theDanes，thePrussians，theRugians，arefaintlydescribed；andsomeadventurousHuns，whohadwanderedasfarastheBaltic，mightembarkonboardtheGermanvessels，fortheconquestofanewworld。^130Butthisarduousachievementwasnotpreparedorexecutedbytheunionofnationalpowers。Eachintrepidchieftain，accordingtothemeasureofhisfameandfortunes，assembledhisfollowers；equippedafleetofthree，orperhapsofsixty，vessels；chosetheplaceoftheattack；andconductedhissubsequentoperationsaccordingtotheeventsofthewar，andthedictatesofhisprivateinterest。IntheinvasionofBritainmanyheroesvanquishedandfell；butonlysevenvictoriousleadersassumed，oratleastmaintained，thetitleofkings。
Sevenindependentthrones，theSaxonHeptarchy，werefoundedbytheconquerors，andsevenfamilies，oneofwhichhasbeencontinued，byfemalesuccession，toourpresentsovereign，derivedtheirequalandsacredlineagefromWoden，thegodofwar。Ithasbeenpretended，thatthisrepublicofkingswasmoderatedbyageneralcouncilandasuprememagistrate。ButsuchanartificialschemeofpolicyisrepugnanttotherudeandturbulentspiritoftheSaxons:theirlawsaresilent；andtheirimperfectannalsaffordonlyadarkandbloodyprospectofintestinediscord。^131
[Footnote130:AllthesetribesareexpresslyenumeratedbyBede，l。i。c。15，p。52，l。v。c。9，p。190；andthoughIhaveconsideredMr。Whitaker\'sremarks，Hist。ofManchester，vol。ii。
p。538—543，IdonotperceivetheabsurdityofsupposingthattheFrisians，&c。，weremingledwiththeAnglo—Saxons。]
[Footnote*:ThistermtheHeptarchymustberejectedbecauseanideaisconveyedtherebywhichissubstantiallywrong。Atnooneperiodwerethereeversevenkingdomsindependentofeachother。Palgrave，vol。i。p。46。Mr。SharonTurnerhasthemeritofhavingfirstconfutedthepopularnotiononthissubject。