288. Carausius (a Gaul) assumes the purple in Britain: he maintained his power seven years; and was then

slain.

314. British Bishops were present at the council of Arles, in France.

368. The Saxons attack Britain; are defeated by Theodosius. 383-388. Maximus, a Spaniard, revolted; was appointed emperor by the legions and Britons: he was defeated and beheaded at Aquileia.

409-449. Britain separated itself from the Roman empire. The Britons expelled the Roman magistrates, and established a free government. During a period of forty years, the island was ruled by the authority of the clergy, nobles, and municipal towns. It was divided into about thirty independent republics or states, each governed by native officers. The ecclesiastical concerns were regulated by a bishop in each state. There were civil wars, and these produced a cluster of regal chiefs.—The great affliction of Britain was the numerous petty sovereignties into which it had been divided after the departure of the Romans, about A.D. 406.

2. The Saxons, &c.

449. The arrival of Hengist and Horsa.-The king Vortigern and British chiefs agree to employ them against their Irish and Scottish enemies.-There was no union among the Britons: they could make no successful opposition to the invaders, who soon increased in numbers. We only point out the formation of what is called the Saxon Heptarchy (or Octarchy.)

457. I. Kingdom of Kent. Hengist; Jutes.-It comprehended Kent and the Isle of Wight.

477. II. Kingdom of Sussex, or South-Saxons. Sussex.-It was never formidable, and is not much mentioned. 495. III. Kingdom of Wessex, or West-Saxons: Cerdic.-He reigned from 519: and his great antagonist was the celebrated Arthur.-This kingdom comprehended Surrey, Hampshire, Berks, Wilts, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and part of Cornwall.-It finally absorbed the rest.

527. IV. The Angle kingdom of East-Anglia: Uffa.-Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, Isle of Ely, part of Bedfordshire. 530. V. The Saxon kingdom of Essex, or East-Saxons: Erkinwin. It made no great figure in the Heptarchy.

It comprehended Essex, Middlesex, and part of Hertfordshire.

547. VI. The Angle kingdom of the Bernicians, (Northumbria,) Ida. -The bard Taliesin now flourished: he fought against Ida.-It comprehended Northumberland, and the South of Scotland, between the Tweed and the firth of Forth.

560. VII. The Angle kingdom of the Deiri; (Northumbria ;) Ella.—It comprehended Lancaster, York, Westmoreland, Cumberland, Durham.

586. VIII. The Angle kingdom of the Mercians: Crida.-His grandson Penda is said to have separated it from the northern Angles. Mercia contained; N., Chester, Derby, Nottingham, Lincoln. W., Shropshire, Herefordshire. S., Gloucester, Oxford, Bucks. E., Northampton, Leicester, part of Herts, Bedford, Huntingdon, Rutland. Central, Worcester, Warwick,

Stafford.

From 449 to 626, more than a century and a half is taken up in the formation of these petty kingdoms; a period full of strife and sanguinary conflicts with the Welsh. The AngloSaxons were soon for the most part masters: and we might

relate their wars with the Welsh, and more especially with each other: but it must here suffice to mention a few miscellaneous particulars, during a period of 200 years, until they are called upon to contend with powerful invaders, 836.

596. Augustine and forty monks introduce Christianity into Kent.

604. Mellitus and Justus teach it in Essex.

607, or 612. The monks of Bangor are slain, and Bangor demolished.

625. Christianity was introduced into Northumbria. Edwin; Paulinus; Coifi.

627-655. The reign of Penda, a warlike tyrant, in Mercia. His death led to the conversion of Mercia to Christianity.

684. Eegfrid of Northumbria invaded Ireland, but soon left it. Ireland was at this time conspicuous for the literature of some of its monastic seminaries.

684-728. Alfred of Northumbria; the first literary king among the Anglo-Saxons.

688. Ina, king of Wessex. Much of his fame has been gained by his legislation. He published a collection of

laws which yet remains. He rebuilt the abbey of Glastonbury reigned thirty-seven years; resigned his crown; went to Rome; founded an English college there; &c.

735. The venerable Bede died.

755-777. Offa, king of Mercia; an able and warlike sovereign. He is distinguished for commencing an intercourse with the continent. He had a correspondence with Charlemagne, which does credit to both. Wars with the Britons: Offa's Dyke: murder of Ethelbert: East Anglia added to his dominions : sunk into his grave after two years embittered by

remorse.

787. The Danes first landed in England.-In Eadburga, daughter of Offa, and wife of Brihtric, king of Wessex, (who poisoned several persons, and also her her own husband,) we have a most painful instance of monstrous wickedness. At last she begged her bread at Pavia, and "closed an abandoned life by a deplorable death.”

800-836. Egbert, king of Wessex.-It has been remarked, that "the Octarchy, amidst all its vicissitudes, presented, in one province or another, an uninterrupted succession of great men. From Hengist to Egbert, talents were never wanting on some of the AngloSaxon thrones. The direction of the Royal capacity varied: valour, military conduct, piety, learning, or legislative wisdom: and thus as a nation they went on rapidly improving in civilisation and power." At the period of Egbert's accession, the island was fast verging to a Triarchy; Mercia, Northumberland, and Wessex.-Egbert may be regarded as a pupil of Charlemagne, with whom he was after 787, and who educated him to the arts of empire.-In 813 he defeated the Western Britons; in 823 he subdued Kent; in 825 Mercia; in 827 Northumbria; and in 828 he overran Wales,

836 Egbert died, after having made all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms subject to his own.

3. (i.) The Danes.

832, 33, and 35. The Danes invaded England: in 835 the king of Wessex defeated the combined forces (Danes and Cornish Britons) with great slaughter.

836-856. Ethelwulph, son of Egbert. His mind was weak, indolent, mild. Swithin, a prior of the monastery at

Winchester, was his preceptor.

Ethelwulph married

Osberga, daughter of Oslac, the king's cup bearer.

849. Alfred born at Wantage in Berkshire.

852. The Danes plunder Canterbury; London; invade Mercia. 856. Ethelwulph married Judith, daughter of Charles the Bald of France: she began the instruction of Alfred.Ethelwulph was deposed by Alstan and others.

856-860. Ethelbald. 860-866. Ethelbert. 866-871. Ethelred, Alfred's elder brothers. Between 862 and 867, when Ella usurped the Northumbrian crown, died Ragnar Lodbrog, a Norwegian. He had been conquered and taken prisoner by Ella, and doomed to "perish with lingering pain in a dungeon, stung by venomous snakes." He left a numerous posterity. who avenged his cruel death.

866-871. The various conquests and ravages of the Danes. 867. Alfred marries Ealswitha, daughter of a Mercian noble

man.

871. Alfred raised to the throne.

874. The Danes enter into Mercia, and winter at Repton in Derbyshire, where "they destroyed the celebrated monastery, the sacred mausoleum of all the Mercian kings."—Burrhed, king of Mercia, went to Rome, and soon died there.—The Danes gave the Mercian crown to Ceolwulf, an officer of Burrhed's court: he soon perished miserably: with him ended the Octarchy: England was divided between two powers, the WestSaxon and Northmen.

876. A second peace.-Ingwar, a son of Ragnar, assumes the sceptre of Northumbria.

877. Alfred's naval success.

878. His flight or retreat.-- His

return. Battle of Ethandune: Alfred victorious.

He resigns to Godrun and his followers, East-Anglia. 893-897. Alfred's wars with Hastings, a veteran Northman