A. 900. Meanwhile, after four years, from the time that the above-named king died, there was a great discord among the English, because the foul bands of the Danes still remained throughout Northumberland. Lastly, in the same year, king Alfred departed out of this world, that immoveable pillar of the Western Saxons, that man full of justice, bold in arms, learned in speech, and, above all other things, imbued with the divine instructions. For he had translated into his own language, out of Latin, unnumbered volumes, of so varied a nature, and so excellently, that the sorrowful book of Boethius seemed, not only to the learned, but even to those who heard it read, as it were, brought to life again. The monarch died on the seventh day before the solemnity of All Saints, and his body rests in peace in the city of Winton. Pray, O reader, to Christ our Redeemer, that he will save his soul! FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 63: Allington, Wiltshire.] [Footnote 64: Athelney, no longer an island, is situated near Borough-bridge in Somersetshire.] [Footnote 65: Easter Day was the 23rd of March in the year 878.] [Footnote 66: Heddington.] [Footnote 67: Some suppose that this is Aller near Athelingay, or Athelney; but Athelney itself is called Alney by the common people; it is therefore more likely that Athelingay and Alney were the same place, as they are at present.] [Footnote 68: Aschloha, or Ascloha, is on the Maese, about fourteen miles from the Rhine.] [Footnote 69: The Scheldt.] [Footnote 70: Condé.] [Footnote 71: More commonly Ambiani, now Amiens.] [Footnote 72: Louvain.] [Footnote 73: I acknowledge my inability to translate this and many other passages of this obscure author. The events which here follow for the next half page are referred by the Saxon Chronicle to the year 894.] [Footnote 74: Armorica, or Bretagne.] [Footnote 75: This should be Marinus, not Martinus.] [Footnote 76: Mount St. Barnard.] [Footnote 77: Saint Lo.] [Footnote 78: I omit this obscure passage rather than run the risk of misleading the reader by an inaccurate translation of it.] [Footnote 79: This must be the fortress which Hasten's men built in Bamfleet.] [Footnote 80: Welland, Northamptonshire.] CHAP. IV.--_Of the reign of king Edward, and of his wars._ A. 901. The successor to the throne was Edward, son of the above-named king. He was elected by the nobles, and crowned with the royal crown on Whitsunday, one hundred years having elapsed since his great grandfather, Egbert, had gained his present territories. In the same year Ethelbald received, in the city of London, the bishopric of the city of York; and, it appears, that the number of years completed, since Christ came in the flesh, was nine hundred full.