Angles, and went at one stretch, day and night, until they arrived at a western city in Wirall, which is called Lega-ceaster [Chester]. Then were the forces unable to come up with them before they were within the fortress: nevertheless they beset the fortress about for some two days, and took all the cattle that was there without, and slew the men whom they were able to overtake without the fortress, and burned all the corn, and with their horses ate it in the surrounding neighbourhood. And this about a twelvemonth after they first came hither over sea.

A.D. 895. And then soon after that, in this year, the army from Wirall went among the North-Welsh, for they were unable to stay there: this was because they had been deprived both of the cattle and of the corn which they had plundered. 'When they had turned again out of North-Wales, with the booty which they had there taken, then went they over North-humberland and EastAnglia, in such wise that the forces could not overtake them before they came to the eastern parts of the land of Essex, to an island that is out on the sea, which is called Mersey. And as the army which had beset Exeter again turned homewards, then spoiled they the South-Saxons near Chichester; and the townsmen put them to flight, and slew many hundreds of them, and took some of their ships. Then that same year, before winter, the Danish-men who had sat down in Mersey, towed their ships up the Thames, and thence up the Lea. This was about two years after they had come hither over sea.

A.D. 896. In that same year the fore-mentioned army constructed a fortress on the Lea, twenty miles above London. After this, in summer, a great body of the townsmen, and also of other people, went onwards until they arrived at the Danish fortress; and there they were put to flight, and some four king's thanes were slain. Then after this, during harvest, the king encamped very near to the town, while the people reaped their corn, so that the Danish-men might not deprive them of the crop. Then on a certain day the king rode up along the river, and observed where the river might be blockaded, so that they would be unable to bring out their ships. And they then did thus: they constructed two fortresses on the two sides of the river. When they had already begun the work, and had encamped before it, then perceived the army that they should not be able to bring out their ships. They then abandoned them, and went across the country till they arrived at Cwatbridge' [Bridgenorth], by the Severn; and there they constructed a fortress. Then the forces rode westwards after the army and the men of London took possession of the ships; but all which they could not bring away, they broke up, and those which were worth taking they brought to London: moreover the Danish-men had committed their wives to the keeping of the East-Angles before they went out from their fortress. Then sat they down for the winter at Cwatbridge. This was about three years after they had come hither over sea to Limene-mouth.

1 As far as the word "taken" is omitted in D.

2 See Camd. Brit. col. 649.

A.D. 897. After this, in the summer of this year, the army broke up, some for East-Anglia, some for North-humbria; and they who were moneyless procured themselves ships there, and went southwards over sea to the Seine. Thanks be to God, the army had not utterly broken down the English nation; but during the three years it was much more broken down by the mortality among cattle and among men; and most of all by this, that many of the most eminent king's thanes in the land died during the three years; some of whom were Swithulf, bishop of Rochester, and Ceolmund, ealdorman of Kent, and Beorhtulf, ealdorman of Essex, and Wulfred,' ealdorman of Hampshire, and Ealheard, bishop of Dorchester, and Eadulf, the king's thane in Sussex, and Beornwulf, the "wic-reeve" at Winchester, and Ecgulf, the king's horse-thane, and many also besides these, though I have named the most distinguished.

That same year the armies from among the East-Anglians and from among the North-humbrians harassed the land of the WestSaxons, chiefly on the south coast, by predatory bands; most of all by their "esks," which they had built many years before. Then king Alfred commanded long ships to be built to oppose the "esks;" they were full-nigh twice as long as the others; some had sixty oars, and some had more; they were both swifter and steadier, and also higher than the others. They were shapen neither like the Frisian nor the Danish, but so as it seemed to him they would be most efficient. Then some time in the same year, there came six ships to the Isle of Wight, and there did much harm, as well as in Devon, and elsewhere on the sea-coast. Then the king commanded nine of the new ships to go thither, and they obstructed their passage from the port towards the outer sea. Then went they with three of their ships out against them; and three lay in the upper part of the port on dry ground; for the men were gone ashore. Then took they two of the three ships at the outer part of the port, and killed the men, and the other ship escaped; in that also the men were killed except five: they got away because the other ships were aground. They also were aground very disadvantageously: three lay aground on that side of the deep on which the Danish ships were aground, and all the rest upon the other side, so that no one of them could get to the others. But when the water had ebbed many furlongs from the ships, then the Danish-men went from their three ships to the other three which were left by the tide on their side, and then they there fought against them. There was slain Lucumon, the king's reeve, and Wulfheard, the Frisian, and Aebbe, the Frisian, and Aethelhere, the Frisian, and Aethelferth, the king's "geneat," and of all the men, Frisians and English, sixty-two; and of the Danish

1 This notice of Wulfred does not occur in B. C. D.

2 A peculiar kind of narrow and long vessel.

3 This clause of the sentence not in B.

3

Lye understands this as meaning "the king's neat-herd;" but "geneat" signifies a companion, and is probably the Saxon representative of the Latin "comes." 5 In Petrie's translation (by a rare error) seventy-two.

men, one hundred and twenty. Then, however, the flood-tide came to the Danish ships before the Christians could shove theirs off, and they therefore rowed them out: nevertheless, they were damaged to such a degree that they could not row round the Sussex land; and there the sea cast two of them on shore, and the men were led to the king at Winchester; and he commanded them to be there hanged: and the men who were in the single ship came to East-Anglia, sorely wounded. That same summer no less than twenty ships, with their crews, wholly perished upon the south coast. That same year died Wulfric, the king's horse-thane; he was also "Wealh-reeve.'

A.D. 898. In this year died Aethelm, ealdorman of Wiltshire, nine days before Midsummer [15th June]; and this year died Heahstan, who was bishop of London.

A.D. 899, 900.

2

A.D. 901. This year died Aelfred, the son of Aethulf, six days before 'All-Hallow-mass [26th Oct.]. He was king over the whole English nation, except that part which was under the dominion of the Danes; and he held the kingdom one year and a half less than thirty years. And then Eadward his son succeeded to the kingdom. Then Aethelwald, the etheling, his uncle's son, seized the vill at Winburne, and that at Tweoxneam, without leave of the king and of his "witan." Then rode the king with his forces. until he encamped at Badbury, near Winburne; and Aethelwald sat within the vill, with the men who had submitted to him; and he had obstructed all the approaches towards him, and said that he would do one of two things-or there live, or there lie. But notwithstanding that, he stole away by night, and sought the army in North-humbria; and they received him for their king, and became obedient to him. And the king commanded that he should be ridden after; but they were unable to overtake him. They then beset the woman whom he had before taken, without the king's leave, and against the bishop's command; for she had previously been consecrated a nun. And in this same year

5

Aethered, who was ealdorman of Devonshire, died, four weeks before king Alfred.

A.D. 902. And that' same year was the battle at the Holme, between the Kentish-men and the Danish-men.

1 D. E. mention in a Latin note, that he died on the seventh of the kalends of November, which leads us to the same date as is given in the text.

2 "Twenty-eight years and a half," D. E. F.

3 The remainder of the year not in E. F.

4 The conclusion of the sentence from B. C. D.

5 This sentence not in B. C. D.

6 B. C. in continuation after.

7 The account of the exploits of Æthelfled, lady of the Mercians, which is only to be found in MSS. B. C. and partly in D., seems once to have existed in a separate form. The MSS. B. and C. after carrying on the general narrative to the end of 915, or 918 of the text, return to 896, (B. by a mistake has 816,) and mark blank dates in succession to 901. This is followed by 902, the death of Ealhswith, &c., and from this point they exhibit the Mercian transactions connectedly to the year 921, and at 924 again fall in with the general annals. In MS. D. some of these notices, mostly abbreviated, are intermixed with the text during the period above mentioned; but with some variation of chronology, and,

A.D. 902. This year Ealhswyth1 died.

A.D. 903. This year died Athulf, the ealdorman, brother of Ealhswith, king Edward's mother; and Virgilius, abbat of the Scots; and Grimbald, the mass-priest, on the 8th of the ides of July [8th July]. And this same year was the consecration of the new minster at Winchester, and St. Judoc's advent.

A.D. 904. This year Aethelwald came hither over sea with the ships that he was able to get, and he was submitted to in Essex. "This year the moon was eclipsed.

A.D. 905. This year Aethelwald enticed the army in East-Anglia to break the peace, so that they ravaged over all the land of Mercia until they came to Cricklade, and there they went over the Thames, and took, as well in Braeden as thereabout, all that they could lay hands on, and then turned homewards again. Then king Edward went after them, as speedily as he could gather his forces, and overran all their land between the dikes and the Ouse, all as far north as the fens. When, after this, he would return thence, then commanded he it to be proclaimed through his whole force, that they should return again. Then the Kentish-men remained there behind, notwithstanding his orders, and seven messengers whom he had sent to them. Then the army there came up to them, and there fought them; and there Sigulf the ealdorman, and Sigelm the ealdorman, and Eadwold the king's thane, and Cenulf the abbot, and Sigebreht son of Sigulf, and Eadwald son of Acca, were slain, and likewise many with them, though I have named the most distinguished. And on the Danish side were slain Eohric their king, and Aethelwald the etheling, who had enticed him to break the peace, and Byrhtsige son of Beornoth the etheling, and Ysopa the "hold," and Oskytel the "hold," and very many with them, whom we are now unable to name. And there was great

slaughter made on either hand; and of the Danish-men there were more slain, though they had possession of the place of carnage. And Ealhswith died that same year. This year a comet appeared on the thirteenth of the kalends of November. [20th Oct.]

A.D. 9906. "In this year died Aelfred, who was reeve at Bath. And in the same year peace was concluded at Yttingaford, even as king Edward ordained, as well with the East-Angles as with the North-humbrians.

A.D. 906. "This year king Edward, from necessity, concluded a peace both with the army of East-Anglia and of North-humbria.

12
2

A.D. 907. This year Lig-ceaster [Chester] was repaired.

as well as in the other MSS., with some repetitions, arising apparently from the use of two independent narrations. These have been distributed according to the chronology of MS. C.-P.

• Apparently king Alfred's queen, whose death is again noticed in B. C. (whence this passage) in common with the text, under the year 905.-P.

2 As far as 66 mass-priest" not in E.

3 This date is an insertion in A.

4 To the end of the year in F.

5 Concerning the translation of the relics of St. Judoc, see Alford's Annals,

A.D. '908. This year died Denewulf, who was bishop at Winchester.

A.D. 2909. This year St. Oswald's body was removed from Bardney into Mercia.

A.D. 910. This year Frithstan succeeded to the bishopric at Winchester and, after that, bishop Asser died; he was bishop at Sherborne. And that same year king Edward sent out a force both of West-Saxons and of Mercians, and they greatly spoiled the army of the north, as well of men as of every kind of cattle, and slew many of the Danish-men: and they were therein five weeks. In this year the Angles and the Danes fought at Teotanheal on the "eighth of the ides of August [6th Aug.], and the Angles obtained the victory. And that same year Aethelflaed built the fortress at Bremesbyrig.

6

A.D. 910. This year the army of the Angles and of the Danes fought at Totanhale. And Aethered "ealdor" of the Mercians died 10 [A.D. 912]. And king Edward took possession of London, and of Oxford, and of all the lands which owed obedience thereto. [A.D. 918.] "And a great fleet came hither from the south, from the Lidwiccas, [Brittany,] and greatly ravaged by the Severn; but they there, afterwards, almost all perished.

"

A.D. 911. This year the army among the North-humbrians broke the peace, and despised whatever peace king Edward and his witan" offered them, and overran the land of Mercia. And the king had gathered together some hundred ships, and was then in Kent, and the ships went south-east along the sea-coast towards him. Then thought the army that the greatest part of his force was in the ships, and that they should be able to go, unfought, wheresoever they chose. When the king learned that, that they were gone out to plunder, then sent he his forces after them, both of the West-Saxons and of the Mercians; and they overtook the army as they were on their way homewards, and then fought against them, and put them to flight, and slew many thousands of them; and there were slain king "Ecwils, and king Healfdene and Ohter the earl, and Scurfa the earl, and Othulf the "hold," and Benesing the "hold," and Anlaf the black, and Thurferth the "hold," and Osferth the collector, and Guthferth the "hold," and Agmund the "hold," and Guthferth.

A.D. 13911. Then the next year after this died Aethered, lord of the Mercians.

1 A.D. 909, C. D. F. G. In MS. E. the year is blank. 3 These two concluding words are not in D.

2 B. C. 906, D.

The entry respecting Frithstan and Asser do not occur in F. in its Saxon portion, but there is a statement in Latin, that "Fridestan received the bishoprick of Winchester." 5 This sentence is not in F. B. C. 909, D., which latter MS. reads, "Here the Mercians and West-Saxons fought," &c. 7 The date is from G. The brief notices which occur in MS. E. between the years 906 and 918 belong to the years 910, 912, and 918 of the text; but they are here thus run together. They are found in like manner in MS. D., where they are repetitions. MS. F. has only the notice which belongs to the year 912, between 909 and 921.-P. 9 The first and second sentences are from D. E.

10 The remainder of the sentence from D. E. F.

11 This sentence from D. E.

12 Eowils, B. C. Eowilisc, D.

13 B. C., and repeated under A. 912 of the text.