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pursue you with flames and carnage.' On the same day or the succeeding one, another messenger would come running and out of breath, and say, "Whither, ye nobles, are you going? The Danes, leaving their northern regions, have already burnt your houses, already carried off your property, tossed your children on the points of their spears, and committed violence on the wives of some, while those of others they have carried away with them."

Thus then, both king and people, being distracted by so many evil rumours and sinister reports, were relaxed both in hands and heart, and pined away with consternation of mind. Consequently, not even when they were victorious, did they experience any joy, as usually is the case, nor did they entertain any assured hopes of safety. The following is the reason why the justice of God raged so fiercely, and his wrath was so greatly inflamed against them.

In the primitive church of the English, religion shone forth with most brilliant lustre, inasmuch as kings and queens, nobles and princes, as well as bishops of churches, being inflamed with ardent desire for a heavenly kingdom, sought either the walls of the monastery or voluntary exile, as I have already shown. But in process of time all traces of virtue waxed so faint in them, that they would allow no nation to be their equal for treachery and wickedness, a thing which is especially notorious in the history of the kings of Northumberland; for just as their impiety has been described in my account of the actions of the kings, in the same way did men of every rank and station persist in a course of deceit and treachery, and nothing was esteemed disgraceful except piety, while innocence was considered most deserving of a violent death. In consequence, the Lord Almighty sent down upon them, like swarms of bees, most bloodthirsty nations, who spared neither age nor sex, such as the Danes and the Goths, the Norwegians and the Swedes, the Vandals and the Frisians; who, from the begining of the reign of king Ethelwulph down to the time of the arrival of the Normans and of king William, that is to say, for a period of three hundred and thirty years, dreadfully afflicted this country, and laid it waste with desolation far and wide. Sometimes also, in consequence of the nearness of Britain, as the avengers and scourges of God for the misdeeds of the people, they invaded the country of France; but, having made

these observations, it is time to return to the thread of my narrative.

.42

In the first year of his reign, Ethelwulph made head against these enemies in one part of his kingdom; and, as multitudes of the pagans increased on every side, he sent earl Wulfred, with a part of his army, to attack some Danes, who, with thirtythree ships, had effected a landing at Hampton ;* on there meeting with them, after an immense slaughter of the enemy, gained a glorious victory. King Ethelwulph also sent earl Ethelhelm, with the levies of Wessex, to attack another army at Port;43 an engagement taking place, after an obstinate battle the earl was slain, and the Danes were victorious.

In the following year, earl Herbert fought against them at Merseware, and the Danes being the conquerors, his own men were put to flight, and he was slain. In the same year, an army of the pagans marched through the eastern parts of England, namely, Lindesey, East Anglia, and Kent, and slew an innumerable multitude with the sword.

In the next year after this, coming further inland, the army of the Danes slew an immense number of people in the neighbourhood of Canterbury, Rochester, and London.

In the fifth year of his reign, Ethelwulph, with a part of his army, fought against the crews of thirty-five ships at Carre, and the Danes were victorious. For, although the

45

43 The isle of Portland.

42 Southampton. 44 Instead of naming the place, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says: "This year Herebert, the ealdorman, was slain by the heathen, and many with him, among the Marshmen." In Ethelwerd's Chronicle the place is called Merswarum, and Romney Marsh is supposed to be intended under that name. Lambarde has the following quaint note on this passage: "Henry Huntingdon, in the Fifth Book of his History, speaking of the conflicts had with the Danes under the reign of Edelwulfe, reports, amongst other things, that Herebert, an earl, fought with them, at a place which he called Marseware, and was slain. Matthew Westminster repeateth the same, and instead of Marseware, setteth down apud Marsunarum.' So that both these, and so many others as have followed them, take the name Mersewar for a place, and not for a number of persons. In which, through ignorance of the Saxon tongue, they have foully erred; for the Saxon books say that Herebert was slain, and with him many of the Mercians, or men of Mercia.' So that the history describeth of what country they were that were slain, but not in what place the slaughter was committed." 45 Charmouth.

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number of the ships was but small, still the number of men on board of them was considerable.

In the fifth year after this, the venerable bishop Alstan and duke Ernulph with the men of Somerset, and duke Osred with the men of Dorset, fought against an army of Danes at Pendredesmuthe,46 and by the aid of God, slew many of them, and obtained the glory of a triumph.

48

In the sixteenth year of his reign, Ethelwulph and his son Ethelbald, having collected all their forces, fought with a large army of the barbarians, who had come with two hundred and fifty ships to Thames-mouth, and had destroyed those cities, famous and renowned for ages, London and Canterbury, and put to flight Bretwulph, king of the Mercians, together with his army; who never afterwards enjoyed success, and dying in the following year, was succeeded by Burrhed. After this, the Danes growing still bolder, all their forces were collected in Surrey, and they met the king's troops at Akelea." In consequence, a battle was fought between these two great armies, so mighty and so severely contested, that no person had ever before heard of such a battle being fought in England. You might behold warriors sweeping onward on either side, just like a field of standing corn, rivers of blood flowing and rolling along in their streams the heads and limbs of the slain; but it would be an act of excessive and over-nice fastidiousness to attempt to describe individual exploits. In short, God granted the fortune of war to the faithful, and those who put their trust in him, but to his enemies and contemners defeat and indescribable confusion. King Ethelwulph therefore, being conqueror in this mighty battle, gained a glorious triumph.

In the same year, Ethelstan, king of Kent, and duke Ealred 49 fought a naval battle against the Danes at Sandwich, and having made a great slaughter of the enemy, captured nine of their ships, on which the rest took to flight. Earl Cheorl, also, with the men of Devonshire, fought against the pagans at Wienor, 50 and having killed a great number of them, was victorious. Consequently, this year was one of good fortune to the

46 The mouth of the river Parret, in Somersetshire. 47 Another reading is 315; but the other historians make the number 350. 48 Ockley.

49 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Elchere he is also so called in p. 42.

Ethelwerd's Chronicle call him 50 Wembury, near Plymouth.

English nation. This, however, was the first year in which the army of the pagans remained throughout the whole of the winter, which they did in the isle of Teneit."1

In the eighteenth year of his reign, Ethelwulph materially assisted Burrhed, king of the Mercians, in subjugating the people of North Wales, and gave him his daughter in marriage. He had four sons, who were all kings in succession, namely, Ethelbald, Ethelbert, Ethelred, and Alfred. This Alfred his father sent, when he was a child five years old, in the year abovementioned, to Rome, to the court of pope Leo; the same pope afterwards pronounced his blessing on him as king, and treated him as his own son. This year, duke Ealhere, with the men of Kent, and Huda, with the men of Surrey, fought against an army of the heathens in Teneit, and a great multitude on either side was slain, or perished by shipwreck, and both the abovenamed dukes lost their lives.

Ethelwulph, the illustrious king of Essex, in the nineteenth year of his reign, set apart a tenth of all the lands in his realm, and bestowed it upon the church, for the love of God, and for his own salvation. Afterwards, he went to Rome in great state, and took with him his son Alfred, whom he loved more than the others. There he remained one year, and on his return thence, took the daughter of Charles the Bald, king of France, to wife, and brought her with him into this country; after having lived with her two years, he died, and was buried at Winchester. He had at first been bishop of that city, but on the death of his father, Egbert, being compelled by necessity, he was made king, and, having married a noble wife, became father of the four sons above-named. About this period, the pagans passed the whole winter at Sepey, that is to "the island of sheep."

say,

The above-named king, on his decease, left to his son, Ethelbald, his hereditary kingdom of Wessex, and to Ethelbert, another son, the kingdom of Kent, with Sussex and Wessex. Both the brothers being young men of excellent natural disposition, held their kingdoms without the slightest molestation as long as they lived.

Ethelbald, the king of Wessex, after he had reigned peacefully for five years, was cut off by a premature death. 51 Thanet. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions the isle of Sheppey here, and makes it some years later.

All England bewailed the youthful age of Ethelbald, and there was great mourning for him; he was buried at Sherburne, and England was afterwards sensible what a loss she had experienced in him.

Ethelbert, the brother of the above-mentioned king, reigned after him in Wessex, having been previously king of Kent. In his days a naval force came, and having attacked Winchester, destroyed it; thus "fell the ancient city that for many a year had borne the sway."

Ethelbert, dying ten years after, was succeeded by Ethelred, who, after reigning six years, was succeeded by king Alfred, whose reign lasted twenty-eight years. His genealogy, together with his actions and the events of his time, are described below.

THE KINGS OF WESSEX.

CERDIC reigned five years.

KENRIC, his son, reigned twenty-six years.
CHENLING, his son, reigned thirty-one years.

CHELRIC reigned six years.

CHELWULPH reigned fourteen years.

KINIGLIS, who was a Christian, reigned one year. He was

baptized by Saint Birinus.

KENWALD, his son, reigned thirty-one years.

SEXBURGA, the queen, reigned one year.

ESCWIN reigned two years.

KENTWIN reigned nine years.

CEDWALLA reigned two years; and died at Rome, while wearing the white garments.52

INA reigned thirty-six years, and afterwards died at Rome. ADELARD reigned thirteen years.

CHUTRED reigned sixteen years.

SIGEBERT, a cruel man, reigned one year, and was expelled. KINEWULPH reigned twenty-six years, and was afterwards

slain.

BRITHRIC reigned sixteen years. In his reign the Danes first came to England.

EGBERT reigned thirty-five years. He was monarch of all England.

ETHELWULPH reigned eighteen years.

52 The white or initiatory garments of the novice, or intended monk.

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