Part 6

My principal authority and aid in this work was the learned and reverend Abbot Albinus; who, educated in the Church of Canterbury by those venerable and learned men, Archbishop Theodore of blessed memory, and the Abbot Adrian, transmitted to me by Nothelm, the pious priest of the Church of London, either in writing, or by word of mouth of the same Nothelm, all that he thought worthy of memory, that had been done in the province of Kent, or the adjacent parts, by the disciples of the blessed Pope Gregory, as he had learned the same either from written records, or the traditions of his ancestors. The same Nothelm, afterwards going to Rome, having, with leave of the present Pope Gregory, searched into the archives of the holy Roman Church, found there some epistles of the blessed Pope Gregory, and other popes; and returning home, by the advice of the aforesaid most reverend father Albinus, brought them to me, to be inserted in my history. Thus, from the beginning of this volume to the time when the English nation received the faith of Christ, have we collected the writings of our predecessors, and from them gathered matter for our history; but from that time till the present, what was transacted in the Church of Canterbury, by the disciples of St. Gregory or their successors, and under what kings the same happened, has been conveyed to us by Nothelm through the industry of the aforesaid Abbot Albinus. They also partly informed me by what bishops and under what kings the provinces of the East and West Saxons, as also of the East Angles, and of the Northumbrians, received the faith of Christ. In short I was chiefly encouraged to undertake this work by the persuasions of the same Albinus. In like manner, Daniel, the most reverend Bishop of the West Saxons, who is still living, communicated to me in writing some things relating to the Ecclesiastical History of that province, and the next adjoining to it of the South Saxons, as also of the Isle of Wight. But how, by the pious ministry of Cedd and Ceadda, the province of the Mercians was brought to the faith of Christ, which they knew not before, and how that of the East Saxons recovered the same, after having expelled it, and how those fathers lived and died, we learned from the brethren of the monastery, which was built by them, and is called Lastingham. What ecclesiastical transactions took place in the province of the East Angles, was partly made known to us from the writings and tradition of our ancestors, and partly by relation of the most reverend Abbot Esius. What was done towards promoting the faith, and what was the sacerdotal succession in the province of Lindsey, we had either from the letters of the most reverend prelate Cunebert, or by word of mouth from other persons of good credit. But what was done in the Church throughout the province of the Northumbrians, from the time when they received the faith of Christ till this present, I received not from any particular author, but by the faithful testimony of innumerable witnesses, who might know or remember the same; besides what I had of my own knowledge. Wherein it is to be observed, that what I have written concerning our most holy father, Bishop Cuthbert, either in this volume, or in my treatise on his life and actions, I partly took, and faithfully copied from what I found written of him by the brethren of the Church of Lindisfarne; but at the same time took care to add such things as I could myself have knowledge of by the faithful testimony of such as knew him. And I humbly entreat the reader, that if he shall in this that we have written find anything not delivered according to the truth, he will not impute the same to me, who, as the true rule of history requires, have laboured sincerely to commit to writing such things as I could gather from common report, for the instruction of posterity.

THE FAITHFUL THEGNS (786).

=Source.=—_Anglo-Saxon Chronicle._ Translated by J. A. Giles. Bohn’s Library.

ANNO 755.—This year Cynewulf and the West Saxon Witan deprived his kinsman Sigebert of his kingdom, except Hampshire, for his unjust doings; and that he held until he slew the ealdorman who longest abode by him. And then Cynewulf drove him into Andred, and he abode there until a swineherd stabbed him at Privets-flood, and avenged the ealdorman Cumbra. And Cynewulf fought very many battles against the Welsh; and after he had held the kingdom about one and thirty years, he purposed to expel an etheling, who was named Cyneheard: and Cyneheard was Sigebert’s brother. And he then learned that the king with a small band was gone to Merton to visit a lady; and he there beset him and surrounded the building on every side, before the men who were with the king discovered him. And when the king perceived this, he went to the door, and there manfully defended himself, until he beheld the etheling, and then he rushed out upon him and sorely wounded him; and they all continued fighting against the king until they had slain him. And upon this, the king’s thegns having discovered the affray by the lady’s cries, each as he was ready, and with his utmost speed, ran to the spot. And the etheling offered money and life to each of them, and not one of them would accept it; but they continued fighting till they all fell, except one, a British hostage, and he was already sorely wounded. Then upon the morrow the king’s thegns whom he had left behind him heard that the king was slain: then rode they thither, and Osric his ealdorman, and Wiferth his thegn, and the men whom he had previously left behind. And at the town wherein the king lay slain they found the etheling, and those within had closed the gates against them; but they then went onward. And he then offered them their own choice of land and money if they would grant him the kingdom, and showed them that their kinsmen were with him, men who would not desert him. And they then said that no kinsman was dearer to them than their lord, and that they never would follow his murderer. And they then bade their kinsmen that they should go away from him in safety; but they said that the same had been bidden their companions who before had been with the king; then they said that they no more minded it “than your companions who were slain with the king.” And then they continued fighting around the gates until they made their way in, and slew the etheling, and all the men who were with him, except one who was the ealdorman’s godson; and he escaped with his life, though he was wounded in several places.

THE COMING OF THE DANES (787-870)

=Source.=—_Anglo-Saxon Chronicle._ Translated by J. A. Giles. Bohn’s Library.

ANNO 787.—This year King Bertric took to wife Eadburga, King Offa’s daughter; and in his days first came three ships of Northmen. And then the reeve rode to the place and would have driven them to the king’s town [? Dorchester] because he knew not who they were: and they there slew him. These were the first ships of Danish men which sought the land of the English nation.

ANNO 794.—The heathens ravaged among the Northumbrians, and plundered Egfert’s monastery at the mouth of the Wear; and there one of their leaders was slain, and also some of their ships were wrecked by a tempest; and many of them were there drowned, and some came on shore alive, and they were soon slain at the river’s mouth.

ANNO 835.—This year the heathen men ravaged Sheppey.

ANNO 836.—This year King Egbert fought against the men of thirty-five ships at Charmouth, and there was great slaughter made, and the Danish men maintained possession of the field.

ANNO 838.—This year a great hostile fleet came to the West Welsh [Cornwall], and they united together, and made war upon Egbert, king of the West Saxons. As soon as he heard of it, he went thither with an army, and fought against them at Hengestdune, and there he put to flight both the Welsh and the Danish men.

ANNO 840.—This year Wulfherd the ealdorman fought at Hamtun [Southampton], against the forces of thirty-five ships, and there made great slaughter, and got the victory. And the same year Ethelhelm the ealdorman fought against the Danish army at Portland isle, with the men of Dorset, and for a good while he put the enemy to flight; but the Danish men had possession of the field, and slew the ealdorman.

ANNO 841.—This year Herebert the ealdorman was slain by the heathen men, and many with him among the Marshmen [Romney Marsh]; and afterwards, the same year, in Lindsey, and in East Anglia, and in Kent, many men were slain by the enemy.

ANNO 842.—This year there was great slaughter at London, and at Canterbury, and at Rochester.

ANNO 843.—This year King Ethelwulf fought at Charmouth against the crews of thirty-five ships, and the Danish men maintained possession of the field.

ANNO 848.—This year Eanwulf the ealdorman, with the men of Somerset, and Bishop Ealstan, and Osric the ealdorman, with the men of Dorset, fought at the mouth of the Parret, against the Danish army, and there made great slaughter, and got the victory.

ANNO 851.—This year Ceorl the ealdorman, with the men of Devonshire, fought against the heathen men at Wembury [near Plymouth], and there made great slaughter and got the victory. And the same year Athelstan and Elchere the ealdorman fought on shipboard, and slew a great number of the enemy at Sandwich in Kent, and took nine ships, and put the others to flight; and the heathen men, for the first time, remained over winter in Thanet. And the same year came three hundred and fifty ships to the mouth of the Thames, and the crews landed and took Canterbury and London by storm, and put to flight Berthwulf, King of the Mercians, with his army, and then went south over the Thames into Surrey; and there King Ethelwulf and his son Ethelbald, with the fyrd of the West Saxons, fought against them at Ockley, and there made the greatest slaughter among the heathen army that we have heard reported to the present day, and there got the victory.

ANNO 853.—This year Ealhere, with the men of Kent, and Huda, with the men of Surrey, fought in Thanet, against the heathen army; and at first they were victorious; and many there were slain, and drowned on either hand, and both the ealdormen were killed.

ANNO 855.—This year the heathen men, for the first time, remained over winter in Sheppey.

ANNO 860.—This year Ethelbert succeeded to all the realm of his brother. And in his days a large fleet came to land, and the crews stormed Winchester. And Osric the ealdorman, with the men of Hampshire, and Ethelwulf the ealdorman, with the men of Berkshire, fought against the army, and put them to flight, and had possession of the place of carnage.

ANNO 865.—This year the heathen army sat down in Thanet, and made peace with the men of Kent, and the men of Kent promised them money for the peace; and during the peace and the promise of money the army stole away by night, and ravaged all Kent to the eastward.

ANNO 866.—This year a great heathen army came to the land of the English nation, and took up their winter quarters among the East Angles, and there they were horsed; and the East Angles made peace with them.

ANNO 867.—This year the army went from East Anglia over the mouth of the Humber to York in Northumbria. And there was much dissension among that people, and they had cast out their King Osbert, and had taken to themselves a king, Ælle, not of royal blood; but late in the year they resolved that they would fight against the army; and therefore they gathered a large force, and sought the army at the town of York, and stormed the town, and some of them got within, and there was an excessive slaughter made of the Northumbrians, some within, some without, and the kings were both slain: and the remainder made peace with the army.

ANNO 868.—This year the same army went into Mercia to Nottingham, and there took up their winter quarters. And Burhred, King of the Mercians, and his witan begged of Ethelred, King of the West Saxons, and of Alfred his brother, that they would help them, that they might fight against the army. And then they went with the West Saxon fyrd into Mercia as far as Nottingham, and there met with the army within the fortress; and besieged them therein: but there was no great battle; and the Mercians made peace with the army.

ANNO 869.—This year the army again went to York, and sat there one year.

ANNO 870.—This year the army rode across Mercia into East Anglia, and took up their winter quarters at Thetford: and the same winter King Edmund fought against them, and the Danes got the victory, and slew the king, and subdued all the land, and destroyed all the minsters which they came to. The names of their chiefs who slew the king were Inguar and Ubba.

A LETTER FROM CHARLES THE GREAT TO OFFA (796).

=Source.=—_Monumenta Germaniæ Historica_, Epist. iv. Ed. Dümmler, 1895. No. 100. Translated by W.

CHARLES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF THE FRANKS AND LOMBARDS AND PATRICIAN OF THE ROMANS TO HIS VENERABLE AND DEAREST BROTHER OFFA, KING OF THE MERCIANS, GREETING OF PRESENT PROSPERITY AND ETERNAL BLESSEDNESS IN CHRIST.

The hearty preservation of the laws of friendship and of the concord of holy charity in leagued unanimity of peace between kings and highly-placed potentates is of the greatest advantage. And if we are ordered by our Lord’s precept to dissolve the knots of enmity, how much more must we endeavour to draw tight the bonds of love! Wherefore, dearest brother, mindful of our ancient agreement, we have directed this letter to your reverence, that a treaty rooted in faith, may flower and fruit in love.

Reading over the letters, brother, which at various times were delivered to us by the hands of your messengers, and busying ourselves to reply adequately to your reverence’s different suggestions, we first thank Almighty God for the purity of the Catholic Faith which we find praiseworthily set down in your pages; knowing that you are not only the bravest protector of your earthly country, but also the most devoted defender of the holy Faith.

Now concerning the pilgrims, who for the love of God and the salvation of their souls wish to visit the abode of the blessed apostles, we have granted, as of old time, that they may go on their journey in peace without any molestation, carrying necessaries with them. But we have proved that some fraudulently go along with them for purposes of trade, pursuing gain, not serving religion. If such are found amongst them, at the proper places they must pay the decreed customs-duties. The others shall be free to go in peace.

Concerning traders also you wrote to us. We wish that by our command they may lawfully enjoy protection and patronage in our kingdom according to the ancient custom of trading. And if they be unjustly oppressed anywhere, let them appeal to us or to our judges and we will afterwards order holy justice to be done. Likewise concerning ours: if they suffer any injustice in your realm, let them appeal to your equitable judgment: that no quarrel may anywhere arise between our subjects.

Concerning Odberht the priest who returned from Rome wishing (as he often avers) to make a pilgrimage for the love of God, and not coming to accuse you, know that we sent him with other exiles, who in fear of death had fled beneath our protecting wings, to Rome, that in the presence of the pope [Leo III.] and your illustrious archbishop [Æthilhard]—whither, as your letter noted, they had bound themselves by a vow—their cause might be heard and judged, that a righteous judgement might perform what pious intercession had not helped. How could we act more carefully than to allow the pope’s judgement to decide a cause in which the opinions of others were discordant?

Now as to the black stones which your reverence desired to be sent to you, let a messenger come to find out the sort you wish for. And wherever they are found, we shall give orders that they be given to you and that assistance be freely rendered in the carriage of them.

But as you have intimated your desire with regard to the length of the stones, so also our subjects make request concerning the size of the cloaks: that you will have them made of the same pattern as used to come to us in old times.

Know also that we have sent a sacred article from amongst our dalmatics or palls to each episcopal see of your kingdom or Æthelred’s, as an alms for the apostolic lord Adrian, our father and your well-wisher; beseeching that you will order diligent intercession to be made for his soul, not because we doubt that his blessed soul is at rest, but to show our faith and affection towards our dearest friend: as S. Augustine lays down that the church should make holy intercession for all, declaring that intercession for a good man is of benefit to him that makes it.

Further, of the worldly treasure which the Lord Jesus hath freely granted us, we have sent something through the metropolitan cities. And to you, too, for your pleasure, and as thanksgiving to Almighty God, we have sent a belt, and a Hunnish sword, and two silk cloaks; that everywhere in Christendom the divine clemency be preached and the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be for ever glorified.

We beseech you cause to be made constant supplications for us and our faithful subjects, and indeed for all Christian folk, that the gentle goodness of the heavenly king may protect, exalt, and extend the kingdom of the holy church.

May Almighty God preserve in safety and long prosperity your highness’ excellency as a defence of his holy church, my dearest brother.

THE BRETWALDAS (827).

=Source.=—_Anglo-Saxon Chronicle._ Translated by J. A. Giles. Bohn’s Library.

ANNO 827.—This year the moon was eclipsed on the mass-night of midwinter,[1] and the same year King Egbert conquered the kingdom of the Mercians, and all that was south of the Humber; and he was the eighth king who was Bretwalda. Ælle, King of the South Saxons, was the first who had thus much dominion; the second was Ceawlin, King of the West Saxons; the third was Ethelbert, King of the Kentishmen; the fourth was Redwald, King of the East Angles; the fifth was Edwin, King of the Northumbrians; the sixth was Oswald who reigned after him; the seventh was Oswy, Oswald’s brother; the eighth was Egbert, King of the West Saxons. And Egbert led an army to Dore against the Northumbrians, and they there offered him obedience and allegiance, and with that they separated.

Footnote 1:

The eclipse happened December 25, 828.

ALFRED AND THE DANES (871-878).

=Source.=—_Anglo-Saxon Chronicle._ Translated by J. A. Giles. Bohn’s Library.

ANNO 871.—This year the army came to Reading in Wessex; and three days after this, two of their earls rode forth. Then Ethelwulf the ealdorman met them at Englefield, and there fought against them, and got the victory: and there one of them, whose name was Sidroc, was slain. About three days after this, King Ethelred and Alfred his brother led a large force to Reading, and fought against the army, and there was great slaughter made on either hand. And Ethelwulf the ealdorman was slain, and the Danish men had possession of the place of carnage. And about four days after this, King Ethelred and Alfred his brother fought against the whole army at Æscesdune [Ashdown Hills]; and they were in two bodies: in the one were Bagseg and Halfdene the heathen kings, and in the other were the earls. And then King Ethelred fought against the division under the kings, and there King Bagseg was slain; and Alfred his brother against the division under the earls, and there earl Sidroc the elder was slain, earl Sidroc the younger, and earl Osbern, and earl Frene, and earl Harold; and both divisions of the army were put to flight, and many thousands slain: and they continued fighting until night. And about fourteen days after this, King Ethelred and Alfred his brother fought against the army at Basing, and there the Danes obtained the victory. And about two months after this, King Ethelred and Alfred his brother fought against the army at Marden; and they were in two bodies, and they were both put to flight, and during a great part of the day were victorious; and there was great slaughter on either hand; but the Danes had possession of the place of carnage: and there bishop Heahmund was slain, and many good men: and after this battle there came a great army in the summer to Reading. And after this, over Easter, King Ethelred died.

Then Alfred, the son of Ethelwulf, his brother, succeeded to the kingdom of the West Saxons. And about one month after this, King Alfred with a small band fought against the whole army at Wilton, and put them to flight for a good part of the day; but the Danes had possession of the place of carnage. And this year nine general battles were fought against the army in the kingdom south of the Thames, besides which, Alfred, the king’s brother, and single ealdormen, and king’s thegns, oftentimes made incursions on them, which were not counted: and within the year nine earls and one king were slain. And that year the West Saxons made peace with the army.

ANNO 872.—This year the army went from Reading to London, and there took up their winter quarters: and then the Mercians made peace with the army.

ANNO 873.—This year the army went into Northumbria, and took up their winter quarters at Torksey in Lindsey: and then the Mercians made peace with the army.

ANNO 874.—This year the army went from Lindsey to Repton, and there took up their winter quarters, and drove King Burhred over sea about twenty-two years after he had obtained the kingdom; and subdued the whole country: and Burhred went to Rome, and there remained; and his body lies in St. Mary’s church at the Saxon school. And that same year they committed the kingdom of the Mercians to the keeping of Ceolwulf, an unwise king’s thegn; and he swore oaths to them, and delivered hostages that it should be ready for them on whatever day they would have it, and that he would be ready both in his own person and with all who would follow him, for the behoof of the army.

ANNO 875.—This year the army went from Repton: and Halfdene went with some of the army into Northumbria, and took up winter quarters by the river Tyne. And the army subdued the land, and oft-times spoiled the Picts, and the Strathclyde Britons. And the three kings Guthrum, and Oskytel, and Anwind, went with a large army from Repton to Cambridge, and sat down there one year. And that summer King Alfred went out to sea with a fleet, and fought against the forces of seven ships, and one of them he took, and put the rest to flight.

ANNO 876.—This year the army stole away to Wareham, a fortress of the West Saxons. And afterwards the king made peace with the army; and they delivered to the king hostages from among the most distinguished men of the army; and then they swore oaths to him on the holy armlet, which they never before would do to any nation, that they would speedily depart from his kingdom. And notwithstanding this, that part of the army which was horsed stole away by night from the fortress to Exeter. And that year Halfdene apportioned the lands of Northumbria: and they thenceforth continued ploughing and tilling them.

ANNO 877.—This year the army came to Exeter from Wareham; and the fleet sailed round westwards: and then a great storm overtook them at sea, and there one hundred and twenty ships were wrecked at Swanwich. And King Alfred with his forces rode after the army which was mounted, as far as Exeter; and they were unable to overtake them before they were within the fortress, where they could not be come at. And they there delivered to him hostages, as many as he would have, and swore many oaths: and then they observed the peace well. And afterwards, during harvest, the army went into Mercia, and some part of it they apportioned, and some they delivered to Ceolwulf.