direct descent both from Alfred the Great and the Psalms, was carried constantly in bis Charlemagne. Ethelwulf's testamentary disposals of the kingdoms were disregarded. Ethelred did not succeed to the throne of Wessex after the elder brother's death; but Ethelbert, King of Kent, did, and there was a united kingdom, the more necessary as the Danes were renewing their invasions. Alfred resided with his brother, and, after his death in 866, with Ethelred, who then became King. ALFRED'S YOUTH; SUFFERINGS AND Cou. When Ethelbert died, Alfred was eighteen years old. Although suffering occasionally from a malady, the nature of which is not known, but probably epilepsy, he was strong and active, and during his years of "cnihthood," or preparation for the active, especially military, duties which would devolve on him, he proved himself to be an adept in all the manly exercises in which noble youths were trained. He acquired also a considerable amount of learning, probably more by the exercise of his own active intellectual powers than by direct tuition, and was particularly well acquainted with the Saxon poems and songs which formed the literature of his time. It is quite possible that his young stepmother, Judith, who had been well taught at her father's court, had stimulated his desire to possess some acquaintance with the scholarship of the age. He was comely in appearance, and his attractive manners made him an especial favourite with the people generally. The general assembly of the kingdom, in accordance with the wish of Ethelred, acknowledged him as heir to the throne; and, as second in power, and probably by far the first in natural gifts and acquirements, he occupied the highest position in the kingdom, and was invested with a certain degree of authority in the state. His biographer, Asser, to whom in after years Alfred spoke very freely about his early life, tells us that there was a perpetual struggle in the youth's mind between a strong religious sense of duty and sensual temptations which continually beset him. He prayed earnestly for help to conquer himself; he used often to rise at cock-crow in the early mornings, and repairing to some church or holy place, he cast himself before God in prayer, that he might do nothing contrary to His holy will.” He even prayed that some sickness might be sent to him, which would be of use in subduing his body, without rendering him powerless or contemptible in the performance of the duties to which he was called. A small book, in which were written some of the offices of the Church, and many of bosom. MARRIAGE WITH ELSWITHA The epileptic attacks, or whatever was the physical malady which troubled his early year ceased before he had attained manhood: chrai clers assure us in answer to direct prayer. At twenty years of age, he thought of matrimony, and was betrothed to Elswitha, a descendant of the royal family of Mercia, and daughter of Ethelred, the great Earl of the Gaini, a distret the name of which is preserved in the lern Gainsborough. The Earl was a man of great influence at the Mercian Court; and as Alfred's sister had been married to the King of Merria several years before, the two kingdoms were now united by a double bond. Such," we are told, "was the dreadful ag it perpetually produced, that if for on t hour it happened to intermit, the dral abit ror of its inevitable return poisoned the tt. 3 terval of ease." If this description be not gre) exaggerated, it would almost seem a mirace tha any man, even one so greatly gifted, resolute, an lofty-minded as Alfred, could have performL not only the ordinary duties of life, but act which made him the greatest of British sovereits Probably, if a guess may be hazarded, the mal was chronic neuralgia, tie-dolorcux, which cause especially in individuals possessing a fine, nervo temperament, the most acute pain of which th human frame is susceptible. Whatever its natur here was indeed a thorn in the flesh," what all his life long Alfred had to endure. That b did endure it, master it even, by the force of L will and the power of his patience, shows w a great and courageous nature he possessed THE DANES AGAIN. The marriage festivities were scarcely en when the storm which had been long threat broke in force. All southern and middle Fag were arming for the defence of all they k vei, a they valued; for their homes, their churc bir laws, their wives, daughters, and infants in The Danes were there, reeking with iod and raging for further plunder. Six weeks Per Mercian Elswitha had become his bride, Aed, the hope and mainstay of Wessex, of all Har England, indeed, in defiance of bodily a:, was in arms as the leader of the people, as champion of the nation against the pirates of the North. DEATH OF REGNAR-LODBROG THE SEA-KING. Ten in 866 Ethelred became King of Wessex, were Danish troubles on the north-eastern mut Reguar-Lodbrog (Regnar of the hairy hs, as he wore leggings of undressed goat1), one of the most ferocious of the sea-kings, more than a year before made preparations Ir an attack on Northumbria. Regnar had for more than thirty years one of the Pest scourges of the North Sea. The Baltic, fr. and, Saxony, and parts of the coast of Gaul had been the scenes of many terrible exploits; The contemplated an achievement which throw all others into the shade. He conted two ships of greater size than had been known; and, with a band of several tri followers, he embarked. "The pirates gly cut their cables, and declared, in their al poetic style, that they had given the reins to er two great sea-horses." They could give the ms, but they could not guide. The huge vesproved to be unnavigable by the skill at he ermmand of the Norsemen, drifted ashore, were wrecked on the shoals off the Northum. coast. The fierce warriors landed, and, ang that their retreat was cut off, marched the country, ravaging and killing as their was. Ella, King of Northumbria, gathered are force, and attacked and defeated the ders. Lodbrog, after performing prodigies four, was taken prisoner, and, having cruelly tortured and placed in a dungeon warming with vipers and adders, was put to One of the most vigorous and popular of ad Scandinavian poems is supposed to be the ng of this renowned Viking. It is a chant ing the spirit of an indomitable savage, *. last words are a taunt and defiance to his Pays: "I laugh with delight; soon shall I be in tails of Odin, drinking from overflowing cups. vanquished; but may the javelin of one of #7 was pierce the body of Ælla!" AN EXPEDITION OF REVENGE. Fra was the burden of the song chanted in me of the sea-king when his death was known; and his sons made solemn vows to avenge it. Relatives and friends, and a crowd of adventurers from every kingdom of the North, assisted in the expedition. Eight sea-kings of renown, twenty jarls, or secondary chieftains, equipped their fleets and embarked their bands of desperadoes. Never before had so formidable a force been united in any expedition. By an error of the pilots, the coast of East Anglia, not of Northumbria, was reached Unable to resist so great a force, the East Anglians received the invaders in a pacific manner. They were not prepared to fight the pirates; but they could endeavour to hurry them off; and as for the Northumbrians, they must take care of themselves. So the Danes waited for reinforcements, accepted presents (not very willingly offered, perhaps, if the truth were known) of provisions and horses, and then set out northwards, crossed the Humber, devastated the country, and made their way to York, leaving a track of blood and flame behind them. The two Northumbrian Kings-for there were two, Osbert, who claimed to be the rightful monarch, and Ella, who had for a time usurped the supremacy-forgot for a time their own quarrel, and united against the common enemy. A great battle was fought beneath the walls of York, in which the Saxons, who at first had gained some advantage, were defeated. Osbert fell on the field; but Ælla was taken alive. The sons of Lodbrog, Hubbo, Inguar, and Alfden, were among the victorious leaders; and it was but little mercy the torturer of their father could expect from them. Terrible was the death inflicted on King Ælla of Northumbria. Leaving a strong garrison at York, the victors turned southwards. Northumbria was no longer a Saxon kingdom, for Scandinavian settlers were encouraged to cross the North Sea; and the district between the Humber and the Firth of Forth soon became the head-quarters of the Danish power. Encouraged by their great success, the leaders contemplated nothing less than the subjugation of Mercia, East Anglia, and Wessex, and so obtaining possession of the entire island. MASSACRES AT CROYLAND AND MEDESHAM STEDE. The famous Saxon Abbey of Croyland, in Lincolnshire, was sacked, and the abbot and monks were massacred; but not before the Saxons of the locality had made a brave attempt to defend it, and three of the northern kings had been slain. The monastery at Medeshamstede (Peterborough), six miles distant, was then attacked and burned. In the fierce fighting which accompanied the assault, one of the sons of Lodbrog was killed; and, to avenge his death, his brother Hubbo slew with his own hand eightyfour of the monks, when the place was taken. The superb monastery was then burnt, the conflagration lasting fifteen days. The scenes of these terrible doings were partly in East Anglia, partly in Mercia. The King of the former state, Edmund, was captured in his royal residence, and taken before the Danish leaders, who demanded that he should acknowledge himself their vassal. This he refused to do ; and then he was bound to a tree, and the warriors, having amused themselves by shooting arrows at him, smote off his head with a battle-axe. The Saxons regarded him as a martyr for conscience' sake; and so it came about that there is a St. Edmund the Martyr in the ecclesiastical calendar; and that the town which marks the place of his interment is known as Bury (burgh or town of) St. Edmunds. A DANISH KING OF EAST ANGLIA. One of the Sea-Kings, Godrum, was made King of East Anglia, and the people were reduced to a condition of abject slavery. Mercia was then exposed to the attacks of the enemy; and on the emergency, the King, Burhed, applied to his brotherin-law the King of Wessex to assist him. Ethelred and Alfred at once placed themselves at the head of a large army, recruited from all classes of Wessex men, bishops, abbots, and monks even taking up arms. The Danes had possessed themselves of Nottingham. a strongly situated and fortified town; and there they defied the attacks of the Saxons, refusing to meet their assailants in the open field; and, on their side, the Saxons had not the means to undertake a prolonged siege. Ethelred and Alfred therefore withdrew their forces; and the King of Mercia entered into a treaty with the Danes, by which they promised to withdraw to York, whither they went for a time; but having recruited their strength, they again appeared south of the Humber. Mercia was unable by itself to stem the torrent; and on Wessex devolved the task of defending Saxon England. FIGHTING AT READING. A powerful force of Danes took ship on the East Anglian coast, and making their way round, entered the Thames. Their boats were shallow, drawing little water, and Reading, situated at the junction of the Thames and Kennet, was taken. A strong fort was erected, and it served as a centre from which predatory excursions were THE BATTLE IN THE VALLEY OF THE WHITE HORSE. While these events were taking place. Etienal and Alfred were preparing their forces. They reached Reading four days after Ethelwaif i success, and slew a number of the Danes, when they surprised outside the entrenchments, t before they could prepare their camp, the Lar sallied out and a fierce battle ensued. It: Saxons fought bravely for many hours; but th Danes, trained warriors, at length gained th day, and the Saxons were compelled to retra westward along the south bank of the river, an then over the downs towards Wantage. Aifrea birthplace. The main army of the Danes tri lowed them in two divisions, one comman by two Kings, Bagseg and Halfdene, the othe by the Jarls. The Saxons adopted a sa arrangement, Ethelred himself leading one body and his brother Alfred the other. The Pe were posted on an eminence at Accesim (Ashdown, in Berkshire), and were protected b a thick underwood. King Ethelred, who, in his father, was slow in action, and serupa observant of religious duties, heard mass in a tent, while the well-aimed darts of the D were falling thick and fast among his solisen who dared not move without the King's crian He was urged to give the word to advance is replied that no human work should interf with his religious duty. Alfred was more si The Danes were preparing to swoop down in t inactive Saxons; but the young Prince took up himself the responsibility of giving the worl advance, and, forming his army into a se phalanx, dashed forward. The armies met, a desperate hand-to-hand encounter cs Each side fought with desperate courage. In the hill-side was soon strewed with Danish as Saxon corpses. Mass being finished. Eter went to the aid of his brother and fought bray & killing the Danish King Bagseg with Las v® hand. The Danes wavered, then broke, a retreated in confusion, followed by the victor as far as Reading. The slaughter was fe. Ethelwerd, a chronicler of the time, From the time the Saxons first landed in an, never was there such a battle known." re still may be seen, on the Berkshire downs, normous white figure supposed to repreat the Saxon white horse, formed by the :val of the turf and exposure of the chalk >eath. This was first done nearly a thousand 71 120; and for further history of the matter must refer to Mr. Thomas Hughes' "Scouring the White Horse." Great, however, as was the victory, it was far decisive. The Danes rallied at Reading, reements arrived, and there were other battles, in which they were the victors, ally at Basing and Merton (perhaps Morton, Leading), King Ethelred being slain in atter encounter. ALFRED, KING OF WESSEX. Afred was now, at the age of twenty-three, King of Wessex. Ethelred had left two ng sons; but the principle of succession by King Ethelwulf, that his sons should each other on the throne, to the con of the children of any one of them, w adhered to; and, indeed, in those days of 7, there could be little question as to the Prsty of Alfred, who had already exhibited rn ability and courage, being chosen king. ne of the chroniclers of the time tell us that when he had laid his brother in the tomb tmborne Minster, and felt that the respon**.17 of government was now to be borne by If “lost heart and hope, and suffered him to doubt whether God would by his hand #77 the afflicted nation from its terrrible ." The Danes penetrated into his kingdom, * ammoning all his strength, Alfred encounthem near the fortress of Wilton, in WiltAt first it seemed as if victory would are for the Saxons; but a feigned retreat by Lanes led Alfred and his army into a position they were attacked by a concealed force, **feated. and committing such ravages that King Burhed abdicated, and went on a pilgrimage to Rome, where he soon afterwards died. His wife, it is supposed, took refuge with her brother Alfred, who, weakened and dispirited, was unable to afford assistance to the Mercians. SUCCESSES AT SEA. Seeing the advantage to be derived from being able to encounter the Danes on the sea, Alfred had constructed a small fleet of ships, and in 875 successfully attacked and dispersed piratical cruisers off the coast of Dorsetshire. In the following year, a large force of the Danes landed at Wareham, and ravaged that part of the country, forming a strongly entrenched camp for their head-quarters. Alfred hurried to the scene, but the enemy were too strongly posted to permit him to attack them with any hope of success. Negotiations were entered into, and the Danes promised, on condition of the payment of a certain sum of money, to quit the country. The most solemn oaths were taken to bind cach party to the fulfilment of the contract. Alfred swore on holy relics; the Danish leaders on a bracelet supposed to have belonged to Woden, and smeared with the blood of sacrifices. Before twelve hours had passed, the Danes had broken the contract. They attacked a body of Saxon horsemen, killed the men and seized the horses. They then entered Devonshire, and established themselves behind fortifications in Exeter. SIEGE OF EXETER. It was a critical time for Wessex, but the young King was equal to the occasion. He manned his ships with men accustomed to the sea; he collected a large force of his countrymen, and marched to Exeter, which he besieged. The Danes who had been left at Wareham embarked instantly to reinforce the garrison at Exeter. A hundred and twenty vessels formed the Danish flotilla; but from the occurrence of storms and fogs they were unable to reach the mouth of the Exe. Alfred's sailors, taking advantage of the condition of the enemy, attacked them boldly and with success. Some of the Danish vessels were captured; but the greater portion struck on the rocks at Swanage, where they were dashed to pieces. The Danes at Exeter offered to surrender on conditions to which Alfred acceded. There were more promises and solemn oaths, and they quitted Wessex, and made their way, some into Mercia, now virtually a Danish kingdom, and others into Gloucestershire, where for a time they remained at peace. Soon, however, a fresh band of invaders landed on the coast of South Wales, and an alliance with the Danes in Gloucestershire was soon brought about. Disregardful of promises and oaths, they again invaded Wessex with an enormous force. The royal castle at Chippenham, on the left bank of the Avon, was seized; and from this rallying-point their bands ravaged the country, destroying everything with fire and sword. Henry of Huntingdon says, "They overspread the land like locusts, and seemed, like them, to rise out of it." A PANIC IN WESSEX. Alfred, with all his energy, was unable to raise a force to cope with the enemy. A general panic seized all classes. In Devonshire alone was anything like a stand made. Some of the bravest followers of the King had collected in a fortress known as Kynwith. They were besieged by the Danes, who hoped that the want of provisionsthere was not even a well in the place-would force them to surrender; but the gallant garrison made a sudden sortie at the dawn of day, surprised the Danes, and slaughtered the greater number of the besiegers. But this was only one brave episode of the disastrous time. The people generally had lost heart. In the words of Dr. Pauli, "the inhabitants, once so brave, but whom no hero-hearted calderman now gathered under his banner, were seized with fear and terror; those who were able took their few remaining goods, and hastened to the sea-coast, to find a passage to the opposite kingdom of the Franks, and there seek refuge. In particular, bishops, priests, and monks endeavoured to convey to a safe asylum beyond sea the relics, precious stones, and ornaments belonging to their monasteries. The people who remained were reduced to the condition of servants and beggars by their cruel oppressors, and both country and people were in the wildest disorder." Certainly Alfred was no longer the trusted leader of the Wessex men. The small landowners, losing their trust in his power to help them, submitted without resistance to the invaders, hoping to be permitted to retain some portion at least of their property. "No command, no prayers, no entreaties of their once beloved King could move them to sacrifice their small possessions and their own personal safety for the preservation of the whole State." In scarcely any of the districts was there an earl, a noble, or a bishop who would place himself resolutely at the head of his property or diocese, and set a bold example of venturing on one last and desperate struggle. IN THE ISLAND OF ATHELNEY. Alfred was vanquished for the time, an deserted by his subjects; but he did not despit A few faithful adherents still remained, an with them he concealed himself from the Danes On the north bank of the Tone, in Somersetshire was a marshy district, such as abounded throngh out the island in those unscientific days. Stagnan water, rushes, and willows, were the che features, but there were small plots of lani little elevated, where a few poor prasants dwel miserably. To one of these spots, Atheling-eye or the royal island as it came to be named, an to this day known as Athelney, came Alfred with his wife, and, as is supposed, her sister, the forme Queen of Mercia. He was joined by some of hi friends, and for five months remained there i obscurity, living as he best could on fish and s supplies as the poor but faithful friends of ta neighbourhood could procure. Of course legend enough have gathered about the records of th time of concealment, and are far more fami now than actual events; but they need not t reproduced here. We have to deal with a res man, so far as we can discover traces of him, an we have evidence enough that in the marshes · Athelney he was planning some means by wb: he could relieve his kingdom from the cra enemy that was feeding on its vitals. The Daz probably thought the young King was dead; sc of the Saxons, perhaps, thought he had felt France or Rome; and neither, we may well suppos imagined that the leader of the little band th not unfrequently made a raid on some weak ou lying post of the Danes in the neighbourhood Athelney, and carried away provisions, was oth than a petty marauder, certainly would suspect that it was Alfred himself, who, by K exploits, provided food for the refugees Athelney. In after life, he related to his fre Asser many incidents of this dreary time: an the good chronicler easily exaggerated them int stories of mysterious visions of encourageme from St. Cuthbert and other saints, which lo nothing in transmission from chronicler chronicler. THE KING HAS COME AGAIN! That Alfred had means of knowing what going on in the country around is most Ear The fishermen of the Parret and the Tone, wh huts were in the island where the King w hidden, had eyes and ears; and the Danes li thought that the wretched Saxon peasant whe they would scarcely notice except to wanton |