Alfred ruleth ouer the Westsaxons and the greatest part of England, the Danes afflict him with sore warre, and cruellie make wast of his kingdome, they lie at London a whole winter, they inuade Mercia, the king whereof (Burthred by name) forsaketh his countrie and goeth to Rome, his death and buriall; Halden king of the Danes diuideth Northumberland among his people; Alfred incountreth with the Danes vpon the sea, they sweare to him that they will depart out of his kingdome, they breake the truce which was made betwixt him and them, he giueth them battell, and (besides a great discomfiture) killeth manie of their capteines, the Danes and English fight neere Abington, the victorie vncerteine, seuen foughten fieldes betwixt them in one yeare, the Danes soiourne at London.

THE XIIJ.  CHAPTER.

[Sidenote:  ALURED OR ALFRED. 871. as Mat.  West. & Sim.  Dunelmen. doo note it. Henr.  Hunt.] After the decease of king Ethelred, his brother Alured or Alfred succeeded him, and began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons, and other the more part of the people of England, in the yeare of our Lord 872, which was in the 19 yeare of the emperour Lewes the second, and 32 yeare of the reigne of Charles the bald, king of France, and about the eleuenth yeare of Constantine the second king of Scotland.  Although this Alured was consecrated king in his fathers life time by pope Leo (as before ye haue heard) yet was he not admitted king at home, till after the decease of his three elder brethren:  for he being the yoongest, was kept backe from the gouernement, though he were for his wisdome and policie most highlie esteemed and had in all honour.

[Sidenote:  Alured persecuted by Danes. Matt.  Westm.] In the beginning of his reigne he was wrapped in manie great troubles and miseries, speciallie by the persecution of the Danes, which made sore and greeuous wars in sundrie parts of this land, destroieng the same in most cruell wise.  About a moneth after he was [Sidenote:  The Danes obteine the victorie.] made king, he gaue battell to the Danes of Wilton, hauing with him no great number of people, so that although in the beginning the Danes that day were put to the woorse, yet in the end they obteined the victorie.  Shortlie after, a truce was taken betwixt the Danes and the [Sidenote:  The Danes wintered at London. 874.] Westsaxons.  And the Danes that had lien at Reading, remoued from thence vnto London, where they lay all the winter season.  In the second yeare of Alured his reigne, the Danish king Halden led the same armie from London into Lindseie, and there lodged all that winter at [Sidenote:  Repton.] Torkseie.  In the yeare following, the same Halden inuaded Mercia, and wintered at Ripindon.  There were come to him three other leaders of Danes which our writers name to be kings, Godrun, Esketell, & [Sidenote:  Burthred king of Mercia.] Ammond, so that their power was greatlie increased.  Burthred king of Mercia which had gouerned that countrie by the space of 22 yeeres, was not able to withstand the puissance of those enimies:  wherevpon he was constreined to auoid the countrie, and went to Rome, where he departed this life, and was buried in the church of our ladie, neere to the English schoole.