strong party, however, were favourable to Dunstan, and they used their influence to persuade the Mercians and Northumbrians to renounce their allegiance to Edwy, whose brother Edgar was accordingly recognized as their king (957). About the same time Dunstan returned from the continent. Edwy's marriage with Elfgiva, who was said to be too nearly related to him, was declared void by Archbishop Odo, and, being seized by some of the prelate's knights, she was branded on the face with a hot iron, and sent to Ireland. After her beauty was restored, she returned to England, but fell into the hands of her persecutors at Gloucester, who divided the sinews of her legs so that she expired in great torture. How little was the spirit of the gospel understood by an archbishop who could tacitly sanction such revolting cruelties!

EDGAR reigned from 959 to 975. So pacific was the country under his sway, that he received the surname of the Peaceful. He raised Dunstan to the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury soon after the death of Odo, and sedulously carried out the designs of that prelate. Many new monasteries were founded, and in those which already existed, the monastic rule was more rigidly enforced.

Edgar was not crowned till thirteen years of his reign had elapsed; but at length the coronation was celebrated with great splendour, and was followed by a ceremony at Chester, which doubtless greatly flattered his vanity. Eight tributary kings rowed him on the Dee, while he sat at the helm (973).

He rendered considerable service to Wales by directing that instead of a pecuniary tribute, the inhabitants should annually furnish him with three hundred wolves' heads; and, in consequence, the whole race was extirpated in four years. Edgar has been much lauded by Roman Catholic writers for his piety, but his conduct afforded little evidence of that purity of heart without which no worship is acceptable to God.

EDWARD II, usually called the Martyr, was the son of Edgar. He reigned from 975 to 978. During this period, Dunstan's

influence was on the wane, and in more than one ecclesiastical assembly the majority of votes was against him.

A remarkable incident occurred at the synod held at Calne. Addressing his opponents he said, "You endeavour to overcome me who am growing old and disposed to silence more than contention. I confess that I am unwilling to be overcome, and I commit the cause of his church to Christ himself as Judge." Hardly had the words been spoken, when most of the rafters of the floor gave way, and many of the clergy were killed, or seriously hurt; but the part on which Dunstan and his friends were seated remained firm. This may have been accidental; but Fuller says that " 'some conceived that Dunstan, who had so much of a smith, had here something of a carpenter in him, and some device used by him about pinning and propping up of the room."

Edward owed his death to the treachery of his stepmother, Elfrida, one of whose attendants stabbed him in the back while he was quaffing a cup of mead, at the entrance of Corfe Castle, where she resided.

ETHELRED II's miserable reign lasted, with a short interval from 978 to 1016. It was almost entirely occupied in struggles with the Northmen, who now visited the country in large and increasing numbers. On many occasions the king endeavoured to buy off their hostility by paying them heavy sums of money, and a new tax called the danegelt was levied for the purpose. The treachery of his leading generals prevented him from triumphing over his foes in the field; and at the festival of St. Brice, in 1002, he was induced to adopt the infamous expedient of massacring all the Danes in his dominions. Among the victims was Gunhilda (sister of Sweyn, King of Denmark,) who had become a convert to Christianity. Her brother, in revenge, repeatedly invaded the country; and towards the close of the year 1013, the power of the Danes had become so paramount, that Ethelred escaped to Normandy. Sweyn died a few weeks after his overthrow of the Saxon king, and the Danish party chose

Canute as their sovereign; but Ethelred was recalled by the Saxon Witan, on the promise that he would rule them "rightlier" than he had done before. Canute caused the hostages in his hands to be maimed, and continued to harass the country till the death of Ethelred (1016).

EDMUND IRONSIDE, his son, was recognised as king by the Saxons; but after several severe contests with Canute, he agreed to a partition of the country. Shortly afterwards he died, whether in the ordinary course of nature or by assassination, it it difficult to determine (1016).

CANUTE, who was now acknowledged by all parties as sovereign, reigned from 1016 to 1035. At first he ruled the Saxons very harshly; but his character became gradually softened, and he governed all his subjects with equal justice and moderation. He paid a visit to Rome in 1031, and gave on his journey the most ample proofs of his liberality to the Romish Church. While there he wrote a letter to his people, in which he said that he had dedicated his life to the service of God, to govern his kingdom with equity, and to observe justice in all things. Canute being the sovereign of six kingdoms, England, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, was flattered by his courtiers, as if he were the greatest of monarchs, whose behest was law; but on one occasion at least, he had the good sense to administer an effective rebuke. Causing his throne to be placed on the sea-shore, he called upon the ocean to obey his commands, and when the tide rolled on to his feet, he bade his flatterers acknowledge the weakness of all earthly kings when compared with that Supreme Being who ruled the elements, and who alone could say―Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther. After this scene, Canute would never wear his crown.

HAROLD, his eldest son, reigned from 1035 to 1040. By his father's direction, Hardicanute (his half-brother, and the son of Emma, who had married Canute sometime after the death of her first husband, Ethelred), was to ascend the throne of England, but the chiefs of the Danish party at once recognised Harold.

The year after his accession, he treacherously got Alfred, one of the sons of Ethelred, into his power, and caused him to be cruelly murdered. Godwin, one of his influential supporters, was said to have perpetrated the deed.

HARDICANUTE reigned from 1040 to 1042. He caused the body of his brother Harold to be dug up and thrown into the Thames. He oppressed the people with heavy danegelts; and on two of the tax collectors being slain at Worcester, he directed the city to be destroyed, and the whole county ravaged. Intemperance brought him to an untimely end.

EDWARD III, surnamed the Confessor, the surviving son of Ethelred, reigned from 1042 to 1066. To secure the influence of Earl Godwin on his behalf, he married the earl's daughter Editha, and during most of the reign, that nobleman exercised much power. As Edward had been educated in Normandy, he evinced great partiality for the natives of that country, and placed them in important offices both in church and state. This was one of the causes of a rupture between the king and Godwin, who was for a short time banished from the country; but he recovered his authority, and compelled the king to dismiss the Norman functionaries.

In Godwin's absence, William, duke of Normandy, visited the country, and was honorably received by his kinsman. It may be that this astute politician already saw the possibility of acquiring the crown of England.

Edward was greatly esteemed by his subjects for his piety. He was the founder of the magnificent Abbey of Westminster; and in the part called the Confessors' Chapel, the ashes of the last sovereign of the line of Cerdic of Wessex are enshrined.

HAROLD, the son of Earl Godwin, by virtue of the popular consent and the last will of Edward, ascended the throne, January, 1066, the claims of Edgar Atheling, the grandson of Edmund Ironside, being passed by. William of Normandy, however, asserted that Edward had promised him the crown; and at a prior period he had extorted an oath from Harold that he

would assist him in securing the kingdom on the death of the Confessor. He now prepared for an invasion; but ere his arrangements were complete, Harold had to meet another enemy in the person of his own brother, Tostig, who had allied himself with Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, both of whom, with a considerable body of forces, landed on the Yorkshire coast. These two leaders were vanquished and slain by Harold at STAMFORD BRIDGE (Sept. 25), and three days later William's troops having crossed the Channel, entered Pevensey Bay, in Sussex. Harold bravely encountered his opponent at BATTLE, near Hastings, and for some hours the issue of the contest was uncertain; but at last the Saxons, deceived by a feigned flight of their foes, broke their ranks; and the death of Harold by an arrow ended the protracted struggle (Oct. 14).

[Era of Hejira, or flight of Mohammed, A.D. 622. Jerusalem taken by the Saracens, A.D. 636. Decisive victory of Charles Martel over the Saracens, between Tours and Poitiers, A.D. 732. Charlemagne, sole monarch of France, A.D. 772. The province of Neustria ceded to Rollo, A.D. 912. Macbeth usurps the throne of Scotland, A.D. 1039.]

Notes on the Saxon Period.

AMONG the Saxons there were three distinct classes,-the thanes, or nobles; the ceorls, or those of free but ignoble birth; and the slaves.

The last class comprised the descendants of the conquered Britons, as well as those who had sold themselves into slavery, or had been reduced to that condition for some crime.

The highest person in the nation was the king, who was aided in the administration of affairs by an assembly of the prelates, abbots, ealdormen, and wise men of the kingdom. This assembly was called the Witan; and by this body, with the sovereign, all laws were enacted.

The Anglo-Saxon codes were remarkable for imposing a