Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/757

 ETHELRED lerited in 857 all the kingdom excepting Wes- 3X, and on the death of his brother Ethelbald 860 possessed himself also of that portion. tiring his reign the Northmen sacked the city of Winchester, landed on the isle of Thanet, pillaged a part of Kent, and appeared in North- umbria under Ragnar Lodbrog. ETHELRED (also written EDELEED and ETHE- EED) I., fourth king of the Anglo-Saxons, son of Ethelwulf, and successor of his brother Ethelbert, ascended the throne in 866, and died in 871. His reign was a continuous struggle against the Northmen. The sons of the Danish chieftain Ragnar, whom the Northumbrians had put to death, appeared in East Anglia, took possession of the city of York, and de- feated and slew two Northumbrian princes who attempted to recover it. Marching south- ward they took up their winter quarters at Not- tingham, whence they retired without a battle after being for some time beleaguered by Ethel- red and his brother Alfred. Passing into East Anglia, they burned on their way the monaste- ries of Bardney, Oroyland, and Medeshamstede, ravaged the nunnery of Ely, and seized and murdered the East Anglian king Edmund, who was hence revered as a martyr. They were met in 871 by Ethelred and Alfred at Reading, but were able to maintain their ground. Being attacked by Alfred four days later at ^Escesdun, they were routed and were pursued for a night and a day. "Within a fortnight another battle was fought at Basing, in which the invaders were victorious, and an obstinate engagement soon followed at Merton. Ethelred died of a wound, and left the kingdom to Alfred. ETHELRED II., surnamed the Unready, king of the Anglo-Saxons, son of Edgar and succes- sor of Edward the Martyr, born in 968, as- cended the throne April 14, 978, and died in London, April 23, 1016. His reign was long, and the most unfortunate in Anglo-Saxon his- tory. The son of that Elfrida whose criminal ambition had caused the tragic death of the late king, he never possessed the affections of his subjects, and was acknowledged only be- cause there was no other prince of the royal )lood. The Danes made several invasions, appeared with a formidable armament in 991 )ff the coast of Essex, took Ipswich, and ad- vanced into the country. They were met at Maldon by Brithnoth, ealdorman of that coun- try, who, after having foiled their efforts for 14 days, was defeated and slain. The king, listen- ing to the advice of Siric, archbishop of Can- terbury, and many of the nobility, purchased the departure of the enemy by paying them 10,000 pounds of silver, collected by an oppres- sive tax on landed property, which from this time was permanently established under the name of Danegelt. A fleet fitted out against them was rendered useless by the treachery of Alfric, its commander, who afterward de- serted to the enemy. In 993 the Danes, joined by three chieftains who were sent to oppose them, captured the castle of Bambor- ETHELWULF 745 ough and ravaged both sides of the Humber. In 994 the Northmen, under the command of Sweyn, king of Denmark, and Olaf, king of Norway, attacked the centre of the kingdom, sailed up the Thames, and laid siege to London, from which being repulsed, they plundered Es- sex, Sussex, and Hampshire, and having ob- tained horses were spreading devastation far into the inland counties. The forbearance of the invaders was now purchased by the pay- ment of 16,000 pounds, and in 1001 of 24,000 pounds of silver. Ethelred and his advisers then determined to rid themselves of the Danes by a general massacre. Secret orders were sent to every town and county, and on Nov. 13, 1002, the festival of St. Brice, multitudes of every age and sex were butchered. Next year Sweyn reappeared on the south coast, and from this time left the kingdom no rest, devas- tating the country from Exeter to the heart of Wiltshire, burning cities and villages. He con- sented to a peace in 1007 on payment of 36,000 pounds. Soon the war began again, and was again momentarily ended in 1012 by the pay- ment of 48,000 pounds. In 1013 Sweyn openly declared his purpose of conquering England, landed at Gainsborough, and marched trium- phantly to the walls of London. Repulsed from the capital, he marched to Bath, where he was proclaimed king of England, and recog- nized by the thanes of Wessex, Mercia, and Northumbria. Ethelred fled in haste to Nor- mandy, and found an asylum with 'his brother- in-law Richard, the Norman duke. The death of Sweyn two or three weeks later recalled the fugitive monarch, who, restored to power by the renewed allegiance of those tributary rulers who had deserted him, is said to have inflicted new cruelties upon the Danish population. Canute, the Danish successor, was roused by these atrocities to renewed efforts to subdue England. In 1015 he once more reduced a great part of it to submission, and had advanced on London when Ethelred died, just as prepa- rations were making to attack the city. ETHELWULF, second king of the Anglo-Sax- ons, son and successor of Egbert, ascended the throne about 836, and died in 857 or 858. He began his reign by transferring the provinces of Kent, Essex, and Sussex to the government of his eldest son Athelstan. For many years he waged incessant contests with the Danes, who annually made inroads into England, and though repulsed and defeated always carried off booty. In 850-'51 a part of them dared for the first time to pass the winter in England. Strongly reenforced in the spring, they sailed up the Thames, sacked Canterbury and London, and met Ethelwulf at the head of the West Saxons at Okely. After an obstinate battle the Danes were defeated with a loss greater, it is said, than they had ever before suffered, and other divisions of their forces were defeated by Ceorle in Devonshire, and by Athelstan at sea. Yet they maintained their settlement on the isle of Thanet, but were cautious during the re-