Part 27

(97) Whence he sailed to Bretagne, according to Flor. S. Dunelm, etc.; but according to Henry of Huntingdon he fled directly to Denmark, returning afterwards with Cnute and Hacco, who invaded England With a fleet of 200 sail.

(98) i.e. Earl Waltheof.

(99) This notice of St. Petronilla, whose name and existence seem scarcely to have been known to the Latin historians, we owe exclusively to the valuable MS. "Cotton Tiberius" B lv. Yet if ever female saint deserved to be commemorated as a conspicuous example of early piety and christian zeal, it must be Petronilla.

(100) The brevity of our Chronicle here, and in the two following years, in consequence of the termination of "Cotton Tiberius" B iv., is remarkable. From the year 1083 it assumes a character more decidedly Anglo-Norman.

(101) i.e. In the service; by teaching them a new-fangled chant, brought from Feschamp in Normandy, instead of that to which they had been accustomed, and which is called the Gregorian chant.

(102) Literally, "afeared of them"--i.e. terrified by them.

(103) Probably along the open galleries in the upper story of the choir.

(104) "Slaegan", in its first sense, signifies "to strike violently"; whence the term "sledge-hammer". This consideration will remove the supposed pleonasm in the Saxon phrase, which is here literally translated.

(105) "Gild," Sax.; which in this instance was a land-tax of one shilling to a yardland.

(106)--and of Clave Kyrre, King of Norway. Vid. "Antiq. Celto-Scand".

(107) Because there was a mutiny in the Danish fleet; which was carried to such a height, that the king, after his return to Denmark, was slain by his own subjects. Vid. "Antiq. Celto-Scand", also our "Chronicle" A.D. 1087.

(108) i.e. a fourth part of an acre.

(109) At Winchester; where the king held his court at Easter in the following year; and the survey was accordingly deposited there; whence it was called "Rotulus Wintoniae", and "Liber Wintoniae".

(110) An evident allusion to the compilation of Doomsday book, already described in A.D. 1085.

(111) Uppe-land, Sax.--i.e. village-church.

(112) i.e. jurisdiction. We have adopted the modern title of the district; but the Saxon term occurs in many of the ancient evidences of Berkeley Castle.

(113) i.e. of the conspirators.

(114) Literally "became his man"--"Ic becom eowr man" was the formula of doing homage.

(115) Literally a "gossip"; but such are the changes which words undergo in their meaning as well as in their form, that a title of honour formerly implying a spiritual relationship in God, is now applied only to those whose conversation resembles the contemptible tittle-tattle of a Christening.

(116) From this expression it is evident, that though preference was naturally and properly given to hereditary claims, the monarchy of Scotland, as well as of England, was in principle "elective". The doctrine of hereditary, of divine, of indefeasible "right", is of modern growth.

(117) See the following year towards the end, where Duncan is said to be slain.

(118) Peitevin, which is the connecting link between "Pictaviensem" and "Poitou".

(119) Now called Southampton, to distinguish it from Northampton, but the common people in both neighbourhoods generally say "Hamton" to this day (1823).

(120) The title is now Earl of Shrewsbury.

(121) The fourth of April. Vid. "Ord. Vit."

(122) Commonly called "Peter-pence".

(123) Literally "head-men, or chiefs". The term is still retained with a slight variation in the north of Europe, as the "hetman" Platoff of celebrated memory.

(124) This name is now written, improperly, Cadogan; though the ancient pronunciation continues. "Cadung", "Ann. Wav." erroneously, perhaps, for "Cadugn".