the Danes, and after him many thousands of thousands were slaughtered by them at different periods; these too were the first ships of the Danes that arrived here.

In the following year, a synod was held in Northumbria, at Wincanhele.20

In the sixth year of king Brithric, a synod was held at Aclea." By infamous treachery, Sigga slew Alwulph, the good king of Northumbria. In the same spot where this king, the beloved of God, was slain, a heavenly light was often beheld; his body was buried in the church of Hagustald. After him, Osred began to reign, but in the following year was betrayed, and expelled from the kingdom.

Ethelred, the son of Mollethelwald, was then restored to the kingdom; and in the fourth year of his reign, having collected forces for the purpose, Osred was on his return, in order that he might expel Ethelred from the kingdom, by whom he himself had been expelled. On his route he was captured and put to death, and buried at Tynemouth. How just then his remark, who said, "Oh, how blind to the future is the mind of man!" For when the above-mentioned youth Osred, dancing and elated with joy, was made king, how little did he think that in the second year from that time, he should be deprived of his throne, and in the fourth, of his life! For which reason, let us ever be thoughtful in prosperity, being ignorant how near at hand adversity may be.

At this time, Offa, king of the Mercians, ordered the head of Saint Ethelbert 21* to be cut off, and in these days, Lambert, archbishop of Canterbury, departed this life, and abbat Ethelred was elected in his room archbishop of Canterbury. Eanbald, archbishop of York, consecrated Badulph, 22 bishop of Whitherne.

In the tenth year of king Brithric, there were seen fiery dragons flying through the air, which tokens were followed by two plagues; first, a dreadful famine, and then the pagan nations coming from Norway and Denmark. These first ravaged the kingdom of Northumbria in a frightful manner, and then, in the district of Lindisfarne, on the ides of January, dreadfully destroyed the churches of Christ, together with the inhabitants; at which period also, died Sigga, the perfidious duke who had acted the traitor towards the righteous king Elfwald.

20 Finchale. 21 Ockley, in Surrey. 21* King of East Anglia. 22 A mistake for Eadulph. He was the last bishop of Whitherne.

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.

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.24 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 25 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, 27 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.

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.

In the fourteenth year of his reign, Egbert fought a battle with Beornwulph, king of Mercia, at Ellendune,30 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 Alestan," 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.

33

In the same year there was a very great battle between the Britons and the people of Devonshire, at Gavelford, 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 Dore3 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.

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,37 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, Herefred39 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.

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