EDWARD THE ELDER.

"For I shall sing of battles, blood, and rage, "Which princes and their people did engage; "And haughty souls, that moved with mutual hate, "In fighting fields, pursued and found their fate." DRYDEN'S VIRGIL.

THO' less renown'd for what the learn'd acquire,
EDWARD in arms was worthy of his sire;

And happy for the realm, great ALFRED's son,
Maintain'd with honor, what his father won;
In spite of insurrection, rapine, guilt,
And blood that flow'd for blood unjustly spilt.
First ETHELWALD, from ETHELBERT derived,
(Tho' two of royal ALFRED's sons survived,)
Claim'd England's sceptre, and in frequent fight,
Warr'd against Justice and his Cousin's right;
A Norman and Northumbrian miscreant crew,
With Danes and Mercians to his side he drew,
And led his pupils in rebellion's school
That land to ravage which he might not rule.

EDWARD

EDWARD, with royal indignation fired,
Obeyed the impulse which his rage inspired,
And peaceful hamlets, towns, and cities mourn
The Monarch's and the Rebel's force in turn;
For civil discord glories in the ills
With which she indiscriminately fills
The royal mansion, or the rebel's hold,
The patriot cot, or den of ruffian bold,
While blood on both sides eagerly she spills.
'The Kentish men, long England's warlike boast,

Assail'd at Bury, by the traitor's host,
With Danes maintain'd a most unequal fray,
"Till ETHELWALD, his treasons to repay,
Lost, with his life, the honor of the day.
Northumbria, Mercia, and the scatter'd Dane,
Hostile by turns, and unsubdued, remain.
A powerful fleet, the Monarch bids prepare,
He sails, and quickly the rapacious band
Haste to despoil the absent EDWARD's land;
The King, as briefly of their plans aware,
Returns, with slaughter STAFFORD's plains to
dye,

And see again his flag victorious fly.

Yet,

Yet, by misfortune unsubdued,

The restless chiefs again unite,
Again their blood the earth imbrued,
At Tunsford, and in Maldon fight.

THURKTILL the Dane, invincible esteem'd,
Not so, perdie, by EDWARD deem'd,
Vanquish'd, retreats before the conqu❜ror's lance,
To pillage other lands in France;

At length, by perseverance, toil, and pains,
EDWARD, in well earn'd peace, with glory reigns.*

LADIES, if thus far Somnus lets ye look

In this my nice narcotic book,

It

may

awake

sex's your proper pride, To recollect that, in each doubtful day,

EDWARD had oft a sister by his side, Whose genius pointed to success the way; Active, yet prudent, masculine, yet fair, The widow'd ETHELFLIDA,† good and great

* He was fortunate not only in military enterprize, but in domestic concerns; he matched four of his nine daughters to the greatest Princes in Europe; and three of his five sons successively mounted their father's throne, Athelstan, Edmund, and Edred.

This patriotic amazon was the wife of Ethered, Duke of Mercia; she is universally said by historians to have been the exact resemblance of her parent Alfred in every quality of the mind, and in many old writings she is actually styled, not DoJ. P. ANDREWS. mina, but Rex.

Ruled

Ruled Mercia's province with propitious care,

And proved the grand appui of EDWARD'S

state.

Let it not from the Monarch derogate,

That he by female wit was sway'd, Women, when good, are angels, and I wot, (He who denies it is a senseless sot,)

Good angels may with safety be obeyed.

EDWARD Surviv'd, to grace his sister's urn
With a fraternal tear; nor did he mourn

Her absence long, but sought that awful bourn,
From whence, nor slave nor monarch may return.

SUMMARY

SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF

ATHELSTAN.

Born A. D. 895. Crowned 925. Died, without issue, October 28th, 941.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS.

Hoel, Prince of Wales, rendered tributary. Constantine III. of Scotland, with six Irish and Welsh Princes, killed at the battle of Brunanburgh. Athelstan restored those, whe submitted, to their respective governments, observing, "It was more honourable to make a King than to be a King."

EMINENT PERSONS.

Guy, Earl of Warwick, is supposed to have lived in this reign, and to have conquered Colbrand, a gigantic Dane, and performed many extraordinary actions. Abbot Elfrichi, a priest of great learning. Terketyl, cousin to the King, was a successful warrior, an abbot of Croyland, and chancellor of England. Wolstane, archbishop of Canterbury.

John X. 913.

COTEMPORARY SOVEREIGNS.

Popes.

Leo VI. 928. Stephen VIII. 929. John

XI. 931. Leo VII. 936. Stephen IX. 939,

Emperors.

Of the East-Constantine Porphyrogenitus, 912.

Of the West-Henry I. 919. Otho I. 936.

Kings.

Of France-Raoul I. 923. Lewis IV. 936.

Of Scotland-Constantine III. 909.

ATHELSTAK