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Saron Chronicle

red, Maleel, Cainon, Enos, Seth, Adam, primus homo et pater noster, id est Christus. Amen.

CHARTERS IN 849. 1. ALHHUN bishop of Worcester. Kemble's Codex, vol. II, p. 33. 2. BERTWOLF, king of Mercia, Ib. p. 34.

Asser

who was the son of Methusalem, who was the sonof Enoch, who was the son of Malaleel, who was the son of Cainan, who was the son of Enos, who was the son of Seth, who was the son of Adam.

The mother of Alfred was named Osburgh, a religious woman, noble both by birth and by nature; she was daughter of Oslac, the famous butler of king Ethelwulf, which Oslac was a Goth by nation, descended from the Goths and Jutes, of the seed, namely, of Stuf and Wihtzur, two brothers and counts; who, having received possession of the Isle of Wight from their uncle, king Cerdic, and his son Cynric their cousin, slew the few British inhabitants whom they could find in that island, at a place called Gwihtgaraburhg; for the other inhabitants of the island had either been slain before, or escaped into exile.

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In the year of our Lord's incarnation 851, which was the third after the birth of king Alfred, Ceorl, earl of Devon, with the men of Devon fought against the pagans at a place called Wicgambeorg; and the Christians gained the victory.

And that same year the pagans first wintered in the island called Sheppey, which means the Sheep-isle, and is situated in the river Thames between Essex and Kent, but is nearer to Kent than to Essex; it has in it a fine

monastery [MINSTER].

When seven years, then, had passed, Ceorl earl of Devon engages in battle against the pagans at a place called Uuiganbeorge; and they slay many of the Danes, and keep possession of the place of victory.

2 But in the course of that first

year the barbarians wintered in the island of Thanet, which lies not far from Britain, and has fruitful

but not large cornfields.

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salem, who was the son of Enoch, who was the son of Jared, who was the son of Malaliel, who was the son of Cainan, who was the son of Enos, who was the son of Seth, who was the son of Adam.

The mother of Alfred was named Osburga, a religious woman, noble both by birth and by nature; she was daughter of Oslac, the famous butler of king Ætheluulf, which Oslac was a Goth by nation, descended from the Goths and Jutes, of the seed, namely, of Stuf and Wihtgar, two brothers and counts, who, having received possession of the Isle of Wight from their uncle, king Cerdic, and his son Cynric their cousin, slew the few British inhabitants whom they could find in that island, at a place called Wihtgarabirig; for the other inhabitants of the island had either been slain before, or escaped into exile.

850. On the calends of June [June 1], the eve of Whitsun

day, Berhtferth, son of Berhtulf king of the Mercians, unjustly slew his relation St Wistan. Now this man was the grandson of two Mercian kings: for his father Wigmund was son of king Wiglaf, but his mother Elfleda was daughter of king Ceoluulf. But his body, being borne to the monastery at that time so famous, named Reopedun [REPTON], was buried in the mausoleum of his grandfather king Wiglaf. To his martyrdom heavenly miracles were not wanting for from the place in which the innocent youth was slain, a column of light, stretching up to heaven, was visible for 30 days to all the neighbours of that place. 851. Ceorl earl of Devon, with the men of Devon, fought against the pagans at a place called Wicganbeorh; and the Christians gained the vic

tory.

And that same year the pagans first wintered in the island called Sheppey, which means the Sheep-isle, and is situated on the river Thames between Essex and Kent, but is nearer to Kent than to Essex; it has in it a fine monastery.

5 The consui also named Ceorl, with the people of Devonshire, fought against the pagans, and slew many, and was victorious at Wien

orne.

7 This year the army of the pagans first stopped through the whole winter in this country.

Simeon

lem, who was the son of Enoch, who was the son of Malaleel, who was the son of Canaan, who was the son of Enos, who was the son of Seth, who was the son of Adam the first man. But the mother of king Elfred was called Osburg; she was a very religious woman and noble in disposition, which nobility she adorned with prudence of mind. Her

father also was called Oslac; he was the devoted and faithful butler of king Ethelwlf. For he was sprung from the Goths and the Jutes, of the seed of Stuph and Wihtgar, two brothers.

Having premised these things, let us now, as far as we can, pursue the course of the work, which we have undertaken.

In the year of our Lord's incarnation 851 and the third from the birth of Alfred, earl Ceorl fought against the Danes, and the Christians gained the victory over their enemies.

The Danes also wintered in the island which is called Sheppey, i. e. Sheep-island.

Saron Chronicle

3 And the same year came three hundred and fifty ships to Thames-mouth, and the crews landed and broke into Canterbury and London, and put to flight Beorhtwulf king of the Mercians with his

army.

NIA, i. e. DOVER, in the earlier part of the Saxon History.

Asser

The same year also a great
army of the pagans came
with three hundred and fifty
ships to the mouth of the
river Thames, and sacked
Dorubernia, § which is the
city of the Cantuarians, [and
also the city of London, *]
which lies on the north bank
of the river Thames, on the
confines of Essex and Mid-
dlesex ; but yet that city

§ Canterbury was called DORUBER- belongs in truth to Essex; and they put to flight Beorhtulf, king of Mercia, with all the army, which he had led out to oppose them.

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4 And then went south over the Thames into Surrey; and there king Ethelwulf and his son Æthelbald, with the army of the West-Saxons, fought against them at Aclea [OCKLEY], and there made the greatest slaughter among the heathen army that we have heard tell of unto the present day, and there got

the victory.

been written before the terrible battles which Alfred afterwards fought against the Danes at Ash

down, and Eddington.

After these things, the same
army of pagans went into

Surrey, which is
a district situated on the
south bank of the river
Thames, and to the west of
Kent. And Ethelwulf, king
of the Saxons, and his son
Æthelbald, with all their
army, fought a long time
against them at a place called
Ac-lea, i. e. the Oak-plain,
and there, after a lengthened

This must, apparently, have battle, which was fought with
much bravery on both sides,
the greater part of the pagan
multitude was destroyed and
cut to pieces, so that we
never heard of their being so
slaughtered, either before or
since, in any country, in one
day; and the Christians
gained an honourable victory,
and were triumphant over
the place of death.

CHARTERS IN 851. 1. BERTWOLF 36. 2. Another of BERTWOLF, II,

king of Mercia, Friday, March 27. II,

45.

4 After the battle they returned beyond the river Thames towards the south, through the province of Surrey, and there king Athulf with the Western Angles met them: an immense number was slain on both sides, nor have we ever heard of a more severe battle before that day: these things happened near Aclea Wood.

ANNALS. 851. The Normans enter the Seine.

INGULF states that there was a severe disease in 851, prevalent over all England, which withered the limbs of men, women, and children, and was similar to the palsy.

The Annals have " Athelstan son of King Adhelwlf." He was king of the eastern subject kingdom of Kent, Essex, and Sussex. Some call him

brother of Ethelwolf.

1 And the same year king Æthelstan and alderman

Ealchere fought on shipboard, and cut off a large army at Sandwich in Kent, and took nine ships, and put the others to flight.

In the same year king Ethel
stan and earl Ealhere slew a

large army of the pagans in
Kent, at a place called Sand-
wich, and took nine ships of
their fleet; the others escap-
ed by flight.

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After these things, the same army of pagans went into

Surrey, which is

a district situated on the south bank of the river Thames, and to the west of Kent. And Etheluulf, king of the West-Saxons, and his son Æthelbald, with all their army, fought a long time against them at a place called Ac-lea, i. e. the Oak-plain, and there, after a fierce battle, which was fought with much bravery on both sides, the greater part of the pagan multitude was destroyed and cut to pieces, so that we never heard of their being so slaughtered, either before or since, in any country, in one day; and the Christians gained an honourable victory, and were triumphant over the place of death.

In the same year king Ethel stan and earl Ealhere slew a large army of the pagans in Kent, at a place called Sandwich, and took nine ships of

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3 And enter

ing Surrey, they met the
royal squadrons at Achlea.
There was fought, therefore,
between those large armies
so great and so severe
battle, as no one before had
ever heard to have been
fought in England. You
might then have seen warrior

a

Simeon

In the same year a great army of pagans came with 350 ships into the mouth of the river Thames. Who laid waste Dorobernia,i.e. the city of the Kentish men, and put to flight Berhtulf king of the Mercians with all his army, who had come to do battle against them.

After this the Danes became more bold, and all their army was drawn together in Surrey. Which the warlike Ethelwlf king of the Saxons hearing, both he and his son Ethelbald with him collected a large army in a place which is called Aclea, that is, in the field of the oak. And when the pride of the English nation shone with glancing arms, the English fought a very long time with the Danes; bravely striving against them, because they saw that their king fought fiercely, therefore they became braver than their enemies in war. And when they had manfully striven for a very long time, and both sides fought with much sharpness and spirit, the greatest part of the Pagan throng was thoroughly cut off and slain, so that never in any land, in one day, before or after, did so many fall. The Christians however on that same day honourably INCARNATIONIS 852 to this para gained the victory and were

men fall on both sides like a
crop of corn, and streams of
blood roll with them the
heads and limbs of the slain.
But would it not be too great
and wearying prolixity to
describe each particular?
God gave the fortune of the
battle to those who believed
in him, and unutterable an-
guish to those who des-
pised him. King Adelwlf
then was the glorious victor.

* Simeon prefixes ANNO DOMINICE graph, but the other chroniclers are

4

against him.

The same year Edelstan, king of Kent, and duke Ealhere, fought a naval battle against the Danes at Sandwich, and having made a great slaughter of the enemy,

masters of the field of death, giving thanks to the Lord in hymns and confessions.

* King Ethel-
stan and earl Alchere found
a great army of the pagans
in Kent in a place which is
called At Sandwich; † whom

AT SANDWICH: a customary
Saxon idiom.

Saxon Chronicle

Asser

Ethelwerd

851

A. 852. Here at this time

Ceolred abbat of Medesham

* This local notice of MEDESHAMSTEAD, i. e. PETERBOROUGH, occurs in only one MS. of the Saxon Chroa monk of that abbey.

stede and the monks let to Wulfred the land of Sempingaham, on this condition, that after his decease the land should return to the minster, and that Wulfred should give nicle, which was probably written by the land of Sliowaford [SLEAFORD] to Medeshamstede, and each year should deliver into the minster sixty fother of wood, and twelve fother of coal, and six fother of faggots, and two tuns full of pure ale, and two beasts fit for slaughter, and six hundred loaves, and ten measures of Welsh ale, and each year a horse, and thirty shillings, and one day's entertainment. At this agreement were present king Burhred, and archbishop Ceolred, and bishop Tunberht, and bishop Cenred and bishop Alhhun, and bishop Berhtred, and abbat Wihtred, and abbat Werhtherd, and alderman Æthelheard and alderman Hunberht, and many others.

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In the year of our Lord's
incarnation 853, which was
the fifth of king Alfred,
Burgred, king of the Mer-
cians, sent messengers, and
prayed Ethelwulf king of
the West-Saxons, to come
and help him in reducing the
midland Britons, who dwell
between Mercia and the
western sea, and who strug-
gled against him most im-
moderately.

So without
delay, king Ethelwulf, hav-
ing received the embassy,
moved his army, and ad-
vanced with king Burghred
against Britain, and immedi-
diately on entering that
country, he began to ravage
it; and having reduced it
under subjection to king
Burghred, he returned home.

4 In the same year also, after
Easter, Ethelwulf, king of
the West-Saxons, gave his
daughter to Burgred, king of
the Mercians, to be queen,
and the marriage was cele-
brated royally at the royal

vill of Chippenham.

CHARTERS IN 852. 1. CEOLRED abbat of Peterborough, subscribed by BURGRED king of Mercia &c. II, 46. This Charter is partly the same as the extract from the Saxon Chronicle under this year. 2. BERTWOLF king of Mercia, II, 47.

After three years king Burhred asked assistance from king Etheluulf to subdue the Northern Britons.

He granted it, and having collected his army, passed through the Mercian kingdom to go against the Britons: whom he subdued and made tributary.

3 The same year also after Easter king Athulf gave his daughter in marriage to king Burhrede.

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