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effected among the other nations of the island. The Scots closed a long struggle by the total subjugation of the Picts, and thus laid the foundation of the North British monarchy. The lands occupied by the unconquered Britons beyond the Severn and the Wye had long been in a state of anarchy, there being as many kings as districts, but in the year 840, Roderic (afterwards known as the Great), the descendant of the last chief rulers of the northern and eastern districts, succeeded to power, and marrying the heiress of the south he brought the whole country under his hand. He, however, undid his own work by again dividing it among his three sons, giving Gwynneth (North Wales) to Anarawd, Dynevor (South Wales) to Cadel, and Powys (the eastern portion, then extending far into what is now reckoned England) to Mervin *. Roderic ordained that Gwynneth should be the paramount state, to which the others should pay tribute, but this arrangement did not long endure. Mervin being killed by the Northmen, Powys was seized by the ruler of Dynevor, and that state, under Howel Dda, about 910 became the chief kingdom.

A.D. 842. (circa). The Scots, under Kenneth II., subdue the Picts.

A.D. 845. The Northmen defeated at the mouth of the Parret by the bishop Ealstan of Sherborne and Osric the ealdorman.

Turgesius is killed in Ireland.

A.D. 851. The Northmen defeated in Devonshire; Athelstan also defeats them at sea, near Sandwich.

These princes and their successors are often styled in the Welsh Chronicles, from the names of their capitals, the kings of Aberfraw (in Anglesey), of Cardigan, and of Mathraval (near Meivod, in Montgomeryshire), in the same way as their contemporaries, the English kings, are called the kings of London. The South Wales state was the largest; but the greater part of its territory was held by the lords of Dyved (Pembroke), Morganwg (Glamorgan) and Gwent (the district on the Severn and Wye), who were only nominal dependants on the king of Cardigan.

"This year the heathen men, for the first time, remained over winter in Thanet.

"And the same year came 350 ships to the mouth of the Thames, and the crews landed and took Canterbury and London by storm, and put to flight Beorhtwulf, king of the Mercians, with his army, and then went south over the Thames into Surrey; and there King Ethelwulf and his son Ethelbald, with the army of the West Saxons, fought against them at Ockley, and there made the greatest slaughter among the heathen army that we have heard tell of unto the present day, and there got the victory."

Athelstan of Kent dies.

ANLAF THE WHITE attempts in vain to levy tribute on the Northmen in Ireland.

A.D. 852. Beorhtwulf of Mercia dies; Burgred succeeds.

A.D. 853 or 854. Ethelwulf assists the Mercians against the North Welsh.

The Northmen in Thanet unsuccessfully attacked by Ealhere and Huda, the ealdormen of Kent and Surrey, who are both killed.

wulf.

Burgred marries Athelswith, the daughter of Ethel

A.D. 855. "This year the heathen men, for the first time, remained over winter in Shepey.”

"King Ethelwulf gave by charter the tenth part of his land throughout his realm for the glory of God and his own eternal salvation". And the same year he went

The same name as Olaf or Olaus. It was very common in the North, and for that reason great confusion has hitherto prevailed concerning several of the Northman invaders of Britain and Ireland. The researches of the Rev. Dr. Todd, in his translation of the Wars of the Gael, have however thrown much light on the subject, and Anlafs who lived a century apart from each other need no longer be confounded.

This grant, which is only to be taken as a proof of the personal piety of Ethelwulf, in bestowing a tenth of his private estate on the Church, is often incorrectly spoken of as if it were the origin of tithes in England. See notice of Anglo-Saxon Laws.

to Rome in great state, and dwelt there twelve months, and then returned homewards."

A.D. 856. Ethelwulf marries Judith, daughter of Charles, king of the Franks (Charles the Bald), Oct. 1.

Anlaf establishes his supremacy, and is styled king of Dublin.

A.D. 857. Ethelwulf parts his kingdom with his son. A.D. 858. Ethelwulf dies, January 13, and is buried at Winchester.

ETHELBALD AND ETHELBERT.

THE two elder sons of Ethelwulf shared his dominions between them. Ethelbald, who only survived two years, is chiefly remarkable for his incestuous marriage with Judith, his father's widow, by whom, however, he left no issue. Ethelbert contended vigorously with the Northmen until his death in 866, and left two sons: Ethelwald, who afterwards by leaguing with the invaders made himself for a short time king in Northumbria"; and Adhelm, of the events of whose life no record has been preserved.

A.D. 858. Ethelbald succeeds in Wessex, and Ethelbert in the rest of Ethelwulf's dominions.

A.D. 860. Ethelbald dies, and is buried at Sherborne ; "and Ethelbert succeeded to all the realm of his brother, and he held it in godly concord and in great tranquillity." The Northmen storm Winchester, but are shortly after defeated.

A.D. 864. The Northmen again winter in Thanet.
A.D. 865. Kent ravaged by the Northmen.

Anlaf ravages the west of Scotland.

A.D. 866. Ethelbert dies early in the year, and is buried at Sherborne. Ethelred succeeds.

n See A.D. 901, 904, 905.

ETHELRED.

ETHELRED, the third son of Ethelwulf, succeeded, to the prejudice of his brother's children, but this was not contrary to the practice of early ages in regard to minors. He fought nine battles with various success against the Northmen, and died shortly after Easter, 871. His brother Alfred was appointed to succeed him, as he left only young children, from one of whom Ethelwerd the historian traced his descent.

A.D. 866. Anlaf joins the Northmen in East Anglia; they make a truce with the people, and obtain horses from them.

A.D. 867. The Northmen pass from East Anglia, and capture York. The Northumbrians, who had expelled Osbert and chosen a king, Ella, not of the royal blood, attempt to drive them from York, but are defeated. Osbert and Ella are both slain, and a truce is made.

A.D. 868. The Northmen pass into Mercia, and possess themselves of Nottingham, where they are ineffectually besieged by Ethelred and his brother Alfred; the Mercians at length make a truce with them.

Anlaf returns to Ireland, and burns Armagh.

A.D. 869. The Northmen retire to York, and remain there during the year.

A.D. 870. The Northmen pass again into East Anglia, and take up their winter quarters at Thetford.

"And the same winter King Edmund fought against

• The tributary king of East Anglia. He began his reign over the East Angles in 855, and is described by Simeon of Durham as a just and holy man. Having been defeated by the pagans, and captured, he was offered his life on condition of apostacy, but firmly refusing, he was first cruelly scourged, then pierced with arrows, and his head being stricken off was

them, and the Danes got the victory and slew the king, [Nov. 20,] and subdued all the land, and destroyed all the minsters which they came to. The names of their chiefs who slew the king were Ingwair and Ubba. At that same time they came to Medeshamstede (Peterborough), and burned and beat it down, slew abbots and monks, and all that they found there; and that place, which before was full rich, they reduced to nothing."

Ethelred, archbishop of Canterbury, endeavours to expel the secular priests from his cathedral.

Anlaf again invades Scotland, where he captures Alcluid (Dumbarton).

A.D. 871. The Northmen pass into Wessex. They are defeated at Englefield, but gain the victory three days later at Reading. They are defeated four days after at Ashdown, in Berkshire, and fourteen days after are victorious at Basing. "About two months after this, King Ethelred and Alfred his brother fought against the army at Meretun (probably Marden, Wiltshire) and they were in two bodies, and they put both to flight, and during a great part of the day were victorious, and there was great slaughter on either hand; but the Danes had possession of the place of carnage; and there Bishop Heahmund (of Sherborne) was slain, and many good men."

Ethelred, being mortally wounded in the battle, dies,

cast into a thicket. Hence he was reverenced as a saint and martyr, and is still retained in the Church Calendar. The ancient service contains the following legend of the discovery of his remains. A party of his friends having ventured in search of them, "they went seeking all together, and constantly calling, as is the wont of those who oft go into woods, 'Where art thou, comrade?' and to them answered the head, 'Here, here, here.' They all were answered as often as any of them called, until they all came through the calling to it. There lay the gray wolf that guarded the head, and with his two feet had the head embraced, greedy and hungry, and for God durst not taste the head, and held it against wild beasts. were they astonished at the wolf's guardianship, and carried the holy head home, thanking the Almighty for all His wonders. But the wolf followed forth with the head until they came to the town, as if he were tame, and after that turned into the woods again.' The remains were interred at the place, since called in consequence, Rury St. Edmund's, and many churches still exist dedicated to St. Edmund, king and martyr.

Then

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