The Scouring of the White Horse. Hughes Thomas

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      1

      Doyle.

      2

      E. Martin Atkins, Esq., of Kingston Lisle, has lately been opening the barrows which are nearest to the Horse; and the compiler, hearing that he was about to examine Dragon’s Hill also, wrote to him on the subject, and suggested how desirable it would be (if any ways possible) to find the remains of King Bægseek there who was slain at Ashdown. To which communication the compiler received the following reply. After mentioning the contents of the other barrows, some clearly Saxon, others Romano-British, his letter proceeds as to Dragon’s Hill: —

      “As for old Bægseek, I should chuck him overboard at once, and assume that our friend Uter Pendragon’s remains had been originally deposited here, but that he had been disturbed in his repose by the decapitation of the barrow, which at some unknown time has undoubtedly taken place. It is unfortunate, however, that a Roman coin of the time of Constans turned up from among the débris, and the fragments of pottery also were chiefly of Roman manufacture, mixed with some of earlier date. It will therefore perhaps be difficult to reconcile these matters one with the other; but on turning them over in your mind, you will, I dare say, theorize with a very agreeable correctness!” What is a wretched compiler to do, who gets such letters from those who should be his aiders and abettors?

      3

      See Simeon, A.D. 870.

      4

      See Chronicle of St. Neot, A.D. 878.

      5

      See Saxon Chron. and Asser, A.D. 866.

      6

      See Asser, A.D. 867.

      7

      See Saxon Chron. and Huntingdon, A.D. 874.

1

Doyle.

2

E. Martin Atkins, Esq., of Kingston Lisle, has lately been opening the barrows which are nearest to the Horse; and the compiler, hearing that he was about to examine Dragon’s Hill also, wrote to him on the subject, and suggested how desirable it would be (if any ways possible) to find the remains of King Bægseek there who was slain at Ashdown. To which communication the compiler received the following reply. After mentioning the contents of the other barrows, some clearly Saxon, others Romano-British, his letter proceeds as to Dragon’s Hill: —

“As for old Bægseek, I should chuck him overboard at once, and assume that our friend Uter Pendragon’s remains had been originally deposited here, but that he had been disturbed in his repose by the decapitation of the barrow, which at some unknown time has undoubtedly taken place. It is unfortunate, however, that a Roman coin of the time of Constans turned up from among the débris, and the fragments of pottery also were chiefly of Roman manufacture, mixed with some of earlier date. It will therefore perhaps be difficult to reconcile these matters one with the other; but on turning them over in your mind, you will, I dare say, theorize with a very agreeable correctness!” What is a wretched compiler to do, who gets such letters from those who should be his aiders and abettors?

3

See Simeon, A.D. 870.

4

See Chronicle of St. Neot, A.D. 878.

5

See Saxon Chron. and Asser, A.D. 866.

6

See Asser, A.D. 867.

7

See Saxon Chron. and Huntingdon, A.D. 874.

8

See Simeon, A.D. 870.

9

N. B. This was written in October, 1857.

10

Here is Robert of Gloster’s account of the martyrdom: —

“So that atte laste to Estangle agen hym come:

Ther hii barned and robbede and that fole to grounde slowe;

And as wolves among ssep reulych hem to drowe,

Seynt Edmond was tho her kyng, and tho he sey that delvol cas

That me morthred so that fole, and non amendement n’as,

He ches levere to deye hym-sulf, that such soreve to ysey —

He dude hym vorth among ys ton, n’olde he nothyng fle.

Hii nome hym and scourged hym, and suthe naked hym bounde

To a tre, and to hym ssote, and made hym mony a wounde,

That the arewe were on hym tho thycke, that no stede n’as byleved.

Atte laste hii martred hym, and smyte of ys heved.”

Robert of Gloster’s Chronicle, p. 263, apud Thomas Hearne. Ed. 1724.

11

See Saxon Chronicle, and Huntingdon, A.D. 870.

12

See Brompton, A.D. 870.

13

See Sax Chron., A.D. 870.

14

See Huntingdon, A.D. 871.

15

See Simeon, A.D. 871.

16

See Saxon Chronicle, A.D. 871.

17

See Asser, A.D. 871.

18

This is Robert of Gloster’s account of the Battle: —

“The Kyng and Alfred ys brother nome men ynowe,

Mette hem, and a batayle smyte up Assesdowne —

Ther was mony moder chyld, that sone lay ther doune —

The batayle ylaste vorte-nygt, and ther were aslawe

Vyf dukes of Dene-march, ar hii wolde wyth drawe,

And mony thousende of other men, and tho’ gonne hii to fle;

Ac hii adde alle ybe assend, gyf the nyght n’adde y bee.

Robert of Gloster, p. 263, apud Thomas Hearne. Ed. 1724.”