behind him, some of which remain to this day. 18. To give a character of this prince, would be to sum up those qualities which constitute perfection. Even virtues seemingly opposite were happily blended in his disposition; persevering, yet flexible; moderate, yet enterprising; just, yet merciful; stern in command, yet gentle in conversation. Nature also, as if desirous that such admirable qualities of mind should be set off to the greatest advantage, had bestowed on him all bodily accomplishments, vigour, dignity, and an engaging open countenance. He died at Oxford, on the 25th of October, 900, and was buried at Winchester.

Oddune, Earl of Devon, who killed Hubba the Dane, and took the famous Reafen, or enchanted standard. Ulfredus, Trelotegaldus, Celnoth, Ethelred, and Plerumbus, were successively archbishops of Canterbury in this reign.

Questions for Examination.

1. What effect had the continual ravages of the Danes upon the English?

2, 3. How did Alfred act in this emergency?

4. What anecdote is related of Alfred during his concealment?

5. How did those who still remained faithful to Alfred conduct themselves?

6. What benevolent act is related of this monarch? (See the Note.) 7. What desperate effort did the earl of Devonshire resolve on? and, what was the consequence?

8. What was the advantage gained by Alfred's courage?

9. By what stratagem did Alfred get intelligence of the enemy's situa tion ?

10. What observations did he make during his stay in the Danish camp? 12. What became of the Danes after their defeat?

13. What kings paid homage to Alfred ?

14. How was Alfred employed during peace?

17. For what purpose did Alfred divide his time into three equal portions? and what were his accomplishments?

18. What is the general character given of Alfred?
19. Where did Alfred die, and at what place was he buried?

SECTION III.

"Priest-ridden by a man

Of an unbounded stomach, ever ranking
Himself with princes."-SHAKSPEARE.

1, Illegit'imacy, s. not born in wedlock.

4. Mar'tial, a. warlike, brave. 6. Affin'ity, s. relationship.

Ran'cour, s. malice, hatred.

S. Emol'uments, s. profits, advantages,

10. Oblit'erated, part. destroyed.

12. Mal'-contents, s. discontented peo, ple.

Adhe'rents, s. followers, friends.

23. Assassina'tion, s. murder.

Solem'nity, s. awful seriousness.

1. (A.D. 901.) HIS second son, Edward', succeeded him on the throne. To him succeeded Athelstan, his natural son, the illegitimacy of his birth not being then deemed a sufficient obstacle to his inheriting the crown. He died at Gloucester, after a reign of sixteen years, and was succeeded by his brother Edmund, who, like the rest of his predecessors, met with disturbance from the Northumbrians on his accession to the throne; but his activity soon defeated their attempts. 2. The resentment this monarch bore to men of an abandoned way of living was the cause of his death. He was killed by Leolff, a robber, at a feast, where this villain had the insolence to intrude into the king's presence. His brother, Edred, was appointed to succeed him; and, like his predecessors, this monarch found himself at the head of a rebellious and refractory people. Edred implicitly submitted to the directions of Dunstan the Monk, both in church and state; and the kingdom was in a fair way of being turned into a papal province by this zealous ecclesiastic; but he was checked, in the midst of his career, by the death of the king, who died of a quinsy, in the tenth year of his reign.-A.D. 955.

3.

4. Edwy, his nephew, who ascended the throne, his own sons being yet unfit to govern, was a prince of great per

1 Surnamed Edward the Elder, from being the first of that name who sat on the throne of England. He obtained many victories over the Northumbrian rebels, built several castles, and fortified different cities. He also founded the University of Cambridge, in 915. He is said to have been nearly equal to his father in military courage, but greatly inferior to him in mental accomplishments. He reigned 24 years.

sonal accomplishments, and of a martial disposition. But he was now come to the government of a kingdom, in which he had an enemy to contend with, against whom all military virtues could be of little service. 5. Dunstan, who had governed during the former reign, was resolved to remit nothing of his authority in this; and Edwy, immediately upon his accession, found himself involved in a quarrel with the monks; whose rage neither his accomplishments nor his virtues could mitigate.

6. Among other instances of their cruelty, the following is recorded:-There was a lady of the royal blood, named Elgiva, whose beauty had made a strong impression upon the young monarch's heart. He had even ventured to marry her contrary to the advice of his counsellors, as she was within the degrees of affinity prohibited by the canon law. 7. On the day of his coronation, while his nobility were giving a loose to the more noisy pleasures of wine and festivity in the great hall, Edwy retired to his wife's apartments, where, in company with her mother, he enjoyed the more pleasing satisfaction of her conversation. Dunstan no sooner perceived his absence, than conjecturing the reason, he rushed furiously into the apartment, and upbraiding him with all the bitterness of ecclesiastical rancour, dragged him forth in the most outrageous manner.

8. Dunstan, it seems, was not without his enemies, for the king was advised to punish this insult by bringing him to account for the money with which he had been entrusted during the last reign. This account the haughty monk refused to give in; wherefore he was deprived of all the ecclesiastical and civil emoluments of which he had been in possession, and banished the kingdom. 9. His exile only served to increase the reputation of his sanctity with the people. Among the rest Odo, archbishop of Canterbury 2, was so far transported with the spirit of party, that he pronounced a divorce between Edwy and Elgiva. The king was unable to resist the indignation of the church, and consented to surrender his beautiful wife to its fury. Accordingly, Odo sent into the palace a party of soldiers, who seized the queen, and, by his orders, branded her on the face with a hot iron. 10. Not contented with this cruel vengeance, they carried her by force into Ireland, and there commanded her to remain in perpetual exile. This

2 An ancient city in Kent, of which county it is the capital.

injunction, however, was too distressing for that faithful woman to comply with; for, being cured of her wound, and having obliterated the marks which had been made to deface her beauty, she once more ventured to return to the king, whom she still regarded as her husband. But misfortune continued to pursue her. 11. She was taken prisoner by a party whom the archbishop had appointed to observe her conduct, and was put to death in a most cruel manner the sinews of her legs being cut, and her body mangled, she was thus left to expire in the most cruel agony. In the meantime a secret revolt against Edwy became almost general; and Dunstan put himself at the head of the party. 12. The mal-contents at last proceeded to open rebellion; and having placed Edgar, the king's youngest brother, a boy of about thirteen years of age, at their head, they soon put him in possession of all the northern parts of the kingdom. Edwy's power, and the number of his adherents, every day declining, he was at last obliged to consent to a partition of the kingdom; but his death, which happened soon after, freed his enemies from all further inquietude, and gave Edgar peaceable possession of the government.

13. Edgar being placed on the throne by the influence of the monks, affected to be entirely guided by their directions in all his succeeding transactions.

15.

Little worthy of notice is mentioned of this monarch, except his amour with Elfrida, which is of too singular a nature to be omitted. 14. Edgar had long heard of the beauty of a young lady, whose name was Elfrida, daughter to the Earl of Devonshire; but, unwilling to credit common fame in this particular, he sent Ethelwald, his favourite friend, to see, and inform him if Elfrida was indeed that incomparable woman report had described her. Ethelwald arriving at the earl's, had no sooner set his eyes upon that nobleman's daughter, than he became desperately enamoured of her himself. Such was the violence of his passion, that, forgetting his master's intention, he solicited only his own interest, and demanded for himself the beautiful Elfrida from her father in marriage. The favourite of a king was not likely to find a refusal; the earl gave his consent, and the nuptials were performed in private. 16. Upon his return to court, which was shortly after, he assured the king that riches alone, and her high quality, had been the cause of her high fame, and

he appeared amazed how the world could talk so much, and so unjustly of her charms. The king was satisfied, and no longer felt any curiosity, while Ethelwald secretly triumphed in his address. 17. When he had, by this deceit, weaned the king from his purpose, he took an opportunity after some time, of turning the conversation on Elfrida, representing that, though the fortune of the earl of Devonshire's daughter would be a trifle to a king, yet it would be an immense acquisition to a needy subject. He therefore humbly entreated permission to pay his addresses to her, as she was the richest heiress in the kingdom. 18. A request so seemingly reasonable was readily complied with; Ethelwald returned to his wife, and their nuptials were solemnized in public. His greatest care, however, was employed in keeping her from court; and he took every precaution to prevent her from appearing before a king so susceptible of love, while she was so capable of inspiring that passion. But it was impossible to keep his treachery long concealed. 19. Edgar was soon informed of the whole transaction; but, dissembling his resentment, he took occasion to visit that part of the country where this miracle of beauty was detained, accompanied by Ethelwald, who reluctantly attended him thither. Upon coming near the lady's habitation, he told him that he had a desire to see his wife, of whom he had formerly heard so much, and desired to be introduced as his acquaintance. 20. Ethelwald, thunderstruck at the proposal, did all in his power, but in vain, to dissuade him. All he could obtain, was permission to go before, on pretence of preparing for the king's reception. On his arrival he fell at his wife's feet, confessing what he had done to be possessed of her charms, and conjuring her to conceal as much as possible her beauty from the king, who was too susceptible of its power. 21. Elfrida, little obliged to him for a passion that had deprived her of a crown, promised compliance; but, prompted either by vanity or revenge, adorned her person with the most exquisite art, and called up all her beauty on the occasion. The event answered her expectations; the king no sooner saw, than he loved her, and was instantly resolved to obtain her. 22. The better to effect his intentions he concealed his passion from the husband, and took leave with a seeming indifference; but his revenge was not the less certain and faithful. Ethelwald was some time after sent into Northumberland, upon pre