The history of England giving a true and impartial account of the most considerable transactions in church and state, in peace and war, during the reigns of all the kings and queens, from the coming of Julius Cæsar into Britain : with an account of all plots, conspiracies, insurrections, and rebellions ... : likewise, a relation of the wonderful prodigies ... to the year 1696 ... : together with a particular description of the rarities in the several counties of England and Wales, with exact maps of each county / by John Seller ...

Some Observations on the Original of the Danes. A Brief Description of the Country from whence they came: Their manner of War, Religion, Customs, &c.

BEing come to speak of a Succession of Kings different in Nation from the former, it will not be improper to give an account briefly of the Original of the Nation that gave birth to the first of them, &c.

The Original of the Danes is concluded (by some Authors) to have been from Scythia; That a Famine extreamly raging in that Country, divers Colonies had left it, and ranging to seek Food, found out an Island called Scandia situate Northward, not far from the

continent of Denmark; and in time growing too nu∣merous for that scanty place, they Warred on the Danij, and so long continued it, that they grasped the Kingdom with so hard a hand, as to this day it is not wrested from the Race of them; and from thence they called the Country Danes-Mark, or portion of Land, now corruptly Denmark.

This Peninsule, so called by reason it is almost an Island, as it is now held by the Danish King, that is properly called Denmark, is in Length Eighty Miles, and Twenty in Breadth; having but little firm Land; being divided into many Islands; whereof Jutland, for its bigness, is the chief: It borders upon Germany and is a near Neighbour to the lower Frisia; it is difficult to determine whether it receives greater Benefit than Damage from the Sea; for often by the violent Tem∣pests the Banks and Fences being forced by the Waves, the Water not only covers the Fields for a long time, but by the suddainness of the Deluge destroys many Cattle and People, and as well Stately Buildings as Low∣ly Cottages: And the Country is full of Woods con∣taining store of Deer. The Island of Frunen is sepa∣rated from the main Land by a narrow Arm of the Sea: To the Westward of it lieth Juta, to the East Slayland, which, for the Beauty and Fertility of it, is to be preferred before all the other Islands belonging to the Danish King. In it is situate Copenhagen the principal residence of the King, also Roschilt the place of their Burial; near unto which is the Island of Scandia, the first Habitation of the Danes in those parts, as most conclude. But now to the King of Denmark belongs Norway, formerly a distinct Kingdom, and some other Countries, which render his Territories much larger than when the Danes first possessed it.

As for their Religion, when they first Invaded

England, and long after, it was Paganism. Their Idols were many, out-numbering those of the Pagan Saxons; to some they Offered Horses, to others Humane Sacri∣fice, Fruits, Flowers, Water, Bread, Wine, Fish, &c. They were a People very Bloody and Cruel to those they prevailed over, and extreamly Lustful and Trea∣cherous. Their Habit was close girted Coats, their Arms Spears of a moderate length, Battel-Axes, and Faulchions, their Diet many times the Flesh of their slain Enemies, Rost or Sodden; it was about 230 years from their first Invading England, before Canute got the Sole Monarchy, of whose Reign I am next to treat.