C II AIII.

993 .

x-/6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

P> establifli the royal authority, or render his ownsituation dependent or precarious. As the Englishhad formed the plan of surrounding and destroy-ing the Danish fleet in harbour, he privatelyinformed the enemy of their danger; and whenthey put to sea, in consequence of this intelligence,he deserted to them, with the squadron underhis command, the night before the engagement,and thereby disappointed all the efforts of hiscountrymen 1 . Ethelred , enraged at his perfidy^seized his son , Alfgar, and ordered his eyes 19be put out* But smb was the power of Alfric;that he again forced himself into authority; andthough he had given this specimen of his charac-ter, and received this grievous provocation, itwas found necessary to entrust him anew withthe government of JYlercia. d his conduct ofthe court, which, in all its circumstances, is so, barbarous , weak, and imprudent, both meritedand prognosticated the most grievous calamities.

The northern invaders, now well acquaintedwith the defenceless condition of England , madea powerful descent under the command of Sweyn,king of Denmark, and Olave, king of Norway;and failing up the Humber, spread on all sidestheir destructive ravages. Lindesey was laidwaste; Banbury was destroyed; and all theNorthumbrians, though mostly of Danish descent,were constrained either to join- the invaders, or

1 Chron. Sax. p. 127. W. Malm. p. 62. Higden, p. 270.» 1 Chron. Sax. p. 128. W. Malm. p. 62.

to