EGBERT.

89

known under the general name of Normans ,which they received from their northern situation,they became the terror of all the maritime andeven of the inland countries. They were alsotempted to visit England in their frequent excur-sions; and being able, by sudden inroads, to makegreat progress over a people, who were notdefended by any naval force, who had relaxedtheir military institutions, and who were funkinto a superstition, which had become odious tothe Danes and ancient Saxons, they made nodistinction in their hostilities between the Frenchand English kingdoms. Their first appearance inthis island was in the year 787 1 , when Brithricreigned in Wessex. A small body of them landedin that kingdom, with a view of Earning thestate of the country; and when the magistrate ofthe place questioned them concerning their enter-prise , and summoned them to appear before theking, and account for their intentions, they killedhim, and flying to their ships, escaped into theirown country. The next alarm was given toNorthumberland in the year 794'; when a bodyof these pirates pillaged a monastery; but theirships being much damaged by a storm, and theirleader slain in a skirmish, they were at last defeatedby the inhabitants, and the remainder of themput to the sword. Five years after Egbert hadestablished his monarchy over England , the Danes

HAP

II.

Chron. Sax. p. 64.

Ibid. p. 66. Alur. Reverb p. 108.