mined what it was, and whence it had come. Then it
was seen by them all, just as it was, that the heavenly gift had been
given him by the Lord himself.

Alfred's 'Bede': Translation of Robert Sharp.

FROM THE 'CHRONICLE'

Selection from the entry for the year 897

Then Alfred, the King, ordered long ships built to oppose the war-ships
of the enemy. They were very nearly twice as long as the others; some
had sixty oars, some more. They were both swifter and steadier, and also
higher than the others; they were shaped neither on the Frisian model
nor on the Danish, but as it seemed to King Alfred that they would be
most useful.

Then, at a certain time in that year, came six hostile ships to Wight,
and did much damage, both in Devon and elsewhere on the seaboard. Then
the King ordered that nine of the new ships should proceed thither. And
his ships blockaded the mouth of the passage on the outer-sea against
the enemy. Then the Danes came out with three ships against the King's
ships; but three of the Danish ships lay above the mouth, high and dry
aground; and the men were gone off upon the shore. Then the King's men
took two of the three ships outside, at the mouth, and slew the crews;
but one ship escaped. On this one all the men were slain except five;
these escaped because the King's ship got aground. They were aground,
moreover, very inconveniently, since three were situated upon the same
side of the channel with the three stranded Danish ships, and all the
others were upon the other side, so that there could be no communication
between the two divisions. But when the water had ebbed many furlongs
from the ships, then went the Danes from their three ships to the King's
three ships that had been left dry upon the same side by the ebbing of
the tide, and they fought together there. Then were slain Lucumon, the
King's Reeve, Wulfheard the Frisian, and AEbbe the Frisian, and AEthelhere
the Frisian, and AEthelferth the King's companion, and of all the men
Frisians and English, sixty-two; and of the Danes, one hundred
and twenty.

But the flood came to the Danish ships before the Christians could shove
theirs out, and for that reason the Danes rowed off. They were,
nevertheless, so grievously wounded that they could not row around the
land of the South Saxons, and the sea cast up there two of the ships
upon the shore. And the men from them were led to Winchester to the
King, and he commanded