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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. I. B.C. 4004 to A.D. 1066.

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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. I. B.C. 4004 to A.D. 1066.
page 457



tante, and built themselves another and a stronger one, in the place which is called Appledore. And, not long afterwards, Hasting came from the same parts, and entering the mouth of the river Thames with eighty ships, made himself, at a great expense, a fortification in the royal town which is called Middleton. But though king Alfred was threatened with invasion of the side, and though, as some people say, the laws are silent amid arms, nevertheless, amid the clang of trumpets, and the crash of battle, and the rattling of arms, he made laws, and delivered them down to be observed by posterity, by which his people should become accustomed to the worship of God, and to military discipline. And because, owing to the opportunities afforded by the barbarians, even the natives at times panted after plunder, so that scarcely any body could find a place of safety, or procure any necessary supplies, without the protection of an armed force, he instituted centuries, which he called hundreds, and décimée, which he called tythings, in order that every English-born citizen, living under the protection o f the law, might have both a hundred and a tything to apply to. And if any one were accused of any offence, then the culprit, and one who should be bail for bini, was immediately required from the hundred and the tything. But he who could not produce a surety of this kind, was to undergo the severity of the law. And if any one absconded, either after giving security or before, then all the people of that century and that tything were liable to pay a fine to the king. By this contrivance he diffused peace over the provinces, so that even at the public fences, where the roads are divided in four directions, he ordered golden amulets to be suspended, so as to excite the cupidity of travellers, since there was no man who dared to take them away. A.D. 893. The pagane who inhabited Northumberland and East Anglia made peace with king Alfred, giving hostages, and binding themselves with oaths. But the treaty was broken, because whenever the army of the pagans which was stationed in Kent issued forth out of its fortifications, for the sake of plunder, then the others did not cease to plunder also, either in their company or by themselves, whenever they were able. And when this was known, king Alfred marched into Kent with his army, and pitched his camp between the two armies of the pagans, so that, if they moved towards any district for the sake of plunder or battle, he might be able to


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