History of England
History of England

Geography, Government & Pre-Norman History
Solar System
Solar System
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THE HISTORY

OF THE

PRESENT STATE OF ENGLAND.

[This chapter should more properly be called Geography and Government of England, and pre-Norman History.]


Its Situation.

SOUTH-BRITAIN, that is, properly speaking, ENGLAND and WALES, is situate in the Atlantic Ocean, between two degrees east, and six degrees odd minutes western longitude, and between 49 degrees 55 minutes, and 55 degrees 55 minutes north latitude; and being of a triangular figure, is bounded by Scotland on the north; the German sea, which separates it from Germany and the Netherlands, on the east; by the English Channel, which divides it from France, on the south; and by St. George's Channel, which separates it from Ireland, on the west.  It is 525 statute miles in length on its west side, 345 on its east side, and 340 on its south side, nearly in straight lines; and about 100 only across the north.

Its Air.]  Is much warmer here than in the Netherlands and Germany, tho' under the same parallel; and, unless in the fens and marshy grounds, it is for the most part very healthy.

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There are very few mountains; the highest hills, however, are in Wales, and in the west and north of England.  The rest of the country consists of moderate hills and vallies [sic], woodlands, pasture and meadow grounds; extensive corn fields, and plains which feed numberless flocks of sheep, horses, and other cattle. -- Though the largest oxen, horses, and sheep, are to be met with in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire; yet the finest breed of horses for running and hunting are produced in Yorkshire.  And besides there are a great number of royal forests, chaces [the FreeDictionary gives this as "a privately owned, unenclosed game preserve" - usually spelled "chase"], and parks, which afford plenty of deer and other game.

Its Soil.]  Is either clay, or gravel, or sand; the clays produce excellent wheat and beans; the gravel and sand, rye, barley, peas, and oats; and of late years the light lands have been improved, and rendered as valuable as the clays, by sowing them with turnips, clover, saintfoin [a leguminous plant (Onobrychis sativa) cultivated for fodder], &c. but more particularly in wet years; a wet season, however, by no means agrees with the clay.  In such years, for the most part, there is a great scarcity of wheat; but then, to compensate for that deficiency, there is a plenty of pasture and other grain.

Its Trees.]  The timber that grows in England is oak, ash, elm, beech, and hornbeam.  The walnut-tree is particularly used in cabinets, and other curiosities of the like nature.  But besides these,  there are a great number of other trees, which, though they do not fall, indeed , under the denomination of

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timber, serve for shade, ornament, and inferior uses. 

In Kent there are extensive orchards, the trees whereof produce abundance of cherries.  In Devonshire and Herefordshire likewise are vast quantities of apple-trees, the produce whereof makes far better cider than any other county whatever can boast of.

Its Plantations.]  In Kent, as well as Worcestershire, Surrey, &c. are large plantations of hops; and in divers other counties, of flax and hemp.

In Essex and Cambridgeshire are large plantations of saffron; and in Bedfordshire there are large fields of woad or wad [obsolete word for 'woad'], for the use of dyers.

Its Rivers.]  Its principal rivers are, 1. The Thames, 2. The Medway.  3. The Trent.   And, 4. The Severn.

The Thames, on which the two cities of London and Oxford stand, runs generally from west to east.  This river is navigable for ships as high as London, which is one of the largest ports in the world.

The Medway unites with the Thames near its mouth, and receives the largest men of war as high as Chatham; where, if we except our own arsenals at Portsmouth and Plymouth, are the finest docks, yards, and magazines of naval stores, in Europe.

The Trent runs from the south-west to the north-east across England, and divides it into north and south.  When united with other

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streams near its mouth, it is called the Humber, which discharges itself into the German ocean.

The Severn rises from North Wales, and, running for the most part south, falls into the Irish sea.  On this river stand the two cities of Worcester and Gloucester.

Its Contents.]  In England and Wales there are 52 counties, 2 archbishoprics, 24 bishoprics, 2 universities, 29 cities, upwards of 800 towns, and near 10,000 parishes; in which are about seven millions of people.

There are scarce any manufactures in Europe which are not brought to great perfection in England.

Its Constitution.]  England is a limited monarchy; the power of making and altering laws, and raising taxes, being lodged in the King, Lords, and Commons.

Its Administration of Justice.]  This is the business of the courts in Westminster-hall, viz. the Court of Chancery, the Courts of King's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer; the courts of the respective corporations, the sheriffs, and other inferior courts; the last resort, in all civil cases, being to the House of Peers.

Its Ecclesiastical Government.]  Is in the archbishops and bishops, who administer justice in their respective courts by their chancellors, officials, archdeacons, and other officers.

Of the Convocation.]  Whenever a parliament is called, the King always convokes a national synod of the clergy, to consider of the state of the church.

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The clergy of the province of Canterbury, of the generality, assemble in St. Paul's cathedral, in London, and from thence adjourn to the chapter-house, or Westminster.

In this province there are two houses, the upper and the lower; the former consists of 22 bishops, of whom the archbishop is president; the latter consists of all the deans, archdeacons, the proctors of every chapter, and two proctors for the clergy of each diocese; in all 166.

The archbishop of York may hold a convocation of his clergy at the same time; but neither the one nor the other has been suffered to enter upon business for many years, though they are always regularly summoned to meet with every parliament, being looked upon as an essential part of the constitution.

Of the Parliament.]  Every parliament is summoned by the King's writs to meet forty-eight days before they assemble.  A writ is directed to every particular lord, spiritual and temporal, commanding him to appear at a certain time and place, to treat and advise of certain weighty affairs relating both to church and state.

Writs also are sent to the sheriff of every county to summon those who have a right to vote for representatives, to elect two knights for each county, two citizens for each city, and one or two burgesses for each borough.

Every candidate for a county ought to be possessed of an estate of 600l. per annum; and every candidate for a city, or corporation, of 300l. per annum.

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The Lord Chancellor, or keeper for the time being, is always Speaker in the House of Peers; but the Commons elect their Speaker, who must be approved by the King.

No Roman Catholic can sit in either house; nor any member vote till he has taken the oaths to the government.


The ancient STATE of ENGLAND.

Having thus given our young readers a transient idea of the present state of South-Britain; we shall now proceed to give a succinct account of the ancient state of England, which, in regard to its constitution, was originally a monarchy, under the primitive Britons; after that, a province, subordinate to the Romans; then an heptarchical government under the Saxons; then again a kingdom in subjection to the Danes; next after them, under the power and dominion of the Normans; but at present, (after all the before-mentioned revolutions,) a monarchy again under the English; of all which we shall treat, as briefly as possible, in their proper order.

The whole island was anciently called Albion, which seems to have been softened from the word Alpion; because the word Alp, in some of the original western languages, generally signifies high lands, or hills, as this isle appears to those who approach it from the Continent.  It was likewise called Olbion,

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which, in the Greek language, signifies happy; but of those times there is no certainty in history, more than that it had the denomination, and was very little known by the rest of the world. [Wikipedia states that the name is perhaps of Celtic origin or older, associating it with the Proto-Indo-European root meaning both "white" and "mountain".]

As the name of Britain, however, excepting that of Albion, or Olbion, just before mentioned, has been liable to as many derivations as the origin of the Britons; we shall content ourselves (for brevity's sake) with the following extract from Camden, who has given (in our humble opinion at least) the best and most natural derivation of the term.

"The ancient Britons (says he) painted their naked bodies and small shields with woad of an azure-blue colour, which by them was called Brith; on this account the inhabitants received the common appellation from the strangers who came into the island to traffic from the coasts of Gaul, or Germany; to which the Greeks, by adding the word tania, or country, formed the word Britannia, or the country of the painted men, and the Romans afterwards called it Britannia."

Here it may be observed, that the Romans were extremely fond of giving their own terminations to many uncivilized countries, and of forming easy and pleasant sounds out of the harshest and most offensive, to such elegant tongues and ears as their own. [Wikipedia states that Britannia is from the P-Celtic name for the Picts (the "painted people"): Prydyn.]

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Their GOVERNMENT.

Their government, like that of the ancient Gauls, consisted of several small nations, under divers petty Princes, apparently the original governments of the world, deduced from the natural force and right of paternal dominion; such were the hords [sic] among the Goths, the clans in Scotland, and the septs in Ireland: but whether these small British principalities descended by succession, or were elected according to merit, is uncertain.

Their language and customs were, for the most part, the same with those of the Gauls before the Roman conquests in that province; but they were entirely governed in their religion and laws by their Druids, Bards, and Eubates.

Their Druids were held in such high veneration by the people, that their authority was almost absolute.  No public affairs were transacted without their approbation; nor could any malefactor (though his crimes were ever so heinous) be put to death without their consent.

Their Bardi, or Bards, were priests of an inferior order of their Druids; their principal business being to celebrate the praises of their heroes in verses and songs, which were set to music and sung to their harps.

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Their Eubates were a third sort of priests, who applied themselves to the study of philosophy.

Each order of these priests led very simple and innocent lives, and resided either in woods, caverns, or hollow trees.  Their food consisted of acorns, berries, or other mast [the freedictionary defines this as "the nuts of forest trees accumulated on the ground"]; and their drink was nothing but water.  By this abstemious course of life, however, they procured an universal esteem, not only for their superior knowledge, but their generous contempt of all those enjoyments of life which all others so highly valued, and so industriously pursued.

The most remarkable TENETS of their DRUIDS.

1.   Every thing derives its origin from heaven.
2.   Great care is to be taken in the education of children.
3.   Souls are immortal.
4.   The souls of men after death go into other bodies.
5.   If ever the world should happen to be destroyed, it will be either by fire or water.
6.   All commerce with strangers should be prohibited.
7.   He who comes last to the Assembly of the states ought to be punished with death [strong motivation for punctuality!].
8.   Children should be brought up apart from their parents, till they are fourteen years of age.

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9.    There is another world; and they who kill themselves to accompany their friends thither will live with them there.
10.  All masters of families are kings in their own houses; and have a power of life and death over their wives, children, and
       slaves.

Their ANCIENT STATES.

STATES.
COUNTIES.
1.   Danmonii,
Cornwall and Devon.
2.   Durotriges,
Dorset.
3.   Belgæ,
Somerset, Wilts, and the
north part of Hants.
4.   Attrebatii,
Berks.
5.   Regni,
Surrey, Sussex, and the south
part of Hants.
6.   Cantii,
Kent.
7.   Trinobantes,
Middlesex, Hertfordshire, &
Essex.
8.   Iceni,
Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge,
and Huntingdon.
9.   Catieuchlani,
Bucks and Bedford.
10.  Dobuni,
Gloucester and Oxford.
11.  Silures,
Hereford, Monmouth, Rad-
nor, Brecon, & Glamorgan.
12.   Dimetæ,
Carmarthen, Pembroke, and
Cardigan.

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STATES.
COUNTIES.
13.  Ordovices,  
Flint, Denbigh, Merioneth,
Montgomery,
& Carnarvon.
14.  Cornavii,
Chester, Salop, Stafford,
Warwick,
and Worcester.
15.  Coritani,
Lincoln, Nottingham, Derby,
Leicester, Rutland,
and
Northampton.
16.  Brigantes,
York, Lancaster, Westmore-
land, Cumberland,
& Durham.
17.  Ottadini,
Northumberland.


Their general
CHARACTER.

They were a great and glorious people, fond of liberty and property; but peculiarly remarkable for their rigid virtue, and their readiness to die with pleasure for the good of their country.  They long lived in a perfect state of peace and tranquility till the year of the world 3950 [counting from 4004 BC], at which time its monarchy, by the boundless envy and ambition of Julius Cæsar, (when Rome was in the meridian of all her glory) was totally subverted, and Britannia became a province subordinatte [sic] to the Romans.

The ROMAN GOVERNMENT.

Cæsar, at his first landing on the island, found it not under a sole monarchy, but divided into divers provinces, or petty kingdoms.

Soon after having defeated Cassibelan [various spellings: Wikipedia has Cassivellaunus; in the Mabinogion his name is spelled as Caswallawn], and taken several British provinces, he left the

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island, and the Romans entirely abandoned it for ninety years and upwards.

However, in the year of our Lord 42, Claudius Cæsar, the 5th Emperor of Rome, sent his General Plautius, with great force, into Britain, and following him soon after in person, subdued a great part of the island, by which means he procured the title of Britannicus.

In the year 50, London is supposed to have been built by the Romans.

In this year Ostorius, the Roman general, defeated Caractacus [Caradoc, Caradawg, etc.], the chief of the British Princes, and having taken him prisoner, carried him to Rome.

The Christian religion, about this time, was first planted in Britain.

In the year 61, the Britons, under the conduct [leadership] of Boadicea [Boudica, Boudicca], a British Queen, destroyed 70,000 Romans.

The next year Suetonius, the Roman general, defeated the Britons, and killed 80,000 of them upon the spot; whereupon Boadicea poisoned herself.

In the year 63, the gospel was first preached in Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, and eleven of St. Philip's disciples.

The PERSECUTIONS against the CHRISTIANS
consequent thereupon.

1.   First persecution was begun by Nero, soon after he had burnt the city of Rome, which was in the year 65.

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2.   The second, by Flavius Domitian, in the year 83.
3.   The third, by Ulpius Trajan, in the year 111.
4.   In the year 162, the fourth was raised by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, and his associate Lucius Verus.
5.   The fifth was begun by Septimus Severus, in the year 193.
6.   In 235, the sixth was raised by Maximinus.
7.   Trajanus began the seventh in the year 253.
8.   In 255, the eighth was raised by Valerianus.
9.   Valerianus Aurelianus began the ninth in the year 272.  And
10. Dioclesian [should be Diocletian] and Maximianus carried on the tenth with the utmost severity.

After the Romans, however, had been in the possession of Britain for near 500 years, they left it to its ancient inhabitants again, who being at that time sunk into the lowest state of degeneracy, were soon after invaded by the Scots and the Picts; and trembling at the approaching storm, they were prevailed on by Vortigern, their chief monarch, about the year 447, to send a deputation to the Saxons, who were the only persons (as he insinuated) capable of giving them that aid and assistance which the unhappy situation of their affairs immediately required.  This plausible pretence of that Prince succeeded, and one and all concurred in his opinion; and by the resolution which they then took thereupon, they

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brought on the total destruction of their country.

Ambassadors from the Britons were accordingly sent to Witigisel [more commonly Wihtgisl], the then Saxon general, who immediately summoned an assembly to hear what the Britons had to propose.  The latter (like men in absolute despair) offered to submit to any terms that their said assembly should think proper, provided they did but protect and stand by them so far in their pressing necessities, as to enable them to drive their enemies out of their country.  The proposal was approved of, and the negociation [sic] accordingly concluded.

The terms were, that the Saxons should send 9000 men into Britain, who were to be put into possession of the Isle of Thanet, and to be paid and maintained likewise at the expence [sic] of the Britons.

Hengist and Horsa, both sons of the Saxon General Witigisel, who were brave and resolute men, fit for, and fond of such an expedition, were appointed, in the year 450, to command the Saxon troops intended for the relief of Britain.

Tho' these two heroes arrived at Ebbesfleet, in the island of Thanet, with 1500 men only, instead of 9000, yet they were received with the utmost respect by Vortigern, who put them immediately, according to promise, in full possession of that island.

As the Picts and Scots, at that time, were advancing their forces against the Britons,

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Hengist joined Vortigern, and inspiring the British troops with new courage, a battle was fought near Stamford, in Lincolnshire, wherein the Picts and Scots were so absolutely defeated, that they were obliged to abandon their conquests, and retire into their own country.

Hengist had a beautiful daughter, named Rowena, with whom Vortigern fell deeply in love, and demanded her in marriage of her father, who, ever attentive to enlarge his dominions, refused his consent, unless the amorous Briton would put him in possession of the whole county of Kent.  The terms were readily accepted, and the match concluded.  In short, this love-sick passion, this seemingly trivial circumstance, occasioned the greatest revolution that had ever been felt in Britain.

The SAXON HEPTARCHY.

We shall now take a transient view of the Saxon Heptarchy, consequent thereupon.

I. The Kingdom of Kent.

The first was the kingdom of Kent, founded by Hengist, in 453, and contained only that county; being inhabited by the Jutes.  It continued 368 years, and ended in 823, having been governed by ten of its own Kings, and seven doubtful or foreign Princes; of whom four were Pagans and three Christians.  Its principal places were Canterbury, Dover, Rochester, Sandwich, Deal, Folkstone, and Reculver.

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II. The Kingdom of the South Saxons.

The second was the kingdom of the South Saxons, founded by Ella in 491, and contained the counties of Sussex and Surrey, whose principal city was Chichester.  It continued about 109 years, and ended about the year 600; having only five monarchs, of whom two were Pagans, and three Christians: it was mostly under the power of the Kings of Kent, and the West Saxons.

III. The Kingdom of the West Saxons.

The third was the kingdom of the West Saxons, founded by Cerdic in 419; and contained Cornwall, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire, Somersetshire, and Hampshire, with the Isle of Wight and Berkshire, though the remains of the Britons likewise inhabited Cornwall: the principal places were Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Dorchester, Sherborne, and Exeter: it continued till the Norman Conquest, being 547 years, and ended in 1066, having been governed by 17 monarchs, during the heptarchy, of whom five were Pagans, and 12 Christians: the last of whom was Egbert, who, in 829, became sole monarch of England.

IV. The Kingdom of the East Saxons.

The fourth was the kingdom of the East Saxons, and contained Middlesex, Essex, and

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part of Hertforshire; where the principal places were London and Colchester: it was founded in 527, by Erkenwin, and continued 220 years, ending in 747; having been governed by 12 monarchs, of whom two were Pagans, and the rest Christians.

V. The Kingdom of Northumberland.

The fifth was the kingdom of Northumberland, founded by Ina, in 547, and contained Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Northumberland, and part of Scotland, as far as Edinburgh Frith [Forth]: the principal places being York, Durham, Carlisle, Hexham, and Lancaster: it continued 245 years, and ended in 792; having been governed by 20 Princes, of whom four were Pagans, and the rest Christians, whose subjects were Angles, and called the Northumbrian Angles.

VI. The Kingdom of the East Angles.

The sixth was the kingdom of the East Angles, which contained Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire, with the Isle of Ely; where the principal places were Norwich, Thetford, Ely, and Cambridge.  It was founded by Uffa in 575, and continued 218 years, ending in 792, when it was united to the kingdom of the Mercians.

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VII. The Kingdom of the Mercians.

The seventh and last was the kingdom of the Mercians, or the Middle Angles, founded by Cridda in 582; and contained Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Rutlandshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, part of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Nottinghamshire, and Cheshire;  the principal places being Lincoln, Nottingham, Warwick, Leicester, Coventry, Litchfield, Northampton, Worcester, Gloucester, Derby [pronounced Darby], Chester, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Oxford, and Bristol: it continued 292 years, and ended in 874; having been governed by 18 monarchs, of whom four were Pagans, and the rest Christians.

Egbert the Great, first King of England.

In the year 829, Egbert, the 17th King of the West Saxons, became sole monarch of all the seven kingdoms, and was crowned at Winchester, in Hampshire, by the unanimous consent both of the clergy and laity, King of England;  and immediately afterwards a proclamation was published, whereby it was ordered, that no future distinctions should be kept up among the Saxon kingdoms; but that they should all pass under the common name of England.

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Though Egbert was a wise and fortunate Prince, and though the English were a brave and numerous people, after the expulsion of the Picts and Scots; yet no sooner was he well established on the throne, but this island was exposed to new invasions.

In 832, the Danes, having made two descents before, landed a third time with great force at the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent; and in some few months afterwards at Charmouth, in Dorsetshire, with 18,000 men.

In 835, they landed again in Cornwall; but Egbert was then prepared for them, and gave them a total defeat.  They renewed their depredations, however, in 836, but were again repulsed.  Soon after which, this Prince having reigned King of the West Saxons 36 years, and sole monarch of England upwards of eight, died as great as he lived, and was buried at Winchester, where he was crowned.  He was the father, in short, of the English monarchy, and therefore justly entitled to the name of Egbert the Great.

Ethelwulf, the Second King of England.

Ethelwulf, the elder surviving son of Egbert, succeeded his father in 836.  Till he became a King, he had been only a priest, or, at most, only bishop of Winchester.  He obtained, however, a dispensation from Pope Gregory IV. and assumed a secular life.

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In the first year of his reign, the Danes landed at Southampton, in Hampshire, but were routed with great slaughter.  In 837, however, they made a second descent upon Portland, in Dorsetshire, and succeeded in their attempt.

In 838, they made another descent about Romney, in Kent, with such success, and great slaughter, that they over-ran the country.

In short, they made fresh visits for several years afterwards successively, for the sake of plunder only, without the least intention of making a settlement in the kingdom.

Ethelwulf, however, in 852, assembled a numerous army, with the assistance of his brother Athelstan, met them at Okely, in Surry [sic]; and there, after a desperate engagement, proved so victorious, that the slaughter of their enemies was almost incredible.

In 855, Ethelwulf went to Rome, in order to pay a visit to the Pope in person; and, on receiving his benediction, he not only gratified the vanity of the papal see by his devotion, but satisfied likewise its most avaricious expectations by his royal bounty.

In 857, after having reigned one and twenty years, he divided his kingdom between his two eldest sons, Ethelbald and Ethelbert, and soon after died, and was buried at Winchester.

III. [sic] Ethelbald and Ethelbert, joint Kings of England.

Ethelbald, whose reign was but short, and no ways remarkable, died in 800, and was buried at Sherborne, in Dorsetshire.

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Ethelbert, the fourth King of England.

Though Ethelbert bore an excellent character, yet he was no favourite of fortune;  for from his coronation in 860, to his death in 866, he had one continued conflict with the Danes.  He was interred at Sherborne, near his brother.

Ethelred, the fifth King of England.

In 866, Ethelred, third son of Ethelwulf, succeeded to the crown: in whose reign the Danes committed great ravages through the kingdom.

Notwithstanding, in 868, a great famine and plague happened in England, yet those merciless and blood-thirsty Pagans the Danes, in 869, through their aversion to Christianity, set fire to the religious houses in the city of York, murdered the monks, ravished the nuns, and made a sacrifice of Edmund, titular King of the East Angles, by first shooting his body full of arrows, and afterwards cutting off his head.  He was soon after interred at St. Edmundsbury, in the county of Suffolk, from whom it has ever since been distinguished by that name, as the manner of that Prince's death entitled him to the honour of martyrdom.

Ethelred, after having reigned six years, was buried at Winbourn, in the county of Dorset.

Alfred the Great, sixth King of England.

In the year 872, Alfred the Great (the fourth son of Ethelwulf) succeeded his brother

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Ethelred, whose moral virtues endeared him so far to his subjects, that they honoured him with the appellation of the Father of the English Constitution [Alfred, presumably, not Ethelred].  He was crowned at Winchester.

In the year 878, the Danes settled themselves in divers parts of England, with whom Alfred fought many battles, with various success; but at length gave them a total overthrow at Eddington, in Somersetshire, and not only obliged their leader Guthrun [usually written Guthrum], the chiefs of their army, and the main body of their people, to be baptized, but afterwards to retire out of the kingdom.

This illustrious Prince, in 882, rebuilt the city of London, which had been burnt and destroyed by the Danes in 839.

As he was an excellent scholar himself, he founded, or at least greatly augmented, the University of Oxford.

In 893, the Danes, with 300 ships, under one Hastings [usually written Haesten], invaded England again, but were defeated by Alfred's army, at Farnham, Surry [sic].

In 897, a plague happened, and raged throughout the land for three years successively.

In the year 900,  Alfred died of a contraction of the nerves, after he had lived 51 years, and reigned 29.

Edward the Elder, seventh King of England.

On his decease, Edward the Elder (so called to distinguish him from Edward the Martyr, and Edward the Confessor) succeeded his father, and was crowned at Kingston upon Thames.

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This Prince was a brave warrior, and tho' invaded by the Danes, in the year 905, he defeated them in Kent.

In the year 911, he improved the University of Cambridge, much after the same manner as Alfred his father had augmented Oxford.

In 921, he was in the height of his glory, all the Princes in Britain either submitting to his allegiance, or courting his favour.

He died in the 24th year of his reign, at Farringdon, in Berkshire, and was buried at Winchester.

Tho' he had three wives, and several children, yet Ethelstan, his son by one Egwinna, a shepherd's daughter, succeeded to his kingdom.

Ethelstan, eighth King of England.

He was crowned in the 13th year of his age, at Kingston upon Thames, in the year 924.

In the year, 938, he defeated both the Danes and Scots, and made the Princes of Wales pay him a tribute of 20 pounds of gold, 300 pounds of silver, and 25,000 head of cattle.

The same year he caused the Bible to be translated into the Saxon, which was then the mother tongue.

Much about this time the renowned Guy, Earl of Warwick, is said to have encountered Colebrand [the more common spelling is Colbrand; apparently Guy of Warwick never existed, but his legend was very popular in England and France between the 13th and 17th centuries] , the famous Danish giant, and, after a sharp contest, to have killed him on the spot at Winchester.


History of England
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Solar System
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A Museum for Young Gentlemen and Ladies - late 1790s