Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 1.djvu/45

871.] tithing in his hereditary lands. He died in 857, having reigned twenty-one years, leaving behind him four sons and one daughter, who was married to Buthred, King of Mercia, and died at Pavia in 888. Ethelbald, the eldest son, was already in possession of the kingdom of Wessex; and Ethelbert, his brother, succeeded to Kent, Essex, Surrey, and Sussex, comprised under the name of the kingdom of Kent.



Ethelbald, a prince of but little capacity, reigned not quite three years after his father's death, his brother Ethelbert succeeding him. In the reign of the last-named king, the Danes once more renewed their ravages in England, and penetrated as far as Winchester, from which city they were beaten back to their ships at Southampton by Osrick, and Ethelwulph, two Saxon earls.

On their landing, in the autumn of the same year, in the Isle of Thanet, Ethelbert offered them a large sum of money to retire, which they promised to do, but broke faith with him, and commenced ravaging the kingdom of Kent, and carried off their booty in safety.

After a reign of six years, Ethelbert died, and was succeed by his brother Ethelred, who, in virtue of his father's will, mounted the throne, to the exclusion of the late monarch's children.

The reign of the new sovereign was short and unfortunate. He was continually engaged in repelling the incursions of the Danes, who began to entertain the design of making themselves masters of England. One of their leaders, Ivar, having informed himself of the state of the island, landed with his army on the coast of Wessex, and marched as far as Reading. Ethelred fought no less than nine battles with the invaders, and died of a wound he received at Wittingham in 871.