Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 800. This year was the moon eclipsed, at eight in the evening, on the seventeenth day before the calends of February; and soon after died King Bertric and Alderman Worr. Egbert (age 27) succeeded to the West-Saxon kingdom; and the same day Ethelmund, alderman of the Wiccians, rode over the Thames at Kempsford; where he was met by Alderman Woxtan, with the men of Wiltshire, and a terrible conflict ensued, in which both the commanders were slain, but the men of Wiltshire obtained the victory.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 823. This year a battle was fought between the Welsh in Cornwall and the people of Devonshire, at Camelford, Cornwall; and in the course of the same year Egbert, king of the West-Saxons (age 50), and Bernwulf, King of Mercia, fought a battle at Wilton, in which Egbert (age 50) gained the victory, but there was great slaughter on both sides. Then sent he his son Ethelwulf into Kent, with a large detachment from the main body of the army, accompanied by his bishop, Elstan, and his alderman, Wulfherd; who drove Baldred, the king, northward over the Thames. Whereupon the men of Kent immediately submitted to him; as did also the inhabitants of Surrey, and Sussex, and Essex; who had been unlawfully kept from their allegiance by his relatives. The same year also, the king of the East-Angles, and his subjects besought King Egbert (age 50) to give them peace and protection against the terror of the Mercians; whose king, Bernwulf, they slew in the course of the same year.

In Sep 825 Beornwulf King Mercia defeated Ecgberht, King of Wessex (age 52), at the Battle of Ellendun replacing Mercian with Wessex dominance over the Saxon Heptarchy. Sir Frank Stenton described it as 'one of the most decisive battles of English history'. The location of the battle is not known although a number of locations have been suggested: Wroughton, Wiltshire, Lydiard Park Swindon, Wiltshire and Wilton, Wiltshire [Map].

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 836. Text 833AD. This year fought King Egbert (age 63) with thirty-five pirates at Charmouth, where a great slaughter was made, and the Danes remained masters of the field. Two bishops, Hereferth and Wigen, and two aldermen, Dudda and Osmod, died the same year.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 838. Text 835AD. This year came a great naval armament into West-Wales, where they were joined by the people, who commenced war against Egbert (age 65), the West-Saxon king. When he heard this, he proceeded with his army against them and fought with them at Hengeston, where he put to flight both the Welsh and the Danes.

On 25 Jun 841 Lambert Guideschi II Count Nantes fought at Fontenay, Yonne during the Battle of Fontenay: Franks.

On 22 Nov 845 Lambert Guideschi II Count Nantes fought at Redon during the Battle of Ballon.

Assers Life of Alfred 851. 851. 5. Battle of Aclea.¹⁴ Having done these things there, the aforesaid heathen host went into Surrey, which is a shire situated on the south shore of the river Thames, and to the west of Kent. And Æthelwulf, King of the Saxons, and his son Æthelbald, with the whole army, fought a long time against them at a place called Aclea¹⁵, that is, 'Oak-plain'; there, after a lengthy battle, which was fought with much bravery on both sides, the most part of the heathen horde was utterly destroyed and slain, so that we never heard of their being so smitten, either before or since, in any region, in one day¹⁶; and the Christians gained an honorable victory, and kept possession of the battle-field.

Note 14. Based upon the Chronicle.

Note 15. Stevenson is inclined to reject this customary identification with Oakley, in Surrey.

Note 16. The source - the Chronicle - says: 'And there made the greatest slaughter among the heathen army that we have heard reported to the present day.'

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 851. This year Alderman Ceorl, with the men of Devonshire, fought the heathen army at Wemburg [Map], and after making great slaughter obtained the victory. The same year King Athelstan and Alderman Elchere fought in their ships, and slew a large army at Sandwich [Map] in Kent, taking nine ships and dispersing the rest. The heathens now for the first time remained over winter in the Isle of Thanet [Map]. The same year came three hundred and fifty ships into the mouth of the Thames; the crew of which went upon land, and stormed Canterbury, Kent [Map] and London; putting to flight Bertulf, king of the Mercians, with his army; and then marched southward over the Thames into Surrey. Here Ethelwulf and his son Ethelbald, at the head of the West-Saxon army, fought with them at Ockley [Map], and made the greatest slaughter of the heathen army that we have ever heard reported to this present day. There also they obtained the victory.

On 22 Aug 851 Lambert Guideschi II Count Nantes fought at Grand Fougeray during the Battle of Jengland.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 853. This year Burhred, King of Mercia, with his council, besought King Ethelwulf to assist him to subdue North-Wales. He did so; and with an army marched over Mercia into North-Wales, and made all the inhabitants subject to him. The same year King Ethelwulf sent his son Alfred to Rome (age 4); and Leo, who was then pope, consecrated him king, and adopted him as his spiritual son. The same year also Elchere with the men of Kent, and Huda with the men of Surrey, fought in the Isle of Thanet [Map] with the heathen army, and soon obtained the victory; but there were many men slain and drowned on either hand, and both the aldermen killed. Burhred, the Mercian king, about this time received in marriage the daughter (age 15) of Ethelwulf, king of the West-Saxons.

Assers Life of Alfred 853. 853. 9. Other Events of 853.²⁴ That same year also, Ealdorman Ealhere with the men of Kent, and Huda with the men of Surrey, fought bravely and resolutely against an army of the heathen in the island which is called Tenet [Map]²⁵ in the Saxon tongue, but Ruim in the Welsh language. At first the Christians were victorious. The battle lasted a long time; many fell on both sides, and were drowned in the water; and both the ealdormen were there slain. In the same year also, after Easter, Æthelwulf, King of the West Saxons, gave his daughter (age 15) to Burgred, King of the Mercians, as his queen, and the marriage was celebrated in princely wise at the royal vill of Chippenham [Map].

Note 24. Based upon the Chronicle.

Note 25. Thanet [Map].

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 860. This year died King Ethelbald, and his body lies at Sherborn [Map]. Ethelbert his brother then succeeded to the whole kingdom, and held it in good order and great tranquillity. In his days came a large naval force up into the country, and stormed Winchester. But Alderman Osric, with the command of Hampshire, and Alderman Ethelwulf, with the command of Berkshire, fought against the enemy, and putting them to flight, made themselves masters of the field of battle. The said Ethelbert reigned five years, and his body lies at Sherborn [Map].

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 21 Mar 867. Late in the year, however, they returned to their allegiance, and they were now fighting against the common enemy; having collected a vast force, with which they fought the army [Battle of York] at York [Map]; and breaking open the town, some of them entered in. Then was there an immense slaughter of the Northumbrians, some within and some without; and both the kings [Osberht King of Northumbria and Ælla King of Northumbria] were slain on the spot. The survivors made peace with the army.

Assers Life of Alfred 871. 871. 35. The Danes defeated at Englefield.⁷⁷ In the year of our Lord's incarnation 871, which was the twenty-third of King Alfred's life, the heathen army, of hateful memory, left East Anglia, and, entering the kingdom of the West Saxons, came to the royal vill called Reading [Map], situated on the south bank of the Thames, in the district called Berkshire; and there, on the third day after their arrival, their [two] ealdormen, with great part of the army, rode forth for plunder, while the others made an entrenchment between the rivers Thames and Kennet, on the southern side of the same royal vill. They were encountered by Æthelwulf (age 46), Ealdorman of Berkshire, with his men, at a place called Englefield⁷⁸ [in English, and in Latin 'The Field of the Angles'].⁷⁹ Both sides fought bravely, and made long resistance to each other. At length one of the heathen ealdormen was slain, and the greater part of the army destroyed; upon which the rest saved themselves by flight, and the Christians gained the victory and held the battle-field.

Note 77. Chiefly from the Chronicle.

Note 78. Five and one-half miles southwest of Reading.

Note 79. Added from Florence of Worcester by Stevenson.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 871. This year came the army to Reading in Wessex; and in the course of three nights after rode two earls up, who were met by Alderman Ethelwulf (age 46) at Englefield; where he fought with them, and obtained the victory. There one of them was slain, whose name was Sidrac.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 04 Jan 871. About four nights after this, King Ethered (age 24) and Alfred (age 22) his brother led their main army to Reading, where they fought with the enemy; and there was much slaughter on either hand, Alderman Ethelwulf (age 46) being among the skain; but the Danes kept possession of the field.

On 09 Dec 1688 the Battle of Reading was fought between supporters of King James II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 55) and King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 38). King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 38) was victorious. Thereafter King James II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 55) fled to France and King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland (age 38) acceeded.

Assers Life of Alfred 871. 871. 38. Alfred begins the Attack.⁸⁵ Now the Christians had determined that King Æthelred (age 24), with his men, should attack the two heathen kings, and that his brother Alfred (age 22), with his troops, should take the chance of war against all the leaders of the heathen. Things being so arranged on both sides, the king still continued a long time in prayer, and the heathen, prepared for battle, had hastened to the field. Then Alfred (age 22), though only second in command, could no longer support the advance of the enemy, unless he either retreated or charged upon them without waiting for his brother. At length, with the rush of a wild boar, he courageously led the Christian troops against the hostile army, as he had already designed, for, although the king had not yet arrived, he relied upon God's counsel and trusted to His aid. Hence, having closed up his shield-wall in due order, he straightway advanced his standards against the foe. [At length King Æthelred (age 24), having finished the prayers in which he was engaged, came up, and, having invoked the King of the universe, entered upon the engagement.]⁸⁶

Note 85. All original except final clause.

Note 86. Supplied by Stevenson from Florence of Worcester.

Assers Life of Alfred 871. 871. 37. Battle of Ashdown.⁸⁰ Roused by this grief and shame, the Christians, after four days, with all their forces and much spirit advanced to battle against the aforesaid army, at a place called Ashdown⁸¹, which in Latin signifies 'Ash's⁸² Hill.' The heathen, forming in two divisions, arranged two shield-walls of similar size; and since they had two kings and many ealdormen, they gave the middle⁸³ part of the army to the two kings, and the other part to all the ealdormen. The Christians, perceiving this, divided their army also into two troops, and with no less zeal formed shield-walls.⁸⁴ But Alfred (age 22), as I have been told by truthful eye-witnesses, marched up swiftly with his men to the battle-field; for King Æthelred (age 24) had remained a long time in his tent in prayer, hearing mass, and declaring that he would not depart thence alive till the priest had done, and that he was not disposed to abandon the service of God for that of men; and according to these sentiments he acted. This faith of the Christian king availed much with the Lord, as I shall show more fully in the sequel.

Note 80. Chiefly from the Chronicle.

Note 81. The Berkshire Downs (Stevenson).

Note 82. Stevenson is convinced that Æscesdun, though interpreted as 'mons fraxini,' cannot mean 'the hill of the ash,' but that Ash is here a man's name.

Note 83. Perhaps mediam is a scribal error for unam or primam (Stevenson).

Note 84. There is a note on the Germanic shield-wall in my edition of Judith (305ª), in the Belles Lettres Series.

Assers Life of Alfred 871. 871. 39. The Heathen Rout and Loss.⁸⁷ But here I must inform those who are ignorant of the fact that the field of battle was not equally advantageous to both parties, since the heathen had seized the higher ground, and the Christian array was advancing up-hill. In that place there was a solitary low thorn-tree, which I have seen with my own eyes, and round this the opposing forces met in strife with deafening uproar from all, the one side bent on evil, the other on fighting for life, and dear ones, and fatherland. When both armies had fought bravely and fiercely for a long while, the heathen, being unable by God's decree longer to endure the onset of the Christians, the larger part of their force being slain, betook themselves to shameful flight. There fell one of the two heathen kings and five ealdormen; many thousand of their men were either slain at this spot or lay scattered far and wide over the whole field of Ashdown. Thus there fell King Bagsecg, Ealdorman Sidroc the Elder and Ealdorman Sidroc the Younger, Ealdorman Osbern, Ealdorman Fræna, and Ealdorman Harold; and the whole heathen army pursued its flight, not only until night, but until the next day, even until they reached the stronghold⁸⁸ from which they had sallied. The Christians followed, slaying all they could reach, until it became dark.

Note 87. Mostly original.

Note 88. Probably Reading.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 08 Jan 871. And about four nights after this, King Ethered (age 24) and Alfred (age 22) his brother fought with all the army on Ashdown, and the Danes were overcome. They had two heathen kings, Bagsac and Healfden, and many earls; and they were in two divisions; in one of which were Bagsac and Healfden, the heathen kings, and in the other were the earls. King Ethered (age 24) therefore fought with the troops of the kings, and there was King Bagsac slain; and Alfred (age 24) his brother fought with the troops of the earls, and there were slain Earl Sidrac the elder, Earl Sidrac the younger, Earl Osbern, Earl Frene, and Earl Harold. They put both the troops to flight; there were many thousands of the slain, and they continued fighting till night.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Around 22 Jan 871. Within a fortnight of this, King Ethered (age 24) and Alfred (age 22) his brother fought with the army at Basing; and there the Danes had the victory.

Assers Life of Alfred 871. 22 Jan 871. 40. Battle of Basing.⁸⁹ After⁹⁰ fourteen days had elapsed King Æthelred (age 24) and his brother Alfred (age 22) joined their forces, and marched to Basing⁹¹ to fight with the heathen. Having thus assembled, battle was joined, and they held their own for a long time, but the heathen gained the victory, and held possession of the battle-field. After this fight, another army of heathen came from beyond sea, and joined them.

Note 89. From the Chronicle.

Note 90. Before this sentence occurs the following in the Latin: Quibus cum talia præsentis vitæ dispendia alienigenis perperam quærentibus non sufficerent. This may represent a sentence in the author's draft that was intended, owing to change of construction, to be omitted (Stevenson).

Note 91. In Hampshire.

On 22 Jan 871 King Æthelred of Wessex (age 24) was defeated by the Viking army at the Battle of Basing at Old Basing, Hampshire [Map].

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Around 22 Mar 871. About two months after this, King Ethered (age 24) and Alfred (age 22) his brother fought with the army at Marden. They were in two divisions; and they put them both to flight, enjoying the victory for some time during the day; and there was much slaughter on either hand; but the Danes became masters of the field; and there was slain Bishop Heahmund, with many other good men. After this fight came a vast army in the summer to Reading. And after the Easter of this year died King Ethered (age 24). He reigned five years, and his body lies at Winburn-minster [Map]. Then Alfred (age 22), his brother, the son of Ethelwulf, took to the kingdom of Wessex.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Around Apr 871. And within a month of this, King Alfred (age 22) fought against all the Army with a small force at Wilton, and long pursued them during the day; but the Danes got possession of the field. This year were nine general battles fought with the army in the kingdom south of the Thames; besides those skirmishes, in which Alfred the king's brother, and every single alderman, and the thanes of the king, oft rode against them; which were accounted nothing. This year also were slain nine earls, and one king; and the same year the West-Saxons made peace with the army.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Around 12 May 878. Then, in the seventh week after Easter, he rode to Brixton by the eastern side of Selwood; and there came out to meet him all the people of Somersersetshire, and Wiltshire, and that part of Hampshire which is on this side of the sea; and they rejoiced to see him. Then within one night he went from this retreat to Hey; and within one night after he proceeded to Heddington; and there fought with all the army, and put them to flight, riding after them as far as the fortress, where he remained a fortnight. Then the army gave him hostages with many oaths, that they would go out of his kingdom. They told him also, that their king would receive baptism. And they acted accordingly; for in the course of three weeks after, King Guthrum, attended by some thirty of the worthiest men that were in the army, came to him at Aller, which is near Athelney [Map], and there the king became his sponsor in baptism; and his crisom-leasing was at Wedmor. He was there twelve nights with the king (age 29), who honoured him and his attendants with many presents.

Around 12 May 878 King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex (age 29) defeated the Viking army led by Guthrum Viking at the Battle of Edington at Edington, Wiltshire (the location is subject to dispute; possibly Heddington, Wiltshire).

Around Aug 878 Guthrum Viking agreed to leave Wessex, to be baptised and to accept King Alfred "The Great" of Wessex (age 29) as his adoptive father. Known as Treaty of Wedmore.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 887. This year the army advanced beyond the bridge at Paris;³⁸ and then upwards, along the Seine, to the Marne. Then upwards on the Marne as far as Chezy; and in their two stations, there and on the Yonne, they abode two winters. This same year died Charles, king of the Franks (age 47). Arnulf, his brother's son, had six weeks before his death bereft him of his kingdom; which was now divided into five portions, and five kings were consecrated thereto. This, however, was done with the consent of Arnulf; and they agreed that they should hold in subjection to him; because none of them had by birth any claim on the father's side, except him alone. Arnulf, therefore, dwelt in the country eastward of the Rhine; Rodulf took to the middle district; Oda to the western; whilst Berenger and Witha became masters of Lombardy and the Cisalpine territory. But they held their dominion in great discord; fought two general battles, and frequently overran the country in partial encounters, displacing each other several times. The same year also, in which the Danish army advanced beyond the bridge at Paris, Alderman Ethelhelm led the alms of the West-Saxons and of King Alfred to Rome.

Note 38. This bridge was built, or rebuilt on a larger plan than before, by Charles the Bald, in the year 861, "to prevent the Danes or Normans (says Felibien) from making themselves masters of Paris so easily as they had already done so many times," etc.—"pour empescher que les Normans ne se rendissent maistres de Paris aussi facilement qu'ils l'avoient deja fait tant de lois," etc.—Vol. i. p. 91, folio. It is supposed to be the famous bridge afterwards called "grand pont" or "pont au change",—the most ancient bridge at Paris, and the only one which existed at this time.