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offered to embrace Christianity; a religion which cthe English Danes had frequently professed, whenreduced to difficulties, but which, for that veryreason, they regarded as a badge of servitude,and shook off as soon as a favourable opportunityoffered. Edmund, trusting little to their sincerityin this forced submission, used the precaution ofremoving the Five-burgers from the towns ofMercia, in which they had been allowed tosettle; because it was always found , that theytook advantage of every commotion, and intro-duced the rebellious or foreign Danes into theheart of the kingdom. He also conquered Cum-berland from the Britons ; and conferred thatterritory on Malcolm king of Scotland , on con-dition that he should do him homage for it,and protect the north from all future incursions ofthe Danes.

Edmund was young when he came to thecrown; yet was his reign short, as his deathwas violent. One day, as he was solemnizing afestival in the county ofGlocester, he remarked,that Leolf, a notorious robber, whom he hadsentenced to banishment, had yet the boldness toenter the hall where he himself dined, and to sitat table with his attendants. Enraged at this in-solence, he ordered him to leave the room; buton his refusing to obey, the king, whose temper,naturally choleric , was inflamed by this additionalinsult, leaped on him himself, and seized him bythe hair : But the ruffian, pushed to extremity,drew his dagger, and gave Edmund a wound,

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