together at Tamworth, on the third of the kalends of February [30th Jan.]; and Aethelstan gave him his sister. A.D. 925. This year bishop Wulfhelm was consecrated. And that same year king Edward died. A.D. 926. This year fiery lights appeared in the north part of the heavens. And Sihtric perished: and king Aethelstan obtained the kingdom of the North-humbrians. And he ruled all the kings who were in this island: first, Huwal king of the West-Welsh; and Constantine king of the Scots; and Uwen king of the people of Guent; and Ealdred, son of Ealdulf, of Bambrough and they confirmed the peace by pledge, and by oaths, at the place which is called Eamot, on the 4th of the ides of July [12th July]; and they renounced all idolatry, and after that submitted to him in peace. A.D. 927. This year king Aethelstan expelled king Guthfrith. And this year archbishop Wulfhelm went to Rome. A.D. 928. years. William succeeded to Normandy, and held it fifteen A.D. 929, 930. A.D. 931. This year Byrnstan was ordained bishop of Winchester on the 4th of the kalends of June; and he held the bishopric two years and a half. A.D. 931. This year died Frithestan bishop of Winchester, and Byrnstan was blessed in his place. A.D. 932. This year died bishop Frythestan. A.D. 933. "This year Aedwine the etheling was drowned at sea. This year king Aethelstan went into Scotland, as well with a land army as with a fleet, and ravaged a great part of it. And bishop Byrnstan died at Winchester on the feast of All-Hallows [1st Nov.] A.D. 10934. "This year bishop Aelfheah succeeded to the bishopric of Winchester. the children of Eadward, The field became slippery 2 The whole of the year is from D. 5 Not in B. C. D. E. As this date [29th May] fell this year upon the festival of Whit-Sunday, it is probably corrrect. 7 F. 8 Not in B. C. D. E. 11 Not in B. C. D. E. 9 A.D. 934, B. C. D. E. F. excepting the last sentence in the year. 10 A.D. 935, F. 12 A poetical circumlocution for swords. with warriors' blood, since the sun up glided over the deeps, There lay many a warrior weary, satiated with war. on the battle-stead, youthful kings, put to sleep by swords : so seven also of Anlaf's eorls; of the army countless, shipmen and Scots. There was made to flee the North-men's chieftain, by need constrained, to the ship's prow with a little band. The bark drove afloat: the king departed on the fallow flood, his life he preserved. So there also the sage came by flight to his country north, Constantine. The hoary warrior had no cause to exult in the communion of swords. Here was his kindred band of friends o'erthrown on the meeting of the people, and his son he left the old deceiver; nor Anlaf the more, with the remnant of their armies; they had no cause to laugh that they in war's works the better men were in the battle-stead, at the conflict of banners, meeting of spears, concourse of men, traffic of weapons; that they on the slaughter-field with Edward's offspring played. The North-men departed in their nailed barks; bloody relic of darts, on Dinnes-mere (?) o'er the deep water Dublin to seek, again Ireland, shamed in mind. So too the brothers, and the swarthy raven A.D. 937. 'This year king Aethelstan and Eadmund his brother led a force to Brunan-byri, and there fought against Anelaf; and, Christ helping, had the victory and they there slew five kings and seven earls. A.D. 938, 939. A.D. 2940. This year king Aethelstan died, at Gloucester,3 on the 6th of the kalends of November [27th Oct.], about forty-one* years, except one day, after king Aelfred died. And Eadmund the etheling, his brother, succeeded to the kingdom, and he was then eighteen years of age: and king Aethelstan reigned fourteen years and ten weeks. Then was Wulfelm archbishop in Kent. A.D. '941. This year the North-humbrians were false to their plighted troth, and chose Anlaf of Ireland to be their king. Here Edmund king, ruler of Angles, protector of his kindred, Mercia obtained, dear deed-doer, as the Dor flows, course of the White-well, and Humber's river, broad sea-stream. Five towns, Leicester, and Lincoln, and Nottingham so Stamford eke, and Derby, to Danes were erewhile, under North-men, by need constrained, of heathen men in captive chains, a long time; until he again redeemed them, for his worthiness, the bulwark of warriors, offspring of Edward, Edmund king. A.D. 9941. This year king Eadmund received king Anlaf at baptism; and that same year, a good long space after, he received king Regnold at the bishop's hands. A.D. 942. This year king Anlaf11 died. 1 From E. and F., the latter of which ascribes this entry to A.D. 938. 2 A.D. 941, G.; and so originally A. 3 The place of his death is not specified in E. F. 5 This last sentence is inserted in A. 6 A.D. 942, G.; and so originally A. 7 The first sentence is from D. 4 Forty, B. C. D. 8 A.D. 942, C. D. 9 A. G. 943, B. C. In MSS. A. and G. this follows the verses uninterruptedly, so as to make the last line, "Edmund king," a part of the narrative, and thus apparently confounding the transactions of different years. The events here noticed are placed under the year 943 in the other MSS. as well as in Florence of Worcester; and the narrative in D. being much fuller than the others, it has been placed in the text.-P. 10 E. F. "See Hen. Huntingdon and Simeon of Durham, A.D. 941. There were several chiefs of that name at this period: Anlaf the son of Guthferth, Anlaf the son of Sihtric, and Anlaf Cuaran, mentioned A.D. 949.-P. A.D. 943. This year Anlaf stormed Tamworth, and great carnage was made on either hand; and the Danes had the victory, and much booty they led away with them: there, during the pillage, was Wulfrun taken. This year king Eadmund besieged king Anlaf and archbishop Wulfstan in Leicester; and he would have taken them, were it not that they broke out by night from the town. And, after that, Anlaf acquired king Eadmund's friendship; and king Eadmund then received king Anlaf at baptism, and he royally gifted him. And that same year, after a good long time, he received king Regnald at the bishop's hands. This year king Eadmund delivered Glastonbury to St. Dunstan, where he afterwards became the first abbat. A.D. 944. This year king Eadmund subdued all Northumberland under his power, and expelled two kings, Anlaf, son of Syhtric, and Raegenald, son of Guthferth. A.D. 945. This year king Eadmund ravaged all Cumberland, and granted it all to Malcolm, king of the Scots, on the condition, that he should be his fellow-worker, as well by sea as by land. A.D. 946. This year king Eadmund died, on St. Augustine's mass-day [26th May]. That was widely known how he ended his days that Liofa stabbed him at Puckle-church. And Aethelflaed at Domerham, Aelfgar's daughter, the ealdorman, was then his queen and he had the kingdom six years and a half. And then after him his brother Eadred the etheling succeeded to the kingdom, and subdued all Northumberland under his power: and the Scots gave him oaths, that they would all that he would. 6 A.D. 947. This year king Eadred came to Taddene's-scylf, and there Wulstan the archbishop and all the North-humbrian witan plighted their troth to the king: and within a little while they belied it all, both pledge and also oaths. : A.D. 948. This year king Eadred ravaged all Northumberland, because they had taken Yric to be their king: and then, during the pillage, was the great minster burned at Ripon that St. Wilferth built. And as the king went homewards, then the army of York overtook him the rear of the king's forces was at Chesterford; and there they made great slaughter. Then was the king so wroth that he would have marched his forces in again and wholly destroyed the land. When the North-humbrian witan understood that, then forsook they Hyryc, and made compensation for the deed with king Eadred. A.D. 949. This year 'Anlaf Cwiran came to Northumberland. A.D. 950. 1 As far as note 2 is taken from D. 2 To the end from F. and partly from A. In the former of these MSS. the date of this notice has been seemingly cut off by the binder; but it is here placed on the authority of the fragment in A. Florence of Worcester has A.D. 942. 3 A.D. 948, E. F. 4 As far as 66 queen" from D., the remainder from D. E. F. 5 D. 7 The whole of this year from D. 9 Anlaf Cuaran is noticed in the 946.-P. Archbishop of York. 8 E. F. Annals of Ulster, under the years 944 and A.D. 951. 'This year died Aelfheah, bishop of Winchester, on St. Gregory's mass-day. This same blessed St. Dunstan. . . . A.D. 952. In this year king Eadred commanded archbishop Wulstan to be brought into the fastness at Judanbyrig, because he had been oft accused to the king: and in this year also the king commanded great slaughter to be made in the burgh of Thetford, in revenge of the abbat Eadelm, whom they had before slain. This year the North-humbrians expelled king Anlaf, and received Yric,* Harold's son. A.D. 953. This year A.D. 954. This year the North-humbrians expelled Yric, and Eadred obtained the kingdom of the Northumbrians. archbishop Wulfstan again obtained a bishopric at Dorchester. A.D. 1955. This year died king Eadred, on St. Clement's massday [23d Nov.], at Frome, and he rests in the Old-Minster [Winchester]; and he reigned nine years and a half. And then Eadwy succeeded to the kingdom, king Eadmund's and St. Aelfgive's son. "And he banished St. Dunstan out of the land. A.D.955. 1oAnd Eadwy succeeded to the kingdom of the West Saxons, and Eadgar, his brother, succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians: and they were the sons of king Eadmund and of S. Aelfgyfe. A.D. 956. A.D. 957. "This year died Wulfstan, archbishop of York, "on the 17th of the kalends of January [16th Dec.], and he was buried at Oundle. 13 And in the same year abbat Dunstan was driven away over the sea. "This year Eadgar the etheling succeeded to the kingdom of the Mercians. 15 A.D. 958. In this year archbishop Oda" separated king Eadwy and Aelfgyfe, because they were too nearly related. "This year died king Eadwy, on the kalends of October [1st Oct.]; and Eadgar, his brother, succeeded to the kingdom, 18 as well of the West Saxons as of the Mercians, and of the Northumbrians; and he was then sixteen years of age. 19 In his days it prospered well, peace the while that he lived; and he did as behoved him, diligently he earned it. He upreared God's glory wide, and loved God's law, and bettered the public peace, most of the kings who were before him in man's memory. and God him eke so helped, 1 This first sentence not in B. C. D. E. F. ' 2 F., the Latin portion of which, likewise imperfect, states that "He blessed St. Dunstan as mon[k]." 3 This first sentence from D., the remainder from E. F. 4 F. designates him as king. 6 D. 5 D. E. F. 7 A.D. 956, B. C. 8 The date and place of his death are not in B. C. D. E. 9 F., and inserted in A. 10 D. after the word "Old-Minster" in the text, A.D. 955. 11 D. A.D. 956, E. F. 12 The rest of the sentence from D. 18 The rest of the year not in A. D. E. 19 This poetical character of Eadwy is from D. E. F. |