JLD. 521. ABTHUR 'S GENEROSITY TO HIS ENEMIES. 257 at hand, intending to use it as a camp. But the next day, at dawn, Arthur, with his army, ascended to the top of the hill ; hut, in ascending, he lost many of his men ; for the Saxons descended from the summit to meet him, and so inflicted wounds on his troops more easily than his troops could wound them. The Britons, however, having, hy great valour, won the top of the hill, inflicted terrible slaughter on the enemy ; and the Saxons, opposing their breasts to them, resisted them obstinately with all their might. And when they had spent a great part of the day in fighting, at last, Arthur, drawing Caliburn, invoked the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and threw himself with fierce impetuosity among the dense lines of the enemy, and slew every one he could reach, with blows that were not trifling, and which needed no repetition. Nor did he cease from his fury till he had slain eight hundred and forty men with his single sword. Colgrin, and Baldulph, his brother, fell there, and with them many thousands of the barbarians. But Cheldric, when he saw the danger of his companions, fled with the remnant of the army. Therefore the king ordered Cador, duke of Cornwall, to pursue them. And, as they could find no safe place of refuge, they at last, with their scattered battalions, reached the Isle of Thanet ; but the duke pursued them, and gave them no rest till he had •lain Cheldric, and received the surrender of the rest. The same year, John was appointed to the Roman chair, and occupied it two years. A.D. 521. Boethius, having been long an exile, was put to death by Theodoric, king of the GO the. The same year, news was brought to Arthur that the Scots and Picts had besieged king Hoel, in the city of Alclud, where he was lying sick. On which account he hastened to go to his assistance, that he ought not be overwhelmed by any means by the barbarians. And when the enemy heard of his advance, they fled to Mureif. And Arthur pursued them, and besieged them in that town, and they escaped by night, and entered the lake of Lumonoy. But Arthur having collected some ships, surrounded the island, and blockading them, pressed them so much with hunger for fifteen days, that about a million of them died. After which circumstance, the bishops of that district came barefoot and weeping to the king, entreating him to have mercy upon that miserable people, and to permit them to inhabit a small TOL. ι, s