CHRONICLE OF FLORENCE OF WORCESTER.

A.D., 1118.

A.D.1083.THIS same king Egbert was the eighth among the kings of the English nation who ruled over all their southern provinces, separated by the river Humber and neighbouring boundaries from those which lie to the north. The first who held this dominion was Ella, king of the East Saxons ; the second Celin, king of the West Saxons, called in their tongue " Ceaulin ;" the third was Ethelbert, king of Kent ; the fourth was Redwald, king of the East Angles, who held the government of that nation as chief,* even in Ethelbert’s lifetime ; the fifth was Edwin, king of the Northumbrian nation, that is, those who dwelt to the north of the river Humber, the most poweiful of all who inhabited Britain. His rule extended alike over the people, both English and Britons, with the exception of Kent; and he subjected to the dominion of the English the Mevanian islands, which are situated between Ireland and England. The sixth monarch of all England, he himself being the most christian king of Northumbria, was Oswald. The seventh was Oswy, who for a time maintained his supremacy within nearly the same limits, and to a very great extent subjugated the Picts and Scots who inhabited the northern extremities of Britain, making them tributaries. The eighth, as we have already stated, was King Egbert. In his time, as it is reported, St.. Swithin was born, who, sprung from a noble line of ancestors, when his youthful years were passed, was admitted to holy orders by St. Helmstan, bishop of Winchester. King Egbert also committed his son Ethelwulf to his care for instruction in sacred learning.

A.D. 1094.—In addition to this, first the people of North Wales, and then those of West and South Wales, threw off the yoke of subjection under which they had long suffered, and, rallying their courage, struggled to obtain their independence. Assembling in great numbers, they raised the castles which had been erected in West Wales, and making frequent eruptions into the counties of Chester, Shrewsbury, and Hereford, set fire to and plundered the homesteads, and killed many of the English and Normans. They also demolished the castle in the Isle of Man, and reduced the island under their power. Meanwhile the Scots perfidiously murdered their king Duncan, and some others, at the instigation of Donald, who was again raised to the throne After this King William returned to England, on the fourth of the calends of January, [29th Dec.], and leading an army into Wales to subdue the Welsh, lost there many men and horses.

A.D. 1098.—Meanwhile Hugh, earl of Chester, and Hugh, earl of Shrewsbury, led troops into the island Mevania, which is usually called Anglesey, and massacred many of the Welsh whom they took there, cutting off the hands or feet of some, and emasculating others. They also dragged from his church a priest named Kenred ; from whom the Welsh received counsel on their undertakings ; him they emasculated, plucked out one eye, and cut out his tongue, but on the third day, through divine pity, his speech was restored. At that time Magnus, King of Norway, son of King Olaf, who was son of King Harold Harfaagar, having added the Orkney and Mevanian islands to his dominions, sailed there with a small fleet. But when he attempted to bring his ships to land, Hugh, earl of Shrewsbury, met him with a large body of men at arms on the strand of the sea shore, and as it is reported, fell by an arrow discharged by the king’s own hand, on the seventh day after he had treated the priest just mentioned with such barbarity.

EX FLORENTIO WIGORNIENSE CHRONICON.

A.D.1083 HIC idem rex Ecgbrihtus octavus quidem in regibus gentis Anglorum, cunctis australibus eorum provinciis, et quæ Humbræ fiuvio et contiguis ci terminis sequestrantur a borealibus, imperavit. Nam primus imperium hujusmodi Ælle, rex Australium Saxonum ; secundus Celin, rex Occidentalium Saxonum, qui lingua ipsorum Ceaulin vocabatur ; tertius Æthelberhtus, rex Cantuariorum ; quartus Redwald, rex Orientalium Anglorum, qui etiam vivente Æthelberhto eidem suæ genti , ducatum præbebat, obtinuit ; quintus Edwinus, rex Northanhymbrorum gentis, id est, ejus quæ ad borealem Humbræ fiuminis plagam inhabitant, majore potentia cunctis qui Britanniam incolunt, Anglorum pariter et Britonum populis præfuit, præter Cantuarios tantum ; necnon et Mevanias Britonurn insulas, quæ inter Hiberniam et Britanniam sitæ sunt, Anglorum suscepit imperio ; sextus Oswald, et ipse Nor-thymbrorum rex Christianissimus, eisdem finibus regnum tenuit; septimus Oswiu, frater ejus, æqualibus pene terminis regnum nonnuflo tempore coercens ; Pictorum quoque atque Scottorum gentes quæ septentrionales Britanniæ fines tenent, maxima cx parte perdomuit, ac tributari~s fecit ; octavus, ut diximus, extitit rex Ecgbrihtus ; cujus, ut fertur., regni tempore ortus est beatus Swjthunus nobili parentum stirpe, qui transactis annis puerilibus, a sancto Helmstano, præsule Wintoniensis ecclesiæ, sacris estgradibus attitulatus : cui etiam rex Ecgbrihtus~’ filium suum commendavit Æthelwlfum litteris sacris erudiendum.

Ex EODEM.

A.D. 1094.—Ad hæc etiam primitus North-Walani, deinceps West-Walani et Suth-Walani, servitutis jugo, quo din premebantur, excusso, et cervice erecta, libertatem sibi vindicare laborabant. Tjnde collecta multitudine, castella quæ in West-Walonia firmata erant, frangebant, et in Cestrensi, Scrobbesbyriensi, et Here-fordensi provincia frequenter villas eremabant, prædas agebant, et multos cx Angus et Normannis inter ficiebant. Fregerunt et castellum in Mevania insulas, eamque suæ ditione subjiciebant. Interim Scotti regem suum Dunechan, et cum eo nonnullos, suasu et hortatu Dufenaldi, per insidias peremerunt, et ilium sibi regem rursus constituerunt. Post hæc rex Wilielmus IV., kal. Januarii Angliam rediit, et ut Walanos debellaret, mox exercitum in Waloniam duxit, ibique homines et equos perdidit multos.

EX EODEM,

A.D. 1098.—Interea comites Hugo de Legeceastra, et Hugo de Scrobbesbyria Mevaniam insulam, quæ consuete vocatur Anglesege, cum exercitu adierunt, et multos Walanorum quos in ea ceperunt occiderunt, quosdam vero, manibus, vel pedibus truncatis, testiculisque abscisis, excæcaverunt. Quendam etiam provectæ ætatis presbyterum, nomine Cenredum, a quo Walani in

* us quæ agebant consiiium accipiebant, de ecclesia extraxerunt, et ejus testiculis abscisis et uno oculo eruto, linguam illius abscider, unt : sed die tertia, miseratione divina illi reddita est loquela. Bo tempore rex Norreganorum Magnus, films regis Olavi, flu regis Haroldi Harvagri, Orcadas et Mevanias insulas cum suo adjecisset imperio, paucis navibus advectus june venit. At cum ad terram rates appeliere vellet, comes Hugo de Scrobbesbyria, multis armatis militibus in ipsa mans ripa illi occurrit, et, ut fertur, mox ab ipso rege sagitta percussus, die viio. quo crudelitatem in præfatum exercuerat presbyterum, interiit.

* Or Earldorman ; from which the titular designation of earl is derived.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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