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874

Florence

Huntingdon

Simeon

872.

Died Alhun bishop of the In the 1st year of king Al- In the year of our Lord's

Wiccii; and Werefrith, a nurseling of the church of Worcester, and a man most learned in the Holy Scriptures, was ordained bishop by Ethelred the archbishop of Dover, on the 7th before the ides of June, [JUNE 7] being Whitsunday.

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

Here Florence places a long account of Alfred's learned men, which will be given hereafter.

fred, the army came from Reding to London, and was there through the winter.

The Mercians made peace And the Mercians made a with them.

truce with the army.

incarnation 872, the 24th from king Elfred's birth, the

aforesaid army of the pagans went to London, and there

wintered; and the Mercians made a truce with them.

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Simeon

world after his arrival at Rome, because he went to Him who is the true life; and he was honourably buried in the church of St Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and ever a virgin, awaiting his second coming, when he shall largely give to the good their due rewards, and deal out their dreadful punish

ments to the wicked. The Danes, also, after his expulsion, subjected the Mercian kingdom to their own rule. They gave it to a soldier of that same nation named Ceolwlf, on condition that, whenever they chose, they might have it back again, without deceit, and without harm.

In the year of our Lord's Incarnation 875, the 27th from the birth of king Elfred, the aforesaid army left Repton, and divided itself into 2 parts. One part with Haldene went into the country of the Northumbrians, and ravaged it, and wintered near the river Tyne, and subdued all that nation under its dominion, and they plundered the Picts and the Stretcluttians [STRATH-CLYDE BRITONS]. Eardulf the bishop and abbat Eadred, taking the body of St Cuthbert from the island of Lindisfarne, fled from place to place 9 years before the face of the barbarians, Iwith that treasure in their possession.

The other part of that band with Gutthrum, and Oscytel, and Amund, kings of the pagans, came to a place named Grantabric [CAMBRIDGE] and there wintered.

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In the same year, king Alfred fought a battle by sea against six ships of the pagans, and took 1 of them; the rest escaped by flight.

In the year of our Lord's incarnation 876, being the twenty-eighth year of king Alfred's life, the aforesaid army of the pagans, leaving Grantabridge by night, entered a castle called Wareham where there is a monastery of holy virgins between the two rivers Frawn [FROME] and Trent, in the district which is called in British DURNGUEIS but in Saxon THORNSÆTA, placed in a most secure situation, except that it was exposed to danger on the western side from the

contiguity of the land. With this army Alfred made a solemn treaty, to the effect that they should depart out of the kingdom, and for this they made no hesitation to give as many hostages as he named.

And they swore an oath over all the relics, which with king Ælfred were next in veneration after the Deity himself, that they would depart speedily from the kingdom. But they again practised their usual treachery, and caring nothing for the hostages or their oaths, they broke the treaty, and sallying forth by night, slew all the horsemen that the king had round him, and turning off into Devon, to another place called in Saxon EXANCEASTER, but in British CAIR-WISC, which means in Latin, the city of Ex, situated on the eastern bank of the river Wisc, they directed their course suddenly towards the south sea, which divides Britain and Gaul, and there passed the winter.

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But king Alfred, consoling himself with a sea-fight, found six ships at sea, and engaging boldly with them took one of them: the others fled in fear.

876.

The aforesaid army of the pagans, leaving Grantebrycg by night, entered a castle called Wareham where there is a monastery of holy virgins between the two rivers Frawn[FROME] and Trent, in the district which is called in

Saxon DORNSETA, placed in a most secure situation, except that it was exposed to danger on the western side from the contiguity of the land.

With this army Alfred made a solemn treaty, to the effect that they should depart ont of the kingdom, and for this they made no hesitation to give as many hostages as he named.

And they swore an oath over

all the relics, which with king Ælfred were next in veneration after the Deity himself, that they would depart speedily from the kingdom. But they, again practised their usual treachery, and caring nothing for the hostages or their oaths, they broke the treaty, and sallying forth by night, slew all the horsemen that the king had round him, and turning off into Devon, to another place called in Saxon

EXANCEASTER, but in Latin, the city of Ex, situated on the eastern bank of the same river, they directed their course suddenly towards the south sea, which divides Britain and Gaul.

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