ing, if his father had permitted it, the noble-minded king, entirely devoid of covetousness, indulged his son's desire; and thus he who by the just judgment of God was entitled to reign, yielded his right to his wilful and wicked son. Eadmund was consecrated king. In the year of our Lord 855, on the death of pope Leo, Benedict succeeded him, and sat in the Roman chair two years, six months, and ten days, after which the see remained vacant fifteen days. In the same year king Eadmund, who was sprung from the stock of the ancient Saxons, undertook the government of the province of the East-Angles, in the thirteenth year from his birth, on the day of our Lord's nativity, being the 25th day of December. This most pious youth was elected king by all the nobles and people of that region, and being forced to reign much against his will, he received the gift of consecration from Humbert, bishop of Helmham, in the royal vili called Bures. In the year of our Lord 856 died Lothaire, king of the Franks and patrician of the Romans, and was succeeded by Louis, who reigned twenty-one years. Death of king Athelwulf. In the year of our Lord 857, Athelwulf, the pacific king of the West-Saxons, among his other good acts pertaining to the present life, calling to mind his departure therefrom by the common road of all men, that his sons might not fall out among themselves after his death, made his will, by which he directed a division of his kingdom between his sons Athelbald and Ethelbert, and of the money which he left between his daughter, and his kindred, and the nobles of his kingdom. For his soul's health and benefit he enjoined his successors after him for ever to nourish with meat, drink, and clothing one poor person, whether native or stranger, for every ten hides or manors throughout his kingdom, provided that the land could support cattle and was under cultivation. He moreover ordered three hundred mancuses of money to be taken to Rome every year, to be distributed there as follows: —a hundred in honour of St. Peter the chief of the apostles, for the purchase of oil for filling all the lamps of that apostle's church on Easter-eve, and again at cock-crowing; a hundred