The rich monastery of Bardenay has been pillaged and burned.

Algar is assembling all the inhabitants of the marsh lands to give them battle, and he prays you to send what help you can spare, for assuredly they will march hither should he be defeated." "Return to the ealdorman," the abbot said; "tell him that every lay brother and monk who can bear arms shall march hence to join him under the command of lay brother Toley, whose deeds of arms against the Danes in Mercia are well known to him.

My brother here, Eldred, will head all the inhabitants of the marshes of this neighbourhood.

With these and the brothers of the abbey, in all, as I reckon, nigh four hundred men, he will to-morrow march to join Algar." Messengers were at once sent off through the surrounding country bidding every man assemble on the morrow morning at Croyland, and soon after daybreak they began to arrive.

Some were armed with swords, some with long sickles, used in cutting rushes, tied to poles, some had fastened long pieces of iron to oars to serve as pikes.