The Dragon And The Raven: Or The Days Of King Alfred(Fiscle Part-3) by G. A. Henty (e book reading free TXT) 📕

Formed The Army In The Weald. Hasting Himself Was Away,

But His Army Marched Out To Meet The Saxons.

A Great Battle Was Fought,  But The Danes Could Not Resist

The Ardour Of Their Assailants. Their Army Was Routed And

Their Fortress Stormed. All The Booty Within It Fell Into The

Hands Of The Victors,  Together With The Wives And Families Of

The Danes,  Among Whom Were The Wife And Two Sons Of Hasting.

The Danish Fleet Also Was Captured,  And Was Burned Or

Taken To London. Another Great Fleet Of The East Angles

And Northumbrians Sailed Up The Thames,  And Landing,  The

Northmen Marched Across To The Severn,  But Were Defeated

And Destroyed By Ethelred Of Mercia.

Exeter Was Again Invested By A Danish Fleet,  And Again

Saved By Alfred. The Danes,  As They Retired Along The South

Coast,  Landed Near Chichester,  Where They Suffered A Heavy

Defeat From The South Saxons.

In The Following Year A Fresh Fleet Sailed Up The Thames

And Thence Up The Lea,  Where They Constructed A Fortress

Twenty Miles Above London.

Alfred Caused Two Fortresses To Be Erected On The Lea

Below Them,  With Vast Balks Of Timber Entirely Obstructing

The River. The Danes,  Finding Their Retreat Cut Off,  Abandoned

Their Ships And Marched Across England To Cwatbridge On

The Severn. Their Fleet Fell Into The Hands Of The Londoners,

Who Burned And Broke Up All The Smaller Ships And Carried

The Rest Down To London. The Danes Were So Disconcerted

By The Many And Severe Defeats Which Had Befallen Them That

They Now Abandoned The Idea Of Again Conquering England,

And Taking Ship,  Sailed For France.

Four Years Later,  In 901,  King Alfred Died,  Having Reigned

Twenty-Nine Years And Six Months. During His Reign England

Had Made Immense Advances In Civilization,  And In Spite Of

The Devastation Wrought By The Danish Occupation Of Wessex

During The Early Years Of His Reign,  And The Efforts Required

Afterwards To Oppose Them,  The Wealth And Prosperity Of The

Country Vastly Increased During His Reign. Abbeys And

Monasteries Had Multiplied,  Public Buildings Been Erected,

Towns Rebuilt And Beautified,  And Learning Had Made Great

Advances. The Laws Of The Country Had Been Codified And

Regulated,  The Administration Of Justice Placed On A Firm

Basis. The Kingly Authority Had Greatly Increased,  And The

Great Ealdormen Were No Longer Semi-Independent Nobles,  But

Officers Of The Crown. Serfdom,  Although Not Entirely

Abolished,  Had Been Mitigated And Regulated. Arts And

Manufactures Had Made Great Progress.

Edmund And Freda Survived King Alfred Many Years,

And Their District Continued To Be One Of The Most Prosperous

And Well-Ruled In The Kingdom. Their Descendants Continued

To Hold The Office Of Ealdorman Until The Invasion By

William The Conqueror,  And The Holder Of The Office At That

Time Fell,  With Numbers Of His Followers,  At The Battle Of

Hastings. For Very Many Years After That Event The Prow Of

The Dragon Was Kept In The Great Hall Of Sherborne As A

Memorial Of The Valiant Deeds Performed Against The Danes

By Ealdorman Edmund.

Publication Date: 05-16-2014

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