By Geo. Matchani, Esq. 177 



begs the question. If by head quarters he means the seat for the 

 time being of the Danish government or the sovereign, he may be 

 allowed the expression ; but if the term is applied to the army, 

 that is the very point in discussion ; and it remains to shew, whe- 

 ther good reasons may not be adduced for believing the " head 

 quarters " to have been not " at Chippenham, twenty-five miles 

 distant," but at Edington and Bratton camps, within eight miles 

 of Cleyhill or Bucley, and four miles of "VVestbury Leigh. 



It is diflBcult, at this period of time, to ascertain the reasons 

 which would determine a leader to make a long or a short day's 

 march, but I will so far anticipate a future observation, as to re- 

 mark, that as surprize was obviously the plan of Alfred, his progress 

 would be decided with a view, not merely to activity, but to con- 

 cealment. Both these stations were within the friendly covert of 

 the forest which shrouded the design of the Saxon King, and at 

 Cleyhill was an encampment which would be another security for 

 a night's occupation, sufficiently near to Edington to admit of an 

 action on the subsequent day. That it did there take place. Dr. 

 Thurnam can scarcely, with seriousness, deny, for it is the state- 

 ment of Asser, the only cotemporary historian, who after step by 

 step and day by day tracing the progress of Alfred to Iglea, adds, 

 " the next morning he removed to Edington, and fighting fiercely 

 and bravely in a compact body against the army of the pagans, by 

 divine permission obtained the victory;" the removal and the battle 

 being stated without interruption in this diurnal narrative.^ It is 

 moreover to be remarked, that this writer uses the term, " castra- 

 metatus est," to denote the security as well as occupancy for the 

 night, but it is incomprehensible that this progress, even in a 

 slighter form, could be effected in an open plain^in the face of an 

 enemy already in possession of the country. 



' " Inde sequent! mane illucente vexilla commovent ad locum qui dicitur 

 Ethandum venit, et contra universum paganorum exercitum cum dcnsa testu- 

 dinc atrocit<;r belliyerans, animoseque din persistcns, divino nutu tandem victoria 

 potituu, paganos maxima ca-de prostravit." Tlie use of the participle present 

 I submit substantiates this fact. Dr. Giles translates bclligcrans " and there 

 I fought," which might lead to some doubt on the subject ; he omits altogether 



the mode of attack denad testudine, probably indicating a sudden onslaught on 

 the camp. 



S 



