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HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

chap. remainder scattered themselves every where, andil. carrying off the inhabitants and cattle and goods, they

hastened to their strips, and quickly disappeared.If the military force of the county were assembled,(for there was no time for troops to march froma distance) the Danes either were able to repulsethem and to continue their ravages with impu-nity, or they betook themselves to their vessels;and setting sail , suddenly invaded some distantquarter, which was not prepared for their reception.Every part of England was held in continualalarm; and the inhabitants of one county durstnot give a distance to those of another , lesttheir own families and property should in themean time be exposed by their absence to thefury of these barbarous ravagers"’. All orders ofmen were involved in this calamity; and the priestsand monks, who had been commonly spared inthe domestic quarrels of the heptarchy , werethe chief objects on which the Danish idolatersexercised their rage and animosity. Every seasonof the year was dangerous; and the absence ofthe enemy was no reason why any man couldesteem himself a moment in safety.

These, incursions had now become almostannual; when the Danes, encouraged by theirsuccesses against France as well as England (for*?r. both kingdoms were alike exposed to this dread-ful calamity) invaded the last in so numerous abody, as seemed to threaten it with universal

" Mured Beverl. p. 108.