carried the iron to a certain diftance. The hand was immediately wrapped up, and the covering fealed for three days; and-if, on examining it, there appeared no marks of burning or fcalding, the perfon accufed was pronounced innocent: if otherwife he was declared guilty. The fame kinds of proof, or others equally extravagant, obtained among all the nations on the continent; and money, in like manner, was every where the atonement for guilt, both in a civil and ecclefiaftical fenfe.

During the heptarchy, the venerable Bede compofed his church-history of Britain, from the coming in of the Saxons, down to the year 731. The Saxon Chronicle is one of the oldest and most authentic monuments of hiftory that any nation can produce. Architecture, fuch as it was, with ftone and glafs-working, was now introduced into England; and we read of a Northumbrian prelate, who was ferved in filverplate.

Egbert, having united the Saxon Heptarchy in his own perfon, changed the name of his kingdom into that of Englelond, or England. His profperity excited the envy of the northern nations, who, under the name of Danes, then infefted the feas, and from time to time ravaged the English coaft, but were as often totally defeated !

Egbert left his kingdom to his fon Ethelwolf, a prince better fitted to wear the cowl than the A. D. 833. crown, during whofe feeble reign the Danes returned, and continued their depredations unmolefted.

Alfred, his youngest fon fucceeded to the throne, in confequence of the death of his elder brothers. He was one of the greatest princes, both in peace and war, mentioned in history. He fought feven battles with the Danes with various fuccefs, and when defeated, he found refources that rendered him as terrible as before. He was, however, at one time reduced to an uncommon state of diftrefs, being forced to live as a fervant to a grazier t. But the human mind is as little fuited to employments beneath, as above its capacity: the great Alfred made but a bad cow-herd. His guardian genius was occupied about higher cares; and he ftill kept up a fecret correfpondence with his brave friends, whom he collected together, and, by their affiftance, gave the Danes many fignal overthrows, till at last he recovered the kingdom of England, and obliged the Danes who had been fettled in it, to fwear obedience to his government.

Alfred, having been educated at Rome, was not only a Scholar, but an author; and he tells us himself, that upon his

* Spelman,

Saxon Chronicle.

acceffion

acceffion to the throne, he had fcarcely a lay fubject who could read English, or an ecclefiaftic who understood Latin. He rebuilt the city of London, which had been burnt down

by the Danes, founded the university of Oxford, A. D. 895. and was the patron of learned men. His encouragement of commerce and navigation may feem incredible to modern times. He had merchants who traded in Eaft-India jewels; and a celebrated, writer fays*, that fome' of their gems were depofited in the church of Sherbone in his 'time. He was inexorable against his corrupt judges, whom he ufed to hang up in the public high-ways, as a terror to evil doers +. He died at the commencement of the tenth century; and his character is fo completely amiable and heroic, that he is justly dignified with the epithet of the Great.

A. D. 90%.

On the death of Alfred, England relapfed into barbarifm; and though his fon Edward the elder was a brave prince, yet tle Danes renewed their invafions. His fucceffor, Athelftan, was, fuch an encourager of commerce as to make a law, that every merchant who made three voyages on his own account to the Mediterranean, fhould be put upon a footing with a Thane, or nobleman of the first rank 1.

A. D. roo2.

During the weak administration of fucceeding princes, the Danes by degrees became poffeffed of the fineft part of the country. Ethelred endeavoured meanly to compound with them for his fafety, by agreeing to pay them 30,000l. which was levied by way of tax §, and was the first land-tax in England. He afterwards, with a cruelty incident to weak minds, formed the defign of maffacring the Danes, in the kingdom, which he partly carried into execution. Sweyn king of Denmark took vengeance on the English for the flaughter of his A D. 1013. Countrymen, and compelled Ethelred to feek refuge in the court of his brother-in-law, Richard

duke of Normandy.

His fon, Edmond Ironfide, after having bravely ftruggled for the independence of his kingdom, was at laft betrayed by his general, Edric, and obliged to divide his dominions with Canute, fon of the Danith king, Sweyn. Edmond furvived this divifion only a month, being murdered at Oxford by two of his chamberlains, whofe treachery made way for the acceffion of Canute the This prince, by the conpowerful monarch of his

A. D. 1017.

Dane, to the throne of England. queft of Norway became the moft

time; being fovereign of Denmark, Norway, and England.

* William of Malmesbury,
Macpherion.

+ Dr. Henry.

This tax was called Danegelt

Of

Of Harold Harefoot, and Hardicanute, his fons and fucceffors, nothing is recorded that merits your attention; only that on the death of Hardicanute, the Englifh fhook off the Danifh yoke, and placed on the throne of his ancestors, Edward furnamed the confeffor, fon of the unfortunate Ethelred. Though an excellent prince, he difgufted the English by his partiality to the Normans, among whom he had been educated; and he declared William duke of Normandy, his coufin, to be his fucceffor. The reign of Edward is remarkable for an expedition, against Macbeth, who murdered Duncan, king of Scotland, and ufurped his throne *.

On the death of Edward, Harold, the fon of earl Godwin, took poffeffion of the vacant throne.; but his right was dif puted by the duke of Normandy, and thefe two rivals prepared to determine the matter by the fword. With refpect to William, the enterprife was bold and hazardous. The Englifh were a formidable nation, with a courageous and ambitious prince at their head. The fate of war is uncertain. Thefe obftacles fo far from intimidating, did but the more invigorate William's courage. Crowds of adventurers flock to his ftandard, and he foon has an army compofed of chofen warriors, ready to conquer or to die. Every thing was favourable to William. The fpirit of chivalry, which braved every danger, was then at its height in Europe. The Normans had every where been fuccefsful. Alexander II. who then filled the pontifical chair, declared Harold an ufurper, excommunicated him, and his adherents, and, to encourage William, fent him a confecrated banner, with a ring adorned with fome of St. Peter's hair. Thus an enterprize, concerted with ambitious views, and the execution of which must be attended with injuftice and violence, was covered with the great cloak of religion t.

William fet fail from Valery with a numerous fleet, and, an army of 60,000 chofen warriors landed upon the coaft of Suffex, and foon after came to a decifive battle,

at a place called Haftings in that county. The A. D. 1066. fight continued from morning to funfet; and

Harold, after performing prodigies of valour, was flain with two of his brothers, and left to the more fortunate William the victory and the crown. Thus ended the Saxon monarchy in England, which had continued for more than fix hundred years.

The Saxons were well fkilled in the art of painting on glafs, fome monuments of which remain. The famous St. Dunftan, was cfteemed an excellent painter by his contemporaries, and employed his pencil in religious fubjects.

* Shakespear.

+ Hume.

All

All nations, even in their rudeft ftate, have difcovered a ftrong propensity to fublime ftrains of poetry. Of all the arts, poetry was the most admired and cultivated by the inhabitants of this ifland; hence the beautiful relics of ancient fong. In those rude times, every great man had his bard, whe drew up the annals of his family in verfe, and fung them, in order to imprefs them on the memory, and hand them down to pofterity. Alfred, who was himself a poet, and made verses on purpose to civilize his fubjects, encouraged and rewarded men of poetical genius. Princes in that age were delighted to hear the verfes of their bards, to read their works, and commit them to memory. The poems of the northern bards produced the moft furprising effects on thofe that heard them. The turbulent paffions were roufed or foothed, according to the nature of their ftrains. The power of mufic acting upon the paffions, is better felt than defcribed.

The ancient Britons, Anglo Saxons, Scots, Irifh, and other northern nations, were fond of, and cultivated the mufical art. In those days every one who courted efteem, was at pains to be acquainted with vocal and inftrumental mufic. To be ignorant of this art was held difgraceful. The favourite mufical inftrument of our ancestors, and of all the nations of Europe, was the harp. By the laws of Wales, the harp was one of three things neceffary to conftitute a gentleman; and none but gentlemen were allowed to play on it. The king had his harper. They had other mufical inftruments, particularly the fmall pipe and bagpipe, the flute and tabor. The power of mufic is amafingly great. A king of Norway and his courtiers were, by the martial ftrains of a harper, roufed into fuch frantic rage, that, had they not been prevented, they would have fallen by mutual wounds *.

"The origin of drinking healths, is placed in the time of "the Anglo-Saxons. The old health, by hiftorians reported "to have been drank by Rowena, daughter or niece of Hen"gift, to Vortigern, king of the Britons, was after this fashion. "She came into the room, where the king and the guests "were fitting, and making a low obedience to him, she said, "Be of good health, lord king;" then having drank, the prefented it on her knees to the king, who, being told the meaning of what the faid, and the cuftom, took the cup, faying, "I drink your health," and drank also.

"Drunkenness was brought into Britain by the Danes, "who were fuch immoderate topers in the reign of Edgar; ❝ and so much did their bad example prevail with the English, "that he, by the advice of Dunftan, archbishop of Canterbury,

* Dr. Henry.

"put

<< put down many ale-houfes, fuffering only one to be in a vil"lage, or fmall town. And, he alfo farther ordained, that pins or nails fhould be faftened in drinking cups or horns, "at ftated diftances, and that whoever should drink beyond "these marks at one draught, should be obnoxious to fevere "punishment.

"The heroifm of the Danes was fullied with vanity, and "their diffipations were inactive. The Danish kings, and "heroes always carried a poet with them to battle, to immor"talize their prowefs; and they filled up their leisure hours "with chefs, dice, and backgammon. The laft game was "invented about this period in Wales, and derives its name "from back, little, and cammon, battle.

"As the English are compounded of different nations, fo "manly fortitude and valour are truly British; the Saxons "budded upon the original ftock, the gentler virtues; and "the Danes ingrafted cruelty, intemperance, and all the boi❝fterous paffions which agitate the moft violent tempers; fo "that the natives of this country derive intrepidity from the "Britons, politeness from the Saxons, and barbarity from the "Danes *."

In those days, an acre of land was estimated at one fhilling, a horfe at two fhillings, an ox at fix fhillings, a cow at four fhillings, and a fheep at one fhilling †.

Liberty was well understood and guarded by the Saxon inftitutions; and we owe to them at this day the most valuable privileges of the English subjects.

CHA P. LXXVIII.

William the Conqueror

Doomsday-Books-Origin of the

Wars between England and France-Murder of BecketHenry II. fubmits to be fcourged by Monks-Church plate melted down to pay Richard's ranfom.

IMMEDIATELY after the battle of Haftings, William

marched to London with the pope's banner displayed; the principal inhabitants met him at the gates, and offered him a crown which they could not keep from him. Crowned at Weftminster, in the prefence of many of the English and Norman nobility, William reduced the reft of the kingdom to