terature; claffical and polite learning have appeared in it with peculiar luftre; and it continues the habitation of substantial knowledge, true tafte, and national inftruction.

Alfred fhines with equal, perhaps with greater glory as a legislator, than he doth as the friend and patron of letters in general; and not one of our English princes deserve to be named with him in this respect : for, in order to provide for his fubjects a full body of laws, he fearched into the inftitutions of foreign nations, collected the regulations of the British Kings, and of his Saxon ancestors, and drew from them what was moft valuable and ufeful. It is much to be lamented that the code established by him has not been tranfmitted to us entire; but enough of it remains to fill us with the warmeft veneration for his memory, and to convince us that he had the nobleft views for the happiness of pofterity, as well as of his own times; and the natives of this ifland muft owe him peculiar efteem, fince to him we are indebted for many of the most important privileges which, at the prefent day, conftitutes the dignity and felicity of our political conftitution*.

Moreover, with relation to his skill in the arts, and his attention to commerce, he was fuperior to any monarch of the age: he erected cities, repaired palaces, and applied himself diligently to the ftudy of fhip-building, fo as to reduce it to a fcience, and invented veffels of fuch a conttruction as enabled him to obtain the victory in feveral engagements with the Danes. From a motive of piety, and to relieve the Christians of Malabar, he fent perfons to the EastIndies, and his fhips returned home with precious ftones, perfumes, and other valuable commodities. It is likewise a certain fact, that he attempted the difcovery of a north-eaft paffage, and employed Othar, a Dane, and Wolftan, an Englishman, for that purpose.

Library, p. 183. Rapin's Hift. vol. I. p. 14.

If

If we confider the religion of Alfred, though no doubt it partook of the temper of the times, yet we have no reason to believe that it was remarkably fuperftitious there is nothing recorded of him which favours of the mean and monkish spirit obfervable in many preceding and fucceeding princes; his piety was ever fincere and fervent, and as rational as the period in which he lived would admit.

In Alfred we may behold what amazing effects may be produced by the genius and abilities of one man. Such was the influence he had upon the nation, that, in a few years, it was transformed into quite another people the English, from being cowardly, poor, defpicable, and ignorant, became brave, rich, refpectable, and, comparatively speaking, knowing and polite, but they were governed by a prince who was almost a prodigy in every refpect, and we must travel through feveral centuries before we fhall find a character on which we can expatiate with equal pleasure, and which does fo much honour to human nature.

Though Alfred was a prodigy, yet his own improvements were much limited by the ignorance of the age; and he muft neceffarily be unacquainted with a thousand things that are at prefent known by persons of very moderate capacities. This too was the cafe with regard to the profeffors and tutors appointed by him at Oxford and other places; they had not accurate and extensive views of any science, and therefore could not communicate fuch views to their difciples. Indeed it was not poffible, in fo dark a period, to make a large progrefs in philofophy and found learning; the ftate of religion, the prevailing manners of the world, the want of good examples, all stood in oppofition to the advancement of real wifdom: add to this, that the repeated invafions of the Danes put a stop to the cultivation of knowledge, and at length brought back an univerfal barbarifm. This great prince died in the fifty-fecond year of his age, October 26, A. D. 900.

As

As it would exceed the limits of this work to give a detail of the civil and ecclefiaftical laws of this prince, the curious reader may refer to Collier's Ecclef. Hist. Vol. I. book. iii. p. 163 to 169.

EDWARD, A. D. 900.

Edward, Alfred's fucceffor, imitated the virtues of his father in a number of benefactions to the church ; yet his reign is remarkable for a very particular exertion of the authority of the Roman fee. Pope Formofus being informed that the bifhopric of Weffex had been many years vacant, fent over a bull, excommunicating the King, and all his fubjects; which being publickly read at a general affembly of the ftates, by Plegmund, archbishop of Canterbury, the vacant fees were immediately filled, and three new bishoprics erected in Weffex: then Plegmund fet out for Rome, where the fentence was revoked, and, at his return to England, he confecrated feven prelates in one day.

But notwithstanding this inftance of weakness, all hiftorians agree in beftowing high encomiums upon EDWARD, and in reprefenting him as not much inferior to his father. It is, however, but little which is faid of his literary character; though enough to convince us that he was a man of abilities and under

ftanding. Perhaps we may confider as fome proof of it, an useful and remarkable regulation he made, that if a fervant was guilty of theft, the perfon who recommended him should be anfwerable for his crime, and responsible for his right behaviour. We read alfo, that Edward was particularly careful in the education of his children: that, in confequence of his attention in this respect, they were diftinguished by their im provements; and that his daughters were fo celebrated for their accomplishments, as to be fought after, and obtained in marriage, by the greateft foreign princes, kings, and emperors.

But

But the grand point which intitles him to a place in the hiftory of letters, is his being generally looked up÷ on as the founder of the univerfity of Cambridge. The fact, however, like other ancient facts, is not fo clear as to be wholly free from difpute; while fome go back to the fabulous ages, for the original of this famous feminary; and fome contend that it had no exiftence as a fchool of learning, till the year 1110, in the reign of Henry I. But, without entering into these controverfies, we shall only embrace the prefent opportunity of obferving, that, from fmall beginnings, Cambridge is become, in a courfe of time, exceedingly illuftrious, and, in rank, the fecond univerfity in the world. Inferior to Oxford in magnitude, beauty, the number of colleges, buildings, profeffors, and ftudents, it is, notwithstanding, capable of boafting many noble edifices and foundations. But though Cambridge muft yield the palm, in thefe refpects, to her fifter, we fuppose the will be unwilling to do it in the valuable attainments of science and literature. She, as well as Oxford, hath produced a number of eminent men, several of whom we fhall have occafion to mention in the courfe of our work; not, indeed, as members of a fingle feminary, but as the ornaments of their country, and the glory of human nature. It has often been faid, that Oxford has excelled in the knowledge of the claffics, belles lettres, and the languages; while Cambridge hath made a fuperior progrefs in philofophy, mathematics, and the feverer ftudies. Nevertheless, it must be granted, that he has always educated many perfons who have been celebrated for their tafte in polite learning; and can, at this day, triumph in her Hurds, her Masons, and her Greys. For our part, we fincerely wish profperity to both, and heartily pray there may never be any other contention between them, than who fhall form the greatest number of characters that will be an honour to religion, to letters, and to the public.

ATHEL

ATHELSTAN, A. D. 925.

After the death of King Edward, his eldeft fon ATHELSTAN was crowned at Kingston upon Thames, by Athelm, archbishop of Canterbury. This ceremony of crowning and anointing the English Kings by fome prelate was, according to Malmesbury, first used in the reign of King Alfred. Athelstan foon after his coronation began to enter upon action, and fhewed himself fuch an enterprifing and fuccessful prince, as gave great terror to many of his enemies, and to be efteemed and careffed by foreigners, acquired fome very advantageous alliances, procured honourable matches for his fifters; nay exceeded the bounds of the English limits, for he obliged the Kings of Scotland and Wales to refign their crowns to him; which he foon after, as a prince of generofity, restored to them, upon doing him homage. Thus in civil affairs he gained applaufe; but all the glory of his atchievements was eclipsed by one act of inhumanity towards his brother Edwin; who being accused of difaffection to his Majefty, he too eafily gave credit to it, banished his brother, with circumstances of cruelty highly aggravating, by putting him into a fhip with only one fervant, without rigging or crew to fail the veffel; and was driven by aftorm, which foon after befel him, to fuch great diftrefs, that he threw himself into the fea. This precipitate act of Athelftan foon after ftung him with great remorfe, fo that to filence the accufations of his confcience, he executed the perfon who informed him against his brother, and fubmitted himself to seven years penance.

But nevertheless Athelstan is confeffed to have been a very, illuftrious and accomplished prince, and is juftly ranked among the lawgivers of England. His eloquence is, likewife, highly extolled by historians, who have been pleased to affert that he was equal, in this respect, to the Roman orators. There

was