An. 1009. Here on this year were the ships ready of which we
ere spake, and there were so many of them as never ere (so
far as books tell us) were made among English kin in no
king's day. And man brought them all together to Sandwich,
and there should they lie, and hold this earth against all
outlanders [foreigners'] hosts. But we had not yet the luck
nor the worship [valour] that the ship-fyrd should be of
any good to this land, no more than it oft was afore. Then
befel it at this ilk time or a little ere, that Brihtric,
Eadric's brother the ealdorman's, forwrayed [accused]
Wulfnoth child to the king: and he went out and drew unto
him twenty ships, and there harried everywhere by the south
shore, and wrought all evil. Then quoth man to the ship-fyrd
that man might easily take them, if man were about it. Then
took Brihtric to himself eighty ships and thought that he
should work himself great fame if he should get Wulfnoth,
quick or dead. But as they were thitherward, there came such
a wind against them such as no man ere minded [remembered],
and it all to-beat and to-brake the ships, and warped them
on land: and soon came Wulfnoth and for-burned the ships.
When this was couth [known] to the other ships where the
king was, how the others fared, then was it as though it
were all redeless, and the king fared him home, and the
ealdormen, and the high witan, and forlet the ships thus
lightly. And the folk that were on the ships brought them
round eft to Lunden, and let all the people's toil thus
lightly go for nought: and the victory that all English kin
hoped for was no better. There this ship-fyrd was thus
ended; then came, soon after Lammas, the huge foreign host,
that we hight Thurkill's host, to Sandwich, and soon wended