88 HISTORY OF ENGLAND

h A F. who, during some centuries, kept the Anglo-,U,. Saxons in perpetual inquietude, committed themost barbarous ravages upon them, and at lastreduced them to grievous servitude.

The emperor Charlemagne, though naturallygenerous and humane, had been induced bybigotry to exercise great severities upon the PaganSaxons in Germany, whom he subdued; andbesides often ravaging their country with fire andsword, he had in cool blood decimated all theinhabitants for their revolts, and had obligedthem , by the most rigorous edicts, to make aseeming compliance with the Christian doctrine.That religion, which had easily made its wayamong the British - Saxons by insinuation andaddress, appeared shocking to their Germanbrethren, when imposed on them by the violenceof Charlemagne; and the most generous andwarlike of these Pagans had fled northward intoJutland, in order to escape the fury of his perse-cutions. IMeeting there with a people of similarmanners, they were readily received among them;and they soon stimulated the natives to concurin enterprises, which both promised revenge onthe haughty conqueror, and afforded subsistence tothose numerous inhabitants > with which thenorthern countries were now overburthenedThey invaded the provinces of France, whichwere exposed by the degeneracy and dissensionsof Charlemagne’s posterity; and being there

Yroci. Neustrin , p. 414.