ance in his subjects, he left his retreat; but before he would assemble them in arms, or urge them to any attempt which, if unfortunate, might in their present 'despondency prove fatal, he resolved to inspect himself the situation of the enemy, and to judge of the probability of success. For this purpose he entered their camp under the disguise of a harper, and passed unsuspected through every quarter. He so entertained them with his music and facetious humours, that he met with a welcome reception, and was even introduced to the tent of Guthrum, their prince, where he remained some days. He remarked the supine security of the Danes, their contempt of the English, their negligence in foraging and plundering, and their dissolute wasting of what they gained by rapine and violence. 9. Encouraged by these favourable appearances, he secretly sent emissaries to the most considerable of his subjects, and summoned them to a 'rendezvous, attended by their warlike followers, at Brixton,5 on the borders of Selwood Forest. The English, who had hoped to put an end to their calamities by servile submission, now found 878 the insolence and rapine of the conqueror more 'intolerable than all past fatigues and dangers; and at the appointed day they joyfully resorted to their prince. On his appearance, they received him with shouts of applause; and they could not satiate their eyes with the sight of the beloved monarch whom they had long regarded as dead, and who now, with voice and looks expressing his confidence of success, called them to liberty and to vengeance. A.D. 10. He instantly conducted them to Edington, where the Danes were encamped; and taking advantage of his previous knowledge of the place, he directed his attack against the most unguarded quarter of the enemy. The Danes, surprised to see an army of English, whom they considered as totally subdued, and still more astonished to hear that Alfred was at their head, made but a faint resistance, notwithstanding their superiority of number, and were soon put to flight with great slaughter. 11. The remainder of the routed army, with their prince, was besieged by Alfred in a fortified camp, to which they fled; but being reduced to extremity by want and hunger, they had recourse to the clemency of the victor, and offered to submit on any conditions. The king, no less generous than brave, gave them their lives; and even formed a scheme for converting them from mortal enemies into faithful subjects and confederates. He knew that the kingdoms of East Anglia and Northumbria were totally desolated by the frequent inroads of the Danes; and he now purposed to repeople them by settling there Guthrum and his followers. He hoped that the new planters would at last betake themselves to industry, when, by reason of his resistance and the exhausted condition of the country, they could no longer subsist by plunder; and that they might serve him as a rampart against any future incursions of their countrymen. 12. But before he ratified these mild conditions with the Danes, he required that they should give him one pledge of their submission and of their inclination to 'incorporate with the English, by declaring their conversion to Christianity. Guthrum and his army had no aversion to the proposal; and without much instruction, or argument, or conference, they were all admitted to baptism. The king answered for Guthrum at the font, gave him the name of Æthelstan, and received him as his adopted son. A.D. 13. The success of this expedient seemed to correspond to Alfred's hopes: the greater part of the Danes settled peaceably in their new quarters; some smaller 880 bodies of the same nation, which were dispersed in Mercia, were distributed into the five cities of Derby, Leicester, Stamford, Lincoln, and Nottingham, and were thence called the Fif or Five Burgers. The more 'turbulent and unquiet made an expedition into France under the command of Hastings; and except by a short incursion of Danes, who sailed up the Thames and landed at Fulham,7 but suddenly retreated to their ships on finding the country in a posture of defence, Alfred was not for some years infested by the inroads of those barbarians. de-spon-den-cy, low spirits; dejec- rendez-vous (rang'-dai-vu), meeting re-liñ-quish, give up; abandon. 1 Rep'ton, 7 miles south-west of Wilts, 4 miles south of Warminster. Derby. 2 Ware'ham, on Poole Harbour, near the south coast. 3 Chippenham, in the north of Wilts, 14 miles north-east of Bath. The name is a contraction of Ecbrightesstan-that is, Ecgberht's stone. 6 Ed'ington, properly Ethandun, in Wilts, 3 miles north-east of Westbury. 7 Ful/ham, in the borough of Chelsea, and nearly opposite to Putney. The palace of Fulham has been a residence of the bishops of London since 5 Brix'ton, Brixton - Deverill, in the time of Henry VII 4 Æth ́elinga-y, properly Æthelinga-ig, the Isle of the Æthelings or Princes. 8.-HAROLD'S OATH. [The story of Harold's oath to William of Normandy, pledging himself to support William's claim to the throne of England, is not mentioned by any of the Old English writers; but they had an obvious motive for concealing the fact. It rests entirely on the authority of the Norman writers, who give contradictory accounts of it, suggesting that they are different versions of a true story, and not baseless inventions. The incident is placed in the year 1064. Edward the Confessor was then king of England. He was childless, and the only male heir of the house of Ecgberht was Edgar the Ætheling, grandson of Edmund Ironside, then a weakly boy. Edward, whose mother was a Norman princess, had spent most of his life in Normandy, and had probably encouraged Duke William's pretensions to his crown. It is said that, in the year in question, Harold, while sailing in the Channel, was shipwrecked on the coast of Ponthieu (between Normandy and Flanders), and was arrested by Guy, count of that prov ince. Duke William forced Guy, who was his vassal, to deliver Harold into his hands, and offered the latter his release on condition of his binding himself to aid the duke in his attempt on the English crown.] SCENE.-The Palace of the Duke of Normandy at Bayeux. William, Harold, Malet (a Norman noble), Wulfnoth (Harold's brother). William. Why then the heir of England, who is he? Har. Will. When he was here in Normandy, Har. Will. Thou knowest I am his cousin,2 Har. Will. Wilt thou uphold my claim? Malet (aside to Harold). Be careful of thine answer, my good friend. Wulfnoth (aside to Harold). Oh! Harold, for my sake and Har. Ay...if the King have not 'revoked his promise. Har. Not that I know. Will. Good, good, and thou wilt help me to the crown? Will. Thou art the mightiest voice in England, man, Thy voice will lead the Witan-shall I have it? Wulfnoth (aside to Harold). Oh! Harold, if thou love thine Edith,5 ay. Har. Ay, if Malet (aside to Harold). Thine "ifs" will sear thine eyes out-ay. Will. I ask thee, wilt thou help me to the crown? And I will make thee my great Earl of Earls, And thou be my vice-king in England. Speak. Wulfnoth (aside to Harold). Ay, brother-for the sake of England-ay. Har. My Lord Malet (aside to Harold). Take heed now. Har. Ay. I am content, Malet. Harold, I am thy friend, one life with thee; [Exit Mulet. Har. For having lost myself to save myself; Said "Ay" when I meant "No;" lied like a lad "No"! bond! Ay! No! he hath not bound me by an oath— inner hall Count William in his state robes, |