men, one hundred and twenty. Then, however, the flood-tide came to the Danish ships before the Christians could shove theirs off, and they therefore rowed them out: nevertheless, they were damaged to such a degree that they could not row round the Sussex land; and there the sea cast two of them on shore, and the men were led to the king at Winchester; and he commanded them to be there hanged: and the men who were in the single ship came to East-Anglia, sorely wounded. That same summer no less than twenty ships, with their crews, wholly perished upon the south coast. That same year died Wulfric, the king's horse-thane; he was also "Wealh-reeve." A.D. 898. In this year died Aethelm, ealdorman of Wiltshire, nine days before Midsummer [15th June]; and this year died Heahstan, who was bishop of London. A.D. 899, 900. A.D. 901. This year died Aelfred, the son of Aethulf, six days before 'All-Hallow-mass [26th Oct.]. He was king over the whole English nation, except that part which was under the dominion of the Danes; and he held the kingdom' one year and a half less than thirty years. And then Eadward his son succeeded to the kingdom. Then Aethelwald, the etheling, his uncle's son, seized the vill at Winburne, and that at Tweoxneam, without leave of the king and of his "witan." Then rode the king with his forces until he encamped at Badbury, near Winburne; and Aethelwald sat within the vill, with the men who had submitted to him; and he had obstructed all the approaches towards him, and said that he would do one of two things-or there live, or there lie. But notwithstanding that, he stole away by night, and sought the army in North-humbria; and they received him for their king, and became obedient to him. And the king commanded that he should be ridden after; but they were unable to overtake him. They then beset the woman whom he had before taken, without the king's leave, and against the bishop's command; for she had previously been consecrated a nun. And in this same year Aethered, who was ealdorman of Devonshire, died, four weeks before king Alfred. A.D. 902. And that' same year was the battle at the Holme, between the Kentish-men and the Danish-men. 1 D. E. mention in a Latin note, that he died on the seventh of the kalends of November, which leads us to the same date as is given in the text. 2 "Twenty-eight years and a half," D. E. F. The remainder of the year not in E. F. The conclusion of the sentence from B. C. D. 6 B. C. in continuation after. 7 The account of the exploits of Æthelfled, lady of the Mercians, which is only to be found in MSS. B. C. and partly in D., seems once to have existed in a separate form. The MSS. B. and C. after carrying on the general narrative to the end of 915, or 918 of the text, return to 896, (B. by a mistake has 816,) and mark blank dates in succession to 901. This is followed by 902, the death of Ealhswith, &c., and from this point they exhibit the Mercian transactions connectedly to the year 921, and at 924 again fall in with the general annals. In MS. D. some of these notices, mostly abbreviated, are intermixed with the text during the period above mentioned; but with some variation of chronology, and, A.D. 902. This year Ealhswyth1 died. A.D. 903. This year died Athulf, the ealdorman, brother of Ealhswith, king Edward's mother; and Virgilius, abbat of the Scots; and Grimbald, the mass-priest, on the '8th of the ides of July [8th July]. And this same year was the consecration of the new minster at Winchester, and St. Judoc's advent. A.D. 904. This year Aethelwald came hither over sea with the ships that he was able to get, and he was submitted to in Essex. 'This year the moon was eclipsed. A.D. 905. This year Aethelwald enticed the army in East-Anglia to break the peace, so that they ravaged over all the land of Mercia until they came to Cricklade, and there they went over the Thames, and took, as well in Braeden as thereabout, all that they could lay hands on, and then turned homewards again. Then king Edward went after them, as speedily as he could gather his forces, and overran all their land between the dikes and the Ouse, all as far north as the fens. When, after this, he would return thence, then commanded he it to be proclaimed through his whole force, that they should return again. Then the Kentish-men remained there behind, notwithstanding his orders, and seven messengers whom he had sent to them. Then the army there came up to them, and there fought them; and there Sigulf the ealdorman, and Sigelm the ealdorman, and Eadwold the king's thane, and Cenulf the abbot, and Sigebreht son of Sigulf, and Eadwald son of Acca, were slain, and likewise many with them, though I have named the most distinguished. And on the Danish side were slain Eohric their king, and Aethelwald the etheling, who had enticed him to break the peace, and Byrhtsige son of Beornoth the etheling, and Ysopa the "hold," and Oskytel the "hold," and very many with them, whom we are now unable to name. And there was great slaughter made on either hand; and of the Danish-men there were more slain, though they had possession of the place of carnage. And Ealhswith died that same year. This year a comet appeared on the thirteenth of the kalends of November. [20th Oct.]* A.D. 9906. "In this year died Aelfred, who was reeve at Bath. And in the same year peace was concluded at Yttingaford, even as king Edward ordained, as well with the East-Angles as with the North-humbrians. A.D. 906. "This year king Edward, from necessity, concluded a peace both with the army of East-Anglia and of North-humbria. A.D. 907. "This year Lig-ceaster [Chester] was repaired. as well as in the other MSS., with some repetitions, arising apparently from the use of two independent narrations. These have been distributed according to the chronology of MS. C.-P. 1 Apparently king Alfred's queen, whose death is again noticed in B. C. (whence this passage) in common with the text, under the year 905.-P. As far as "mass-priest" not in E. 3 This date is an insertion in A. To the end of the year in F. 5 Concerning the translation of the relics of St. Judoc, see Alford's Annals, A.D. '908. This year died Denewulf, who was bishop at Winchester. A.D. '909. This year St. Oswald's body was removed from Bardney 'into Mercia. A.D. 910. This year Frithstan succeeded to the bishopric at Winchester and, after that, bishop Asser died; he was bishop at Sherborne. And that same year king Edward sent out a force both of West-Saxons and of Mercians, and they greatly spoiled the army of the north, as well of men as of every kind of cattle, and slew many of the Danish-men: and they were therein five weeks. In this year the Angles and the Danes fought at Teotanheal on the 'eighth of the ides of August [6th Aug.], and the Angles obtained the victory. And that same year Aethelflaed built the fortress at Bremesbyrig. 10 A.D. 910. This year the army of the Angles and of the Dancs fought at Totanhale. And Aethered "ealdor" of the Mercians died 1o [A.D. 912]. And king Edward took possession of London, and of Oxford, and of all the lands which owed obedience thereto. [A.D. 918.] "And a great fleet came hither from the south, from the Lidwiccas, [Brittany,] and greatly ravaged by the Severn; but they there, afterwards, almost all perished. A.D. 911. This year the army among the North-humbrians broke the peace, and despised whatever peace king Edward and his "witan" offered them, and overran the land of Mercia. And the king had gathered together some hundred ships, and was then in Kent, and the ships went south-east along the sea-coast towards him. Then thought the army that the greatest part of his force was in the ships, and that they should be able to go, unfought, wheresoever they chose. When the king learned that, that they were gone out to plunder, then sent he his forces after them, both of the West-Saxons and of the Mercians; and they overtook the they were on their way homewards, and then fought against them, and put them to flight, and slew many thousands of them; and there were slain king "Ecwils, and king Healfdene and Ohter the earl, and Scurfa the earl, and Othulf the "hold," and Benesing the "hold," and Anlaf the black, and Thurferth the "hold," and Osferth the collector, and Guthferth the "hold," and Agmund the "hold," and Guthferth. A.D. 13911. Then the next year after this died Aethered, lord of the Mercians. 1 A.D. 909, C. D. F. G. In MS. E. the year is blank. > These two concluding words are not in D. 2 B. C. 906, D. The entry respecting Frithstan and Asser do not occur in F. in its Saxon portion, but there is a statement in Latin, that "Fridestan received the bishoprick of Winchester." 5 This sentence is not in F. • B. C. 909, D., which latter MS. reads, "Here the Mercians and West-Saxons fought," &c. 7 The date is from G. The brief notices which occur in MS. E. between the years 906 and 918 belong to the years 910, 912, and 918 of the text; but they are here thus run together. They are found in like manner in MS. D., where they are repetitions. MS. F. has only the notice which belongs to the year 912, between 909 and 921.-P. The first and second sentences are from D. E. 10 The remainder of the sentence from D. E. F. 11 This sentence from D. E. 12 Eowils, B. C. Eowilisc, D. 13 B. C., and repeated under A. 912 of the text. A.D. 1912. This year died 'Aethered ealdorman of the Mercians; and king Edward took possession of London and of Oxford, and of all the lands which owed obedience thereto. This year Aethelfled lady of the Mercians came to Scaergate on the holy eve, "Invention of the Holy Cross," and there built the fortress; and the same year, that at Bridgenorth. A.D. 913. In this year, about Martinmas, king Edward commanded the northern fortress to be built at Hertford, between the Memera, the Benefica, and the Lea. And then after that, during the summer, between Rogation-days [3d May], and midsummer, king Edward went with some of his auxiliaries to Maldon in Essex, and there encamped, whilst the fortress at Witham was wrought and built; and a good part of the people who were before under the dominion of the Danish-men submitted to him: and in the meanwhile some part of his assistants constructed the fortress at Hertford, on the south side of the Lea. This year, by the help of God, Aethelfled, lady of the Mercians, went with all the Mercians to Tamworth, and there built the fortress early in the summer; and after this, before Lammas [1st Aug.], that at Stafford. A.D. 914. Then after this, in the next year, that at Eadesbyrig, early in the summer; and afterwards, in the same year, late in harvest, that at Warwick. A.D. 915. 'Then after this, in the next year, after midwinter, that at Cyric-byrig, and that at Weard-byrig: and that same year, before Midwinter, that at Rumcofa. A.D. 951. This year was Warwick built. A.D. 916. This year abbat Ecgbriht was guiltlessly slain, before Midsummer, on the sixteenth of the kalends of July: the same day was the feast of the martyr St. Ciricius and his fellows [16th June]. And about three days after this, Aethelfled sent her forces among the Welsh, and stormed Brecenan-mere, and there "took the king's wife, and some four-and-thirty persons. A.D. 1917. In this year, after Easter [13th April], the army rode forth from Northampton and Leicester, and broke the peace, and slew many men at Hocneratun, and there about. And then very speedily after that, when the one came home, then they got ready another troop which rode out against Lygton: and then the inhabitants were aware of them, and fought against them, and put them to full flight, and retook all which they had seized, and also a great portion of their horses and of their weapons. This year, before Lammas, Aethelflaed, lady of the Mercians, God helping her, got possession of the fortress which is called Derby, with all that 1 C. D. G. 911, A. by repetition. 3 B. C. to the end of the year. 2 Ethelred, D. 13 4 Florence of Worcester seems to understand this as relating to the festival of St. Martin of Tours, 11th Nov., and places Maldon, &c. as well as the events of 917 of the text, under the year 914.-P. 6 B. C. for the whole of the year. • Continued at the passage A.D. 918, "In hither." 5 B. C. D. 8 D. 7 B. C. as above. 11 The text is here incorrect, and has been amended in accordance with the readings of Florence of Worcester and Henry of Huntingdon. 12 A.D. 914, C. D. 13 B. C. D. 917. owed obedience thereto; and there also were slain, within the gates, four of her thanes, which to her was a cause of sorrow. A.D. 918. This year, in the early part of the year, by God's help, she peacefully got into her power the fortress at Leicester, and the greater part of the army which owed obedience thereto became subject to her; and the people of York had also covenanted with her, some having given a pledge, and some having bound themselves by oath, that they would be at her command. 'In this year a great fleet came over hither from the south, from the Lidwiccas [Brittany], and with it two earls, Ohtor and Hroald: and they went west about till they arrived within the mouth of the Severn, and they spoiled the North-Welsh everywhere by the seacoast where they then pleased. And in Ircingfield they took bishop Cameleac, and led him with them to their ships; and then king Edward ransomed him afterwards with forty pounds. Then after that, the whole army landed, and would have gone once more to plunder about Ircingfield. Then met them the men of Hereford and of Gloucester, and of the nearest towns, and fought against them and put them to flight, and slew the earl Hroald, and a brother of Ohter the other earl, and many of the army, and drove them into an inclosure, and there beset them about, until they delivered hostages to them that they would depart from king Edward's dominion. And the king had so ordered it that his forces sat down against them on the south side of Severn-mouth, from the Welsh coast westward, to the mouth of the Avon eastward; so that on that side they durst not anywhere attempt the land. Then, nevertheless, they stole away by night on some two occasions; once, to the east of Watchet, and another time to Portlock. But they were beaten on every turn, so that few of them got away, except those alone who there swam out to the ships. And then they sat down, out on the island of Bradanrelice, [Flat-holme], until such time as they were quite destitute of food; and many men died of hunger, because they could not obtain any food. Then they went thence to Deomod [S. Wales], and then out to Ireland and this was during harvest. And then after that, in the same year, before Martinmas, king Edward went with his forces to Buckingham, and there sat down four weeks; and, ere he went thence, he erected both the forts on either side of the river. And Thurkytel the earl sought to him to be his lord, and all the "holds," and almost all the chief men who owed obedience to Bedford, and also many of those who owed obedience to Northampton. A.D. 1918. But very shortly after they had become so, she died at Tamworth, twelve days before Midsummer [12th June], the eighth year of her 1 As far as " command" is from B. C. D. 2 A.D. 915, C. D. The arrival of the fleet from Brittany is placed under the year 915 by Florence of Worcester, in common with the MSS. C. and D. The dates which occasionally occur in B. seem to agree with C., but as they are ambiguously placed, it has not been deemed necessary further to notice them.-P 3 He was bishop of Llandaff; see Godwyn, p. 598. B. C. D. in continuation after the word "command," A.D. 918, in the text, p. 59, 1. 8. The death of Ethelflæd, but connected with different circumstances, is |