which　they　had　suffered；　the　destruction　of　home　and
  property；　and　the　slaughter　of　friends　and　relations；　would
  fain　have　exterminated　their　foes。　King　Alfred；　however；
  thought　otherwise。
  Guthorn　and　the　Danes　had　effected　a　firm　settlement
  in　East　Anglia；　and　lived　at　amity　with　the　Saxons　there。　They
  had；　it　is　true；　wrested　from　them　the　greatest　portion　of
  their　lands。　Still　peace　and　order　were　now　established。　The
  Saxons　were　allowed　liberty　and　equal　rights。　Intermarriages
  were　taking　place；　and　the　two　peoples　were　becoming　welded
  into　one。　Alfred　then　considered　that　it　would　be　well　to
  have　the　king　of　this　country　as　an　ally；　he　and　his　settled
  people　would　soon　be　as　hostile　to　further　incursions　of　the
  Northmen　as　were　the　Saxons　themselves；　and　their　interests
  and　those　of　Wessex　would　be　identical。
  Did　he；　on　the　other　hand；　carry　out　a　general　massacre
  of　the　Danes　now　in　his　power　he　might　have　brought　upon
  England　a　fresh　invasion　of　Northmen；　who；　next　to　plunder；
  loved　revenge；　and　who　might　come　over　in　great　hosts
  to　avenge　the　slaughter　of　their　countrymen。　Moved；　then；
  by　motives　of　policy　as　well　as　by　compassion；　he　granted　the
  terms　they　asked；　and　hostages　having　been　sent　in　from　the
  camp　he　ordered　provisions　to　be　supplied　to　the　Danes。
  The　same　night　a　messenger　of　rank　came　in　from
  Guthorn　saying　that　he　intended　to　embrace　Christianity。
  The　news　filled　Alfred　and　the　Saxons　with　joy。　The　king；　a
  sincere　and　devoted　Christian；　had　fought　as　much　for　his
  religion　as　for　his　kingdom；　and　his　joy　at　the　prospect　of
  Guthorn's　conversion；　which　would　as　a　matter　of　course　be
  followed　by　that　of　his　subjects；　was　deep　and　sincere。
  To　the　Saxons　generally　the　temporal　consequence　of
  the　conversion　had　no　doubt　greater　weight　than　the　spiritual。
  The　conversion　of　Guthorn　and　the　Danes　would　be　a
  pledge　far　more　binding　than　any　oaths　of　alliance　between
  the　two　kingdoms。　Guthorn　and　his　followers　would　be
  viewed　with　hostility　by　their　countrymen；　whose　hatred　of
  Christianity　was　intense；　and　East　Anglia　would；　therefore；
  naturally　seek　the　close　alliance　and　assistance　of　its
  Christian　neighbour。
  Great　were　the　rejoicings　in　the　Saxon　camp　that　night。
  Seldom；　indeed；　has　a　victory　had　so　great　and　decisive　an
  effect　upon　the　future　of　a　nation　as　that　of　Ethandune。　Had
  the　Saxons　been　crushed；　the　domination　of　the　Danes　in
  England　would　have　been　finally　settled。　Christianity　would
  have　been　stamped　out；　and　with　it　civilization；　and　the
  island　would　have　made　a　backward　step　into　paganism　and
  barbarism　which　might　have　delayed　her　progress　for　centuries。
  The　victory　established　the　freedom　of　Wessex；　converted
  East　Anglia　into　a　settled　and　Christian　country；　and
  enabled　King　Alfred　to　frame　the　wise　laws　and　statutes　and
  to　establish　on　a　firm　basis　the　institutions　which　raised　Saxon
  England　vastly　in　the　scale　of　civilization；　and　have　in　no
  small　degree　affected　the　whole　course　of　life　of　the　English
  people。
  CHAPTER　XII：　FOUR　YEARS　OF　PEACE
  Seven　weeks　afterwards　Guthorn；　accompanied　by　thirty
  of　his　noblest　warriors；　entered　Alfred's　camp；　which　was
  pitched　at　Aller；　a　place　not　far　from　Athelney。
  An　altar　was　erected　and　a　solemn　service　performed；
  and　Guthorn　and　his　companions　were　all　baptized；　Alfred
  himself　becoming　sponsor　for　Guthorn；　whose　name
  was　changed　to　Athelstan。　The　Danes　remained　for　twelve
  days　in　the　Saxon　camp。　For　the　first　eight　they　wore；　in
  accordance　with　the　custom　of　the　times；　the　chrismal；　a　white
  linen　cloth　put　on　the　head　when　the　rite　of　baptism　was
  performed；　on　the　eighth　day　the　solemn　ceremony　known
  as　the　chrism；　the　loosing　or　removal　of　the　cloths；　took　place
  at　Wedmore。　This　was　performed　by　the　Ealdorman
  Ethelnoth。
  During　these　twelve　days　many　conferences　were　held
  between　Alfred　and　Athelstan　as　to　the　future　of　the　two
  kingdoms。　While　the　Danes　were　still　in　the　camp　a
  witenagemot　or　Saxon　parliament　was　held　at　Wedmore。　At
  this　Athelstan　and　many　of　the　nobles　and　inhabitants　of
  East　Anglia　were　present；　and　the　boundary　of　the　two　kingdoms
  was　settled。　It　was　to　commence　at　the　mouth　of　the
  Thames；　to　run　along　the　river　Lea　to　its　source；　and　at
  Bedford　turn　to　the　right　along　the　Ouse　as　far　as　Watling
  Street。　According　to　this　arrangement　a　considerable　portion
  of　the　kingdom　of　Mercia　fell　to　Alfred's　share。
  The　treaty　comprehended　various　rules　for　the　conduct
  of　commerce；　and　courts　were　instituted　for　the　trial　of
  disputes　and　crimes。　The　Danes　did　not　at　once　leave　Mercia；
  but　for　a　considerable　time　lay　in　camp　at　Cirencester；　but　all
  who　refused　to　become　Christians　were　ordered　to　depart
  beyond　the　seas；　and　the　Danes　gradually　withdrew　within
  their　boundary。
  Guthorn's　conversion；　although　no　doubt　brought　about
  at　the　moment　by　his　admiration　of　the　clemency　of　Alfred；
  had　probably　been　for　some　time　projected　by　him。　Mingling
  as　his　people　did　in　East　Anglia　with　the　Christian　Saxons
  there；　he　must　have　had　opportunities　for　learning　the
  nature　of　their　tenets；　and　of　contrasting　its　mild　and
  beneficent　teaching　with　the　savage　worship　of　the　pagan　gods。
  By　far　the　greater　proportion　of　his　people　followed　their　king's
  example；　but　the　wilder　spirits　quitted　the　country；　and　under
  their　renowned　leader　Hastings　sailed　to　harry　the　shores
  of　France。　The　departure　of　the　more　turbulent　portion　of
  his　followers　rendered　it　more　easy　for　the　Danish　king　to
  carry　his　plans　into　effect。
  After　the　holding　of　the　witan　Edmund　and　Egbert　at
  once　left　the　army　with　their　followers；　and　for　some　months
  the　young　ealdorman　devoted　himself　to　the　work　of　restoring
  the　shattered　homes　of　his　people；　aiding　them　with　loans
  from　the　plunder　he　had　gained　on　the　seas；　Alfred　having
  at　once　repaid　him　the　sums　which　he　had　lent　at　Athelney。
  As　so　many　of　his　followers　had　also　brought　home　money
  after　their　voyage；　the　work　of　rebuilding　and　restoration　went
  on　rapidly；　and　in　a　few　months　the　marks　left　of　the　ravages
  by　the　Danes　had　been　well…nigh　effaced。
  Flocks　and　herds　again　grazed　in　the　pastures；　herds　of
  swine　roamed　in　the　woods；　the　fields　were　cultivated；　and
  the　houses　rebuilt。　In　no　part　of　Wessex　was　prosperity　so
  speedily　re…established　as　in　the　district　round　Sherborne
  governed　by　Edmund。　The　Dragon　was　thoroughly　overhauled
  and　repaired；　for　none　could　say　how　soon　fresh　fleets　of　the
  Northmen　might　make　their　appearance　upon　the　southern
  shores　of　England。　It　was　not　long；　indeed；　before　the
  Northmen　reappeared；　a　great　fleet　sailing　up　the　Thames
  at　the　beginning　of　the　winter。　It　ascended　as　high　as　Fulham；
  where　a　great　camp　was　formed。　Seeing　that　the　Saxons　and
  East　Anglians　would　unite　against　them　did　they　advance
  further；　the　Danes　remained　quietly　in　their　encampment
  during　the　winter；　and　in　the　spring　again　took　ship　and　sailed
  for　France。
  For　the　next　two　years　England　enjoyed　comparative
  quiet；　the　Danes　turning　their　attention　to　France　and　Holland；
  sailing　up　the　Maas；　Scheldt；　Somme；　and　Seine。　Spreading
  from　these　rivers　they　carried　fire　and　sword　over　a　great
  extent　of　country。　The　Franks　resisted　bravely；　and　in　two
  pitched　battles　defeated　their　invaders　with　great　loss。　The
  struggle　going　on　across　the　Channel　was　watched　with　great
  interest　by　the　Saxons；　who　at　first　hoped　to　see　the　Danes
  completely　crushed　by　the　Franks。
  The　ease；　however；　with　which　the　Northmen　moved
  from　point　to　point　in　their　ships　gave　them　such　immense
  advantage　that　their　defeats　at　Hasle　and　Saucourt　in　no　way
  checked　their　depredations。　Appearing　suddenly　off　the
  coast；　or　penetrating　into　the　interior　by　a　river；　their　hordes
  would　land；　ravage　the　country；　slay　all　who　opposed　them；
  and　carry　off　the　women　and　children　captives；　and　would
  then　take　to　their　ships　again　before　the　leaders　of　the　Franks
  could　assemble　an　army。
  Alfred　spent　this　time　of　repose　in　restoring　as　far　as
  possible　the　loss　and　damage　which　his　kingdom　had
  suffered。　Many　wise　laws　were　passed；　churches　were　rebuilt；
  and　order　restored；　great　numbers　of　the　monks　and　wealthier
  people　who　had　fled　to　France　in　the　days　of　the　Danish
  supremacy　now　returned　to　England；　which　was　for　the　time
  freer　from　danger　than　the　land　in　which　they　had　sought
  refuge；　and　many　Franks　from　the　districts　exposed　to　the
  Danish　ravages　came　over　and　settled　in　England。
  Gradually　the　greater　part　of　England　acknowledged
  the　rule　of　Alfred。　The　kingdom　of　Kent　was　again　united　to
  that　of　Wessex；　while　Mercia；　which　extended　across　the
  centre　of　England　from　Anglia　to　Wales；　was　governed　for　Alfred
  by　Ethelred　the　Ealdorman；　who　was　the　head　of　the　powerful
  family　of　the　Hwiccas；　and　had　received　the　hand　of
  Alfred's　daughter　Ethelfleda。　He　ruled　Mercia　according　to
  its　own　laws　and　customs；　which　differed　materially　from　those
  of　the　West　Saxons；　and　which　prevented　a　more　perfect　union
  of　the　two　kingdoms　until　William　the　Conqueror　welded
  the　whole　country　into　a　single　whole。　But　Ethelred
  acknowledged　the　supremacy　of　Alfred；　consulted　him　upon　all
  occasions　of　importance；　and