[Sidenote:  Hen.  Hunt. Winchester destroied by Danes.] In his daies the Danes came on land, and destroid the citie of Winchester:  but duke Osrike with them of Hamshire, and duke Adelwolfe [Sidenote:  Danes vanquished.] with the Barkeshire men gaue the enimies battell, & vanquishing them, slue of them a great number.  In the fift yeere of Ethelbrights reigne, a nauie of Danes arriued in the Ile of Tenet, vnto whome when the Kentishmen had promised a summe of monie to haue a truce granted for a time, the Danes one night, before the tearme of that truce was expired, brake foorth and wasted all the east part of Kent:  wherevpon the Kentishmen assembled togither, made towardes those trucebreakers, and caused them to depart out of the countrie.  The same yeere, after that Ethelbright had ruled well and peaceably the Westsaxons fiue yeeres, and the Kentishmen ten yeeres, he ended his life, and was buried at Shireborne, as his brother Ethelbald was before him.

[Sidenote:  ETHELRED. 867.] After Ethelbright succeeded his brother Ethelred, and began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons and the more part of the English people, in the yeere of our Lord 867, and in the 12 yeere of the emperour Lewes, in the 27 yeere of the reigne of Charles Caluus king of France, and about the 6 yeere of Constantine the second king of Scots.  Touching this Ethelred, he was in time of peace a most courteous prince, and one that by all kind of meanes sought to win the hearts of the people:  but abroad in the warres he was sharpe and sterne, as he that vnderstood what apperteined to good order, so that he would suffer no offense to escape vnpunished.  By which meanes he was famous both in peace and warre:  but he neither liued any long time in the gouernement, nor yet was suffered to passe the short space that he reigned in rest and quietnesse.

[Sidenote:  Foure yeeres six moneths saith Harison. Wil.  Malm. Ethelred fought with the Danes nine times in one yeere.] For whereas he reigned not past six yeeres, he was continuallie during that tearme vexed with the inuasion of the Danes, and speciallie towards the latter end, insomuch that (as hath beene reported of writers) he fought with them nine times in one yeere:  and although with diuers and variable fortune, yet for the more part he went away with the victorie.  Beside that, he oftentimes lay in wait for their forragers, and such as straied abroad to rob and spoile the countrie, whom he met withall and ouerthrew.  There were slaine in his time nine earles of those Danes, and one king, beside other of the meaner sort without number.

But here is to be vnderstood, that in this meane time, whilest Ethelred was busied in warre to resist the inuasions of the Danes in the south and west parts of this land, the kings and rulers of [Sidenote:  The kings of Mercia and Northumberland neglect their duties.] Mercia and Northumberland taking occasion therof, began to withdraw their couenanted subiection from the Westsaxons, and tooke vpon them as it were the absolute gouernment and rule of their countries, without respect to aid one another, but rather were contented to susteine the enimies within their dominions, than to preuent the iniurie with dutifull assistance to those, whom by allegiance they were bound to serue and obeie.