* DE DANUBIO Oг-BIA is probably a corruption of DE DANIA "from Denmark,"

1

CHARTERS IN 865. none.

Ethelberht governed his kingdom five years in peace, with the love and respect of his subjects, who felt deep sorrow when he went the way of all flesh. His body was honourably interred at Sherborne by the side of his brother.

In the year of our Lord's
incarnation 866, which was
the eighteenth of king Alfred,
Ethelred, brother of Æthel-
bert, king of the West Saxons,
undertook the government of
the kingdom.
And the same
year a large fleet of pagans
to Britain from the
Danube, and wintered in
the kingdom of the Eastern-
Saxons, which is called in
Saxon East-Anglia; and
there they became principally

came

.

an army of cavalry.

ANNALS. ANNO 865. The Normans
came into France in the middle of
July.

After one year king Æthel-
byrht died, and his body rests
peaceably in the monastery
named Sherborne.

CHAP. II. OF THE REIGN OF
KING ETHELred.

Ethered succeeded to the

throne after the death of his
brother Ethelbyrht.

In the same year the fleets of
the tyrant Ingware arrived
in England from the north,
and wintered among the East
Angles, and having establish-
ed their arms there, they get
on their horses, and make
peace with all the inhabitants
in the neighbourhood.

But, to speak in nautical phrase, I will no longer commit
my vessel to the power of the waves and of its sails, or
keeping off from land steer my round-about course through
so many calamities of wars and series of years, but will
return to that which first prompted me to this task; that is
to say, I think it right in this place briefly to relate as much
as has come to my knowledge about the character of my
revered lord Alfred, king of the Anglo-Saxons, during the
years that he was an infant and a boy.

night,

Huntingdon

and plundered the eastern parts of Kent.

Simeon

promised to pay them money, if they should keep the treaty. But in the mean time, breaking forth secretly by night from their camp, like foxes, and violating the truce, and despising the promise of money, they remained quiet for a few days. But, oh horrible! they devastated the eastern coast of the Kentish people. They knew that they should get greater money by stolen booty than by peace as also it happened.

Thus king Ethelbyrht, for five years, peacefully, amiably, and honorably ruled the kingdom that had been intrusted to him; and it was to the great grief of his princes, bishops, and all his people, that he went the way of all flesh leaving the government of his earthly kingdom, he began to be a

partaker of the other.

2 He was buried near his brother in Sherborne, where he awaits the comfort of a future resurrection.

In the following year, that is 866, which was the 18th since the birth of Elfred, Ethelred the brother of Ethelbyrt king of the West-Saxons, undertook the government of

the kingdom. In the same year a great fleet of pagans from Danubia entered the borders of Britain, and so wintered on the kingdom of the Eastern-Anglia, which is called in the Saxon tongue East-angle, and there the large army became cavalry, riding and scouring here and there, carrying off an enormous booty, and sparing neither men nor women, widows nor maids. In these days the prince Elfred began with sweet meditation to be imbued with

He was beloved by his father and mother, and even by all
the people, above all his brothers, and was educated alto-
gether at the court of the king. As he advanced through
the years of infancy and youth, his form appeared more
comely than that of his brothers; in look, in speech, and in
manners he was more graceful than they. His noble
nature implanted in him from his cradle a love of wisdom
above all things; but, with shame be it spoken, by the un-
worthy neglect of his parents and nurses, he remained
illiterate even till he was twelve years old or more; but he
listened with serious attention to the Saxon poems which he
often heard recited, and easily retained them in his docile
memory. He was a zealous practiser of hunting in all its
branches, and hunted with great assiduity and success; for
skill and good fortune in this art, as in all others, are among
the gifts of God, as we also have often witnessed.
On a certain day, therefore, his mother was showing him
and his brothers* a Saxon book of poetry which she held in
her hand, and said, "Whichever of you shall the soonest
learn this volume shall have it for his own." Stimulated
by these words, or rather by the Divine inspiration, and
allured by the beautifully illuminated letter at the beginning
of the volume, he spoke before all his brothers, who, though
his seniors in age, were not so in grace, and answered,
"Will you really give that book to one of us, that is to say,
to him who can first understand and repeat it to you?" At
this his mother smiled with satisfaction, and confirmed what
she had before said. Upon which the boy took the book
out of her hand, and went to his master to read it, and in
due time brought it to his mother and recited it.
After this he learned the daily course, that is, the cele-
bration of the hours, and afterwards certain psalms, and
several prayers, contained in a certain book which he kept
day and night in his bosom, as we ourselves have seen, and
carried about with him to assist his prayers, amid all the
bustle and business of this present life. But sad to say!
he could not gratify his most ardent wish to learn the liberal
arts, because, as he said, there were no good readers at that
time in all the kingdom of the West-Saxons.
This he confessed, with many lamentations and sighs, to
have been one of his greatest difficulties and impediments
in this life, namely, that when he was young and had the
capacity for learning, he could not find teachers; but, when
he was more advanced in life, he was harassed by so many
diseases unknown to all the physicians of this island, as well
as by internal and external anxieties of sovereignty, and by
continual invasions of the pagans, and had his teachers and
writers also so much disturbed, that there was no time for
reading. But yet among the impediments of this present
life, from infancy up to the present time, and, as I believe,
even until his death, he continued to feel the same insatiable
desire of knowledge, and still aspires after it.

After this inflamed with the divine love, he learned certain psalms, and the daily course, that is, the celebration of the hours, contained in a certain book which he kept day and night in his bosom, and carried about with him.

34

Ethelwerd 866

In the year of our Lord's
incarnation 867, which was
the nineteenth of the life of
the aforesaid king Alfred,
the army of pagans before
mentioned removed from the
East-Angles to the city of
York, which is situated on
the north bank of the river

Humber.

At that time a violent discord
arose, by the instigation of
the devil, among the inhabi-
tants of Northumberland;
as always is used to happen
among a people who have
incurred the wrath of God.
For the Northumbrians at
that time, as we have said,
had expelled their lawful
king Osbert, and appointed
a certain tyrant named Ælla,
not of royal birth, over the
affairs of the kingdom; but
when the pagans approached,
by divine Providence, and
the union of the nobles for
the common good, that dis-
cord was a little appeased,
and Osbert and Ælla uniting
their resources, and assembl-
ing an army, marched to
York. The pagans fled at
their approach, and attempt-
ed to defend themselves
within the walls to the city.
The Christians, perceiving
their flight and the terror
they were in, determined to
pursue them into the
town and destroy its walls;
which they succeeded in
doing; for that city was not
surrounded at that time with
firm or strong walls and

After one year that army, leaving the eastern parts, crossed the river Humber into Northumberland to the city of Evorac, which is now commonly called the city of Eoferwic [YORK].

For there was then a great civil dissension between the inhabitants of that land, and they were so enraged that they also expelled their king Osbyrht from his seat; and having confirmed their resolves, they chose an obscure person for their king; and after some delay they turned their thoughts to raise an army and repulse those who were advancing. They collected together no small bodies of troops, and reconnoitred the enemy: their rage was