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FROM ENGLISH CHRONICLERS 101
this accusation, and swore that for such ingratitude he would
wholly destroy the place itself and the people.
In short, at the king's command the cruel army came thither,
ready for spoil, prompt for slaughter, eager for crime, neither
sparing for entreaty nor resting for satiety.
And the king's wrath was not hid from the people of Hexham.
But what should they do ? They had no strength to
resist, no stronghold to flee to, no support in the alliance of any
vassals ; the one and only hope of all was in the oft-tried
virtue of the saints. To the church therefore collected young
men and maidens, old men and children, women and infants,
either to be rescued by divine virtue or surely to be slain before
the relics of the saints.
Already the king was there with a strong force ; already he
had occupied the neighbouring district of the river Tyne, and
would have satisfied his cruelty, had not night come on and
prevented his crossing.
But the priest who was over the church sent certain of the
clergy with relics to the king, both to clear themselves of the
charge brought against them and to entreat peace for the
innocent people.
The king was angry, and summoned his Galwegian vassals,
more cruel than the rest and said in the ;
hearing of the mes-
sengers, " So soon as day dawns, cross the river and fall upon
them : let not your eye spare or pity rank, or sex, or age. Whatever
the sword cannot, let fire destroy ; and leave of them no
remains."
Thus speaking, with rage he bade the messengers return.
And when they had gone back to the church, and related
what they had heard, a pitiable tumult arose a ; great crying ,
and weeping and much . . .
wailing.
In short, already the shades of night were ended by a dawn
which, coming forth more brightly than usual, took away the
hope of relief which they had entertained : when, behold ! a
mist arose from the westward, and filled the whole bed of the
river aforesaid from its source to its mouth. And gradually
closing upon itself, in a short time it became so dense and thick
that if any one had chanced to hold out his right hand at some
distance the hand would have been swallowed up by the
darkness, and rendered invisible to him.
The Galwegians therefore entered the mist, and passing
through some wastes crossed the stream on the west, on the
way which leads to Cumbria, and towards evening found
themselves on the border of their own district.