with all his men, but was nevertheless compelled to share in their disgraceful flight. The king's officers pursued the fugitives and captured one vessel of the Danish fleet, which they made prize of, and put to death all the crew. The rest of the Danish pirates fell in with the ships of London, and, in the engagement which ensued, many thousands of the Danes perished. In addition, duke Alfric's vessel was captured, with its crew and equipments, he himself escaping with difficulty. Danish persecution. A.D. 993. The aforesaid band of pagans took and spoiled Bananburg [Bamborough], and ravaged Northumberland and Lindesey, and when the country people came out to fight against them, their leaders, Frane, Frithegist, and Godwin, who were of Danish descent, betrayed their followers, and were the first to fly. In this year also, by command of king Ethelred, Algar, son of the aforesaid traitor Alfric, was deprived of his sight. A heavy tribute paid to the Danes A.D. 994. Sweyn king of the Danes, and Anlaf king of the Norwegians, arrived at London with ninety-four cogues* on the nativity of the blessed Mary, and made a fierce assault with a view to take it ; but being repulsed with great loss by the citizens, they turned their rage against the provinces of Egsex, Kent, Sussex, and Southampton, which they grievously ravaged, and slew multitudes of the inhabitants. King Ethelred thereupon, with the advice of his nobles, made them a payment of sixteen thousand pounds, collected from the whole of England, to induce them to cease from robbing and slaughtering the innocent people. King Ethelred at this time dispatched Elfege, bishop of Winchester, and duke Athelwold, to king Anlaf, whom they brought in peace to the royal vili where king Ethelred then was, and at his request dipped him in the sacred font, after which he was confirmed by the bishop, the king adopting him as his son and honouring him with royal presents, and the following summer he returned to his own country in peace. * Λ term still used in the Highlands of Scotland. See Waverley.