194

HI STORY OF ENGLAND.

C II AIII.

1016.

the north, which had submitted entirely toCanute’s power, he ietired to London , determinedthere to maintain to the last extremity the smallremains of English liberty. He here found everything in confusion by the death of the king, whoexpired after an unhappy and inglorious reign ofthirty-iive years. He left two sons- by his firstmarriage , Edmond , who succeeded him , andEdwy, whom Canute afterwards murdered. Histwo sons by the second marriage, Alfred andEdward , were , immediately upon Ethelred’sdeath, conveyed into Normandy by Queen Emma.

EDMOND Ironside.

T[ HIS prince, who received the name of Ironside!from his hardy valour, possessed courage and abi-lities , sufficient to have prevented his country fromfinking into those calamities , but not to raise itfrom that abyss of misery, into which it hadalready fallen. Among the other misfortunes ofthe English , treachery and disaffection had creepedin among the nobility and prelates; and Edmondfound no better expedient for stopping the fartherprogress of these fatal evils , than to lead his ar-my instantly into the field , and to employ themagainst the common enemy. After meeting withsome success at Gillingham, he prepared himselfto decide in one general engagement the sate ofhis crown: And at Scoerston, in the county ofGlocester, he offered battle to the enemy, whoWere commanded by Canute and Edric. Fortune