happened two years after. Efcwin then peaceably acquired the
crown; and, after a fhort reign of two years, made way for
Kentwin, who governed nine years. Ceodwalla, his fucceffor,
mounted not the throne without oppofition; but proved a
great prince, according to the ideas of those times; that is, he
was enterprizing, warlike, and fuccefsful. He fubdued entirely
the kingdom of Suffex, and annexed it to his own dominions.
He made deep impreffions upon Kent; but met with refiftance
from Widred, the king, who proved successful against Mollo,
brother to Ceodwalla, and flew him in a skirmish'. Ceodwalla
at laft, tired with wars and bloodfhed, was feized with a fit of
devotion; bestowed several endowments on the church, and
made a pilgrimage to Rome, where he received baptism, and
died in 689*. Ina, his fucceffor, inherited the military virtues
of Ceodwalla, and added to them the more valuable ones of
justice, policy, and prudence'. He made war upon the Britains
in Somerfet; and having finally fubdued that province, he
treated the vanquished with an humanity, hitherto unknown
to the Saxon conquerors. He allowed the proprietors to retain
poffeffion of their lands", encouraged marriages and alliances
between them and his antient subjects", and gave them the
privilege of being governed by the fame laws. These laws he
augmented and ascertained; and though he was disturbed by
fome infurrections at home, his long reign of thirty-feven
years may be regarded as one of the moft glorious and moft
profperous of the heptarchy. In the decline of his age, he

made a pilgrimage to Rome; and after his return, he fhut CHAP himself up in a cloyfter, where he died ".

9

THOUGH the Kings of Weffex had always been princes of the blood, defcended from Cerdic, the founder of the monarchy, the order of fucceffion had been far from exact; and a more remote prince had often found means to mount the throne, in preference to one defcended from a nearer branch of the royal family. Ina, therefore, having no children of his own, and lying much under the influence of Ethelburga, his Queen, left by will the fucceffion to Adelard, her brother, who was his remote kinfman : But this deftination took not place without fome difficulty. Ofwald, a prince more nearly allied to the crown, took arms against Adelard'; but he being fuppreffed, and dying foon after, the title of Adelard was not any farther difputed; and in the year 741, he was fucceeded by his coufin, Cudred. The reign of this prince was distinguished by a great victory, which he obtained, by the means of Edelhun, his general, over Ethelbald, king of Mercia. His death made way for Sigebert, his kinfman, who governed fo ill, that his people rose în an infurrection, and dethroned him ", crowning Cenulph in his ftead. The exiled prince found a refuge with duke Cumbran, governor of Hampshire; who, that he might add to his other kindness towards Sigebert, gave him many falutary counfels for his future conduct, accompanied with fome reprehenfions for the past. But these were so much refented by the ungrateful prince, that he conspired against the life of his protector, and treacherously murdered him. After this infamous action, he

was forfaken by every body; and fskulking about in the wilds and forests, was at laft discovered by a fervant of Cumbran, who inftantly took revenge upon him for the death of his master *.

CENULPH, who had obtained the crown on the expulfion of Sigebert, was fortunate in many expeditions against the Britains of Cornwal; but afterwards loft fome reputation by his ill fuccess against Offa, king of Mercia '. Kynehard also, brother to the deposed Sigebert, gave him disturbance; and though expelled the kingdom, he hovered on the frontiers, and waited an opportunity of attacking his rival. The King had an intrigue with a young woman, who lived at Merton in Surrey "; whither having fecretly retired, he was on a fudden invironed, in the night-time, by Kynehard and his followers, and after making a vigorous refiftance, was murdered, with all his attendants. The people and nobility of the neighbourhood, rifing next day in arms, took revenge on Kynehard for the flaughter of their King, and put every one to the fword, who had been engaged in that criminal enterprize. This event happened in 784.

BRITHRIC next obtained poffeffion of the government, tho' very remotely defcended from the royal family; but enjoyed not that dignity without inquietude. Eoppa, nephew to King Ina, by his brother Ingild, who died before that prince, begot Eata, father to Alchmond, from whom fprung Egbert', a young prince of the most promising hopes, who gave great jealousy to Brithric, the present King, both because he seemed by his birth better intitled to the crown, and because he had acquired, to an

* Higden, lib. 5. W.
z Flor. Wigorn. p. 576.
I loveden, p. 409.

Malmef. lib. 1. cap. 2.
Chron. Sax. p. 57, 63.

↳ Chron. Sax. p. 16.

y W. Malmef. lib. 1. cap. 2. a Flor. Wigorn. p. 576.

eminent

I.

eminent degree, the affections of the people.. Egbert, fenfible CHAP,
of his danger from the suspicions of Brithric, withdrew fecretly
into France; where he was well received by Charlemagne, the
reigning monarch. By living in the court, and ferving in the
armies of that prince, the most able and most generous who had
appeared in Europe during feveral ages, he acquired those accom-
plishments which afterwards enabled him to make such a shining
figure on the throne. And familiarizing himself to the manners
of the French, who, as Malmesbury observes, were eminent:
both for valour and civility, above all the western nations, he
learned to polish the rudeness and barbarity of the Saxon cha- -
racter: His early misfortunes proved thus of infinite advantage
to him,

It was not long before Egbert had opportunities of displaying
his natural and acquired talents. Brithric, King of Weffex, had
married Eadburga, natural daughter of Offa, King of Mercia,
a profligate woman, equally infamous for cruelty and for incon-
tinence. Having great influence over her husband,. fhe often.
incited him to deftroy fuch of the nobility as were obnoxious to
her; and where this expedient failed, she scrupled not being her-
felf active in traiterous attempts against them. She had mixed :
a cup of poifon for a young nobleman, who had acquired her
husband's friendship, and had on that account become the object
of her jealoufy: But unfortunately, the King drank of the fatal
cup along with his favourite, and foon after expired .. This
event, joined to her other crimes, rendered Eadburga so odious,
that she was obliged to fly into France; whence Egbert was at
the fame time recalled by the nobility, in order to afcend the

throne of his ancestors. He attained that dignity in the laft year of the eighth century.

In the kingdoms of the heptarchy, an exact rule of fucceffion was either unknown or not ftrictly obferved; and thence the reigning prince was continually agitated with jealousy against all the princes of the blood, whom he still confidered as rivals, and whose death alone could give him entire fecurity in his poffeffion of the throne. From this fatal caufe, together with the admiration of the monaftic life, and the opinion of merit, attending the preservation of chastity even in a married state, the royal families had been entirely extinguished in all the kingdoms except that of Weffex; and the emulations, fufpicions, and confpiracies, which had formerly been confined to the princes of the blood alone, were now diffused among all the nobility in the several Saxon ftates. Egbert was the fole defcendant of those first conquerors who fubdued Britain, and who enhanced their authority by claiming a pedigree from Woden, the supreme divinity of their ancestors. But that prince, tho' invited by this favourable circumstance to make attempts on the neighbouring Saxons, gave them for fome time no disturbance, and rather chose to turn his arms against the Britains in Cornwal, whom he defeated in feveral battles ". He was recalled from the conqueft of that country by an inroad. made into his dominions by Bernulf, King of Mercia.

THE Mercians, before the acceffion of Egbert, had very nearly attained the abfolute fovereignty over the heptarchy: They had reduced the Eaft-Angles under fubjection, and esta

Chron. Sax. A. D. 800. Brompton, p. 801.
7

h Chron. Sax. p. 69.

blished