7 CHAP. birth. IV. dic, had obtained the Isle of Wight. After three elder sons, Osberga was delivered of Alfred, at Wantage, in Berkshire. She is highly extolled Alfred's for her piety and understanding; but the education 849. of Alfred must have lost the benefit of her talents, because his father married another lady before the sixth year of his childhood had expired. She is said to have given him to Swithin, the preceptor of his father, to be taught.9 The bishop may have nurtured or infused that habitual piety for which Alfred was remarkable; but was unquestionably unfit for the office of literary tutor, as Alfred passed his childhood without knowing how to read. THEIR Successes in France having enlarged the horizon of the Northmen's ambition, every new aggression on England became more formidable than the preceding. In 851, they first ventured to winter in the Isle of Thanet. 10 This was a new æra in their habits. Their ancient custom had been to pirate abroad in the summer, but to return with the autumn. But Ragnar's success in France had increased their daring, and enlarged their Oslac was 7 Asser de rebus gestis Ælfredi, p. 4. ed. Ox. 1722. alive at his grandson's birth, for he signed a charter as the ambassador of Ethelwulph, which the king of Mercia gave to Croyland in 851. Ingulf, p. 15. 8 Asser, p. 3., adds, that the country was called Berroc scire a berroc silva ubi buxus abundantissime nascitur. 9 Rudborne Hist. mag. p. 207. There is a beautiful MS. on St. Swithin, written by Lantfredus in the tenth century, in the British Museum. Bib. Reg. xv. c. 7. But it contains an account of his miracles only, to justify his canonisation in the reign of Edgar. One part is a curious Latin alphabetical or acrostic hymn. 10 Sax. Chron. 74. Asser, p. 5., places the winter residence in Shepey Isle; but the printed Chronicle dates their first wintering in Shepey in 854. The MSS. Sax. Chron. Tib. B. 4. has 855. IV. 852. BOOK views. They had now formed the daring project of remaining in the countries which they insulted. In the spring they attempted against the AngloSaxons the most serious invasion which England had yet experienced. Their numbers, perhaps the result of a confederation, were superior to any preceding attack. They entered the Thames with 350 ships, plundered Canterbury and London, and marched into Mercia. The names of all their chieftains are not mentioned; but as Ragnar Lodbrog was now in full activity, he may have led or aided the invaders. MERCIA had been governed by Withtlaf till 838. His son and wife reached the tomb before him, and he buried them by the side of Etheldritha, the daughter of Offa. She had sheltered him from the pursuit of Egbert, and his grateful feelings were so ardent, that when he heard of her death, his grief confined him to his bed, and it was with difficulty afterwards that he was withdrawn from her grave. His brother Bertulph succeeded, and signalised his reign by favouring the assassination of his brother's grandson; his own son was the murderer; love of power was the cause. Bertulph was king of Mercia, when the northern warriors entered his dominions"; he endeavoured to repel them, but was defeated. 12 THE Northmen after this victory turned southward and entered Surry. The West-Saxons collected under Ethelwulph and his son Ethelbald, and at Aclea, a field of oaks, the two nations met, 11 Ingulf, 11. Sax. Chron. 74. Mr. Hume erroneously says that Brichtric governed Mercia at this period, p. 71. 12 Sax. Chron. 74. Flor. Wig. 295. IV. and a battle ensued, which the desperate courage CHAP. of both armies made long and very deadly. It was not until the greatest part of the invaders had perished, that they lost their ground. The English at last triumphed; the battle was so destructive, that Asser, who lived in the period when the Northmen maintained the most furious contests, yet attests that so great a slaughter of the invaders had never been known before that day, or during his experience since. 13 THE Earl of Devonshire had already defeated them at Wenbury in that county, and Æthelstan, the subordinate king of Kent, with the earl Ealhere, had enjoyed a similar success at Sandwich, where nine of their ships were taken. 14 13 Asser, p. 6. Voltaire has strangely confounded this invasion with that against Ethelred, above a century later. He says, "On prétend qu'en 852, ils remontèrent la Tamise avec trois cens voiles. Les Anglais ne se défendèrent mieux que les Francs. Ils payèrent comme eux leurs vainqueurs. Un roi nommé Ethelbert suivit le malheureux exemple de Charles le chauve. Il donna de l'argent." Essai sur les Mœurs. Oeuvres completes, t. 16. p. 472. ed. 1785. In his previous paragraphs, he confounds the Britons with the English. "Les Anglais, -ils n'étaient échappés du joug des Romains que pour tomber sous celui de ces Saxons." Ibid. 14 Asser, p. 6. Sax. Chron. 74. There is some confusion about Ethelstan; by three authors (Hunting. 345., Mailros, 142., and Hoveden, 412.,) he is styled the brother of Ethelwulph. But Flor. Wig. 291., Ethelwerd, 841., Malmsbury, 37., and the printed Saxon Chronicle, make him the son. The MS. Saxon Chronicle, in the Cotton Library, Tib. B. 4., differs from the printed one, for it calls him the son of Egbert. It says, "feng Ethelpulf his sunu to West Seaxna pice; and Ethelstan his other sunu, feng to Cantpapa rice, and to Suthpizean, and to Suthpeaxna pice," p. 30. Matt. West. 301., and Rudborne, 201., make him Ethelwulph's illegitimate son. Asser's testimony, p. 6., would decide that he was the son of Ethelwulph; but that these descriptive words are wanting in the Cotton MSS. of his book. Bromton says, Ethelwulph had a son, Athelstan ; but that he died in annis adolescentiæ suæ, 802. Malmsbury states, that Ethelwulph gave to him the provinces which Egbert had conquered, 37. Ethelstan is mentioned by Fordun to have perished in a battle against the Picts, lib. iv. c. 14. p. 666. In 850 he signed a BOOK 853. 16 THE Mercian succession of sovereigns was now drawing to its close. Beortulf was succeeded in 852 by Burrhed the last king of Mercia, who in the next year requested the assistance of Ethelwulph against the Britons of Wales. 15 Burrhed had already fought a battle, in which Merfyn Frych the British king fell, and was succeeded by Roderic, who has obtained in Welsh history the epithet of Mawr, or the Great. But an epithet like this rather expresses the feelings of his countrymen, than the merit of his character. It may be just in provincial history as long as that exists in its local seclusion; but the force of the expression vanishes when the person it accompanies is brought forward into more general history in an enlightened age. He who was great in his little circle or ruder times, becomes then diminutive and obscure; and it is almost ludicrous to apply one of the most splendid symbols of recorded merit, to actions so inconsiderable, and to characters so ambiguous as a petty Welsh prince. The grand epithets of history should be reserved for those who can abide a comparison with the illustrious of every age, like the lofty mountains of nature, which, whether existing in Italy, in Tartary, or Chili, are admired for their sublimity by every spectator, and in every period. RODERIC endured the invasion of Ethelwulph and Burrhed, who penetrated with victorious ravages to Anglesey." Ethelwulph gave his daugh charter as king of Kent. Thorpe, Reg. Roff. p. 23. Dr. Whittaker supposes him to have been St. Neot, but this is rather a hazarded than an authorised conjecture. 15 Asser, 6. 16 Wynne's Hist. p. 27. 17 Wynne, 27. Asser, 7. Sax. Chron. 75. IV. ter Ethelswitha in marriage to the Mercian, and CHAP. the nuptial solemnities were celebrated royally at Chippenham. 18 THE vikingr appeared again in Thanet. Ealhere, with the armed men of Kent, and Huda, with those of Surry, overwhelmed the invaders with the first fury of their battle; but the conflict was obstinately renewed, the English chiefs fell, and after many of both armies had been slain or drowned, the pirates obtained the victory. "9 853. to Rome. In the fifth year of Alfred's age, his father, Alfred sent although he had three elder sons, seems to have formed an idea of making him his successor. This intention is inferred from the facts that Ethelwulph sent him at this time to Rome, with a great train of nobility and others; and that the pope anointed him king, at the request of his father. 20 It is expressly affirmed, that the Alfred better than his other sons. 21 When the again in king went to Rome himself two years afterwards, he took Alfred with him, because he loved him with superior affection." The presumption that king loved At Rome 18 Asser, 7. Matt. West. 305. Burrhed therefore became Alfred's brother-in-law. Voltaire calls him inaccurately his uncle. Burred son oncle, p. 473. Comme 19 Asser, 7. Ragnar's Quida mentions one of his exploits at an English promontory, where the English noble Walthiofr fell. See before, note 45. 20 So Florence, 296.; Sim. Dun. 139.; Rad. diceto. 450.; Chron. Mailros, 142.; Matt. West. 307.; and Cron. Joan. Taxton, MSS. Cotton. Lib. Julius, A. 1., affirm. As St. Neot the son or brother of Ethelwulph went, about this period, seven times to Rome, his journies or his advice may have had some connection with this project. 21 Cum communi et ingenti patris sui et matris amore supra omnes fratres suos. Asser, 15., Matt. West. 307., Sim. Dun. 141., Flor. Wig. 297., express the same fact. 22 Filium suum Elfredum iterum in eandem viam secum ducens eo quod, illum plus ceteris filiis suis diligebat. Asser, p. 8. 855. |