He remained, therefore, at his camp at Edendune, gradually completing his arrangements for his summer campaign, but making no preparations for resisting any sudden or violent attack.
When all was ready, Alfred put himself at the head of the forces which had collected at the Egbert Stone, or, as it is quaintly spelled in some of the old accounts, Ecgbyrth-stan.

There is a place called Brixstan in that vicinity now, which may possibly be the same name modified and abridged by the lapse of time.

Alfred moved forward toward Guthrum's camp.

He went only a part of the way the first day, intending to finish the march by getting into the immediate vicinity of the enemy on the morrow.

He succeeded in accomplishing this object, and encamped the next night at a place called AEcglea,[2] on an eminence from which he could reconnoiter, from a great distance, the position of the army.
That night, as he was sleeping in his tent, he had a remarkable dream.
He dreamed that his relative, St.Neot, who has been already mentioned as the chaplain or priest who reproved him so severely for his sins in the early part of his reign, appeared to him.