CHAP.

II.

IT was of great importance to Dunftan and the monks, to place on the throne a King favourable to their caufe: The fecular clergy had ftill partizans in England, who defired to keep them in poffeffion of the convents, and of the ecclefiaftical authority. On the first intelligence of Edgar's death. Alfere, duke of Mercia, expelled the new orders of monks from all the monafteries which lay within his jurifdiction *; but Elfwin, duke of East-Anglia, and Brithnot, duke of the Eaft-Saxons, protected them within their territories, and infifted upon the execution of the late laws enacted in their favour ". In order to fettle this controverfy, there were fummoned feveral fynods, which, according to the practice of those times, confifted partly of ecclefiaftical members, partly of the lay nobility. The monks were able to prevail in these affemblies; tho', as it appears, contrary to the fecret wishes, if not the declared inclination, of the leading men in the nation. They had more invention in forging miracles to fupport their caufe; or having been fo fortunate as to obtain, by their pretended aufterities, the character of piety, their miracles were better credited by the populace:

In one fynod, Dunstan, finding the majority of votes against
him; rofe up, and informed the audience, that he had, in that

inftant, received an immediate revelation in behalf of the
monks; and the affembly was fo aftonished at this intelligence,
or probably so overawed by the populace, that they proceeded
no farther in their deliberations. In another fynod, a voice
iffued from the crucifix, and informed the members, that the
establishment of the monks was founded on the will of heaven,

× Chron. Sax. p. 123. W. Malmef. lib. 2. cap. 9. Hoveden, p. 427. Brompton,
p. 870. Flor. Wigorn, p. 607.
Hoveden, p. 427. Brompton, p. 870.
Higden, p. 269.

- W. Malmef. lib. 2. cap. 9.

3

and

and could not be opposed without impiety. But the miracle performed in the third fynod was ftill more alarming: The floor of the hall in which the affembly met, funk of a fudden, and a great number of the members were either bruifed or killed by the fall. It was remarked, that Dunftan had prevented that day the King from attending the fynod, and that the beam on which his own chair ftood, was the only one which did not fink under the weight of the affembly': But these circumstances, instead of begetting any fufpicion of contrivance, were regarded as the fureft proof of the immediate interpofition of providence, in behalf of these favourites of heaven.

EDWARD lived four years after his acceffion, and there paffed nothing remarkable during his reign. His death was memorable and tragical. This young prince was endowed with the most amiable innocence of manners; and as his own intentions were always pure, he was incapable of entertaining any fufpicion against others. Though his ftepmother had opposed his fucceffion, and had raised a party in favour of her own fon, he always fhowed her marks of the greatest regard, and even expreffed, on all occafions, the most tender affection towards his brother. He was hunting one day in a forest in Dorsetshire; and being led by the chace near Corse-castle, where Elfrida refided, he took the opportunity of paying her a vifit, unattended by any of his retinue, and he thereby pre

a W. Malmef. lib. 2. cap. 9. Ofberne, p. 112. Gervase, p. 1647. Brompton, b Chron. Sax. p. 124. W. Malmef. lib. 2.

P. 870. Higden, p. 269.

cap. 9. Hoveden, p. 427. H. Iunting. lib. 5. p. 357.
ton, p. 870. Flor. Wigorn. p. 607. Higden, p. 269.
Burgo, p. 29.
• Chron. Sax. p. 124.
cap. 9. Brompton, p. 873. Math. Weft. p. 193.
T 2

Gervafe, p. 1647. Bromp-
Chron. Abb. St. Petri de
d W. Malmef. lib. 2,

Wallingford, p. 545.

fented

CHAP.
II.

CHAP.

II.

fented her with the occafion, which fhe had long wifhed for. After he had mounted his horse, he defired fome liquor to be brought him; and while he was holding the cup to his head, a fervant of Elfrida approached him, and gave him a ftab behind. The prince, finding himself wounded, 'put fpurs to his horse; but becoming faint by lofs of blood, he fell from the faddle, his foot ftuck in the stirrup, and he was dragged along by his unruly horfe, till he expired. Being tracked by the blood, his body was found, and was privately interred at Wereham by his fervants.

THE youth and innocence of this prince, with his tragical death, begot fuch compaffion among the people, that they believed miracles to be wrought at his tomb'; and they gave him the appellation of martyr, though his murder had no connexion with any religious principle or opinion. Elfrida built monasteries, and performed many penances, in order to atone for her guilt, but could never, by all her hypocrify or remorfes, recover the good opinion of the public, though fo eafily deluded in those ignorant ages.

c' W. Malmef. lib. 2. cap. 9.

p. 2313. Brompton, p. 873.

Hoveden, p. 427. Gervafe, p. 1647. Knighton, f W. Malmef. lib. 2. cap. 9. Knigh

ton, p. 2313. Brompton, p. 874, 875, 876. Math. Weft. p. 194. Higden, p. 269.

* Knighton, p. 2313, 2314. Brompton, p. 876.

TH

ETHEL RE D.

HE freedom which England had fo long enjoyed from
the depredations of the Danes, seems to have proceeded,
partly from the establishments which that pyratical nation had
obtained in the north of France, and which employed all
their fuperfluous hands to people and maintain them; partly
from the vigour and warlike spirit of a long race of English
princes, who preferved the country in a posture of defence by
fea and land, and either prevented or repelled every attempt of
the invaders. But a new generation of men being now sprung
up
in the northern regions, who could no longer disburthen
themselves on Normandy; the English had reason to dread,
that they would again vifit an island, to which they were
invited, both by the memory of their past fucceffes, and by the
expectation of affistance from their countrymen, who, though
long established in the kingdom, were not yet thoroughly
united with the natives, nor had entirely forgot their inve-
terate habits of war and depredation. And as the prefent
King was a minor, and even when he attained to man's eftate,
never difcovered either courage or capacity fufficient to govern
his own fubjects, much lefs to repel a formidable enemy, the
8
people

III.

CHAP. people might juftly expect to fuffer the worst calamities from fo dangerous a crisis.

LEO

991,

THE Danes, before they durft attempt any important enterprize against England, made a small incurfion, by way of trial ; and having landed from seven vessels near Southampton, they ravaged the country, enriched themselves by spoil, and departed with impunity'. Six years after, they made a like attempt in the weft, and met with like fuccefs *; and the invaders, having now found affairs in a very different fituation from that in which they formerly appeared, encouraged their countrymen to affemble a greater force, and to hope for more confiderable advantages. They landed in Effex under the command of two chieftains; and having defeated and flain at Maldon, Brithnot, duke of that county', who ventured with a small force to attack them, they spread their devastations over all the neighbouring provinces. In this extremity, Ethelred, to whom hiftorians give the epithet of the Unready", instead of rousing his people to defend with courage their honour and their property, hearkened to the advice of Siricius, archbishop of Canterbury, which was feconded by many of the degenerate nobility; and paying the enemy the fum of ten thousand pounds, he bribed them to depart the kingdom". This fhameful expedient was attended with the fuccefs which might be expected. The Danes appeared next year off the castern coaft, in hopes of fubduing a people, who defended

i Chron. Sax. p. 125.

H. Hunt. p. 357. Hoveden, p. 427. Chron. St. Petri de Burgo, p. 30. Sim. Dun. p. 161. Brompton, p. 875. * Chron. Sax. H. Hunting. p. 357. n Chron,

p. 126. Hoveden, p. 427.
Hoveden, p. 428.
Sax. p. 126.

Sim. Dun. p. 161.

m

Anglia Sacra, vol. 1. p. 225.
W. Malm. p. 62. H. Hunt. p. 357. Hoveden, p. 428.

themselves