[Sidenote:  The Danes grow in puisance.] By reason hereof, the Danes without resistance grew into greater power amongst them, whilest the inhabitants were still put in feare each day more than other, and euerie late gotten victorie by the enimies by the increase of prisoners, ministred occasion of some other conquest to follow.  Euen about the beginning of Ethelreds reigne, [Sidenote:  Hungar and Vbba.] there arriued vpon the English coasts an huge armie of the Danes, vnder the conduct of two renowmed capteins Hungar and Vbba, men of maruellous strength and valiancie, but both of them passing cruell of nature.  They lay all the winter season in Estangle, compounding with them of the countrie for truce vpon certeine conditions, sparing for a time to shew their force for quietnesse sake.

In the second yeere of king Ethelred, the said capteins came with their armies into Yorkshire, finding the country vnprouided of necessarie defense bicause of the ciuill discord that reigned [Sidenote:  Hen.  Hunt. King Osbright deposed and Ella placed.] among the Northumbers, the which had latelie expelled king Osbright, that had the gouernement of those parts, and placed one Ella in his roome:  howbeit now they were constreined to reuoke him home againe, and sought to accord him and Ella.  But it was long yer that might be brought to passe, notwithstanding yet at length they were made friends, by reason of this inuasion attempted by forren enimies, and then raising their powers they came to Yorke, where the Danes, hauing wasted the countrie euen to the riuer of Tine, were lodged.

The English host entring the citie, began to fight with the Danes, by [Sidenote:  Osbright and Ella kings of Northumberland slaine.] reason whereof a sore battell insued betwixt them:  but in the end the two kings Osbright and Ella were slaine, and a great number of the Northumbers, what within the citie, and what without lost their liues at that time, the residue were constreined to take truce with the [Sidenote:  It must be vpon the 10 kalends of Aprill, or else it will not concurre with Palmsunday.  See Mat.  West.] Danes.  This battell was fought the 21 day of March being in Lent, on the Friday before Palmsunday, in the yere 657.

¶ Some haue written otherwise of this battell, reporting that the Northumbers calling home king Osbright (whome before they had banished) incountred with the Danes in the field, without the walles of Yorke, but they were easilie beaten backe, and chased into the [Sidenote:  Yorke burnt by Danes.] citie, the which by the Danes pursuing the victorie, was set on fier and burnt, togither with the king and people that were fled into it for succour.  How soeuer it came about, certeine it is, that the Danes got the victorie, and now hauing subdued the Northumbers, appointed one Egbert to reigne ouer them as king, vnder their protection, which Egbert reigned in that sort six yeares ouer those which inhabited beyond the riuer of Tine.  In the same yeare, Adelstane