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, And happy for the realm, great ALFRED's son, EDWARD EDWARD, with royal indignation fired, Assail'd at Bury, by the traitor's host, And see again his flag victorious fly. Yet, Yet, by misfortune unsubdued, The restless chiefs again unite, THURKTILL the Dane, invincible esteem'd, At length, by perseverance, toil, and pains, 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 Her absence long, but sought that awful bourn, 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 |