324 



boundary of England, surrounded on all sides with marshes, but 

 with an agreeable plain further in. Here he " solaced the 

 distress of his vagrancy " by hunting and occasional pillage, and 

 after a time gathered a few followers who helped him to build a 

 fort strong enough for defence. Thus protected he must have 

 remained here for a whole year, a circumstance usually overlooked. 

 During this time he gradually collected a force east of Selwood, 

 and then, seven weeks after Easter, in 879, marched towards 

 the Danes, who still lay at Chippenham, | and, passing by Iglea, 

 perhaps Clay Hill, near "Warminster, encountered his enemies at 

 the successful battle of Ethauduue. Having driven them back to 

 the shelter of their fortress, a walled town, unnamed, but why not 

 Chippenham, he sat down before it for fourteen days, when terms 

 were concluded, hostages delivered, a division of territory agreed 

 to, or, as it is put in the Chronicle, the Danes with many oaths 

 swore they would leave the Kingdom, i.e., the Kingdom of 

 Wessex. They also agreed that their King should embrace 

 Christianity. Keeping this promise, Guthrum went to Alfred 

 seven weeks afterwards, or three weeks according to the Chronicle, 

 and was baptized at Aller, close to Athelney. On the eighth day 

 after, his " chrism loosing was at Wedmore." Having entertained 

 him for twelve days altogether, Alfred sent him off with handsome 

 presents ;J bountifully gave him many excellent dwellings, says 

 Asser ; or, as Ingulph, another chronicler, more clearly puts it, 

 he " out of his royal munificence presented him with East Anglia 

 to dwell in."§ Now Alfred really had nothing to give, and 



* Tumor Hist, of ADglo-Saxons. Cottonian MSS. Claudius A 5 

 Wallingford's Chronicle. 



t Ethelwerd's Chronicle. X Saxon Chronicle. 



§ A manuscript in the Bodleian says the baptism was at Westminster and 

 the entertainment in London. The document however is not an early one, and 

 can be of no value. There is no heading, but it purports to be a Chronicle of 

 England from Brute to the Conquest. As it was a long and tedious work 

 finding it, the exact reference is here given for the benefit of others. Digby 

 MSS., No. 196, fol. 108, line 23. 



