He did not therefore despair.

With great promises attending a little money, he engaged in his service a number of Frisian seamen, neighbors to the Danes, and pirates, as they were.

He brought, by the same means, shipwrights from the continent.

He was himself present to everything; and having performed the part of a king in drawing together supplies of every kind, he descended with no less dignity into the artist,--improving on the construction, inventing new machines, and supplying by the greatness of his genius the defects and imperfections of the arts in that rude period.

By his indefatigable application the first English navy was in a very short time in readiness to put to sea.
At that time the Danish fleet of one hundred and twenty-five ships stood with full sail for Exeter; they met; but, with an omen prosperous to the new naval power, the Danish fleet was entirely vanquished and dispersed.
This success drew on the surrendry of Exeter, and a peace, which Alfred much wanted to put the affairs of his kingdom in order.
This peace, however, did not last long.