10 ANNALS OF EOGEK DE HOVEDEN. A.D. 780. hollowed out in a marvellous fashion, the water of which is sweet to drink, and most limpid to the sight. Ethelred,34 the son of Ethelwald, reigned in his father's stead, and, as will appear in the sequel, held the government hardly five years. At the same period, Charles, the most invincible king of the Franks, after having harassed it with a siege, took Ticinum, the most noble city of the Lombards, together with king Desiderius himself, and gained possession of the whole of Italy. In the year 775, Cynoth, king of the Picts, departed this life, and duke Eadulph was fraudulently taken prisoner by stratagem, and after a short time slain, buried, and forgotten. Abbat Ebbi also died, and king Charles, as I have already observed, the most warlike of the Franks, being attended and supported by, and glorying in, the entire might of his army, entered the country of the Saxon in battle array, and accompanied by his legions. This district, raging with fire and sword, he laid waste by most severe conflicts ; inflamed with furious anger, with a mighty arm he succeeded in adding to his own supreme empire the cities of Sigeburg and Aresburg,35 and the province of Bohwer,36 which had been previously overrun by the Franks. In the year 777, Pecwin, bishop of "Whitherne, departed to the Lord, and was succeeded by Ethelbert. In the year 779, Ethelred being expelled from the throne,37 and driven into exile, was forced to undergo great trials. On the expulsion of Ethelred, Elfwald, the son of Osulph, received the kingdom of Northumbria, and held it ten years. He was a pious and just king, as a future circumstance will prove. In the year 780, dukes Osbald and Ethelherd, having collected an army, burned Beam, the king's patrician,33 at Seletune,39 on the ninth day before the calends of January. In the same year, archbishop Albert departed from this world unto Christ, Eanbald, while he was yet alive, having been appointed to the 51 By some called Ethelbert. 35 Probably Arensberg, in Westphalia. M Probably a mistake for Roer, or Rohwer, a river of Westphalia, the allusion being to the province through which it flows. 37 Of Northumbria. *a See the note under year 788. 39 Lambarde says, " I take this place to be Salton, now in Yorkshire, and yet the conjecture were not unreasonable to think it Salston, in Nottinghamshire."