Page:A literal translation of the Saxon Chronicle.djvu/118

106 armies went out to plunder, these went forth also, either with them or in a separate division. Then King Alfred gathered together his troops, and came and encamped between the two armies in the nearest place defended by wood and by water, so that he could fall upon either, it they sought any field for forage; whilst they still going about the weald in parties of foot and troops of horse, to plunder the country wherever it was unprotected, continually encountered other parties from the King's army or from the towns day and night. The King had also divided his forces into two parts, so that half his troops were always at home, and half out, exclusive of those who were employed in guarding the towns. Neither were all the heathen forces out of their quarters at the same time oftener than twice, once when they first came to land before the King's army was assembled, and again when they would depart from this station. Then when they had collected much plunder, and would have carried it northward across the Thames into Essex, and towards the ships, the King's army hastened before them, and fought with them at Farnham, and put them to flight, and got possession of the spoil; and they fled across the Thames, where there