A.D. 1009. DANES ATTACK CANTEEBURY. 87 every one hundred and ten hides of land, one galley to be built, and for every nine,26 a coat of mail and a helmet to be provided, and gave directions that ships should be built with all speed throughout the whole of England. These being prepared, he put on board of them picked soldiers, with provisions, and that they might protectthe extremities of his kingdom from the incursions of the foreigners, collected them at the port of Sandwich. At this period, Brithric, the brother of the perfidious duke Edric Streone, a slippery, ambitious, and haughty man, unjustly accused before the king, AVulnoth,27 a thane of the South Saxons, who shortly after took to flight to avoid being seized, and having obtained nine vessels, committed numerous ravages near the sea-shore. But when word was brought to the royal fleet, that if any one wished, he might easily take him ; Brithric, having collected eighty galleys, set out to give him chase ; however, after he had sailed for some time with a fair wind, on a sudden a most violent tempest arose, and wrecked and shattered his ships, and threw them ashore, where they were shortly after burnt by Wulnoth. On this being known, the king with his chieftains and nobles returned home. But by his orders the fleet repaired to London, and thus this mighty labour of the people was wasted. In the year 1009, the Danish earl Turkill came with his fleet to England, and afterwards, in the month of August, another innumerable fleet of the Danes, the chiefs of which were Hemming and Ailaf, came to the Isle of Tenedland,28 and without delay united with the aforesaid fleet, after which both of them entered the harbour of Sandwich, and the men disembarking, hastily attacked the city of Canterbury, and began jto storm it; but shortly after, the citizens of Canterbury, with the people of East Kent, suing for peace, obtained their request, and gave them, in consideration of a treaty of peace, three thousand pounds. Upon this they returned to their ships, and steered their course to the Isle of "Wight, and after that, according to their usual practice, frequently collected spoil in Sussex and in the 26 Roger of Wendover and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle say, *' for every eight." 17 The father of Earl Godwin. He was accused of treason. =» Thanet.