Danes—Alfred besieges the Danish encampment—Surrender of Godrun—Policy and generosity of Alfred the Great—Peaceful appearance of England—Landing of Hastings, the famous sea-king—Alfred increases his navy—Character of Hastings, the sea-king, the most skilful of all the Danish invaders—Alfred marches his army between the Danish forces—His masterly generalship—Hastings offers to quit the kingdom—His treachery—Is again conquered by Alfred—The Danes of East Anglia and Northumbria rise up against Alfred—The wife and children of Hastings are taken prisoners by Alfred, and discharged with presents—After many struggles the Danes are at last defeated—Hastings quits England—Death of Alfred the Great

p. 192 CHAPTER XXIII. CHARACTER OF ALFRED THE GREAT. His boyhood—Early love of poetry—Self-cultivation—Wisdom displayed in his conduct with the Danes—Difficulties under which he pursued his labour—His patronage of literary men—Method of study—Summary of his works—He reforms the Saxon nobles—Divides his time—Various purposes to which he appropriates his revenue—His invention for marking the hours—Cultivates an acquaintance with foreign countries—His severity in the administration of justice—Establishment of a rigid system of police—His laws—Intellectual character of Alfred the Great p. 199 CHAPTER XXIV. EDWARD THE ELDER. Ethelwold lays claim to the throne of Wessex—Is backed by the Danes, and crowned at York—Battle of Axeholme and defeat of Ethelwold—Edward ravages Northumbria—The Danes attack Mercia—They enter the Severn—Battle of Wodensfield, and defeat of the Danes—Edward strengthens his frontier with fortresses—Their situation described—Bravery of his sister Ethelfleda—The Danes enter North Wales—Edward again victorious—Submission of the Welsh princes and the Danes of Northumbria—Death of Edward the Elder p. 202 CHAPTER XXV. THE REIGN OF ATHELSTAN. Athelstan, the favourite grandchild of Alfred the Great—While but a boy his grandfather invests him with the honours of knighthood—He is educated by Alfred's daughter, Ethelfleda—Athelstan's sister married Sigtryg, a descendant of the famous sea-kings—The Dane repudiates his wife, and renounces his new religion—Athelstan invades his dominions—Death of Sigtryg, and flight of his sons—Preparation for the invasion of England—The force arrayed against Athelstan—Measures adopted by the Saxon king—Preparations for battle—Picturesque description of the battle of Brunanburg—Anglo-Saxon song on Athelstan's victory—High position attained by Athelstan—Otho the Great marries Athelstan's sister—The Saxon monarch forms an alliance with the emperor of Germany and the king of Norway—Harold of Norway suppresses piracy—Sends his son Haco to be educated at the Saxon court—Presents a beautiful ship to Athelstan—Death of Harold, king of Norway—List of the kings who were established on their thrones by Athelstan—His presents to the monasteries—His charity and laws for the relief of the poor—Cruelty to his brother Edwin—Death of Athelstan p. 212 CHAPTER XXVI. THE REIGNS OF EDMUND AND EDRED. Accession of Edmund the Elder—Anlaf, the Dane, invades Mercia, and defeats the Saxons—Edmund treats with Anlaf, and divides England with the Danes—Perilous state of the Saxon succession prevented by the death of Anlaf—Change in Edmund's character—His brilliant victories—Cruelty to the British princes—Edmund assassinated while celebrating the feast of St. Augustin, by Leof, the robber—Mystery that surrounds the murder of Edmund the Elder—Edred ascends the Saxon throne—Eric, the sea-king—His daring deeds on the ocean—Description of his wild life—Edred invades Northumbria—Eric attacks his own subjects—Edred's victory over the Danes—Scandinavian war-song on the death of Eric—Death of Edred p. 218 CHAPTER XXVII. EDWIN AND ELGIVA. Edwin's marriage with Elgiva—Odo, the Danish archbishop—St. Dunstan—His early life—He becomes delirious—His intellectual attainments—His persecution—He falls in love—Is dissuaded from marriage by the bishop, Ælfheag—He is again attacked with sickness—Recovers, and becomes a monk—Lives in a narrow cell—Absurdity of his rumoured interviews with the Evil One—His high connexions—Analysis of his character—Dunstan's rude attack upon King Edwin, after the banquet—Dunstan again driven from court—Remarks on his conduct—Elgiva is cruelly tortured, and savagely murdered by the command of Odo, the archbishop of Canterbury—Dunstan recalled from his banishment—Supposed murder of Edwin p. 227 CHAPTER XXVIII. THE REIGN OF EDGAR. Power of Dunstan—He is made Archbishop of Canterbury—He appoints his own friends counsellors to the young king—His encouragement of the fine arts—Enforces the Benedictine rules upon the monks—Speech of Edgar in favour of Dunstan's reformation in the monasteries—Romantic adventure of Elfrida, daughter of the Earl of Devonshire—Death of Athelwold—Personal courage of Edgar—His love of pomp, and generosity—His encouragement of foreign artificers—His tribute of wolves' heads—England infested with wolves long after the commencement of the Saxon period—Many of the Saxon names