Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 1.djvu/48

34 capitulate; and granted them terms more advantageous than they could have expected, resigning the lands of East Anglia to such as were willing to become Christians, and requiring those who were not immediately to quit the island, with a promise never to return; hostages for the performance of which were to he given. Guthran, chief of East Anglia, who since the death of Hubba had commanded the Danish army, agreed to these conditions, and came to Alfred with thirty of his chief officers, having embarked all those who refused to be baptised.



Thus did the patriot king by a single battle recover his kingdom; and his subjects, whom fear had dispersed or constrained to submit to the enemy, flocked to him. All the historians agree that he invested the Danish general with the title of King of East Anglia: but it is not known whether he did so by virtue of some private treaty made before, or with a view to engage him in his interests. The kingdom of East Anglia was now wholly inhabited by Danes, and Guthran divided the lands among his countrymen, and exercised the regal authority as long as he lived.

It is to be observed that at the time of of the last battle there were in England two sorts of Danes—those who were already settled, and those who were endeavouring to procure themselves habitations. It was probably with the last that Alfred treated, as the former were anxious to be left in quiet possession of their settlements; and accordingly all those Danes settled in the three kingdoms of the Angles submitted quietly, and swore allegiance to him. But they were not all equally satisfied, as several had accepted the terms of tho last treaty only because they knew not whither to go, and became Christians to procure a subsistence, in expectation of a favourable opportunity to return to their old course of life. That this was the case appears from what followed. When it was least expected.