their way to Canterbury, and would quickly have won the burg
if they had not rather yearned for peace of them. And all
the East Kentings made peace with the host, and gave it
three thousand pound. And the host there, soon after that,
wended till it came to Wightland, and there everywhere in
Suth-Sex, and on Hamtunshire, and eke on Berkshire harried
and burnt, as their wont is. Then bade the king call out all
the people, that men should hold against them on every half
[side]: but none the less, look! they fared where they
willed. Then one time had the king foregone before them with
all the fyrd as they were going to their ships, and all the
folk was ready to fight them. But it was let, through Eadric
ealdorman, as it ever yet was. Then, after St. Martin's
mass, they fared eft again into Kent, and took them a winter
seat on Thames, and victualled themselves from East-Sex and
from the shires that there next were, on the twain halves
of Thames. And oft they fought against the burg of Lunden,
but praise be to God, it yet stands sound, and they ever
there fared evilly. And there after mid-winter they took
their way up, out through Chiltern, and so to Oxenaford
[Oxford], and for-burnt the burg, and took their way on to
the twa halves of Thames to shipward. There man warned them
that there was fyrd gathered at Lunden against them; then
wended they over at Stane [Staines]. And thus fared they all
the winter, and that Lent were in Kent and bettered
[repaired] their ships.

We possess several manuscript versions of the Chronicle, belonging to
different abbeys, and containing in places somewhat different accounts.
Thus the Peterborough copy is fullest on matters affecting that