very day, and at the hour of my departure, let him be prepared to give an account of his sins before God. When the clock shall strike the sixth hour, I shall depart from the body." Nor was faith wanting to the words of the man of God ; for he died at the hour which he had foretold, and at the end of the year, on the same day and hour, that wretched young man was with his companion struck with lightning and died. In the same year pope Benedict attained the Boman chair, and filled it twelve years Sudden destruction of the Danes throughout all England. In this year a certain Huna, king Ethelred's chief military commander, an undaunted and warlike man, beholding the insolence of the Danes, who after the establishment of peace had grown strong throughout the whole of England, presuming to violate and insult the wives and daughters of the nobles of the kingdom, came in much distress to the king and made his doleful complaint before him. Greatly moved thereat, the king, by the advice of the same Huna, sent letters into all parts of the kingdom, commanding all the people, that on one day, the feast of St. Brice the bishop, they should rise and put to death all the Danes settled in England, leaving none surviving, so that the whole English nation might once and for ever be freed from Danish oppression. And so the Danes, who a little before had made a league with the English, and had sworn to live peaceably with them, were shamefully slain, and their wives and little ones dashed against the posts of their houses. The decree was mercilessly carried into effect in the city of London, insomuch that a number of Danes who had fled to a church for refuge, were all butchered before the very altars. But some Danish youths, flying on board a vessel, escaped to Denmark, and reported to king Sweyn the bloody end of his people. Moved to tears thereat, he called together all the nobles of his kingdom, and making known to them what had happened, inquired of them diligently what they advised to be done ; whereupon they all with one acclamation determined that the blood of their kinsmen and friends should be revenged. Their fury was increased by the death of Gunnildis, sister of king Sweyn, who was slain in England on this