Then Alfred the son of Ethelwulf, his brother, succeeded to the kingdom of the West-Saxons.

And about one month after this, king Alfred with a small band fought against the whole army at Wiltun, and put them to flight for a good part of the day; but the Danes had possession of the place

carnage.

2

AND NOW I HAVE FOLLOWED UP MY PLAN, DEAR COUSIN MATILDA, AND WILL BEGIN TO CONSOLIDATE MY SUBJECT; AND LIKE A SHIP WHICH, HAVING SAILED A LONG WAY OVER THE WAVES, ALREADY OCCUPIES THE PORT, TO WHICH IN HER PATIENT VOYAGE SHE HAD BEEN TENDING: SO WE, LIKE SAILORS, ARE ALREADY ENTERING, AND AS I BRIEFLY INTIMATED TO YOU IN MY FORMER EPISTLE, SO ALSO IN THE PREFACES TO THIS PRESENT BOOK, AND WITHOUT ANY IMPROPRIETY I AGAIN REMIND YOU, AND THOUGH I CUT SHORT THE COURSE OF THAT WHICH IS VISIONARY, NOT IMPELLED BY NECESSITY, BUT THROUGH LOVE OF YOUR AFFECTION, I NOW SEND YOU AGAIN MORE FULLY TO BE MEDITATED UPON CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF OUR FAMILY, AND SUFFICIENTLY EMBRACE THE STUDY OF YOUR SINCERITY.

3 Thus far then.

4 I will now leave obscurity and begin to speak concerning the sons of Athulf. They were five in number: the first was Ethelstan, who also shared the kingdom with his father: the second was Ethelbald, who also was king of the Western English: the third was Ethelbyrht, king of Kent: the fourth was Ethered, who after the death of Edelbyrht succeeded to the kingdom, and was also my grandfather's grandfather: the fifth was Elfred, who succeeded after all the others to the whole sovereignty, and was your grandfather's grandfather.

5 Wherefore I make known to you, my beloved cousin Matilda, that I receive these things from ancient tradition, and have taken care in most brief style to write the history of our race down to these two kings, from whom we have taken our origin. To you therefore, most beloved, I devote this work, compelled by the love of our relationship: if others receive them with haughtiness, they will be judged unworthy of the feast; if otherwise, we advise all in charity to gather what is set before them.

6 Let us return then to the story that we broke off, and to the
death of the above-named Ethered.
7 His reign lasted 5 years,
and he is buried in the mona-
stery which goes by the name

The same year, the aforesaid
Ælfred, who had been up to
that time only of secondary
rank, whilst his brothers were
alive, now, by God's per-
mission, undertook the
government of the whole 9
kingdom, amid the acclama-
tions of all the people, and
if he had chosen, he might
have done so before, whilst

his brother above-named was
still alive; for in wisdom and
other qualities he surpassed
all his brothers, and moreover
was warlike and victorious
in all his wars.
And when he had reigned
one month, almost against
his will-for he did not think
he could alone sustain the
multitude and ferocity of the
pagans, though even during
his brothers' lives, he had
borne the woes of many,-
he fought a battle with a few
men, and on every unequal
terms, against all the army
of the pagans, at a hill called
Wilton, on the south bank of
the river Guilou, from which

of Wimborne.

8 CHAP. III. OF THE REIGN OF KING ALFRED.

After these things, Alfred his brothers were dead,—he obtained the kingdom when also was the youngest son of king Athulf-over all the

provinces of Britain.

But the army of the Angles at that time was small on account of the king's absence, who at the same time had performed his brother's obsequies, and although their ranks were not full, yet their hearts were firm in their

Asser

river the whole of that dis-
trict is named.

And after a long and fierce
engagement, the pagans,
seeing the danger they were
in, and no longer able to
bear the attack of their
enemies, turned their backs
and fled.

But, oh, shame to say, they
deceived their too audacious
pursuers, and again rallying,
gained the victory.
Let no one be surprised that
the Christians had but a
small number of men, for the
Saxons had been worn out
by eight battles in one year,
against the pagans, of whom
they had slain one king, nine
dukes, and innumerable
troops of soldiers, besides
endless skirmishes, both by
night and by day, in which
the oft-named Alfred, and
all his chieftains, with
their men, and several of his
ministers, were engaged
without rest or cessation
against the pagans. How
many thousand pagans fell
in these numberless skir-
mishes God alone knows,
over and above those who
were slain in the eight battles

above mentioned.
In the same year the Saxons
made peace with the pagans,
on condition that they
should take their departure,
and they did so.

Lastly, in the same year the Eastern Angles made peace with them.

And the number of years to the encamping of the barbarian army in Reading and to the death of king Ethelred and the succession of his brother Alfred was the seventyfirst from the time that Egbert had first consolidated the kingdom, and forty seven from the time that the Mercians and Western Angles carried on civil wars at the place called Ellandune, and king Egbert received the name of victor twenty-six years from the time that the battle was fought in Pedre

dan [PETHERTON]; and twenty years after the contest which was waged near the wood called Ockley; and lastly five years from the

the above-named army of
pagans went to London, and
there wintered.

to Reading, they measured out their camp in the neighbourhood of the city of London.

Here the army went from Reading to London, and there took up their winterquarters: and then Mercians made peace with The Mercians made peace But the Mercians ratify a

the army.

the

CHARTERS IN 872. 1. WERFRITH bishop [of Winchester] II, 98. 2. ETHELRED duke of Mercia, subscribed by "Burhred rex Merciorum," Æthelswyth regina" and others. II, 99. It is without date, and may belong to either 872, 873, or 874. 3. WERFRITH bishop [of Winchester] II,100.

with them.

treaty with them, and pay a stipend.

change their position to the
After one year the barbarians
neighbourhood of the city of
Lindsey in
a place called
Torksey.

The Mercian people renew their treaty with them.