1.

CHA P. ancient inhabitants, which had before been funk into a fatal lethargy. Hengift, however, notwithstanding their oppofition, ftill maintained his ground in Britain; and in order to divide the forces and attention of the natives, he called over a new tribe of Saxons, under the command of his brother Octa, and of Ebiffa, the fon of Octa; and he fettled them in Northumberland. He himfelf remained in the fouthern parts of the island, and laid the foundation of the kingdom of Kent comprehending the county of that name, Middlesex, Effex, and part of Surrey. He fixed his royal feat at Canterbury; where he governed about forty years, and he died in or near the year 488; leaving his new-acquired dominions to his pofterity.

THE fuccefs of Hengift excited the avidity of the other northern Germans; and at different times, and under different leaders, they flocked over in multitudes to the invafion of this ifland. These conquerors were chiefly compofed of three tribes, the Saxons, Angles, and Jutes ", who all paffed under the common appellation, fometimes of Saxons, fometimes of Angles; and speaking the fame language, and being governed by the fame institutions, they were naturally led, from

39

Bede, lib. 1. cap. 15. Ethelwerd, p. 833. edit. Camdeni. Chron. Sax. pag. 12. Ann. Beverl. p. 78. The inhabitants of Kent and the Isle of Wight were Jutes. Effex, Middlefex, Surrey, Suffex, and all the fouthern counties to Cornwal, were peopled by Saxons: Mercia and other parts of the kingdom were inhabited by Angles.

I.

these causes, as well as from their common intereft, CHA P. to unite themselves against the ancient inhabitants. The refiftance however, though unequal, was ftill maintained by the Britons; but became every day more feeble: Andtheir calamities admitted of few intervals, till they were driven into Cornwal and Wales, and received protection from the remote fituation or inacceffible mountains of thofe countries.

40

THE firft Saxon state, after that of Kent, which was established in Britain, was the kingdom of South-Saxony. In the year 477", Ælla, a Saxon chief, brought over an army from Germany; and landing on the fouthern coaft, proceeded to take poffeffion of the neighbouring territory. The Britons, now armed, did not tamely abandon their poffeffions; nor were they expelled, till defeated in many battles by their warlike invaders. The most memorable action, mentioned by historians, is that of Mearcredes-Burn "; where, though the Saxons seem to have obtained the victory, they fuffered fo confiderable a lofs, as somewhat retarded the progrefs of their conquefts. But Ella, reinforced by fresh numbers of his countrymen, again took the field against the Britons; and laid fiege to Andred - Ceafter, which was defended by the garrison and inhabitants with defperate valour ". The Saxons, enraged by this

40

Chron. Sax. p. 14. Ann. Beverl. p. 81. Saxon Chron, A. D. 485. Flor. Wigorn, 42 Hen. Huntin. lib. 2.

I.'

CHA P. refiftance, and by the fatigues and dangers which they had sustained, redoubled their efforts against the place, and when masters of it, put all their enemies to the fword without diftinction. This decifive advantage fecured the conquefts of Ælla, who affumed the name of King, and extended his dominion over Suffex and a great part of Surrey. He was stopped in his progress to the east by the kingdom of Kent: In that to the weft by another tribe of Saxons, who had taken poffeffion of that' territory.

THESE Saxons, from the fituation of the country, in which they fettled, were called the WestSaxons, and landed in the year 495, under the command of Cerdic, and of his fon Kenric ". The Britons were, by paft experience, fo much on their guard, and fo well prepared to receive the enemy, that they gave battle to Cerdic the very day of his landing; and though vanquished, ftill defended, for fome time, their liberties against the invaders. None of the other tribes of Saxons met with fuch vigorous refiftance, or exerted fuch valour and perfeverance in pushing their conquefts. Cerdic was even obliged to call for the affiftance of his countrymen from the kingdoms of Kent and Suffex, as well as from Germany, and he was thence joined by a fresh army under the command of Porte, and of his fons Bleda and Megla "*: Strengthened by these

43

44

Will. Malm. lib. 1. cap. 1. p. 12, Chron. Sax. p. 15. 44 Chron. Sax. p. 17.

I.

fuccours, he fought, in the year 508, a defperate CHAP. battle with the Britons, commanded by NazanLeod, their leader, who was victorious in the beginning of the action, and routed the wing in which Cerdic himself commanded. But Kenric, who had prevailed in the other wing, brought timely affiftance to his father, and reftored the battle, which ended in a complete victory gained by the Saxons". Nazan-Leod perifhed, with 5000 of his army: But left the Britons more weakened than difcouraged by his death. The war still continued, though the fuccefs was commonly on the fide of the Saxons, whofe fhort fwords and clofe manner of fighting gave them great advantage over the miffile weapons of the Britons. Cerdic was not wanting to his good fortune; and in order to extend his conquefts, he laid fiege to Mount Badon or Banefdown near Bath, whither the moft obftinate of the difcomfited Britons had retired. The fouthern Britons in this extremity applied for affiftance to Arthur, Prince of the Silures, whofe heroic valour now fuftained the declining fate of his country This is that Arthur fo much celebrated by the fongs of Talieffin, and the other British bards,. and whofe military atchievements have been blended with fo many fables as even to give occafion for entertaining a doubt of his real

45

P. 17.

46

46

H. Hunting. lib. 2. Ethelwerd, lib. 1. Chron. Sax.

Hunting. lib. 2.

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CHA P. existence. But poets, though they disfigure the moft certain hiftory by their fictions, and ufe ftrange liberties with truth where they are the fole hiftorians, as among the Britons, have commonly fome foundation for their wildeft exaggerations. Certain it is, that the fiege of Badon was raised by the Britons in the year 520; and the Saxons were there difcomfited in a great battle ". This misfortune ftopped the progrefs of Cerdic; but was not fufficient to wreft from him the conquefts, which he had already made. He and his fon, Kenric, who fucceeded him, eftablished the kingdom of the Weft-Saxons or of Weffex, over the counties of Hants, Dorfet, Wilts, Berks, and the Isle of Wight, and left their new-acquired dominions to their pofterity. Cerdic died in 534, Kenric in 560.

WHILE the Saxons made this progress in the fouth, their countrymen were not lefs active in other quarters. In the year 527, a great tribe of adventurers, under feveral leaders, landed on the east-coaft of Britain; and after fighting many battles, of which hiftory has preferved no particular account, they established three new kingdoms in this ifland. Uffa affumed the title of king of the Eaft-Angles in 575; Crida that of Mercia in 585"; and Erkenwin that of Eaft-Saxony or Effex nearly about the fame time; but the year is uncertain. This latter kingdom was dif membered from that of Kent, and comprehended

47

Gildas, Saxon Chron. H. Hunting. lib. 2. 42 Math. Weft. Huntingdon, lib. 2.

Effex