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pence, and bring then a certificate thence, that he has there rendered so much; and when he comes home, pay to the king a hundred and twenty shillings. And if again he will not pay it, let him be led again to Rome, and with another such "bot"; and when he comes home again, pay to the king two hundred shillings. At the third time, if he then yet will not, let him forfeit all that he owns.

35. Of Festivals and Fasts

From the Laws of King Edgar

And let the festivals of every Sunday be kept, from noontide of the Saturday, till the dawn of Monday, on peril of the "wite" which the doom-book specifies; and every other massday, as it may be commanded: and let every ordained fast be kept with every earnestness; and every Friday's fast, unless it be a festival: and let soul-scot be paid for every Christian man to the minster to which it is due; and let every church"grith" stand as it has best stood.

36. Secular Ordinance

From the Laws of King Edgar Now this is the secular ordinance which I will that it be held. This then is first what I will: that every man be worthy of "folk-right," as well poor as rich: and that righteous dooms be judged to him; and let there be such remission in the "bot" as may be becoming before God and tolerable before the world.

IN CASE ANY ONE APPLY TO THE KING: AND OF THE "WER"

And let no man apply to the king, in any suit, unless he at home may not be worthy of law, or cannot obtain law. If the law be too heavy, let him seek a mitigation of it from the king: and, for any "bot"-worthy crime, let no man forfeit more than his "wer."

OF UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT

And let the judge who judges wrong to another pay to the king one hundred and twenty shillings as "bot"; unless he dare to prove on oath, that he knew it not more rightly; and let him forfeit forever his thaneship; unless he will buy it of the king, so as he is willing to allow him: and let the bishop of the shire exact the "bot" into the king's hands.

IN CASE ANY ONE ACCUSE ANOTHER

And he who shall accuse another wrongfully, so that he, either in money or prosperity, be the worse; if then the other

can disprove that which any one would charge to him; be he liable in his tongue; unless he make him compensation with his "wer."

OF GEMOTS

And let the hundred-“gemōt” be attended as it was before fixed; and thrice in the year let a "burh-gemōt" be held; and twice, a shire-"gemōt"; and let there be present the bishop of the shire and the "ealdorman," and there both expound the law of God as the secular law.

OF "BORHS"

And let every man so order that he have a "borh"; and let the "borh" then bring and hold him to every justice; and if any one then do wrong and run away, let the "borh" bear that which he ought to bear. But if it be a thief, and if he can get hold of him within twelve months; let him deliver him up to justice, and let be rendered to him what he before had paid.

OF "TIHT-BYSIG" PERSONS

And he who is "tyht-bysig," and is untrue to the people, and has shunned these "gemōts" thrice; then let there be chosen from the "gemōt" those who shall ride to him, and then let him yet find a "borh" if he can: but if he cannot, let them seize him as they can, whether alive or dead; and take all that he owns; and let the accuser be paid an “angylde" for his "ceap-gild": and let the lord moreover take half, half the hundred; and if either a kinsman or a stranger refuse the riding, let him pay to the king a hundred and twenty shillings: and let a notorious thief seek whatever he may seek, or he who is found plotting against his lord, so that they never seek life; unless the king will grant them salvation of life.

OF MONEY AND MEASURES

And let one money pass thoughout the king's dominion; and that let no man refuse: and let one measure and one weight pass; such as is observed at London and at Winchester; and let the wey of wool go for CXXX. pence; and let no man sell it cheaper; and if any one sell it cheaper, either publicly or privately, let each pay XL. shillings to the king, both him who sells it, and him who buys it.

This then is what I will: that every man be under "borh," both within the "burhs," and without the "burhs"; and let witness be appointed to every "burh" and to every hundred.

To every "burh," let there be chosen XXXIII. as witness. To small "burhs," and in every hundred, XII.; unless ye desire more.

And let every man, with their witness, buy and sell every of the chattels that he may buy or sell, either in a "burh" or in a wapentake; and let every of them, when he is first chosen as witness, give the oath that he never, neither for money, nor for love, nor for fear, will deny any of those things of which he was witness, nor declare any other thing in witness, save that alone which he saw or heard: and of such sworn men, let there be at every bargain two or three as witness.

CHAPTER VI

THE DANES IN ENGLAND

37. The Danish Invasions

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The Danish invasions of England extended from 787 through three centuries. During this period there was no decade free from harrying and slaughter. Ireland and Scotland did not escape the ravagers, but England had to bear the brunt of the struggle. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells us of the first coming of the Danes in 787, and then marks the progress of the Danish power until this culminated in the reign of Canute. The selections given, from the Chronicle and from ASSER'S Life of Alfred, note but a few of the salient points in the history of the establishment of the Danish power. The works cited should be consulted for details.

A. 787. This year king Bertric took to wife Eadburga, king Offa's daughter; and in his day first came three ships of Northmen, out of Hæretha-land [Denmark]. And then the reve rode to the place, and would have driven them to the king's town, because he knew not who they were: and they there slew him. These were the first ships of Danishmen which sought the land of the English nation.

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

A. 878. This year, during midwinter, after twelfth night, the army stole away to Chippenham, and overran the land of the West-Saxons, and sat down there; and many of the people they drove beyond sea, and of the remainder the greater part they subdued and forced to obey them, except king Alfred: and he, with a small band, with difficulty retreated to the woods and to the fastnesses of the moors. And the same winter the brother of Hingwar and of Halfdene came with twenty-three ships to Devonshire in Wessex; and he was there slain, and with him eight hundred and forty

men of his army: and there was taken the war-flag which they called the RAVEN. After this, at Easter king Alfred with a small band constructed a fortress at Athelney; and from this fortress, with that part of the men of Somerset which was nearest to it, from time to time they fought against the army. Then in the seventh week after Easter he rode to Brixton, on the east side of Selwood; and there came to meet him all the men of Somerset, and the men of Wiltshire, and that portion of the men of Hampshire which was on this side of the sea; and they were joyful at his presence. On the following day he went from that station to Iglea [Iley], and on the day after this to Heddington, and there fought against the whole army, put them to flight, and pursued them as far as their fortress: and there he sat down fourteen days. And then the army delivered to him hostages, with many oaths, that they would leave his kingdom, and also promised him that their king should receive baptism: and this they accordingly fulfilled. And about three weeks after this king Gothrun came to him, with some thirty men who were of the most distinguished in the army, at Aller, which is near Athelney: and the king was his godfather at baptism; and his chrism-loosing was at Wedmore: and he was twelve days with the king; and he greatly honoured him and his companions with gifts.

(Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, for years given, ed. cited.) 38. Alfred at Athelney

Asser

ASSER, a monk of St. David's, afterward Bishop of Sherborne. was an adviser and intimate of King Alfred. He wrote a Life of the king, which, though containing few facts not also to be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, is of interest and value. The following selection graphically describes the period of discouragement which formed the prelude to the victories of the greatest of the early English kings, as well as the battle in which the power of the Danes was overthrown.

The same year, after Easter, king Alfred, with a few followers, made for himself a stronghold in a place called Athelney, and from thence sallied with his vassals and the nobles of Somersetshire, to make frequent assaults upon the pagans. Also, in the seventh week after Easter, he rode to the stone of Egbert, which is in the eastern part of the wood which is called Selwood, which means in Latin Silva Magna, the Great Wood, but in British Coit-mawr. Here he was met by all the neighbouring folk of Somersetshire, and Wiltshire, and Hampshire, who had not, for fear of the pagans, fled

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