who saw

Saron Chronicle

Asser 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 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 inter-
course 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 man
her, she begged her bread
daily at Pavia, and so misera-

bly died.
Now king Æthelwulf 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 ot

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

Simeon

856 Floreuce

Huntingdon
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 and

Sarou Chronicle

Asser

Ethelwerd 856 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 * “ In decem manentibus" is the native or foreigner, should be expression of Asser. " in decern

mansis," which is less intelligible,
supplied with meat, drink, of Simeon.
and clothing, by his succes-
sors, until the day of judg-
ment; 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 hun-
dred 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 hon-
our 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 man-
cuses 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;
hundred mancuses for the
universal apostolic pontiff.

and a

(9) A. 857.

CHARTERS IN 857, 1. BURGRED of Mercia. April 18, subscribed also by "Æthelswith 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. I

But when king Ethelwulf was Lastly, after a year king dead,

Athuli died, and his body reposes in the city of Win

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

HERE ENDS THE THIRD

1 Here follows (as paragraph 4 according to the figures) the gene

alogy given at page 6.

BOOK,
AND THE PROLOGUE OF THE
FOURTH BOOK HERE BEGINS.

THREE BOOKS ARE NOW FINISHED,
AND REMAINS TO GUIDE MY
BEN TO THE FOURTII, IN WHICH

858 Florence 10 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 hon. our 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 saine purpose, and 100 mancuses for the universal apostolic pontiff.

He also commanded that 300 mancuses should be carried to Rome for the redemption of his soul ; 100 to the gate of St Peter especially to buy oil, 100 in honor of St Paul, and 100 for the universal apostolic

pope.

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

on

(17) 858.

5 He was removed from When, therefore, the glorious 11 When king Ethelwulf was

among men, and was buried king Ethelwulf was dead, dead, on the ides of January at Winchester. [Jan. 13) and was buried at Winchester,

6 He had first been bishop at
Winchester, but,

the The ANN ALS say that he was death of Egbrict his father, buried at Stæningham (Steyning in necessity compelling it, he Essex).

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

after him.

Saron Thronicle

Asser

Ethelwerd 858

A LSO WILL BE FOUND GREATER
GAIN, AND THE ORIGIN OF OUR
RACE IS MORE CLEARLY INDI-
CATED. AND, ALTHOUGH I MAY
SEEM TO SEND YOU A LOAD OP
READING, DEAREST SISTER OF MY
DESIRE, DO NOT JUDGE ME HARSH -
LY, BUT AS MY WRITINGS WERE
IN LOVE TO YOU, SO MAY YOU

READ THEM.
AND MAY GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO 18
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 OP KING ATHULF, NAMELY
ETHELBALD AND ETHELBYRHT.

5 And then Æthelwulf's two sons succeeded to the kingdom; Æthelbald to the kingdom of the West-Saxons; and Æthelbryht to the kingdom of the Kentish-men, and to the kingdom of the East-Saxons and to Surrey and to the kingdom of the South-Saxons.

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 Mid

land Angles.

His son Æthelbald, contrary
to God's prohibition and the
dignity of a Christian, con-
trary 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

CHARTERS IN 858.

BERHT king of Kent, II, 64. himself from all who heard of

it. 6 And then Æthelbald reign- During two years and a half When five years were comed five years. I of licentiousness after his

pleted. father he held the government | Here follows par. 7, given at

of the West-Saxons. note * in page 18.

TIL

A. 859.

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).

CHARTERS IN 859. PLEGRED subscribed also by “ Ethelwulf rex. “ Ethelbeald fili. regis," and others. II, 66.

king Ethelbald died,

A. 860.

In the year of our Lord's inHere died king Æthelbald carnation 860, which was the and his body lies at Sher- twelfth from king Ælfred's burne,

birth, died Æthelbald,

and was buried at Sherborne.

And Æthelbryht

His

and his brother Æthelbyrht succeeded to all the realm of brother Æthelberht, as was succeeded to the possessions his brother, and he held it in fitting, joined Kent, Surrey,