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97

■when a weak, superstitious prince filled the throne,/and when the people, discouraged by their lossesfrom the Danes, and terrified with the fear offuture invasions , were susceptible of any im-pression, which bore the appearance of religion 21 .So meritorious was this concession deemed bythe English , that, trusting entirely to supernaturalassistance, they neglected the ordinary means ofsafety; and agreed, even in the present desperateextremity, that the revenues of the church shouldbe exempted from all burthens, though imposedfor national defence and security 2 .

ETHELBALD and ETHELBERT.

EtHELWOLF lived only two years after mak-ing this grant; and by his will he shared Englandbetween his two eldest sons, Ethelbald and Ethel-bert; the west being assigned to the former; theeast to the latter. Ethelbald was a profligate prince ;and marrying Judith , his mother-in-law, gave greatoffence to the people ; but moved by the remon-strances of Swithun , bishop of Winchester, he wasat last prevailed on to divorce her. His reign wasshort; and Ethelbert, his brother, succeeding to thegovernment, behaved himself, during a reign of fiveyears, in a manner more worthy of his birth and

Ingulf, p. g62. Selden’s Hist. of tythes, cap. 8.

Aiferius, p. 2. Chron. Sax. p. 76. W. ftlalmes. lib. 2.cap. 2. Ethehvard , lib. 3. cap. J. M. West. p. 158. Ingulf,p. 17. Ann. Beverl, p. 95.

Vol. I. H

CHAP

IX.

S57.

860.