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also that I saw (before every thing was ravaged and burnt) how all the Churches throughout the English nation stood full of books, ornaments, and a multitude of ministers for God's service: though at that time they gathered very little fruit from their books, not being able to understand them, because they were not written in their own language. They told us, that our ancestors, who before us held those places, loved wisdom, and through the same got wealth, which they left to us. A man may here yet see their Swath, but we cannot enquire after it, because we have let go both wealth and wisdom, neither would we stoop with our minds to the seeking of it. When I thought of all this, then I wondered greatly that their godly wise men, that were every where to be found throughout the English nation, and had fully learned all those books, would turn no part of them into their own language; but to this I speedily found an answer, and said, They thought not that men ever would become so reckless, or that this learning would ever so decay: wherefore they were glad to let it alone, and thought that there would be the more wisdom in the land in proportion to the number of languages that we understood. I then called to mind that the Law was first written in the Hebrew tongue, and that when the Greeks learned it, they translated it entirely into their own language, besides many other books. And after them the Latins, when they learned it, translated it, by means of wise interpreters, into their own language, as all other Christian people also have turned some part of it also into their own tongue. For which reason I think it best, if you too think so, that we also should turn into the language which we all of us know, soine such books as are deemed most useful for all men to understand, and that we do our best to effect, as we easily may, with God's help, if we have quietness, that all the youth of free-born Englishmen, such as have wealth enough to maintain them, be brought up to learn, that at an age when they can do nothing else, they may learn to read the English language then, and that afterwards the Latin

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tongue shall be taught to those whom they have it in their power to teach and promote to a higher degree. When I reflected how this learning of the Latin tongue had fallen throughout the English nation, though many knew how to read English writing, I then began, in the midst of the divers and manifold affairs of this kingdom, to turn into English this book, which in Latin is named Pastoralis,' and in English the Herdsman's Book,' sometimes word for word, and sometimes sense for sense, even as I learned them of Plegmund my archbishop, of Asser my bishop, Grimbald my mass-priest, and John my mass-priest. After I had learned of them how I might best understand them, I turned them into English, and will send one of them to every bishop's see in my kingdom, and upon each of them there is a Style [æstel] of fifty marks; and I command, in God's name, that no man take the Style from the books, nor the books from the Minster, seeing that we know not how long there shall be such learned bishops, as now, God be thanked! there every where are. Therefore it is my wish that these remain every where in their places, unless the bishop will have them with him, or that they shall be lent somewhere or other until a copy of them shall be written out.

No. VII. CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF ANGLO-SAXON

HISTORY, FROM 802 To 900.

802. Egbert succeeds to the throne of Wessex on the death of Bertric. See page 20.

802. was the 7th year of Cuthred, king of Kent.

the 4th of Sigered, king of Essex.

the 9th of Kenwolf, king of Mercia.

the 6th of Ardwolf, king of Northumberland.

805. Cuthred, king of Kent, dies. p. 21.

806. Ardwolf expelled from Northumberland. p. 21.

819. Kenwolf, king of Mercia, dies, and is succeeded by Kenelm, who is murdered a few months after, and

his uncle Keolwolf succeeds. p. 25.

821. Keolwolf expelled, and Bernwolf becomes king of Mercia. p. 25.

823. Battle of Ellandune, in which Egbert defeats Bernwolf, king of Mercia. p. 26.

Bernwolf slain by the East Anglians. p. 27.

823 or 824. Ludecan becomes king of Mercia. p. 27.

823. Egbert sends an army under Prince Ethelwolf, Alderman Wolfherd, and Bishop Alstan, who conquer Kent, Essex, and Sussex. p. 27.

Baldred, king of Kent, flees beyond the Thames. p. 28. 825. Ludecan, king of Mercia, is slain in East Anglia, and Wiglaf becomes king. p. 28.

827. Wiglaf is driven from his kingdom by Egbert, but in 828 is allowed to return. p. 28.

827. Egbert receives the submission of Enfrid, king of Northumberland. p. 29.

838. (end of) or beginning of 839, Egbert dies, and is succeeded by Ethelwolf as king of Wessex, and Ethelstan

as king of a subordinate kingdom, consisting of Kent, Essex, and Sussex. p. 42.

849. Alfred born at Wantage. p. 51.

855. Edmund becomes king of East Anglia. p. 75.

856. Ethelwolf divides the kingdom, and gives Wessex to his eldest son Ethelbald, reserving Kent, Essex, and Sussex for himself. p. 63.

858. Ethelwolf dies on the 13th of January. p. 63.

858. Ethelbert succeeds his father in Kent, Essex, and Sussex. p. 65.

860. Ethelbald dies, and Ethelbert becomes king of all the southern states. p. 67.

860. Ethelbert dies in the beginning of the year, and is succeeded by Ethelred. p. 71.

862. Osbert is expelled from Northumberland, and Ella substituted in his place. p. 75.

867. Osbert and Ella both slain by the Danes, and Egbert placed over Northumberland as king, tributary to the Danes. p. 96.

870. Edmund, king of East Anglia, defeated at the battle of Thetford, tied to a tree, and shot to death. p. 113.

871. First invasion of Wessex, p. 119.-Battles of Englefield, p. 120. Reading, p. 121. Ashdown, p. 122. Basing, p. 125. and Merton, p. 125.-Ethelred dies April 23, and is succeeded by ALFRED. p. 131. Battle of Wilton. p. 134.

872. Burrhed leaves his kingdom, and goes to Rome. The Danes make Ceolwolf king, subordinate to themselves. 873. Egbert, king of Northumberland, dies, and is succeeded by Rigsig. p. 140.

876. Rigsig, king of Northumberland, dies, and is succeeded by a second Egbert. p. 141.

876. Second invasion of Wessex, capture of Wareham and Exeter. p. 161.

878. Third invasion of Wessex, p. 169. Battle of Chippenham. p. 186. Retreat of Alfred to Athelney. p. 211. Battle of Ethandune. p. 234.

878-893. Peace for fifteen years. p. 252, 3. 893-897. Four years' campaign of Hasting. 901. Alfred dies on the 26th of October.

INDEX.

ABBO FLORIACENSIS, his life of St. Edmund, 110.

Abel, patriarch of Jerusalem, his correspondence with Alfred, 327.
Abingdon, battle of, 187.

Adam of Bremen, quoted, 35.

Adrian III. in 884, succeeds to the Fopedom, 329.

Ecglea, now Lea, Higley, or Clay Hill, 234.

Ella, first Bretwalda, 6.

Esceng, Eashing, App. 11.

Esctune, Ashton, App. 11.

Agamund, a monk of Peterborough, 107.

Alchere, Alderman, 47, slain by the Danes, 49.

Alcuin, in France, 86.

Alcuin, an Anglo-Saxon, 17.

Alderman or Earl, dignity of, 341.

Alfred, born in 849 at Wantage, 51. his first visit to Rome, 51.
anointed and crowned by Pope Leo, 63. his genealogy, 80. his
second visit to Rome, 80. his juvenile years, 81. learns a Saxon
book of poems, 82. his mother's care of her children, 83. afflicted
with a continual disease, 88. never in Ireland, 89. his boldness
in the chase, 89. cured of his complaint in Cornwall, 90.
marries Elswitha, 98. accompanies his brother Ethelred to
Nottingham, 98. with his brother Ethelred in the battles of
Reading, 121. Ashdown, 122. Basing, 125. Merton, 125. elected
king after Ethelred's death, 131. defeated by the Danes at Wilton,
135. takes one Danish ship, 160. besieges the Danes in Wareham,
162. makes peace with them, 162. hangs his hostages, 163. follows
the Danes to Exeter, 163. turns his attention to maritime affairs,
164. makes another treaty with the Danes, who leave Wessex,
166. his dominions still entire in 876, 167. an exile in 878, and
statement of historical difficulties concerning the same, 170-192.
defeated at Chippenham, 186. his disease, 193. his alleged faults,
195. St. Neot reproves him, 197. escapes to the marshes in

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