confirmation of that of Ina, King of the West Saxons, who is also said to have founded a school at Rome, and to have laid for its support a tax of one penny, under the name of Rom-feoh, or Rome-scot, on every house in the kingdom. This imposition, being afterward levied on all England, was commonly denominated Peter's-pence: and though conferred at first as a gift, was afterward claimed as a tribute by the Roman pontiff. Offa died in 796. The reigns of his successors on the Mercian throne, who were all either murdered or violently deposed, deserve not to arrest our attention. Mercia, instead of continuing to be the leading state among the Anglo-Saxons, was, through its internal dissensions, falling fast into decay, and was thus easily reduced by the arms of Egbert, to whose history we must now return. § 21. Egbert had already possessed the throne of Wessex nearly a quarter of a century, when the invasion of his dominions before referred to, by Beornwulf, King of Mercia, took place. Egbert defeated the invaders, and subdued with facility the tributary kingdoms of Kent and Sussex, while the East Angles, from their hatred to the Mercian government, immediately rose in arms, and put themselves under the protection of Egbert. In order to engage the Mercians more easily to submission, he allowed Wiglaf, their countryman, to retain the title of king, while he himself exercised the real power of sovereignty. The anarchy which prevailed in Northumbria, as already related, tempted him to carry still farther. his victorious arms; and the inhabitants, unable to resist his power, and desirous of possessing some established form of government, were forward, on his first appearance, to send deputies, who submitted to his authority, and swore allegiance to him as their sovereign. Egbert, however, still allowed to Northumbria, as he had done to Mercia and East Anglia, the power of electing a king, who paid him tribute and was dependent on him. These three subordinate kingdoms remained under their own sovereigns, as vassals of Egbert, till they were swallowed up by the Danish invasion. Egbert and his successors, down to Alfred the Great, commonly assumed only the title of kings of Wessex, and Alfred's son, Edward the Elder, seems to have been the first who regularly adopted the title of "Rex Anglorum," or King of the English. Thus all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were nominally united into one state, nearly 400 years after the first arrival of the Saxons in Britain. This event is placed in the year 827. 450. First arrival of the Saxons in England 617. Kingdom of Northumbria under Edwin. under Hengist and Horsa. 477. Ella lands in Sussex. 495. Cerdic lands in Hampshire. 519. Cerdic founds the kingdom of Wessex. 527. The Saxons land in Essex. 547. The Angles under Ida settle in Bernicia. 597. Augustine preaches Christianity in Kent. 626. Kingdom of Mercia founded by Penda. 793. The Northmen land on Lindisfarne. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. A. THE FRISIANS TOOK PART IN THE SAXON INVASION OF BRITAIN. of belonging to a race that partakes largely of Celtic blood. If he calls for his coat (W. cota, Germ. rock), or tells of the basket of fish he has caught (W. basqawd, Germ. korb), or the cart he employs on his land (W. cart, from car, a drag or sledge, Germ. wagen), or of the pranks of his youth or the prancing of his horse (W. prank, a trick; prancio, to frolic), or declares that he was happy when a gownsman at Oxford (W. hap, fortune, chance; Germ. glück; W. gun), or that his servant is pert (W. pert, spruce, dapper, in This appears from the following facts: 1. Procopius says (Bell. Goth., iv., 20) that Britain was inhabited in his time (the 6th century) by three races, the Angles, Frisians, and Britons. The omission of the Saxons, and the substitution of the Frisians, can be accounted for only on the supposition that Frisians and Saxons were convertible terms. 2. The traditions of the Frisians and Flemings claim Hengist as their ancestor, and re-solent), or, descending to the language of the late that he was banished from their country. 3. In old German poetry it is expressly stated that the Frisians were formerly called Saxons. 4. Many English words and some grammatical forms are more closely allied to those of the old Friesic than to those of any other German dialect. For instance, the English sign of the infinitive mode, to, is found in the old Friesic, and not in any other German dialect. On this subject see Davies "On the Races of Lancashire," in the "Transactions of the Philological Society" for 1855. B. THE ISLE OF THANET. C. CELTIC WORDS IN THE ENGLISH vulgar, he affirms that such assertions are balderdash, and the claim a sham (W. baldorddus, idle, prating; siom, from shom, a deceit, a sham), he is unconsciously maintaining the truth he would deny. Like the M. Jourdain of Molière, who had been talking prose all his life without knowing it, he has been speaking very good Celtic without any suspicion of the fact." A long list of Celtic words in the English language will be found in Mr. Davies's essay, and also in another valuable paper by the late Mr. Garnett, likewise published in the "Transactions of the Philological Society" (vol. i., p. 171). It appears that a considerable proportion of the English words relating to the ordinary arts of life, such as agricul ture, carpentry, and in general indoor and outdoor service, come from the Celtic. The following, which might be multiplied almost indefinitely, may serve as samples: English. Welsh. basket, bran, crock, crockery, basgawd. bran (a skin of wheat). rhill (a row). gwlanen (from gwlan, wool). gwn (a robe). hem (a border). llath (a rod). matog. drill, flannel, pacol. peck, peg. pitcher, ridge, solder, tackle, piser (s jug). rhic, rhig. sawduriaw (to join, cement). tacl (instrument, tool). Mr. Davies also calls attention to the fact that in the Lancashire dialect (and the same holds good of other dialects) many low, burlesque, or obscure words can be traced to a Celtic source, and this circumstance, together with the fact that no words connected with law, or government, or the luxuries of life, belong to this class, is distinct evidence that the Celtic race was held in a state of de Mr. Davies, in the valuable paper already referred to, remarks, "The stoutest assertor of a pure Anglo-Saxon or Norman descent is convicted by the language of his daily lifependence or inferiority. The Raising of Lazarus. Sculpture of the IXth or Xth century from Selsey, now in Chichester Cathedral. CHAPTER III. THE ANGLO-SAXONS FROM THE UNION OF ENGLAND UNDER EGBERT TILL THE REIGN OF CANUTE THE DANE. Death of Egbert. § 1. State of the Kingdom. § 2. Invasion of the Danes. § 3. Reign of Ethelwolf. His Journey to Rome. § 4. bald. § 5. Reigns of Ethelbald, Ethelbert, Ethelred. Continued Invasions of the Danes. § 6. Accession of Alfred. Successes of the Danes. Flight of Alfred. § 7. Alfred defeats the Danes. Their Settlement in East Anglia. The Danelagh. § 8. Wise Regulations of Alfred. New Danish War. Death of Alfred. § 9. His Character. His Love of Learning. § 10. His Policy and Legislation., § 11. Reign of Edward the Elder. § 12. Reign of Athelstane. His Conquests, Power, and foreign Connections. § 13. Reign of Edmund I. His Assassination. § 14. Reign of Edred. St. Dunstan; his Character and Power. § 15. Reign of Edwy. His Quarrel with St. Dunstan. § 16. Reign of Edgar. His good Fortune. § 17. Reign of Edward. His Assassination. § 18. Reign A.D. 827-836. EGBERT. 39 of Ethelred II. Invasion of the Danes. Danegelt. § 19. Massacre of the Danes. § 20. Conquest of England by Sweyn. Flight of Ethelred. § 21. Death of Sweyn, and Return of Ethelred. Invasion of Canute. Death of Ethelred. § 22. Division of England between Canute and Edmond Ironside. Murder of the latter. § 1. EGBERT, A.D. 827-836.-Although England was not firmly cemented into one state under Egbert, as is usually represented, yet the power of this monarch and the union of so many provinces opened the prospect of future tranquillity; and it appeared more probable that the Anglo-Saxons would thenceforth become formidable to their neighbors, than be exposed to their inroads and devastations. Indeed in the following year Egbert led his victorious. army into North Wales, laid waste the country as far as Snowdon, penetrated into Denbighshire, and reduced the Isle of Anglesey to subjection. Of all the territory that had been comprised in Roman Britain, Strathclyde and Cumbria alone were free from vassalage to the crown of Egbert. But these flattering views were soon overcast by the appearance of the Northmen, who during some centuries kept the Anglo-Saxons in perpetual disquietude, committed the most barbarous ravages upon them, and at last reduced them to grievous servitude. § 2. These pirates and freebooters inhabited the Scandinavian kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden; and the hordes which plundered England were drawn from all parts of the Scandinavian peninsula. It was, however, chiefly the Danes who directed their attacks against the coasts of England; the Norwegians made their descents for the most part upon Scotland, the Hebrides, and Ireland; while the Swedes turned their arms against the eastern shores of the Baltic. These Scandinavians were in race and language closely connected with the Anglo-Saxons. The languages of all the Scandinavian nations differ only slightly from the dialects of the Germanic tribes; and both nations originally worshiped the same gods, and were distinguished by the same love of enterprise and freedom. But, while the Anglo-Saxons had long since abjured their ancient faith, and had acquired the virtues and vices of civilization, their Scandinavian kinsmen still remained in their savage independence, still worshiped Odin as their national god, and still regarded the plunder of foreign lands as their chief occupation and delight. In the ninth century they inspired the same terror which the Anglo-Saxons had done in the fifth. Led by the younger sons of royal houses, the Vikings swarmed in all the harbors and rivers of the surrounding countries. Their course was marked by fire and bloodshed. Buildings sacred and profane were burnt to the ground; and great numbers of people were mur* Viking is in Danish a naval warrior, a pirate. dered or dragged away into slavery. The terrified inhabitants fled at their approach, and beheld in them the judgment of God foretold in the prophets. Their national flag was the figure of a black raven, woven on a blood-red ground, from whose movements the Northmen augured victory or defeat. When it fluttered its wings, they believed that Odin gave them a sign of victory; but if the wings hung down, they imagined that the god would not prosper their arms. Their swords were longer and heavier than those of Anglo-Saxons, and their battle-axes are mentioned as formidable weapons. These terrible Northmen appeared at the same time upon the coasts of England, France, and Russia. They wrested from the French monarch one of his fairest provinces, which was called Normandy after them; and they founded in Russia a dynasty which reigned over the country above 700 years. Their first appearance upon the English coasts is placed in the Saxon Chronicle under the year 787; but it was not till the latter part of Egbert's reign that they commenced their regular and systematic ravages of the country. At first they merely made brief and rapid descents upon the coasts, returning to their northern homes with the plunder they had gained; but they soon began to take up their abode in England for the winter, and renewed their devastations in the spring. While England was trembling at this new evil, Egbert, who alone was able to provide effectually against it, unfortunately died (A.D. 836), and left the government to his son Ethelwolf. § 3. ETHELWOLF, 836-858.-This prince had neither the abilities nor vigor of his father, and was better qualified for governing a convent than a kingdom. He began his reign with making a partition of his dominions, and delivering over to his eldest son, Athelstane, the newly conquered provinces of Essex, Kent, and Sussex. But no inconvenience seems to have arisen from this partition, as the continual terror of the Danish invasions prevented all domestic dissension. These incursions now became almost annual, and, from their sudden and unexpected nature, kept the English in continual alarm. The unsettled state of England hindered not Ethelwolf from making a pilgrimage to Rome, whither he carried his fourth and favorite son, Alfred, then only six years of age. He passed there a twelvemonth in exercises of devotion, and in acts of liberality to the Church. Besides giving presents to the more distinguished ecclesiastics, he made a perpetual grant of 300 mancuses* a year to that see; one third to support the lamps of St. Peter's, another those of St. Paul's, a third to the Pope himself. But that Ethelwolf first established tithes in England, as is maintained by some writers, seems to be founded on a misinter * The mancus was a silver coin of about the weight of a half-crown. |