870. This year the heathen army rode over Mercia into East Anglia, and took up their winter quarters at Thetford. And in the winter the King St. Edmund fought with them, and the Danes gained the victory, and slew the King, and they subjected all that land, and destroyed all the monasteries to which they came. The names of their chiefs who slew the King were Higwais and Ubba. At the same time they came to Medeshamstede, which they burned and pulled down. They slew the Abbot and the monks and all whom they found there; and that place which before was very rich, they brought to possess nothing. And the same year Archbishop Ceolnoth died, and Æthered Bishop of Wiltshire was translated to the see of Canterbury. 871. This year the army came to Reading, in Wessex, and in about three days, two of their Earls rode forth, and the Alderman Æthelwulf met them at Englefield, and fought with them and won the victory, and one of them whose name was Sidrac was slain. Then in about four days King Æthered and his brother Alfred led a great force to Reading, and fought with the army, and there was much slaughter on both sides, and the Alderman Æthelwulf was killed, and the Danes remained masters of the field. And about four days from that time King Æthered and his brother Alfred fought with all the army at Æcesdun,[W] and the Danes were overcome; they had two heathen Kings Bagsæc and Healfden, and many Earls, and they were in two divisions, the Kings Bagsæc and Healfden commanded the one, and the Earls headed the other. King Æthered fought with the division under the Kings and Bagsæc was slain, and his brother Alfred with that of the Earls, and Earl Sidroc[X] the elder, and Earl Sidroc the younger, and Earl Osbearn, and Earl Fræna, and Earl Hareld were killed; and then both divisions fled, and many thousands were slain, and they continued fighting until night. And in about a fortnight King Æthered and his brother Alfred fought with the army at Basing, and there the Danes gained the victory. And about two months afterwards King Æthered and his brother Alfred fought at Mere-tun,[Y] with this army which was in two divisions, and they had the advantage over both during great part of the day, but there was much slaughter on either side, and the Danes remained masters of the field, and Bishop Heahmund and many good men were slain there. And after this fight a great summer[Z] pestilence came upon Reading. And King Æthered died after Easter; he reigned five years, and his body lieth at Winborn Minster. His brother Alfred the son of Æthelwulf succeeded to the kingdom of Wessex, and in about a month, he and a small number of men fought with all the army at Wilton, and had the advantage great part of the day, but the Danes kept possession of the field of battle. And this year nine battles were fought in that kingdom, south of the Thames; and, besides these, the King’s brother Alfred, and the Aldermen and the