Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066; Middle Ages -- Sources
In the same year Alfred, king of the Anglo-Saxons, led his fleet, full
of fighting men, out of Kent to the country of the East Angles, for the
sake of plunder;[122] and, when they had arrived at the mouth of the
river Stour,[123] immediately thirteen ships of the pagans met them,
prepared for battle; a fierce fight ensued, and all the pagans, after a
brave resistance, were slain; all the ships, with all their money, were
taken. After this, while the royal fleet were reposing, the pagans, who
lived in the eastern part of England, assembled their ships, met the
same royal fleet at sea in the mouth of the same river, and, after a
naval battle, the pagans gained the victory.
In the same year, also, Carloman, king of the Western Franks, whilst
hunting a wild boar, was miserably killed by a large animal of that
species, which inflicted a dreadful wound on him with its tusk. His
brother Louis [III], who had also been king of the Franks, died the year
before. These two brothers were sons of Louis, king of the Franks, who
had died in the year above-mentioned, in which the eclipse of the sun
took place; and it was he whose daughter Judith was given by her
father's wish in marriage to Ethelwulf, king of the West Saxons.
In the same year also a great army of the pagans came from Germany into
the country of the ancient Saxons, which is called in Saxon
Ealdseaxum.[124] To oppose them the said Saxons and Frisons joined their
forces, and fought bravely twice in that same year. In both those
battles the Christians, with the merciful aid of the Lord, obtained the
victory.
In the same year also, Charles, king of the Almains, received, with
universal consent, all the territories which lie between the Tyrrhenian
sea and that gulf which runs between the old Saxons and the Gauls,
except the kingdom of Armorica, i.e. Lesser Britain. This Charles was
the son of king Louis, who was brother of Charles, king of the Franks,
father of the aforesaid queen Judith; these two brothers were sons of
Louis, but Louis was the son of the great, the ancient, and wise
Charlemagne, who was the son of Pepin.
In the same year pope Martin, of blessed memory, went the way of all
flesh; it was he who, in regard for Alfred, king of the Anglo-Saxons,
and at his request, freed the school of the Anglo-Saxons resident at
Rome from all tribute and tax. He also sent many gifts on that occasion,
among which was no small portion of the holy and venerable cross on
which our Lord Jesus Christ was suspended, for the general salvation of
mankind.
In the same year also the army of pagans, which dwelt among the East
Angles, disgracefully broke the peace which they had concluded with king
Alfred.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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