A.D . 791.] MARRIAGE OP BRITHKIC. king of the Northumbrians, by his patrician, named Sigan, who put him to a miserable death near the Wall, and his body was buried in the church of Hagustald. A t the place where the aforesaid king was slain, a light was emitted from heaven in the sight of numbers ; and the straugeness of the phenomenon induced the faithful to build a church on that spot, which was consecrated to the honour of God, and to St. Cuthbert and king Oswald. He was succeeded in the kingdom by Osred, son of Alcred and great-great-grandson of king Ida, and reigned one year. A cross appeared on people's clothes. In the year of our Lord 789, there appeared the sign of the cross on people's clothes, to the general amazement of all. Now we believe that it was by way of warning the people of that region, that they might avoid the plague of the Danes, which shortly followed. King Brithric marries the daughter of king Offa. In the year of our Lord 790, Brithric, king of the West-Saxons, in order to strengthen his influence among his neighbours, married the daughter of Offa, king of the Mercians, who was at that time in the height of his power ; strengthened by whose alliance, he drove into France, Egbert, the only one remaining of the royal race who he feared would be an enemy to the interests of his kingdom. On his expulsion the king lived in security, when a piratical band of Danes arrived in three vessels and disturbed the peace of that province. It is to be suspected that they came to spy out the fertility of the country ; and this is made clearer than light by the subsequent arrival of a multitude of Danes who filled the whole of Britain. But at this time they landed stealthily, and, attacking a royal vili in the neighbourhood, slew the king's bailiff, who gave them battle. He was the first of the English nation that was slain, but afterwards many thousands of thousands of them fell. At last a multitude of people attacked the Danes, and drove them, with the loss of their spoil, to their ships. King Osred is driven from his kingdom. In the year of our Lord 791, king Osred was expelled his kingdom by the treachery of his subjects, and