886 Florence Huntingdon Simeon 886. The army of pagans so often beforementioned again left East France, and went into the country of the Western Franks, the into the river called Seine, and sailed up it as far as the city of Paris, and there they wintered. They be sieged that city a whole year, but by the merciful favour of God, the army could not force their way inside the walls. In the following year, the army of the Danes came up the Seine to the bridge at Paris, and there wintered. In the year of our Lord's incarnation 886, the 38th from the birth of the glorious king Elfred, that army of Danes not to be named came again into the country of the Western French, and came to land in the river called Sigene [SEINE]. They also went to Paris, and wintered there, cutting off the thoroughfare of the bridge from the inhabitants. But by the true support of God, and the valour of the citizens in defending themselves, they could not break into that fortress. In the same year Elfred, king of the Anglo-Saxons, after the burning of cities and the slaying of the people, honourably rebuilt the city of London, and made it again habitable. He gave it into the custody of his sonin-law, Æthered, earl of Mercia. To which king all the Angles and Saxons, who before had been dispersed everywhere, or were in captivity with the pagans, voluntarily turned and submitted themselves to his dominion. King Alfred besieged London, because a great force of Danes had pursued the French army. All the English at once submitted to him and admitted him; for the Danes had fled. But the king gave the city into the care of duke Ædred. At the same time the king of the English, after the burning of cities, and the slaughter of people, honourably rebuilt and made habitable the great city of London, which he gave into the ward of Ethelred the illus trious duke of the Mercians. But all men, both Angles and Saxons, who had before been dispersed here and there with the pagans or set free from captivity, came freely into the king's presence, submitting themselves voluntarily to his dominion. And he, as he was of a most merciful mind, indulged to all the patronage of his benignity. tended, that literature had flourished at Oxford before the coming of Grymbold, although the number of scholars was smaller than in ancient times, because many had been driven away by the cruelty and tyranny of the pagans. They also proved and showed, by the undoubted testimony of ancient annals, that the orders and institutions of that place had been sanctioned by certain pious and learned men, as for instance by Saint Gildas, Melkinus, Nennius, Kentigern, and others, who had all grown old there in literature, and happily administered everything there in peace and concord; and also, that Saint Germanus had come to Oxford, and stopped there half a year, at the time when he went through Britain to preach against the Pelagian heresy; he wonderfully approved of the customs and institutions above-mentioned. The king, with unheard of humility, listened to both sides carefully, and exhorted them again and again with pious and wholesome admonitions to cherish mutual love and concord. He therefore left them with this decision, that each party should follow their own counsel, and preserve their own institutions. Grymbold, displeased at this, immediately departed to the monastery at Winchester, which had been recently founded by king Ælfred, and ordered a tomb to be carried to Winchester, in which he proposed, after this life, that his bones should be laid in the vault which had been made under the chancel of St Peter's church in Oxford; which church the same Grymbold had built from its foundations, of stone polished with great care.] A. 887. In the year of our Lord's in- of the river Materne Here follows the sentence IN Ethelwerd 886 + Hyde Abbey. Now the army, which were at that time ravaging the country of Gaul, cut their way through the bridge of the citadel of Paris, and devastated the whole country along the Seine, as far as the Marne, and above its vertex, as far as Catsig [CHEZY], where they thrice fixed their winter quarters. And that same year Charles king of the French died; and six weeks before he died, Earnulf his brother's son bereaved him of the kingdom. In the same year Charles, In the same year also died Charles, king of the Franks, and his cousin Arnulf succeeded to the kingdom, seven weeks before his uncle's death. 887 Florence Huntingdon Simeon In the following year, the 6 In the year of our Lord's army, leaving the bridge at Paris, went up the Seine as far as the Marne, and up the Marne as far as Cadzi, and they dwelt there and in Ionne* two years. Noticed more fully by the other chroniclers: see in 888. incarnation 887, the 39th from the birth of the illustrious king Elfred, the aforesaid army, leaving that city of Paris, came to the Seine, thence to the mouth of the river called the Materre and then to a place called Caziei, i. e. a royal vill: in which place they wintered a whole year. Saron Chronicle And then was that kingdom divided into five, and five kings were consecrated thereto. This, however, was done by permission of Earnulf: and they said that they would hold it from his hand, because none of them on the father's side was born thereto except him alone. Earnulf then dwelt in the land east of the Rhine and Rothulf then succeeded to the middle kingdom, and Oda to the western part, and Beorngar and Witha to the land of the Lombards and to the lands on that side of the mountain: and that they held in great discord, and fought two general battles, and oft and many times laid waste the land, and each repeatedly drove out the other. And that same year that the army went up beyond the bridge at Paris, alderman Æthelhelm carried the alms of the West-Saxons and of king Alfred to Rome. Asser appointed, and the kingdom Earnulf. Such, then, was the division In the same year in which Saxons. Ethelwerd 887 The kingdom was then divided into five, and so many kings in the same: but all things are done by the permission of King Earnulf, and they promised to be all under his subjection, because they were not like him, descended from the paternal stock; and he lived after this on the eastern side of the river Rhine. ST But Hrodulf occupied the middle parts of the kingdom, Odda the western parts, and Beorngar with Vuitha held the kingdom of the Lombards from the division of the Jovian mountain [MOUNT BErnard]. There they began a civil war; people assailed people; the lands of both were continually disturbed, nor was there any hope of quiet. The same year, in which the barbarians had settled on the bridge of Paris, duke Æthelhelm received no small part of the money paid from the diocese of the English by the king for the people, and went to Rome. In the same year also Ælfred, king of the Anglo-Saxons, so often before mentioned, by divine inspiration, began, on one and the same day, to read and to interpret; but that I may explain this more fully to those who are ignorant, I will relate the cause of this long delay in beginning. On a certain day we were both of us sitting in the king's chamber, talking on all kinds of subjects as usual, and it happened that I read to him a quotation out of a certain book. He heard it attentively with both his ears, and addressed me with a thoughtful mind, showing me at the same moment a book which he carried in his bosom, wherein the daily courses and psalms, and prayers which he had read in his youth, were written, and he commanded me to write the same quotation in that book. Hearing this, and perceiving Florence 887 appointed, and the kingdom was split into five parts; but the principal rank in the kingdom justly and deservedly devolved on Arnulf, save only that he committed an unworthy offence against his uncle. The other four kings promised fidelity and obedience to Arnulf, as was proper; for none of these four kings was hereditary on his father's side in his share of the kingdom, as was Arnulf; therefore, though the five kings were appointed immediately on the death of Charles, yet the empire remained in the hands of Arnulf. Such then was the division of the kingdom; Arnulf received the countries on the east of the river Rhine; Herothulf [RODULF] the inner parts of the kingdom; Oda the western part; Beorngar and Witha [GUIDO], Lombardy, and those countries which are in that part of the mountains; but they did not keep these large dominions in peace, for they twice fought a pitched battle, and often mutually ravaged their kingdoms, and drove each other out of their dominions. In the same year elm, earl of Wiltshire, car- In the same year also Ælfred king of the Anglo-Saxons 8 At this time, also, Elfred king of the Saxons inspired so often before mentioned, by divine inspiration, began, on by the gift of God, was able one and the same day, to read and to interpret. to read and interpret the sacred writings. |