S'

IV.

SIMEON OF DURHAM.

'THE DEEDS OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND.'

IMEON of Durham, the most picturesque of all our authorities for this period, wrote early in the twelfth century, his history ending in 1129. It is chiefly derived from earlier writings, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Asser, etc., but frequently contains traces of some independent poetical source. The spirit-stirring account of the Battle of Ashdown (§§ 23-31) in particular bears every mark of being founded on an old war-song, such as Macaulay has elaborated from the pages of Livy in the 'Lays of Rome.'

Simeon gives a double recension of this portion of his history. The following translation is from the first, with the leading additional touches found in the second, which are but few in number.

Only one MS. of the work is known, that in the Library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (No. cxxxix.), which dates from the twelfth century. It has been printed by Twysden in his 'Decem Scriptores,' and (as far as 978) by Petrie and Hardy in their 'Monumenta Britannica.' Translations have been published in Bohn's Historical Series and in The Church Historians of England.'

SIMEON OF DURHAM.

§ 1. In the year of our Lord's Incarnation 849, there sprang up a light out of darkness. Then was born in the town royal, called by the English Wantage, Alfred, King of the English. . . .

[Here Simeon gives a long pedigree of Alfred through forty-two descents, up to Adam, dwelling specially on the greatness of Ina, King of Wessex, six generations back.]

§ 2. The mother of King Alfred was named Osburga, a woman deeply devout, and thereto keen of wit withal, great of heart, as high in place; and her father hight Oslac, the true and trusty cup-bearer of King Ethelwulf. . . .

[Here follows Oslac's pedigree, from Asser, § 4.]

§ 3. In the year 851 (the third of Alfred's age

came there a mighty host of Heathen with 350 ships, to Thames mouth. Then sacked they Dorobernia [Canterbury] . . . and, growing ever bolder, gathered all their force in Suthrige [Surrey]. Then did Ethelwulf, the warrior King of the West Saxons, along with his son Ethelbald, likewise get them together no small army, in the place men call Aclea [Ockley], that is, the Oak-Plain. There were seen, in bright and clashing armour, the flower of English folk; and long was the fight between the Danes and the English, who fought the more hardily for seeing their King bear himself so well in fight, and thus showed themselves better men than their foes. Manfully did they strive, for long and long; and bravely and stoutly was the fray kept up by both sides. And the most part of the Heathen horde was utterly overthrown and put to rout, so that never, in any land, either before or since, have so many in one day met their death. Thus, that selfsame day, did the Christians win a glorious victory; and held the battle-stead; with hymns and praises giving thanks to God. . . .

[Here follows the fight at Sandwich, from Asser, § 7.]

. . King Ethelwulf

...

§ 4. In 853 (the fifth year of Alfred's age) sent his son Alfred to Rome, and many a noble knight with him. And the blessed Pope Leo [the IVth] held the Apostolic See as at that time. He, then, hallowed the aforesaid child to King by anointing; and receiving him for his own child by adoption, gave

1

him Confirmation, and sent him back to his own land and to his father, with the blessing of St. Peter the Apostle. [Here follows the fight in Thanet, from Asser, § 10.] § 5. In this year, too, did King Ethelwulf

. . give his daughter

to Burghred, King of the Mercians. . . . Whereupon, being duly wed, gat she the place and name of Queen.

§ 6. In 855 (the seventh year of the age of the King aforesaid), the heathen host wintered in the Island of Sheppey. And at that time did King Ethelwulf tithe the whole land, and freed the tenth part thereof from all royal service and tribute, and hallowed the same for ever, by deed of gift on the Cross of Christ, to God the Three in One, for the salvation of his soul and eke the souls of his forefathers. And in this year he went with great worship unto the Threshold of the Apostles, and with him he took his son Alfred, inasmuch as he loved him beyond all the rest. There did the Apostolic man greet him with all honour; and he stayed one whole year, diligently taken up with almsdeeds and with prayer. Yet at his home-coming was his son Ethelbald sore vexed, and it grieved him to the heart. Yea, and Ealhstan, Bishop of Sherborne, and many a man more.

7. The most gracious King Ethelwulf lived two years after taking this journey to the Roman See. Amongst his other good deeds in this present life, he both took heed to his kingly duties and forethought as to his own departure; and, that his sons might not quarrel at his death, he wrote a writing (and full eloquently was it worded), wherein he set forth whatsoever by right pertained to each. He bade, for himself and all his successors, that throughout the whole of his land, among every ten dwellings [mansis], one poor person, either of inland folk or outland, should for ever be maintained with meat, drink, and clothing. Moreover, for the salvation of his soul, he likewise bade send unto Rome 300 mancuses:2 100 to the church of St. Peter, specially to buy oil to fill all the lamps of that church on Easter Eve, and eke at the Cock Crow; 100 for the honour of St. Paul; and 100 to the Universal Apostolic Pope.

§ 8. Thereafter, at the death of this glorious King Ethelwulf, did

1 See p. 18.

2 A marginal note in the MS. here tells us that a mancus was worth 30 pence, which is confirmed by the statute of Henry I., xxxv. I. '20 manc. quæ facient 50s.' (= 600 pence). The word is of Saracen origin, being the participle of the Arabic verb nakasha, coin. A gold mancus weighed 66 grains.

his son Ethelbald, against the bode of Jesus Christ and all Christian teaching, yea, and against all heathen wont likewise, take in marriage, to his own great shame, Judith, the daughter of Charles, King of the Franks, his father's wife. And after his noble father's death, he ruled, without let, for two years and a half, the realm of the West Saxons.

§ 9. In the year 860 (the twelfth of the age of the illustrious Etheling Alfred), Ethelbald died, and was buried at Sherborne. The world being thus rid of him, his brother Ethelbyrht joined unto his kingdom Kent and Surrey and also Sussex, as was meet and right for to do. In his reign came there by sea a mighty heathen host, and stormed and spoiled the city of Winchester. But as the aforesaid host was wending back with no small booty, unto their ships, Osric, the most noble chieftain of the Hampshire men, came upon them with his folk. Also the far-famed Alderman Ethelwulf, with the men of Berkshire, met them bravely with no small muster. And when they joined battle, the heathen were everywhere hewn down by the Angles, through the aid of the Angels. And these deadly foes might no longer stand, by reason of their wounds; and there fell of them a very great multitude, and full shamefully withal. For some hid them in coverts of thick brambles, and some, like so many women, fled away. And the English had the luck that day; and

theirs was the field.

§ 10. So then did King Ethelbyrht, for five years, bear rule over the land trusted unto him, in peace, and in mildness, and in all worship; and so went he the way of all flesh; and great grief was it to his nobles, and his bishops, and all his whole folk. So left he his earthly kingdom, and became partaker of a better. Beside his brother was he buried at Sherborne; where he waiteth the comfort of the resurrection to be. . .

[Here follows the Danish treachery in Kent, from Asser, § 23.]

§ 11. In the year 866 (the 18th of Alfred's age), Ethelred, brother of Ethelbyrht, King of the West Saxons, took the helm of the Kingdom. In the same year a mighty fleet of heathen from Danube [i.e. Denmark] came in upon the parts of Britain; and so wintered in the realm of the eastern English, which is called in the Saxon tongue Eastengle. And there was this countless host horsed, and rode and trampled hither and thither, taking very much spoil, and sparing neither man nor woman, widow, nor maiden.