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HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

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chap. finally repulsed the assailants, and killed bothii. the governors. They removed thence to theisle of Shepey; where they took up their wintcr-quarters, that they might farther extend theirdevastation and ravages.

This unsettled state of England hindered notEthelwolf from making a pilgrimage to Rome;whither he carried his fourth , and favouriteson, Alfred, then only six years of age". He Ipassed there a twelvemonth in exercises of devotion; jand failed not in that most essential part of jdevotion , liberality to the church of Rome.Besides giving presents to the most distinguishedecclesiastics, he made a perpetual grant of threehundred mancufes" a year to that fee; one thirdto support the lamps of St. Peter’s, another those ofSt. Paul’s, a third to the pope himself". In hisreturn home, he married Judith, daughter os theemperor, Charles the Bald; but on his landing mEngland, he met with an opposition, which helittle looked for.

His eldest son, Athelstan,being dead , Etbelbald,his second, who had assumed the government,formed, in concert with many of the nobles,the project of excluding his father from a throne,which his weakness and superstition seem to haverendered him so lll-qualified to fill. The people weredivided between the two princes; and a bloody

" Asserius, p. 2. Chron. Sax. 76. Hunt. lib. 5.

14 A mancus was about the weight of our present halfcrown : See Spellman’s Glossary , in verbo Mancus.

15 W. M alines. lib. 2. cap. 2.

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