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the spot in disguise, so ’tis said; at all events he knows that they 
are there, and that they are entirely unsuspicious of his approach, 
deeming themselves secure from any small predatory bands and 
expecting none other. 
Some two or three miles, or less, from the Danish Camp skirts 
along the edge of the great Forest of Selwood, which has hitherto 
preserved Alfred and his followers from pursuit. Through this 
_ forest, from Egbright’stone, or Brixton Deverill, which is an 
ascertained spot, Alfred marches to Ecglea, of Asser—Iglea of the 
Saxon chronicle. We find it in Cley Hill; though some have thought 
Westbury Leigh, on the high road from Westbury to Edington, 
was the place of his first halt. I prefer Cley Hill; first, because 
Westbury would be in too dangerous proximity to the Danish 
Camp, perhaps within sight of Bratton Castle; and secondly, 
because the name retains the last half of the word almost intact, 
the c andthe Lea. Geoffry Gaimar, a poet of the twelfth century, 
reads it Aclee. Thirdly, because it realises the meaning of the 
name itself. The Ig-Lea, island-mead or pasture. It rises like 
an island hill in the midst of a wooded plain ; and lastly, it is at 
a most convenient distance for the march and attack on the 
Danish Camp. 
Alfred wished to surprise the Danes, and also to collect round 
him as formidable a force as he could to throw upon their position. 
For this object he does not move very far the first day in order to 
give every opportunity to stragglers to come up; and he keeps 
within the forest as long as he can, till he gets nearly opposite 
to the Danish Camp. He fortifies himself; and there are marks 
of such fortifications at Cley Hill, supposed to have been of very 
great antiquity—all the better for Alfred. 
In the early dawn of the following day, “ mane illucescente,” he 
quits his camp and begins his march, and would easily come before 
the camp of the Danes by nine o'clock, as Geoffrey Gaimar says, 
the distance being eight miles. By this time his enemy would, of 
course, be awake and drawn up for action, but as they were 
