JOHN OF BROMPTON.

§ 1. Having thus in part, though by no means fully, treated of the Kings and Princes who reigned in British1 days, and had dominion over diverse provinces (some succeeding by hereditary right, and some coming into possession through conquest), let us now briefly turn our attention to those from whom the Kings of all England had their first beginning. And let us go back to the noble and stout warrior Ethelbrict [Egbert], on whom we have already touched, amongst the Kings of Wessex.

§ 2. In Wessex was he born and bred, and was a hero mighty and warlike. But King Brithrich, who then reigned in Wessex, through jealousy of him, brake forth into such mad hatred that he conspired his death. But, when he spied the malice of the monarch, he went off into France, and there dwelt, until the aforesaid King departed this life. After the death of the King, however, the men of Wessex called him back into England, and crowned him for their King. Then, gathering his host, made he no small slaughter amongst the kinglets who stood against him; staying not his hand from war for 28 years together." These others being at length overthrown, crushed, and subdued, in manly wise gat he him the sway of all this realm. And after the warfare was ended, nine years reigned he in peace ; closing his days in the 38th year and 6th month of his reign. And his body was brought for burial to Wynton [Winchester].

§ 3. And thereafter was Ethelwolf, the son of Egbert who, in early life, had been Bishop of Wynton, forced, for lack of other heirs, to take upon himself the crown. In his days did Almighty God bring in folk most cruel, who spared neither age nor sex, Dacians [Danes] to wit, and Goths, Norwegians and Swedes, Vandals and Frisians, who from the beginning of this reign, even unto the coming of William, Duke of Normandy, wasted England.

§ 4. This King Ethelwolf made over to God and Holy Church every tenth hide of land throughout all Wessex, free from all secular service,3 for feeding and clothing the poor and needy and the sick. Afterwards he went off to Rome, and made over to God and St. Peter, every year, from every house in all England, one penny; which, at this day, are commonly called Peter-pence. And he himself, of pure and heartfelt devotion to God, offered the first penny. None the less, did he afterwards, every year, make over to the Roman Church 300 talents; to wit, 100 for the lighting of St. Peter's, 100 for the lighting of St. Paul's, and 100 for

This is the earliest example of that loose use of the word 'British,' as equivalent to Ancient English,' which in popular use continued even into the nineteenth century.

For the real events here travestied, see Introductory Sketch, Chapter II. 1 I..., rates and taxes.

the use of the High Pontiff. And after lingering for a whole year in the Roman Court, as he returned through France, he took to wife Judith, daughter of Charles the Bald, of whom he begat five sons, namely, Ethelbald, his firstborn, Ethelbert, the second, Ethelred, the third, Alured [Alfred], the fourth, and Adelstan [Athelstan], the fifth, who died in youth.1 § 5. [The chronicle goes on to tell at great length the occasion of the Danish conquest of Northumbria, a tale similar to that concerning the Moorish invasion of Spain (see p. 178); and copies from Roger of Wendover (with acknowledgments, for a wonder) his dramatic version of the fall of East Anglia and the martyrdom of St. Edmund; and continues as follows :]

§ 6. After the slaughter of King Edmund, his brother Edwold, forsaking the delights of this world, for the ill luck that had befallen his brother and himself, took upon him the life of a hermit, on bread and water only, near the monastery of Carnelia [Cerne Abbey] in Dorset, beside that clear well which, of old, St. Augustine by his prayers made to spring forth, that he might baptize the folk therein.

§ 7. And thus was East Anglia brought under the Danes. And Ingwar returned to his brother Hubbe in Northumbria; and over East Anglia reigned first after Edmund a certain Dane named Godrim [Guthrum]. And on his way back he destroyed the Abbey of the holy maidens of Ely, and the nuns that served God therein did he either cruelly slay or savagely drive forth. But the aforesaid Godrim was that Dane who made and sanctioned laws along with King Alfred.

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§ 8. Anno Domini 869. The Danes went further, and brought under all Northumbria, and slew them that dwelt therein. And having there set wardens, they came into the realm of the Mercians, even unto Notyngham (which in Latin is called Domus Speluncarum), and there for a whole year went into winter quarters. And there did Burred, the King, or Duke, of the Mercians, meet them, with the support and aid of his brother in law Ethelred, King of Wessex. And, inasmuch as the heathen, safe within the stronghold, refused battle, and the English could not breach the wall, peace was made on either side, and the Kings departed homeward. And the heathen sought again York, where they remained one whole year.

§ 9. In this year the city Alclud [Carlisle], so renowned of old, which is at the western end of the famous Wall [of Severus], was utterly blotted out by the Danes. And afterwards, leaving Mercia and Northumbria, they came, wasting the country, and destroying churches and monasteries, even unto Lincoln. And having taken and sacked it, and wasted all Holland and all Lindesey,3 they passed over into East Anglia, and wintered at Thetford.

1 None of these were children of Judith, and Athelstan was the eldest. See Introduction, Chapter IV., §§ 4, 9.

Ely was actually destroyed in the great Danish raid of 870.

These are the southern and northern districts of Lincolnshire.

§ 10. Meanwhile the aforesaid Ethelbert, King of the West Saxons, who less than five years had worn the crown of the whole realm and reigned, ended this life, and is buried at Winchester. . . . And thereupon did Ethelred, a man devoted to God and dear to all around, succeed to the kingdom.

§ 11. Meanwhile the heathen host of the Dacians from Thetford, leaving East Anglia, under the leadership of Ingwar and Hubbe, as aforesaid, laying waste all towns and monasteries as they went, and harrying the country far and wide along their path, came into Wessex, even unto Reading. And there, on the third day of their coming, two of their chiefs, sallying forth after booty, were cut to pieces at Engelfelde. And, four days after, the West Saxons fell upon them, and made of the Danes no little slaughter. Yet did the Danes burst forth from their stronghold, and slew Ethelwulf, the Chieftain of Berkshire, and forced the English to fall back.

§ 12. Stirred by this shame, the English, after four days again, with their King, Ethelred, made them ready to battle against the Dacian King, Oseg [Bacgseg] by name, at Asschedon, which, being interpreted, signifies Ass Hill, or else Ash Hill. Now the King of Dacia had come with two Kings from overseas, and five Earls, and very many warriors. And he parted his host in twain; and the one part kept he for himself and the other Kings, and the other part gave he to the Earls. Likewise did King Ethelred part his host in two equal bands; half kept he for himself, and the other left he to Alfred his brother. And when evening drew on, both sides laid them down to rest.

13. But, when the morning was come, while King Ethelred heard his Mass, Alfred his brother was needs driven to bring up his host into battle. And so furiously did the Danes charge him, that little lacked there but that he was put to shame and flight. Then sent he in all haste for King Ethelred, who was yet hearing his Mass ; and much did his prayer avail with God. But he, for his part, said Nay, never would he come while his Mass was unfinished. But when the Mass was duly celebrated, then hasted the aforesaid King, with all speed, unto the battle. And, albeit the Danes had seized the higher ground, he, with his Christians, charging up from beneath, brake his enemies. And with his own hand and spear slew he King Oseg, like a man, and with the sword girded on his thigh did he to death yet another King. And on that same day, in that fight, did the English cut to pieces five Danish earls, with many a thousand foemen; and the rest, all that day and all that night, they chased even unto Reading.

$14. Yet, after 15 days, fought they at Basing, and the Danes had the victory. And thereafter, when two months were run, came they again together in battle at Merton; and the English had the worse, and the Danes the better. And then a certain Danish tyrant, Somerled by name,1

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1 A curious misunderstanding of the A.S. Chronicle. There came no small summer-lead to Reading.' See pp. 10, 123, 180.

drawing back from that place to Reading, laid waste there the town and whatsoever he might find there. Thereafter did Ethelred, King of the West Saxons, do battle with him; and, being mortally wounded, died, after great agony, the 9th Kal. May [April 22] in the fifth year of his reign. And to Wymborne was he brought for burial.

§ 15. When King Ethelred was dead, Alfred, his brother, who, up to this time, while his brothers yet lived, held but secondary rank, succeeded to the whole monarchy of the West Saxons, in the year A.D. 873. And, as it is written, he, first of all the Kings of England, was anointed at Rome, by Pope Leo. In this year, when he was but newly raised to the kingship, did the Danes follow hard upon him, even unto Walton in Sussex, and there came up to him. And there fought they, and Alfred left them the field, and fled away to the greenwood. Yet thence did he pass into Wessex, and there gathered he the whole folk of his own realm, great and small. And, in short time, so great a force had he, what of his own men and what of others, that the Danes dared not to meet him in arms. So came he unto London, where they had sat them down ; and there they besought of him peace; and, that they might barely get back to their own abode, without any betterment, offered they hostages, such as the English might choose them.

§ 16. Nevertheless, the self-same day that the hostages were taken, did the Danes depart from London, and ride all night long. And never drew they rein till they were come even so far as unto Exeter; and there took they the city, and abode therein. But when this was noised abroad, King Alfred hanged first the hostages, and hied him fast unto Exeter with his host. But the Danes, on hearing of his approach, left the town, and betook them to Chippenham in Wessex. And there did they many an evil deed; for so harried they the land, and so straitened they the folk, that they drave many a man from his own home.

§ 17. But King Alfred came there upon them, and right stoutly did he do battle with them. And in that fray was there slain Hubbe, the brother of Inguar, and Bruern Bocard1 (who first, aș has been said, brought in the Danes from Dacia). And many, on both sides, were there slain, and, at the last, had the Danes the better; for King Alfred had over-hastily made at them, and but small was his strength, and few his following. So from that field drew he off as best he might. And the Danes, when they found the corpse of Hubbe amongst the slain, buried it with mighty wailing, and heaped over it a mound, which they called Hubbelowe. Whence, to this day, that place is so called; and it is in the county of Devon.

This name is a corruption of Buzcarl or Butcarl (i.e., boatman), which we find in Gaimar. The legend was that Bruern, having treacherously murdered a Danish guest named Lodbroc in East Anglia, was sent adrift in an open boat by King Edmund. He got safe across the North Sea, and there persuaded the sons of Lodbroc, Ingwar and Hubba, that Edmund himself was their father's murderer, afterwards piloting them on their errand of vengeance. Another variant of the tale will be found on p. 178.

§ 18. But after that the barons of the county of Somerset, and of Wilts, and of Dorset, heard of the ill-luck of Alfred their King, they came together, one and all, to the place where the King was, with a very great power. And when they saw the King, whom they thought slain by their foes, in life and safety, they joyed and rejoiced with him; and took counsel together to follow up the Danes on the spot. So the King and the barons, with a very great host, rode after them all that night; and, on the morrow, at the ninth hour, came they upon those same Danes, who, as then, had taken post at Ethandune. And King Alfred and his men charged them full hotly, and stayed not, but set on; and harder was that fray than ought they had known erewhile. But so manfully did the Danes keep their stand against the English, that no man could judge on which side was indeed the greater slaughter. And thus the English (though not without great loss to their foes) were grievously brought low by 8 battles in one year, and waxed few in number.

§ 19. In this year the English made peace with the Danes, on this troth, that the Danes should depart from them. Which also they did; swearing, moreover, that never would they wage fight or war [bellum aut guerram] against him [Alfred] in his own land. And that year wintered they in London, and the next in Lyndseye ; and the Mercians made peace with them.

§ 20. But in the third year the Danes trake the peace made with the Mercians, and passed from Lyndseye to Ripendon [Repton], and drave out Burred, King of the Mercians. And his kingdom gave they to one Colwolf, a thane of Burred's, to hold under them; on this troth, that, whensoever they would, they should have it again. Thus, three years after, they divided that realm among them; and part they gave to Colwolf (who was also the last of the Mercian Kings). And, after his death, Alfred, King of the West Saxons, added, first London, and afterwards all Colwolf's part, to his own kingdom.

§ 21. In the year of the Lord 875, in which the aforesaid Burred, King of Mercia, was driven out by the Danes, the men of Hambury [Hanbury]. about five miles from Ripendon [Repton], moved by fear, translated unto Cestria [Chester],' as unto a place of safety, the body of the holy virgin Wereburga, which had long been buried there. And in this year did Rollo, a Dane or Norwegian by race (who, afterwards, conquered Normandy, and was the first duke there), come to England with his mates, and started to harry the land. And in battle with the English were many of his men slain, and the rest ran away.

§ 22. And, at night, as Rollo slept, there seemed him that a swarm of bees flew quickly over him and his host, and hummed off southward, and

1 Chester was at this time waste (see pp. 43, 129), so that this translation cannot have taken place at this date. But it is an actual fact that St. Werburga was so translated, and buried in the south transept of Chester Cathedral, which is still dedicated to her. She was daughter of Ermenilda, the first Christian Queen of Mercia, and thus niece to St. Etheldred of Ely.