dissolution of worlds; for when these shall be obliterated and forgotten, the word of the Lord will endure for ever. What greater benefit then can man confer on his fellowman than to give him the volume of Revelation? How can christian benevolence exert itself more nobly and successfully, than in unwearified efforts to dispense this blessing to the whole human race? After having been in possession of this treasure upwards of eight, and not improbably more than sixteen centuries, it is surely high time, that we bound ourselves by a sacred oath, not to cease from our labours in propagating the scriptures throughout the world, till every nation shall "read in its own language the wonderful works of God."

It is painful, and yet may not be unprofitable, to reflect for a moment on the corrupted state of Christianity, (if a system so impure and worldly may indeed be called by so revered a name,) at the period to which the preceding essay refers. How far must the professed disciples of Christ have receded from the spirit and practice of the Gospel, before they could indulge in such unhallowed tempers, and pursue such a career of criminal ambition, as those which characterize Dunstan and his associates! Who could recognise in them the followers of the meek and self-denying Redeemer of mankind? Who could imagine they had so much as read, and much less professed to obey, that sacred volume, which teaches that, instead of coveting those fading honours which men receive one of another, we should aspire after that which comes from God only; which enjoins humility and self-denial, as cardinal virtues; which forbids the pastors of the flock to lord it over God's heritage; but commands them rather to be examples of meekness and gentleness, of temperance and purity to the churches under their care. If the perfection of the christian character consist in a resemblance of the image of Jesus Christ, how far are they from having attained, or from being already perfect," who, like the aspiring abbot of Glastonbury, "seek great things for themselves," grasp at the sceptre of government, and attempt to tyrannize over the consciences of men! The usurper of such antichristian authority may indeed be canized by his deluded vo

taries, his vices may be concealed, and his fictitious virtues eulogized but so long as it stands recorded in indelible characters, "If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his," even Charity herself will be constrained to pronounce, that these sons of pride have "neither part or "lot in the matter, for their hearts are not right in the sight "of God." At the same time, it is readily acknowledged and may be deplored, that good men have sometimes approximated too nearly to this worldly character, and have not always known "what manner of spirit they were of." They have carried on an unholy contention" which shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven," and aspired to exercise authority over their brethren. But experience has fully proved, that in proportion as this secularizing temper prevails, the spirit of religion declines, and the most zealous profession of Christianity degenerates into an unmeaning form-a cold and languid semblance of piety, without vitality, and without devotion.

ESSAY V.

The Anglo-Saxon Monarchy continued, from the Accession of EDGAR (the Peaceable) to the Death of EDMUND (Ironside.)

FROM A. D. 959 To A. D. 1016.

EDGAR was scarcely sixteen years of age, when his brother's death gave him undisputed possession of the crown. Having been indebted for his elevation to the intrigues of the monks, he felt himself bound to submit to their guidance and promote their interests. His first public act was a formal revocation of the sentence of perpetual banishment, which had been pronounced against Dunstan, who was promoted, shortly after his recall, first to the see of Worcester, and then to the archbishopric of Canterbury. Most of the events of this reign belong rather to ecclesiastical than general history. Councils

were frequently held, in which the most minute and ludicrous subjects were gravely discussed, and miracles were sometimes contrived to effect or sanction their adoption. In these deliberations, Edgar took an active part, and not unfrequently harangued the inferior orders of the clergy on the duties of continence and chastity, though he himself was a notorious libertine. It is evident, even from the testimony of his partial biographers, that he committed crimes incomparably greater than any of which his unfortunate brother was accused, which either were permitted to pass unnoticed, or were expiated by a trifling penance. So flagrant an offence, for example, as that of breaking into an abbey and violating a nun, met with no other punishment than a mild reproof from Dunstan, and an injunction to abstain from wearing his crown for seven years.

It is no part of our business to relate the amours of this prince, on which most of the historians, both ancient and modern, have chosen to expatiate at large. On one account alone, the reign of Edgar is truly memorable. It was a period of uninterrupted tranquillity, on which account he was surnamed the peaceable. But this long suspension of war seems not to have arisen either from the pacific temper of the monarch, or the want of enemies with whom to contend; but from the attitude of defence he maintained, which deterred those enemies from making an assault. Against domestic foes he was effectually guarded by the continual presence of a large standing army; and to repel foreign invaders, should they venture to assail him, fleets were stationed on different parts of the coast, consisting, it is said, of not less than 4,000 vessels of war of different dimensions. None were sufficiently hardy to attack a prince thus defended on every side. The most powerful monarchs of that age sought his alliance; and many lesser sovereigns were tributary to him. But in the midst of all this tide of prosperity, he was arrested by death in the thirty-second year of his age, and sixteenth of his reign; deeply regretted by his subjects in general, but especially by the monastic orders, whom he had upheld by his authority, and enriched with his munificence.

VOL. I.

E

EDWARD, (the younger, or, as he is more frequently called, the martyr,) who was Edgar's son by his first wife, succeeded him, though not without opposition from Elfrida, Edgar's widow, who was anxious to secure the crown for her son Ethelred, then an infant of seven years of age. This short and uninteresting reign was fully occupied with ecclesiastical disputes between the monks and the secular clergy. The youthful monarch in vain attempted to mediate between these contending factions. He seems to have been an amiable prince, but wanting in that energy and decision of character, which the state of the times rendered necessary. He fell a victim to the ambition of his stepmother Elfrida, to whom he had uniformly shewn the utmost kindness. Having been engaged one day in hunting near her castle, he called to inquire after her health. With seeming courtesy, she presented him with a goblet of wine; but while in the act of drinking, on a signal from herself, one of the domestics stabbed him in the back. Perceiving himself wounded, and alone in the midst of enemies, he put spurs to his horse, but soon fainted with loss of blood, and having been unable to extricate his foot from the stirrup, was dashed in pieces. Many marvellous tales are related, amongst the legendary fables of that age, of the miracles wrought at his tomb, for which reason he has been numbered among the martyrs by the Romish church, though his death is to be attributed solely to political jealousy. His murderess, according to the frequent practice of those superstitious times, sought to tranquillize her conscience, and make atonement for her offence, by retiring from the world, shutting herself up in a convent, and founding several nunneries.

ETHELRED Commenced (A. D. 978,) a long and most calamitous reign. Scarcely was he seated on the throne, when the Danes, taking advantage of his youth and incapacity, renewed those incursions which had been discontinued nearly a century. They came at first in small companies, and attacked, at the same time, different parts of the coast, from Cornwall to Northumberland : but soon began to arrive in greater numbers, and ventured to besiege the maritime cities and fortresses. Among the

many engagements which took place about this period, was a battle fought near Maldon, A. D. 991, in which the English general, Duke Brithnot, was killed, and his army routed with great slaughter. But Ethelred, instead of being roused by this calamity to take measures for the defence of his kingdom, satisfied himself with purchasing a truce at the expense of ten thousand pounds sterling. This prize but whetted the avarice of the invaders, and induced them to return in the following spring with increased strength, in the expectation of obtaining a larger booty.

It was the unhappiness of Ethelred, throughout his reign, to be surrounded by treacherous counsellors, who while they pretended great loyalty and attachment, were the secret agents of the Danes. The two most notorious of these traitors were, Elfric and Edric Stræon; the former of whom was intrusted with the command of the English fleet, but betrayed his trust, and deserted to the enemy: the latter, after having been raised by the favour of his sovereign from an inferior station, and married to his sister, discovered all the counsels of the English commanders to the Danes, and thus frustrated every concerted measure of defence. In consequence of these repeated acts of treachery, the fleets and armies of Ethelred were scattered and broken as soon as raised, and the English sovereign was frequently reduced to the disgraceful necessity of purchasing a temporary peace, by immense sums extorted from his impoverished subjects.

But the calamities which desolated England at this period were not induced by treachery alone. An infatuated and barbarous policy prompted Ethelred to resolve upon the extermination of his Danish subjects in one fatal day. This horrible butchery was so secretly planned and so vigorously executed, that contemporary historians have assured us, that not one Dane then resident in England was spared; the massacre was carried into effect without regard to rank, or sex, or age. Among the victims of this indiscriminate slaughter was Gunilda, the sister of Sweyn, king of Denmark, a lady of superior accomplishments and exalted virtue, who had recently embraced Christianity, and was zealously employed in pro