battle to the pagans. But when they had fought vigorously a long time, the pagans gained the victory. Again, after the lapse of two months, king Ethelred and his brother Alfred, after a long battle at Mereton against the wicked infidels, defeated them, and compelled the pagans to betake themselves to flight. But afterwards, when they returned to attack the Christians, they came off victorious. In this battle Hamund, bishop of Sherburne, received the crown of martyrdom, and was succeeded in his bishopric by Ethelheg, a man of great learning in ecclesiastical matters. The same year, Ethelred, king of the West Saxons, died, on the twenty-third of April. And when he had been buried in royal fashion at Wimborne, his brother Alfred, who had previously received the crown and royal unction at Rome from pope Leo, assumed the government of the whole kingdom, to the extreme joy of all the inhabitants. The ancient writers, tracing up the genealogy of this king, have woven him a pedigree, and carried him up to Christ. King Alfred was the son of Ethelwolf, the great king of the West Saxons, who was the son of Egbert, who was the son of Alcumund, who was the son of Eafa, who was the son of Eoppa, who was the son of Inoilf, who was the brother of Inas, and these were both the sons of Kenred, who was the son of Ceolwald, who was the son of Cuthwin, who was the son of Cealwin, who was the son of Kenric, who was the son of Cedric. He was the first of the Angles who reigned in the kingdom of the West Saxons. Cedric was the son of Elesas,who was the son of queen Gewisa, as descendants of whom, some of the Britons claim nobility of birth. Gewisa was the daughter of Gewy, who was the son of Wingy, who was the son of Frewin, who was the son of Frethegar, who was the son of Brasndei, who was the son of Beldag, who was the son of Woden. To Woden the ancients dedicated the fourth day of the week, which, from his name, they called VStatttne0tta$, that is to say, the day of Woden. Woden was the son of Frethewold, who was the son of Freolaf, who was the son of Frethewolf, who was the son of Fin, who was the son of Godwolf, who was the son of Greta. The ancient Gentiles used formerly to worship Geta as a god ; and Sedulius, an admirable poet, making mention of him in his paschal poem, says : " When Gentile poets strive with labour vain, To deck their fictions in high-sounding words