wicked Hinguar, and said to hint, " Stained as you are with the blood of my people, you are worthy of the punishment of death. But, imitating the example of my master, Christ, if it shall so happen, I am not at all afraid willingly to die for His sake. Return, therefore, with speed to your master, and bear him my answer: 'Though, with your might, you may carry off my treasures and riches, which the mercy of God has given me, still you shall never make me subject to your infidel power ; for it is honourable to defend liberty for ever, and to uphold at the same time the purity of the faith, for which objects, if it be necessary, we do not consider it useless to die ; therefore, as your arrogant ferocity has begun, murder the king after his servants, and the King of Kings, who sees this, shall transport me to heaven, where I shall reign for ever and ever.' " When, therefore, the savage messenger departed, king Edmund ordered his soldiers to fly to arms, saying, that it was a worthy deed to fight for their faith and for their country, and not to show themselves deserters of the war and betrayers of their nation. Therefore, the most blessed king Edmund, being animated by the earnest exhortations of the bishop Humbert, and of his nobles and soldiers, marched forth, with all the army which he could assemble, boldly against the enemy, and fought a terrible battle, accompanied with heavy loss to both sides, against the enemy who came to meet him, not far from the city which is called CijeBfurtte ; for when they had mutually slaughtered one another from morning till even* ing, and when the wholefield was red with the excessive number of the slain, and with their blood, the most pious king Edmund grieved not only at the slaughter of his own troops, who were fighting for their country and their nation, and for the faith of Jesus Christ, and whom he knew to have received the crown of martyrdom, but also for the death of the infidel barbarians, who are thrust with exceeding bitterness down to the gulf of hell. Therefore, as soon as the pagans retreated from the place of death, that most blessed confessor of Christ, king Edmund, with the remainder of his soldiers who survived, marched to the royal town of Hegledune, and resolved unchangeably in his mind, that he would never for the future fight against the barbarians. But he only said this, that it was needful that he alone should die for his people, and that the whole nation should not perish.