66

Still more, the same witan who were with the archbishop said :— Thus also we... monks have continued at Christ-Church during Augustine's days, and during Laurentius', Mellitus', Justus', Honorius', Deus-dedit, Theodore's, Brihtwold's, Tatwine's, Nothelm's, Cuthbert's, Bregwine's, Ianbert's, . . . Athelard's, Wulfred's, Feologild's. But the [first] year when Ceolnoth came to the archbishopric, there was such a mortality that there remained no more than five monks within Christ-Church. During all his time there was war and sorrow in this land, so that no man could think of anything else but . . . Now, God be thanked, it is in the king's power and thine, whether they may be longer there within, because they [might] never better be brought thereout than now may be done, if it is the king's will and thine. The archbishop then, without any staying, with all [these] men, went anon to the king and showed him all, so as we here before have related. Then was the king very glad [at these] tidings, and said to the archbishop and to the others, It seemeth advisable to me that thou shouldst go first of all to Rome after thy [pall, and that] thou show to the pope all this, and, after that, act by his counsel." And they all answered, that that was the best counsel. When [the priests] heard this, then resolved they that they should take two from among themselves and send to the pope; and they should offer him great gifts and silver, on condition that he should give them the arch[-pall]. But when they came to Rome, then would not the pope do that, because they brought him no letter, either from the king or from the people, and commanded them to go, lo! where they would. [So soon as] the priests had gone thence, came archbishop Aelfric to Rome, and the pope received him with much worship, and commanded him on the morrow to perform mass at St. Peter's altar, and the pope himself put on him his own pall, and greatly honoured him. When this was done, the archbishop began telling the pope all about the clerks, how it had happened, and how they were within the minster at his archbishopric. And the pope related to him again how the priests had come to him, and offered great gifts, in order that he should give them the pall. And the pope said, "Go now to England again, with God's blessing, and St. Peter's, and mine; and as thou comest home, place in thy minster men of that order which St. Gregorius commanded Augustine therein to place, by God's command, and St. Peter's, and mine." Then the archbishop with this returned to England. As soon as he came home, he entered his archiepiscopal seat, and after that went to the [king]; and the king and all his people thanked God for his return, and that he so had succeeded as was pleasing to them all. He then went again to Canterbury, and drove the clerks out of the minster, and there within placed monks, all as the pope commanded him.

A.D. 996. 'In this year was Aelfric consecrated archbishop to Christ-Church. This year was Wulstan ordained bishop of London.

A.D. 997. In this year the army went about Devonshire into Severn-mouth, and there ravaged, as well among the Cornish-men

1 C. D. E.

2 F.

3 C. D. E.

as among the North Welsh, and among the men of Devon; and then landed at Watchet, and there wrought much evil by burning and by man-slaying. And after that they again went about Penwithstart, on the south side, and went then into the mouth of the Tamar, and then went up until they came to Lidford, and burned and destroyed everything which they met with; and they burned Ordulf's minster at Tavistock, and brought unspeakable booty with them to their ships. 'This year archbishop Aelfric went to Rome after his arch-pall.

2

A.D. 998. This year the army went again eastward into Fromemouth, and everywhere there they went up as far as they would into Dorset. And forces were often gathered against them; but, as soon as they should have joined battle, then was there ever, through some cause, flight begun; and in the end they ever had the victory. And then at another time they sat down in the Isle of Wight, and got their food the while from Hampshire and from Sussex.

A.D. 999. This year the army again came about into Thames, and went then up along the Medway, and to Rochester. And then the Kentish forces came there to meet them, and they there stoutly joined battle: but alas! that they too quickly yielded and fled; for they had not the support which they should have had. And the Danish-men had possession of the place of carnage; and then they took horse and rode wheresoever they themselves would, and full nigh all the West Kentish men they ruined and plundered. Then the king, with his witan, decreed that, with a ship force and also with a land force, they should be attacked. But when the ships were ready, then the miserable crew delayed from day to day, and distressed the poor people who lay in the ships: and ever as it should have been forwarder, so was it later from one time to another; and ever they let their enemies' forces increase, and ever the people retired from the sea, and they ever went forth after them. "And then 'in the end, these expeditions both by sea and land effected nothing, except the people's distress and waste of money, and the emboldening of their foes.

A.D. 1000. In this year the king went into Cumberland, and ravaged it well nigh all. 'And his ships went out about Chester, and should have come to meet him, but they were not able: then ravaged they Mon-ige [Anglesey]. And the hostile fleet went this summer to Richard's dominions.

A.D. 1001. This year the army came to Exmouth, and then went up to the town, and there continued fighting stoutly; but they were very strenuously resisted. Then went they through the land, and did all as was their wont; destroyed and burnt. 10 Then was collected a vast force of the people of Devon and of the people of Somerset, and they then came together at Peonn-ho. And so soon as they joined [battle], then the people" gave way; and there they

Namely, Normandy.

5 F. here reads, "But it effected nothing except," &c. 7 Not in F.

10 As far as "would" not in F.

11 D. and E. explain this as meaning the English people.

3 C. D. E. F.

6 C. D. E. F.

9 C. D. E. F.

made great slaughter, and then they rode over the land, and their last incursion was ever worse than the one before: and then they brought much booty with them to their ships. And thence they went into Wight-land, and there they roved about, even as they themselves would, and nothing withstood them: nor any fleet by sea durst meet them; nor land force either, went they ever so far up. Then was it in every wise a heavy time, because they never ceased from their evil doings.

A.D. 1001. In this year was much hostility in the land of the English through the ship-force, and well nigh every where they ravaged and burned, so that they advanced in one course until they came to the town of Aetheling-dene; and then there came against them the men of Hamp shire, and fought against them. And there was Aethelweard the king's high-reeve slain, and Leofric at Whitchurch, and Leofwine the king's highreeve, and Wulfhere the bishop's thane, and Godwine at Weorthig, bishop Aelfsig's son, and of all men, one and eighty; and there were of the Danish-men many more slain, though they had possession of the place of carnage. And they went thence west until they came to Devon; and there Pallig came to meet them, with the ships which he could gather, because he had fled from king Aethelred, contrary to all the plighted troth that he had given him; and the king had also well gifted him with houses, and with gold and with silver. And they burned Teigntun, and also many other good towns which we are unable to name; and there, afterwards, peace was made with them. And they then went thence to Exmouth, so that they proceeded upwards in one course until they came to Peonn-ho: and there Kola, the king's high-reeve, and Eadsy the king's reeve, went against them with the forces which they were able to gather together; and they there were put to flight, and there were many slain: and the Danish-men had possession of the place of carnage. And the morning after, they burned the village of Peonn-ho and at Cliston, and also many goodly towns which we are unable to name, and then went again east until they came to [the Isle of] Wight; and on the morning after, they burned the town at Waltham, and many other "cotlifs ;"2 and soon after a treaty was entered into with them, and they made peace.

A.D. 1002. In this year the king decreed, and his witan, that tribute should be paid to the fleet, and peace made with them, on condition that they should cease from their evil doings. Then sent the king to the fleet Leofsige the ealdorman; and he then settled a truce with them by the king's word, and his witan's, and that they should receive food and tribute. And that they then accepted: and then were they paid twenty-four thousand pounds. Then during this, Leofsige the ealdorman slew Aefic, the king's high-reeve; and the king then banished him the land. And then in the same Lent came the lady, Richard's' daughter, Ymma Aelfgiva,' hither to land and in the same summer archbishop Ealdulf died. And in that year the king ordered all the Danish-men who were in England to be slain. This was done on St. Brice's mass-day [13th Nov.]; because it was made known to the king that they would

1 A. G.

:

2 Here ends G. The few remaining notices in MS. A. are mostly very brief. The concluding words of the sentence are an insertion in this copy.

3 C. D. E. F.

As far as "accepted," not in F.

5 This sentence does not occur in F.

7 These names are not specified in C. D. E.

Duke of Normandy.

8 Of York.

treacherously bereave him of his life, and afterwards all his witan ; and after that have his kingdom' without any gainsaying.

A.D. 1003. This year was Exeter entered by storm, through the French churl Hugh, whom the lady [Emma] had appointed her reeve: and then the army entirely ruined the town, and there took much booty. "And in the same year the army went up into Wiltshire. Then was gathered a very large force from Wiltshire and from Hampshire, and very resolutely they came in presence of the army. Then should the ealdorman Aelfric have led the forces, but he then had recourse to his old devices: as soon as they were so near that either army could look on the other, then feigned he himself sick, and began by retching to spew, and said that he was grievously ill and thus deceived the people whom he should have led; as it is said: When the leader groweth feeble, then is all the army greatly hindered. When Swegen saw that they were not unanimous, and that they all separated, then led he his army into Wilton; and they spoiled the town, and burned it; and he went then to Salisbury, and thence went to the sea again, where he knew that his sea-horses were.

A.D. 1004. This year came Swegen with his fleet to Norwich, and entirely spoiled and burned the town. Then decreed Ulfcytel, with the witan of East Anglia, that it were better that they should purchase peace of the army before they did very much harm in the land; because they had come unawares, and he had not time that he might gather his forces. Then during the truce which ought to have been between them, then stole the army up from their ships, and went their way to Thetford. When Ulfcytel understood that, then sent he word that the ships should be hewed in pieces, but they in whom he trusted failed to do it, and he then gathered his forces secretly, as he best might. And the army then came to Thetford, within three weeks of their having before plundered Norwich, and were one day there within, and plundered and burned the town. And then on the morrow, as they would have gone to their ships, then came Ulfcytel with his band, in order that they might. there join battle with them. And they there stoutly joined battle, and much slaughter was there made on either hand. There were the chief among the East-Anglian people slain; but if the full force had been there, they never again had gone to their ships; inasmuch as they themselves said, that they never had met a worse handplay among the English nation than Ulfcytel had brought to them.

A.D. 1005. In this year was the great famine throughout the English nation; such, that no man ever before recollected one so grim. And the fleet in this year went from this land to Denmark; and stayed but a little space ere it came again.

A.D. 1006. "This year died archbishop Aelfric, and after him bishop Aelfeah succeeded to the archbishopric": and bishop Brihtwold succeeded to the bishopric of Wiltshire. And in the

same year was 'Wulfgeat deprived of all his possessions, and Wulfeah and Ufegeat were blinded, and Aelfelm the ealdorman was slain; and bishop Kenulf' died. And then, after midsummer, then came the great fleet to Sandwich, and did all as they had been before wont; they ravaged, and burned, and destroyed, wherever they went. Then the king commanded all the people of Wessex and of Mercia to be called out; and then they lay out all the harvest in the field against the army. But it availed nothing, the more than it oft before had done: but for all this, the army went wheresoever itself would, and the forces did every kind of harm to the inhabitants; so that neither profited them, nor the home army nor the foreign army. When it became winter, then went the forces home; and the army then came, over St. Martin's-mass [11th Nov.] to their place of security, the Isle of Wight, and procured themselves there from all parts that which they needed. And then, at mid-winter, they went to their ready storing of provisions, throughout Hampshire into Berkshire, to Reading: and they did their old wont; they lighted their war-beacons as they went. Then went they to Wallingford, and that all burned, and were then one day in Cholsey: and they went then along Aescesdun to Cwichelms-hlaw, and there abode, as a daring boast; for it had been often said, if they should reach Cwichelms-hlaw, that they would never again go to the sea; then they went homewards another way. Then were forces assembled at Kennet, and they there joined battle: and they soon brought that band to flight, and afterwards carried their booty to the sea. But there might the Winchester men see an army daring and fearless, as they went by their gates towards the sea, and fetched themselves food and treasures over fifty miles from the sea. Then had the king gone over Thames into Shropshire, and there took his provisions during the mid-winter's tide. Then became the dread of the army so great, that no man could think or discover how they could be driven out of the land, or this land maintained against them; for they had sadly marked every shire in Wessex, by burning and by plundering. Then the king began earnestly with his witan to consider what might seem most advisable to them all, so that this land might be saved before it was utterly destroyed. Then the king and his witan decreed, for the behoof of the whole nation, though it was hateful to them all, that they needs must pay tribute to the army. Then the king sent to the army, and directed it to be made known to them, that he would that there should be a truce between them, and that tribute should be paid, and food given them. And then all that they accepted: and then were they victualled from throughout the English nation.

A.D. 1006. This year Elphege [II.] was consecrated archbishop.

A.D. 1007. In this year was the tribute delivered to the army, that was 'thirty-six thousand pounds. In this year also was Eadric

1 The passage respecting Wulfgeat is not found in F., nor is that which mentions the death of Aelfelm. 2 Of Winchester.

3 The remainder of this sentence is omitted by F. 4 F. does not specify this date.

❝ C. D. E. F.

5 From A.

Acccording to E. F. 30,000.