A.D. 997. DANES ENTER THE SEVERN. 81 immediately attempted to force an entrance and burn it : but by the aid of God and of • His Mother, they -were repulsed by the citizens, -with no small loss to their army. Thereupon, being exasperated with rage and sorrow, on the same day they betook themselves thence, and first in Essex and in Kent, and near the sea-shore, and afterwards in Sussex and in the province of Southampton, they burned houses, laid waste the fields, and without respect to sex or age destroyed a very great number of people with fire and sword, and carried off a large amount of spoil ; at last, having obtained horses for themselves, furiously raging, they traversed many provinces to and fro, and spared neither the female sex nor yet the innocent age of infants, but, with the ferocity of wild beasts, consigned all to death. Upon this, king Egelred, by the advice of his nobles, sent ambassadors to them, promising that he would give them tribute and provisions, on condition that they should entirely put an end to their cruelty. Assenting to this request of the king, they returned to their ships, and then the whole of the army assembled together at Southampton and passed the winter there. The provisions were provided for them by the whole of Wessex ; and by the whole of England the tribute, which amounted to sixteen pounds, was paid. In the meantime, by the command of king Egelred, Elphege, the bishop of Winchester, and the noble duke Ethelwald, proceeded to king Alaf, and, having given hostages, brought him with great honor to the royal town of Andeafaran," where the king was staying. He was honorably received by the king, who caused him to be confirmed by the bishop, and, adopting him as his son, presented him with royal gifts, on which he promised king Egelred that he would no more come with an army to England ; and, after this, he returned to the ships, and at the approach of summer returned to his own country, and carefully adhered to his promise. In the year 995, Aldune, the bishop, removed the body of Saint Cuthbert from Cestre * to Dunhohn.10 In the year 996, Elfric was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury. In the year 997, the army of the Danes, which had remained 8 Andover. » Chester-le-Street. 10 Durham. VOL. I. G