The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-06-01

pendent Kingdoms or the saxos, usn-
tarchy. OF these. Sorthumhrta. u~r-
cia. an Wessex we're the bee. knowu.
TIE race Of Sorthumbrian klnxx. In
their rapid succession. presented =
continued scene OF perfsdy. treason
an murder. Within = century four
teen kings assembled The throne. Sew
en- thalfb were slain: six were driven
from the throne by rebellioua sub
jecis: an only one died holding the
royal dignity. IF I happen 20 give
good deal Of ancient history tha,
may appear new. even 10 ~eIl-poeted
historical readers. do not find fault
with me. In most cases the average
scholar can tell you somethin' abou,
Julius Caesar. Cleopatra, an Nero.
then he IL exhausted. | am goin' 10
the bottom OF hit an may tell you q
good many things which will be eye
openersD.
The Danes. a hardy race from the
shores ov the Baltic Sea. finally ex-
tinguished the Northumbrian dynas-
~ In SGT. The DANES despised peace
an, bein' a sea-goin' people. they nat
urally found the rich pastures for
piracy an murder for gain. After a
time the Danes heard ov England an
hits riches. They made three unsuc-
cessful efforts to land force In Eng
land. The fourth effort proved sue
cess an they got a foothold on the
Isle OF Sheppy. Three years later they
landed in Cornwall an made so many
friends that they practically seduced
the child-like Britons from their al
legiance.
Durin' the reign OF Ethelbert, Rad
nor Lodbrog, famous sea captain
attempted to invade England. He
wuz slain by Ella, a Northumbrian.
The sons of Lodbrag came from Den
mark with 10000 soldiers to avenge
hiz death. They burned the rich
monasteries of Bardsey an Croyland
an then proceeded to destroy Medes-
hamstede, at which place one of the
leaders killed with hiz ow inland the
abbot and eighty-four priests, if his
/ tory be correct, which act made him
one Ov the greatest murderers on rec
ord. But he must hev had assistance
/ in this horrible butchery. The Saxon
/ Princes saw the progress ov the Dan
/ ish arms but made no effort to head
the moff for a time. But they final
ly gave them battle near Reading.
The Danes were defeated.
We now pass to a brighter period
in the early history ov England. We
pass from scenes ov barbaric ignor-
ance an military tyranny to period
when laws We're made for the pro-
/ lection ov the serf az we'll az for hiZ
despOtic master or ruler. In ST. the
crown wuZ offered to Alfred. He re-
fused, sayin' that he wuz unworthy
ov such high honor, which wuZ
proof that he had plenty ov nerve.
But the folks went ahead an made
king ov him in spite ov hiz efforts to
| escape. He wuz crowned by the
! famous archbishop ov Canterbury,
one mite say that he won the crown
in 'canter."
But Alfred had trouble ahead. He
attempted to expel the Danes from
England, but wuz forsaken by hiz
subjects, some ov whom fed to Wales
an other portions ov the world to
escape the terrific fitin' they knew to
lie ahead ov them. The balance
sought to submit an mitigate the
fury ov the ferocious Danes. Desti-
tute ov troops, Alfred liz said to have
passed a portion ov hiZ time disguised
az a shepherd attending a flock ov
sheep. The shepherd who employed
the King, havin' no idea ov hiz royal
ranks, one day told Alfred to toast
some cakes. The King wuz without
experience in such duties an allowed
the cakes to burn. The shepherd
gave him sound scolding for hiz ap-
parent ignorance or carelessness. But
the King never forgot the shepherd.
When things began to come the
Kings way again he revealed hiz
identity to the shepherd, advised him
to attend school, an the shepherd af-
terward became the bishop of Win
!. chester through the influence ov the
King.
}, Alfred wuz quite musician an
could play a harp splendidly. Dis
J, guised az a harper, he entered the
;. Danish camp and played in the pres
ence ov the commander. The object
ov the King wuz to get correct idea
}. ov the strength ov the Danish army.
Then he left the camp and summoned
!. hiz warriors an attacked the Danes.
The Danish army had supposed that
Alfred wuz dead, an when they saw
him leading his hastily collected but
!. determined force, they were totally
unprepared an were put to flight
with great losses. Alfred had shown
J, somethin' ov the real stuff from which
Englishmen are made, an he didn't
give them a chance to recover from
!, their state ov establishment. A rem
nant ov the Danes reached a fort ov
J, fortified camp, Alfred surrounded