110 The Sheriff's Tarn, Co. Wilts, A.JD. 1439. 



" Decenna de Cheverell Magna ven' plene : Et dat de oerto 



— vi.d. 



ad hunc diem xv 8 . iiij d . Et pres' qd Ricardus Touker molen= 

 mia xii d -dinarius injuste cepit tolm ex e . Ideo ipse in mia. Et qd 

 via regia (apud) Hoke Bench infunderetur in defectu Johis 



vi.d. 



Russell. Ideo ipse in nria. 



" Decenna de Litleton ven' plene* : Et dat de certo ad hunc 

 mia vi d diem viij s , viij d . Et pres' qd Wills Leder moln 6 injuste cepit 

 tolm. Ideo ipse in mia. 



" Decenna de Lavington Gernon quum venire deberet plene 

 non venit nec aliquis de decenna sua Et nihil datum de 

 certo Et vocata sub pena xl 8 non venit. Ideo 

 pena predicta." [And so on.] 



The Return for each Hundred concludes with a Declaration on 

 the part of the Jury, confirming the Presentments in each case. 



"xii im Jurat 1 , videlect Johes Stampford et soc' sui affirmant omnia 

 superius" presentata. Presentant ultra predio' quod via 

 regia prope Chirton infunderetur ad nocumentum in defectu 



vi.d. 



decenne de Cherington. Ideo ipsa in mia. Et precept 'est 

 Decenne de Chirton emend cit' prox' sub pena xl 8 ." 



Oakley or Oxley, or some name of similar sound, attached to some petty hill, 

 copse, or corner. At all events, if the Hundred of iEcglei in Berks any where 

 touches the boundary of Wilts, a forced march of thirty five miles would have 

 brought Alfred's men of valour from Ecbright's stone on the western frontier of 

 Wilts to iEcglei on the eastern, in the course of the second day. 



On the next day the celebrated iEthandun battle took place. There is an 

 Edington quite close to Hungerford, but Dr. Beke suggested Tattendon which 

 is about fourteen miles off. This latter is the place mentioned in King Alfred's 

 will as one of his own estates, and certainly nothing is more likely than that he 

 would have secured to himself the very soil on which he crushed the Danish 

 power and secured his throne. 



Dr. Beke's explanation has been by some considered to be very improbable. 

 But why so ? Alfred's expedition was a master stroke, the sudden pouncing of 

 a hawk upon its prey. It required energy and celerity. Tardy movements of 

 a few miles a day, almost within sight of the enemy, would never have answered 

 his purpose. In this respect Dr. Beke's suggestion is one that seems to satisfy 

 the most essential demands of the case. 



