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that king Beorhtric unwittingly tasted of the poison, though the queen intended to give it to the young man only, but the king took it too quickly, and so both perished. Beorhtric therefore being dead, the queen could remain no longer among the Saxons, but sailed beyond the sea with immense treasures, and went to the court of the great and famous Charles, king of the Franks. As she stood before the throne, and offered him money, Charles said to her, "Choose, Eadburgh, between me and my son, who stands here with me.' She replied, foolishly, and without deliberation, “If I am to have my choice, I choose your son, because he is younger than you." At which Charles smiled and answered, "If you had chosen me, you would have had my son; but as you have chosen him, you shall not have either of us."

However, he gave her a large convent of nuns, in which, having laid aside the secular habit and taken the religious dress, she discharged the office of abbess during a few years: for, as she is said to have lived irrationally in her own country, so she appears to have acted still more so in that foreign country; for being convicted of having had unlawful intercourse with a man of her own nation, she was expelled from the monastery by king Charles's order, and lived a vicious life of reproach in poverty and misery until her death; so that at last, accompanied by one slave only, as we have

heard from many who saw
her, she begged her bread
daily at Pavia, and so misera-
bly died.

Now king Ethelwulf lived
two years after his return from
Rome; during which, among
many other good deeds of this
present life, reflecting on his
departure according to the
way of all flesh, that his sons
might not quarrel unreason-
ably after his death, he order-
ed a letter of inheritance, or
instructions to be written, in
which he ordered that his
kingdom should be divided
between his two eldest sons,
his private inheritance be-
tween his sons, his daughter,
and his relations, and the
money which he left behind
him, between his sons and
nobles, and for the good of
his soul.

Of this prudent
policy we have thought fit to
record a few instances out of
many for posterity to imi-
tate; namely, such as are
understood to belong princi-
pally to the needs of the soul;
for the others, which relate
only to human dispensation,
it is not necessary to insert in
this work, lest prolixity should
create disgust in those who

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that king Bertric unwittingly tasted of the poison, though the queen intended to give it to the young man only, but the king took it too quickly, and so both perished.

7 Bertric therefore being dead, the queen could remain no longer among the West-Saxons, but sailed beyond the sea with immense treasures, and went to the court of the great and famous Charles, king of the Franks. As she stood before the throne, and offered him money, Charles said to her, "Choose, Eadburga, between me and my son, who stands here with me." She replied, foolishly, and without deliberation, “If I am to have my choice, I choose your son, because he is younger than you." At which Charles smiled and answered, "If you had chosen me, you would have had my son; but as you have chosen him, you shall not have either of us.

8 However, he gave her a large convent of nuns, in which,
having laid aside the secular habit and taken the religious
dress, she discharged the office of abbess during a few years;
for, having been violated by a lay-man

of her own nation, and expelled from
the monastery by king Charles's order,
she at last brought her life to
an end in poverty and
misery.

Simeon

9 King Ætheluulf lived two years, after his return from Rome; during which among many other good deeds of this present life, reflecting on his departure according to the way of all flesh, that his sons might not quarrel unreasonably after their father's death,

he ordered a letter of inheritance to be written, in which he ordered that his kingdom should be divided between his two eldest sons, Æthelbald and Ethelbert, his private inheritance between his sons, his daughter, and his relations, and the money which he left behind him, between his sons and nobles, and for the good of his soul.

4 And when he [ETHELWOLF]
had kept her [JUDITH] two
years.

The most merciful king Ethelwlf lived two years after he set out for the city of Romulus.

Among other good deeds of this present life, to which he gave his royal mind, he meditated before-hand on his own death, and, that his sons might not quarrel after he had departed this life, he composed an epistle in an elegant style, wherein he gave away all the things which belonged to himself.

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read or wish to hear my
work.

For the benefit of his
soul, then, which he studied
to promote in all things from
the first flower of his youth,
he directed through all his
hereditary dominions, that
one poor man in ten, either
native or foreigner, should be
supplied with meat, drink,
and clothing, by his succes-
sors, until the day of judg-
ment; supposing, however,
that the country should still
be inhabited both by men
and cattle, and should not
become deserted.
He com-

manded also a large sum of
money, namely, three hun-
dred mancuses, to be carried
every year

to Rome for the good of his
soul, to be distributed in the
following manner: namely,
a hundred mancuses in hon-
our of St Peter, specially to
buy oil for the lights of the
church of that apostle on
Easter eve, and also at the
cock-crow: a hundred man-
cuses in honour of St Paul,
for the same
purpose of
buying oil for the church of
St Paul the apostle, to light
the lamps on Easter eve and
at the cock-crow; and a
hundred mancuses for the
universal apostolic pontiff.

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(9) A. 857.

BURG

CHARTERS IN 857. 1.
RED of Mercia. April 18, subscribed
also by "Ethelswith regina," and
others. II, 63.

(10)

A. 858.

2 And about two years after But when king Ethelwulf was

he came from France he died, and his body lies at Winches

ter.

3 And he reigned eighteen years and a half.

↑ Here follows (as paragraph 4 according to the figures) the genealogy given at page 6.

dead,

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858 Florence

10 For the benefit of his soul, then, which he studied to promote in all things from the first flower of his youth, he directed through all his hereditary dominions, that one poor man in ten, either native or foreigner, should be supplied with meat, drink, and clothing, by his successors, until the day of judgment; supposing, however, that the country should still be inhabited both by men and cattle, and should not become deserted. He commanded also a large sum of money,namely 300 mancuses of pennies yearly to be carried to Rome for the good of his soul, to be distributed in the following manner: namely, an hundred mancuses in honour of St Peter, specially to buy oil for the lights of the church of that apostle on Easter eve, and also at the cock-crow a hundred mancuses in honour of St Paul, for the same purpose, and 100 mancuses for the universal apostolic pontiff.

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(16) 857.

(17) 858. 11 When king Ethelwulf was dead, on the ides of January [JAN. 13] and was buried at Winchester,

The ANN ALS say that he was

5 He was removed from among men, and was buried at Winchester.

6 He had first been bishop at Winchester, but, on the death of Egbrict his father,

buried at Stæningham [Steyning in necessity compelling it, he

Essex].

Essays

was made king; and, having married a wife, he begat four sons, who were all kings after him.

4

MATT. WESTM. The same year died Cedda bishop of Hereford, to whom succeeded Albert.

When, therefore, the glorious king Ethelwulf was dead,

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His son Æthelbald, contrary to God's prohibition and the dignity of a Christian, contrary also to the custom of all the pagans, ascended his father's bed, and married Judith, daughter of Charles, king of the Franks, and drew down much infamy upon himself from all who heard of it.

Ethelwerd 858

ALSO WILL BE FOUND GREATER
GAIN, AND THE ORIGIN OF OUR
RACE IS MORE CLEARLY INDI-
CATED. AND, ALTHOUGH I MAY
SEEM TO SEND YOU A LOAD OF
READING, DEAREST SISTER OF MY
DESIRE, DO NOT JUDGE ME HARSH-
LY, BUT AS MY WRITINGS WERE
IN LOVE TO YOU, SO MAY YOU
READ THEM.
AND MAY GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO IS
PRAISED BOTH IN TRINITY AND
IN UNIPOTENCE, EVER PRESERVE
YOU UNDER THE SHADOW OF HIS
WINGS, AND YOUR COMPANIONS
WITH YOU. AMEN!
HERE ENDS THE PROLOGUE.
CHAP. I.-OF THE REIGN OF THE
SONS OF KING ATHULF, NAMELY
ETHELBALD AND ETHELBYRHT.

Meanwhile after the death of king Athulf, his sons were raised to the kingdom, namely Ethelbald over the Western Angles, and Æthelbyrht over the men of Kent, and the Eastern, Southern, and Midland Angles.

CHARTERS IN 858. ÆTHILBERHT king of Kent. II, 64.

6 And then Æthelbald reign- During two years and a half When five years were com

ed five years.

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of licentiousness after his father he held the government

of the West-Saxons.

ANNALS. ANNO 859. This year it began to freeze two days before the calends of December [Nov. 29] and ended on the nones of April [AP. 5].

In the year of our Lord's incarnation 860, which was the twelfth from king Ælfred's birth, died Æthelbald, and was buried at Sherborne.

His brother Ethelberht, as was fitting, joined Kent, Surrey,

and Sussex also to his
dominion.

pleted,

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In his days a large army of In his days a large fleet of pagans, came up from the

pagans came to land, and

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