the greedy war-hawk, and the grey beast, wolf of the wood. Carnage greater has not been in this island ever yet of people slain, before this, by edges of the sword, as books us say, old writers, since from the east hither, this earth obtained. A.D. 937. This year king Aethelstan and Eadmund his brother led a force to Brunan-byri, and there fought against Anelaf; and, Christ helping, had the victory: and they there slew five kings and seven earls. A.D. 938, 939. A.D. '940. This year king Aethelstan died, at Gloucester,' on the 6th of the kalends of November [27th Oct.], about forty-one" years, except one day, after king Aelfred died. And Eadmund the etheling, his brother, succeeded to the kingdom, and he was then eighteen years of age: and king Aethelstan reigned fourteen years and ten weeks. Then was Wulfelm archbishop in Kent. A.D. 941. "This year the North-humbrians were false to their plighted troth, and chose Anlaf of Ireland to be their king. Here Edmund king, ruler of Angles, protector of his kindred, as the Dor flows, course of the White-well, and Humber's river, broad sea-stream. Five towns, Leicester, and Lincoln, and Nottingham so Stamford eke, and Derby, to Danes were erewhile, under North-men, by need constrained, of heathen men in captive chains, a long time; until he again redeemed them, for his worthiness, the bulwark of warriors, offspring of Edward, Edmund king. A.D. '941. This year king Eadmund received king Anlaf at baptism; and that same year, a good long space after, he received king Regnold at the bishop's hands. 10 A.D. 942. This year king Anlaf" died. 1 From E. and F., the latter of which ascribes this entry to A.D. 938. 3 A.D. 941, G.; and so originally A. The place of his death is not specified in E. F. 5 This last sentence is inserted in A. A.D. 942, G.; and so originally A. 7 The first sentence is from D. 4 Forty, B. C. D. 8 A.D. 942, C. D. A. G. 943, B. C. In MSS. A. and G. this follows the verses uninterruptedly, so as to make the last line, "Edmund king," a part of the narrative, and thus apparently confounding the transactions of different years. The events here noticed are placed under the year 943 in the other MSS. as well as in Florence of Worcester; and the narrative in D. being much fuller than the others, it has been placed in the text.-P. 10 E. F. 11 See Hen. Huntingdon and Simeon of Durham, A.D. 941. There were several chiefs of that name at this period: Anlaf the son of Guthferth, Anlaf the son of Sihtric, and Anlaf Cuaran, mentioned A.D. 949.-P. A.D. 943. This year Anlaf stormed Tamworth, and great carnage was made on either hand; and the Danes had the victory, and much booty they led away with them: there, during the pillage, was Wulfrun taken. This year king Eadmund besieged king Anlaf and archbishop Wulfstan in Leicester; and he would have taken them, were it not that they broke out by night from the town. And, after that, Anlaf acquired king Eadmund's friendship; and king Eadmund then received king Anlaf at baptism, and he royally gifted him. And that same year, after a good long time, he received king Regnald at the bishop's hands. This year king Eadmund delivered Glastonbury to St. Dunstan, where he afterwards became the first abbat. A.D. 944. This year king Eadmund subdued all Northumberland under his power, and expelled two kings, Anlaf, son of Syhtric, and Raegenald, son of Guthferth. A.D. 945. This year king Eadmund ravaged all Cumberland, and granted it all to Malcolm, king of the Scots, on the condition, that he should be his fellow-worker, as well by sea as by land. A.D. '946. This year king Eadmund died, on St. Augustine's mass-day [26th May]. That was widely known how he ended his days that Liofa stabbed him at Puckle-church. And Aethelflaed at Domerham, Aelfgar's daughter, the ealdorman, was then his queen and he had the kingdom six years and a half. And then after him his brother Eadred the etheling succeeded to the kingdom, and subdued all Northumberland under his power and the Scots gave him oaths, that they would all that he would. A.D. 947. This year king Eadred came to Taddene's-scylf, and there Wulstan the archbishop and all the North-humbrian witan plighted their troth to the king: and within a little while they belied it all, both pledge and also oaths. A.D. 948. This year king Eadred ravaged all Northumberland, because they had taken Yric to be their king: and then, during the pillage, was the great minster burned at Ripon that St. Wilferth built. And as the king went homewards, then the army of York overtook him: the rear of the king's forces was at Chesterford; and there they made great slaughter. Then was the king so wroth that he would have marched his forces in again and wholly destroyed the land. When the North-humbrian witan understood that, then forsook they Hyryc, and made compensation for the deed with king Eadred. A.D. 949. This year 'Anlaf Cwiran came to Northumberland. A.D. 950. 1 As far as note 2 is taken from D. To the end from F. and partly from A. In the former of these MSS. the date of this notice has been seemingly cut off by the binder; but it is here placed on the authority of the fragment in A. Florence of Worcester has A.D. 942. A.D. 948, E. F. 3 As far as " queen" from D., the remainder from D. E. F. 5 D. 7 The whole of this year from D. • Archbishop of York. E. F. Anlaf Cuaran is noticed in the Annals of Ulster, under the years 944 and 916.-P. A.D. 958.] THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE. 67 A.D. 951. 'This year died Aelfheah, bishop of Winchester, on St. Gregory's mass-day. This same blessed St. Dunstan. . . . A.D. 952. In this year king Eadred commanded archbishop Wulstan to be brought into the fastness at Judanbyrig, because he had been oft accused to the king: and in this year also the king commanded great slaughter to be made in the burgh of Thetford, in revenge of the abbat Eadelm, whom they had before slain. This year the North-humbrians expelled king Anlaf, and received Yric,* Harold's son. A.D. 953. A.D. 954. This year the North-humbrians expelled Yric, and Eadred obtained the kingdom of the Northumbrians.. "This year archbishop Wulfstan again obtained a bishopric at Dorchester. A.D. '955. This year died king Eadred, on St. Clement's massday [23d Nov.], at Frome, and he rests in the Old-Minster [Winchester]; and he reigned nine years and a half. And then Eadwy succeeded to the kingdom, king Eadmund's and St. Aelfgive's son. 'And he banished St. Dunstan out of the land. A.D.955. "And Eadwy succeeded to the kingdom of the West Saxons, and Eadgar, his brother, succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians: and they were the sons of king Eadmund and of S. Aelfgyfe. A.D. 956. A.D. 957. "This year died Wulfstan, archbishop of York, "on the 17th of the kalends of January [16th Dec.], and he was buried at Oundle. "And in the same year abbat Dunstan was driven away over the sea. "This year Eadgar the etheling succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians. A.D. 958. "In this year archbishop Oda" separated king Eadwy and Aelfgyfe, because they were too nearly related. "This year died king Eadwy, on the kalends of October [1st Oct.]; and Eadgar, his brother, succeeded to the kingdom, "as well of the West Saxons as of the Mercians, and of the Northumbrians; and he was then sixteen years of age. 19 In his days it prospered well, and he did as behoved him, diligently he earned it. 1 This first sentence not in B. C. D. E. F. He upreared God's glory wide, and loved God's law, and bettered the public peace, most of the kings who were before him in man's memory. and God him eke so helped, F., the Latin portion of which, likewise imperfect, states that "He blessed St. Dunstan as mon[k]." 3 This first sentence from D., the remainder from E. F. F. designates him as king. 6 D. $ D. E. F. 7 A.D. 956, B. C. The date and place of his death are not in B. C. D. E. 9 F., and inserted in A. 10 D. after the word "Old-Minster" in the text, A.D. 955. 11 D. A.D. 956, E. F. 12 The rest of the sentence from D. 13 This sentence from D. and added in F. 15 This first sentence from D. 18 The rest of the year not in A. D. E. 19 This poetical character of Eadwy is from D. E. F. that kings and eorls for God and for the world, A.D. 959. This year Eadgar sent after St. Dunstan, and gave him the bishopric at Worcester; and afterwards the bishopric at London. A.D. 960. A.D. 961. This year departed Odo the Good, archbishop; and St. Dunstan succeeded to the archbishopric. A.D. '962. This year died Aelfgar, the king's kinsman, in Devonshire, and his body rests at Wilton. And king Sigferth killed himself, and his body lies at Wimborne. And then, within the year, there was a great mortality, and the great fever was in London; and Paul's minster was burnt, and that same year was again built up. In this same year Athelmod the mass-priest went to Rome, and there died, on the 18th of the kalends of September [15th Augt.]. A.D. 963. This year died Wulfstan, the deacon, on Childermass-day [28th Dec.], and after that died Gyric, the mass-priest. "In this same year abbat Athelwold succeeded to the bishopric at Winchester, and he was consecrated on the vigil of St. Andrew [29th Nov.]: it was Sunday that day. In the year after he was consecrated, then made he many minsters, and drove the clerks out of the bishopric, because they would not observe any rule, and he set monks there. He made there two abbacies; one of monks, one of nuns; all which was within Winchester. Afterwards then came he to the king, Eadgar, and begged of him that he would give him all the minsters which heathen men had formerly broken down, because he would restore them: and the king cheerfully granted it. And then the bishop came first to Ely, where Št. Aetheldrith lies, and 1 F. and inserted in A. in continuation after A.D. 958. 2 F. and inserted in A. 3 A.D. 961, G. This year does not occur in B. C. D. E F. 5 This first sentence not in E. F. The remainder of the year from G. B. C. D. have not this sentence. caused the minster to be made: then he gave it to one of his monks, who was named Brihtnoth. He then consecrated him abbat, and there set monks to serve God where previously had been nuns : he bought then many villages of the king, and made it very rich. After that came bishop Athelwold to the minster which was called Medeshamstede, which formerly had been destroyed by heathen men: he found nothing there but old walls and wild woods. There found he, hidden in the old walls, writings that abbat Headda had erewhile written, how king Wulfhere and Aethelred his brother had built it, and how they had freed it against king and against bishop, and against all secular services, and how the pope Agatho had confirmed the same by his rescript, and the archbishop Deusdedit. Then caused he the minster to be built; and set there an abbat, who was called Aldulf, and caused monks to be there where before was nothing. Then came he to the king, and caused him to look at the writings which before were found; and the king answered then and said : "I, Aedgar, grant and give to-day, before God and before the archbishop Dunstan, freedom to St. Peter's minster, Medeshamstede, from king and from bishop; and all the villages which lie thereto; that is to say, Aestfeld, and Dodesthorp, and Ege, and Pastun. And thus I free it, that no bishop have there any command, without the abbat of the minster. And I give the vill which is called Oundle, with all which thereto lieth; that is to say, that which is called the Eight-hundreds, and market and toll, so freely that neither king, nor bishop, nor earl, nor sheriff, have there any command, nor any man except the abbat alone, and him whom he thereto appointeth. And I give to Christ and St. Peter, and through the prayer of bishop Athelwold, these lands; that is to say, Barwe, Wermingtun, Aesctun, Ketering, Castre, Egleswurth, Waltun, Witheringtun, Ege, Thorp; and one moneyer in Stamford. These lands, and all the others that belong to the minster, them declare I free: that is, saca and socne, toll and team, and infangthief; these rights, and all others, them declare I free to Christ and St. Peter. And I give the two parts of Whittlesey-mere, with the waters and with the wears and fens, and so through Merelade straight to the water which is called Nen, and so eastward to King's-delf. And I will that a market be in the same town, and that no other be between Stamford and Huntingdon. And I will that the toll be thus given: first, from Whittlesey-mere all as far as the king's toll of Norman-cross-hundred, and then back again from Whittleseymere, through Merelade, straight to the Nen, and so as the water runneth to Crowland, and from Crowland to Must, and from Must to King's-delf, and to Whittlesey-mere. And I will that all liberties, and all the remissions that my predecessors have given, that they stand; and I sign and confirm it with Christ's rood-token." Then Dunstan, the archbishop of Canterbury, answered and said: "I grant that all the things which here are given and spoken of, and all the things which thy predecessors and mine have conceded, those will I that they stand; and whosoever this breaketh, then give I him the curse of God, and of all saints, and of all ordained heads, |