CHAP. XIV.—F*OM A.D. 743 το 802. Wars in Britain—Miracles wrought at the tomb of Benedict—Offa, king of Merda—Charlemagne makes war upon the Saxons and on the Lombards—Allies himself with Offa—Honours paid to the body of Saint Alban—Ethelbert, king of the East Angles and Martyr—-Offa goes to Rome—Dies—Charlemagne goes to Rome— Egbert succeeds to the throne of the West Saxons . . . 358 CHAP. XV.—FROM A.D. 803 το A.D. 870. Egbert begins to subdue the other kingdoms of the Heptarchy— Charlemagne summons five councils in France—Dies—Egbert becomes sole king of England—Subdues Wales—The Danes land at Sheppey—Are defeated by Egbert—He dies—They return a second time—Constant wars between them and the English—Alfred, eon of Ethel wolf, is born—Story of the old woman of Berkeley— Ethelwolf devotes a tenth part of his kingdom to the service of God—He takes Alfred to Rome—Ethelwolf dies—Saint Swithun —Alfred marries—The Danes overrun England and Scotland— Death of King Edmund 389 CHAP. XVI.—FROM A.D. 871 το A.D. 900. The Danes invade the West Saxons—Reach Reading—Battles with Alfred—King Ethelred dies and is succeeded by Alfred—The youth and education of Alfred—His wisdom—His wars—Brithred, king of Northumberland and Mercia—The body of Saint Cuthbert is brought from Lindisfarne—A truce is made between Alfred and the Danes—It is broken—Alfred besieges Exeter and builds a fleet —The Danes ravage Wiltshire—Alfred retires to Athelney—King Gytro becomes a Christian—An account of John or Dun Scotue— Alfred defeats the Danes—Story of a vision of the emperor Charles about purgatory—Alfred becomes king of all Britain—A List of the kings of the Heptarchy—Alfred founds monasteries—Appoints governors throughout his kingdom—Story of Rollo, duke of Normandy—Death of Alfred 420 CHAP. XVII.—FROM A.D. 901 το A.D. 941. Edward the Elder succeeds Alfred—A great council of the English Church is held—Edward wars against the Danes—Rollo becomes a Christian—The Danes continue their ravages—Many towns are built throughout the kingdom—Edward dies—Athelstan succeeds him—Saint Dunstan flourishes—Treaty of peace between Athelstan and Robert of Normandy—Athelstan puts his brother Edwin to death—His wars with Constantine, king of Scotland, and Anlaf, king of Ireland— Otho becomes emperor of the Romans— Athelstan dies, and is succeeded by Edmund—England is divided between Edmund and Anlaf 455