away by night, and ravaged all the eastern coast. For according to the Chroniclers, the faithless traitors knew that they should get more by plunder than the natives had promised them, as was afterwards proved by the event; for they returned with a considerable booty to their ships. Ethelbert died in the early part of 866, leaving the throne to his next brother Ethelred, together with a load of troubles, from the invasions of the Danes, which seemed now to menace the destruction of the monarchy, and the entire subjugation of the country.

4 Simeon of Durham.

Roger de Wendover. Malmesbury alone tells us, that the English, seeing the faithlessness of the Danes, assembled an army, and drove them out of the country.

CHAP. VII.

ETHELBERT SUCCEEDS TO THE THRONE-OSBERT KING OF NORTHUMBERLAND-HIS INSULT TO THE WIFE OF BRUERN, WHO FLEES TO DENMARK-ELLA IS MADE KING OF NORTHUMBERLAND-EDMUND KING OF EAST-ANGLIA-LEGEND OF REGNER LODBROC.

THE reign of Ethelred began under less favourable auspices than that of the two preceding kings his brothers but our narrative must leave for a while the kingdom of the West-Saxons, to notice events which occurred in other parts of the Heptarchy, and which were of no small importance, because they led to disasters and sufferings that were felt by all the inhabitants of Britain. It will be remembered that after the battle of Ellandune, king Egbert, following up the tide of victory, received the submission of the Kentish, EastSaxon, and South-Saxon kingdoms, and that these countries were afterwards formed into a subordinate

monarchy for his children. They never regained independence, and, at the death of Ethelbald, became finally merged in the kingdom of Wessex.

Mercia enjoyed a more happy fate under its king Burrhed, who had married Ethelswitha the daughter of Ethelwolf. Its central position, which had formerly exposed it to continual wars, was now a sort of protection from the inroads of an enemy, who made their approaches only by sea. Burrhed was, however, the last lawful king of Mercia, and his territories were

overrun, like those of the other kings, his neighbours, by the common enemy, as we shall hereafter relate.

But whilst the southern states of the Heptarchy, though harassed by a foreign enemy, nevertheless appear at this time to have enjoyed internal tranquillity, Northumberland alone suffered from intestine discords though as yet almost untouched by the Danes. In 862, when Ethelbert was king of Wessex, Osbert was king of Northumberland. He lost his throne, like the Roman Tarquin, by an injury done to a noble lady, which though not alluded to by the contemporary writers, has been related by later historians, and by no means appears to bear an improbable or legendary character. The following account of it is given in the words of John Brompton, abbat of Jorvaulx, who lived about the year 1200, and has left valuable extracts from earlier Chroniclers, some of which are now lost.

King Osbert, during a residence at York, went out one day to hunt in a forest not far distant from the city, and on his return called at the house of Bruern Brocard, one of his principal nobles, to refresh himself, after the fatigues of the day. Bruern, knowing nothing of the king's coming, was gone down to the sea-side to secure the coast against pirates: and his wife, who was a lady of incomparable beauty, and adorned with all the accomplishments which belong to her sex, entertained the king at dinner with due hospitality and splendour. Osbert was charmed with her beauty and her behaviour: as soon as dinner was over, he pretended some secret business of great importance, and, attended to the door by some of his own servants, who were privy to his design, he led her to a private apartment, where he treated her with violence, and committed a shameful breach of the faith which had been reposed

in him. Having thus had his will, he returned to York, whilst the lady, whom he had abused, lamented so bitterly, that her face was sore with weeping. Her husband, upon his return, asked the cause of so sudden a change, and such unusual sadness: upon which she told him all that had happened to her by the violence of the king. When she had finished the story, her husband comforted her, and bade her not to afflict herself, since she could not possibly have resisted so strong a man, and he assured her, that because she had told him the truth, he would not love her less than he had done before; and, by God's good pleasure, would revenge both himself and her for the wrong which had been done them. Immediately after this he sent for all his relations and friends, to whom he revealed the affront which had been put upon him, and his intention to take speedy vengeance for the same. To this they all consented, and approving his design, took horse, and rode with him to York. The king, when he saw him, invited him in civil terms to draw near; but Bruern, having all his relations at his back, defied the king, and renounced his allegiance, giving up all his lands and whatever else he held of him. This done, without any more words, Bruern withdrew, making no stay at all at court. Taking leave of his friends, he sailed straightway into Denmark, where he made a complaint to Codrin, king of the country, of the affront offered to him and his wife by Osbert, and desired his speedy succour, that he might be in a condition to take vengeance for the injury. Codrin and the Danes were rejoiced at this event, which gave them a sufficient excuse to invade England, that they might avenge the

• This name is clearly a corruption or Latinism for Guthrum, a well-known Danish king.

wrongs blood."

of Bruern, who was descended from their

In what way the Danish king proceeded to invade England and punish the Northumbrian king, will be presently shewn: but in the mean time, the friends of the injured man had amply avenged the wrong done to their kinsman. Osbert was driven from the throne, `and Ella substituted in his stead".

The new king was not, however, of royal blood, and his subjects were soon discontented with his rule. A party of them soon recalled Osbert; a civil war commenced between the two kings, and was only interrupted by the approach of the formidable enemy which was to crush both of them.

Whilst these events passed in the other kingdoms of the Heptarchy, East-Anglia, saved from subjection to the Mercians by the victory of Egbert at Ellandune, is almost lost to our sight for more than thirty years, until the time of King Edmund, who reigned from 855 to 869. To him also is attached a tale, more legendary than that of Bruern, and less worthy to be credited, both because it is tinctured with the marvel

The six earlier authorities, Sax. Ch., Asser, &c. notice the quarrel between Osbert and Ella, but they seem to have been ignorant of the story of Bruern Bocard, (otherwise called Biorn Butsekarl). They relate the event retrospectively under the year 867, but 863 is the generally received date of Ella's accession. See "Geffrei Gaimar, v. 2591 sq. Douglas of Glastonbury, MS. Hamb. Brompton, pp. 802, 809. Hector Boethii Hist. Scot. A nearly similar adventure of king Ælle with Ernulf, a rich merchant of York, surnamed the sea-farer, and his beautiful wife at Beckwith, is related by the editor of Gaimar, from a MS. of the 12th century, (C. C. C. C, No. cxxxix.) as the cause of the coming of Ivar and Ubba. See Corpus Hist. p. 795." Thorpe, note to Lappenberg, vol. ii.

P. 32.