A.D. 878. SUCCESS OF THE AfiMY 07 KING ALFBED. 429 all necessary supplies of food from the enemy. And when, in accordance with the king's injunction, the sailors hastened to that quarter, they met with a hundred and twenty ships full of armed soldiers, and fully loaded, which were all coming to the assistance of their countrymen. And when the king's servants perceived that those ships were full of armed soldiers, they rushed to arms, and gallantly attacked the barbarian people. The pagans, also, who had been now tossed about amid the waves of the sea in great danger for nearly a month, gave battle very unsuccessfully; and, accordingly, their squadrons were routed in a moment, in the place which is called ôfoamuund), and they were all drowned together, and perished in the waves. A.D. 878· The army of the pagans which had wintered ir Exeter, quitted that city, and marched to Cï)tpptnï)am, a roya town situated in Wiltshire, and there wintered. Moreover Gytro, king of the Danes, having now traversed all the die. tricte of England, with irresistible courage, everywhere ravaging the holy places, distributed among his soldiers all the gold and silver that he could lay his hands on anywhere. At length, when the fame of king Alfred had reached him, how he alone, in the kingdom of England, was preeminent above all the other sovereigns for wisdom, and prudence, and riches, that wicked Gytro directed his standard and arms against those nations. And he proceeded, setting fire to all the towns and cities, and slaying with the sword, and destroying whatever came in his way ; and, in order to strike greater terror into the inhabitants, he spared neither the female sex, nor the age of infante. And the storm of this persecution was increased by the detestable wickedness of Hinguar, Hubba, and Halden, who coming from the district of Demetia, where they had wintered, with three and twenty ships, like rapacious wolves, after having shed much blood in that country, and burnt all the monasteries, sailed towards Devonshire, in which district this same Hinguar, with Hubba and Halden, and a hundred and twenty men, were slain before the castle of Henfotti), by the army of king Alfred ; and there the Christian soldiers of king Alfred avenged the blood of the blessed king and martyr, Edmund, which the before-mentioned ministers of iniquity had shed. But, nevertheless, the greater part of their army saved itself by night, and escaped to Gytro, the king of the pagans. And then, as soon as they had united their forces, forming