Before we discuss the history of the English monarchy, it would seem useful, since we have earlier made mention of the pagans, to say something here about when and from what part of the world they came to England and how much evil they were allowed to do there.

In the year from our Lord's incarnation seven hundred and ninety-three, which was the fourth year of the reign of Æthelred, king of the Northumbrians, fearful prodigies terrified the wretched nation of the Angles. Dreadful lightning and dragons and flashes of fire were frequently seen darting and flying through the air. They were portents of the great famine and the slaughter of many men which followed. In the same year, the pagans, coming to Britain from northern parts with a naval force, killed not only mules, sheep, and cattle, but also priests, deacons, and groups of monks and nuns. They even laid waste the church of Lindisfarne in their wretched looting. They trampled on the holy places, dug up the altars, and carried off all the treasures of the church. Some of the brethren they killed, some they took away with them, some they drowned in the sea.

Then, the following year, as they were retreating, they ravaged the harbour of King Ecgfrid, and looted the monastery at the mouth of the River Don. But they did not go unpunished, for their chief was killed there and later a violent storm battered their ships. Many were overcome by the sea, and some were thrown up on the shore and quickly killed. After this, England was at rest from the pagans for some time.

In the year from our Lord's incarnation eight hundred and fifty-one, a great army of heathens came into the mouth of the River Thames with three hundred and fifty ships. They ravaged Canterbury and put to flight Berthwulf, king of the Mercians, together with all his troops who had come to fight against them. Then, emboldened, they came with their whole army into Surrey. On hearing this, Saxonum Adelwlfus et filius eius Edelbaldus cum eo congregato copioso exercitu, congressus cum eis tam cruenta potitus est uictoria, ut numquam in aliqua regione pagani una die tanti occubuerunt in morte. Eodem quoque anno magnus paganorum exercitus apud Sandwic ab Anglis interemptus est, et qui euadere potuerunt, fugam inierunt.