Edgar reigned sixteen years, and was succeeded by his son Edward, whom he had by his first wife, the daughter of Earl Ordmer. Elfrida opposed, with all her might, the succession of this prince, and endeavour ed to obtain the crown for her own son Ethelred. But Dunstan resolutely anointed and crowned Edward at Kingston, when the whole kingdom immediately sub mitted to his authority. The disputes between the monks and the secular clergy were again revived. Upon the death of Edgar, the new order of monks was ex pelled by the Duke of Mercia from all the monasteries within his jurisdiction ; while they were protected and encouraged by other nobles of equal power. This gave rise to a violent controversy, which became the sub ject of discussion in several synods. These synods were composed partly of ecclesiastical members, and partly of lay nobility; and Dunstan, who had acquired by his austerities, the favour of the populace, overcame every obstacle, by the pretended miracles which he wrought in favour of the monks. At one meeting, find ing the majority of votes against him, he hastily rose, and gravely said, that he had just received a revelation from heaven in support of his cause ; at another time, a voice issued from the crucifix, declaring that the establishment of the new order of monks was founded upon the will of heaven ; and at a third synod, the hall in which they were assembled, sunk of a sudden, and many were killed or bruised by the fall. It was ob served, however, that Dunstan had prevented the king from appearing that clay at the meeting ; and that the beam upon which his own chair stood, was the only one that did not sink. But notwithstanding this discovery, the imposture was received and believed as an interposi tion of Providence in behalf of the monks.
Edward, whose innocence and simplicity rendered him incapable of suspicion, favoured and supported the cause of Dunstan ; but his untimely death, and the con sequent irruption of the Danes, put an end for a time to these monkish controversies. Though Elfricla had always shewn herself hostile to the cause of Edward, yet he continued to treat her with great respect, and expressed a warm affection for her son Ethelred. But the Queen, who, with every exterior accomplishment, possessed a heart deformed by every vice, waited only for an opportunity to wrest the sceptre from the hand of her sovereign. This opportunity was soon afforded her. Edward, when hunting, being led near Corfe castle, where she resided, paid her a visit unattended by any of his retinue. After he had mounted his horse, he asked for some drink; but while he was holding the cup to his head, a servant of Elfrida stabbed him be hind. Finding himself wounded, he put spurs to his horse, but soon becoming faint by the loss of blood, he fell from the saddle, and, his foot being entangled in the stirrup, was dragged along till he expired. He was traced by the blood, and his servants interred him pri vately at Wareham. The amiable life and tragical death of this prince, procured him the appellation of Martyr.
Elfrida attempted to expiate her guilt, by building monasteries, and performing many penances; but, with all her hypocrisy, she could never recover the good opi nion of the public. Her son reaped the fruit of her crime; and Ethelred, at the age of eleven, was imme diately raised to the throne. But this prince never dis during a long reign, either courage or capacity for the government of such a kingdom.
Danes, who, since the time of Alfred, had been overawed by the warlike characters of his successcrs, and had been repelled in every attempt at invasion, soon began to discover, by some partial descents which they had made by way of trial, that the kingdom was under very different management, and that they might resume their depredations with impunity. A consider
able armament accordingly landed in Essex, and, hav ing defeated and slain the Duke of that county, spread their devastations over all the neighbouring provinces. Ethelred, whose conduct acquired for him the surname of Unready, instead of attempting to repel them by force, with the advice of some of his degenerate and coward ly nobles, stipulated with them to leave the kingdom,, upon the payment of 10,000/. They soon, however, became sensible of their folly, and determined to collect a fleet callable of meeting the enemy. The following year the Danes again made their appearance; and it was resolved by Ethelred and his council, to surround and destroy the Danish fleet while in harbour. This plan, however, was rendered unsuccessful, by the treach ery of Alfric, Duke of Mercia, whose repeated perfidy brought many calamities upon his country, and whose name is infamous in the annals of that age. He inform ed the enemy of their danger, and even deserted to their standard. But such was the weakness of the Eng lish court, that it was found necessary again to entrust this nobleman with his former government.
The Danes now began to feel their superiority; and the divisions among the nobility, and the weakness of the king, encouraged them to continue their incursions. In 993, Sweyn, king of Denmark, and Olave, king of Norway, sailed up the Humber with a considerable force, and spread their ravages all around. The army which was assembled to oppose them, was deserted in battle by their leaders, Ferna, Frithegest, and Godwin, ho were all of Danish extraction, and offered an easy victory to the invaders. Encouraged by this success, and inspired with contempt for such an enemy, they penetrated into the heart of the kingdom, and were stop ped in their depredations only by another compromise. Ethelred promised them subsistence and tribute, if they would leave the kingdom. The sum of 16,000/. was immediately paid, and they soon after departed. A short respite was the only consequence of this compro mise. The Danes again appeared, and laid waste, with fire and sword, the whole southern coast, from the Se vern to the Thames. The miseries which the English now suffered, reduced them almost to despair; and they had again recourse to the expedient of buying tranquil lity with money. But the invaders rose in their terms, and demanded 24,000/., to which they had the mean ness to submit. Ethelred saw that there was no end to these submissions, and bethought himself of other expedients to resist these merciless ravagers. He entered into an alliance with Richard Duke of Norman dy, by receiving Emma, the sister. of that prince, in marriage; and he farther endeavoured to secure the peace of the kingdom, by getting rid of his Danish sub jects. Many of these had been employed as mercena ries by his predecessors; but, instead of defending the inhabitants against their invaders, they generally took part with their countrymen, and assisted in their depre ciations. They had also rendered themselves most ob noxious to the English, by their violence and licentious ness ; and the animosity which subsisted between the two nations was at its height, when Ethelred formed the bloody and impolitic purpose of massacring all the Danish troops throughout his dominions. The festival of St Brice (Nov. 13. 1002) was fixed for the execu tion of this design, and secret orders were dispatched to commence it every where on the same day. The populace, enraged by the recollection of former injuries, and stimulated by the commands of their rulers, did not distinguish between innocence and guilt, and spared neither age nor sex. Even Gunilda, the sister of the Danish monarch, who had married Earl Paling, and had embraced Christianity, was included in the fate of her countrymen.