursuit of the British army — Crosses the Thames near Chertsey

— Retreat of the British general — Cuts off the supplies of the Romans, and harasses the army with his war-chariots — Stratagems adopted by the Britons — Cassivellaunus betrayed by his countrymen — His fortress attacked in the forest — Contemplates the destruction of the Roman fleet — Attack of the Kentish men on the encampment of the invaders — The Romans again victorious — Cassivellaunus sues for peace — Final departure of Caesar from Britain p. 30

CHAPTER V.

CARACTACUS, BOADICEA, AND AGRICOLA.

State of Britain after the departure of Caesar — Landing of Plautius — His skirmishes with the Britons in the marshes beside the Thames — Arrival of the Roman emperor Claudius — Ostorius conquers and disarms the Britons — Rise of Caractacus — British encampment in Wales — Caractacus defeated, betrayed by his step-mother, and carried captive to Rome — Death of the Roman general Ostorius — Retreat of the Druids to the Isle of Anglesey — Suetonius attacks the island — Consternation of the Roman soldiers on landing — Massacre of the Druids, and destruction of their groves and altars — Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, assumes the command of the Britons

— Her sufferings — She prepares for battle, attacks the Roman colony of Camaladonum — Her terrible vengeance — Her march into London, and

CONTENTS. V

•destruction of the Romans — Picturesque description of Boadicea and her daughters in her ancient British war-chariot — Harangues her soldiers — Is defeated by Suetonius, and destroys herself — Agricola lands in Britain — His mild measures — Instructs the islanders in agriculture and architecture — Leads the Roman legions iuto Caledonia, and attacks the men of the woods — Bravery of Galgacus, the Caledonian chief — Agricola sails round the coast of Scotland — Erects a Roman rampart to prevent the Caledonians from invading Britain p. 40

CHAPTER VI.

DEPARTURE OF THE ROMANS.

Adrian strengthens and extends the Roman fortifications — Description of these ancient barriers, and the combats that took place before them — Wall erected by the emperor Severus — He marches into Caledonia, reaches the Frith of Moray — Great mortality amongst the Roman legions — Severus dies at York — Picturesque description of the Roman sentinels guarding the ancient fortresses — Attack of the northern barbarians — Peace of Britain under the government of Caracalla — Arrival of the Saxon and Scandinavian pirates — The British Channel protected by the naval commander, Carausius — His assassination at York — Constantine the Great — Theodosius conquers the Saxons — Rebellion of the Roman soldiers; they elect their own general — Alaric, the Goth, overruns the Roman territories — British soldiers sent abroad to strengthen the Roman ranks — Decline of the Roman power in Britain — Ravages of the Picts, Scots, and Saxons — The Britons apply in vain for assistance from Rome — Miserable condition in which they are left on the departure of the Romans — War between the Britons and the remnant of the invaders — Vortigern, king of the Britons — A league with the Saxons , p. 50

CHAPTER VII.

BRITAIN AFTEE THE ROMAN PERIOD.

Great change produced in Britain by the Romans — Its ancient features contrasted with its appearance after their departure — Picturesque description of Britain — First dawn of Christianity — Progress of the Britons in civilization — Old British fortifications — Change in the costume of the Britons — Decline in their martial deportment — Their ancient mode of burial — Description of early British barrows — Ascendancy of rank . . . . p. 56

VI CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ANCIENT SAXONS.

Origin of the early Saxons — Description of their habits and arms — Their religion — The halls of Valhalia — Their belief in rewards and punishments after death — 'Their ancient mythology described — Superstitions of the «arly Saxons — Their ancient temples and forms of worship — Their picturesque processions — Dreadful punishments inflicted upon those who robbed their temples — Different orders of society — Their divisions of the seasons — Their bravery as pirates, and skill in navigation . . p. 64

CHAPTER IX.

HENGIST, HORSA, ROWENA, AND YORTIGERN.

Landing of Hengist and Horsa, the Saxon chiefs — Their treaty with Yortigern and the British chiefs — The British king allots them the Isle of Thanet as a residence, on condition that they drive out the Picts and Scots — Success of the Saxons — Arrival of more ships — Landing of the Princess Bowena — Marriage of Yortigern and Bowena — Quarrel between the Britons and Saxons — Description of their first battle by the old Welsh bards — The Britons led on by the sons of Vortigern — Death of Horsa, the Saxon chief — Bowena's revenge — Pretended reconciliation of the Saxons, and description of the feast where the Bi-itish chiefs were massacred — Terrible death of Yortigern and the fair Bowena p. 72

CHAPTER X.

ELLA, CERDRIC, AND KING ARTHUR.

Arrival of Ella and his three sons — Combat between the Saxons and Britons beside the ancient forest of Audredswold — Defeat of the Britons, and desolate appearance of the old forest town of Andred-Ceaster after the battle — Revengeful feelings of the Britons — Establishment of the Saxon kingdom of Sussex — -Landing of Cerdric and his followers — Battle of Churdfrid, and death of the British king Natauleod — Arrival of Cerdric's kinsmen — The Britons again defeated — Arthur, the British king, arms in defence of his country — His adventures described — Numbers of battles in which he fought — Death of king Arthur in the field of Camlan — Discovery of his remains in the abbey of Glastonbury p. 83

CONTENTS. V1X

CHAPTER XL

ESTABLISHMENT OP THE SAXON OCTARCHY.

Landing of Erkenwin — The establishment of the kingdom of Wessex — Description of London — Arrival of Ida and his twelve sons — The British chiefs make a bold stand against Ida — Bravery of Urien — Description of the battle of the pleasant valley, by Taliesin, the British bard — Llywarch's elegy on the death of Urien — Beautiful description of the battle of Cattraeth by Aneurin, the Welsh bard — Establishment of the kingdom of Mercia — - Description of the divisions of England which formed the Saxon Octarchy — Amalgamation of the British and Saxon population — Retirement of the unconquered remnant of the ancient Cymry into Wales .... p. 90

CHAPTER XII.

CONVERSION OF ETHELBERT.

Commencement of the civil war amongst the Saxons — Struggle between Ethelbert, king of Kent, and Ceawlin, king of Wessex, for the title of Bretwalda — Description of the slave-market of Borne — Monk Gregory's admiration of the British captives — Gregory becomes pontiff, and despatches Augustin with fifty monks to convert the inhabitants of Britain — Picturesque description of the landing of the Christian missionaries in the Isle of Thanet — Intercession of Bertha — Ethelbert's interview with Augustin and his foL lowers — The missionaries take up their residence in Canterbury — Conversion of Ethelbert — Augustin is made Archbishop, by Pope Gregory — The rich presents sent to Britain by the Pope — Character of the Soman pontiff — His wise policy in not abolishing at once all outward forms of heathen worship — Eadbald ascends the throne of Kent — Marries his stepmother, and is denounced by the priests — He renounces the Christian faith — The monks are driven out of Essex — Eadwald again acknowledges the true faith, and the- persecuted priests find shelter in the kingdom of Kent

CHAPTER XIII.

EDWIN, KING OF THE DEIRI AND BERNICIA.

Adventures of Edwin, king of the Deiri — His residence in Wales with Cadvau, one of the ancient British kings — Ethelfrith having deprived him of his kingdom, seeks his life — Edwin flies from Wales, and seeks the protection of Bedwald, king of East Anglia — Edwin's dream — The queen of East Angiia intercedes in behalf of Edwin — Bedwald prepares to wage war with Ethel-

Vlll CONTENTS.

frith — Religion of the king of East Anglia — Description of the battle fought between Redwald and Ethelfrith on the banks of the river Idel — Death of Ethelfrith, and accession of Edwin to the throne of Northumbria — Edwin's marriage with Edilburga, daughter of Ethelbert — Journey of the Saxon princess from Kent to Northumbria — Attempted assassination of Edwin — Paulinus endeavours in vain to convert Edwin to the Christian faith — The king assembles his pagan priests and nobles to discuss the new religion — Speech of Coifi, the heathen priest — Beautiful and poetical address of a Saxon chief to the assembly — Coifi desecrates the temple of Woden — Peaceful state of Northumbria under the reign of Edwin — Death of Edwin at the battle of Hatfield- chase in Yorkshire — Victories of Cadwallan, the British king — Triumph of the Saxons under Oswald, and death of Cadwallan at the battle called Heaven-field p. Ill

CHAPTER XIV.

PENDA, THE PAGAN MONARCH OF MERCIA.

Description of the kingdom of Mercia — Character of Penda, the pagan king — Charity of Oswald — Barbarous cruelty of Penda — His desolating march through Northumbria — Attacks the castle of Bamborough — His march into Wessex — His invasion of East Anglia — Sigebert, the monk-king, leads on the East Anglians — Is defeated by Penda, who ravages East Anglia — The pagan king again enters Northumbria — Oswy offers all his treasures to purchase peace — Is treated with contempt by Penda — Oswy prepares for battle — Penda's forces driven into the river — Death of the pagan king — Great changes effected by his death — Courage of Saxburga, the widowed queen of Wessex — Perilous state of the Saxon Octarchy

p. 119 CHAPTER XV.

DECLINE OF THE SAXON OCTARCHY.

Alfred, the learned king of Northumbria — His patronage of the celebrated scholar Aldhelm — Ceowulf, the patron of Bede — Mollo, brother of the king of Wessex, burnt alive in Kent — King Ina and his celebrated laws — Strange device of Ina's queen to induce him to resign his crown, and make a pilgrimage to Borne — Mysterious death of Ostrida, queen of the Mercians — Her husband, Ethelred, abandons his crown and becomes a monk after her violent death — Ethelbald ascends the throne of Mercia — Adventures of his early life — His residence with Guthlac, the hermit, in the island of Croyland — First founder of the monastery of Croyland — Ethelbald joins Cuthred, king of Wessex, and obtains a victory over the Welsh — Proclaims war against Cuthred — Description of the battle, and defeat of Ethelbald —

CONTENTS. IX

Independence of the kingdom of Wessex — Abdication of Sigebyhrt, king of Wessex — His death in the forest of Andredswold — Kapid accession and dethronement of the kings of Northumbria — Summary of their brief reigns.

p. 129 CHAPTER XVI.

OFFA, SUKNAMED THE TERRIBLE.

Offa ascends the throne of Mercia — Drida's introduction and marriage with the Mercian king — Character of queen Drida and her daughter Edburga — Offa's invasion of Northumbria — He marches into Kent — Is -victorious

— Defeats the king of Wessex — His victory over the Welsh — Description of Offa's dyke — Offa's friendly correspondence with Charlemagne — Adventures of Egbert — Murder of Cynewulf, at Merton, in Surrey — Brihtric obtains the crown of Wessex, and marries the daughter of Offa — Ethelbert, king of East Artglia, visits the Mercian court — Queen Drida plots his destruction — Description of a Saxon feast — Dreadful death of Ethelbert — Offa's daughter, Alfleda, seeks shelter in the monastery of Croyland — Murder of Queen Drida — Edburga poisons her husband, Brihtric, king of Wessex — She flies to France — Her reception at the court of Charlemagne — She dies a beggar in the streets of Pavia ... p. 139

CHAPTER XVII.

EGBERT, KING OF ALL THE SAXONS.

Character of Egbert — His watchful policy — Death of Kenwulf, and decline of the kingdom of Mercia — Egbert annexes the kingdom of Kent to Wessex

— Compels Wiglaf, king of Mercia, to pay him tribute — He conquers the kingdom of Northumbria, and subjects the whole of the Saxon kingdoms to his sway — Northumbria invaded by the Danes — They sack the abbey of Lindisfarne, and slay the monks — The Danes again land in Dorsetshire — Egbert presides over a council in London, to devise measures to prevent the ravages of the Danes — The remnant of the ancient Britons who have been driven into Wales, form a league with the Danes, and are defeated — Death

. of Egbert p. 145

CHAPTER XVIH.

THE ANCIENT SEA-KINGS.

Origin of the Danish invaders — Habits of the early Vikings — Their warlike education — Picturesque description of their wild life — Their hatred of the Saxons — Description of their ships and warlike weapons — Arrangement of their plans to plunder — Their vows on the golden bracelet — Power of their leader only acknowledged in battle — Their rude festivities . p. 150

X CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIX.

FIEST SETTLEMENT OF THE DANES IN NOETHCMBEIA.

Ethelwulph, king of Kent — His unfitness to govern — The brave bishop of Sherbourne — The two characters contrasted — Boldness of the Danes — They occupy the Isle of Thanet — Battle of the field of Oaks — Character of Osberga, mother of Alfred the Great — Ethelwulph visits Borne in company with his son Alfred — The king of Kent marries Judith, daughter of Charles of France — His presents to the Pope — Beturns to England with his youthful wife — Bebellion of his son Ethelbald — Death of Ethelwulph — Ethelbald marries his stepmother Judith — She elopes from a monastery with Baldwin, the grand forester — Death of Ethelbald — Brief reign of Ethelbert— Alfred begins to distinguish himself — The celebrated sea-king, Bagnar Lodbrog — His bravery — Builds a large ship — Is wrecked on the coast of isorthumbria — Made prisoner by Ella, and dies in a dungeon — His celebrated death-song — The sons of Bagnar Lodbrog prepare to revenge their father's death — England invaded by their mighty fleet — Their march towards Northumbria — Bavage York — Horrible death of Ella, king of Northumbria — The Danes occupy the kingdoms of the Deiri and Bernicia — Nottingham taken by the Danes — Alfred accompanies his brother Ethelred, and the king of Mercia, in their attack upon the Danes — They enter into a treaty with the invaders — Alfred's marriage and attainments at this period p. 159

CHAPTER XX.

EAT AGES OF THE DANES, AND DEATH OF ETHELEED.

Bavages of the Danes in Lincolnshire — Destruction of the monastery of Bardney — Gallant resistance of the Mercians — Battle near Croyland Abbey — Destruction of Croyland Abbey, and murder of the monks — Sidroc, one of the sea-kings, saves a boy from the massacre — The abbey of Peterborough destroyed by the Danes — Description of the country through which the invaders passed — Their march into East Anglia — The Danes enter Wessex — Battle of Ash-tree hill, and victory of the Saxons — Death of Ethelred

p. 169 CHAPTER XXI.

ACCESSION AND ABDICATION OF ALFEED THE GEEAT.

Miserable state of England when Alfred ascended the throne of Wessex — He is disheartened by the rapid arrival of the Danes — Enters into a treaty with them, and they abandon Essex — The Danes occupy London — Burrhed, king of Mercia, retires to Borne — The Danes now masters of all

CONTENTS. XI

England, excepting Wessex — Alfred destroys their ships — Again enters into treaty with them — He encounters them at sea — Treaty at Exeter — His strange conduct at Chippenham — Vindication of the character of Alfred — His conduct during retirement — Alfred the Great in the cowherd's hut — Discovery of his retreat — His skirmishes with the Danes — Odin, the earl of Devonshire, captures the magical banner of Hubba, the sea-king — Alfred and his followers fortify their island retreat — Poverty of the great Saxon king p. 179

CHAPTER XXII.

ALFRED THE GREAT.

Alfred in disguise visits the Danish camp near Westbury in Wiltshire — His interview with Godrun, the sea-king — Alfred musters the Saxon forces at Selwood forest — The arrival of his followers described — His preparation for battle — Description of the combat — Defeat of the Danes — Alfred besieges the Danish encampment — Surrender of Godrun — Policy and generosity of Alfred the Great — Peaceful appearance of England — Landing of Hastings, the famous sea-king — Alfred increases his navy — Character of Hastings, the sea-king, the most skilful of all the Danish invaders — Alfred marches his army between the Danish forces — His masterly generalship — Hastings offers to quit the kingdom — His treachery- — Is again conquered by Alfred — The Danes of East Anglia and Northumbria rise up against Alfred — The wife and children of Hastings are taken prisoners by Alfred, and discharged with presents — After many struggles the Danes are at last defeated— Hastings quits England— Death of Alfred the Great . p. 192

CHAPTER XXIH.

CHARACTER OF ALFRED THE GREAT.

His boyhood — Early love of poetry — Self-cultivation — Wisdom displayed in his conduct with the Danes — Difficulties under which he pursued his labour — His patronage of literary men — Method of study — Summary of his works — He reforms the Saxon nobles — Divides his time — Various purposes to which he appropriates his revenue — His invention for marking the hours — Cultivates an acquaintance with foreign countries — His severity in the administration of justice — Establishment of a rigid system of police — His laws — Intellectual character of Alfred the Great . p. 199

CHAPTER XXIY.

EDWARD THE ELDER.

Ethelwold lays claim to the throne of Wessex — Is backed by the Danes, and crowned at York — Battle of Axeholme and defeat of Ethelwold— Edward

Xll CONTENTS.

ravages Nortliumbria — The Danes attack Mereia — They enter the Severn

— Battle of Wodensfield, and defeat of the Danes — Edward strengthens his frontier with fortresses — Their situation described — Bravery of his sister Ethelfleda — The Danes enter North Wales — Edward again victorious — Submission of the Welsh princes and the Danes of Northumbria

— Death of Edward the Elder p. 202

CHAPTEK XXV.

THE REIGN OF ATHELSTAN.

Athelstan, the favourite grandchild of Alfred the Great — While but a boy his grandfather invests him with the honours of knighthood — He is educated by Alfred's daughter, Ethelfleda — Athelstan's sister married Sigtryg, a descendant of the famous sea-kings — The Dane repudiates his wife, and renounces his new religion — Athelstan invades his dominions — Death of Sigtryg, and flight of his sons — Preparation for the invasion of England — The force arrayed against Athelstan — Measures adopted by the Saxon king — Preparations for battle — Picturesque description of the battle of Brunansburg — Anglo-Saxon song on Athelstan's victory — High position attained by Athelstan — Otho the Great marries Athelstan's sister — The Saxon monarch forms an alliance with the emperor of Germany and the king of Norway — Harold of Norway suppresses piracy — Sends his son Haco to be educated at the Saxon court — Presents a beautiful ship to Athelstan — Death of Harold, king of Norway — List of the kings who were established on their thrones by Athelstan — His presents to the monasteries — His charity and laws for the relief of the poor — Cruelty to his brother Edwin — Death of Athelstan p. 212

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE REIGNS OF EDMUND AND EDRED.

Accession of Edmund the Elder — Anlaf, the Dane, invades Mereia, and defeats the Saxons — Edmund treats with Anlaf, and divides England with the Danes — Perilous state of the Saxon succession prevented by the death of Anlaf — Change in Edmund's character — His brilliant victories — Cruelty to the British princes — Edmund assassinated while celebrating the feast of St. Axigustiu, by Leof, the robber — Mystery that surrounds the murder of Edmund the Elder — Edred ascends the Saxon throne — Eric, the sea-king — His daring deeds on the ocean — Description of bis wild life — Edred invades Northumbria — Eric attacks his own subjects — Edred's victory over the Danes — Scandinavian war-song on the death of Eric — Death of Edred p. 218

CONTENTS. X11I

CHAPTER XXVII.

EDWIN AND ELGIVA.

Edwin's marriage with Elgiva — Odo, the Danish archbishop — St. Dunstan — His early life — He becomes delirious — His intellectual attainments — His persecution — He falls in love — Is dissuaded from marriage by the bishop, iElfheag — He is again attacked with sickness — Recovers, and becomes a monk — Lives in a narrow cell — Absurdity of his rumoured interviews with the Evil One — His high connexions — Analysis of his character — Dunstan's rude attack upon King Edwin, after the banquet — Dunstan again driven from court — Remarks on his conduct — Elgiva is cruelly tortured, and savagely murdered by the command of Odo, the archbishop of Canterbury — Dunstan recalled from his banishment — Supposed murder of Edwin '. p. 227

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE REIGN OF EDGAR.

Power of Dunstan — He is made Archbishop of Canterbury — He appoints his own friends counsellors to the young king — His encouragement of the fine arts — Enforces the Benedictine rules upon the monks — Speech of Edgar in favour of Dunstan's reformation in tbe monasteries — Romantic adventure of Elfrida, daughter of the Earl of Devonshire — Death of Athelwold — Personal courage of Edgar — His love of pomp, and generosity — His encouragement of foreign artificers — His tribute of wolves' heads — England infested with wolves long after the commencement of the Saxon period — Many of the Saxon names derived from the wolf — Death of Edgar — Elfric's sketch of his character — Changes wrought by Edgar

CHAPTER XXIX.

EDWARD THE MARTYR.

Dunstan still triumphant — Is opposed by the dowager-queen Elfrida — Her attempts to place her son, Ethelred, upon the throne, frustrated by Dunstan — Contest between the monks and the secular clergy — The Benedictine monks driven out of Mercia— The Synod of Winchester — Dunstan's pretended miracle doubted — The council of Calne — William of Malmesbury's description of the assembly — Dunstan's threat — Falling in of that portion of the floor on which Dunstan's opponents stood — Reasons for supposing that the floor was undermined by the command of Dunstan —

XIV CONTENTS.

Death of his enemies, and trinmph of the archbishop — Edward's visit to Corfe Castle — He is stabbed in the back while pledging his stepmother, Elfrida, at the gate— His dreadful death— Character of Elfrida . p. 238

CHAPTER XXX.

ETHELRED THE UNREADY.

Elfrida still opposed by Dunstan — Etbelred crowned by the archbishop of Canterbury — His malediction at the coronation — Dislike of the Saxons to Ethelred — Dunstan's power on the wane — Insurrection of tbe Danes — The Danish pirates again ravage England — Courageous reply of the Saxon governor of Essex — Single combat between tbe Saxon governor, and one of the sea-kings — Cowardly conduct of Ethelred — He pays tribute, and makes peace with tbe Danes — Alfric the Mercian governor, turns traitor, and joins the Danes with his Saxon ships — The Saxon army again commanded by the Danes, and defeated — Olaf, the Norwegian, and Swein, king of Denmark, invade and take formal possession of England — Etbelred again exbausts his exchequer, to purchase peace — Swein's second invasion of England — Cruel massacre of the Danes by tbe Saxons — Murder of Gunhilda, the sister of Swein, king of Denmark — Swein prepares to revenge the death of his countrymen — Description of his soldiers — Splendour of his ships — His magical banner described — His landing in England — Alfric again betrays the Saxons — Destruction of Norwich — Ethelred once more purchases peace of the Danes — ^Elfeg, archbishop of Canterbury, made prisoner by the sea-kings — He refuses to pay a ransom — Is summoned to appear before the sea-kings while they are feasting, and beaten to death by tbe bones of the oxen the pirates had feasted upon — Ethelred lays an oppressive tax upon the land — He raises a large fleet — Is again betrayed by his commanders — Sixteen counties are given up to the Danes — Etbelred deserted by his subjects — Escapes to tbe Isle of Wight, and from thence to Normandy — Swein, king of Denmark, becomes the monarch of England — Death of Swein — His son Canute claims the crown — Is opposed by Edmund Ironside — Canute's cruelty to the Saxon hostages — Miserable state of England at this period, as described by a Saxon bishop p. 249

CHAPTER XXXI.

EDMUND, SURNAMED IRONSIDE.

Courageous character of Edmund Ironside — His gallant defence of London — His prowess at the battle of Scearston — Obstinacy of the combat which is only terminated by the approach of night — Renewal of the battle in the morning — Narrow escape of Canute, the Dane, from the two-handed sword

CONTENTS. XV

of Edmund Ironside — Conduct of the traitor Edric — Ketreat of the Danes — Battles fought by Edmund tbe Saxon — Ulfr, a Danish chief, lost in a wood — Meets with Godwin the cowherd, and is conducted to the Danish camp — Treaty between Canute the Dane and Edmund Ironside — The kingdom divided between the Danes and Saxons — Suspicious circumstances attending the death of Edmund — Despondency of the Saxons

CHAPTER XXXII.

CANUTE THE DANE.

Coronation of Canute the Dane — His treaty with the Saxon nobles — He banishes the relations of Ethelred, and the children of Edmund — Fate of Edmund's children — Canute's marriage with Emma, the dowager-queen of the Saxons — Death of the traitor, Edric — Canute visits Denmark — Death of Ulfr, the patron of Godwin the cowherd — Canute invades Norway — Habits of the Norwegian pirates — Canute erects a monument to Mlfeg, the murdered archbishop of Canterbury — Carries off the dead body of the bishop from London — Night scene on the Thames — Kills one of his soldiers — His penance — Establishes the tax of Peter's-pence — Picturesque description of Canute rebuking his courtiers — His theatrical display, and vanity — His pilgrimage to Rome — Canute's letter — His death

CHAPTER XXXIII.

SEIGNS OF HAROLD HAKEFOOT AND HARDICANUTE.

Sketch of Canute's reputed sons — The succession disputed — Eise of earl Godwin — Refusal of the archbishop to crown Harold Harefoot — Harold crowns himself, and bids defiance to the church — Conduct of Emma of Normandy — Her letter to her son Alfred — He lands in England, with a train of Norman followers — His reception by earl Godwin — Massacre of the Normans at Guildford — Death of Alfred, the son of Ethelred — Emma banished from England — Her residence at Bruges — Hardicanute prepares to invade England — Death of Harold Harefoot — Accession of Hardicanute — Disinters the body of Harold — Summons earl Godwin to answer for the death of Alfred — Godwin's defence — Penalty paid by earl Godwin — Character of Hardicanute — His Huscarls — The inhabitants of Worcester refuse to pay the tax, called Dane-geld — They abandon the city — Reckless conduct of Hardicanute — He invites Edward, the son of Ethelred, to England — Hardicanute, the last of the sea-kings, dies drunk at a marriage-feast in Lambeth p. 272