E THELRED.

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these several nations, and to which the nature of c H A r.their respective situations necessarily confined them. m.The latter tribes, living in an inland country,made incursions by land upon the Roman empire;and when they entered far into the frontiers, theywere obliged to carry along with them theirwives and families , whom they had no hopesof soon re-visiting , and who could not otherwiseparticipate of their plunder. This circumstancequickly made them think of forcing a settlementin the provinces, which they had over-run ; andthese barbarians, spreading themselves over thecountry, found an interest in protecting the propertyand industry of the people, whom they had subdued.

But the Danes and Norwegians , invited by theirmaritime situation, and obliged to maintain them-selves in their uncultivated country by fishing,had acquired some experience of navigation; andin their military excursions pursued the methodpractised against the Roman empire by the moreearly Saxons : They made descents in small bodiesfrom their ships or rather boats, and ravagingthe coasts , returned with the booty to theirfamilies , whom they could not conveniently carryalong with them in those hazardous enterprizes.

But when they increased their armaments , madeincursions into the inland countries, and found itsafe to remain longer in the midst of the enfeebledenemy, they had been accustomed to crowd theirvessels with their wives and children, and havingno longer any temptation to return to theirown country , they willingly embraced an oppor-

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