216 ROGER OF WENDOVEE. [A.D . 884. At the request of the same king, John translated out of the Greek into Latin the Hierarchy of Dionysius the Areopagite, •which however is less intelligible in the Latin than it is in Greek. He also composed a book, which he entitled IIsj/ fusix.Siv μίξίβματο;, " On the Division of Nature," very useful for solving some difficult questions, making some allowance in some respects, where he has deviated from the path of the Latins and followed in the track of the Greeks, insomuch that by some he has been accounted a heretic; for one Floras wrote against him, and abused and condemned his writings. And indeed there are very many things in the book Πεο/ φνβιχ&ν, which, without great discrimination, would be considered as opposed to the catholic faith. The Eoman pontiff is known to have been of this mind ; for in an epistle addressed to Charles he wrote as follows, "It has been reported to our apostleship that a certain John, by birth a Scot, has lately translated into Latin the work of Dionysius the Areopagite, which he elegantly wrote in Greek, touching the divine names and the celestial orders ; now, according to the custom of the church, he ought to have submitted it unto us for the approval of our judgment, and the more so inasmuch as this John, though said to be very learned, is by general report deficient in sound wisdom in some respects." Owing to this discredit John left France and betook himself to king Alfred, by whose munificence he was induced to accept the office of teacher, and settled at Malmesbury, as appears from the king's writings. There, after some years, his pupils stabbed him with their writing instruments, and he died in great and cruel torments. His corpse was placed in the church of the blessed Laurence, where it remained for some time ; but a ray of fire from heaven having fallen upon his tomb, the monks were stirred up by this revelation and transferred him to a greater church, where they honourably placed him at the left side of the altar. In the same year pope Marinus was succeeded by Adrian, who continued one year and three months. How king Alfred slew a multitude of his enemies. In the year of our Lord 884, the wicked army of pagans divided themselves into two bands, one of which passed into France, while the other returned into Kent and besieged the