22. What was the battle of Ethandune? 24. How did Alfred make friends of the Danes? 26. How was a navy first formed? 29. Which of our universities was founded by Alfred the Great? CHAPTER VI. FROM THE DEATH OF ALFRED TO THE NORMAN CONQUEST. [Illustration: CANUTE AND HIS COURTIERS.] 1. Alfred was succeeded by his son Edward, who was a very good king, though not so clever as his father. He built walls round a great many of the towns, to defend them in case the Danes should come again; for, although so many of them were living quietly in the country, those who did not live here were still enemies, and the resident Danes were always ready to join their countrymen. 2. But they could not do much mischief while Edward was king, or in the reign of his brave son Athelstan, who was almost as great a prince as Alfred himself. 3. He knew that commerce was one of the best things in the world for any country, so he had more ships built, and sent them to trade with foreign countries; and he said that, when any man had made three voyages in a vessel of his own, he should be made a Thane; which was the same as knighting a gentleman in these days. 4. There were no stores in England at this time, but the people bought every thing they wanted at markets and fairs; and they used to salt a great deal of their meat and fish, that it might keep a long time. 5. In buying and selling, they sometimes used slaves and cattle, instead of money, a man slave being worth a pound of silver, and an ox worth a quarter of a pound, which was called five shillings, as a shilling was the twentieth part of a pound in weight. 6. If a nobleman, therefore, wanted to buy any thing of two pounds value, he could pay for it with two of his thralls, or eight oxen, and the seller was obliged to take them; but he could sell them again directly; for I am sorry to say there were slave markets in England till some time after the Norman Conquest. 7. Athelstan had a good deal of fighting to do, for the people of the Daneland revolted, and he was obliged to lead his soldiers into their territory, to bring them to order; and then he had to march against Howel, the Prince of Wales, who was defeated in battle, when Athelstan nobly gave him back his dominions, saying, “There was more glory in making a king than in dethroning one.” 8. I shall not mention all the kings that reigned after Athelstan, because there were many of them who did nothing that is worth telling about; but I must speak of a great churchman, named Dunstan, who was Archbishop of Canterbury, and, for several reigns, ruled the whole country, for the kings and nobles were obliged to do just as he pleased. 9. He was a very clever man, and so good a worker in metals that he made jewellery and bells, and gave them to some of the churches, which was considered an act of piety; for it was about this time that bells began to be used in England, and they were highly valued.