the tide, the Danes were enabled to put to sea, pursued too late, and to no purpose, by the nine English ships. But the victorious Danes were met by a contrary wind, which drove two of their ships on shore, and the crews were made prisoners and brought to the king, who commanded them all to be hanged at Winchester. Those who were in the third ship sailed to East-Anglia, though severely wounded. The same year twenty ships with their crews perished on the south coast. [A.D. 901.] King Alfred died, after a reign of twenty-eight years and a half over all England, except those parts which were under the dominion of the Danes. His indefatigable government and endless troubles I cannot worthily set forth except in verse:— "Toilsome thy onward path to high renown, What though thy hopes were ever dash'd with care, Thy way-soil'd garments, and thy blood-stain'd sword, Who else, like this, throughout the wide world's space, The sword, for ever bare in mortal strife, Fail'd to cut short thy destin'd thread of life; Peaceful thy end may Christ be now thy rest! [A.D. 901.] Edward, the son of King Alfred, succeeded to his father's kingdom, which he held 24 years. His younger brother Ethelwald1 married a wife and seized on Wimborne without leave of the King and the great men of the realm3, whereupon King Edward led a body of troops as far as Badbury near Wimborne. But Ethelwald and his men held possession of the place, and closing the gates he declared that he would either hold it or there die. How 1 The Saxon Chronicle calls him "the Etheling" (see note, p. 122), and brother's son of Edward. 2 Wimborne, in Dorsetshire. Saxon Chronicle, "His Witan," the great council of the nation. M which ever, he sallied forth by night and made for the army was in Northumbria. His illustrious birth caused him to be received with open arms, and he was elected king and paramount lord over the vice-kings and chiefs of that nation. King Edward, however, arrested the woman whom the young prince had married contrary to the will of the bishop, because she had been consecrated a nun. The same year died Ethelred, ealdorman of Devonshire, one month before the death of King Alfred, to whom he had been a faithful servant and follower in many of his wars. [A.D. 905.] In the third year of King Edward, Ethelwald, the king's brother, assembled an army, which he transported in a numerous flotilla into Essex, the people of which were speedily reduced to submission. The year following, he led a powerful army into Mercia, and completely ravaged it as far as Cricklade. There he crossed the Thames, and swept off all the plunder he could find in Bræden and the neighbourhood. After accomplishing this, they returned home in triumph. King Edward, however, having hastily collected some troops, followed their rear, ravaging the whole territory of the Mercians between the Dyke and the Ouse, as far northward as the Fens. After which he resolved to retreat, and commanded his whole army to retire together; and they all withdrew, except the Kentish-men, who remained contrary to the king's order, though he sent seven messages after them. Then the army of the Danes intercepted the Kentish-men, and a battle was fought, in which fell Siwulf and Sighelm, ealdormen; and Ethelwald, a king's thane; and Kenwulf, the abbot; and Sigebert, son of Siwulf; and Eadwold, son of Acca, and many others, though the most eminent are named. On the side of the Danes were slain King Ehoric, and the Etheling Ethelwald, whom they had elected king; and Byrtsige, son of Brithnoth the Etheling; and Ysop, 1 The date taken from the Saxon Chronicle does not agree with Henry of Huntingdon's chronology. There is much confusion in his dates throughout Edward's reign, by the years which he reckoned. 2 See note on preceding page. 3 Florence of Worcester describes it as a wood or forest, called in Saxon "Bradene." the Hold1; and Osketel, the Hold, with many others; for I cannot name them all. There was great slaughter on both sides, most on that of the Danes, though they claimed the victory. This same year died Elswitha, wife of King Edward. 3 [A.D. 906.] King Edward, in the fifth year of his reign, concluded a peace with the East-Angles and Northumbrians at Hitchingford. The year following 3, the king levied a powerful army in Wessex and Mercia, which took great spoils, both in men and cattle, from the Northumbrian army, and, slaying numbers of the Danes, continued to ravage the country for five weeks. The next year the Danish army entered Mercia, with intent to plunder; but the king had collected 100 ships, and dispatched them against the enemy. On their approach they were mistaken for allies, and the Danish army supposed that they might therefore march securely wherever they would. Presently, the king sent troops against them out of Wessex and Mercia, who fell on their rear, as they were retiring homewards, and engaged them in fight. A pitched battle ensued, in which the Lord severely chastised the heathen, many thousands of them meeting a bloody death, and their chiefs were confounded, and, falling, bit the dust. There were slain King Healfdene and King Ecwulf [Ecwils], and the earls Uthere and Scurf; with the "Holds" Othulf, Benesing, Anlaf [Olave] the Black, Thurferth, and Osferth, the collector of the revenue; and Agmund the Hold, and Guthferth the Hold, with another Guthferth". The servants of the Lord, having gained so great a victory, rejoiced in the living God, and gave thanks with hymns and songs to the Lord of hosts. The year following [A.D. 911–12], 1 Hold, a Danish title of office, the signification of which is unknown. It seems to have been inferior to that of Jarl. castle or fortified town? Was it the custody of a 2 "Queen mother of King Edward."-Rog. Wendov. 3 The Saxon Chronicle gives these dates as A.D. 910-911, the ninth and tenth years of Edward. • Henry of Huntingdon's account of this armament seems confused, and that of the Saxon Chronicle is not more satisfactory. 5 The Norwegian "Jarl," a dignity or office not as yet introduced among the Anglo-Saxons. 6 • The Saxon Chronicle places this battle under A.D. 911. on the death of Ethered, ealdorman of Mercia, King Edward took possession of London and Oxford, with all the land belonging to the province of Mercia1. King Edward, in the ninth2 year of his reign, built Hertford, a very fair, though not a large castle", between the Benwic, the Memer, and the Lea, very clear, though not deep, rivers. The same year he built a town at Witham, in Essex, meanwhile remaining at Maldon; and great part of the neighbouring people, who were before in subjection to the Danes, submitted to him. The following year, the Danish army issued forth from [North] Hampton and Leicester, breaking the truce which they had with the king, and made great slaughter of the English at Hockerton, and thence round in Oxfordshire. As soon as they returned to their quarters, another troop marched out and came to Leighton; but the people of that country, having intelligence of their approach, gave them battle, and, routing them, regained the plunder which they had collected, as well as took the horses of the troop. In the eleventh year of King Edward, a great fleet came from the south out of Lidwic [Britany], under two earls, Ohter and Rahold, and they steered west about till they reached the Severn shore; and they pillaged the country in North Wales, wherever they could, near the coast, and took prisoner Camcleac the bishop [of Llandaff ], and carried him off to their ships. However, King Edward ransomed him for forty pounds. Afterwards, the army landed in a body, intending to pillage the neighbourhood of Archenfield', but they were met by the men of Carleons and Hereford, and other neighbouring burgs, who fought and defeated them, with the loss of Earl Rahold, and Geolkil, 1 Probably the neighbouring districts, certainly not the whole province of Mercia, in which we find Ethelfleda exercising rights of sovereignty after her husband's death. 2 Saxon Chronicle, A.D. 913. 3 The Saxon Chronicle calls it a "burg." 4 The Saxon Chronicle places this irruption under the year 917. 5 Saxon Chronicle, A.D. 918. The Saxon Chronicle agrees with Henry of Huntingdon in calling it North Wales; but it appears clearly to be an error, as all the places mentioned border on South Wales; access being obtained to them through the estuary of the Severn. 7 In Herefordshire. 8 The Saxon Chronicle has "Gloucester;" but Henry of Huntingdon is probably right, Carleon being so much nearer the scene of action. the brother of Earl Ohter, and great part of the army, and they drove the rest into a certain fortified camp, where they besieged them till they gave hostages and solemnly swore to depart the king's territories. Then the king caused the shores of the Severn to be guarded, from the south coast of Wales round to the Avon; so that the Danes durst nowhere attempt an irruption in that quarter. Twice, however, they contrived to land by steth; once to the eastward, at Watchet1, the other time a Porlock'; but on both occasions very few escaped destruction besides those who could swim to their ships. These took refuge in the Isle of Stepen [and Flat-holm2], in the greatest distress for want of food, which they were unable to procure, so that numbers died from hunger. Thence they retreated into Demet3, and from thence crossed over to Ireland. same year King Edward went with his army to Buckingham, where he sat down four weeks, and made an entrenchment on both sides of the water before he went thence. Earl Thurkytel submitted to him there, and all the earls and chief men that belonged to Bedford, with some of those belonging to Northampton. The The old chronicles mention a battle between the Kentish men and the Danes at the Holme, in the twelfth year of King Edward; but they leave it uncertain who were the conquerors. The second year afterwards, the moon was eclipsed, to the great consternation of the beholders; the third year, a comet appeared; the fourth year, Chester was I Watchet and Porlock are two small harbours on the Somersetshire coast of the Severn Sea, or Bristol Channel. 2 The Steep and Flat-holms are two islets off the same coast. 3 Demet or Divet, Pembrokeshire, where, from Milford Haven, is the nearest passage to Ireland from the west of England. Henry of Huntingdon here introduces a series of events of an earlier date than that to which he had arrived. 5 The Saxon Chronicle, which contains no further particulars of this battle, gives the date of it A.D. 902; the second, instead of the "twelfth," year of Edward's reign. As Henry of Huntingdon notices the events of the succeeding years in a tolerably accurate sequence, we might suppose that the numeral x. had crept in before ii., by an error of the transcribers, did not all the MSS. agree with the received text, and were it not plain, from subsequent entries, that Henry of Huntingdon himself is generally at fault in his chronology of this period. |