Chapter XVI: Offa, Surnamed the Terrible

Offa ascends the throne of Mercia--Drida's introduction and
marriage with the Mercian king--Character of queen Drida and
her daughter Edburga--Offa's invasion of Northumbria--He
marches into Kent--Is victorious--Defeats the king of Wessex
--His victory over the Welsh--Description of Offa's dyke--
Offa's friendly correspondence with Charlemagne--Adventures of
Egbert--Murder of Cynewulf, at Merton, in Surrey--Brihtric
obtains the crown of Wessex, and marries the daughter of Offa--
Ethelbert, king of East Anglia, visits the Mercian court--Queen
Drida plots his destruction--Description of a Saxon feast--
Dreadful death of Ethelbert--Offa's daughter, Alfleda, seeks
shelter in the monastery of Croyland--Murder of Queen Drida
--Edburga poisons her husband, Brihtric, king of Wessex--She
flies to France--Her reception at the court of Charlemagne--
She dies a beggar in the streets of Pavia p. 139

CHAPTER XVII.

EGBERT, KING OF ALL THE SAXONS.

Character of Egbert--His watchful policy--Death of Kenwulf, and
decline of the kingdom of Mercia--Egbert annexes the kingdom
of Kent to Wessex--Compels Wiglaf, king of Mercia, to pay him
tribute--He conquers the kingdom of Northumbria, and subjects
the whole of the Saxon kingdoms to his sway--Northumbria
invaded by the Danes--They sack the abbey of Lindisfarne, and
slay the monks--The Danes again land in Dorsetshire--Egbert
presides over a council in London, to devise measures to prevent
the ravages of the Danes--The remnant of the ancient Britons
who have been driven into Wales, form a league with the Danes,
and are defeated--Death of Egbert p. 145

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE ANCIENT SEA-KINGS.

Origin of the Danish invaders--Habits of the early Vikings--
Their warlike education--Picturesque description of their wild
life--Their hatred of the Saxons--Description of their ships
and warlike weapons--Arrangement of their plans to plunder--
Their vows on the golden bracelet--Power of their leader only
acknowledged in battle--Their rude festivities p. 150