7Z8 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

fi H a p . endeavoured to give security to the government,n- by providing against the insurrections of . theDanes, which had created so much disturbanceto his predecessors. He marched into Nor-thumberland; and'finding, that the inhabitants borewith impatience the English yoke, he thought itprudent to confer on Sithric , a Danish nobleman,the title of King, and to attach him to his interests,by giving him his sister, Editha in marriage. Butthis policy proved by accident the source ofdangerous consequences. Sithric died in a twelve-month after; and his two sons by a formermarriage, Anlaf and Godfrid , founding preten-sions on their father’s elevation , assumed thesovereignty, without waiting for Athelstan’s con-sent. They were soon expelled by the power of thatmonarch;and the former took shelter in Ireland,as thelatter did in Scotland; where he received, duringsome time, protection from Constantine, whothen enjoyed the crown of that .kingdom. TheScottish prince, however, continually solicited,and even menaced, byAthelstan, at last promisedto deliver up his guest; but secretly detesting thistreachery, he gave Godfrid warning to make hisescape M> *; and'that fugitive, after subsisting bypiracy for some years, freed the king, by hisdeath , from any farther anxiety. Athelstan ,resenting Constantine’s behaviour, entered Scot-land with an army; and ravaging the country with

W. Malmes. lib. 2 . cap. 6.

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