Note 509 — Chapter V · THE DANISH CONQUEST OF ENGLAND.[464] 975–1016.

The Chronicles say expressly, “On þam geare man gerædde ƿæt man geald ærest gafol Deniscum mannum,” &c. But there is a curious piece of evidence to show that the possibility of such a measure was thought of long before. In the will of King Eadred in the Liber de Hyda, p. 153, he leaves sixteen hundred pounds “to þan þæt hi mege magan hu[n]gor and hæþenne here him fram aceapian, gif hie beþurfen.” The manuscript seems to be very corrupt, but there can be no doubt as to the meaning. The words are left out in the Latin and later English versions which follow.