A. 661. After three years, Kenwalk again fought a battle near the town of Pontesbury, and took prisoner Wulf here, son of Penda, at Esc'sdune [Ashdown], when he had defeated his army.

A. 664. Three years afterwards there was an eclipse of the sun.

A. 670. When six years were fulfilled, Oswy, king of Northumberland, died, and Egfrid succeeded him.

A. 671. After one year more, there was a great pestilence among the birds, so that there was an intolerable stench by sea and land, arising from the carcases of birds, both small and great.

A. 672. Twelve months after Kenwalk, king of the WestAngles, died; and his wife, Sexburga, succeeded him in the kingdom, and reigned twelve months.

A. 673. After her Escwin succeeded to the throne, and two years were fulfilled. His family traces to Cerdic.

CHAP. VIII.—Of Wulfhere and Cenwulf, and of the council held by the holy father Theodore.

A. 674. After one year, Wulfhere son of Penda, and Cenwalh* fought a battle among themselves in a place called Beadanhead [Bedwin].

A. 677. After three years a comet was seen.

A. 680. At the end of two years a council was held at Hethlege,† by the holy archbishop Theodore, to instruct the people in the true faith. In the course of the same year died Christ's servant, Hilda, abbess of the monastery called Streaneshalch [Whitby].

CHAP. IX.-Of king Kentwin and his wars

A. 682. After two years king Kentwin drove the Britons out of their country to the sea.

A. 684. After he had reigned two years + Ina became king of the western English. A hundred and eighty-eight years were then fulfilled from the time that Cerdic, his sixth

* These names are both wrong; we must read Escwin.

+ Heathfield or Hatfield.

There is an error here: Cadwalla is omitted, and three years are lost in the chronology.

ancestor, received the western part of the is.and from the Britons.

CHAP. X.-Of Cadwalla's conversion to the faith of Christ.

A. 684. In the course of the same year Cadwalla went to Rome, and received baptism and the the faith of Christ after his baptism the pope of that year gave him the surname of Peter.

A. 694. About six years afterwards, the Kentish men remembered the cause which they had against king Ina when they burnt his relation* with fire; and they gave him thirty thousand shillings at a fixed rate of sixteen pence each.

CHAP. XI. Of the acts of Ethelred king of the Mercians.

A. 704. After ten years, Ethelred son of Penda and king of the Mercians assumed the monastic habit, when he had completed twenty-nine years of his reign.

A. 705. After twelve months died Alfrid king of Northumberland. And the number of years that was then fulfilled from the beginning of the world was five thousand nine hundred.

A. 709. Four years afterwards died the holy bishop Aldhelm, by whose wonderful art were composed the words which are now read, and his bishopric was the province which is now called Selwoodshire [Sherborne].

CHAP. XII. Of the reign of Ina, and of his acts.

A. 710. After a year, the kings and Ina made war against king Wuthgirete;† also duke Bertfrid against the Picts.

A. 714. After four years died Christ's servant Guthlac. A. 715. After a year Ina and Ceolred fought against those who opposed them in arms at Wothnesbeorghge [Wanborough.]

A. 721. After seven years Ina slew Cynewulf, and after six months made war against the Southern English.

* His name was Mull: the passage is obscure. See the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

+ Called Gerent in the Saxon Chronicle, and Gerentius in Aldhelm's works.

CHAP. XIII. Of king Ethelard.

A. 728. When six years were fulfilled he went to Rome, and Ethelard received the kingdom of the West Saxons. In the first year of his reign he made war against Oswy.*

A. 729. At the end of one year a comet appeared, and the holy bishop Egbert died.

A. 731. After two years, Osric king of Northumberland died and Ceolwulf succeeded to the kingdom.

CHAP. XIV. Of the acts of king Ethelbald.

A. 733. Two years after these things, king Ethelbald received under his dominion the royal vill which is called Somerton. The same year the sun was eclipsed.

A. 734. After the lapse of one year, the moon appeared as if stained with spots of blood, and by the same omen Tatwine and Bede† departed this life.

CHAP. XV. Of the reign of Eadbert and of his deeds.

A. 738. After four years, Eadbert succeeded to the kingdom of the Northumbrians, and his brother Egbert discharged the archiepiscopal office; and now they both lie buried in the city of York, under the shade of the same porch.

CHAP. XVI. Of the rule of king Cuthred.

A. 750. After twelve years king Cuthred began to make war against duke Ethelhun, for some state-jealousy.

A. 752. Again after two years he drew his sword against king Ethelbald at a place called Beorgforda.‡

A. 753. After another year he gratified the fierce propensities of his nature by making war against the Britons: and after another year he died, A.D. 754.

CHAP. XVII.--Of the acts of king Sigebert and of his reign.

Furthermore Sigebert received the kingdom of the western English.

Ă. 756. At the end of one year after Sigebert began to

* Should be Oswald king of Northumberland.

+ It is doubtful whether Bede died in 734 or 735.
Without doubt this is Burford in Oxfordshire.

reign, Cynewulf, invading his kingdom, took it from him, and drew away all the wise men of the west country, in consequence of the perverse deeds of the aforesaid king; nor was any part of his kingdom left to him except one province only, named Hamptonshire [Hampshire]. And he remained there no long time; for, instigated by an old affront, he slew a certain duke, and Cynewulf drove him into the wilds of Andred: and so he fled from thicket to thicket, until he was at last slain by a herdsman at a place named Pryffetesflodan,* and so the blood of duke Cumbra was avenged.

arms.

CHAP. XVIII.-Of the reign of Cynewulf, his war and deeds.

A. 755. These things having been premised, Cynewulf frequently fought no slight battles against the Britons. For when thirty-one years had passed, he tried to expel from his territories a certain chief named Cyneard, brother to Sigebert, whose deeds have been related above. He was afterwards besieged by this prince, for it was told him that he was in company of a certain courtezan at a place called Meranton [Merton], and though he had with him only a few men, who knew nothing of the matter, he surrounded the house with The king, seeing how he was situated, leaped to the door, and bravely repelled their weapons; but making up his mind he rushed upon the prince, and inflicted no slight wounds upon him; his companions, not forgetting his threats, raised their weapons and slew the king. The report being spread, the king's soldiers, who had been in his company, each for himself, as was their custom, made an attack, uttering shouts. But the prince, soothing them, promised them gifts and ample honours. They desire death, now that their lord is dead; nor do they attend to his promises, but rush with one accord upon death. None of them escaped with life except one British hostage, and he had received severe wounds. When, therefore, the day dawned, it became known to the soldiers, who had remained behind the king's back, they assembled together and set forth, and with them Osric the duke and Wigferth the knight. They found the prince in the house, where their master was lying dead. The doors are beleaguered on both sides. Within are the one party, and the

* Privett, Hampshire.

other party are without. The prince asks a truce, and makes ample promises; his object is future sovereignty. The king's friends spurn these offers, and rather seek to separate from the prince their relations who were in his company. These reject their proposals; on the contrary they answer their friends thus:* "No tie is so powerful as that which binds us to our lord; and whereas you ask us to depart, we tell you that we made the same proposal to those who were slain with your king, and they would not accede to it." To this the other party rejoined, "But you will remain unhurt, if you only depart, nor share in the vengeance which we shall inflict for those who were slain with the king." They returned no answer to this, but silently begin the battle; shield punishes shield, and arms are laced in bucklers, relation falls by his kinsman; they smash the doors, one pursues after another, and a lamentable fight ensues. Alas! they slay the prince; all his companions are laid low before his face, except one, and he was the baptismal son of duke Osric, but half alive, and covered with wounds.

Now Cynewulf reigned thirty-one years, and his body lies entombed in the city of Winchester. The above-named prince also reposes in the church commonly called Axanminster.† Both their families trace to Cerdic.

A. 755. In the same year Ethelbald, king of Mercia, was slain at a place called Seccandune,‡ and his body rests in a monastery called Reopandune.§ Bernred succeeded to the

kingdom, and not long after he also died.

CHAP. XIX. Of the reign of king Offa and of his deeds.

A. 756. In the revolution of the same year, Offa succeeded to the kingdom, a remarkable man, son of Thingferth; his grandfather was Enwulf, his great-grandfather Osmod, his great-grandfather's father Pybba, his great-grandfather's grandfather was Icel, his sixth ancestor Eomær, the

This is a sort of paraphrase rather than a translation: the original is not only bad in style and ungrammatical, but exceedingly corrupt and very obscure.

Now Axminster. The syllable an or en occurs similarly in many ancient Saxon towns; thus Bedanford, Oxenford, &c., and Seccandune, Reop andune below. Now Seckington. § Now Repton.