ir tendency to break up into small kingdoms, into earldoms, as they
were called in the eleventh century, about the end of the period; into
tribes, in reality, as when they inhabited the Germanic land. Out of
this chaos how can a nation arise? a nation that may give birth to
Shakespeare, crush the Armada, people the American continent? No less
than a miracle is needed. The miracle took place: it was the battle of
Hastings.

FOOTNOTES:

[70] "Hengest and Horsa ... were the sons of Wihtgils; Wihtgils was the
son of Witta, Witta of Wecta, Wecta of Woden. From Woden sprang all our
royal kin, and the Southumbrians also" (year 449, "Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle," Peterborough text). "Penda was the son of Pybba, Pybba of
Cryda ... Waermund of Wihtlaeg, Wihtlaeg of Woden" (_Ibid._ year 626).
Orderic Vital, born in England, and writing in Normandy, in the twelfth
century, continues to trace back the descent of the kings of England to
Woden: "a quo Angh feriam [iv]am Wodenis diem nuncupant" ("Hist.
Eccl.," ed. Le Prevost, vol. iii. p 161). "Wodenis dies" has become
Wednesday. In the same fashion, and even more characteristically, the
feast of the northern goddess Eostra has become "Easter":
"Eostur-monath, qui nunc paschalis mensis interpretatur, quondam a dea
eorum quae Eostre vocabatur ... nomen habuit." Bede, "De Temporum
Ratione" in Migne's "Patrologia," xc., col. 357. Similar genealogies
occur in Matthew Paris, thirteenth century, "Chronica Majora," vol. i.
pp. 188-9, 422 (Rolls).

[71] This unique monument seems to be of the eighth century. _Cf._
"Pre-Conquest Churches of Northumbria," an article by C. Hodges in the
"Reliquary," July, 1893.

[72] For example, charter of Offa, dated 793, "Matthaei Parisiensis ...
Chronica Majora," ed. Luard (Rolls), vol. vi., "Additamenta," pp. 1, 25,
&c.: "Regnante Domino nostro Jesu Christo in perpetuum."

[73] "King Ceadwalla's tomb in the ancient basilica of St. Peter," by M.
Tesoroni, Rome, 1891, 8vo.

[74] "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," year 855. The princess was Judith,
daughter of Charles the Bald. Hincmar, archbishop of Reims, blessed the
marriage.

[75] "Quid dicam de tot episcopis ..." &c. "Willelmi Malmesbiriensis....
Gesta regum Anglorum," ed. Hardy, London, 1840, 2 vols. 8vo, vol. ii. p.
417.

[76] See his will and various documents concerning him in Migne's
"Patrologia," vol. lxxxix., col. 535 _et seq._

[77] "Fraternitatis vestrae pietatem intimis obsecramus precibus ut nos
in