f a national, as opposed to earlier
local chronicles, was inspired by Alfred, who may even have dictated,
or at least revised, the entries relating to his own campaigns; while
for the earlier parts pre-existing materials, both oral and written,
were utilized. Among the latter the chronological epitome appended to
Bede's _Ecclesiastical History_ may be specially mentioned. But even
this common stock exists in two different recensions, in A, B, C, on
the one hand, and D, E on the other. The main points of difference are
that in D, E (1) a series of northern annals have been incorporated;
(2) the Bede entries are taken, not from the brief epitome, but from
the main body of the _Eccl. Hist._ The inference is that, shortly
after the compiling of this Alfredian chronicle, a copy of it was sent
to some northern monastery, probably Ripon, where it was expanded in
the way indicated. Copies of this northernized Chronicle afterwards
found their way to the south. The impulse given by Alfred was
continued under Edward, and we have what may be called an official
continuation of the history of the Danish wars, which, in B, C, D
extends to 915, and in A to 924. After 915 B, C insert as a separate
document a short register of Mercian affairs during the same period
(902-924), which might be called the acts of AEthelflaed, the famous
"Lady of the Mercians," while D has incorporated it, not very
skilfully, with the official continuation. Neither of these documents
exists in E. From 925 to 975 all the chronicles are very fragmentary;
a few obits, three or four poems, among them the famous ballad on
the battle of Brunanburh, make up the meagre tale of their common
materials, which each has tried to supplement in its own way. A has
inserted a number of Winchester entries, which prove that A is a
Winchester book. And this local and scrappy character it retains
to 1001, where it practically ends. At some subsequent time it
was transferred bodily to Canterbury, where it received numerous
interpolations in the earlier part, and a few later local entries
which finally tail off into the Latin acts of Lanfranc. A may
therefore be dismissed. C has added to the common stock one or
two Abingdon entries, with which place the history of C is closely
connected; while D and E have a second group of northern annals
901-966, E being however much more fragmentary than D, omitting, or
not having access to, much both of the common and of the northern
material w