having rule and right lordship over the Mercians; and her body lies at Gloucester, within the east porch of St.Peter's church. [See end of A.D. 922.] A.D. 918. This year died Ethelfled the lady of the Mercians. A.D. 919. In this year, before Martinmas, king Edward went with his forces to Bedford, and gained the town; and almost all the townsmen who formerly dwelt there submitted to him: and he sat down there four weeks, and commanded the town to be built on the south side of the river before he went thence. A.D. 919. This year also the daughter of Aethered, lord of the Mercians, was deprived of all dominion over the Mercians, and carried into Wessex, three weeks before mid-winter: she was called Aelfwyn. A.D. 920. In this year, before Midsummer, king Edward went to Maldon, and built the town, and fortified it before he departed thence. And that same year Thurkytel the earl went over sea into France, together with such men as would follow him, with the peace and aid of king Edward. A.D. 921. In this year, before Easter [1st April], king Edward gave orders to take possession of the town at Towcester, and to fortify it. And again, after that, in the same year, during Rogation days [7th May], he commanded the town at Wigmore to be built. That same summer, between Lammas [1st Aug.] and Midsummer, the army from Northampton and from Leicester, and thence north, broke the peace, and went to Towcester, and fought against the town the whole day; and they thought that they should be able to take it by storm. But, nevertheless, the people who were within defended it until a larger force came to them: and then they departed from the town and went away, Then, again very soon after that, they went out once more by night with a predatory band, and came upon men who were unprepared, and took no small number as well of men as of cattle, between Burnewood and Aylesbury. At that same time went out the army from Huntingdon and from the East-Angles, and constructed the fortress at Temesford, and abode and built there; and forsook the other at Huntingdon, and thought that from thence they could, by warfare and hostility, get more of the land again. And they went forth until they arrived at Bedford and then the men who were there within went out against them, and fought with them and put them to flight, and slew a good part of them. Then again, after that, a large army once more drew together from East-Anglia and from Mercia, and went to the town at Wigingamere, and beset it round about, and described under the year 922 of the text; it is, therefore, here necessarily separated from the other Mercian notices of the MSS. B. C. and D., although it is by no means certain that the date of 922 is right. For it is to be observed that these MSS. place the death of Ethelred her husband under the year 911 or 912; that Florence of Worcester and the text also place it under 912, that these MSS. as well as Florence say she died in the eighth year of her government, and that Henry of Huntingdon has the like interval between these events. To this may be added, that Ethelweard, the Cambrian Annals, and the Annals of Ulster, assign her death to the year 917 or 918.-P. 1 From E. 2 Not in B. C. D. E. 3 B. C. D. The occupation of Mercia by Edward is placed under the year 922 in the text.-P. Not in B. C. D. E. 5 Excepting the two concluding sentences the subject-matter of this year is not found in B. C. D. E. F. fought against it the greater part of the day, and took the cattle thereabout. And nevertheless, the men who were within the town defended it; and then the army left the town and went away. Then, after that, in the same summer, much people, within king Edward's dominion, drew together out of the nearest towns, who could go thither, and went to Temesford, and beset the town, and fonght against it till they took it by storm, and slew the king, and Toglos the earl, and Manna the earl, his son, and his brother, and all those who were there within and would defend themselves; and took the others, and all that was therein. Then, very soon after this, much people drew together during harvest, as well from Kent as from Surrey and from Essex, and from each of the nearest towns, and went to Colchester, and beset the town, and fought against it until they mastered it, and slew all the people there within, and took all that was there, except the men who fled away over the wall. Then after that, once again during the same harvest, a large army drew together out of East-Anglia, as well of the landforce as of the pirates whom they had enticed to their aid; and they thought that they should be able to avenge their wrongs. And they went to Maldon, and beset the town, and fought against it till more aid came to the help of the townsmen from without; and then the army left the town and went away. And then the men from the town went out after them, and those also who came from without to their aid; and they put the army to flight, and slew many hundreds of them, as well of the pirates as of the others. Then, very shortly after, during the same harvest, king Edward went with the forces of the West-Saxons to Passaham, and sat down there while they encompassed the town at Towcester with a stone wall. And Thurferth the earl, and the captains, and all the army which owed obedience to Northampton, as far north as the Welland, submitted to him, and sought to him to be their lord and protector. And when one division of the forces went home, then another went out, and took possession of the town of Huntingdon, and repaired and rebuilt it, by command of king Edward, where it had been previously demolished; and all who were left of the inhabitants of that country submitted to king Edward, and sought his peace and his protection. And after this, still in the same year, before Martinmas, king Edward went with the forces of the West-Saxons to Colchester, and repaired the town, and rebuilt it where it had been before broken down; and much people submitted to him, as well among the East-Anglians as among the East-Saxons, who before were under the dominion of the Danes. And all the army among the East-Anglians swore union with him, that they would all that he would, and would observe peace towards all to which the king should grant his peace, both by sea and by land. And the army which owed obedience to Cambridge chose him specially to be their lord and protector; and confirmed it with oaths, even as he then decreed it. This year king Edward built the town at Cledemouth. This year king Sihtric slew Niel his brother. 1 This sentence from C. D. 2 This sentence from E. F. : A.D. 1922. In this year, between Rogation days [27th May] and Midsummer, king Edward went with his forces to Stamford, and commanded the town to be built upon the south side of the river and all the people which owed obedience to the northern town submitted to him, and sought to him to be their lord. And then, during the sojourn which he there made, Aethelflaed his sister died there, at Tamworth, twelve days before Midsummer [12th June]. And then he took possession of the town at Tamworth; and all the people of the land of Mercia, who before were subject to Aethelflaed, submitted to him; and the kings of the North-Welsh, Howel, and Cledauc, and Jeothwel, and all the North-Welsh race, sought to him to be their lord. Then went he thence to Nottingham and took possession of the town, and commanded it to be repaired and occupied as well by English as by Danes. And all the people who were settled in Mercia, as well Danish as English, submitted to him. A.D. 923. In this year, after harvest, king Edward went with his forces to Thelwall, and commanded the town to be built, and occupied, and manned; and commanded another force also of Mercians, the while that he sat there, to take possession of Manchester in North-humbria, and repair and man it. This year died archbishop Plegmund. This year king Regnold won York. A.D. 924. In this year, before Midsummer, king Edward went with his forces to Nottingham, and commanded the town to be built on the south side of the river, over against the other, and the bridge over the Trent, between the two towns and then he went thence into Peakland, to Bakecanwell, and commanded a town to be built nigh thereunto, and manned. And then chose him for father and for lord, the king of the Scots and the whole nation of the Scots, and Regnald, and the son of Eadulf, and all those who dwell in North-humbria, as well English as Danes, and North-men and others, and also the king of the Strath-clyde Britons, and all the Strath-clyde Britons. A.D. 924. This year Edward was chosen for father and for lord by the king of the Scots, and by the Scots, and king Regnold, and by all the Northhumbrians, and also the king of the Strath-clyde Britons, and by all the Strath-clyde Britons. A.D. 924. "This year king Edward died among the Mercians at Fearndun ; and very shortly, about sixteen days after this, Aelfweard his son died at Oxford; and their bodies lie at Winchester. And Aethelstan was chosen king by the Mercians, and consecrated at Kingston. And he gave his sister to Ofsae [Otho], son of the king of the Old-Saxons. A.D. 925. This year king Edward died, and Aethelstan his son succeeded to the kingdom. 'And St. Dunstan was born: and Wulfhelm succeeded to the archbishopric of Canterbury. This year king Aethelstan and Sihtric king of the North-humbrians came 1 B. C. D. E. F. do not give the contents of this year. 2 The whole sentence absent from B. C. D. E. F. 3 To the end of the year inserted in A. 5 Not in B. C. D. E. to the end of the year. This sentence is from F. and inserted in A. • D. E. F. € From F. 8 A.D. 924, E. 10 From D. together at Tamworth, on the third of the kalends of February [30th Jan.]; and Aethelstan gave him his sister. A.D. 925. This year bishop Wulfhelm was consecrated. And that same year king Edward died. A.D. 926. This year fiery lights appeared in the north part of the heavens. And Sihtric perished: and king Aethelstan obtained the kingdom of the North-humbrians. And he ruled all the kings who were in this island: first, Huwal king of the West-Welsh ; and Constantine king of the Scots; and Uwen king of the people of Guent; and Ealdred, son of Ealdulf, of Bambrough and they confirmed the peace by pledge, and by oaths, at the place which is called Eamot, on the 4th of the ides of July [12th July]; and they renounced all idolatry, and after that submitted to him in peace. A.D. 927. This year king Aethelstan expelled king Guthfrith. And this year archbishop Wulfhelm went to Rome. A.D. 928. William succeeded to Normandy, and held it fifteen years. A.D. 929, 930. A.D. 931. "This year Byrnstan was ordained bishop of Winchester on the 4th of the kalends of June; and he held the bishopric two years and a half. A.D. 931. This year died Frithestan bishop of Winchester, and Byrnstan was blessed in his place. A.D. 932. A.D. 933. This year Aedwine the etheling was drowned at sea. This year king Aethelstan went into Scotland, as well with a land army as with a fleet, and ravaged a great part of it. And bishop Byrnstan died at Winchester on the feast of All-Hallows [1st Nov.] This year died bishop Frythestan. A.D. 1934. "This year bishop Aelfheah succeeded to the bishopric of Winchester. A.D. 935, 936. A.D. 937. Here king Aethelstan, of heroes the bracelet-giver, with the edges of swords The board-walls they clove, they hewed the high lindens, with the relics of hammers12 1 From C. D. 3 From E. F. F the children of Eadward, The field became slippery 2 The whole of the year is from D. Not in B. C. D. E. As this date [29th May] fell this year upon the festival of Whit-Sunday, it is probably corrrect. 7 F. Not in B. C. D. E. 11 Not in B. C. D. E. A.D. 934, B. C. D. E. F. excepting the last sentence in the year. 10 A.D. 935, F. 12 A poetical circumlocution for swords. with warriors' blood, since the sun up glided over the deeps, There lay many a warrior weary, satiated with war. The West-Saxons onwards throughout the day, in chosen bands, pursued the footsteps to the loathed nations. They hewed the fugitives from behind, exceedingly, with swords mill-sharp. The Mercians refused not the hard hand-play to any of the heroes who with Anlaf, over the ocean, in the ship's bosom, this land sought fated to the fight. Five lay on the battle-stead, youthful kings, put to sleep by swords: so seven also of Anlaf's eorls ; of the army countless, shipmen and Scots. There was made to flee the North-men's chieftain, by need constrained, to the ship's prow with a little band. The bark drove afloat: the king departed on the fallow flood, his life he preserved. So there also the sage came by flight to his country north, Constantine. The hoary warrior had no cause to exult in the communion of swords. Here was his kindred band of friends o'erthrown on the meeting of the people, and his son he left the old deceiver; nor Anlaf the more, with the remnant of their armies; they had no cause to laugh that they in war's works the better men were in the battle-stead, at the conflict of banners, meeting of spears, concourse of men, traffic of weapons; that they on the slaughter-field with Edward's offspring played. The North-men departed in their nailed barks; So too the brothers, and the swarthy raven the corse to enjoy, |