the Angles in Britain, Cerdic and his son Cenric appeared off Cerdice-sore1 with five ships. The same day the people of the neighbourhood assembled in great numbers and fought against them. The Saxons stood firm in order of battle before their ships, repelling the attacks of the islanders without pursuing them, for they never quitted their ranks. The day was spent in these alternate attacks and retreats till night put an end to the conflict. Finding how resolute the Saxons were, the Britons retired, and neither party claimed a victory. Cerdic, however, and his son made good their occupation of the hostile territory, from time to time enlarging their possessions along the coast, though not without frequent wars with the natives.

[A.D. 501.] Seven years after the invasion of Cerdic, Port, with his sons Beda and Megla, disembarked from two stout ships at Portsmouth. An alarm was immediately spread throughout the neighbourhood, and the governor of the district with the whole population fought the invaders. But as the attack was disorderly, as each arrived on the spot, they were routed in the twinkling of an eye. The Britons indeed rushed boldly on the enemy, but the steady valour of the Saxons threw them into confusion. The chief and the people being either slain or put to flight, the victory remained with Port and his sons. From him the place was called Portsmouth.

[A.D. 508.] I now proceed to describe the war between Nazaleod, the greatest of the British kings, and Cerdic, with his son Kenric, in the sixtieth year of the immigration of the Angles. Nazaleod was a king of high renown and exalted rank, from whom the country now called Cerdichesforde was then named Nazaleoli, and as he had collected under his banner the whole force of the Britons, Cerdic and his son entreated aid from Esc, the king of Kent, and. from Ella, the great king of the South-Saxons, and from Port and his sons, the last who had come over. Their

1 Cerdice-sore, the shore of Cerdic, now Yarmouth, the mouth of the Yar, or Gar, in Norfolk.

2 Saxon Chronicle, Natanleod; Charford, near Fordingbridge, Hants. The Saxon Chronicle reads; "The land was named Netley from him as far as Charford." Henry of Huntingdon confuses the passage by a mistaken translation of the Saxon word "as far as," which he renders "now."

forces were arrayed in two wings, of which Cerdic commanded the right, Kenric, his son, the left. In the first onset, Nazaleod observing that the right wing was the strongest, charged it with his whole force for the purpose of routing at once the most formidable part of the enemy's army. His impetuous attack in a moment overthrew the standards, pierced the ranks, and put Cerdic to flight, with great slaughter of his right wing. Meanwhile Kenric, perceiving his father's defeat, and the rout of his troops, led the left wing, which was under his command, against the rear of the enemy, who were pursuing the fugitives. The battle was. then renewed with fresh vigour, until the king Nazaleod was slain, and his whole army routed. Five thousand of his troops fell on the field. The rest saved themselves by a precipitate retreat. The Saxons gained the honour of a victory which secured to them peace for some years, and allured to them many and powerful auxiliaries.

[A.D. 514.] Among these, in the sixth year after the war, Stuf and Witgar came with three ships to Cerdicesore1. At daybreak the British chiefs arrayed their forces against the invaders with much military skill. They led one body along the ridges of the hills, and another in the valley with silence and caution, until the rays of the rising sun glancing from their gilded shields, the hill tops and the very sky above them glistened with the bright array. The Saxons were struck with terror as they advanced to battle; but when the two strong armies came into collision, the courage of the Britons failed, because God despised them. The triumph of the Saxon chiefs was signal, and the result secured them large possessions. Thus the name of Cerdic was rendered terrible, and in the strength of it he overran the country.

About this time died Ella, King of the South-Saxons, who enjoyed all the prerogatives of English royalty, having under him kings and nobles and governors. His son Cissa succeeded him, and their posterity afterwards. But in process of time, their power was much diminished, and at length they were brought under subjection by other kings.

1 Saxon Chronicle. Matthew of Westminster says two.

The kingdom of Wessex was founded in the year 71 of the Angles in Britain, A.D. 519, in the time of the Emperor Justinian the elder, who reigned eight years. In the course of time the kings of Wessex subjugated all the other kingdoms, and established a monarchy over the whole of England, so that we may reckon the times of all the other kings with reference to those of the kings of Wessex, by whose growing power the others may be noted. When Cerdic had reigned seventeen years in Wessex, that same year some of the most powerful of the British chiefs joined battle against him. It was fought bravely and obstinately on both sides, till when the day was declining, the Saxons gained the victory; and there was great slaughter that day of the inhabitants of Albion, which would have been still more terrible had not the setting of the sun stayed it. Thus was the name of Cerdic glorified, and the fame of his wars, and of his son Kenric was spread over all the land. From that day is reckoned the beginning of the kingdom of Wessex, which, absorbing all the rest, has continued to our times. Cerdic and Kenric, his son, in the ninth year of his reign [A.D. 527], fought another battle against the Britons at Cerdicesford, in which there was great slaughter on both sides. At that time large bodies of men came successively from Germany, and took possession of East-Anglia and Mercia; they were not as yet reduced under the government of one king; various chiefs contended for the occupation of different districts, waging continual wars with each other; but they were too numerous to have their names preserved.

In those times Arthur the mighty warrior, general of the armies and chief of the kings of Britain, was constantly victorious in his wars with the Saxons. He was the commander in twelve battles, and gained twelve victories. The first battle was fought near the mouth of the river which is called Glenus1. The second, third, fourth and fifth battles were fought near another river which the Britons called Duglas, in the country of Cinuis: the sixth on the river called Bassas. The seventh was fought in the forest of Chelidon, which in British is called "Cat-coit-Celidon." The eighth battle against the barbarians was fought near the 1 Or Glenn.

castle Guinnion, during which Arthur bore the image of St. Mary, mother of God and always virgin, on his shoulders, and by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the blessed Mary his mother, the Saxons were routed the whole of that day, and many of them perished with great slaughter. The ninth battle he fought at the city Leogis', which in the British tongue is called "Kaerlion." The tenth he fought on the bank of a river which we call Tractiheuroit; the eleventh, on a hill which is named Brevoin, where he routed the people we call Cathbregion. The twelfth was a hardfought battle with the Saxons on Mount Badon, in which 440 of the Britons fell by the swords of their enemies in a single day, none of their host acting in concert, and Arthur alone receiving succour from the Lord. These battles and battle-fields are described by Gildas the historian, but in our times the places are unknown, the Providence of God, we consider, having so ordered it that popular applause and flattery, and transitory glory, might be of no account. At this period there were many wars, in which sometimes the Saxons, sometimes the Britons, were victors; but the more the Saxons were defeated, the more they recruited their forces by invitations sent to the people of all the neighbouring countries.

The kingdom of Essex, that is, of the East-Saxons, was founded, as far as we can collect from old writers, by Erchenwin, who was the son of Offa, who was the son of Biedcan, who was the son of Sigewlf, who was the son of Spoewe, who was the son of Gesac, who was the son of Andesc, who was the son of Saxnat. Slede, the son of Erchenwin, succeeded his father in the kingdom of Essex; he married the daughter of Ermeric, king of Kent, and sister of Ethelbert. His son by her, Sibert, was the first king of Essex converted to the Christian faith.

[A.D. 530.] Meanwhile, Cerdic, with his son Kenric, having assembled a great army, fought at Wit-land, and being successful in the war, reduced the whole island after a prodi

1 Or Legionis, of the legion.

2

Henry of Huntingdon quotes Nennius under this name. See cc. 63-4 of the Hist. Nenn.

E

gious slaughter of the enemy in battle at Witgaresburg1, in

Four years afterwards,
Latin is called "Vecta,'
Cerdic, the first king of

the thirteenth year of his reign. Certic conferred the island, which in on his nephews, Stuf and Witgar. Wessex, reigned eighteen years. On his death [A.D. 534] Kenric, his son, reigned after him 26 years, in the times of the Emperor Justinian, whose reign lasted 38 years, and when Vigilius was Pope.

[A.D. 538.] In the fifth year of Kenric, the sun was eclipsed from daylight to the third hour, in the month of March; and in the seventh year of his reign [A.D. 540], it was eclipsed from the third to almost the ninth hour, on the xii. kal. July [20th June], so that the stars were visible. In the tenth year of Kenric's reign, died Witgar, and was buried at Witgaresburg, which derived its name from him.

The kingdom of the Northumbrians dates from the thirteenth year of the reign of Kenric. The chiefs of the Angles who subdued that province, after a series of severe battles, elected Ida, a young nobleman of the highest rank, king. He was the son of Eoppe, the son of Esc3, the son of Inguim, the son of Angenwite, the son of Aloc, the son of Beonoc, the son of Brand, the son of Bældæt, the son of Woden, the son of Fredelaf, the son of Fredewlf, the son of Fin, the son of Godwlf, the son of Heatæ. Ida, a valiant prince, reigned twelve years, indefatigable and always in arms. He built Bebanburgh', fortifying it by surrounding it with an earthen mound, and afterwards with a wall. He began his reign in the year of grace 547.

[A.D. 552.] Kenric, in the eighteenth year of his reign fought against the Britons, who advanced with a great army as far as Salisbury; but having assembled an auxiliary force from all quarters, he engaged them triumphantly, overthrowing their numerous army, and completely routing and dispersing it. In the twenty-second year of his reign

7 Bamborough Castle, in Northumberland. See Saxon Chronicle. Henry of Huntingdon, who attributes both the bridge and the wall to King Ida, is followed by M. of Westminster, an. 548.