“You are a very intelligent young man, Sir,” said he; “most young fellows of your age would have been bored to death half-an-hour ago, even if they hadn’t managed to run off altogether, and so they would have lost a good lesson in English history--not that they would have cared much for that though. But now, I dare say you are getting hungry. Let us go up and see what they are doing in the Castle, and I shall be very glad if you will do me the honour of lunching with me.” “Well,” thought I, as we got up from the turf, “there are not many better things for getting a man on than being a good listener. Here is a very learned old gentleman who doesn’t know my name, and I have got the length of his foot, and he has asked me to luncheon, just because I have been listening to his old stories. I wonder where the lunch is to be though? he spoke of a Castle, perhaps he lives in it--who knows?” So we strolled away together up over the brow of the hill. [3] See Simeon, A.D. 870. [4] See Chronicle of St. Neot, A.D. 878. [5] See Saxon Chron. and Asser, A.D. 866. [6] See Asser, A.D. 867. [7] See Saxon Chron. and Huntingdon, A.D. 874. [8] See Simeon, A.D. 870. [9] N. B. This was written in October, 1857. [10] Here is Robert of Gloster’s account of the martyrdom:-- “So that atte laste to Estangle agen hym come: Ther hii barned and robbede and that fole to grounde slowe; And as wolves among ssep reulych hem to drowe, Seynt Edmond was tho her kyng, and tho he sey that delvol cas That me morthred so that fole, and non amendement n’as, He ches levere to deye hym-sulf, that such soreve to ysey-- He dude hym vorth among ys ton, n’olde he nothyng fle. Hii nome hym and scourged hym, and suthe naked hym bounde To a tre, and to hym ssote, and made hym mony a wounde, That the arewe were on hym tho thycke, that no stede n’as byleved. Atte laste hii martred hym, and smyte of ys heved.” _Robert of Gloster’s Chronicle_, p. 263, _apud Thomas Hearne_. Ed. 1724. [11] See Saxon Chronicle, and Huntingdon, A.D. 870. [12] See Brompton, A.D. 870. [13] See Sax Chron., A.D. 870. [14] See Huntingdon, A.D. 871. [15] See Simeon, A.D. 871. [16] See Saxon Chronicle, A.D. 871. [17] See Asser, A.D. 871. [18] This is Robert of Gloster’s account of the Battle:-- “The Kyng and Alfred ys brother nome men ynowe, Mette hem, and a batayle smyte up Assesdowne-- Ther was mony moder chyld, that sone lay ther doune-- The batayle ylaste vorte-nygt, and ther were aslawe Vyf dukes of Dene-march, ar hii wolde wyth drawe, And mony thousende of other men, and tho’ gonne hii to fle; Ac hii adde alle ybe assend, gyf the nyght n’adde y bee. _Robert of Gloster, p. 263, apud Thomas Hearne. Ed. 1724._”