302 The Battle of Ethandun. 



that he moved from Brixton in the early dawn, " diiuculo illuces- 

 cente," and encamped for the night at Iglea. Now the argument 

 of Dr. Thurnam and "Whitaker is, that Iglea is most probably 

 Highley common near Melksham, for the following three good 

 reasons : — First. The name of tlic place is as nearly as possible the 

 same — at all events far nearer than Clay-hill, Buclcy, or "Westbury 

 Leigh, the places between which Mr. Matcham and his authorities 

 hesitate in their choice. Secondly. It is on the direct road from 

 Brixton to Chippenham, where, or in its immediate neighbourhood, 

 there is every reason to believe the Danes were stationed. Thirdly. 

 Its distance from Brixton is eighteen miles, a fair day's march ; 

 while Clay-hill and Westbury Leigh are only, the one five, the 

 other less than nine miles distant, too little for a summer day's 

 march, commenced at "early dawn." Again, as relates to the next 

 day, Asser, repeating his phrase, declares Alfred to have moved off 

 very early in the morning " mane illucescente," and to have reached 

 a place called Ethandun, where he attacked the army of the Danes, 

 &c. But Edington is only four miles from "Westbury, and but 

 eight from Clay-hill or Bucley. Highley, on the other hand, is 

 about ten miles from Etton-down, a reasonable distance for a sum- 

 mer morning's march. It is moreover, doubtful, as Dr. Thurnam 

 remarks, whether the battle did not take place on the third, instead of 

 the second day, for this is expressly stated by Simeon of Durham, 

 and is not inconsistent with the narrative of Asser. Mr. Matcham, 

 indeed, rejects the authority of Simeon on the ground "that this 

 author lived in the reign of Edward III., and did not depart this 

 life till 479 years after the victoiy of Ethandun was gained." This, 

 however, is an error. Simeon of Durham lived in the reigns of 

 "William Rufus and Henry I., and his death occurred in 1129, near 

 two centuries and a half before the date Mr. Matcham assigns to 

 it.' Upon this point as to the probable distance of Ethandun from 

 the starting place, Brixton, some light may be gathered from the 

 "Metrical Chronicle of Geoffrey Gaimar." The basis of this poem, 

 composed about the middle of the 12th century, was no doubt sup- 

 plied by the Saxon Chronicle, but it received many and large 

 ' See Monumenta Britannica p. 87. 



