A.D. 883. ARRIVAL OF JOHN THE SCOT. 53 together with himself to the church of Lindisfarne, of which, he became a monk, and fought for a heavenly kingdom. His body being afterwards brought into the church of the above-named town of Northam, became famous there, according to the report of the inhabitants of the place, for performing many miracles. It was through the agency of this king, after he had become a monk, that licence was granted to the monks of the church of Lindisfarne to drink wine or ale ; for before that, they were accustomed to drink nothing but milk and water, according to the ancient tradition of Saint Aidan, the first bishop of that church, and of the monks, who, accompanying him from Scotland, had there, by the liberality of king Oswald, received a refuge, and with great severity of discipline, rejoiced to serve God. Besides this, the above-named hishop Egred built a church at a place which is called Geinforde, and presented it to Saint Cuthbert ; he also built Bellingham in Heorternesse, and two other towns, Becclif and "Wigeclif, on the southern bank of the river Tees, which he gave to Saint Cuthbert, for the maintenance and support of his servants ; and in like manner, Wodecester, and "Whittingham, and Edulfingham, and Ecwlingham,' being presented by king Ceolwulph, from an early period belonged to Saint Cuthbert. In the year 883, pope Marinus, in his love for, and at the earnest entreaty of, king Alfred, obligingly made the school of the Saxons at Borne free from aU tax and tribute ; he also sent many gifts to that king, among which he gave him a large piece of the holy cross, upon which the Son of God was crucified for the salvation of mankind. At this time the above-mentioned army of the pagans went up the river Sunne' to Amiens, and quartered themselves there one year. • In the time of king Alfred, there came into England one John, a Scot by birth, a man of shrewd intellect and of great eloquence. Having a long time previously left his country, he came to France to the court of Charles the Bald, by whom he was entertained with great respect, and was honored by him with his particular intimacy. He shared with the king both his serious and his more merry moments, and was the sole companion both of his table and his retirement. He was also a man of great facetiousness and of ready wit, of which 4 Probably Eglinghara, in Northumberland. · Somme.