able to expel them. After a time, Anlaf the White, a Dane, who arrived with a powerful fleet at Dublin, was acknowledged as chief by all the Ostmen. He so firmly established their power, that from that period to the time of the English conquest, not only from Irish authorities, but by their coins, a constant succession of Danish kings can be traced in Dublin, and for a great part of the time also in Waterford, Cork, and Limerick. They eventually became Christian, and had bishops of their own, who received consecration at Canterbury, while the native Irish prelates acknowledged the supremacy of the archbishop of Armagh.

The Ostman settlements are still the most important and commercial cities of Ireland, and indeed they would seem to have been selected quite as much with mercantile as political views. Each "kingdom" appears to have consisted in reality of but a single strongly fortified town and a small surrounding district, and its power was chiefly maritime; but from being better furnished with ships and arms, and more skilled in their use, its people possessed a preponderating influence over the adjacent country somewhat similar to that of European colonies in the East in more recent times.

A.D. 796. Edbert, surnamed Præn", becomes king in Kent. Ethelred of Northumbria is killed by Wada and others, April 19. EARDWULF succeeds to the kingdom, May 14; is crowned at York, May 26.

Patrick was consecrated to Dublin in 1074 by Lanfranc, as was his successor Donagh in 1085. The consecrations of Samuel of Dublin (1096), Malchus of Waterford (1096), Gregory of Dublin (1121), and Patrick of Limerick (1140), all took place at Canterbury before the invasion of Ireland by De Clare and his associates.

b A priest. He had been ordained, but being of the royal blood, was chosen to succeed on the death of Ealhmund, whose son Egbert had been driven into exile by Brihtric.

In the interval, Osbald, a noble, had usurped the throne, but after a reign of 27 days he was driven out, and obliged to submit to the tonsure.

Offa of Mercia dies, July 29.

Egferth, his successor,

dies shortly after.

CYNULF becomes king.

A.D. 797. Siric, tributary king of East Anglia, goes to Rome.

A.D. 798. Cynulf ravages Kent; he takes Præn prisoner, and multilates him.

Wada, having rebelled against Eardwulf, is defeated and put to flight at Hwealleage or Billingahoth (Whalley, in Lancashire,) April 2.

London burnt.

Man and the Hebrides ravaged by the Northmen. A.D. 800. The Empire of the West re-established by the coronation of Charlemagne, Dec. 25.

A.D. 802. Brihtric of Wessex diesa; Egbert is chosen to succeed him.

EGBERT.

EGBERT, the fourth in descent from Ingils, brother of Ina, and the son of Ealhmund, sub-king of Kent, being banished by Brihtric, sought refuge at the court of Charlemagne, and was in his company at Rome when the French king received the dignity of emperor of the West. On the death of Brihtric, Egbert was recalled to Wessex, and ascended the throne. He warred successfully with the Britons, and thus increased the power of his kingdom while the other Saxon states were falling into ruin from their ceaseless dissensions. At length in 821 he commenced a formal course of conquest, which in the course of a few years made him sole monarch, when he granted Kent to his son Ethelwulf, but allowed the more remote states of Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria to be ruled by tributary kings.

He was poisoned by his wife Edburga. She retired first to France, then to Italy, and died miserably at Pavia.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 819; but there seems reason to believe that there is an error of two or three years in some of its entries about this time.

This change being accomplished in the year 828, the ancient title of "Bretwalda " seems to have been revived, but Egbert dates the years of his ducatus from 816. He married Redburga, a lady whose parentage is not ascertained, and left by her,-Ethelwulf, his successor in the monarchy; Athelstan, who is styled king of Kent; and Ethelbald. Egbert died most probably in the year 839, but different MSS. of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ascribe the length of 36, 37, and 38 years to his reign.

The arms "Azure, a cross patonce or," have been ascribed to Egbert; but it is now generally agreed that any thing resembling personal heraldic bearings was un known till the twelfth century.

A.D. 802. The Hwiccians, a people of Mercia, invade Wessex, but are defeated by the men of Wiltshire at Kempsford.

A.D. 807. Cuthred of Kent dies.

A.D. 808. Eardwulf of Northumbria, driven from his kingdom, retires to the court of Charlemagne.

The Northmen plunder Hii, and murder the monks. They repair to Ireland the next year, and advance far inland, plundering the churches and monasteries.

A.D. 815. "Egbert laid waste West Wales (Devon and Cornwall) from eastward to westward."

A.D. 817. The English school at Rome burnt.

A.D. 821. Cenwulf of Mercia dies.

Ceolwulf succeeds.

A.D. 823. Ceolwulf of Mercia deprived of his kingdom. Beornwulf succeeds.

A.D. 825. Egbert defeats Beornwulf of Mercia at Ellendune (near Wilton).

f Inhabiting the modern counties of Gloucester and Monmouth. This served not only as a school, but as a place of entertainment for the English pilgrims; it was situate near St. Peter's, but had its own church, dedicated to St. Mary.

Ethelwulf, son of Egbert, drives Baldred of Kent beyond the Thames.

A.D. 826. "The men of Kent, and the men of Surrey, and the South Saxons and the East Saxons, submitted to Egbert; for formerly they had been unjustly forced from him. And the same year the king of the East Angles and the people sought the alliance and protection of King Egbert for dread of the Mercians; and the same year the East Angles slew Beornwulf, king of Mercia."

A.D. 828. Ludeca of Mercia is slain. Wiglaf succeeds.

“King Egbert conquered the kingdom of the Mercians, and all that was south of the Humber; and he was the eighth king who was Bretwalda .... And Egbert led an army to Dore (near Dronfield, Derbyshire,) against the Northumbrians, and there they offered him obedience and allegiance, and with that they separated." A.D. 830. Wiglaf re-obtains Mercia, as a tributary to Egbert.

Egbert makes war successfully on the North Welsh. A Northman, called Turgesius (probably Thorkill), comes to Ireland. He conquers both the natives and the Strangers, and establishes himself at Armagh 1, where he endeavours to introduce paganism.

A.D. 832. The Northmen ravage Shepey.

A.D. 836. The Northmen defeat Egbert at Carrum (Charmouth in Dorsetshire).

A.D. 837. The Northmen unite with the West Welsh (the Britons in Cornwall and Devon), but are defeated at Hengestdown, in Cornwall, by Egbert.

A.D. 838 (circa). The Northmen establish themselves in Dublin.

A.D. 839. Egbert dies. Ethelwulf succeeds.

h Armagh was then, as it is now, the ecclesiastical metropolis of Ireland.

ETHELWULF.

ETHELWULF is said, though on very doubtful authority, to have been designed for the Church, but at his father's death he succeeded to the kingdom, and granted the administration of the southern and eastern portions to his brother Athelstan. Ethelwulf's reign is chiefly remarkable for the ceaseless ravages of the Northmen, and his own journey to Rome, and liberal benefactions to the Church. By his first wife, Osburga, the daughter of Oslac, of the stem of Cerdic, he left four sons, who all became kings, and two daughters. His second mar-. riage, and the coronation of his young queen, Judith, gave deep offence to his subjects, and he was obliged to cede the greater part of his dominions to his eldest Ethelwulf died shortly after, and was buried at

son.

Winchesteri.

A.D. 839. ATHELSTAN, brother of Ethelwulf, rules the country of Sussex, Surrey, Kent, and Essex.

"This year there was great slaughter at London, and at Cwantawic (probably Canterbury) and Rochester."

The Northmen defeated at Southampton; they are successful at Portland.

A.D. 840. Wiglaf of Mercia dies. Beorhtwulf succeeds. Kent, East Anglia, and Lincolnshire ravaged by the Northmen.

Ethelwulf defeated at Carrum (Charmouth) by the Northmen.

SCOTLAND AND WALES.

ABOUT the time that the states of the Heptarchy were brought under one head by Egbert, similar changes were

In the medal room of the British Museum is preserved an interesting memento of this king. It is a gold ring bearing his name, and having the cavities filled with a bluish-black enamel. It was found in a cartrut in the parish of Laverstock, in Hampshire, and its weight is 11 dwts. 14 grains.