In the eleventh year of king Brithric, that is to say, in the year of grace 795, the Northumbrians slew their king, Ethelred, who, in the same year in which king Osred was slain, becoming elated with pride, had forsaken his own wife and taken a new one, little thinking that he himself was destined to be slain within two years from that time. After him Herdulph obtained the kingdom of Northumbria, and was consecrated king by archbishop Embald, 23 bishop Ethelbert and bishop Hingbald, and bishop Baldulph, and ascended the

throne at York.

In these days pope Adrian and the great king Offa, departed this life; this Offa reigned with mighty sway in Mercia, during a period of thirty-nine years. He subdued Kenulph, king of Wessex, and the people of Kent and Northumbria.

24

King Offa was succeeded by his son Egfrith, who reigned one hundred and forty-one days, and then died; he was succeeded by Kenulph, the father of Kenelm, a most powerful king.2 In the same year, Eadbert, who also bore the name of Pren, obtained the kingdom of Kent. The pagan nations laid waste Northumbria, and sacked the monastery of Egfrid at Tynemouth; they were there met by the most noble of the English, men extremely well inured to war, and, their chieftains being slain, the barbarians were overcome, and betook themselves to their ships. When they had reached the sea, they continued their flight with their ships, on which some of them were wrecked by a tempest, and many of them drowned; but some of them coming ashore were taken, and were beheaded near the sea-shore.

Not long after this, Kenwulph, king of Mercia, laid waste the province of Kent, and captured Pren, who was not a match for him in might, and had consequently concealed himself in hiding-places and out-of-the-way spots, and carried him back with him in chains.

In the fourteenth year of king Brithric, the Romans cut out the tongue of pope Leo, and put out his eyes, and expelled him from his see; but he, as written documents inform us, through the grace of Christ, was enabled again to see and to

23 Eanbald.

24 The word "maris" seems out of place here, as no definite meaning can be attached to it, unless it is meant to say that Kenelm was a man, which seems quite superfluous.

speak, and once more became pope. Three years after this, king Charles was made emperor, and having been consecrated by the same pope Leo, condemned those to death who had illtreated the pope, but afterwards, by reason of the pope's entreaties, he saved their lives, and sent them into exile.

Three years after this, Brithric, king of Wessex, also departed this life, after he had most gloriously reigned over that nation seventeen years, having in ignorance taken some poison, which his wife Eadburga, the daughter of king Offa, had prepared for a certain young man; in consequence of which, they both died, as I have mentioned more at large above. At this time a great battle was fought in Northumbria, at Wellehare,25 in which perished Alric, the son of Herbert, and many others with him. The extreme perplexity that would result, necessarily prevents me from entering into a full description of the circumstances, fluctuations, and results of the wars; for the nation of the English was naturally hardy and proud, and in consequence incessantly engaged in intestine warfare.

Egbert* therefore, in the year of grace 800, or, according to some, 802, being the eighth in order of ten most valiant kings, whom I have elsewhere remarked, as pre-eminently distinguished for their singular merits, on the death of Brithric succeeded to the throne, and reigned thirty-seven years and seven months over the kingdom of Wessex. At a youthful age, his predecessor Brithric, and Offa, king of Mercia, had banished him from this country. He was in exile three years at the court of the king of France, but behaved himself nobly and discreetly. On the death of the above-named king, he returned and gained the kingdom. On the same day, earl Ethelmund returned from Wicum,26 and, coming to Kinemeresforde," met earl Wistan with the men of Wiltshire, and there they fought, and both earls being slain, the Wiltshire men gained the victory.

25 This is probably an error for Wellham, or Wylam, in Northumberland. Lambarde says, "In the beginning of the reign of King Egbert, one of the great monarchs of this realm, there was a great battle fought at a place in the north country, called then Welham, which I take to be now called Wyllom in Coupland."

25* He now resumes the narrative where broken off in p. 20. 26 The country of the Wiccii, who inhabited Worcestershire Gloucestershire.

and

27 Kempsford. Lambarde suggests that this may be Comberford, near Calne.

E

In the fourth year after this, died Ethelred, archbishop of Canterbury, and was succeeded by Wilfred, and two years after, Cuthred, king of Kent, departed this life.

In the following year, Hardulph, king of Northumbria, was expelled from his kingdom.

In the fourteenth year of his reign, Egbert overran the territories of the Britons28 from east to west, and there was no one who could even attempt to make resistance to his prowess.

In the year after this, Charles, king of the Franks and emperor of the Romans, departed this life; and in the following year, Saint Leo, the pope, having died, Stephen succeeded him, who in his turn was succeeded by Paschal.

Shortly after this, Kenwulph, king of Mercia, departed this life, and was succeeded by Ceolwulph; but in the third year after this, he lost his kingdom, and Beornwulph gained possession of it.

31

30

In the fourteenth year of his reign, Egbert fought a battle with Beornwulph, king of Mercia, at Ellendune, by reason of which, an old saying mentions that, "The river Ellendune was red with gore, choked up with carnage, and stinking with putrefaction." After a very great slaughter there of both nations, Egbert was the melancholy conqueror. After this, pursuing his successes, he sent his son Ethelwulph, who afterwards became king, and bishop Alcstan,31 and earl Walhard, with a great army, into Kent; on which they drove Balred, the king, beyond the Thames. King Egbert then received the people of Surrey, and Kent, and Sussex under his subjection, of whom his kinsman, Pren, had formerly been unjustly deprived. In this year also, the king of East Anglia, together with his people, acknowledged king Egbert as his protector; and after this, in the same year, the East Angles slew Bernulph, king of the Mercians, who was succeeded by Ludecen.

In the same year there was a very great battle between the Britons32 and the people of Devonshire, at Gavelford,33 where many thousands of men were slain on both sides.

In the following year, Ludecen, king of Mercia, and five earls, were slain.

28 The people of North Wales. 29 This should be "twenty-fourth." 30 Supposed to have been near Winchester, though Highworth, in Wiltshire, and Hillingdon, in Middlesex, have been suggested.

31 Of Sherborne.

32 The Welsh.

33 Camelford, in Cornwall.

In the twenty-seventh year of his reign, Egbert expelled Wilaf, king of Mercia, who had succeeded king Ludecen, and possessed himself of the kingdom. As he had now gained possession of all the kingdom on the south side of the Humber, he led an army to Dore34 against the Northumbrians; on which, submissively offering concord and obedience to the great king, they were peacefully reduced to subjection.

In the following year, king Egbert led an army into North Wales, and subjected it by force of arms.

In the succeeding year, Wilfred, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and was succeeded by Ceolnoth.

37

35

In the thirty-eighth year of king Egbert, an army of Danes returned to England; and shortly after, they were vanquished at Danemute, 36 and put to flight. Shortly after this, they ravaged Sepey, on which king Egbert with his forces fought against them, they having come thither with thirty-five very large vessels. In the following year he fought against them at Carra, 38 and there the Danes gained the victory, and two bishops, Herefred9 and Wilfred, with two dukes, Dudda and Osmod, were slain.

In the following year, a naval force of the Danes came into West Wales, on which the Welsh united with the Danes and made an attack upon king Egbert. The king, however, enjoying success, gloriously repulsed them, and, valiant as they were, bravely routed them at Hengistendune."1

In the year after this, Egbert, the great king and monarch of Britain, departed this life, after having made his sons heirs to the kingdoms of which he was in possession, appointing Ethelwulph king of Wessex, and Ethelstan king of Kent, Sussex, and Essex. But as we have now come to the mo

34 Lambarde suggests, that it may possibly be Darton, or Darfield, in Yorkshire. 35 This should be "thirty-fifth."

36 A various reading gives Donemuth. Lambarde thinks that this place stood at the confluence of the rivers Don and Trent, not far from the town of Kingston-upon-Hull.

37 The isle of Sheppey, at the mouth of the Thames.

39 He appears to have been bishop of Winchester.

40 He was bishop of either Sherburne or Selsey.

38 Charmouth.

41 Lambarde says, "I take this to be the same place that is at this day called Henkston Doune, in Cornwall; for the fall is easy from Hengistdune to Hengstdune, and so to Hengston; and it is most apparent that it was either in Cornwall, or not far off."

VOL. I.

D

narchies of England, and to the frightful plague which afflicted us in the descents of the Danes, the book may be made appropriately devoted to a new subject.

At the beginning of my history, I have mentioned that Britain was afflicted with five plagues; the fourth of which, namely, that caused by the Danes, I shall treat of in the present book, and the more so, as this was far more dreadful and caused far more bloodshed than the others. For the Romans kept Britain under their subjection during only a short period, and ruled it gloriously by the laws of the conquerors. Again, the Picts and the Scots made frequent irruptions into Britain on the northern side, but, still, they did not attack it in every quarter, and on being sometimes repulsed with loss, they not unfrequently paused in their invasions. Again, the Saxons, using all their endeavours, gradually gained the land by warfare: when gained, they kept possession of it; when in their possession, they built upon it; when built upon, they ruled it with their laws. The Normans also, who speedily and in a very short time subdued this country, granted to the conquered their lives, their liberty, and the ancient laws of the realm, upon which matters I shall enlarge at the proper time.

On the other hand, the Danes continually and perseveringly harassed the land, and in their incursions shewed a desire not to keep possession of it, but rather to lay it waste, and to destroy everything, not to obtain rule. If at any time they were overcome, no benefit resulted therefrom, for on a sudden a fleet and a still greater army would make its appearance in another quarter; and it was a matter for astonishment how, when the kings of the English would march to fight with them on the eastern side, before they approached the troops of the enemy, a messenger would come in haste and say, "O king, whither are you going? An innumerable fleet of the pagans on the southern side has taken possession of the coasts of England, and, depopulating cities and towns, has ravaged every place with fire and sword;" on the same day another would come running and saying, "O king, whither are you flying? A terrible army has landed on the western side of England; if you do not quickly turn and make head against them, they will think that you have taken to flight, and will

41 He has not previously made any such remark: this and some other passages would lead us to infer that some portion of the work is lost.