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Saron Chronicle that king Beorhtric unwittingly tasted of the poison, though the queen intended to give it to the young man only, but the king took it too quickly, and so both perished. Beorhtric therefore being dead, the queen could remain no longer among the Saxons, but sailed beyond the sea with immense treasures, and went to the court of the great and famous Charles, king of the Franks. As she stood before the throne, and offered him money, Charles said to her, "Choose, Eadburgh, between me and my son, who stands here with me." She replied, foolishly, and without deliberation, "If I am to have my choice, I choose your son, because he is younger than you." At which Charles smiled and answered, “If y you had chosen me, you would have had my son; but as you have chosen him, you shall not have either of us."

However, he gave her a large convent of nuns, in which, having laid aside the secular habit and taken the religious dress, she discharged the office of abbess during a few years: for, as she is said to have lived irrationally in her own country, so she appears to have acted still more so in that foreign country; for being convicted of having had unlawful intercourse with a man of her own nation, she was expelled from the monastery by king Charles's order, and lived a vicious life of reproach in poverty and misery until her death; so that at last, accompanied by one slave only, as we have

heard from many who saw
her, she begged her bread
daily at Pavia, and so misera-
bly died.

Now king Ethelwulf lived
two years after his return from
Rome; during which, among
many other good deeds of this
present life, reflecting on his
departure according to the
way of all flesh, that his sons
might not quarrel unreason-
ably after his death, he order-
ed a letter of inheritance, or
instructions to be written, in
which he ordered that his
kingdom should be divided
between his two eldest sons,
his private inheritance be-
tween his sons, his daughter,
and his relations, and the
money which he left behind
him, between his sons and
nobles, and for the good of
his soul.

Of this prudent
policy we have thought fit to
record a few instances out of
many for posterity to imi-
tate; namely, such as are
understood to belong princi-
pally to the needs of the soul;
for the others, which relate
only to human dispensation,
it is not necessary to insert in
this work, lest prolixity should
create disgust in those who

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that king Bertric unwittingly tasted of the poison, though the
queen intended to give it to the young man only, but the
king took it too quickly, and so both perished.
7 Bertric therefore being dead, the queen could remain no
longer among the West-Saxons, but sailed beyond the sea
with immense treasures, and went to the court of the great
and famous Charles, king of the Franks. As she stood
before the throne, and offered him money, Charles said to
her," Choose, Eadburga, between me and my son, who stands
here with me." She replied, foolishly, and without deliber-
ation, "If I am to have my choice, I choose your son, be-
cause he is younger than you." At which Charles smiled
and answered, "If you had chosen me, you would have
had my son; but as you have chosen him, you shall not
have either of us."

8 However, he gave her a large convent of nuns, in which,
having laid aside the secular habit and taken the religious
dress, she discharged the office of abbess during a few years;
for, having been violated by a lay-man

of her own nation, and expelled from
the monastery by king Charles's order,
she at last brought her life to
an end in poverty
misery.

and

Simeon

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9 King Ætheluulf lived two
years, after his return from
Rome; during which among
many other good deeds of this
present life, reflecting on his
departure according to the
way of all flesh, that his sons
might not quarrel unreason-
ably after their father's death,

he ordered a letter of
inheritance to be written, in
which he ordered that his
kingdom should be divided
between his two eldest sons,
Æthelbald and Æthelbert,
his private inheritance be-
tween his sons, his daughter,
and his relations, and the
money which he left behind
him, between his sons and
nobles, and for the good of
his soul.

4 And when he [ETHELWOLF]
had kept her [JUDITH] two

years.

The most merciful king
Ethelwlf lived two years after
he set out for the city of
Romulus.

Among other good deeds of
this present life, to which he
gave his royal mind, he medi-
tated before-hand on his own
death, and, that his sons might
not quarrel after he had
departed this life, he com-
posed an epistle in an elegant
style, wherein he gave away
all the things which belonged
to himself.

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read or wish

to hear my work.

For the benefit of his soul, then, which he studied to promote in all things from the first flower of his youth, he directed through all his hereditary dominions, that one poor man in ten,* either native or foreigner, should be supplied with meat, drink, and clothing, by his successors, until the day of judgment; supposing, however, that the country should still be inhabited both by men and cattle, and should not become deserted. He com

manded also a large sum of money, namely, three hundred mancuses, to be carried every year

to Rome for the good of his soul, to be distributed in the following manner: namely, a hundred mancuses in honour of St Peter, specially to buy oil for the lights of the church of that apostle on Easter eve, and also at the cock-crow: a hundred mancuses in honour of St Paul, for the same purpose of buying oil for the church of St Paul the apostle, to light the lamps on Easter eve and at the cock-crow; and a hundred mancuses for the universal apostolic pontiff.

Ethelwerd 856

"In decem manentibus" is the "in decem expression of Asser. mansis," which is less intelligible, of Simeon.

(9) A. 857.

CHARTERS IN 857, 1. BURGRED of Mercia. April 18, subscribed also by Ethelswith regina," and others. II, 63.

(10)

A. 858.

2 And about two years after he came from France he died, and his body lies at Winches

ter.

3 And he reigned eighteen years and a half.

Here follows (as paragraph 4 according to the figures) the genealogy given at page 6.

But when king Ethelwulf was Lastly, after a year king

dead,

Athulf died, and his body reposes in the city of Winchester.

And then was completed the fiftieth year from the beginning of king Egbyrht's reign.

HERE ENDS THE THIRD
BOOK.

AND THE PROLOGUE OF THE
FOURTH BOOK HERE BEGINS.

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10

Florence

For the benefit of his soul, then, which he studied to promote in all things from the first flower of his youth, he directed through all his hereditary dominions, that one poor man in ten, either native or foreigner, should be supplied with meat, drink, and clothing, by his successors, until the day of judgment; supposing, however, that the country should still be inhabited both by men and cattle, and should not become deserted. He commanded also a large sum of money,namely 300 mancuses of pennies yearly to be carried to Rome for the good of his soul, to be distributed in the following manner: namely, an hundred mancuses in honour of St Peter, specially to buy oil for the lights of the church of that apostle on Easter eve, and also at the cock-crow: a hundred mancuses in honour of St Paul, for the same purpose, and 100 mancuses for the universal apostolic pontiff.

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• The ANN ALS say that he was

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6 He had first been bishop at on the Winchester, but, death of Egbrict his father,

buried at Stæningham [Steyning in necessity compelling it, he

Essex].

Essays

was made king; and, having married a wife, he begat four sons, who were all kings after him.

4

MATT. WESTM. The same year died Cedda bishop of Hereford, to whom succeeded Albert.

When, therefore, the glorious king Ethelwulf was dead,

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His son Æthelbald, contrary to God's prohibition and the dignity of a Christian, contrary also to the custom of all the pagans, ascended his father's bed, and married Judith, daughter of Charles, king of the Franks, and drew down much infamy upon himself from all who heard of

it.

Ethelwerd 858

ALSO WILL BE FOUND GREATER GAIN, AND THE ORIGIN OF OUR RACE IS MORE CLEARLY INDICATED. AND, ALTHOUGH I MAY SEEM TO SEND YOU A LOAD OF READING, DEAREST SISTER OF MY DESIRE, DO NOT JUDGE ME HARSHLY, BUT AS MY WRITINGS WERE IN LOVE TO YOU, SO MAY YOU READ THEM.

AND MAY GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO IS PRAISED BOTH IN TRINITY AND IN UNIPOTENCE, EVER PRESERVE YOU UNDER THE SHADOW OF HIS WINGS, AND YOUR COMPANIONS WITH YOU. AMEN! HERE ENDS THE PROLOGUE. CHAP. I.-OF THE REIGN OF THE SONS OF KING ATHULF, NAMELY ETHELBALD AND ETHELBYRHT.

Meanwhile after the death of king Athulf, his sons were raised to the kingdom, namely Ethelbald over the Western Angles, and Æthelbyrht over the men of Kent, and the Eastern, Southern, and Midland Angles.

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During two years and a half When five years were com

of licentiousness after his father he held the government

of the West-Saxons.

ANNALS. ANNO 859. This year it began to freeze two days before the calends of December [Nov. 29] and ended on the nones of April [AP. 5].

In the year of our Lord's incarnation 860, which was the twelfth from king Ælfred's birth, died Ethelbald, and was buried at Sherborne.

His brother Æthelberht, as was fitting, joined Kent, Surrey, and Sussex also to his dominion.

In his days a large army of pagans, came up from the

pleted.

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