874 Florence Huntingdon Simeon 872. Died Alhun bishop of the In the 1st year of king Al- In the year of our Lord's Wiccii; and Werefrith, a nurseling of the church of Worcester, and a man most learned in the Holy Scriptures, was ordained bishop by Ethelred the archbishop of Dover, on the 7th before the ides of June, [JUNE 7] being Whitsunday. The above-named army of pagans went to London, and there wintered. * Here Florence places a long ac count of Alfred's learned men, which will be given hereafter. fred, the army came from Reding to London, and was there through the winter. The Mercians made peace And the Mercians made a with them. truce with the army. incarnation 872, the 24th from king Elfred's birth, the aforesaid army of the pagans went to London, and there wintered; and the Mercians made a truce with them. Simeon world after his arrival at Rome, because he went to Him who is the true life; and he was honourably buried in the church of St Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ever a virgin, awaiting his second coming, when he shall largely give to the good their due rewards, and deal out their dreadful punish ments to the wicked. The Danes, also, after his expulsion, subjected the Mercian kingdom to their own rule. They gave it to a soldier of that same nation named Ceolwlf, on condition that, whenever they chose, they might have it back again, without deceit, and without harm. In the year of our Lord's Incarnation 875, the 27th from the birth of king Elfred, the aforesaid army left Repton, and divided itself into 2 parts. One part with Haldene went into the country of the Northumbrians, and ravaged it, and wintered near the river Tyne, and subdued all that nation under its dominion, and they plundered the Picts and the Stretcluttians [STRATH-CLYDE BRITONS]. Eardulf the bishop and abbat Eadred, taking the body of St Cuthbert from the island of Lindisfarne, fled from place to place 9 years before the face of the barbarians, with that treasure in their possession. The other part of that band with Gutthrum, and Oscytel, and Amund, kings of the pagans, came to a place named Grantabric [CAMBRIDGE] and there wintered. Saron Chronicle And that summer king Ælfred went out to sea with a fleet, and fought against the forces of seven ships, and one of them he took, and put the rest to flight. A. 876. army away to In the year of our Lord's instole carnation 876, being the Wareham, a fortress of the twenty-eighth year of king West-Saxons. Alfred's life, the aforesaid army of the pagans, leaving Grantabridge by night, entered a castle called Wareham where there is a monastery of holy virgins between the two rivers Frawn [FROME] and Trent, in the district which is called in British DURNGUEIS but in Saxon THORNSETA, placed in a most secure situation, except that it was exposed to danger on the western side from the CHARTERS IN 876. None. contiguity of the land. With this army Alfred made a solemn treaty, to the effect that they should depart out of the kingdom, and for this they made no hesitation to give as many hostages as he named. And they swore an oath over 4 Also the king ratified a treaty of peace, with them and gave them money. 5 But they gave him hostages chosen out of their army, But king Alfred, consoling himself with a sea-fight, found six ships at sea, and engaging boldly with them took one of them: the others fled in fear. 876. The aforesaid army of the pagans, leaving Grantebrycg by night, entered a castle called Wareham where there is a monastery of holy virgins between the two rivers Frawn[FROME] and Trent, in the district which is called in Saxon DORNSETA, placed in a most secure situation, except that it was exposed to danger on the western side from the contiguity of the land. With this army Alfred made a solemn treaty, to the effect that they should depart ont of the kingdom, and for this they made no hesitation to give as many hostages as he named. And they swore an oath over all the relics, which with king Ælfred were next in veneration after the Deity himself, that they would depart speedily from the kingdom. But they again practised their usual treachery, and caring nothing for the hostages or their oaths, they broke the treaty, and sallying forth by night, slew all the horsemen that the king had round him, and turning off into Devon, to another place called in Saxon EXANCEASTER, but in Latin, the city of Ex, situated on the eastern bank of the same river, they directed their course suddenly towards the south sea, which divides Britain and Gaul. |