ATHELSTAN's birthright (if they say not well,

Blame older tales,) was doubtful.-From his brother,

However born, ATHELSTAN bore the belle,
I. E. the throne

He made his own,

And tho' the chances are, he had a mother, Her name, not knowing, we forbear to tell :

Where heirs claim interest doubts like these

double,

grow

And hence the King experienced no small trouble..

One ALFRED first conspired, but being seized,

And losing every gleam of hope,

Declared, if so his Liege would be appeas'd,

He'd swear his innocence before the Pope.

The

The Pope was then a wight of some renown,

66

Viceroy o'er Monarchs"* he no equal knew, And, sans façon, wou'd crack the iron crown Of any Emperor that look'd askew.

Well, ALFRED went, and tho' you may despise My tale, 'tis what my betters 'erst have wrote, The oath he took, of most tremendous size, Stuck in his throat.

To bear with patience is my muse's pride,
Not e'en by incredulity provoked,

She asks you'll but believe Lord ALFRED died
As soon as he was choked.

ANLAFF, the Dane, against the King essay'd, In minstrel garb, to count his loyal bands; And failing, proved, however well he play'd, The part was better when in ALFRED'S hands t.

* Shakespeare.

+ The pride of Anlaff betrayed him; while he explored the hostile camp as a minstrel, a soldier observing him throw away the reward he had received for his performance, watched him and recognized the Northumbrian leader.

Discover'd,

Discover'd, and compell'd to open fight,
His stratagems and projects end in flight
At Brunsbury, where, man to man,

The CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND led the van.

And much it grieves the muse to tell,
Among the slain a BISHOP fell;

Thus Lawn and Woolsack both upheld the crown,
Not only in the senate, bar, and church,

But 'ere they'd leave the Sov'reign in the lurch, E'en Bishops from beneath their beavers frown ; While law's great leader, in the place Of painted, gilded, WOODEN mace, With mace of iron knocks invaders down.

And thus in latter days I ween,

England's Lord Chancellor I've seen,

(With dignity and grace no less,

Than when in pride of legal dress.*)

In Bloomsbury, at daily drill,

Grasp not the ancient weapon 'clep'd Brown BILL,

But a more modern mischief, call'd Brown BESS.

* Lord Erskine was a subaltern, or private, in the Bloomsbury Volunteers, and Lord Thurlow was a corporal in the same corps. GUY

GUY, Earl of Warwick, now was famed

COLBRAND, the Danish Chief, he slew,
And other deeds he did are named,
And many more he did not do.

To foster our commercial school,
ATHELSTAN made a useful rule;

Three voyages for merchants should acquire
The rank and place of gentleman, or squire;
Had all the squires we daily see

So earn'd the right of their assumed degree,
Lord! what a travell'd nation we shou'd be!

At Glocester, after sixteen well spent years,
ATHELSTAN's exit caus'd some genuine tears,
And it bespeaks their mutual worth,
That EDMUND of more certain birth,
Against the King his name wou'd never lend,
But, like a brother, liv'd his brother's friend,
And inourn'd with others his lamented end..

SUMMARY

SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF

EDMUND, SURNAMED THE PIOUS.

Born, A. D. 923. Crowned at Kingston-on-Thames, 941. Married Elgiva, or Elgina, an English lady, by whom he had Edwy, and Edgar, who both (after the reign of Edred) succeeded him. Edmund reigned about six years.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS.

The Northumbrians defeated in a rebellious enterprize. Cumberland and Westmoreland given to the Scots, who were to pay homage for them. The King assassinated at Pucklekirk, in Gloucestershire, on Tuesday, May 26th, 946, by Leolf, a robber. Buried at Glastonbury.

Of the East-Constantine Porphyrogenitus, 912.

Of the West-Otho I. 936.

Kings.

Of France-Lewis IV. 936.

Of Scotland-Constantine III. 909.

EDMUND.