Afterwards that great army
returned into England with
all their things in 250 ships
to the fort of Limene; which
port is in the eastern part of
Kent near the great wood of
Andredeslaige, which con-
tains 120 miles in length and
30 in breadth. Landing from
their ships, they built
castle at Awldre.

The naval and equestrian
army of the pagans, leaving
East Thames went to Bononia
and crossing thence with
their horses in 250 ships to
Kent, came to land at the
mouth of the river Limen,
which flows out of the great
wood named Andred. They
drew their vessels up into the
wood four miles from the
river's mouth, and there destroyed a half-built castle
inhabited by a few countrymen, and built for themselves
another fort at a place called Apultreo.

a

In the year 893

CHARTERS IN 893. None.

Saron Chronicle

the eastern district, the North

Annals

humbrians and the East-Angles had given oaths to king Ælfred, and the East-Angles six hostages; and nevertheless, contrary to their plighted troth, as oft as the other armies went out with all their force, they also went out, either with them or on their own part.

On this king Ælfred gathered together his forces,

and proceeded until he encamped between the two armies, as near as he could for the wood fastnesses and the water fastnesses, so that he might be able to reach either of them in case they should seek any open country.

From this time the enemy always went out along the weald in bands and troops, by whichever border was at the time without forces and they also were sought out by other bands, almost every day, either by day or night, as well from the king's force as also from the burgs.

The king had divided his forces into two, so that one half was constantly at home, the other half in the field; besides those whose duty it was to defend the burgs. The army did not come out of their stations with their whole force oftener than twice: once when they first came to land, before the forces were assembled; a second time when they would go away from their stations.

Then had they taken much booty, and would at that time go northward over the Thames into Essex towards their ships. Then the king's forces outrode and got before them, and fought against them at Farnham, and put the army to flight, and retook the booty; and they fled over the Thames where there was no ford; then up along

the Colne into an island. Then the forces there beset them about so long as they there had any provisions: but at length they had stayed their term of service, and had consumed their provisions; and the king was then on his way thitherwards with the division which warred under him.

While he was on his way thither, and the other force was gone homewards, and the Danish-men remained there behind, because their king had been wounded in the battle, so that they could not carry him away, then those who dwelt among the Northhumbrians and among

Meanwhile, the Danes are held besieged in Thorney

isle. Earl Ethered, setting out from the city of London, lent his aid to the prince. The barbarians asked peace and a treaty: hostages are given, they promise by oath to leave the kingdom of the aforesaid king; their words and deeds agree together without delay.

Lastly, they set out for the country of the East-Angles, formerly governed by the king Sai king Saint Edmund. And their ships fly round to them from the Limnean port to Meresige a place in Kent.

a

Huntingdon

Northumberland, made
solemn peace on oath with king Alfred: as also did
those who dwelt in East-Anglia, giving six hostages.
But they broke the treaty, and, as often as the armies in
Kent left their castles to plunder, they also went out to
plunder, either with them, or alone, wherever they could.

When this was known, king

Alfred, taking with him part of his army, and leaving the
other part at home, as was his wont, and placing others
for garrisons in the castles and citi cities, marched hastily
into Kent, where he laid out a camp, in a place naturally
very strong because it was surrounded on all sides by
water, high rocks and overhanging woods; so that, if the
enemies went out into any of the plains to plunder or fight,
he could join battle with them without delay.
But they, now on foot, now on horse-back, plundering in
bands, frequented those districts, which they saw were
not occupied by the king's troops. But, contrary to
their expectation, not only some from the royal forces,
but also from the cities, attacked them almost every
day and night, and so annoyed them, that they all left
Kent and went forth together from their quarters to plunder,
for they had gone out together to plunder whilst they first
began to live in those places.

and

But this time they took a
greater and more plentiful
booty, and determined to
cross the river Thames, and
enter Essex, and so, with
their booty, to meet the
naval band, which they had
sent beforehand. But, being
overtaken by the king's army,
they fought a battle with
them at Feornham,
having lost their booty
together with the horses
which they had brought with
them from foreign parts, they
were all put to flight, and
crossing the Thames where
there was no ford, they took
refuge in an island situated
within the stream of the
river Colne, where they were
blockaded, until food failed

1 But afterwards he took an
oath to king Alfred, that he
would hurt him in nothing.
But the king gave many gifts
to him and his wife, and his
children; one of whom the
king himself had held in
baptism, and the great duke

Edred the other.
But Hasteng, always unfaith-
ful, built a camp at Beam-
fled.

Simeon

and swore to be true to king Elfred against the aforesaid pagans who had already come back to England.

the king's army, and the time for their going home came round, and another army relieved them. This army therefore went home, and king Alfred hastened up with the other half of his army, but the pagans seeing that their king was much wounded, and that they could not carry

894 Florence

him with them, remained there.

But king Alfred had not yet completed his march to attack the enemy, when lo, news is brought that the pagans who inhabited North

umberland and East-Anglia had collected together 240 ships, that some of them in 100 ships had sailed round the south coast of England, and the others in 40 ships round the north coast: that the one party had besieged Exeter, the others a fortress in Devonshire with a large body of men. When the king heard these things, he was not daunted by the rashness of the enemy, but became furious at his men being besieged. Without delay, he recalled all his cavalry, and marched to Exeter, leaving, however, a small body of men to finish the subjugation of the enemy he was following. These, proceeding to London, with the citizens and others who had come to help them from the western coast of England, advance to Beanflot; for they had heard that the greatest part of the army, which had settled at Apultreo, had gone thither, and that king Haesten had come there with his army from Milton and had there built a fortress, but at that moment they were gone forth to plunder.

For the same king, a short time before, had made peace with King Alfred, and given several hostages, and had moreover at the request of King Alfred, given his two sons to be regenerated in the laver of salvation; one of them was taken from the fountain by King Alfred himself, the other by the noble duke Æthered.

A severe battle was therefore fought with the pagans, and the Christians, at the first shock, put them to flight, destroyed their works, and seizing on all they could find, carried with them the women and children to London. Some of the ships they broke to pieces, some they burnt, and carried the rest either to London or Rochester. They also took the wife and two sons of Haesten, before he came back to Beanflot from plundering, and these they carried to king Ælfred. But he did them no harm, because one of them, as we have said before, was his [GOD] son, the other the [GOD] son of duke Æthered; but he confirmed the peace between them, and having received hostages not only restored the wife and sons of Haesten, at their father's request, but also gave him a

And when he had gone out to
plunder upon the king, the
king broke into the aforesaid
camp, and there took his
wife, and children, and
money, and booty, and ships;

but he gave back to Hasteng
his wife and sons, because
he was their god-father.