~Witan~, or in its fuller form ~wit-an-a-ge-mote~, the 'meeting of wise men,' was the national council which afterwards grew up into our modern parliament. 9. THE SECOND SAXON SETTLEMENT. ~Pagan~: heathen, not yet converted to Christianity. ~King Alfred~, called the Great, was king of England from 871-901 A.D. ~Alderman~ in early England meant the ruler of a large district, such as a shire or kingdom. When Mercia became subject to Wessex it was ruled by an alderman. ~Benfleet~: a place in Essex, on the north bank of the Thames, not far from Southend. ~Brunanburgh~ was the scene of a defeat of the Danes by Athelstan in 937 A.D.; the place cannot now be identified. ~Sweyn~, King of Denmark, invaded England with his son Canute in 1013 A.D. ~Redriff~ is now called Rotherhithe, south of the Thames. ~King Ethelred II.~, called the Unredig, or lacking in counsel, reigned 979-1013 A.D. ~Olave~ or ~Olaf~ and ~Magnus~ are Scandinavian names: there were early kings of Norway so called. ~The Portreeve~: the reeve or governor of London was a chief magistrate or mayor of the City. ~The 'Staller'~ or ~Marshal~ led the men of London to battle. ~The Knighten Guild~ was the ruling council of London: they were not chosen by election, but were the chief owners of property, and, like their land, the office was handed down from father to son. ~mote~: meeting. ~hustings~: a general meeting of the citizens held every week; later on the word came to mean the platform whence candidates for parliament addressed their constituents. 10. THE ANGLO-SAXON CITIZEN. ~Athelstan~ (925-940), the grandson of Alfred the Great, and ~Etheldred II.~ (979-1013) were kings of England. ~earl~ or ~eorl~ was what we should now call a gentleman of good family; ~thanes~: nobles who for the most part acquired their titles from the king as rewards for services. ~municipal~: having to do with the municipality or city. ~French~: Norman-French was the language spoken by the Normans. ~the meat and fish were salted~: in the absence of root-crops it was found difficult to keep animals through the winter. Hence much salt meat and fish were stored up. ~embroidery~: the art of working designs on cloth in needlework. ~spinster~: an unmarried woman; so called because unmarried daughters worked at spinning and weaving for the household, making 'homespun' cloth for them. ~marauding~: roving about for plunder. ~solar~: in early houses the chamber over the hall, used as the bedroom for the master and mistress of the house. (See picture on p. 73.) ~tapestry~: thick hangings or curtains with figures worked on them. ~mead~: a fermented drink made of honey: metheglin is another form of the word. ~wattle~: flexible twigs, withies, or osier rods: ~daub~, mud. ~turbulent~: disorderly, riotous. ~Thames Street~: a very narrow street running along the bank of the Thames between Blackfriars and the Tower.